As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 8, 2021

Securities Act File No. 333-            

Investment Company Act File No. 811-08621

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-14

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Pre-Effective Amendment No.

Post-Effective Amendment No.

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

 

 

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, Delaware 19809

(Address of Principal Executive Offices: Number, Street, City, State, Zip Code)

(800) 882-0052

(Area Code and Telephone Number)

John M. Perlowski

President and Chief Executive Officer

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

55 East 52nd Street

New York, New York 10055

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

With copies to:

 

Margery K. Neale, Esq.

Elliot J. Gluck, Esq.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019-6099

 

Janey Ahn, Esq.

BlackRock Advisors, LLC

55 East 52nd Street

New York, New York 10055

 

 

AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT

(Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Title of Securities
Being Registered
   Amount Being
Registered(1)
   Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
Per Unit
   Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(1)
   Amount of
Registration
Fee

Common stock, $0.10 par value

   Not applicable    Not applicable    $1,000,000    $92.70

 

 

 

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the filing registration fee, pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933.

The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement is organized as follows:

 

a.    Letter to Common Shareholders of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (“MYJ”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (“MUJ”).
b.    Questions & Answers for Common Shareholders of MYJ and MUJ.
c.    Notice of Joint Special Meeting of Shareholders of MYJ and MUJ.
d.    Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus regarding the proposed reorganization of MYJ into MUJ.
e.    Statement of Additional Information regarding the proposed reorganization of MYJ into MUJ.
f.    Part C: Other Information.
g.    Exhibits.


BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, Delaware 19809

(800) 882-0052

[●] , 2021

Dear Common Shareholder:

You are cordially invited to attend a joint special shareholder meeting (the “Special Meeting”) of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (“MYJ”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (“MUJ” or the “Acquiring Fund” and together with MYJ, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”), to be held on [●] at [●] (Eastern time). [Because of our concerns regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Special Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only. Shareholders will not have to travel to attend the Special Meeting, but will be able to view the Special Meeting live and cast their votes by accessing a web link. Before the Special Meeting,] I would like to provide you with additional background information and ask for your vote on important proposals affecting the Funds.

Common Shareholders of MYJ: You and the preferred shareholders of MYJ are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between MYJ and the Acquiring Fund (the “Reorganization Agreement”) and the transactions contemplated therein, including the termination of MYJ’s registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the dissolution of MYJ under Maryland law (the “Reorganization”). The Acquiring Fund has a similar investment objective and similar investment strategies, policies and restrictions as MYJ, although there are some differences. Preferred shareholders of MYJ are also being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the Reorganization.

Common Shareholders of the Acquiring Fund: You and the preferred shareholders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the issuance of additional common shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization. Preferred shareholders of the Acquiring Fund are also being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein.

The enclosed Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is only being delivered to the Funds’ common shareholders. The preferred shareholders of each Fund are also being asked to attend the Special Meeting and to vote as a separate class with respect to the proposals described above. Each Fund is delivering to its preferred shareholders a separate proxy statement with respect to the proposals described above.

The Board of Directors of each Fund believes that the proposal that the common shareholders of its Fund are being asked to vote upon is in the best interests of its respective Fund and its shareholders and unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” such proposal.

Your vote is important. Attendance at the Special Meeting will be limited to each Fund’s shareholders as of [●], the record date for the Special Meeting.

If your shares in a Fund are registered in your name, you may attend and participate in the Special Meeting at https://meetnow.global/MCFHL76 by entering the control number found in the shaded box on your proxy card on the date and time of the Special Meeting. You may vote during the Special Meeting by following the instructions that will be available on the Special Meeting website during the Special Meeting.

If you are a beneficial shareholder of a Fund (that is if you hold your shares of a Fund through a bank, broker, financial intermediary or other nominee) and want to attend the Special Meeting you must register in advance of the Special Meeting. To register, you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy), which you can obtain from your

 

i


financial intermediary or other nominee, reflecting your Fund holdings along with your name and email address to Georgeson LLC, each Fund’s tabulator. You may email an image of your legal proxy to shareholdermeetings@computershare.com. Requests for registration must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) three business days prior to the Special Meeting date. You will receive a confirmation email from Georgeson LLC of your registration and a control number and security code that will allow you to vote at the Special Meeting.

Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please promptly follow the enclosed instructions to submit voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet. Alternatively, you may submit voting instructions by signing and dating each proxy card or voting instruction form you receive, and if received by mail, returning it in the accompanying postage-paid return envelope.

We encourage you to carefully review the enclosed materials, which explain the proposals in more detail. As a shareholder, your vote is important, and we hope that you will respond today to ensure that your shares will be represented at the meeting. You may vote using one of the methods below by following the instructions on your proxy card or voting instruction form(s):

 

 

By touch-tone phone;

 

 

By internet;

 

 

By signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form(s) in the postage-paid envelope; or

 

 

By participating at the Special Meeting as described above.

If you do not vote using one of the methods described above, you may be called by Georgeson LLC, the Funds’ proxy solicitor, to vote your shares.

If you have any questions about the proposals to be voted on or the virtual Special Meeting, please call Georgeson LLC, the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, toll free at 1-866-666-2580.

As always, we appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

JOHN M. PERLOWSKI

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Funds

Please vote now. Your vote is important.

 

To avoid the wasteful and unnecessary expense of further solicitation(s), we urge you to indicate your voting instructions on the enclosed proxy card, date and sign it and return it promptly in the postage-paid envelope provided, or record your voting instructions by telephone or via the internet, no matter how large or small your holdings may be. If you submit a properly executed proxy but do not indicate how you wish your common shares to be voted, your common shares will be voted “FOR” the proposal. If your common shares are held through a broker, you must provide voting instructions to your broker about how to vote your common shares in order for your broker to vote your common shares as you instruct at the Special Meeting.

[●], 2021

 

ii


IMPORTANT NOTICE

TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS OF

BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Although we urge you to read the entire Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, we have provided for your convenience a brief overview of some of the important questions concerning the joint special shareholder meeting (the “Special Meeting”) of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (“MYJ” or the “Target Fund”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (“MUJ” or the “Acquiring Fund” and together with MYJ, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”) and the proposals to be voted on. It is expected that the effective date ( the “Closing Date”) of the Reorganization will be sometime during the [●] quarter of [●], but it may be at a different time as described in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

The enclosed Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is being sent only to the common shareholders of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is separately soliciting the votes of its holders of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares (“VRDP Shares” and the holders thereof, “VRDP Holders,” and such VRDP Shares together with the common shares of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, the “Shares”) through a separate proxy statement.

 

Q:

Why is a shareholder meeting being held?

A:     Common Shareholders of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MYJ): You and the VRDP Holders of MYJ are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between MYJ and the Acquiring Fund (the “Reorganization Agreement”) and the transactions contemplated therein, including (i) the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s assets and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s liabilities in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund, which will be distributed to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and VRDP Holders, respectively, of MYJ, and which shall constitute the sole consideration to be distributed or paid to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and the VRDP Holders in respect of their common shares and VRDP Shares, respectively, and (ii) the termination by MYJ of its registration under the 1940 Act, and the liquidation, dissolution and termination of MYJ in accordance with its charter and Maryland law (the “Reorganization”).

MYJ VRDP Holders are also being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the Reorganization through a separate proxy statement.

Common Shareholders of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MUJ): You and the Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the issuance of additional common shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization Agreement (the “Issuance”).

Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders are also being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, through a separate proxy statement.

The term “Combined Fund” refers to the Acquiring Fund as the surviving Fund after the consummation of the Reorganization.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then each Fund would continue to exist and operate on a standalone basis.

 

iii


Q:

Why has each Fund’s Board recommended these proposals?

A:    The Board of Directors (each, a “Board” and each member thereof, a “Board Member”) of each Fund has determined that the Reorganization is in the best interests of its Fund and that the interests of existing common shareholders and preferred shareholders of its Fund will not be diluted with respect to net asset value (“NAV”) and liquidation preference, respectively, as a result of the Reorganization. The Reorganization seeks to achieve certain economies of scale and other operational efficiencies by combining two funds that have similar investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and restrictions and are managed by the same investment adviser, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Investment Advisor”).

In light of these similarities, the Reorganization is intended to reduce fund redundancies and create a single, larger fund that may benefit from anticipated operating efficiencies and economies of scale. The Reorganization is intended to result in the following potential benefits to common shareholders:

 

  (i)

lower net total expenses (excluding interest expense) per Common Share for common shareholders of each Fund (as common shareholders of the Combined Fund following the Reorganization) due to economies of scale resulting from the larger size of the Combined Fund;

 

  (ii)

improved net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund;

 

  (iii)

improved secondary market trading of the common shares of the Combined Fund; and

 

  (iv)

operating and administrative efficiencies for the Combined Fund, including the potential for the following:

 

  (a)

greater investment flexibility and investment options;

 

  (b)

greater diversification of portfolio investments;

 

  (c)

the ability to trade portfolio securities in larger positions and more favorable transaction terms;

 

  (d)

additional sources of leverage or more competitive leverage terms and more favorable transaction terms;

 

  (e)

benefits from having fewer closed-end funds offering similar products in the market, including an increased focus by investors on the remaining funds in the market (including the Combined Fund) and additional research coverage; and

 

  (f)

benefits from having fewer similar funds in the same fund complex, including a simplified operational model and a reduction in risk of operational, legal and financial errors.

The Board of each Fund, including Board Members thereof who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act), approved the Reorganization Agreement and the Issuance, concluding that the Reorganization is in the best interests of its Fund and that the interests of existing common shareholders and preferred shareholders of its Fund will not be diluted with respect to NAV and liquidation preference, respectively, as a result of the Reorganization. As a result of the Reorganization, however, common and preferred shareholders of each Fund may hold a reduced percentage of ownership in the larger Combined Fund than they did in any of the individual Funds before the Reorganization. Each Board’s conclusion was based on each Board Member’s business judgment after consideration of all relevant factors taken as a whole with respect to its Fund and the Fund’s common and preferred shareholders, although individual Board Members may have placed different weight on various factors and assigned different degrees of materiality to various factors.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then the Investment Advisor may, in connection with ongoing management of each Fund and its product line, recommend alternative proposals to the Board of the Fund.

 

iv


Q:

How will the Reorganization affect the fees and expenses of the Funds?

A:    As of July 31, 2021 for MYJ, the Acquiring Fund and the Combined Fund, the historical and pro forma Total Expense Ratios applicable to the Reorganization are as follows:

 

MYJ

   Acquiring
Fund (MUJ)
    Pro forma
Combined

Fund (MYJ
into MUJ)
 

1.39%

     1.44     1.36

“Total Expenses” means a Fund’s total annual operating expenses (including interest expense). “Total Expense Ratio” means a Fund’s Total Expenses expressed as a percentage of its average net assets attributable to its common shares.

The Funds estimate that the completion of the Reorganization would result in a Total Expense Ratio (excluding interest expense) for the Combined Fund of 0.86% on a historical and pro forma basis for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, representing a reduction in the Total Expense Ratio (excluding interest expense) for the common shareholders of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund by 0.03% and 0.03%, respectively.

Each Fund’s Total Expenses include interest expense associated with such Fund’s VRDP Shares. For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, the Total Expense Ratios (excluding interest expense) of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund were 0.89% and 0.89%, respectively.

The Funds estimate that the completion of all of the Reorganization would result in a Total Expense Ratio (including interest expense) for the Combined Fund of 1.36% on a historical and pro forma basis for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, representing a reduction in the Total Expense Ratio (including interest expense) for the common shareholders of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund by 0.03% and 0.08%, respectively.

The Combined Fund will have the same annual contractual investment management fee rate as MYJ and the Acquiring Fund. Each Fund currently pays the Investment Advisor a monthly fee at an annual contractual investment management fee rate of 0.50% of the average daily value of its net assets. For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” means the total assets of each Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by tender option bond (“TOB”) trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). It is understood that the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares (other than accumulated dividends) and TOB Trusts is not considered a liability in determining the relevant Fund’s NAV.

If the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund, which will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund. The annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund is the same as the annual contractual investment management fee rate for each Fund. Please see “Expense Table For Common Shareholders” in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus for additional information.

[Based on a pro forma Broadridge peer expense universe for the Combined Fund, the estimated total annual fund expense ratio (excluding investment-related expenses and taxes) is expected to be in the [●] quartile and contractual investment management fee rate and actual investment management fee rate over total assets are each expected to be in the [●] quartile.]

There can be no assurance that future expenses of the Combined Fund will not increase or that any expense savings for any Fund will be realized as a result of the Reorganization.

 

Q:

How will the Reorganization affect the earnings, distributions and undistributed net income of the Funds?

A:    The Combined Fund’s net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders following the Reorganization is expected to be potentially higher than the current net earnings yield on NAV for the Acquiring Fund and potentially the same as the current net earnings yield on NAV for MYJ. The distribution level of any fund is subject to change based upon a number of factors, including the current and projected level of the fund’s earnings, and may fluctuate

 

v


over time; thus, subject to a number of other factors, including the fund’s distribution policy, a higher net earnings profile may potentially have a positive impact on such fund’s distribution level over time. The Combined Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV will change over time, and depending on market conditions, may be higher or lower than each Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV prior to the Reorganization. A Fund’s earnings and net investment income are variables which depend on many factors, including its asset mix, portfolio turnover level, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund, the costs of such leverage, the performance of its investments, the movement of interest rates and general market conditions. There can be no assurance that the future earnings of a Fund, including the Combined Fund after the Reorganization, will remain constant.

If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1) substantially all of the undistributed net investment income (“UNII”), if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date (the “Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions”). The declaration date, ex-dividend date (the “Ex-Dividend Date”) and record date of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions will occur prior to the Closing Date. However, all or a significant portion of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions may be paid in one or more distributions to common shareholders of the Funds entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions after the Closing Date. Former MYJ shareholders entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions paid after the Closing Date will receive such distributions in cash.

Persons who purchase common shares of any of the Funds on or after the Ex-Dividend Date for the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions should not expect to receive any distributions from any Fund until distributions, if any, are declared by the Board of the Combined Fund and paid to shareholders entitled to any such distributions. No such distributions are expected to be paid by the Combined Fund until at least approximately one month following the Closing Date.

Additionally, the Acquiring Fund, in order to seek to provide its common shareholders with distribution rate stability, may include in its Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution amounts in excess of its undistributed net investment income and net investment income accrued through the Closing Date. This would result in the Acquiring Fund issuing incrementally more common shares in the Reorganization since its NAV as of the valuation time for the Reorganization would be lower relative to a scenario where such excess amounts were not included in the Acquiring Fund’s Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution.

The Combined Fund is anticipated to retain a lower UNII balance after the Reorganization than the Acquiring Fund prior to the Reorganization. The lower anticipated UNII balance for the Combined Fund relative to the UNII balance of the Acquiring Fund poses risks for shareholders of the Combined Fund. UNII balances, in part, support the level of a fund’s regular distributions and provide a cushion in the event a fund’s net earnings for a particular distribution period are insufficient to support the level of its regular distribution for that period. If the Combined Fund’s net earnings are below the level of its current distribution rate, the Combined Fund’s UNII balance could be more likely to contribute to a determination to decrease the Combined Fund’s distribution rate, or could make it more likely that the Combined Fund will make distributions consisting in part of a return of capital to maintain the level of its regular distributions. See “Dividends and Distributions.” Moreover, because a fund’s UNII balance, in part, supports the level of a fund’s regular distributions, the UNII balance of the Combined Fund could impact the trading market for the Combined Fund’s common shares and the magnitude of the trading discount to NAV of the Combined Fund’s common shares. [However, the Combined Fund is anticipated to benefit from a lower expense ratio, a potentially higher net earnings profile (compared to the Acquiring Fund) and other anticipated benefits of economies of scale as discussed herein.] Each Fund, including the Combined Fund, reserves the right to change its distribution policy with respect to common share distributions and the basis for establishing the rate of its distributions for the common shares at any time and may do so without prior notice to common shareholders. The payment of any distributions by any Fund, including the Combined Fund, is subject to, and will only be made when, as, and if, declared by the Board of such Fund. There is no assurance the Board of any Fund, including the Combined Fund, will declare any distributions for such Fund.

To the extent any Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

vi


Q:

Have common shares of each Fund historically traded at a premium or discount?

A:    The common shares of each Fund have historically traded at both a premium and a discount. The table below sets forth the market price, NAV, and the premium/discount to NAV of each Fund as of September 21, 2021.

 

Fund

   Market
Price
     NAV      Premium/(Discount) to NAV  

MYJ

   $ 15.88      $ 16.17        (1.8 )% 

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   $ 16.03      $ 16.08        (0.3 )% 

To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a wider discount (or a narrower premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders would have the potential for an economic benefit by the narrowing of the discount or widening of the premium. To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a narrower discount (or wider premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders may be negatively impacted if the Reorganization is consummated. Acquiring Fund common shareholders would only benefit from a premium/discount perspective to the extent the post-Reorganization discount (or premium) of the Acquiring Fund common shares improves.

There can be no assurance that, after the Reorganization, common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at a narrower discount to NAV or wider premium to NAV than the common shares of any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares. In the Reorganization, common shareholders of MYJ will receive Acquiring Fund common shares based on the relative NAVs (not the market values) of the respective Fund’s common shares. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of each respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.

 

Q:

[How will holders of preferred shares be affected by the Reorganization?

A:    As of the date of the enclosed Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, MYJ and the Acquiring Fund each have VRDP Shares outstanding. As of September 21, 2021, MYJ had 1,800 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding and the Acquiring Fund had 2,371 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding. In connection with the Reorganization, the Acquiring Fund expects to issue 1,800 additional VRDP Shares to MYJ VRDP Holders. Following the completion of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund is expected to have 4,171 VRDP Shares outstanding.

Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for the Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP

 

vii


Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year special rate period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended (each, a “Special Rate Period”). The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

None of the expenses of the Reorganization are expected to be borne by the VRDP Holders of the Funds.

Following the Reorganization, the VRDP Holders of each Fund will be VRDP Holders of the larger Combined Fund that will have a larger asset base and more VRDP Shares outstanding than any Fund individually before the Reorganization. With respect to matters requiring all preferred shareholders to vote separately or common and preferred shareholders to vote together as a single class, following the Reorganization, VRDP Holders of the Combined Fund may hold a smaller percentage of the outstanding preferred shares of the Combined Fund as compared to their percentage holdings of outstanding preferred shares of their respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.]

 

Q:

How similar are the Funds?

A:    The Funds have the same investment adviser, officers and directors. MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are each formed as a Maryland corporation.

Each Fund has its common shares listed on the NYSE and has privately placed VRDP Shares outstanding. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is managed by a team of investment professionals led by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA. Following the Reorganization, it is expected that the Combined Fund will be managed by a team of investment professionals lead by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA.

The investment objective, significant investment strategies and operating policies, and investment restrictions of the Combined Fund will be those of the Acquiring Fund, which are similar to those of MYJ, although there are some differences.

Investment Objective:

 

MYJ

  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and New Jersey personal income tax as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management.    The Fund’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes.

 

viii


Municipal Bonds: Below is a comparison of each Fund’s 80% investment policy with respect to municipal bonds, the interest of which is exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income tax.

 

MYJ

  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of New Jersey, its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and by other qualifying issuers, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and exempt from New Jersey personal income tax (“MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds”).    The Fund invests substantially all (at least 80%) of its assets in municipal obligations, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes (“MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds”), except at times when the Investment Advisor considers that MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds of sufficient quantity and quality are unavailable at suitable prices.

 

Investment Grade Securities: The Acquiring Fund invests in investment grade MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes but not New Jersey personal income taxes (“MUJ Municipal Bonds”) that are rated at the date of purchase in the four highest rating categories of Moody’s (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or, if unrated, are considered to be of comparable quality by the Investment Advisor.

Under normal market conditions, the Target Fund expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes but is not exempt from gross income for New Jersey personal income tax purposes (“MYJ Municipal Bonds”) that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, which are obligations rated within the four highest quality ratings as determined by either Moody’s (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB), or are considered by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment.

Bond Maturity: Below is a comparison of each Fund’s policy with respect to bond maturity.

 

MYJ

  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

The average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Investment Advisor. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include both long-term and intermediate-term municipal bonds.    The Fund invests primarily in long-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of more than ten years. However, the Fund may also invest in intermediate-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of between three years and ten years. The Fund may also invest in short-term tax-exempt securities, short-term U.S. Government

 

ix


MYJ

  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   securities, repurchase agreements or cash. Investments in such short-term securities or cash will not exceed 20% of the Fund’s total assets, except during interim periods pending investment of the net proceeds from public offerings of the Fund’s securities or in anticipation of the repurchase or redemption of the Fund’s securities and temporary periods when, in the opinion of the Investment Advisor, prevailing market or economic conditions warrant. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s assets will be invested in municipal obligations with remaining maturities of one year or more.

Leverage: Each Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of VRDP Shares and TOBs. See “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Leverage;” “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Leverage Risk;” and “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Tender Option Bond Risk.” The Acquiring Fund is expected to continue to leverage its assets through the use of VRDP Shares and TOBs after the Closing Date of the Reorganization. After the consummation of the Reorganization, common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, including former Target Fund common shareholders, will bear the leverage costs associated with the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares and will be subject to the terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, including that the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be senior in priority to the Acquiring Fund common shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus for additional information about the preferred shares of each Fund.

The annualized dividend rates for the preferred shares for each Fund’s most recent fiscal year end were as follows:

 

Fund

   Preferred Shares    Rate  

MYJ

   VRDP Shares      0.82

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   VRDP Shares      0.91

Please see below a comparison of certain important ratios related to (i) each Fund’s use of leverage as of September 21, 2021, and (ii) the Combined Fund’s estimated use of leverage, assuming the Reorganization had taken place as of July 31, 2021.

 

Ratios

   MYJ     Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Pro forma
Combined
Fund
(MYJ
into MUJ)
 

Asset Coverage Ratio

     316.7     306.7     311.1

Regulatory Leverage Ratio(1)

     31.6     32.6     32.1

 

x


Ratios

   MYJ     Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Pro forma
Combined
Fund
(MYJ
into MUJ)
 

Effective Leverage Ratio(2)

     [ ●]      [ ●]      [ ●] 

 

(1)

Regulatory leverage consists of preferred shares issued by the Fund, which is a part of the Fund’s capital structure. Regulatory leverage is sometimes referred to as “1940 Act Leverage” and is subject to asset coverage limits set forth in the 1940 Act.

(2)

Effective leverage is a Fund’s effective economic leverage, and includes both regulatory leverage and the leverage effects of certain derivative investments in the Fund’s portfolio. Currently, the leverage effects of TOB inverse floater holdings, in addition to any regulatory leverage, are included in effective leverage ratios.

 

Q:

How will the Reorganization be effected?

A:    Assuming the Reorganization receives the requisite shareholder approvals, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares, the Acquiring Fund will acquire substantially all of the Target Fund’s assets and assume substantially all of the Target Fund’s liabilities in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund, which will be distributed to the shareholders of the Target Fund (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares). The Target Fund will then terminate its registration under the 1940 Act, liquidate, dissolve and terminate in accordance with its charter and Maryland law. Shareholders of MYJ will become shareholders of the Acquiring Fund. Common shareholders of MYJ will receive newly issued common shares of the Acquiring Fund, par value $0.10 per share, the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of which will equal the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of the common shares of MYJ such shareholders held immediately prior to the Closing Date (although common shareholders of MYJ may receive cash for fractional common shares). The aggregate NAV of each Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization will reflect accrued expenses associated with such Reorganization. The NAV of MYJ common shares will not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization. The common shareholders of each Fund have substantially similar voting rights and rights with respect to the payment of dividends and distribution of assets upon liquidation of their respective Fund and have no preemptive, conversion or exchange rights.

[Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are substantially similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the

 

xi


VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.]

Shareholders of the Acquiring Fund will remain shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, which will have additional common shares and VRDP Shares outstanding after the Reorganization.

 

Q:

Will I have to pay any U.S. federal income taxes as a result of the Reorganization?

A:    The Reorganization is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. If the Reorganization so qualifies, in general, common shareholders of MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exchange of their common shares for Acquiring Fund Shares pursuant to the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional common shares). Additionally, MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes by reason of the Reorganization. Neither the Acquiring Fund nor its shareholders will recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to the Reorganization.

As discussed above, shareholders of each Fund may receive distributions prior to, or after, the consummation of the Reorganization, including distributions attributable to their proportionate share of each Fund’s undistributed net investment income declared prior to the consummation of the Reorganization or the Combined Fund built-in gains, if any, recognized after the Reorganization, when such income and gains are eventually distributed by the Combined Fund. To the extent that such a distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Funds’ shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization, as well as the effects of state, local and non-U.S. tax laws, including possible changes in tax laws.

 

Q:

Will I have to pay any sales load, commission or other similar fees in connection with the Reorganization?

A:    You will pay no sales loads or commissions in connection with the Reorganization. Regardless of whether the Reorganization is completed, however, the costs associated with the Reorganization, including the costs associated with the Special Meeting, will be borne directly by each of the respective Funds incurring the expense.

Common shareholders of each Fund will indirectly bear a portion of the costs of the Reorganization. For MYJ, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $366,537, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $129,586. For the Acquiring Fund, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $357,561, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $161,495. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein.

VRDP Holders are not expected to bear any costs of the Reorganization.

Neither the Funds nor the Investment Advisor will pay any direct expenses of shareholders arising out of or in connection with the Reorganization (e.g., expenses incurred by the shareholder as a result of attending the Special Meeting, voting on the Reorganization or other action taken by the shareholder in connection with the Reorganization).

 

xii


Q:

What shareholder approvals are required to complete the Reorganization?

 

A:

The Reorganization is contingent upon the following approvals:

 

  1.

The approval of the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the termination of MYJ’s registration under the 1940 Act and the dissolution of MYJ under Maryland law, by MYJ’s common shareholders and VRDP Holders voting as a single class;

 

  2.

The approval of the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the termination of MYJ’s registration under the 1940 Act and the dissolution of MYJ under Maryland law, by MYJ’s VRDP Holders voting as a separate class;

 

  3.

The approval of the Issuance by the Acquiring Fund’s common shareholders and Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders voting as a single class; and

 

  4.

The approval of the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, by Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders voting as a separate class.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then each Fund would continue to exist and operate on a standalone basis.

If the requisite shareholder approvals for the Reorganization is not obtained, or the Reorganization is not otherwise consummated, the Board of each Fund may take such actions as it deems in the best interests of the Fund, including conducting additional solicitations with respect to the Reorganization or continuing to operate the Fund as a standalone Maryland corporation registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end management investment company advised by the Investment Advisor. The Investment Advisor may, in connection with the ongoing management of the Fund and its product line, recommend alternative proposals to the Board of the Fund.

In order for the Reorganization to occur, each Fund must obtain all requisite shareholder approvals with respect to the Reorganization, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares.

The preferred shares were issued on a private placement basis to one or a small number of institutional holders. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information. To the extent that one or more preferred shareholder(s) of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund owns, holds or controls, individually or in the aggregate, all or a significant portion of such Fund’s outstanding preferred shares, the preferred shareholder approval required for the Reorganization may turn on the exercise of voting rights by such particular preferred shareholder(s) and its (or their) determination as to the favorability of the Reorganization with respect to its (or their) interests. The Funds exercise no influence or control over the determinations of such preferred shareholder(s) with respect to the Reorganization; there is no guarantee that such preferred shareholder(s) will approve the Reorganization, over which it (or they) may exercise effective disposition power.

 

Q:

Why is the vote of shareholders of the Acquiring Fund being solicited in connection with the Reorganization?

 

A:

The rules of the New York Stock Exchange (on which the Acquiring Fund common shares are listed) require the Acquiring Fund’s shareholders to approve the Issuance . If the Issuance is not approved, then the Reorganization will not occur.

We are also seeking the approval of the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, by the Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders voting as a separate class pursuant to the governing document of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares. If Acquiring Fund VRDP Holders do not approve the Reorganization Agreement as a separate class, then the Reorganization will not occur.

 

xiii


Q:

How does the Board of my Fund suggest that I vote?

 

A:

After careful consideration, the Board of your Fund unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the proposal(s) relating to your Fund.

 

Q:

When and where will the Special Meeting be held?

 

A:

The Special Meeting will be held on [●], at [●] (Eastern Time). [Because of our concerns regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Special Meeting will be held in virtual meeting format only. Shareholders will not have to travel to attend the Special Meeting, but will be able to view the Special Meeting live and cast their votes by accessing a web link.]

 

Q:

How do I vote my proxy?

 

A:

Shareholders of record of each Fund as of the close of business on [●] (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. You may cast your vote by mail, phone, internet or by participating at the Special Meeting as described below.

To vote by mail, please mark your vote on the enclosed proxy card and sign, date and return the card in the postage-paid envelope provided.

If you choose to vote by phone or internet, please refer to the instructions found on the proxy card accompanying the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. To vote by phone or internet, you will need the “control number” that appears on the proxy card. In addition, we ask that you please note the following:

If your shares in a Fund are registered in your name, you may attend and participate in the Special Meeting at https://meetnow.global/MCFHL76 by entering the control number found in the shaded box in your proxy card on the date and timing of the Special Meeting. You may vote during the Special Meeting by following the instructions that will be available on the Special Meeting website during the Special Meeting.

Also, if you are a beneficial shareholder of a Fund, you will not be able to vote at the virtual Special Meeting unless you have registered in advance to attend the Special Meeting. To register, you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy), which you can obtain from your financial intermediary or other nominee, reflecting your Fund holdings along with your name and email address to Georgeson LLC (“Georgeson”), each Fund’s tabulator. You may email an image of your legal proxy to shareholdermeetings@computershare.com. Requests for registration must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) three business days prior to the Special Meeting date. You will receive a confirmation email from Georgeson of your registration and a control number and security code that will allow you to vote at the Special Meeting.

Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please promptly follow the enclosed instructions to submit voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet. Alternatively, you may submit voting instructions by signing and dating each proxy card you receive, and if received by mail, returning it in the accompanying postage-paid return envelope.

 

Q:

Whom do I contact for further information?

 

A:

You may contact your financial advisor for further information. You may also call Georgeson, the Funds’ proxy solicitor, at 1-888-666-2580.

 

Q:

Will anyone contact me?

A:    You may receive a call from Georgeson, the proxy solicitor hired by the Funds, to verify that you received your proxy materials, to answer any questions you may have about the proposals and to encourage you to vote your proxy.

We recognize the inconvenience of the proxy solicitation process and would not impose on you if we did not believe that the matters being proposed were important. Once your vote has been registered with the proxy solicitor, your name will be removed from the solicitor’s follow-up contact list.

 

xiv


Your vote is very important. We encourage you as a shareholder to participate by returning your vote as soon as possible. If enough shareholders fail to cast their votes, a Fund may not be able to hold the Special Meeting or the vote on the applicable proposals, and will be required to incur additional solicitation costs in order to obtain sufficient shareholder participation.

Important additional information about the Reorganization is set forth

in the accompanying Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Please read it carefully.

 

 

xv


BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, Delaware 19809

(800) 882-0052

NOTICE OF JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON [], 2021

Notice is hereby given that a joint special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MYJ) (“MYJ”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MUJ) (“MUJ” or the “Acquiring Fund” and together with MYJ, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”) will be held on [●], 2021 at [●] (Eastern time) for the following purposes:

Proposal 1: The Reorganization of the Funds

For Shareholders of MYJ:

Proposal 1(A): The common shareholders and holders of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares (“VRDP Shares” and the holders thereof, “VRDP Holders”) of MYJ are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between MYJ and the Acquiring Fund (the “Reorganization Agreement”) and the transactions contemplated therein, including (i) the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s assets and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s liabilities in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund, which will be distributed to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and VRDP Holders, respectively, of MYJ, and which shall constitute the sole consideration to be distributed or paid to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and the VRDP Holders in respect of their common shares and VRDP Shares, respectively, and (ii) the termination by MYJ of its registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the liquidation, dissolution and termination of MYJ in accordance with its Charter and Maryland law (the “Reorganization”).

Proposal 1(B): The VRDP Holders of MYJ are being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the Reorganization.

For Shareholders of the Acquiring Fund:

Proposal 1(C): The VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares.

Proposal 2: The Issuance of Additional Acquiring Fund Common Shares

Proposal 2: The common shareholders and VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the issuance of additional common shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization Agreement.

Shareholders of record of each Fund as of the close of business on [●] are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The Funds are soliciting the vote of their common shareholders on Proposal 1(A), Proposal 1(C), and Proposal 2.

Each Fund is separately soliciting the votes of its respective preferred shareholders on each proposal through a separate proxy statement and not through the joint proxy statement/prospectus.

 

i


[Because of our concerns regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Special Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only. Shareholders will not have to travel to attend the Special Meeting but will be able to view the meeting live and cast their votes by accessing a web link.]

All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Special Meeting. In order to avoid delay and additional expense for the Funds and to assure that your shares are represented, please vote as promptly as possible, regardless of whether or not you plan to attend the Special Meeting. You may vote by mail, by telephone or over the Internet. To vote by mail, please mark, sign, date and mail the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. No postage is required if mailed in the United States. To vote by telephone, please call the toll-free number located on your proxy card or voting instruction form and follow the recorded instructions. To vote over the Internet, go to the Internet address provided on your proxy card or voting instruction form and follow the instructions.

If your shares in a Fund are registered in your name, you may attend and participate in the Special Meeting at https://meetnow.global/MCFHL76 by entering the control number found in the shaded box on your proxy card on the date and time of the Special Meeting. You may vote during the Special Meeting by following the instructions that will be available on the Special Meeting website during the Special Meeting.

If you are a beneficial shareholder of a Fund (that is if you hold your Fund shares through a bank, broker, financial intermediary or other nominee) and want to attend the Special Meeting you must register in advance of the Special Meeting. To register, you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy), which you can obtain from your financial intermediary or other nominee, reflecting your Fund holdings along with your name and email address to Georgeson LLC, each Fund’s tabulator. You may email an image of your legal proxy to shareholdermeetings@computershare.com. Requests for registration must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) three business days prior to the Special Meeting date. You will receive a confirmation email from Georgeson LLC of your registration and a control number and security code that will allow you to vote at the Special Meeting.

Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please promptly follow the enclosed instructions to submit voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet. Alternatively, you may submit voting instructions by signing and dating each proxy card or voting instruction form you receive, and if received by mail, returning it in the accompanying postage-paid return envelope.

The officers or directors of each Fund named as proxies by shareholders may participate in the Special Meeting by remote communications, including, without limitation, by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the Special Meeting can hear and be heard by each other, and the participation of such officers, directors or trustees in the Special Meeting pursuant to any such communications system shall constitute presence at the Special Meeting.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (EACH, A “BOARD”) OF EACH OF THE FUNDS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE YOUR SHARES BY INDICATING YOUR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD, DATING AND SIGNING SUCH PROXY CARD AND RETURNING IT IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED, WHICH IS ADDRESSED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND NEEDS NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES, OR BY RECORDING YOUR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR VIA THE INTERNET.

THE BOARD OF EACH FUND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CAST YOUR VOTE FOR THE REORGANIZATION AGREEMENT AND FOR THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL COMMON SHARES OF THE ACQUIRING FUND, IN EACH CASE, AS DESCRIBED IN THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS FOR COMMON SHAREHOLDERS OR THE PROXY STATEMENT FOR PREFERRED SHAREHOLDERS, AS APPLICABLE.

IN ORDER TO AVOID THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE OF FURTHER SOLICITATION, WE ASK THAT YOU MAIL YOUR PROXY CARD OR RECORD YOUR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR VIA THE INTERNET PROMPTLY.

 

ii


For the Board of each Fund,

JOHN M. PERLOWSKI

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Funds

[●], 2021

 

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.

PLEASE VOTE PROMPTLY BY SIGNING AND RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD OR BY RECORDING YOUR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR VIA THE INTERNET, NO MATTER HOW MANY SHARES YOU OWN.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON [●], 2021.

THE PROXY STATEMENT FOR THIS MEETING IS AVAILABLE AT:

www.proxy-direct.com/blk-32392

 

iii


JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS

Dated [●], 2021

BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, Delaware 19809

(800) 882-0052

This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is furnished to you as a common shareholder of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MYJ) (“MYJ” or the “Target Fund”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MUJ) (“MUJ” or the “Acquiring Fund” and together with MYJ, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by each Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board,” the members of which are referred to as “Board Members”). The proxies will be voted at the joint special meeting of the shareholders of each Fund and at any and all adjournments, postponements and delays thereof (the “Special Meeting”). The Special Meeting will be held on [●] at [●] (Eastern time) to consider the proposals set forth below and discussed in greater detail elsewhere in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. [Because of our concerns regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Special Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only. Shareholders will not have to travel to attend the Special Meeting, but will be able to view the meeting live and cast their votes by accessing a web link.] If you are unable to attend the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the Board of your Fund recommends that you vote your common shares, by completing and returning the enclosed proxy card or by recording your voting instructions by telephone or via the internet. The approximate mailing date of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and accompanying form of proxy is [●], 2021.

The purposes of the Special Meeting are:

Proposal 1: The Reorganization of the Funds

For Shareholders of MYJ:

Proposal 1(A): The common shareholders and holders of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares (“VRDP Shares” and the holders thereof, “VRDP Holders”) of MYJ are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between MYJ and the Acquiring Fund (the “Reorganization Agreement”) and the transactions contemplated therein, including (i) the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s assets and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s liabilities in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund, which will be distributed to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and VRDP Holders, respectively, of MYJ, and which shall constitute the sole consideration to be distributed or paid to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and the VRDP Holders in respect of their common shares and VRDP Shares, respectively, and (ii) the termination by MYJ of its registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the liquidation, dissolution and termination of MYJ in accordance with its Charter and Maryland law (the “Reorganization”).

Proposal 1(B): The VRDP Holders of MYJ are being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the Reorganization.

For Shareholders of the Acquiring Fund:

Proposal 1(C): The VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a separate class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares.

 

i


Proposal 2: The Issuance of Additional Acquiring Fund Common Shares

Proposal 2: The common shareholders and VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the issuance of additional common shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization Agreement (the “Issuance”).

It is expected that the effective date (the “Closing Date”) of the Reorganization will be sometime during the [●] quarter of [●], but they may be at a different time as described herein. The term “Combined Fund” refers to the Acquiring Fund as the surviving Fund after the consummation of the Reorganization.

The Board of each Fund has determined that including these proposals applicable to common shareholders of the Funds in one Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus will reduce costs and is in the best interest of each Fund’s shareholders.

Distribution to the shareholders of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the accompanying materials will commence on or about [•], 2021.

Shareholders of record of each Fund as of the close of business on [●] (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Shareholders of each Fund are entitled to one vote for each common share or VRDP Share, as applicable (each, a “Share”), held, with no Shares having cumulative voting rights. Preferred shareholders of each Fund will have equal voting rights with the common shareholders of such Fund with respect to the proposals that require the vote of the Fund’s VRDP Shares and common shares as a single class. The quorum and voting requirements for each Fund are described in the section herein entitled “Voting Information and Requirements.”

This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is only being delivered to the common shareholders of each Fund. Each Fund is separately soliciting the votes of its respective preferred shareholders on each of the foregoing proposals that require the vote of preferred shareholders through a separate proxy statement and not through this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are each formed as a Maryland corporation. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Reorganization seeks to achieve certain economies of scale and other operational efficiencies by combining two funds that have similar investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and restrictions.

Assuming the Reorganization receives the necessary approvals, the Acquiring Fund will acquire substantially all of the assets and assume substantially all of the liabilities of MYJ in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund in the form of book-entry interests. The Acquiring Fund will list the newly issued common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Such newly issued Acquiring Fund Shares will be distributed to MYJ shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and MYJ will terminate its registration under the 1940 Act. MYJ will liquidate, dissolve and terminate in accordance with its respective charter and Maryland law. The Acquiring Fund will continue to operate after the Reorganization as a registered, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with the investment objective, investment strategies, investment policies and investment restrictions described in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

The Fund(s) in which you owned Shares on the Record Date is named on the proxy card. If you owned Shares in both Funds on the Record Date, you will receive more than one proxy card. Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please sign, date and return EACH proxy card you receive or, if you provide voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet, please vote on each proposal affecting EACH Fund you own. If you vote by telephone or via the Internet, you will be asked to enter a unique code that has been assigned to you, which is printed on your proxy card(s). This code is designed to confirm your identity, provide access into the voting website and confirm that your voting instructions are properly recorded.

All properly executed proxies received prior to the Special Meeting will be voted in accordance with the instructions marked thereon or otherwise as provided therein. On any matter coming before the Special Meeting as to which a shareholder has specified a choice on that shareholder’s proxy, the Shares will be voted accordingly. If a proxy card is properly executed and returned and no choice is specified with respect to a proposal, the Shares will be voted “FOR” the proposal. Shareholders who execute proxies or provide voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet may revoke them with respect to a proposal at any time before a vote is taken on the proposal by filing with the applicable

 

ii


Fund a written notice of revocation (addressed to the Secretary of the Fund at the principal executive offices of the Fund at the New York address provided herein), by delivering a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or by attending the Special Meeting and voting by ballot, in all cases prior to the exercise of the authority granted in the proxy card. Merely attending the Special Meeting, however, will not revoke any previously executed proxy. If you hold Shares through a bank or other intermediary, please consult your bank or intermediary regarding your ability to revoke voting instructions after such instructions have been provided.

If your shares in a Fund are registered in your name, you may attend and participate in the Special Meeting at https://meetnow.global/MCFHL76 by entering the control number found in the shaded box on your proxy card on the date and time of the Special Meeting. You may vote during the Special Meeting by following the instructions that will be available on the Special Meeting website during the Special Meeting.

If you are a beneficial shareholder of a Fund (that is if you hold your Fund shares through a bank, broker, financial intermediary or other nominee) and want to attend the Special Meeting you must register in advance of the Special Meeting. To register, you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy), which you can obtain from your financial intermediary or other nominee, reflecting your Fund holdings along with your name and email address to Georgeson LLC, each Fund’s tabulator. You may email an image of your legal proxy to shareholdermeetings@computershare.com. Requests for registration must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) three business days prior to the Special Meeting date. You will receive a confirmation email from Georgeson LLC of your registration and a control number and security code that will allow you to vote at the Special Meeting.

Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please promptly follow the enclosed instructions to submit voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet. Alternatively, you may submit voting instructions by signing and dating each proxy card you receive, and if received by mail, returning it in the accompanying postage-paid return envelope.

For information regarding how to access the Special Meeting, please contact Georgeson LLC, the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, toll free at 1-888-666-2580.

This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus sets forth concisely the information that common shareholders of each Fund should know before voting on the proposals set forth herein. Please read it carefully and retain it for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information, dated [●], 2021, relating to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (the “Statement of Additional Information”) has been filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and is incorporated herein by reference. Copies of each Fund’s most recent annual report and semi-annual report can be obtained on a website maintained by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”) at www.blackrock.com. In addition, each Fund will furnish, without charge, a copy of the Statement of Additional Information, or its most recent annual report or semi-annual report to any shareholder upon request. Any such request should be directed to BlackRock by calling (800) 882-0052 or by writing to the respective Fund at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809. The Statement of Additional Information and the annual and semi-annual reports of each Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The address of the principal executive offices of the Funds is 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, and the telephone number is (800) 882-0052.

Each Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the 1940 Act and, in accordance therewith, file reports, proxy statements, proxy materials and other information with the SEC. Materials filed with the SEC can be downloaded from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also request copies of these materials, upon payment at the prescribed rates of a duplicating fee, by electronic request to the SEC’s e-mail address (publicinfo@sec.gov). Reports, proxy statements and other information concerning the Funds may also be inspected at the offices of the NYSE, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

BlackRock updates performance information and certain other data for the Funds on a monthly basis on its website in the “Closed-End Funds” section of www.blackrock.com as well as certain other material information as necessary from time to time. Investors and others are advised to check the website for updated performance information and the release of other material information about the Funds. References to BlackRock’s website are intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and do not, and are not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

 

iii


Please note that only one copy of shareholder documents, including annual or semi-annual reports and proxy materials, may be delivered to two or more shareholders of the Funds who share an address, unless the Funds have received instructions to the contrary. This practice is commonly called “householding” and it is intended to reduce expenses and eliminate duplicate mailings of shareholder documents. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. To request a separate copy of any shareholder document or for instructions as to how to request a separate copy of these documents or as to how to request a single copy if multiple copies of these documents are received, shareholders should contact the respective Fund at the address and phone number set forth above.

The common shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc. are listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “MUJ” and will continue to be so listed after the completion of the Reorganization. The common shares of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. are listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “MYJ.”

This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus serves as a prospectus of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Issuance. No person has been authorized to give any information or make any representation not contained in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and, if so given or made, such information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized. This Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

THE SEC HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

 

iv


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUMMARY

     1  

EXPENSE TABLE FOR COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

     12  

RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

     14  

Comparison of Risks

     14  

Risks Related to the Reorganization

     14  

General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund

     17  

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION

     41  

Description of the Reorganization

     41  

The Board’s Recommendation

     42  

Reasons for the Reorganization

     43  

Terms of the Reorganization Agreement

     50  

Appraisal Rights

     51  

Description of Common Shares to Be Issued by the Acquiring Fund

     52  

Description of VRDP Shares to Be Issued by the Acquiring Fund

     52  

THE FUNDS

     53  

THE ACQUIRING FUND’S INVESTMENTS

     54  

Investment Objective and Policies

     54  

Leverage

     66  

Investment Restrictions

     71  

THE TARGET FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

     72  

MYJ’s Investment Objectives and Policies

     72  

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

     86  

The Board of Directors and Officers

     86  

The Investment Advisor

     86  

Portfolio Management

     87  

Portfolio Transactions with Affiliates

     87  

Other Service Providers

     87  

Accounting Agent

     88  

Custody of Assets

     88  

Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar

     88  

VRDP Shares Liquidity Providers

     88  

VRDP Shares Remarketing Agents

     88  

VRDP Shares Tender and Paying Agent

     89  

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMON SHARES OF THE FUNDS

     90  

General

     90  

Purchase and Sale of Common Shares

     90  

Common Share Price Data

     90  

Performance Information

     91  

INFORMATION ABOUT THE PREFERRED SHARES OF THE FUNDS

     93  

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

     98  

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

     102  

General

     102  

Undistributed Net Investment Income

     102  

Restrictions on Distributions to Common Shares

     103  

Tax Treatment of Distributions

     103  

AUTOMATIC DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

     105  

CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER AND BYLAWS

     107  

GOVERNING LAW

     108  

CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

     109  

CAPITALIZATION TABLE

     110  

VOTING RIGHTS

     111  

APPRAISAL RIGHTS

     111  

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REORGANIZATION

     112  

VOTING INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

     115  

 

v


Record Date

     115  

Proxies

     115  

Voting Requirement for Proposal 1: The Reorganization of the Funds

     116  

Voting Requirement for Proposal 2: The Issuance of Acquiring Fund Common Shares

     117  

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

     117  

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

     117  

SOLICITATION OF PROXIES

     117  

LEGAL MATTERS

     117  

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

     118  

OTHER MATTERS WITH RESPECT TO THE MEETING

     118  

ADJOURNMENTS AND POSTPONEMENTS

     118  

PRIVACY PRINCIPLES OF THE FUNDS

     118  

OTHER INFORMATION

     119  

APPENDIX A    FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

     A-1  

APPENDIX B    FACTORS AFFECTING MUNICIPAL SECURITIES IN NEW JERSEY

     B-1  

APPENDIX C    FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

     C-1  

 

vi


SUMMARY

The following is a summary of certain information contained elsewhere in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the more complete information contained in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders should read the entire Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully.

 

The Reorganization    Assuming the Reorganization receives the requisite shareholder approvals, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares, the Acquiring Fund will acquire substantially all of the assets and assume substantially all of the liabilities of MYJ in exchange solely for newly issued Acquiring Fund Shares in the form of book-entry interests. The Acquiring Fund will list the newly issued common shares on the NYSE. Such newly issued Acquiring Fund Shares will be distributed to MYJ shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and MYJ will terminate its registration under the 1940 Act and liquidate, dissolve and terminate in accordance with its charter and Maryland law. The Acquiring Fund will continue to operate after the Reorganization as a registered, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with the investment objective, investment strategies, investment policies and investment restrictions described in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
   As a result of the Reorganization, each common shareholder of MYJ will own Acquiring Fund common shares that (except for cash payments received in lieu of fractional common shares) will have an aggregate NAV (not the market value) immediately after the Closing Date equal to the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of that shareholder’s MYJ common shares immediately prior to the Closing Date. The aggregate NAV of the Fund immediately prior to the Reorganization will reflect accrued expenses associated with the Reorganization. The value of the Fund’s net assets will be calculated net of the liquidation preference (including accumulated and unpaid dividends) of all outstanding VRDP Shares of the Fund.
   [On the Closing Date of the Reorganization, each outstanding VRDP Share of MYJ will, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, be exchanged for one newly issued VRDP Share of the Acquiring Fund. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the special rate period applicable to the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], 2021, unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.
   The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are substantially similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP

 

1


   Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year special rate period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended (each, a “Special Rate Period”). The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.]
   Subject to the requisite approval of the shareholders of each Fund with respect to the Reorganization, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares, it is expected that the Closing Date of the Reorganization will be sometime during [●], but it may be at a different time as described herein.
   If the requisite shareholder approvals for the Reorganization are not obtained, or the Reorganization is not otherwise consummated, the Board of each Fund may take such actions as it deems in the best interests of the Fund, including conducting additional solicitations with respect to the Reorganization or continuing to operate the Fund as a standalone Maryland corporation registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end management investment company advised by Investment Advisor. The Investment Advisor may, in connection with the ongoing management of the Fund and its product line, recommend alternative proposals to the Board of such Fund.
Background and Reasons for the Reorganization    The proposed Reorganization seeks to achieve certain economies of scale and other operational efficiencies by combining two funds that have similar investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and restrictions and are managed by the same investment adviser.
   The proposed Reorganization is intended to result in the following potential benefits to common shareholders: (i) lower net total expenses (excluding interest expense) per Common Share for common shareholders of each Fund (as common shareholders of the Combined Fund following the Reorganization) due to economies of scale resulting from the larger size of the Combined Fund; (ii) improved net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund; (iii) improved secondary market trading of the common shares of the Combined Fund; and (iv) operating and administrative efficiencies for the Combined Fund, including the potential for the following: (a) greater investment flexibility and investment options; (b) greater diversification of portfolio investments; (c) the ability to trade in larger positions and more favorable transaction terms; (d) additional sources of leverage or more competitive leverage terms and more favorable transaction terms; (e) benefits from having fewer closed-end funds offering similar products in the market, including an increased focus by investors on the remaining funds in the market (including the Combined Fund) and additional research coverage; and (f) benefits from having fewer similar funds in the same fund complex, including a simplified operational model and a reduction in risk of operational, legal and financial errors.
   The Board of each Fund, including the Board Members who are not “interested persons” of each Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) (“Independent Board Members”), has unanimously approved the Reorganization, concluding that the Reorganization is in the best interests of its Fund and that the interests of existing common shareholders and preferred shareholders of its Fund will not be diluted with respect to NAV and liquidation preference, respectively, as a result of the Reorganization. As a result of the Reorganization, however, common and preferred shareholders of each Fund may hold a reduced percentage of ownership in the larger Combined Fund than they did in any of the individual Funds before the Reorganization. Each Board’s conclusion was based on each Board Member’s business judgment after consideration of all relevant factors taken as a whole with respect to its Fund

 

2


   and the Fund’s common and preferred shareholders, although individual Board Members may have placed different weight on various factors and assigned different degrees of materiality to various factors. Please see “Reasons for the Reorganization” for additional information about the factors considered by each Board.
Net and Managed Assets    As of September 21, 2021, MYJ had approximately $390.1 million in net assets and approximately $622.6 million in managed assets and the Acquiring Fund had approximately $483.8 million in net assets and approximately $782.4 million in managed assets. “Managed assets” means the total assets of the relevant Fund, including any assets attributable to VRDP Shares and tender option bond (“TOB”) trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities.
Total Expenses and Management Fees    As of July 31, 2021 for MYJ, the Acquiring Fund and the Combined Fund, the historical and pro forma Total Expense Ratios applicable to the Reorganization are as follows:
MYJ     Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Pro forma
Combined
Fund
(MYJ into
MUJ)
 
  1.39     1.44     1.36

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

“Total Expenses” means a Fund’s total annual operating expenses (including interest expense). “Total Expense Ratio” means a Fund’s Total Expenses expressed as a percentage of its average net assets attributable to its common shares.

 

The Funds estimate that the completion of the Reorganization would result in a Total Expense Ratio (excluding interest expense) for the Combined Fund of 0.86% on a historical and pro forma basis for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, representing a reduction in the Total Expense Ratio (excluding interest expense) for the common shareholders of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund by 0.03% and 0.03%, respectively.

 

Each Fund’s Total Expenses include interest expense associated with such Fund’s VRDP Shares. For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, the Total Expense Ratios (excluding interest expense) of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund were 0.89% and 0.89%, respectively.

 

The Funds estimate that the completion of all of the Reorganization would result in a Total Expense Ratio (including interest expense) for the Combined Fund of 1.36% on a historical and pro forma basis for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, representing a reduction in the Total Expense Ratio (including interest expense) for the common shareholders of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund by 0.03% and 0.08%, respectively.

 

The Combined Fund will have the same annual contractual investment management fee rate as MYJ and the Acquiring Fund. Each Fund currently pays the Investment Advisor a monthly fee at an annual contractual investment management fee rate of 0.50% of the average daily value of its net assets. For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” means the total assets of each Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by tender option bond (“TOB”) trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). It is understood that the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares (other than accumulated dividends) and TOB Trusts is not considered a liability in determining the relevant Fund’s NAV.

 

If the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund, which will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund. The annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund is

 

3


   the same as the annual contractual investment management fee rate for each Fund. Please see “Expense Table For Common Shareholders” in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus for additional information.
   There can be no assurance that future expenses of the Combined Fund will not increase or that any expense savings for any Fund will be realized as a result of the Reorganization.
Earnings, Distributions and Undistributed Net Investment Income    Earnings and Distribution Rate: The Combined Fund’s net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders following the Reorganization is expected to be potentially higher than the current net earnings yield on NAV for the Acquiring Fund and potentially the same as the current net earnings yield on NAV for MYJ. The distribution level of any fund is subject to change based upon a number of factors, including the current and projected level of the fund’s earnings, and may fluctuate over time; thus, subject to a number of other factors, including the fund’s distribution policy, a higher net earnings profile may potentially have a positive impact on such fund’s distribution level over time. The Combined Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV will change over time, and depending on market conditions, may be higher or lower than each Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV prior to the Reorganization. A Fund’s earnings and net investment income are variables which depend on many factors, including its asset mix, portfolio turnover level, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund, the costs of such leverage, the performance of its investments, the movement of interest rates and general market conditions. There can be no assurance that the future earnings of a Fund, including the Combined Fund after the Reorganization, will remain constant.
   Distribution Policy: Each Fund intends to make regular monthly cash distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income to holders of such Fund’s common shares, except as described below under “Undistributed Net Investment Income.” Each Fund intends to pay any capital gains distributions at least annually. A Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains may not be sufficient to support the level of distributions paid. To the extent that distributions exceed a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in the current fiscal year, the excess may be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital distribution may involve a return of the common shareholder’s original investment. Though not currently taxable, such a distribution may lower a common shareholder’s basis in such Fund, thus potentially subjecting the common shareholder to future tax consequences in connection with the sale of Fund common shares, even if sold at a loss to the common shareholder’s original investment. See “Dividends and Distributions—Tax Treatment of Distributions.” When total distributions exceed total return performance for the period, the difference will reduce a Fund’s total assets and NAV and, therefore, could have the effect of increasing the Fund’s expense ratio and reducing the amount of assets the Fund has available for long-term investment.
   Automatic Dividend Reinvestment: Common shareholders of each Fund will automatically have all dividends and distributions reinvested in common shares of such Fund in accordance with such Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan, unless an election is made to receive cash by contacting the Reinvestment Plan Agent (as defined herein), at (800) 699-1236. See “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
   Undistributed Net Investment Income: If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1) substantially all of the undistributed net investment income (“UNII”), if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date (the “Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions”). The declaration date, ex-dividend date (the “Ex-Dividend Date”) and record date of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions will occur prior to the Closing Date. However, all or a significant portion of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions may be paid in one or more distributions to common shareholders of the Funds entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions after the Closing Date. Former MYJ shareholders entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions paid after the Closing Date will receive such distributions in cash.

 

4


   Persons who purchase common shares of any of the Funds on or after the Ex-Dividend Date for the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions should not expect to receive any distributions from any Fund until distributions, if any, are declared by the Board of the Combined Fund and paid to shareholders entitled to any such distributions. No such distributions are expected to be paid by the Combined Fund until at least approximately one month following the Closing Date.
   Additionally, the Acquiring Fund, in order to seek to provide its common shareholders with distribution rate stability, may include in its Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution amounts in excess of its undistributed net investment income and net investment income accrued through the Closing Date. This would result in the Acquiring Fund issuing incrementally more common shares in the Reorganization since its NAV as of the business day prior to the Closing Date of the Reorganization (the “Valuation Time”) would be lower relative to a scenario where such excess amounts were not included in the Acquiring Fund’s Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution.
   The Combined Fund is anticipated to retain a lower UNII balance after the Reorganization than the Acquiring Fund prior to the Reorganization. The lower anticipated UNII balance for the Combined Fund relative to the UNII balance of the Acquiring Fund poses risks for shareholders of the Combined Fund. UNII balances, in part, support the level of a fund’s regular distributions and provide a cushion in the event a fund’s net earnings for a particular distribution period are insufficient to support the level of its regular distribution for that period. If the Combined Fund’s net earnings are below the level of its current distribution rate, the Combined Fund’s UNII balance could be more likely to contribute to a determination to decrease the Combined Fund’s distribution rate, or could make it more likely that the Combined Fund will make distributions consisting in part of a return of capital to maintain the level of its regular distributions. See “Dividends and Distributions.” Moreover, because a fund’s UNII balance, in part, supports the level of a fund’s regular distributions, the UNII balance of the Combined Fund could impact the trading market for the Combined Fund’s common shares and the magnitude of the trading discount to NAV of the Combined Fund’s common shares. However, the Combined Fund is anticipated to benefit from a lower expense ratio, a potentially higher net earnings profile (compared to the Acquiring Fund) and other anticipated benefits of economies of scale as discussed herein. Each Fund, including the Combined Fund, reserves the right to change its distribution policy with respect to common share distributions and the basis for establishing the rate of its distributions for the common shares at any time and may do so without prior notice to common shareholders. The payment of any distributions by any Fund, including the Combined Fund, is subject to, and will only be made when, as, and if, declared by the Board of such Fund. There is no assurance the Board of any Fund, including the Combined Fund, will declare any distributions for such Fund.
   To the extent any Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the (“Code”)), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Premium/Discount to NAV of Common Shares    The common shares of each Fund have historically traded at both a premium and a discount. The table below sets forth the market price, NAV, and the premium/discount to NAV of each Fund as of September 21, 2021.

Fund

   Market Price    NAV      Premium/(Discount)
to NAV

MYJ 

   $15.88    $ 16.17      (1.8)%

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   $16.03    $ 16.08      (0.3)%

 

5


   To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a wider discount (or a narrower premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders would have the potential for an economic benefit by the narrowing of the discount or widening of the premium. To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a narrower discount (or wider premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders may be negatively impacted if the Reorganization is consummated. Acquiring Fund common shareholders would only benefit from a premium/discount perspective to the extent the post-Reorganization discount (or premium) of the Acquiring Fund common shares improves.
   There can be no assurance that, after the Reorganization, common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at a narrower discount to NAV or wider premium to NAV than the common shares of any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares. In the Reorganization, common shareholders of MYJ will receive Acquiring Fund common shares based on the relative NAVs (not the market values) of the respective Fund’s common shares. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of the Fund prior to the Reorganization.
Preferred Shares    As of September 21, 2021, MYJ had 1,800 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding and the Acquiring Fund had 2,371 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding.
   For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, the annualized dividend rates for the VRDP Shares of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund were 0.91% and 0.82%, respectively.
   In connection with the Reorganization, the Acquiring Fund expects to issue 1,800 additional VRDP Shares to MYJ VRDP Holders. Following the completion of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund is expected to have 4,171 VRDP Shares outstanding.
   [Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], 2021, unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.
   The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are substantially similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the

 

6


   VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.
   None of the expenses of the Reorganization are expected to be borne by the VRDP Holders of the Funds. See “Summary—Expenses of the Reorganization” for additional information.
   Following the Reorganization, the VRDP Holders of each Fund will be VRDP Holders of the larger Combined Fund that will have a larger asset base and more VRDP Shares outstanding than any Fund individually before the Reorganization. With respect to matters requiring all preferred shareholders to vote separately or common and preferred shareholders to vote together as a single class, following the Reorganization, VRDP Holders of the Combined Fund may hold a smaller percentage of the outstanding preferred shares of the Combined Fund as compared to their percentage holdings of outstanding preferred shares of their respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.]
   Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information.
Expenses of the Reorganization    Common shareholders of each Fund will indirectly bear a portion of the costs of the Reorganization. For MYJ, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $366,537, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $129,586. For the Acquiring Fund, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $357,561, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $161,495. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein.
Appraisal Rights    Under Maryland law, except in limited circumstances, stockholders are not entitled to demand the fair value of their shares in connection with a reorganization if any shares of the class or series of the stock are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the common shares of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, on the Record Date.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reorganization    The Reorganization is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. If the Reorganization so qualifies, in general, common shareholders of MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exchange of their common shares for Acquiring Fund Shares pursuant to the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional common shares). Additionally, MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes by reason of the Reorganization. Neither the Acquiring Fund nor its shareholders will recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to the Reorganization.
   As discussed above, shareholders of each Fund may receive distributions prior to, or after, the consummation of the Reorganization, including distributions attributable to their proportionate share of each Fund’s undistributed net investment income declared prior to the consummation of the Reorganization or the Combined Fund built-in gains, if any, recognized after the Reorganization, when such income and gains are eventually distributed by the Combined Fund. To the extent that such a distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

7


   The Funds’ shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization, as well as the effects of state, local and non-U.S. tax laws, including possible changes in tax laws.
General Information and History    MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are each formed as a Maryland corporation. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act.
   Each Fund’s principal office is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, and its telephone number is (800) 882-0052.
   Each of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ have a July 31 fiscal year end.
   The Acquiring Fund’s common shares are listed on the NYSE as “MUJ.”
   MYJ’s common shares are listed on the NYSE as “MYJ.”
   Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund has VRDP Shares outstanding. Each Fund’s VRDP Shares are not listed on a national stock exchange and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered, sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, encumbered or otherwise disposed of except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.
Investment Objective and Policies    The investment objective, significant investment strategies and operating policies, and investment restrictions of the Combined Fund will be those of the Acquiring Fund, which are similar to those of MYJ, although there are some differences.
  

Investment Objective:

 

MYJ’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and New Jersey personal income tax as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management.

 

The Acquiring Fund’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from U.S. federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes.

   Municipal Bonds:
  

MYJ seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of an aggregate of its net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of New Jersey, its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and by other qualifying issuers, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and exempt from New Jersey personal income tax (“MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds”).

 

The Acquiring Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing substantially all (at least 80%) of its assets in municipal obligations, the interest on which, in the opinion of

 

8


        

 

bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes (“MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds”), except at times when the Investment Advisor considers that MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds of sufficient quantity and quality are unavailable at suitable prices.

 

Please see below a comparison of the approximate amount invested in municipal bonds as a percentage of total assets for (i) each Fund as of July 31, 2021, and (ii) the Combined Fund, assuming the Reorganization was consummated as of July 31, 2021.

 

     MYJ    Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Pro
Forma
Combined
Fund
(MYJ into
MUJ)
     
  99%      99     99

 

  Investment Grade Securities:

        

 

Under normal market conditions, MYJ expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes but is not exempt from gross income for New Jersey personal income tax purposes (“MYJ Municipal Bonds”) that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, or are considered by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment.

 

MUJ invests in investment grade MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes but not New Jersey personal income taxes (“MUJ Municipal Bonds”) or, if unrated, those that are considered to be of comparable quality by the Investment Advisor.

 

Investment grade quality means that such bonds are rated, at the time of investment, within the four highest grades (Baa or BBB or better by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”)) or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Investment Advisor.

  Bond Maturity:
 

For MYJ, the average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Investment Advisor. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include long-term, intermediate-term and short-term municipal bonds.

 

The Acquiring Fund invests primarily in long-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of more than ten years. However, the Acquiring Fund may also invest in intermediate-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of between three years and ten years. The Fund may also invest in short-term tax-exempt securities, short-term U.S. Government securities, repurchase agreements or cash. Investments in such short-term securities or cash will not exceed 20% of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets, except during interim periods pending investment of the net proceeds from public offerings of the Acquiring Fund’s securities or in anticipation of the repurchase or redemption of the Acquiring Fund’s securities and temporary periods when, in the opinion of the Investment Advisor, prevailing market or

 

9


  economic conditions warrant. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Acquiring Fund’s assets will be invested in municipal obligations with remaining maturities of one year or more.
 

Leverage:

  Each Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of VRDP Shares and TOBs. See “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Leverage;” “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Leverage Risk;” and “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Tender Option Bond Risk.” The Acquiring Fund is expected to continue to leverage its assets through the use of VRDP Shares and TOBs after the Closing Date of the Reorganization. After the consummation of the Reorganization, common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, including former Target Fund common shareholders, will bear the leverage costs associated with the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares and will be subject to the terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, including that the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be senior in priority to the Acquiring Fund common shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information about the preferred shares of each Fund.
  The annualized dividend rates for the preferred shares for each Fund’s most recent fiscal year end were as follows:

 

Fund

   Preferred Shares      Rate  

MYJ

     VRDP Shares        0.82

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

     VRDP Shares        0.91

 

  Please see below a comparison of certain important ratios related to (i) each Fund’s use of leverage as of September 21, 2021, and (ii) the Combined Fund’s estimated use of leverage, assuming the Reorganization had taken place as of July 31, 2021.

 

Ratios

   MYJ     Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Pro forma
Combined
Fund
(MYJ into
MUJ)
     

Asset Coverage Ratio

     316.7     306.7     311.1

Regulatory Leverage Ratio(1)

     31.6     32.6     32.1

Effective Leverage Ratio(2)

     37.4     38.0     37.7

 

  (1) 

Regulatory leverage consists of preferred shares issued by the Fund, which is a part of the Fund’s capital structure. Regulatory leverage is sometimes referred to as “1940 Act Leverage” and is subject to asset coverage limits set forth in the 1940 Act.

 

  (2) 

Effective leverage is a Fund’s effective economic leverage, and includes both regulatory leverage and the leverage effects of certain derivative investments in the Fund’s portfolio. Currently, the leverage effects of TOB inverse floater holdings, in addition to any regulatory leverage, are included in effective leverage ratios.

 

Fund Management

  The Board of each Fund is responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of its respective Fund and performs the various duties imposed on the trustees of investment companies by the 1940 Act and under applicable state law. Each Fund has the same Board Members and officers.

 

10


Investment Advisor

  BlackRock Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser for each Fund and is expected to continue to serve as investment adviser for the Combined Fund.

Portfolio Management Team

  MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are managed by a team of investment professionals led by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA. Following the Reorganization, it is expected that the Combined Fund will be managed by a team of investment professionals lead by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA.

Other Service Providers

  The other professional service providers for the Funds are or will be as follows:

 

  Service    Service Providers to the Funds
  Accounting Agent    State Street Bank and Trust Company
  Custodian    State Street Bank and Trust Company
  Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar    Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
  Liquidity Provider to Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares    Bank of America, N.A.
  Remarketing Agent to Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares    BofA Securities, Inc.
  Liquidity Provider to MYJ VRDP Shares    Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
  Remarketing Agent to MYJ VRDP Shares    Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
  Tender and Paying Agent to VRDP Shares    The Bank of New York Mellon
  Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm    [●]
  Fund Counsel    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
  Counsel to the Independent Board Members    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

 

11


EXPENSE TABLE FOR COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

The purpose of the comparative fee table below is to assist shareholders of each Fund in understanding the various costs and expenses of investing in common shares of each Fund and Combined Fund. The information in the table reflects (i) the fees and expenses incurred by MYJ and the Acquiring Fund during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 (unaudited) and (ii) the pro forma expenses of the Combined Fund for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, for the Combined Fund, assuming the Reorganization had taken place on August 1, 2020.

 

     MYJ    Acquiring Fund
(MUJ)
   Combined Fund
(MYJ into MUJ)

Shareholder Transaction Expenses

              

Maximum Sales Load (as a percentage of the offering price) imposed on purchases of common shares(1)

       None          None          None  

Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees(2)

      



[●] per share for
open market
purchases
of common
shares
 
 
 
 
 
      



[●] per share for
open market
purchases
of common
shares
 
 
 
 
 
      



[●] per share for
open market
purchases
of common
shares
 
 
 
 
 

Annual Total Expenses (as a percentage of average net assets attributable to common shares)

              

Investment Management Fees(3)(4)

       0.81%          0.81%          0.81%  

Other Expenses

       0.08%          0.08%          0.05%  

Interest Expense(5)

       0.50%          0.55%          0.50%  

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(5)

       1.39%          1.44%          1.36%  

 

 

(1)  

No sales load will be charged in connection with the issuance of Acquiring Fund common shares as part of the Reorganization. Common shares are not available for purchase from the Funds but may be purchased on the NYSE through a broker-dealer subject to individually negotiated commission rates. Common shares purchased in the secondary market may be subject to brokerage commissions or other charges.

 

(2) 

The Reinvestment Plan Agent’s fees for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends will be paid by the Fund. However, you will pay a $[•] per share fee incurred in connection with open-market purchases, which will be deducted from the value of the dividend. Participants in MYJ and the Acquiring Fund that request a sale of shares are subject to a $0.02 per share sold brokerage commission. Per share fees include any applicable brokerage commissions the Reinvestment Plan Agent is required to pay. See “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for additional information.

 

(3) 

Each Fund currently pays the Investment Advisor a monthly fee at an annual contractual investment management fee rate of 0.50% of the average daily value of its net assets. For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” means the total assets of the relevant Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by TOB trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). If the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund, which will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund. The annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund represents no change in the annual contractual investment management fee rate for each Fund.

 

(4) 

Each Fund and the Investment Advisor have entered into a fee waiver agreement (the “Fee Waiver Agreement”), pursuant to which the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of each Fund’s assets attributable to investments in any equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates that have a contractual fee, through June 30, 2023. In addition, pursuant to the Fee Waiver Agreement, the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees each Fund pays to the Investment Advisor indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates, through June 30, 2023. The Fee Waiver Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, only by the Funds (upon the vote of a majority of the Independent Board Members or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund), upon 90 days’ written notice by each Fund to the Investment Advisor.

 

(5) 

The total expense table includes interest expense associated with the Funds’ investments in TOBs (also known as “inverse floaters”). Although such interest expense is actually paid by special purpose vehicles in which the Funds invest, they are recorded on the Funds’ financial statements for accounting purposes. The total expense table also includes, in interest expense, dividends associated with the VRDP Shares because the VRDP Shares are considered debt of the Funds for financial reporting purposes.

 

12


  

Each Fund uses leverage to seek to enhance its returns to common shareholders. This leverage generally takes two forms: the issuance of preferred shares and investment in TOBs. Both forms of leverage benefit common shareholders if the cost of the leverage is lower than the returns earned by a Fund when it invests the proceeds from the leverage. In order to help you better understand the costs associated with the Funds’ leverage strategy, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest expense) for the Funds are presented below:

 

MYJ

   Acquiring Fund
(MUJ)
  Pro Forma
Combined Fund
(MYJ into MUJ)
0.89%    0.89%   0.86%

The following example is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the common shares of the Combined Fund pro forma if the Reorganization is completed with the costs of investing MYJ and the Acquiring Fund without the Reorganization. An investor in common shares would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) the “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” for each Fund set forth in the total expenses table above and (2) a 5% annual return throughout the period:

 

     1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  

MYJ

   $ 14      $ 44      $ 76      $ 167  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   $ 15      $ 46      $ 79      $ 172  

Pro forma Combined Fund (MYJ into MUJ)

   $ 14      $ 43      $ 74      $ 164  

The examples set forth above assume common shares of each Fund were owned as of the completion of the Reorganization and the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and uses a 5% annual rate of return as mandated by SEC regulations. The examples should not be considered a representation of past or future expenses or annual rates of return. Actual expenses or annual rates of return may be more or less than those assumed for purposes of the examples.

Common shareholders of each Fund will indirectly bear a portion of the costs of the Reorganization. For MYJ, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $366,537, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $129,586. For the Acquiring Fund, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $357,561, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $161,495. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein.

VRDP Holders are not expected to bear any costs of the Reorganization.

 

13


RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Comparison of Risks

The Combined Fund will be managed in accordance with the same investment objective and investment strategies and policies, and subject to the same risks, as the Acquiring Fund. The Funds have similar investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and restrictions and are subject to similar investment risks.

Each Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of VRDP Shares and TOBs. See “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Leverage;” “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Leverage Risk;” and “General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Tender Option Bond Risk.” The Acquiring Fund is expected to continue to leverage its assets through the use of VRDP Shares and TOBs after the Closing Date of the Reorganization. After the consummation of the Reorganization, common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, including former Target Fund common shareholders, will bear the leverage costs associated with the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares and will be subject to the terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, including that the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be senior in priority to the Acquiring Fund common shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information about the preferred shares of each Fund.

Risks that predominately affect the common shares of the Funds include risks associated with municipal obligations, including interest rate risk, credit risk, non-diversification risk and leverage risk. In addition, as exchange-traded closed-end funds, the Funds are subject to the risk that the Funds’ common shares may trade at a discount from the Funds’ NAV. Accordingly, the Funds are primarily designed for long-term investors and should not be considered a vehicle for trading purposes. In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities and enters into transactions where risks exist due to fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of the issuer of a security to meet all its obligations (issuer credit risk). The value of securities held by the Funds may decline in response to certain events, including those directly involving the issuers whose securities are owned by the Funds; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; pandemics, epidemics and other global health events; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency and interest rate and price fluctuations. Similar to issuer credit risk, the Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity with which the Funds have unsettled or open transactions may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments.

Risk is inherent in all investing. An investment in the common shares of the Acquiring Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Each shareholder should take into account the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective as well as the shareholder’s other investments when considering an investment in the Acquiring Fund. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Acquiring Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments.

Risks Related to the Reorganization

Expenses

While the Funds currently estimate that the Reorganization will result in reduced aggregate expenses of the Combined Fund by approximately $259,724 per year, the realization of these reduced expenses will not affect common shareholders of the Funds proportionately, and may take longer than expected to be realized or may not be realized at all.

Please see the “Expense Table for Common Shareholders” for additional information about the Funds’ expenses.

Earnings and Distribution Rate.

The Combined Fund’s net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders following the Reorganization is expected to be potentially higher than the current net earnings yield on NAV for the Acquiring Fund and potentially the same as the current net earnings yield on NAV for MYJ. The distribution level of any fund is subject to change based upon a number of factors, including the current and projected level of the fund’s earnings, and may fluctuate over time;

 

14


thus, subject to a number of other factors, including the fund’s distribution policy, a higher net earnings profile may potentially have a positive impact on such fund’s distribution level over time. The Combined Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV will change over time, and depending on market conditions, may be higher or lower than each Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV prior to the Reorganization. A Fund’s earnings and net investment income are variables which depend on many factors, including its asset mix, portfolio turnover level, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund, the costs of such leverage, the performance of its investments, the movement of interest rates and general market conditions. There can be no assurance that the future earnings of a Fund, including the Combined Fund after the Reorganization, will remain constant.

Undistributed Net Investment Income

If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1 substantially all of the undistributed net investment income (previously defined as “UNII”), if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date (the “Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions”). The declaration date, ex-dividend date (the “Ex-Dividend Date”) and record date of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions will occur prior to the Closing Date. However, all or a significant portion of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions may be paid in one or more distributions to common shareholders of the Funds entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions after the Closing Date. Former MYJ shareholders entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions paid after the Closing Date will receive such distributions in cash.

Persons who purchase common shares of any of the Funds on or after the Ex-Dividend Date for the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions should not expect to receive any distributions from any Fund until distributions, if any, are declared by the Board of the Combined Fund and paid to shareholders entitled to any such distributions. No such distributions are expected to be paid by the Combined Fund until at least approximately one month following the Closing Date.

Additionally, the Acquiring Fund, in order to seek to provide its common shareholders with distribution rate stability, may include in its Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution amounts in excess of its undistributed net investment income and net investment income accrued through the Closing Date. This would result in the Acquiring Fund issuing incrementally more common shares in the Reorganization since its NAV as of the Valuation Time would be lower relative to a scenario where such excess amounts were not included in the Acquiring Fund’s Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution.

The Combined Fund is anticipated to retain a lower UNII balance after the Reorganization than the Acquiring Fund prior to the Reorganization. The lower anticipated UNII balance for the Combined Fund relative to the UNII balance of the Acquiring Fund poses risks for shareholders of the Combined Fund. UNII balances, in part, support the level of a fund’s regular distributions and provide a cushion in the event a fund’s net earnings for a particular distribution period are insufficient to support the level of its regular distribution for that period. If the Combined Fund’s net earnings are below the level of its current distribution rate, the Combined Fund’s UNII balance could be more likely to contribute to a determination to decrease the Combined Fund’s distribution rate, or could make it more likely that the Combined Fund will make distributions consisting in part of a return of capital to maintain the level of its regular distributions. See “Dividends and Distributions.” Moreover, because a fund’s UNII balance, in part, supports the level of a fund’s regular distributions, the UNII balance of the Combined Fund could impact the trading market for the Combined Fund’s common shares and the magnitude of the trading discount to NAV of the Combined Fund’s common shares. However, the Combined Fund is anticipated to benefit from a lower expense ratio, a potentially higher net earnings profile (compared to the Acquiring Fund) and other anticipated benefits of economies of scale as discussed herein. Each Fund, including the Combined Fund, reserves the right to change its distribution policy with respect to common share distributions and the basis for establishing the rate of its distributions for the common shares at any time and may do so without prior notice to common shareholders. The payment of any distributions by any Fund, including the Combined Fund, is subject to, and will only be made when, as, and if, declared by the Board of such Fund. There is no assurance the Board of any Fund, including the Combined Fund, will declare any distributions for such Fund.

To the extent any Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

15


Premium/Discount to NAV

As with any capital stock, the price of each Fund’s common shares will fluctuate based on market conditions and other factors. If common shares are sold, the price received may be more or less than the original investment. Each Fund’s common shares are designed for long-term investors and should not be treated as trading vehicles. Shares of closed-end management investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. This risk may be greater for investors who sell their common shares in a relatively short period of time after the completion of the Reorganization.

The common shares of each Fund have historically traded at both a premium and a discount. The table below sets forth the market price, NAV, and the premium/discount to NAV of each Fund as of September 21, 2021.

 

Fund

   Market Price      NAV      Premium/(Discount)  to
NAV
 

MYJ

   $ 15.88      $ 16.17        (1.8 )% 

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   $ 16.03      $ 16.08        (0.3 )% 

To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a wider discount (or a narrower premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders would have the potential for an economic benefit by the narrowing of the discount or widening of the premium. To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a narrower discount (or wider premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders may be negatively impacted if the Reorganization is consummated. Acquiring Fund common shareholders would only benefit from a premium/discount perspective to the extent the post-Reorganization discount (or premium) of the Acquiring Fund common shares improves.

There can be no assurance that, after the Reorganization, common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at a narrower discount to NAV or wider premium to NAV than the common shares of any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares. In the Reorganization, common shareholders of MYJ will receive Acquiring Fund common shares based on the relative NAVs (not the market values) of the respective Fund’s common shares. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of each respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.

Tax Considerations

The Reorganization is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. If the Reorganization so qualifies, in general, common shareholders of MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exchange of their common shares for Acquiring Fund Shares pursuant to the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional common shares). Additionally, MYJ will recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes by reason of the Reorganization. Neither the Acquiring Fund nor its shareholders will recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to the Reorganization.

As discussed above, shareholders of each Fund may receive distributions prior to, or after, the consummation of the Reorganization, including distributions attributable to their proportionate share of each Fund’s undistributed net investment income declared prior to the consummation of the Reorganization or the Combined Fund built-in gains, if any, recognized after the Reorganization, when such income and gains are eventually distributed by the Combined Fund. To the extent that such a distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Funds’ shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization, as well as the effects of state, local and non-U.S. tax laws, including possible changes in tax laws.

See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reorganization” for a summary of U.S. federal income tax consequences generally applicable to the Reorganization.

 

16


General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund

Because of their similar investment objectives and investment strategies, each Fund is subject to similar investment risks associated with an investment in common shares of the relevant Fund. With respect to the differences in risks, those risks of MYJ that are not shared with the Acquiring Fund are generally a result of differences in the Funds’ principal investment strategies described above under “Summary—Investment Objective and Policies.”

The Combined Fund will be managed in accordance with the same investment objective, investment strategies and investment policies, and subject to the same risks, as the Acquiring Fund. Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Acquiring Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. The Acquiring Fund is not meant to provide a vehicle for those who wish to exploit short-term swings in the stock market and is intended for long-term investors. An investment in common shares of the Acquiring Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Each shareholder should take into account the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective as well as the shareholder’s other investments when considering an investment in the Acquiring Fund. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Acquiring Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments.

The risks that predominately affect common shares of the Acquiring Fund, and therefore, the Combined Fund, include the following:

Non-Diversified Status. The Acquiring Fund is a non-diversified fund. As defined in the 1940 Act, a non-diversified fund may have a significant part of its investments in a smaller number of issuers than can a diversified fund. Having a larger percentage of assets in a smaller number of issuers makes a non-diversified fund, like the Acquiring Fund, more susceptible to the risk that one single event or occurrence can have a significant adverse impact upon the Acquiring Fund.

Investment and Market Discount Risk. An investment in the Acquiring Fund’s common shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire amount that you invest. As with any stock, the price of the Acquiring Fund’s common shares will fluctuate with market conditions and other factors. If shares are sold, the price received may be more or less than the original investment. The Acquiring Fund’s common shares are designed for long-term investors and the Acquiring Fund should not be treated as a trading vehicle. Shares of closed-end management investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that the Acquiring Fund’s NAV could decrease as a result of its investment activities. At any point in time an investment in the Acquiring Fund’s common shares may be worth less than the original amount invested, even after taking into account distributions paid by the Acquiring Fund. This risk may be greater for investors who sell their common shares in a relatively short period of time after completion of the Reorganization. During periods in which the Acquiring Fund may use leverage, the Acquiring Fund’s investment, market discount and certain other risks will be magnified.

Municipal Bond Market Risk. Economic exposure to the municipal securities market involves certain risks. The Acquiring Fund’s economic exposure to municipal securities includes municipal securities in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio and municipal securities to which the Acquiring Fund is exposed through the ownership of residual interests in municipal TOBs (“TOB Residuals”). The municipal market is one in which dealer firms make markets in bonds on a principal basis using their proprietary capital, and during the financial crisis of 2007-2009 these firms’ capital was severely constrained. As a result, some firms were unwilling to commit their capital to purchase and to serve as a dealer for municipal securities. Certain municipal securities may not be registered with the SEC or any state securities commission and will not be listed on any national securities exchange. The amount of public information available about the municipal securities to which the Acquiring Fund is economically exposed is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the investment performance of the Acquiring Fund may therefore be more dependent on the analytical abilities of the Investment Advisor than would be a fund investing solely in stocks or taxable bonds. The secondary market for municipal securities, particularly the below investment grade securities to which the Acquiring Fund may be economically exposed, also tends to be less well-developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s ability to sell such securities at attractive prices or at prices approximating those at which the Acquiring Fund currently values them.

 

17


In addition, many state and municipal governments that issue securities are under significant economic and financial stress and may not be able to satisfy their obligations. The ability of municipal issuers to make timely payments of interest and principal may be diminished during general economic downturns and as governmental cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local governments. The taxing power of any governmental entity may be limited by provisions of state constitutions or laws and an entity’s credit will depend on many factors, including the entity’s tax base, the extent to which the entity relies on federal or state aid, and other factors which are beyond the entity’s control. In addition, laws enacted in the future by Congress or state legislatures or referenda could extend the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or impose other constraints on enforcement of such obligations or on the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Issuers of municipal securities might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of municipal securities could experience delays in collecting principal and interest and such holders may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which they are entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in the payment of interest or repayment of principal, or both, the Acquiring Fund may take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities, which may increase the Acquiring Fund’s operating expenses. Any income derived from the Acquiring Fund’s ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt or may fail to generate qualifying income for purposes of the income tests applicable to regulated investment companies (“RICs”).

Risk Factors and Special Considerations Relating to New Jersey Municipal Bonds. The Acquiring Fund ordinarily will invest at least 80% of its assets in MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds; therefore, it is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds than is a municipal bond fund that is not concentrated in issuers of MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds to this degree. Briefly summarized below are important financial concerns relating to the Acquiring Fund’s investments in New Jersey municipal obligations. The information set forth below and in Appendix B to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is derived from sources that are generally available to investors. This information is intended to give a recent historical description and is not intended to indicate future or continuing trends in the financial or other positions of the State of New Jersey. It should be noted that the information recorded here primarily is based on the economic and budget forecasts found in certain recent publications issued by New Jersey. The accuracy and completeness of those publications have not been independently verified. There may be significant changes in circumstances altering the economic and budget predictions since the time of those publications or after the publication of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

The Acquiring Fund is susceptible to certain factors which could adversely affect issuers of New Jersey municipal obligations. The ability of issuers to pay interest on, and repay principal of, New Jersey municipal obligations may be affected by: (1) amendments to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and other statutes that limit the taxing and spending authority of New Jersey government entities; (2) the general financial and economic profile as well as the political climate of New Jersey, its public authorities and political subdivisions; and (3) a change in New Jersey laws and regulations or subsequent court decisions that may affect, directly or indirectly, New Jersey municipal obligations. The Fund’s yield and share price are sensitive to these factors as one or more of such factors could undermine New Jersey issuers’ efforts to borrow, inhibit secondary market liquidity and erode credit ratings. Furthermore, it should be noted that the creditworthiness of obligations issued by local New Jersey issuers may be unrelated to the creditworthiness of obligations issued by New Jersey and that there is no obligation on the part of New Jersey to make payment on such local obligations in the event of default.

Due to improving economic and fiscal conditions, in addition to a one-time boost from the new Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax (discussed below), the Fiscal Year 2021 revenue forecast has improved substantially. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Message anticipates Fiscal Year 2021 revenues of $44.2 billion, and revenue growth between Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021 is now projected at $6.2 billion, up 16.3% overall. However, baseline Fiscal Year 2021 revenues are forecast to increase by about $1.9 billion to $39.9 billion, or 5.0%, when excluding the $4.288 billion of Emergency General Obligation Bond funds. Moreover, this revised Fiscal Year 2021 revenue total of $39.9 billion is $1.25 billion below the amount forecasted in February 2020, indicating that State revenues have not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

Even before the start of Fiscal Year 2021, the fallout from the COVID-19 Pandemic changed the course of State revenue collections. Through the end of March 2020, State revenues were up $1.3 billion, or 6.2% above the same nine month period in the prior fiscal year. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic-induced public health restrictions on social and economic activity, total revenues dropped by nearly $1.6 billion during the remaining months. Revenues fell from $38.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2019 to $38.0 billion in Fiscal Year 2020, a year-over-year decline of $303 million, or 0.8%, and $1.4 billion below the amount of revenues anticipated in the pre-Pandemic Governor’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Message delivered in February 2020.

 

18


As of June 30, 2020, New Jersey’s outstanding long-term debt obligations for governmental activities decreased 6.2% to $204.2 billion, which includes a net decrease in bonded obligations of $33.7 million. During the fiscal year, the State issued $4.8 billion in bonds. New money issuances represented $2.2 billion primarily for transportation program improvements, while $2.6 billion represented refunding transactions that provided the State with $168.9 million in net present value savings. During Fiscal Year 2020, the State paid $5.2 billion in debt service on its long-term obligations.

New Jersey’s various outstanding general obligation bonds were rated “A” with a negative outlook by Fitch as of September 5, 2014, “A3” by Moody’s as of March 27, 2017, and “A-“ by S&P as of November 14, 2016. Kroll Bond Rating Agency has also assigned an “A” rating to New Jersey’s general obligation debt. These ratings reflect New Jersey’s credit quality only, and do not indicate the creditworthiness of other tax-exempt securities in which the Acquiring Fund may invest.

The foregoing information constitutes only a brief summary of some of the general factors that may impact certain issuers of municipal bonds and does not purport to be a complete or exhaustive description of all adverse conditions to which the issuers of municipal bonds held by the Acquiring Fund are subject. See Appendix B to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus for a further discussion of factors affecting New Jersey municipal securities. The information set forth above and in Appendix B to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is derived from sources that are generally available to investors. This information is intended to give a recent historical description and is not intended to indicate future or continuing trends in the financial or other positions of the State of New Jersey.

Taxable Municipal Securities Risk. Build America Bonds involve similar risks as municipal bonds, including credit and market risk. In particular, should a Build America Bond’s issuer fail to continue to meet the applicable requirements imposed on the bonds as provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”), it is possible that such issuer may not receive federal cash subsidy payments, impairing the issuer’s ability to make scheduled interest payments. The Build America Bond program expired on December 31, 2010 and no further issuance is permitted unless Congress renews the program. As a result, the number of available Build America Bonds is limited, which may negatively affect the value of the Build America Bonds. In addition, there can be no assurance that Build America Bonds will be actively traded. It is difficult to predict the extent to which a market for such bonds will continue, meaning that Build America Bonds may experience greater illiquidity than other municipal obligations. The Build America Bonds outstanding as of December 31, 2010 will continue to be eligible for the federal interest rate subsidy, which continues for the life of the Build America Bonds; however, no bonds issued following expiration of the Build America Bond program will be eligible for the U.S. federal tax subsidy.

Municipal Securities Risks. Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and the value of municipal securities. These risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risks. General obligation bonds are typically secured by the issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the repayment of principal and the payment of interest. The taxing power of any governmental entity may be limited, however, by provisions of its state constitution or laws, and an entity’s creditworthiness will depend on many factors, including potential erosion of its tax base due to population declines, natural disasters, declines in the state’s industrial base or inability to attract new industries, economic limits on the ability to tax without eroding the tax base, state legislative proposals or voter initiatives to limit ad valorem real property taxes and the extent to which the entity relies on federal or state aid, access to capital markets or other factors beyond the state’s or entity’s control. Accordingly, the capacity of the issuer of a general obligation bond as to the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal when due is affected by the issuer’s maintenance of its tax base.

Revenue Bonds Risks. Revenue or special obligation bonds are typically payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue sources such as payments from the user of the facility being financed. Accordingly, the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the revenue or special obligation bond is a function of the economic viability of such facility or such revenue source. Revenue bonds issued by state

 

19


or local agencies to finance the development of low-income, multi-family housing involve special risks in addition to those associated with municipal securities generally, including that the underlying properties may not generate sufficient income to pay expenses and interest costs. Such bonds are generally non-recourse against the property owner, may be junior to the rights of others with an interest in the properties, may pay interest that changes based in part on the financial performance of the property, may be prepayable without penalty and may be used to finance the construction of housing developments which, until completed and rented, do not generate income to pay interest. Increases in interest rates payable on senior obligations may make it more difficult for issuers to meet payment obligations on subordinated bonds.

Private Activity Bonds Risks. The Acquiring Fund may invest in certain tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds.” These bonds may subject certain investors in the Acquiring Fund to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Moral Obligation Bonds Risks. Municipal bonds may also include “moral obligation” bonds, which are normally issued by special purpose public authorities. If an issuer of moral obligation bonds is unable to meet its obligations, the repayment of such bonds becomes a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the state or municipality in question.

Municipal Notes Risks. Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. They may provide interim financing in anticipation of tax collection, bond sales or revenue receipts. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, repayment on the note may be delayed or the note may not be fully repaid, and the Acquiring Fund may lose money.

Municipal Lease Obligations Risks. Also included within the general category of municipal bonds are certificates of participation (“COPs”) issued by government authorities or entities to finance the acquisition or construction of equipment, land and/or facilities. COPs represent participations in a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract (hereinafter collectively called “lease obligations”) relating to such equipment, land or facilities. Municipal leases, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuer’s unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuer’s covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although “non-appropriation” lease obligations are secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult and the value of the property may be insufficient to issue lease obligations. Certain investments in lease obligations may be illiquid.

The ability of issuers of municipal leases to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Acquiring Fund, and could result in a reduction in the value of the municipal lease experiencing non-payment and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Acquiring Fund. Issuers of municipal lease obligations might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, the Acquiring Fund could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such municipal leases and the Acquiring Fund may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Acquiring Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities, which may increase the Acquiring Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect the NAV of the Acquiring Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Acquiring Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Acquiring Fund’s ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt or may fail to generate qualifying income for purposes of the income tests applicable to regulated investment companies. In addition, the Acquiring Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, may limit the extent to which the Acquiring Fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets, because as a regulated investment company the Acquiring Fund is subject to certain limitations on its investments and on the nature of its income.

Liquidity of Investments. Certain municipal securities in which the Acquiring Fund invests may lack an established secondary trading market or are otherwise considered illiquid. Liquidity of a security relates to the ability to easily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained and does not generally relate to the credit risk or likelihood of receipt of cash at maturity. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments.

 

20


The financial markets in general, and certain segments of the municipal securities markets in particular, have in recent years experienced periods of extreme secondary market supply and demand imbalance, resulting in a loss of liquidity during which market prices were suddenly and substantially below traditional measures of intrinsic value. During such periods some securities could be sold only at arbitrary prices and with substantial losses. Periods of such market dislocation may occur again at any time.

Tax-Exempt Status Risk. In making investments, the Acquiring Fund and the Investment Advisor will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal obligations and payments under tax-exempt derivative securities. Neither the Acquiring Fund nor the Investment Advisor will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. If any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Acquiring Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liabilities. An assertion by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) that a portfolio security is not exempt from U.S. federal income tax (contrary to indications from the issuer) could affect the Acquiring Fund’s and its shareholders’ income tax liability for the current or past years and could create liability for information reporting penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may cause the Acquiring Fund to be ineligible to pay exempt-interest dividends or may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.

Taxability Risk. The Acquiring Fund intends to minimize the payment of taxable income to shareholders by investing in tax-exempt or municipal securities in reliance at the time of purchase on an opinion of bond counsel to the issuer that the interest paid on those securities will be excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such securities, however, may be determined to pay, or have paid, taxable income subsequent to the Acquiring Fund’s acquisition of the securities. In that event, the IRS may demand that the Acquiring Fund pay U.S. federal income taxes on the affected interest income, and, if the Acquiring Fund agrees to do so, the Acquiring Fund’s yield could be adversely affected. In addition, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Acquiring Fund as “exempt interest dividends” could be adversely affected, subjecting the Acquiring Fund’s shareholders to increased U.S. federal income tax liabilities. In addition, future laws, regulations, rulings or court decisions may cause interest on municipal securities to be subject, directly or indirectly, to U.S. federal income taxation or interest on state municipal securities to be subject to state or local income taxation, or the value of state municipal securities to be subject to state or local intangible personal property tax, or may otherwise prevent the Acquiring Fund from realizing the full current benefit of the tax-exempt status of such securities. Any such change could also affect the market price of such securities, and thus the value of an investment in the Acquiring Fund.

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk. The Acquiring Fund expects that a portion of the interest or income it produces will be includable in alternative minimum taxable income. Exempt interest dividends also are likely to be subject to state and local income taxes. Distributions of any capital gain or other taxable income will be taxable to shareholders. The Acquiring Fund may not be a suitable investment for investors who are subject to the federal alternative minimum tax or who would become subject to such tax by purchasing shares of the Acquiring Fund. The suitability of an investment in the Acquiring Fund will depend upon a comparison of the after-tax yield likely to be provided from the Acquiring Fund with that from comparable tax-exempt investments not subject to the alternative minimum tax, and from comparable fully taxable investments, in light of each such investor’s tax position. Special considerations apply to corporate investors.

Nonpayment Risk. Municipal bonds, like other debt obligations, are subject to the risk of nonpayment. The ability of issuers of municipal securities to make timely payments of interest and principal may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such nonpayment would result in a reduction of income to the Acquiring Fund and could result in a reduction in the value of the municipal security experiencing nonpayment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Acquiring Fund.

 

21


Fixed Income Securities Risks. Fixed income securities in which the Acquiring Fund may invest are generally subject to the following risks:

Interest Rate Risk. The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. The Acquiring Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low interest rates, including the Federal Reserve’s recent lowering of the target for the federal funds rate to a range of 0%–0.25% as part of its efforts to ease the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for those securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Acquiring Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Acquiring Fund, but will be reflected in the Acquiring Fund’s NAV. The Acquiring Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by the Acquiring Fund’s management. To the extent the Acquiring Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-related securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of the Acquiring Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the NAV of the Acquiring Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate debt securities. These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in value when interest rates change.

The Acquiring Fund’s use of leverage, as described below, will tend to increase the Acquiring Fund’s interest rate risk. The Acquiring Fund may utilize certain strategies, including taking positions in futures or interest rate swaps, for the purpose of reducing the interest rate sensitivity of fixed income securities held by the Acquiring Fund and decreasing the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to interest rate risk. The Acquiring Fund is not required to hedge its exposure to interest rate risk and may choose not to do so. In addition, there is no assurance that any attempts by the Acquiring Fund to reduce interest rate risk will be successful or that any hedges that the Acquiring Fund may establish will perfectly correlate with movements in interest rates.

The Acquiring Fund may invest in variable and floating rate debt instruments, which generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes than longer duration fixed rate instruments, but may decline in value in response to rising interest rates if, for example, the rates at which they pay interest do not rise as much, or as quickly, as market interest rates in general. Conversely, variable and floating rate instruments generally will not increase in value if interest rates decline. The Acquiring Fund also may invest in inverse floating rate debt securities, which may decrease in value if interest rates increase, and which also may exhibit greater price volatility than fixed rate debt obligations with similar credit quality. To the extent the Acquiring Fund holds variable or floating rate instruments, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities, which may adversely affect the NAV of the Acquiring Fund’s common shares.

Issuer Risk. The value of fixed income securities may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services, historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of the assets of the issuer.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that one or more fixed income securities in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio will decline in price or fail to pay interest or principal when due because the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial status. Credit risk is increased when a portfolio security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer deteriorates. To the extent the Acquiring Fund invests in below investment grade securities, it will be exposed to a greater amount of credit risk than a fund which only invests in investment grade securities. In addition, to the extent the Acquiring Fund uses credit derivatives, such use will expose it to additional risk in the event that the bonds underlying the derivatives default. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities. If rating agencies lower their ratings of municipal securities in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio, the value of those securities could decline, which could jeopardize rating agencies’ ratings of Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares. Because a significant source of income for the Acquiring Fund is the interest and principal payments on the municipal securities in which it invests, any default by an issuer of a municipal security could have a negative impact on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to pay dividends on common shares or any VRDP Shares then outstanding and could result in the redemption of some or all of any VRDP Shares then outstanding.

 

22


Prepayment Risk. During periods of declining interest rates, borrowers may exercise their option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled. For fixed rate securities, such payments often occur during periods of declining interest rates, forcing the Acquiring Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities, resulting in a possible decline in the Acquiring Fund’s income and distributions to shareholders. This is known as prepayment or “call” risk. Below investment grade securities frequently have call features that allow the issuer to redeem the security at dates prior to its stated maturity at a specified price (typically greater than par) only if certain prescribed conditions are met (“call protection”). For premium bonds (bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value) purchased by the Acquiring Fund, prepayment risk may be enhanced.

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio will decline if the Acquiring Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called fixed income securities at market interest rates that are below the Acquiring Fund portfolio’s current earnings rate.

Duration and Maturity Risk. The Investment Advisor may seek to adjust the portfolio’s duration or maturity based on its assessment of current and projected market conditions and all factors that the Investment Advisor deems relevant. In comparison to maturity (which is the date on which the issuer of a debt instrument is obligated to repay the principal amount), duration is a measure of the price volatility of a debt instrument as a result in changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument’s expected principal and interest payments. Specifically, duration measures the anticipated percentage change in NAV that is expected for every percentage point change in interest rates. The two have an inverse relationship. Duration can be a useful tool to estimate anticipated price changes to a fixed pool of income securities associated with changes in interest rates. For example, a duration of five years means that a 1% decrease in interest rates will increase the NAV of the portfolio by approximately 5%; if interest rates increase by 1%, the NAV will decrease by 5%. However, in a managed portfolio of fixed income securities having differing interest or dividend rates or payment schedules, maturities, redemption provisions, call or prepayment provisions and credit qualities, actual price changes in response to changes in interest rates may differ significantly from a duration-based estimate at any given time. Actual price movements experienced by a portfolio of fixed income securities will be affected by how interest rates move (i.e., changes in the relationship of long-term interest rates to short-term interest rates and in the relationship of interest rates for highly rated securities and rates for below investment grade securities), the magnitude of any move in interest rates, actual and anticipated prepayments of principal through call or redemption features, the extension of maturities through restructuring, the sale of securities for portfolio management purposes, the reinvestment of proceeds from prepayments on and from sales of securities, and credit quality-related considerations whether associated with financing costs to lower credit quality borrowers or otherwise, as well as other factors. Accordingly, while duration maybe a useful tool to estimate potential price movements in relation to changes in interest rates, investors are cautioned that duration alone will not predict actual changes in the net asset or market value of the Acquiring Fund’s shares and that actual price movements in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio may differ significantly from duration-based estimates. Duration differs from maturity in that it takes into account a security’s yield, coupon payments and its principal payments in addition to the amount of time until the security finally matures. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. Prices of securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. In general, a portfolio of securities with a longer duration can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter duration. Any decisions as to the targeted duration or maturity of any particular category of investments or of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio generally will be made based on all pertinent market factors at any given time. The Acquiring Fund may incur costs in seeking to adjust the portfolio’s average duration or maturity. There can be no assurances that the Investment Advisor’s assessment of current and projected market conditions will be correct or that any strategy to adjust the portfolio’s duration or maturity will be successful at any given time.

Leverage Risk. The use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased common share net investment income dividends, but also creates risks for the common shareholders. The Acquiring Fund cannot assure you that the use of leverage, if employed, will result in a higher yield on the common shares. Any leveraging strategy the Acquiring Fund employs may not be successful. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders, including:

 

   

the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV, market price and dividend rate of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage;

 

23


   

the risk that fluctuations in interest rates or dividend rates on any leverage that the Acquiring Fund must pay will reduce the return to the common shareholders;

 

   

the effect of leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the NAV of the common shares than if the Acquiring Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares;

 

   

when the Acquiring Fund uses financial leverage, the investment advisory fee payable to the Investment Advisor will be higher than if the Acquiring Fund did not use leverage; and

 

   

leverage may increase operating costs, which may reduce total return.

Any decline in the NAV of the Acquiring Fund’s investments will be borne entirely by the common shareholders. Therefore, if the market value of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio declines, leverage will result in a greater decrease in NAV to the common shareholders than if the Acquiring Fund were not leveraged. This greater NAV decrease will also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for the common shares. While the Acquiring Fund may from time to time consider reducing any outstanding leverage in response to actual or anticipated changes in interest rates in an effort to mitigate the increased volatility of current income and NAV associated with leverage, there can be no assurance that the Acquiring Fund will actually reduce any outstanding leverage in the future or that any reduction, if undertaken, will benefit the common shareholders. Changes in the future direction of interest rates are very difficult to predict accurately. If the Acquiring Fund were to reduce any outstanding leverage based on a prediction about future changes to interest rates, and that prediction turned out to be incorrect, the reduction in any outstanding leverage would likely operate to reduce the income and/or total returns to common shareholders relative to the circumstance where the Acquiring Fund had not reduced any of its outstanding leverage. The Acquiring Fund may decide that this risk outweighs the likelihood of achieving the desired reduction to volatility in income and share price if the prediction were to turn out to be correct, and determine not to reduce any of its outstanding leverage as described above.

The Acquiring Fund currently utilizes leverage through the issuance of VRDP Shares (see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds”) and investments in TOB Residuals (see “—Tender Option Bond Risk”). The use of TOB Residuals may require the Acquiring Fund to segregate or designate on its books and records assets to cover its obligations. While the segregated or earmarked assets may be invested in liquid assets, they may not be used for other operational purposes. Consequently, the use of leverage may limit the Acquiring Fund’s flexibility and may require that the Acquiring Fund sell other portfolio investments to pay Fund expenses, to maintain assets in an amount sufficient to cover the Acquiring Fund’s leveraged exposure or to meet other obligations at a time when it may be disadvantageous to sell such assets.

Certain types of leverage used by the Acquiring Fund may result in the Acquiring Fund being subject to covenants relating to asset coverage and portfolio composition requirements. The Acquiring Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies, which issue ratings for the VRDP Shares issued by the Acquiring Fund or the governing instrument for the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act. The Investment Advisor does not believe that these covenants or guidelines will impede it from managing the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective and policies.

While there are any preferred shares of the Acquiring Fund outstanding, the Acquiring Fund may not declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common shares, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accrued preferred shares dividends have been paid and (ii) the value of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Acquiring Fund, is at least 200% (as required by the 1940 Act) of the liquidation preference of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding preferred shares plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared on a cumulative basis). In addition to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Acquiring Fund may be required to comply with other asset coverage requirements as a condition of the Acquiring Fund obtaining a rating of its preferred shares from a nationally recognized rating service or other asset coverage requirements under an agreement with the liquidity provider of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares.

 

24


These requirements may include an asset coverage test more stringent than that under the 1940 Act. This limitation on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to make distributions on its common shares could in certain circumstances impair the ability of the Acquiring Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a regulated investment company under the Code. The Acquiring Fund may, however, to the extent possible, purchase or redeem preferred shares from time to time to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements and may pay special dividends to the holders of the preferred shares in certain circumstances in connection with any such impairment of the Acquiring Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code.

In addition to the foregoing, the use of leverage treated as indebtedness of the Acquiring Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes may reduce the amount of Acquiring Fund dividends that are otherwise eligible for the dividends received deduction in the hands of corporate shareholders.

The Acquiring Fund may utilize leverage through investment derivatives. The use of certain derivatives will require the Acquiring to segregate assets to cover its obligations. While the segregated assets may be invested in liquid assets, they may not be used for other operational purposes. Consequently, the use of leverage may limit the Acquiring Fund’s flexibility and may require that the Acquiring Fund sell other portfolio investments to pay Acquiring Fund expenses, to maintain assets in an amount sufficient to cover the Acquiring Fund’s leveraged exposure or to meet other obligations at a time when it may be disadvantageous to sell such assets.

The Acquiring Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies. Such investment companies may also be leveraged, and will therefore be subject to the leverage risks described above. This additional leverage may in certain market conditions reduce the NAV of the Acquiring Fund’s common shares and the returns to the common shareholders.

Tender Option Bond Risk. The Acquiring Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of TOB Residuals, which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Acquiring Fund may invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax. No independent investigation will be made to confirm the tax-exempt status of the interest or income paid by TOB Residuals held by the Acquiring Fund. There is no assurance that the Acquiring Fund’s strategy of using TOB Residuals to leverage its assets will be successful.

TOB Residuals represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust formed for the purpose of holding municipal bonds contributed by one or more funds (a “TOB Trust”). A TOB Trust typically issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (“TOB Floaters”), which are sold to third-party investors, and TOB Residuals, which are generally issued to the fund(s) that transferred municipal bonds to the TOB Trust. TOB Floaters may have first priority on the cash flow from the municipal bonds held by the TOB Trust and are enhanced with a liquidity support arrangement provided by a third-party bank or other financial institution (the “TOBs Liquidity Provider”) which allows holders to tender their position at par (plus accrued interest). The Acquiring Fund, as a holder of TOB Residuals, is paid the residual cash flow from the TOB Trust. As result, distributions on TOB Residuals will bear an inverse relationship to short-term municipal bond interest rates. Distributions on the TOB Residuals paid to the Acquiring Fund will be reduced or, in the extreme, eliminated as short-term municipal interest rates rise and will increase when short-term municipal interest rates fall. The amount of such reduction or increase is a function, in part, of the amount of TOB Floaters sold by the TOB Trust relative to the amount of the TOB Residuals that it sells. The greater the amount of TOB Floaters sold relative to the TOB Residuals, the more volatile the distributions on the TOB Residuals will be. Short-term interest rates are at historic lows and may be more likely to rise in the current market environment.

The municipal bonds transferred to a TOB Trust typically are high grade municipal bonds. In certain cases, when municipal bonds transferred are lower grade municipal bonds, the TOB Trust transaction includes a credit enhancement feature that provides for the timely payment of principal and interest on the bonds to the TOB Trust by a credit enhancement provider. The TOB Trust would be responsible for the payment of the credit enhancement fee and the Acquiring Fund, as a TOB Residual holder, would be responsible for reimbursement of any payments of principal and interest made by the credit enhancement provider.

Any economic leverage achieved through the Acquiring Fund’s investment in TOB Residuals will increase the possibility that common share long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of the TOB Floaters issued by a TOB

 

25


Trust exceeds the return on the securities in the TOB Trust. If the income and gains earned on municipal securities owned by a TOB Trust that issues TOB Residuals to the Acquiring Fund are greater than the payments due on the TOB Floaters issued by the TOB Trust, the Acquiring Fund’s returns will be greater than if it had not invested in the TOB Residuals.

Although the Acquiring Fund generally would unwind a TOB transaction rather than try to sell a TOB Residual, if it did try to sell a TOB Residual, its ability to do so would depend on the liquidity of the TOB Residual. TOB Residuals have varying degrees of liquidity based, among other things, upon the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in the TOB Trust. The market price of TOB Residuals is more volatile than the underlying municipal bonds due to leverage.

The leverage attributable to the Acquiring Fund’s use of TOB Residuals may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of leverage. The TOB Trust may be collapsed without the consent of the Acquiring Fund upon the occurrence of termination events, as defined in the TOB Trust agreements. Upon the occurrence of a termination event, a TOB Trust would be liquidated with the proceeds applied first to any accrued fees owed to the trustee of the TOB Trust, the remarketing agent of the TOB Floaters and the TOBs Liquidity Provider. Upon certain termination events, the holders of the TOB Floaters would be paid before the TOB Residual holders (i.e., the Acquiring Fund) whereas in other termination events, the holders of TOB Floaters and the TOB Residual holders would be paid pro rata.

The Acquiring Fund may invest in a TOB Trust on either a non-recourse or recourse basis. If the Acquiring Fund invests in a TOB Trust on a recourse basis, it will typically enter into a reimbursement agreement with the TOBs Liquidity Provider pursuant to which the Acquiring Fund is required to reimburse the TOBs Liquidity Provider the balance, if any, of the amount owed under the liquidity facility over the liquidation proceeds (the “Liquidation Shortfall”). As a result, if the Acquiring Fund invests in a recourse TOB Trust, the Acquiring Fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to any Liquidation Shortfall.

The use of TOB Residuals will require the Acquiring Fund to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to any TOB Floaters, plus any accrued but unpaid interest due on the TOB Floaters, issued by TOB Trusts sponsored by, or on behalf of, the Acquiring Fund that are not owned by the Acquiring Fund. The use of TOB Residuals may also require the Acquiring Fund to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to loans provided by the TOBs Liquidity Provider to the TOB Trust to purchase tendered TOB Floaters. While the segregated assets may be invested in liquid securities, they may not be used for other operational purposes. Consequently, the use of leverage through TOB Residuals may limit the Acquiring Fund’s flexibility and may require that the Acquiring Fund sell other portfolio investments to pay the Acquiring Fund’s expenses, to maintain assets in an amount sufficient to cover the Acquiring Fund’s leveraged exposure or to meet other obligations at a time when it may be disadvantageous to sell such assets. Future regulatory requirements or SEC guidance may necessitate more onerous contractual or regulatory requirements, which may increase the costs or reduce the degree of potential economic benefits of TOB Trust transactions or limit the Acquiring Fund’s ability to enter into or manage TOB Trust transactions.

The Acquiring Fund structures and “sponsors” the TOB Trusts in which it holds TOB Residuals and has certain duties and responsibilities, which may give rise to certain additional risks including, but not limited to, compliance, securities law and operational risks.

The SEC and various federal banking and housing agencies adopted credit risk retention rules for securitizations (the “Risk Retention Rules”). The Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor of a TOB Trust to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of the underlying assets supporting the TOB Trust’s municipal bonds. The Risk Retention Rules may adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s ability to engage in TOB Trust transactions or increase the costs of such transactions in certain circumstances.

TOB Trusts constitute an important component of the municipal bond market. Any modifications or changes to the rules governing TOB Trusts may adversely impact the municipal market and the Acquiring Fund, including through reduced demand for and liquidity of municipal bonds and increased financing costs for municipal issuers. The ultimate impact of any potential modifications on the TOB market and the overall municipal market is not yet certain.

Please see “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Leverage—Tender Option Bonds” for additional information.

 

26


Insurance Risk. With respect to an insured municipal security, insurance guarantees that interest payments on the municipal security will be made on time and that the principal will be repaid when the security matures. Insurance is expected to protect the Acquiring Fund against losses caused by a municipal security issuer’s failure to make interest and principal payments. However, insurance does not protect the Acquiring Fund or its shareholders against losses caused by declines in a municipal security’s value. Also, the Acquiring Fund cannot be certain that any insurance company will make the payments it guarantees. Certain significant providers of insurance for municipal securities incurred significant losses as a result of exposure to sub-prime mortgages and other lower credit quality investments that experienced defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration during the financial crisis of 2007-2009. These losses have reduced the insurers’ capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such insurance if they are called upon to do so in the future. While an insured municipal security will typically be deemed to have the rating of its insurer, if the insurer of a municipal security suffers a downgrade in its credit rating or the market discounts the value of the insurance provided by the insurer, the rating of the underlying municipal security will be more relevant and the value of the municipal security would more closely, if not entirely, reflect such rating. The Acquiring Fund may lose money on its investment if the insurance company does not make payments it guarantees. If a municipal security’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the security could drop.

Yield and Ratings Risk. The yields on debt obligations are dependent on a variety of factors, including general market conditions, conditions in the particular market for the obligation, the financial condition of the issuer, the size of the offering, the maturity of the obligation and the ratings of the issue. The ratings of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, which are described in Appendix A to the Statement of Additional Information, represent their respective opinions as to the quality of the obligations which they undertake to rate. Ratings, however, are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, obligations with the same rating, maturity and interest rate may have different market prices. Subsequent to its purchase by the Acquiring Fund, a rated security may cease to be rated. The Investment Advisor will consider such an event in determining whether the Acquiring Fund should continue to hold the security.

Ratings are relative and subjective and, although ratings may be useful in evaluating the safety of interest and principal payments, they do not evaluate the market value risk of such obligations. Although these ratings may be an initial criterion for selection of portfolio investments, the Investment Advisor also will independently evaluate these securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to pay interest and principal. To the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in lower grade securities that have not been rated by a rating agency, the Acquiring Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will be more dependent on the Investment Advisor’s credit analysis than would be the case when the Acquiring Fund invests in rated securities.

“High Yield” Securities Risk. Subject to its investment policies, the Acquiring Fund may invest in securities rated, at the time of investment, below investment grade quality such as those rated Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch, or securities comparably rated by other rating agencies or in unrated securities determined by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality. Such securities, sometimes referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, are predominantly speculative with respect to the capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the security and generally involve greater price volatility than securities in higher rating categories. Often the protection of interest and principal payments with respect to such securities may be very moderate and issuers of such securities face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments.

Lower grade securities, though high yielding, are characterized by high risk. They may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than certain lower yielding, higher rated securities. The secondary market for lower grade securities may be less liquid than that of higher rated securities. Adverse conditions could make it difficult at times for the Acquiring Fund to sell certain securities or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Acquiring Fund’s NAV.

The prices of fixed-income securities generally are inversely related to interest rate changes; however, the price volatility caused by fluctuating interest rates of securities also is inversely related to the coupons of such securities. Accordingly, below investment grade securities may be relatively less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher quality securities of comparable maturity because of their higher coupon. The investor receives this higher coupon in return for bearing greater credit risk. The higher credit risk associated with below investment grade securities potentially can have a greater effect on the value of such securities than may be the case with higher quality issues of comparable maturity.

 

27


Lower grade securities may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns. It is likely that an economic recession could severely disrupt the market for such securities and may have an adverse impact on the value of such securities. In addition, it is likely that any such economic downturn could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon and increase the incidence of default for such securities. The ratings of Moody’s, S&P, Fitch and other rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of the obligations which they undertake to rate. Ratings are relative and subjective and, although ratings may be useful in evaluating the safety of interest and principal payments, they do not evaluate the market value risk of such obligations. Although these ratings may be an initial criterion for selection of portfolio investments, the Investment Advisor also will independently evaluate these securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to pay interest and principal. To the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in lower grade securities that have not been rated by a rating agency, the Acquiring Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will be more dependent on the Investment Advisor’s credit analysis than would be the case when the Acquiring Fund invests in rated securities.

Unrated Securities Risk. Because the Acquiring Fund may purchase securities that are not rated by any rating organization, the Investment Advisor may, after assessing their credit quality, internally assign ratings to certain of those securities in categories similar to those of rating organizations. Some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may be difficult to value, which means the Acquiring Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price. To the extent that the Acquiring Fund invests in unrated securities, the Acquiring Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will be more dependent on the Investment Advisor’s credit analysis than would be the case when the Acquiring Fund invests in rated securities.

Zero-Coupon Securities Risk. Municipal bonds may include zero-coupon bonds. Zero-coupon securities are bonds that are sold at a discount to par value and do not pay interest during the life of the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder of a zero-coupon security is entitled to receive the par value of the security.

While interest payments are not made on zero-coupon securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero-coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero-coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero-coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.

The Acquiring Fund accrues income with respect to these securities for U.S. federal income tax and accounting purposes prior to the receipt of cash payments. Zero-coupon securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash interest at regular intervals.

Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Acquiring Fund is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may have to dispose of other, more liquid portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances or may have to leverage itself by borrowing in order to generate the cash to satisfy these distributions. The required distributions may result in an increase in the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to zero-coupon securities.

In addition to the above-described risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero-coupon securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Acquiring Fund’s investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are held in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio.

 

28


Variable Rate Demand Obligations Risk. Variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”) are floating rate securities that combine an interest in a long-term municipal bond with a right to demand payment before maturity from a bank or other financial institution. If the bank or financial institution is unable to pay, the Acquiring Fund may lose money.

Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk. Investments in inverse floaters, residual interest TOBs and similar instruments expose the Acquiring Fund to the same risks as investments in fixed income securities and derivatives, as well as other risks, including those associated with leverage and increased volatility. An investment in these securities typically will involve greater risk than an investment in a fixed rate security. Distributions on inverse floaters, residual interest TOBs and similar instruments will typically bear an inverse relationship to short-term interest rates and typically will be reduced or, potentially, eliminated as interest rates rise. Inverse floaters, residual interest TOBs and similar instruments will underperform the market for fixed rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. Inverse floaters may be considered to be leveraged to the extent that their interest rates vary by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in a reference rate of interest (typically a short-term interest rate). The leverage inherent in inverse floaters is associated with greater volatility in their market values. Investments in inverse floaters, residual interest TOBs and similar instruments that have fixed income securities underlying them will expose the Acquiring Fund to the risks associated with those fixed income securities and the values of those investments may be especially sensitive to changes in prepayment rates on the underlying fixed income securities.

When-Issued, Forward Commitment and Delayed Delivery Transactions Risk. The Acquiring Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis (including on a forward commitment or “TBA” (to be announced) basis) and may purchase or sell those securities for delayed delivery. When-issued and delayed delivery transactions occur when securities are purchased or sold by the Acquiring Fund with payment and delivery taking place in the future to secure an advantageous yield or price. Securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may expose the Acquiring Fund to counterparty risk of default as well as the risk that securities may experience fluctuations in value prior to their actual delivery. The Acquiring Fund will not accrue income with respect to a when-issued or delayed delivery security prior to its stated delivery date. Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis can involve the additional risk that the price or yield available in the market when the delivery takes place may not be as favorable as that obtained in the transaction itself.

Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of fixed income securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Acquiring Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future. The Acquiring Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Acquiring Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Acquiring Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and expenses of enforcing its rights. While repurchase agreements involve certain risks not associated with direct investments in fixed income securities, the Acquiring Fund follows procedures approved by the Board that are designed to minimize such risks. The value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Acquiring Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Acquiring Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Acquiring Fund could suffer a loss.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risks that the interest income earned on the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense of the Acquiring Fund, that the market value of the securities sold by the Acquiring Fund may decline below the price at which the Acquiring Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities and that the securities may not be returned to the Acquiring Fund. There is no assurance that reverse repurchase agreements can be successfully employed.

 

29


Securities Lending Risk. The Acquiring Fund may lend securities to financial institutions. Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Acquiring Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, the Acquiring Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return the Acquiring Fund’s securities as agreed, the Acquiring Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. This event could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund could lose money if its short-term investment of the collateral declines in value over the period of the loan. Substitute payments for dividends received by the Acquiring Fund for securities loaned out by the Acquiring Fund will generally not be considered qualified dividend income. The securities lending agent will take the tax effects on shareholders of this difference into account in connection with the Acquiring Fund’s securities lending program. Substitute payments received on tax-exempt securities loaned out will generally not be tax-exempt income.

Restricted and Illiquid Securities Risk. The Acquiring Fund may invest in illiquid or less liquid investments or investments in which no secondary market is readily available or which are otherwise illiquid, including private placement securities. The Acquiring Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Acquiring Fund could sell such investments if they were more widely-traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Acquiring Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of investments, thereby adversely affecting the Acquiring Fund’s NAV and ability to make dividend distributions. The financial markets have in recent years experienced periods of extreme secondary market supply and demand imbalance, resulting in a loss of liquidity during which market prices were suddenly and substantially below traditional measures of intrinsic value. During such periods, some investments could be sold only at arbitrary prices and with substantial losses. Periods of such market dislocation may occur again at any time.

Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or that may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. For example, Rule 144A under the Securities Act provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers, such as the Acquiring Fund. However, an insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing the Rule 144A-eligible securities that the Acquiring Fund holds could affect adversely the marketability of certain Rule 144A securities, and the Acquiring Fund might be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. When registration is required to sell a security, the Acquiring Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and considerable time may pass before the Acquiring Fund is permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If adverse market conditions develop during this period, the Acquiring Fund might obtain a less favorable price than the price that prevailed when the Acquiring Fund decided to sell. The Acquiring Fund may be unable to sell restricted and other illiquid investments at opportune times or prices.

Investment Companies Risk. Subject to the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act and the Acquiring Fund’s governing documents or as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Acquiring Fund may acquire shares in other affiliated and unaffiliated investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and business development companies (“BDCs”). The market value of the shares of other investment companies may differ from their NAV. As an investor in investment companies, including ETFs or BDCs, the Acquiring Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees, while continuing to pay its own advisory and administration fees and other expenses. As a result, shareholders will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies, including ETFs or BDCs.

The securities of other investment companies, including ETFs or BDCs, in which the Acquiring Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Acquiring Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of other investment companies, including ETFs or BDCs, that use leverage may expose the Acquiring Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Acquiring Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the Acquiring Fund’s common shares) will be diminished.

 

30


ETFs are generally not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to its index. An ETF typically invests in securities included in, or representative of, its index regardless of their investment merits and does not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.

Strategic Transactions and Derivatives Risk. The Acquiring Fund may engage in various derivative transactions or portfolio strategies (“Strategic Transactions”) for duration management and other risk management purposes, including to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio resulting from trends in the securities markets and changes in interest rates or to protect the Acquiring Fund’s unrealized gains in the value of its portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of portfolio securities for investment purposes or to establish a position in the securities markets as a temporary substitute for purchasing particular securities or to enhance income or gain. Derivatives are financial contracts or instruments whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index (or relationship between two indices). The Acquiring Fund also may use derivatives to add leverage to the portfolio and/or to hedge against increases in the Acquiring Fund’s costs associated with any leverage strategy that it may employ. The use of Strategic Transactions to enhance current income may be particularly speculative.

Strategic Transactions involve risks. The risks associated with Strategic Transactions include (i) the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, (ii) the possible default of the counterparty to the transaction, (iii) illiquidity of the derivative instruments, and (iv) high volatility losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited. Although both over-the-counter (“OTC”) and exchange-traded derivatives markets may experience a lack of liquidity, OTC non-standardized derivative transactions are generally less liquid than exchange-traded instruments. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, daily limits on price fluctuations and speculative position limits on exchanges on which the Acquiring Fund may conduct its transactions in derivative instruments may prevent prompt liquidation of positions, subjecting the Acquiring Fund to the potential of greater losses. Furthermore, the Acquiring Fund’s ability to successfully use Strategic Transactions depends on the Investment Advisor’s ability to predict pertinent securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors, which cannot be assured. The use of Strategic Transactions may result in losses greater than if they had not been used, may require the Acquiring Fund to sell or purchase portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices other than current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation the Acquiring Fund can realize on an investment or may cause the Acquiring Fund to hold a security that it might otherwise sell. Additionally, segregated or earmarked liquid assets, amounts paid by the Acquiring Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to Strategic Transactions are not otherwise available to the Acquiring Fund for investment purposes. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for a more detailed description of Strategic Transactions and the various derivative instruments the Acquiring Fund may use and the various risks associated with them.

Exchange-traded derivatives and OTC derivative transactions submitted for clearing through a central counterparty are also subject to minimum initial and variation margin requirements set by the relevant clearinghouse, as well as possible SEC- or Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) mandated margin requirements. The CFTC and federal banking regulators also have imposed margin requirements on non-cleared OTC derivatives, and the SEC has proposed (but not yet finalized) such non-cleared margin requirements. As applicable, margin requirements will increase the overall costs for the Acquiring Fund.

Many OTC derivatives are valued on the basis of dealers’ pricing of these instruments. However, the price at which dealers value a particular derivative and the price that the same dealers would actually be willing to pay for such derivative should the Acquiring Fund wish or be forced to sell such position may be materially different. Such differences can result in an overstatement of the Acquiring Fund’s NAV and may materially adversely affect the Acquiring Fund in situations in which the Acquiring Fund is required to sell derivative instruments.

While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurances that the Acquiring Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective.

 

31


Derivatives may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the Acquiring Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets. The extent and impact of the regulation is not yet known and may not be known for some time. New regulation may make derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.

On October 28, 2020, the SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). The Fund will be required to implement and comply with Rule 18f-4 by August 19, 2022. Once implemented, Rule 18f-4 will impose limits on the amount of derivatives a fund can enter into, eliminate the asset segregation framework currently used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, treat derivatives as senior securities and require funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.

Counterparty Risk. The Acquiring Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivative contracts purchased by the Acquiring Fund. Because derivative transactions in which the Acquiring Fund may engage may involve instruments that are not traded on an exchange or cleared through a central counterparty but are instead traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Acquiring Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, the Acquiring Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in bankruptcy or other reorganization proceedings. The Acquiring Fund may obtain only a limited recovery, or may obtain no recovery, in such circumstances. Although the Acquiring Fund intends to enter into transactions only with counterparties that the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy, there can be no assurances that, as a result, a counterparty will not default and that the Acquiring Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction. In the event of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the Acquiring Fund’s collateral may be subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors, and the Acquiring Fund may be exposed to the risk of a court treating the Acquiring Fund as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.

The counterparty risk for cleared derivatives is generally lower than for uncleared OTC derivative transactions since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties’ performance under the contract as each party to a trade looks only to the clearing organization for performance of financial obligations under the derivative contract. However, there can be no assurances that a clearing organization, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Acquiring Fund, or that the Acquiring Fund would be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited on its behalf with the clearing organization in the event of the default by the clearing organization or the Acquiring Fund’s clearing broker. In addition, cleared derivative transactions benefit from daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Uncleared OTC derivative transactions generally do not benefit from such protections. This exposes the Acquiring Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Acquiring Fund to suffer a loss. Such “counterparty risk” is accentuated for contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Acquiring Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties.

In addition, the Acquiring Fund is subject to the risk that issuers of the instruments in which it invests and trades may default on their obligations under those instruments, and that certain events may occur that have an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of those instruments. There can be no assurances that an issuer of an instrument in which the Acquiring Fund invests will not default, or that an event that has an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of an instrument will not occur, and that the Acquiring Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.

Swaps Risk. Swaps are a type of derivative. Swap agreements involve the risk that the party with which the Acquiring Fund has entered into the swap will default on its obligation to pay the Acquiring Fund and the risk that the Acquiring Fund will not be able to meet its obligations to pay the other party to the agreement. In order to seek to hedge the value of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio, to hedge against increases in the Acquiring Fund’s cost associated with interest payments on any outstanding borrowings or to seek to increase the Acquiring Fund’s return, the Acquiring Fund may enter into swaps, including interest rate swap, total return swap and/or credit default swap transactions. In

 

32


interest rate swap transactions, there is a risk that yields will move in the direction opposite of the direction anticipated by the Acquiring Fund, which would cause the Acquiring Fund to make payments to its counterparty in the transaction that could adversely affect Acquiring Fund performance. In addition to the risks applicable to swaps generally (including counterparty risk, high volatility, liquidity risk and credit risk), credit default swap transactions involve special risks because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).

Historically, swap transactions have been individually negotiated non-standardized transactions entered into in OTC markets and have not been subject to the same type of government regulation as exchange-traded instruments. However, since the global financial crisis, the OTC derivatives markets have recently become subject to comprehensive statutes and regulations. In particular, in the United States, the Dodd-Frank Act requires that certain derivatives with U.S. persons must be executed on a regulated market and a substantial portion of OTC derivatives must be submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. As a result, swap transactions entered into by the Acquiring Fund may become subject to various requirements applicable to swaps under the Dodd-Frank Act, including clearing, exchange-execution, reporting and recordkeeping requirements, which may make it more difficult and costly for the Acquiring Fund to enter into swap transactions and may also render certain strategies in which the Acquiring Fund might otherwise engage impossible or so costly that they will no longer be economical to implement. Furthermore, the number of counterparties that may be willing to enter into swap transactions with the Acquiring Fund may also be limited if the swap transactions with the Acquiring Fund are subject to the swap regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act.

Credit default and total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its managed assets, the Acquiring Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return swap agreements are subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations to the Acquiring Fund thereunder. The Acquiring Fund is not required to enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to enhance income or gain and may choose not to do so. In addition, the swaps market is subject to a changing regulatory environment. It is possible that regulatory or other developments in the swaps market could adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s ability to successfully use swaps.

Legal, Tax and Regulatory Risks. Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur that may have material adverse effects on the Acquiring Fund. For example, the regulatory and tax environment for derivative instruments in which the Acquiring Fund may participate is evolving, and such changes in the regulation or taxation of derivative instruments may have material adverse effects on the value of derivative instruments held by the Acquiring Fund and the ability of the Acquiring Fund to pursue its investment strategies.

To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, the Acquiring Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources and distribute for each taxable year at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (generally, ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any. If for any taxable year the Acquiring Fund does not qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income for that year (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and such distributions would be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Acquiring Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.

The Biden presidential administration has called for significant changes to U.S. fiscal, tax, trade, healthcare, immigration, foreign, and government regulatory policy. In this regard, there is significant uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal level, as well as the state and local levels. Recent events have created a climate of heightened uncertainty and introduced new and difficult-to-quantify macroeconomic and political risks with potentially far-reaching implications. There has been a corresponding meaningful increase in the uncertainty surrounding interest rates, inflation, foreign exchange rates, trade volumes and fiscal and monetary policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or the current presidential administration implements changes to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, corporate taxes, healthcare, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. Although the Acquiring Fund cannot predict the impact, if any, of these changes to the Acquiring Fund’s business, they could adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Until

 

33


the Acquiring Fund knows what policy changes are made and how those changes impact the Acquiring Fund’s business and the business of the Acquiring Fund’s competitors over the long term, the Acquiring Fund will not know if, overall, the Acquiring Fund will benefit from them or be negatively affected by them.

The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. The Acquiring Fund cannot predict how any changes in the tax laws might affect its investors or the Acquiring Fund itself. New legislation, U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions, with or without retroactive application, could significantly and negatively affect the Acquiring Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to its investors and itself of such qualification, or could have other adverse consequences. You are urged to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in the Acquiring Fund’s shares.

1940 Act Regulation. The Acquiring Fund is a registered closed-end management investment company and as such is subject to regulations under the 1940 Act. Generally speaking, any contract or provision thereof that is made, or where performance involves a violation of the 1940 Act or any rule or regulation thereunder is unenforceable by either party unless a court finds otherwise.

LIBOR Risk. The Acquiring Fund may be exposed to financial instruments that are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value. The Acquiring Fund’s investments may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR. The Acquiring Fund may also obtain financing at floating rates based on LIBOR. Derivative instruments utilized by the Acquiring Fund may also reference LIBOR.

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a phase out of LIBOR such that after December 31, 2021, all sterling, euro, Swiss franc and Japanese yen LIBOR settings and the 1-week and 2-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings will cease to be published or will no longer be representative, and after June 30, 2023, the overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings will cease to be published or will no longer be representative. The Acquiring Fund may have investments linked to other interbank offered rates, such as the Euro Overnight Index Average (“EONIA”), which may also cease to be published. Various financial industry groups have begun planning for the transition away from LIBOR, but there are challenges to converting certain securities and transactions to a new reference rate (e.g., the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), which is intended to replace the U.S. dollar LIBOR).

Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. The transition process might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for, and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against, instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR. While some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology, there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. In addition, a liquid market for newly-issued instruments that use a reference rate other than LIBOR still may be developing. There may also be challenges for the Acquiring Fund to enter into hedging transactions against such newly-issued instruments until a market for such hedging transactions develops. All of the aforementioned may adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s performance or NAV.

Risks Associated with Recent Market Events. Stresses associated with the 2008 financial crisis in the United States and global economies peaked approximately a decade ago, but periods of unusually high volatility in the financial markets and restrictive credit conditions, sometimes limited to a particular sector or a geography, continue to recur. Some countries, including the United States, have adopted and/or are considering the adoption of more protectionist trade policies, a move away from the tighter financial industry regulations that followed the financial crisis, and/or substantially reducing corporate taxes. The exact shape of these policies is still being considered, but the equity and debt markets may react strongly to expectations of change, which could increase volatility, especially if the market’s expectations are not borne out. A rise in protectionist trade policies, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health, may add to

 

34


instability in world economies and markets generally. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic, political and/or financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by such events.

An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus was first detected in China in December 2019 and has now developed into a global pandemic. This pandemic has resulted in closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. Disruptions in markets can adversely impact a Fund and its investments. Further, certain local markets have been or may be subject to closures, and there can be no certainty regarding whether trading will continue in any local markets in which a Fund may invest, when any resumption of trading will occur or, once such markets resume trading, whether they will face further closures. Any suspension of trading in markets in which a Fund invests will have an impact on the Fund and its investments and will impact the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities in such market. The outbreak could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which a Fund’s service providers, including BlackRock, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of a Fund’s service providers to perform critical tasks relating to the Fund. The impact of this outbreak has adversely affected the economies of many nations and the entire global economy and may impact individual issuers and capital markets in ways that cannot be foreseen. In the past, governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators through the world have at times responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, including direct capital infusions into companies and other issuers, new monetary policy tools, and lower interest rates. An unexpected or sudden reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of such policies, is likely to increase market volatility, which could adversely affect a Fund’s investments. Public health crises caused by the outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. Other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future could have similar or other unforeseen effects. The duration of this outbreak or others and their effects cannot be determined with certainty.

EMU and Redenomination Risk. As the European debt crisis progressed, the possibility of one or more Eurozone countries exiting the EMU, or even the collapse of the Euro as a common currency, arose, creating significant volatility at times in currency and financial markets generally. The effects of the collapse of the Euro, or of the exit of one or more countries from the EMU, on the U.S. and global economy and securities markets are impossible to predict and any such events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio. Any partial or complete dissolution of the EMU could have significant adverse effects on currency and financial markets, and on the values of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio investments. If one or more EMU countries were to stop using the Euro as its primary currency, the Acquiring Fund’s investments in such countries may be redenominated into a different or newly adopted currency. As a result, the value of those investments could decline significantly and unpredictably. In addition, securities or other investments that are redenominated may be subject to foreign currency risk, illiquidity risk and valuation risk to a greater extent than similar investments currently denominated in Euros. To the extent a currency used for redenomination purposes is not specified in respect of certain EMU-related investments, or should the Euro cease to be used entirely, the currency in which such investments are denominated may be unclear, making such investments particularly difficult to value or dispose of. The Acquiring Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek judicial or other clarification of the denomination or value of such securities.

Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. The occurrence of events similar to those in recent years, such as the aftermath of the war in Iraq, instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, new and ongoing epidemics and pandemics of infectious diseases and other global health events, natural/environmental disasters, terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world, social and political discord, debt crises (such as the Greek crisis), sovereign debt downgrades, increasingly strained relations between the United States and a number of foreign countries, including traditional allies, such as certain European countries, and historical adversaries, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia, and the international community generally, new and continued political unrest in various countries, such as Venezuela and Spain, the exit or potential exit of one or more countries from the European Union (the “EU”) or the European Monetary Union (the “EMU”), continued changes in the balance of political power among and within the branches of the U.S. government, among others, may result in market volatility, may have long-term effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets, and may cause further economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. The coronavirus pandemic has led to illiquidity and volatility in the municipal bond markets and may lead to downgrades in the credit quality of certain municipal issuers.

 

35


China and the United States have each recently imposed tariffs on the other country’s products. These actions may trigger a significant reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry, which could have a negative impact on the Acquiring Fund’s performance. U.S. companies that source material and goods from China and those that make large amounts of sales in China would be particularly vulnerable to an escalation of trade tensions. Uncertainty regarding the outcome of the trade tensions and the potential for a trade war could cause the U.S. dollar to decline against safe haven currencies, such as the Japanese yen and the euro. Events such as these and their consequences are difficult to predict and it is unclear whether further tariffs may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future.

The decision made in the British referendum of June 23, 2016 to leave the EU, an event widely referred to as “Brexit,” has led to volatility in the financial markets of the United Kingdom (“UK”) and more broadly across Europe and may also lead to weakening in consumer, corporate and financial confidence in such markets. Pursuant to an agreement between the UK and the EU, the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020. The UK and EU have reached an agreement effective January 1, 2021 on the terms of their future trading relationship relating principally to the trading of goods; however, negotiations are ongoing for matters not covered by the agreement, such as the trade of financial services. The longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the UK and the EU remains unclear at this stage and ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the UK and in wider European markets may continue for some time. In particular, the decision made in Brexit may lead to a call for similar referendums in other European jurisdictions which may cause increased economic volatility in the European and global markets. This uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and on the ability of the Acquiring Fund to execute their strategies and to receive attractive returns. In particular, currency volatility may mean that the returns of the Acquiring Fund and its investments are adversely affected by market movements and may make it more difficult, or more expensive, for the Acquiring Fund to execute prudent currency hedging policies. Potential decline in the value of the British Pound and/or the Euro against other currencies, along with the potential downgrading of the UK’s sovereign credit rating, may also have an impact on the performance of portfolio companies or investments located in the UK or Europe. In light of the above, no definitive assessment can currently be made regarding the impact that Brexit will have on the Acquiring Fund, its investments or its organization more generally.

The occurrence of any of these above events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio. The Acquiring Fund does not know how long the securities markets may be affected by similar events and cannot predict the effects of similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets. There can be no assurance that similar events and other market disruptions will not have other material and adverse implications.

Cybersecurity incidents affecting particular companies or industries may adversely affect the economies of particular countries of the world in which the Acquiring Fund invests.

Regulation and Government Intervention Risk. The U.S. Government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain foreign governments, recently have taken unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, such as implementing stimulus packages, providing liquidity in fixed-income, commercial paper and other markets, and providing tax breaks, among other actions. Such actions may have unintended and adverse consequences, such as causing or contributing to an increased risk of inflation. See “Inflation Risk.” The reduction or withdrawal of Federal Reserve or other U.S. or non-U.S. governmental support could negatively affect financial markets generally and reduce the value and liquidity of certain securities. Additionally, with the cessation of certain market support activities, the Acquiring Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk as a result of a rise or increased volatility in interest rates.

Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the issuers in which the Acquiring Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Acquiring Fund is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Acquiring Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

36


In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, there appears to be a renewed popular, political and judicial focus on finance related consumer protection. Financial institution practices are also subject to greater scrutiny and criticism generally. In the case of transactions between financial institutions and the general public, there may be a greater tendency toward strict interpretation of terms and legal rights in favor of the consuming public, particularly where there is a real or perceived disparity in risk allocation and/or where consumers are perceived as not having had an opportunity to exercise informed consent to the transaction. In the event of conflicting interests between retail investors holding common shares of a closed-end investment company such as the Acquiring Fund and a large financial institution, a court may similarly seek to strictly interpret terms and legal rights in favor of retail investors. The Acquiring Fund may be affected by governmental action in ways that are not foreseeable, and there is a possibility that such actions could have a significant adverse effect on the Acquiring Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective.

Investment Company Act Regulations. The Acquiring Fund is a registered closed-end management investment company and as such is subject to regulations under the 1940 Act. Generally speaking, any contract or provision thereof that is made, or where performance involves a violation of the 1940 Act or any rule or regulation thereunder is unenforceable by either party unless a court finds otherwise.

Potential Conflicts of Interest of the Investment Advisor and Others. The investment activities of BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”), the ultimate parent company of the Investment Advisor, and its affiliates (including BlackRock and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Affiliates”)), and their respective directors, officers or employees, in the management of, or their interest in, their own accounts and other accounts they manage, may present conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Acquiring Fund and its shareholders. BlackRock and its Affiliates provide investment management services to other funds and discretionary managed accounts that may follow investment programs similar to that of the Acquiring Fund. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, BlackRock and its Affiliates intend to engage in such activities and may receive compensation from third parties for their services. Neither BlackRock nor any Affiliate is under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Acquiring Fund. As a result, BlackRock and its Affiliates may compete with the Acquiring Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of the Acquiring Fund’s investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of an Affiliate and of other accounts managed by BlackRock or an Affiliate and it is possible that the Acquiring Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more Affiliates and other accounts achieve profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures designed to address potential conflicts of interests. For additional information about potential conflicts of interest and the way in which BlackRock addresses such conflicts, please see “Conflicts of Interest” in the Statement of Additional Information.

Market and Selection Risk. Market risk is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the Acquiring Fund will decline. There is a risk that equity and/or bond markets will go down in value, including the possibility that such markets will go down sharply and unpredictably.

Stock markets are volatile, and the price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Acquiring Fund. Also, the price of common stocks is sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Acquiring Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur.

The prices of fixed income securities tend to fall as interest rates rise, and such declines tend to be greater among fixed income securities with longer maturities. Market risk is often greater among certain types of fixed income securities, such as zero-coupon bonds that do not make regular interest payments but are instead bought at a discount to their face values and paid in full upon maturity. As interest rates change, these securities often fluctuate more in price than securities that make regular interest payments and therefore subject the Acquiring Fund to greater market risk than a fund that does not own these types of securities.

When-issued and delayed delivery transactions are subject to changes in market conditions from the time of the commitment until settlement, which may adversely affect the prices or yields of the securities being purchased. The greater the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding commitments for these securities, the greater the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to market price fluctuations.

 

37


Selection risk is the risk that the securities that the Acquiring Fund’s management selects will underperform the equity and/or bond market, the market relevant indices or other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.

Defensive Investing Risk. For defensive purposes, the Acquiring Fund may allocate assets into cash or short-term fixed income securities. In doing so, the Acquiring Fund may succeed in avoiding losses but may otherwise fail to achieve its investment objective. Further, the value of short-term fixed income securities may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in credit ratings of the investments. If the Acquiring Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depository institution holding the cash.

Decision-Making Authority Risk. Investors have no authority to make decisions or to exercise business discretion on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, except as set forth in the Acquiring Fund’s governing documents. The authority for all such decisions is generally delegated to the Board, which in turn, has delegated the day-to-day management of the Acquiring Fund’s investment activities to the Investment Advisor, subject to oversight by the Board.

Management Risk. The Acquiring Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Investment Advisor and the individual portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Acquiring Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results. The Acquiring Fund may be subject to a relatively high level of management risk because the Acquiring Fund may invest in derivative instruments, which may be highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with equities and bonds.

Valuation Risk. The Acquiring Fund is subject to valuation risk, which is the risk that one or more of the securities in which the Acquiring Fund invests are valued at prices that the Acquiring Fund is unable to obtain upon sale due to factors such as incomplete data, market instability or human error. The Investment Advisor may use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain investments may be limited, such instruments may be difficult to value. When market quotations are not available, the Investment Advisor may price such investments pursuant to a number of methodologies, such as computer-based analytical modeling or individual security evaluations. These methodologies generate approximations of market values, and there may be significant professional disagreement about the best methodology for a particular type of financial instrument or different methodologies that might be used under different circumstances. In the absence of an actual market transaction, reliance on such methodologies is essential, but may introduce significant variances in the ultimate valuation of the Acquiring Fund’s investments. Technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers may also impact the Acquiring Fund’s ability to value its investments and the calculation of the Acquiring Fund’s NAV.

When market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be inaccurate or unreliable, the Acquiring Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board. Fair value is defined as the amount for which assets could be sold in an orderly disposition over a reasonable period of time, taking into account the nature of the asset. Fair value pricing may require determinations that are inherently subjective and inexact about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value priced assets will not result in future adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets, or that fair value pricing will reflect a price that the Acquiring Fund is able to obtain upon sale, and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset will be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. For example, the Acquiring Fund’s NAV could be adversely affected if the Acquiring Fund’s determinations regarding the fair value of the Acquiring Fund’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Acquiring Fund ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such investments. Where market quotations are not readily available, valuation may require more research than for more liquid investments. In addition, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation in such cases than for investments with a more active secondary market because there is less reliable objective data available. The Acquiring Fund prices its shares daily and therefore all assets, including assets valued at fair value, are valued daily.

 

38


Reliance on the Investment Advisor Risk. The Acquiring Fund is dependent upon services and resources provided by the Investment Advisor, and therefore the Investment Advisor’s parent, BlackRock. The Investment Advisor is not required to devote its full time to the business of the Acquiring Fund and there is no guarantee or requirement that any investment professional or other employee of the Investment Advisor will allocate a substantial portion of his or her time to the Acquiring Fund. The loss of one or more individuals involved with the Investment Advisor could have a material adverse effect on the performance or the continued operation of the Acquiring Fund.

Reliance on Service Providers Risk. The Acquiring Fund must rely upon the performance of service providers to perform certain functions, which may include functions that are integral to the Acquiring Fund’s operations and financial performance. Failure by any service provider to carry out its obligations to the Acquiring Fund in accordance with the terms of its appointment, to exercise due care and skill or to perform its obligations to the Acquiring Fund at all as a result of insolvency, bankruptcy or other causes could have a material adverse effect on the Acquiring Fund’s performance and returns to common shareholders. The termination of the Acquiring Fund’s relationship with any service provider, or any delay in appointing a replacement for such service provider, could materially disrupt the business of the Acquiring Fund and could have a material adverse effect on the Acquiring Fund’s performance and returns to common shareholders.

Information Technology Systems Risk. The Acquiring Fund is dependent on the Investment Advisor for certain management services as well as back-office functions. The Investment Advisor depends on information technology systems in order to assess investment opportunities, strategies and markets and to monitor and control risks for the Acquiring Fund. It is possible that a failure of some kind which causes disruptions to these information technology systems could materially limit the Investment Advisor’s ability to adequately assess and adjust investments, formulate strategies and provide adequate risk control. Any such information technology-related difficulty could harm the performance of the Acquiring Fund. Further, failure of the back-office functions of the Investment Advisor to process trades in a timely fashion could prejudice the investment performance of the Acquiring Fund.

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the Acquiring Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the Investment Advisor and other service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), and the issuers of securities in which the Acquiring Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Acquiring Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Acquiring Fund has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Acquiring Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Acquiring Fund and issuers in which the Acquiring Fund invests. As a result, the Acquiring Fund or its shareholders could be negatively impacted.

Misconduct of Employees and of Service Providers Risk. Misconduct or misrepresentations by employees of the Investment Advisor or the Acquiring Fund’s service providers could cause significant losses to the Acquiring Fund. Employee misconduct may include binding the Acquiring Fund to transactions that exceed authorized limits or present unacceptable risks and unauthorized trading activities, concealing unsuccessful trading activities (which, in any case, may result in unknown and unmanaged risks or losses) or making misrepresentations regarding any of the foregoing. Losses could also result from actions by the Acquiring Fund’s service providers, including, without limitation, failing to recognize trades and misappropriating assets. In addition, employees and service providers may improperly use or disclose confidential information, which could result in litigation or serious financial harm, including limiting the Acquiring Fund’s business prospects or future marketing activities. Despite the Investment Advisor’s due diligence efforts, misconduct and intentional misrepresentations may be undetected or not fully comprehended, thereby potentially undermining the Investment Advisor’s due diligence efforts. As a result, no assurances can be given that the due diligence performed by the Investment Advisor will identify or prevent any such misconduct.

 

39


Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investment will be worth less in the future, as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the common shares and distributions on those shares can decline. In addition, during any periods of rising inflation, interest rates on any borrowings by the Acquiring Fund would likely increase, which would tend to further reduce returns to the common shareholders.

Deflation Risk. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time, which may have an adverse effect on the market valuation of companies, their assets and their revenues. In addition, deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Acquiring Fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year, as well as within a given year. Portfolio turnover rate is not considered a limiting factor in the execution of investment decisions for the Acquiring Fund. A higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Acquiring Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in an increased realization of net short-term capital gains by the Acquiring Fund which, when distributed to common shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. Additionally, in a declining market, portfolio turnover may create realized capital losses.

Anti-Takeover Provisions Risk. The charter and bylaws of the Acquiring Fund and Maryland law include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Acquiring Fund or convert the Acquiring Fund to open-end status or to change the composition of the Board. Such provisions could limit the ability of common shareholders to sell their common shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Acquiring Fund. See “Certain Provisions in the Declarations of Trust, Charter and Bylaws.”

 

40


INFORMATION ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION

The Reorganization seeks to combine two funds that have the same investment adviser, the same Board Members, and similar investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and restrictions.

Description of the Reorganization

The Reorganization Agreement (a form of which is attached as Appendix A to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus) provides for the Acquiring Fund’s acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the Target Fund and assumption of substantially all of the liabilities of the applicable Target Fund in exchange for newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares, with a par value $0.10 per share, and newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares, with a par value of $0.10 per share and liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date). The Acquiring Fund will list the newly issued common shares on the NYSE. The Target Fund will distribute Acquiring Fund Shares received by it pro rata to its shareholders (although cash may be paid in lieu of any fractional common shares). The newly-issued Acquiring Fund Shares will be issued in the form of book-entry interests. Such distribution of Acquiring Fund Shares to Target Fund shareholders will be accomplished by opening new accounts on the books of the Acquiring Fund in the names of the Target Fund shareholders and transferring to those shareholder accounts Acquiring Fund Shares.

Each newly-opened account on the books of the Acquiring Fund for the former common shareholders of MYJ will represent the respective pro rata number of Acquiring Fund common shares (rounded down, in the case of fractional common shares held other than in an automatic dividend reinvestment plan account (“Plan Account”), to the next largest number of whole common shares) due such common shareholder. No fractional Acquiring Fund common shares will be issued (except for common shares held in a Plan Account). In the event there are fractional common shares in an account other than a Plan Account, the Acquiring Fund’s transfer agent will aggregate all such fractional MYJ common shares and sell the resulting whole common shares on the NYSE for the account of all holders of such fractional interests, and each such holder will be entitled to the pro rata share of the proceeds from such sale upon being issued book-entry interests for the Acquiring Fund common shares. See “—Terms of the Reorganization Agreement—Book-Entry Interests” for a description of the procedures to be followed by MYJ common shareholders to obtain their Acquiring Fund common shares (and cash in lieu of fractional common shares, if any). Similarly, each newly-opened account on the books of the Acquiring Fund MYJ VRDP Holders would represent the number of Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares issued on a one-for-one basis for each such VRDP Holder’s holdings of MYJ VRDP Shares.

[As a result of the Reorganization, each common shareholder of MYJ will own Acquiring Fund common shares that (except for cash payments received in lieu of fractional common shares) will have an aggregate NAV (not the market value) immediately after the Closing Date equal to the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of that shareholder’s MYJ common shares immediately prior to the Closing Date. The aggregate NAV of each Fund immediately prior to the applicable Reorganization will reflect accrued expenses associated with such Reorganization. The NAV of MYJ common shares will not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization. The value of each Fund’s net assets will be calculated net of the liquidation preference (including accumulated and unpaid dividends) of all outstanding VRDP Shares of such Fund. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of each respective Fund prior to the Reorganization. Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP

 

41


Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [•], 2021, unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

Since the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares would be issued at a liquidation preference and value per share equal to the liquidation preference and value per share of the VRDP Shares of MYJ, the interests of MYJ VRDP Holders will not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization.]

As a result of the Reorganization, a common or preferred shareholder of any of the Funds may hold a reduced percentage of ownership in the Combined Fund than they did MYJ. No sales charge or fee of any kind will be charged to shareholders of MYJ in connection with their receipt of Acquiring Fund Shares in the Reorganization.

As soon as practicable after the Closing Date for the Reorganization, MYJ will deregister as an investment company under the 1940 Act and liquidate, dissolve and terminate in accordance with its charter and Maryland law. The Acquiring Fund will continue to operate after the Reorganization as a registered, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with the investment objective, investment strategies, investment policies and investment restrictions described in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then each Fund would continue to exist and operate on a standalone basis. Both the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund will continue to be advised by the Investment Advisor. If the Reorganization is not consummated, the Investment Advisor may recommend alternative proposals to the Board of each Fund.

The Board’s Recommendation

The Board of MYJ recommends that the common shareholders of MYJ vote “FOR” the proposed Reorganization Agreement at the Special Meeting.

The Board of the Acquiring Fund recommends that common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund vote “FOR” the proposed Issuance at the Special Meeting.

Shareholder approval of the Reorganization Agreement requires (i) with respect to Proposal 1(A), the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding MYJ common shares and MYJ VRDP Shares voting as a single class, (ii) with respect to Proposal 1(B), the affirmative vote of the holders of a 1940 Act Majority of MYJ VRDP Shares voting as a separate class and (iii) with respect to Proposal 1(C), the affirmative vote of the holders of a 1940 Act Majority of Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares voting as a separate class.

Each issuance of additional common shares of the Acquiring Fund in connection with the Reorganization Agreement contemplated by Proposal 2 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Acquiring Fund common shares and Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares entitled to vote voting as a single class.

 

42


A “1940 Act Majority” means the affirmative vote of either (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at the Special Meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, whichever is less.

In order for the Reorganization to occur, each Fund must obtain all requisite shareholder approvals with respect to the Reorganization, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares. Because the closing of the Reorganization with respect to MYJ is contingent upon such Fund and the Acquiring Fund obtaining the requisite shareholder approvals and third-party consents and satisfying (or obtaining the waiver of) other closing conditions, it is possible that the Reorganization will not occur, even if shareholders of a Fund entitled to vote on the Reorganization approve the Reorganization and such Fund satisfies all of its closing conditions, if the other Fund in the Reorganization does not obtain its requisite shareholder approvals or satisfy its closing conditions.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then each Fund would continue to exist and operate on a standalone basis.

The preferred shares of the Funds were issued on a private placement basis to one or a small number of institutional holders. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information. To the extent that one or more preferred shareholder of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund owns, holds or controls, individually or in the aggregate, all or a significant portion of such Fund’s outstanding preferred shares, the preferred shareholder approval required for the Reorganization may turn on the exercise of voting rights by such particular preferred shareholder(s) and its (or their) determination as to the favorability of the Reorganization with respect to its (or their) interests. The Funds exercise no influence or control over the determinations of such preferred shareholder(s) with respect to the Reorganization; there is no guarantee that such preferred shareholder(s) will approve the Reorganization, over which it (or they) may exercise effective disposition power.

Subject to the requisite approval of the shareholders of each Fund with respect to the Reorganization, as well as certain consents, confirmations and/or waivers from various third parties, including the liquidity provider with respect to the outstanding VRDP Shares, it is expected that the Closing Date of the Reorganization will be sometime during the [●] quarter of [●], but it may be at a different time as described herein.

For additional information regarding voting requirements, see “Voting Information and Requirements.”

Reasons for the Reorganization

The Board of each Fund, including the Independent Board Members, considered the Reorganization at a meeting held on [●], 2021. Each Board, including the Independent Board Members, has unanimously approved the Reorganization Agreement (the “Approval”). Based on the considerations below, the Board of each Fund, including the Independent Board Members, has determined that the Reorganization is in the best interests of such Fund and that the interests of its existing common shareholders and VRDP Holders would not be diluted with respect to NAV and the liquidation preference, respectively, as a result of the Reorganization. As a result of the Reorganization, however, common and VRDP Holders of each Fund may hold a reduced percentage of ownership in the larger Combined Fund than they did in any of the individual Funds before the Reorganization.

Each Board’s determination to approve the Reorganization was made on the basis of each Board Member’s business judgment after consideration of all of the factors taken as a whole with respect to each Fund and its shareholders, although individual Board Members may have placed different weight and assigned different degrees of materiality to various factors. If the Reorganization is not consummated, then the Investment Advisor may, in connection with ongoing management of the Funds and its product line, recommend alternative proposals to the Board of the Funds. Before reaching these conclusions, the Board of each Fund, including the Independent Board Members, engaged in a thorough review process relating to the Reorganization, as well as alternatives to the Reorganization. The Board of each Fund also received a memorandum outlining, among other things, the legal standards and certain other considerations relevant to the Board’s deliberations.

 

43


The Board of each Fund considered the Reorganization over a series of meetings. In preparation for the Approval, the Investment Advisor provided each Board with information regarding the Reorganization, including the rationale therefor and alternatives considered to the Reorganization.

Each Board considered a number of factors presented at the time of the Approval or prior meetings in reaching their determinations, including, but not limited to, the following, which are discussed in further detail below:

 

   

potential for improved economies of scale and a lower Total Expense Ratio (excluding interest expense) with respect to each Fund;

 

   

the potential effects of the Reorganization on the earnings and distributions of each Fund;

 

   

the potential effects of the Reorganization on each Fund’s premium/discount to NAV of common shares;

 

   

the potential effects of the Reorganization on each Fund’s VRDP Shares;

 

   

the compatibility of the Funds’ investment objectives, investment strategies and policies and related risks and risk profiles;

 

   

consistency of portfolio management and portfolio composition;

 

   

the potential for improved secondary market trading, including the potential for greater secondary market liquidity for the Combined Fund’s common shares, which may result in tighter bid-ask spreads and better trade execution for the Combined Fund’s common shareholders when purchasing or selling the Combined Fund’s common shares;

 

   

the potential for operating and administrative efficiencies for the Combined Fund, including the potential for the following benefits:

 

   

greater investment flexibility and investment options, greater diversification of portfolio investments, the ability to trade in larger positions, additional sources of leverage or more competitive leverage terms and more favorable transaction terms;

 

   

benefits from having fewer closed-end funds offering similar products in the market, including an increased focus by investors on the remaining funds in the market (including the Combined Fund) and additional research coverage; and

 

   

benefits from having fewer similar funds in the same fund complex, including a simplified operational model and a reduction in risk of operational, legal and financial errors;

 

   

the anticipated tax-free nature of the Reorganization (except with respect to taxable distributions, if any, from any Fund prior to, or after, the consummation of the Reorganization, and the receipt of cash in lieu of fractional Shares);

 

   

the potential effects on the Funds’ capital loss carryforwards;

 

   

the potential effects on each Fund’s undistributed net investment income;

 

   

the expected costs of the Reorganization;

 

   

the terms of the Reorganization and whether the Reorganization would dilute the interests of shareholders of the Funds;

 

   

the effect of the Reorganization on shareholder rights;

 

44


   

alternatives to the Reorganization for each Fund; and

 

   

any potential benefits of the Reorganization to the Investment Advisor and its affiliates.

Potential for Improved Economies of Scale and Potential for a Lower Expense Ratio. Each Board considered the fees and Total Operating Expenses of its Fund (including estimated expenses of the Combined Fund after the Reorganization). As of July 31, 2021, the Reorganization is expected to result in a Total Expense Ratio for the Combined Fund that is lower than the Total Expense Ratio of each Fund. “Total Expenses” means a Fund’s total annual operating expenses (including interest expense). “Total Expense Ratio” means a Fund’s Total Expenses expressed as a percentage of its average net assets attributable to its common shares.

Potential Effects of the Reorganization on Earnings and Distributions. The Boards noted that the Combined Fund’s net earnings yield on NAV for common shareholders following the Reorganization is expected to be potentially higher than the current net earnings yield on NAV for the Acquiring Fund and potentially the same as the current net earnings yield on NAV for MYJ. The distribution level of any fund is subject to change based upon a number of factors, including the current and projected level of the fund’s earnings, and may fluctuate over time; thus, subject to a number of other factors, including the fund’s distribution policy, a higher earnings profile may potentially have a positive impact on such fund’s distribution level over time. The Combined Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV will change over time, and depending on market conditions, may be higher or lower than each Fund’s earnings and distribution rate on NAV prior to the Reorganization. A Fund’s earnings and net investment income are variables which depend on many factors, including its asset mix, portfolio turnover level, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund, the costs of such leverage, the performance of its investments, the movement of interest rates and general market conditions. In addition, the Combined Fund’s future earnings will vary depending upon the combination of completed Reorganization. There can be no assurance that the future earnings of a Fund, including the Combined Fund after the Reorganization, will remain constant.

Potential Effects of the Reorganization on Premium/Discount to NAV of Common Shares. Each Board noted that the common shares of its Fund have historically traded at both a premium and a discount. As of September 21, 2021, the NAV per common share of MYJ was $16.17 and the market price per Common Share of MYJ was $15.88, representing a discount to NAV of -1.8% and the NAV per Common Share of the Acquiring Fund was $16.08 and the market price per Common Share of the Acquiring Fund was $16.03, representing a discount to NAV of -0.3%. The Board of MYJ noted that to the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a wider discount (or a narrower premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders would have the potential for an economic benefit by the narrowing of the discount or widening of the premium. The Board of MYJ also noted that to the extent the MYJ’s common shares are trading at a narrower discount (or wider premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders may be negatively impacted if the Reorganization is consummated. The Board of the Acquiring Fund noted that Acquiring Fund common shareholders would only benefit from a premium/discount perspective to the extent the post-Reorganization discount (or premium) of the Acquiring Fund common shares improves. There can be no assurance that, after the Reorganization, common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at a narrower discount to NAV or wider premium to NAV than the common shares of any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares. In the Reorganization, common shareholders of MYJ will receive Acquiring Fund common shares based on the relative NAVs (not the market values) of the respective Fund’s common shares. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of each respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.

[Potential Effects of the Reorganization on the Preferred Shares. As of the date of the enclosed Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, MYJ and the Acquiring Fund each have VRDP Shares outstanding. As of September 21, 2021, MYJ had 1,800 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding and the Acquiring Fund had 2,371 Series W-7 VRDP Shares outstanding. In connection with the Reorganization, the Acquiring Fund expects to issue 1,800 additional VRDP Shares to MYJ VRDP Holders. Following the completion of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund is expected to have 4,171 VRDP Shares outstanding. The Board noted that, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing

 

45


Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

The Board noted that none of the expenses of the Reorganization are expected to be borne by the VRDP Holders of the Funds.

Following the Reorganization, the VRDP Holders of each Fund will be VRDP Holders of the larger Combined Fund that will have a larger asset base and more VRDP Shares outstanding than any Fund individually before the Reorganization. With respect to matters requiring all preferred shareholders to vote separately or common and preferred shareholders to vote together as a single class, following the Reorganization, VRDP Holders of the Combined Fund may hold a smaller percentage of the outstanding preferred shares of the Combined Fund as compared to their percentage holdings of outstanding preferred shares of their respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.]

Compatibility of Investment Objectives, Investment Strategies and Policies and Related Risks and Risk Profiles. Each Board noted that its Fund’s shareholders will remain invested in an exchange-listed, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act that will have substantially greater net assets and a similar investment objective, investment strategies, policies and restrictions. Each Fund also utilizes leverage in the form of VRDP Shares and TOBs. The risk/return profile of the Combined Fund is expected to remain comparable to those of each Fund before the Reorganization because of the similarities in the investment policies of each Fund.

Consistency of Portfolio Management and Portfolio Composition. Each Board noted that each Fund has the same investment adviser and that each Fund’s shareholders will benefit from the experience and expertise of the Combined Fund’s anticipated portfolio management team. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is managed by a team of investment professionals led by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA. Following the Reorganization, it is expected that the Combined Fund will be managed by a team of investment professionals led by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA. Each Board also considered the portfolio composition of its Fund and the impact of the Reorganization on the Fund’s portfolio. Each Board noted that it is not anticipated that there will be any significant disposition of the holdings in its Fund as a result of the Reorganization because of the similarities among the portfolio guidelines of the Funds. For additional information, please see “Comparison of the Funds’ Investments” and “Risk Factors and Special Considerations.”

 

46


Potential for Improved Secondary Market Trading for Common Shares. While it is not possible to predict trading levels at the time the Reorganization close, each Board considered that the Combined Fund may provide greater secondary market liquidity for its common shares as it would be larger than either Fund, which may result in tighter bid-ask spreads, better trade execution for the Combined Fund’s common shareholders when purchasing or selling Combined Fund common shares. However, there can be no assurance that the Reorganization will result in such benefits or that the common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at a narrower discount to NAV or wider premium to NAV than the common shares of any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the secondary market liquidity, bid-ask spreads, and trade execution with respect to the Combined Fund’s common shares may deteriorate. Furthermore, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares.

Potential for Operating and Administrative Efficiencies. Each Board noted that the Combined Fund may achieve certain operating and administrative efficiencies from its larger net asset size, including greater investment flexibility and investment options, greater diversification of portfolio investments, the ability to trade in larger positions, additional sources of leverage or more competitive leverage terms and more favorable transaction terms. Each Board also noted that the Combined Fund may experience potential benefits from having fewer closed-end funds offering similar products in the market, including an increased focus by investors on the remaining funds in the market (including the Combined Fund) and additional research coverage.

Each Board also noted that the Combined Fund may experience potential benefits from having fewer similar funds in the same fund complex, including a simplified operational model, the elimination of complexities involved with having duplicative funds, easier product differentiation for shareholders (including shareholders of the Combined Fund) and reduced risk of operational, legal and financial errors.

Anticipated Tax-Free Reorganization. Each Board noted that it is anticipated that shareholders of its Fund will generally recognize no gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional common shares), as the Reorganization is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

As discussed above, shareholders of each Fund may receive distributions prior to, or after, the consummation of the Reorganization, including distributions attributable to their proportionate share of each Fund’s undistributed net investment income declared prior to the consummation of the Reorganization or the Combined Fund built-in gains, if any, recognized after the Reorganization, when such income and gains are eventually distributed by the Combined Fund. To the extent that such a distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Capital Loss Carryforward Considerations. Each Board considered that capital loss carryforwards of the Combined Fund attributable to MYJ will be subject to tax loss limitation rules by reason of MYJ undergoing an “ownership change” in the Reorganization. [Each Board also noted that the Combined Fund’s capital loss carryforward loss on a per share basis is expected to be higher than [MYJ’s and the Acquiring Fund’s] capital loss carryforward loss per share, but lower than [MYJ’s and the Acquiring Fund’s] capital loss carryforward loss per share.] Each Board considered that the ability of its Fund to fully utilize its existing capital loss carryforwards depends on many variables and assumptions, including projected performance, and is, therefore, highly uncertain.

Potential Effects of the Reorganization on Undistributed Net Investment Income. If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1) substantially all of the undistributed net investment income, if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date (the “Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions”). The declaration date, ex-dividend date (the “Ex-Dividend Date”) and record date of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions will occur prior to the Closing Date. However, all or a significant portion of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions may be paid in one or more distributions to common shareholders of the Funds entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions after the Closing Date. Former MYJ shareholders entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions paid after the Closing Date will receive such distributions in cash for a partial month post-Reorganization.

 

47


Persons who purchase common shares of any of the Funds on or after the Ex-Dividend Date for the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions should not expect to receive any distributions from any Fund until distributions, if any, are declared by the Board of the Combined Fund and paid to shareholders entitled to any such distributions. No such distributions are expected to be paid by the Combined Fund until at least approximately one month following the Closing Date.

Additionally, the Acquiring Fund, in order to seek to provide its common shareholders with distribution rate stability, may include in its Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution amounts in excess of its undistributed net investment income and net investment income accrued through the Closing Date. This would result in the Acquiring Fund issuing incrementally more common shares in the Reorganization since its NAV as of the Valuation Time would be lower relative to a scenario where such excess amounts were not included in the Acquiring Fund’s Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution.

The Combined Fund is anticipated to retain a lower UNII balance after the Reorganization than the Acquiring Fund prior to the Reorganization. The lower anticipated UNII balance for the Combined Fund relative to the UNII balance of the Acquiring Fund poses risks for shareholders of the Combined Fund. UNII balances, in part, support the level of a fund’s regular distributions and provide a cushion in the event a fund’s net earnings for a particular distribution period are insufficient to support the level of its regular distribution for that period. If the Combined Fund’s net earnings are below the level of its current distribution rate, the Combined Fund’s UNII balance could be more likely to contribute to a determination to decrease the Combined Fund’s distribution rate, or could make it more likely that the Combined Fund will make distributions consisting in part of a return of capital to maintain the level of its regular distributions. See “Dividends and Distributions.” Moreover, because a fund’s UNII balance, in part, supports the level of a fund’s regular distributions, the UNII balance of the Combined Fund could impact the trading market for the Combined Fund’s common shares and the magnitude of the trading discount to NAV of the Combined Fund’s common shares. However, the Combined Fund is anticipated to benefit from a lower expense ratio, a potentially higher net earnings profile (compared to the Acquiring Fund) and other anticipated benefits of economies of scale as discussed herein. Each Fund, including the Combined Fund, reserves the right to change its distribution policy with respect to common share distributions and the basis for establishing the rate of its distributions for the common shares at any time and may do so without prior notice to common shareholders. The payment of any distributions by any Fund, including the Combined Fund, is subject to, and will only be made when, as, and if, declared by the Board of such Fund. There is no assurance the Board of any Fund, including the Combined Fund, will declare any distributions for such Fund.

To the extent any Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Expected Costs of the Reorganization. Each Board considered the terms and conditions of the Reorganization Agreement, including the estimated costs associated with the Reorganization, and the allocation of such costs among the Funds. Each Board noted, however, that the Investment Advisor anticipated that the projected costs of the Reorganization may be recovered over time. Common shareholders of each Fund will indirectly bear a portion of the costs of the Reorganization. For MYJ, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $366,537, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $129,586. For the Acquiring Fund, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $357,561, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $161,495. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein. Each Board also noted that the VRDP Holders of the Funds are not expected to bear any of the costs of the Reorganization, while the common shareholders of the Funds will indirectly bear all or a portion of the costs of the Reorganization.

Terms of the Reorganization and Impact on Shareholders. Each Board noted that the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of the Acquiring Fund common shares that the Target Fund’s common shareholders will receive in the Reorganization is expected to equal the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of the Target Fund common shares that the Target Fund’s common shareholders owned immediately prior to the Closing Date. The aggregate NAV of each Fund immediately prior to the applicable Reorganization will reflect accrued expenses associated with such Reorganization. The NAV of MYJ’s common shares will not be diluted as a result of the Reorganization. Fractional Acquiring Fund common shares will generally not be issued to MYJ common shareholders in connection with the Reorganization, and MYJ common shareholders should expect to receive cash in lieu of such fractional common shares.

 

48


Each Board further noted that holders of MYJ VRDP Shares will receive the same number of Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as the MYJ VRDP Shares held by such VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

Effect on Shareholder Rights. Each Board noted that MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are each formed as a Maryland corporation. Each Board also noted that the common shareholders of each Fund have substantially similar voting rights and rights with respect to the payment of dividends and distribution of assets upon liquidation of their respective Fund and have no preemptive, conversion or exchange rights.

Each Board also noted that the terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will have terms that are identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding.

Alternatives to the Reorganization. In reaching its decision to approve the Reorganization, the Board considered alternatives to the Reorganization, including continuing to operate each Fund as a separate Fund.

Potential Benefits to the Investment Advisor and its Affiliates. Each Board recognized that the Reorganization may result in some benefits and economies of scale for the Investment Advisor and its affiliates. These may include, for example, administrative and operational efficiencies or a reduction in certain operational expenses as a result of the elimination of MYJ as a separate fund in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.

Each Board noted that, if the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund. Each Board noted that the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund is the same as the annual contractual investment management fee rate for each Fund.

Conclusion. Each Board, including the Independent Board Members, unanimously approved the Reorganization Agreement and the Issuance, as applicable, concluding that the Reorganization is in the best interests of its Fund and that the interests of existing common shareholders and preferred shareholders of its Fund will not be diluted with respect to NAV and liquidation preference, respectively, as a result of the Reorganization. This determination was made on the basis of each Board Member’s business judgment after consideration of all of the factors taken as a whole with respect to its Fund and the Fund’s common and preferred shareholders, although individual Board Members may have placed different weight on various factors and assigned different degrees of materiality to various factors.

 

49


If the Reorganization is not consummated, then the Investment Advisor may, in connection with ongoing management of each of the Funds and its product line, recommend alternative proposals to the Board of the Fund.

Terms of the Reorganization Agreement

The following is a summary of the significant terms of the Reorganization Agreement. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization attached as Appendix A to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Valuation of Assets and Liabilities

The respective assets of each of the Funds will be valued on the business day prior to the Closing Date of the Reorganization (the “Valuation Time”). The valuation procedures are the same for each Fund: the NAV per Common Share of each Fund will be determined after the close of business on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) at the Valuation Time. For the purpose of determining the NAV of a Common Share of each Fund, the value of the securities held by such Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) of such Fund is divided by the total number of common shares of such Fund outstanding at such time. Daily expenses, including the fees payable to the Investment Advisor, will accrue at the Valuation Time.

Dividends will accumulate on the MYJ VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date. MYJ VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued VRDP Share of the Acquiring Fund, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the MYJ VRDP Share up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date if such dividends have not been paid prior to Closing Date), in exchange for each MYJ VRDP Share held by the MYJ VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued.

The first dividend period for the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in the Reorganization will commence on the Closing Date and end on the day immediately preceding the first dividend payment date for such VRDP Shares, which will be the first business day of the month following the month in which the Closing Date occurs.

Amendments and Conditions

The Reorganization Agreement may be amended at any time prior to the Closing Date with respect to any of the terms therein upon mutual agreement. However, after adoption of the Reorganization Agreement and approval of the Reorganization, no amendment or modification may be made which by law requires further approval by shareholders without such further approval. The obligations of each Fund pursuant to the Reorganization Agreement are subject to various conditions, including a registration statement on Form N-14 being declared effective by the SEC, approval of the Reorganization Agreement by the shareholders of the Target Fund and the VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund, certain third-party consents, the approval of the Issuance by the shareholders of the Acquiring Fund, receipt of an opinion of counsel as to tax matters, receipt of an opinion of counsel as to corporate and securities matters and the continuing accuracy of various representations and warranties of the Funds being confirmed by the respective parties.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then each Fund would continue to exist and operate on a standalone basis.

Postponement; Termination

Under the Reorganization Agreement, the Board of any Fund that is a party to the Reorganization Agreement may cause the related Reorganization to be postponed or abandoned under certain circumstances should such Board determine that it is in the best interests of the shareholders of its respective Fund to do so. The Reorganization Agreement may be terminated, and the related Reorganization abandoned at any time (whether before or after adoption thereof by the shareholders of either of the Funds involved in the Reorganization) prior to the Closing Date, or the Closing Date may be postponed: (i) by mutual consent of the Boards of such Funds and (ii) by the Board of either such Fund if any condition to that Fund’s obligations set forth in the Reorganization Agreement has not been fulfilled or waived by such Board.

 

50


Book-Entry Interests

The Acquiring Fund will issue to MYJ VRDP Holders book-entry interests for the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares registered in the name of such MYJ VRDP Holders on a one –or-one basis for each holder’s holdings of MYJ VRDP Shares. The Fund’s VRDP Shares were or will be issued in book-entry form as global securities, and such global securities were deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Beneficial interests in the global securities are held only through DTC and any of its participants.

The Acquiring Fund will issue to MYJ common shareholders book-entry interests and cash in lieu of fractional shares, if applicable, for the Acquiring Fund common shares registered in the name of such shareholders on the basis of each shareholder’s proportionate interest in the aggregate net asset value of MYJ common shares, respectively.

Expenses of the Reorganization

Each Fund will bear expenses incurred in connection with the Reorganization. The expenses incurred in connection with the Reorganization include but are not limited to, costs related to the preparation and distribution of materials distributed to each Fund’s Board, expenses incurred in connection with the preparation of the Reorganization Agreement, the registration statement on Form N-14 and the separate Joint Proxy Statement to preferred shareholders, the printing and distribution of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus delivered to common shareholders, the separate Joint Proxy Statement delivered to preferred shareholders and any other materials required to be distributed to shareholders, SEC and state securities commission filing fees, and legal and audit fees in connection with the Reorganization, including fees incurred in obtaining the requisite consents of rating agencies, counterparties or service providers to the VRDP Shares, legal fees incurred in connection with amending the transaction documents for the VRDP Shares, which may include the legal fees of counterparties and service providers to the extent applicable, legal fees incurred preparing each Fund’s Board materials, attending each Fund’s Board meetings and preparing the minutes, rating agency fees associate with the ratings of the preferred shares in connection with the Reorganization, auditing fees associated with each Fund’s financial statements, stock exchange fees, transfer agency fees, rating agency fees, portfolio transfer taxes (if any), and any similar expenses incurred in connection with the Reorganization.

Common shareholders of each Fund will indirectly bear a portion of the costs of the Reorganization. For MYJ, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $366,537, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $129,586. For the Acquiring Fund, the expenses of the Reorganization are estimated to be approximately $357,561, of which the Investment Advisor will bear approximately $161,495. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein. Each Board also noted that the VRDP Holders of the Funds are not expected to bear any of the costs of the Reorganization, while the common shareholders of the Funds will indirectly bear all or a portion of the costs of the Reorganization.

Neither the Funds nor the Investment Advisor will pay any direct expenses of shareholders arising out of or in connection with the Reorganization (e.g., expenses incurred by the shareholder as a result of attending the Special Meeting, voting on the Reorganization or other action taken by the shareholder in connection with the Reorganization). The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein.

Appraisal Rights

Under Maryland law, except in limited circumstances, stockholders are not entitled to demand the fair value of their shares in connection with a reorganization if any shares of the class or series of the stock are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the common shares of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, on the Record Date.

 

51


Description of Common Shares to Be Issued by the Acquiring Fund

The terms of the Acquiring Fund common shares to be issued pursuant to the Reorganization will be substantially identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund common shares that are currently outstanding. The Acquiring Fund common shares, when issued, will be fully paid and non-assessable and have no preemptive, conversion or exchange rights or rights to cumulative voting.

Please see “Information about the Common Shares of the Funds” for additional information about the Funds’ common shares.

Description of VRDP Shares to Be Issued by the Acquiring Fund

[Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

None of the expenses of the Reorganization are expected to be borne by the VRDP Holders of the Funds.

Following the Reorganization, the VRDP Holders of each Fund will be VRDP Holders of the larger Combined Fund that will have a larger asset base and more VRDP Shares outstanding than any Fund individually before the Reorganization. With respect to matters requiring all preferred shareholders to vote separately or common and preferred shareholders to vote together as a single class, following the Reorganization, VRDP Holders of the Combined Fund may hold a smaller percentage of the outstanding VRDP Shares of the Combined Fund as compared to their percentage holdings of outstanding VRDP Shares of their respective Fund prior to the Reorganization.

Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information.]

 

52


THE FUNDS

MYJ and the Acquiring Fund are each formed as a Maryland corporation pursuant to its charter (the “Charter”) and governed by the laws of the State of Maryland. Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. Each Fund’s principal office is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, and each Fund’s telephone number is (800) 882-0052.

MYJ was formed as a Maryland corporation governed by the laws of the State of Maryland on February 24, 1992, and commenced operations on May 1, 1992.

The Acquiring Fund was formed as a Maryland corporation governed by the laws of the State of Maryland on January 27, 1998, and commenced operations on March 11, 1998.

The Acquiring Fund common shares are listed on the NYSE as “MUJ.” MYJ’s common shares are listed on the NYSE as “MYJ.”

Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund has a July 31 fiscal year end.

Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund has VRDP Shares outstanding. Each Fund’s VRDP Shares are not listed on a national stock exchange and have not been registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered, sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, encumbered or otherwise disposed of except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information.

 

53


THE ACQUIRING FUND’S INVESTMENTS

Investment Objective and Policies

The Acquiring Fund’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes. The investment objective of the Acquiring Fund is a fundamental policy that may not be changed without a vote of a majority of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding voting securities.

The Acquiring Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds. The Acquiring Fund invests substantially all (at least 80%) of its assets in MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, except at times when the Investment Advisor considers that MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds of sufficient quantity and quality are unavailable at suitable prices. To the extent that the Investment Advisor considers that suitable MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds are not available for investment, the Acquiring Fund may purchase MUJ Municipal Bonds. The Acquiring Fund may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. The Acquiring Fund will maintain at least 80% of its assets in MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, except during interim periods pending investment of the net proceeds of public offerings of its securities and during temporary defensive periods. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Acquiring Fund’s assets will be invested in municipal obligations with remaining maturities of one year or more. There can be no assurance that the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective will be realized.

Ordinarily, the Acquiring Fund does not intend to realize significant investment income subject to federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes. The Acquiring Fund may invest all or a portion of its assets in certain tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the Acquiring Fund to a federal alternative minimum tax.

The Acquiring Fund may also invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if the Acquiring Fund nevertheless believes such securities pay interest or distributions that are exempt from federal income taxation (“MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities”). MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities may include securities issued by other investment companies that invest in MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by the 1940 Act. Other MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates or other instruments evidencing interests in one or more long-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds or Municipal Bonds. Certain MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities may be characterized as derivative instruments. For purposes of the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective and policies, MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities that pay interest that is exempt from federal income taxes and New Jersey personal income taxes will be considered “MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds” and MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities that pay interest that is exempt from federal income taxes will be considered “MUJ Municipal Bonds.”

The Acquiring Fund invests in investment grade MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds that are rated at the date of purchase in the four highest rating categories of Moody’s (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or, if unrated, are considered to be of comparable quality by the Investment Advisor. In the case of long-term debt, the investment grade rating categories are AAA through BBB for S&P and Fitch and Aaa through Baa for Moody’s. In the case of short-term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG 1 through MIG 3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, P-1 through P-3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG 3 and P-3 for Moody’s; and BBB and F-3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Investment Advisor takes into account the portfolio insurance as well as the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the insurance company or financial institution that provided such insurance or credit enhancements. Insurance is expected to protect the Acquiring Fund against losses caused by a bond issuer’s failure to make interest or principal payments. However, insurance does not protect the Acquiring Fund or its shareholders against losses caused by declines in a bond’s market value. Also, the Acquiring Fund cannot be certain that any insurance company does not make these payments. If a bond’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the bond could drop.

 

54


The Acquiring Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, which are securities rated Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch or are considered by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase, subject to the Acquiring Fund’s other investment policies. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

The Acquiring Fund may invest in variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”) and VRDOs in the form of participation interests (“Participating VRDOs”) in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution, typically a commercial bank. The VRDOs in which the Acquiring Fund may invest are tax-exempt obligations, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer, that contain a floating or variable interest rate adjustment formula and a right of demand on the part of the holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest on a short notice period not to exceed seven days. There is, however, the possibility that because of default or insolvency the demand feature of VRDOs may not be honored. The interest rates are adjustable at intervals (ranging from daily to up to one year) to some prevailing market rate for similar investments, such adjustment formula being calculated to maintain the market value of the VRDOs, at approximately the par value of the VRDOs on the adjustment date. The adjustments typically are based upon SIFMA or some other appropriate interest rate adjustment index. VRDOs that contain an unconditional right of demand to receive payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest on a notice period exceeding seven days may be deemed to be illiquid securities. Participating VRDOs provide the Acquiring Fund with a specified undivided interest (up to 100%) in the underlying obligation and the right to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest on the Participating VRDOs from the financial institution on a specified number of days’ notice, not to exceed seven days.

The average maturity of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio securities varies based upon the Investment Advisor’s assessment of economic and market conditions. The net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment company such as the Acquiring Fund, which invests primarily in fixed-income securities, changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to decline. Prices of longer-term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do short-term or medium-term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, such as that used by the Acquiring Fund.

The Acquiring Fund invests primarily in long-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of more than ten years. However, the Acquiring Fund may also invest in intermediate-term MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds with a maturity of between three years and ten years. The Acquiring Fund may also invest in short-term tax-exempt securities, short-term U.S. Government securities, repurchase agreements or cash. Investments in such short-term securities or cash will not exceed 20% of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets, except during interim periods pending investment of the net proceeds from public offerings of the Acquiring Fund’s securities or in anticipation of the repurchase or redemption of the Acquiring Fund’s securities and temporary periods when, in the opinion of the Investment Advisor, prevailing market or economic conditions warrant. The Acquiring Fund does not ordinarily intend to realize significant interest income that is subject to federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes.

The Acquiring Fund may hedge all or a portion of its portfolio investments against fluctuations in interest rates through the use of options and certain financial futures contracts and options thereon.

Description of Municipal Bonds

Set forth below is a detailed description of the MUJ Municipal Bonds in which the Acquiring Fund invests. Information with respect to ratings assigned to tax-exempt obligations that the Acquiring Fund may purchase is set forth in “Appendix A—Ratings of Investments” in the Statement of Additional Information. Obligations are included within the term MUJ Municipal Bonds if the interest paid thereon is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer.

 

55


MUJ Municipal Bonds include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. In addition, certain types of tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (or industrial development bonds, under pre-1986 law) (“PABs”) are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including among other things, airports, public ports, mass commuting facilities, multi-family housing projects, as well as facilities for water supply, gas, electricity, sewage or solid waste disposal and other specialized facilities. Other types of PABs, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute MUJ Municipal Bonds. The interest on MUJ Municipal Bonds may bear a fixed rate or be payable at a variable or floating rate. The two principal classifications of MUJ Municipal Bonds are “general obligation” bonds and “revenue” bonds, which latter category includes PABs and, for bonds issued on or before August 15, 1986, industrial development bonds. MUJ Municipal Bonds typically are issued to finance public projects, such as roads or public buildings, to pay general operating expenses or to refinance outstanding debt. MUJ Municipal Bonds may also be issued for private activities, such as housing, medical and educational facility construction, or for privately owned industrial development and pollution control projects. General obligation bonds are backed by the full faith and credit, or taxing authority, of the issuer and may be repaid from any revenue source. Revenue bonds may be repaid only from the revenues of a specific facility or source. MUJ Municipal Bonds may be issued on a long-term basis to provide permanent financing. The repayment of such debt may be secured generally by a pledge of the full faith and credit taxing power of the issuer, a limited or special tax, or any other revenue source, including project revenues, which may include tolls, fees and other user charges, lease payments and mortgage payments. MUJ Municipal Bonds may also be issued to finance projects on a short-term interim basis, anticipating repayment with the proceeds of the later issuance of long-term debt.

The MUJ Municipal Bonds in which the Acquiring Fund invests pay interest or income that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from regular Federal income tax. The Investment Advisor does not conduct its own analysis of the tax status of the interest paid by MUJ Municipal Bonds held by the Acquiring Fund, but will rely on the opinion of counsel to the issuer of each such instrument. The Acquiring Fund may also invest in MUJ Municipal Bonds issued by United States Territories (such as Puerto Rico or Guam) that are exempt from regular Federal income tax. In addition to the types of MUJ Municipal Bonds described in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, the Acquiring Fund may invest in other securities that pay interest or income that is, or make other distributions that are, exempt from regular Federal income tax and/or state and local personal taxes, regardless of the technical structure of the issuer of the instrument. The Acquiring Fund treats all of such tax-exempt securities as MUJ Municipal Bonds.

The yields on MUJ Municipal Bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including prevailing interest rates and the condition of the general money market and the MUJ Municipal Bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. The market value of MUJ Municipal Bonds will vary with changes in interest rate levels and as a result of changing evaluations of the ability of bond issuers to meet interest and principal payments.

The Acquiring Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its portfolio that may be invested in PABs. The Acquiring Fund may not be a suitable investment for investors who are already subject to the federal alternative minimum tax or who would become subject to the federal alternative minimum tax as a result of an investment in the Acquiring Fund’s common shares.

General Obligation Bonds. General obligation bonds are typically secured by the issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the repayment of principal and the payment of interest. The taxing power of any governmental entity may be limited, however, by provisions of its state constitution or laws, and an entity’s creditworthiness will depend on many factors, including potential erosion of its tax base due to population declines, natural disasters, declines in the state’s industrial base or inability to attract new industries, economic limits on the ability to tax without eroding the tax base, state legislative proposals or voter initiatives to limit ad valorem real property taxes and the extent to which the entity relies on federal or state aid, access to capital markets or other factors beyond the state’s or entity’s control. Accordingly, the capacity of the issuer of a general obligation bond as to the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal when due is affected by the issuer’s maintenance of its tax base.

Revenue Bonds. Revenue or special obligation bonds are typically payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific

 

56


revenue sources such as payments from the user of the facility being financed. Accordingly, the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the revenue or special obligation bond is a function of the economic viability of such facility or such revenue source. Revenue bonds issued by state or local agencies to finance the development of low-income, multi-family housing involve special risks in addition to those associated with municipal securities generally, including that the underlying properties may not generate sufficient income to pay expenses and interest costs. Such bonds are generally non-recourse against the property owner, may be junior to the rights of others with an interest in the properties, may pay interest that changes based in part on the financial performance of the property, may be prepayable without penalty and may be used to finance the construction of housing developments which, until completed and rented, do not generate income to pay interest. Increases in interest rates payable on senior obligations may make it more difficult for issuers to meet payment obligations on subordinated bonds.

Municipal Notes. Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. They may provide interim financing in anticipation of tax collection, bond sales or revenue receipts. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, repayment on the note may be delayed or the note may not be fully repaid, and the Acquiring Fund may lose money.

Municipal Commercial Paper. Municipal commercial paper is generally unsecured and issued to meet short-term financing needs. The lack of security presents some risk of loss to the Acquiring Fund since, in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, unsecured creditors are repaid only after the secured creditors out of the assets, if any, that remain.

PABs. The Acquiring Fund may purchase MUJ Municipal Bonds classified as PABs. Interest received on certain PABs is treated as an item of “tax preference” for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax and may impact the overall tax liability of certain investors in the Acquiring Fund. PABs, formerly referred to as industrial development bonds, are issued by, or on behalf of, states, municipalities or public authorities to obtain funds to provide privately operated housing facilities, airport, mass transit or port facilities, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas or electricity. Other types of PABs, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute MUJ Municipal Bonds, although the federal tax laws may place substantial limitations on the size of such issues. Such bonds are secured primarily by revenues derived from loan repayments or lease payments due from the entity which may or may not be guaranteed by a parent company or otherwise secured. PABs generally are not secured by a pledge of the taxing power of the issuer of such bonds. Therefore, an investor should be aware that repayment of such bonds generally depends on the revenues of a private entity and be aware of the risks that such an investment may entail. The continued ability of an entity to generate sufficient revenues for the payment of principal and interest on such bonds will be affected by many factors including the size of the entity, capital structure, demand for its products or services, competition, general economic conditions, government regulation and the entity’s dependence on revenues for the operation of the particular facility being financed.

Moral Obligation Bonds. MUJ Municipal Bonds may also include “moral obligation” bonds, which are normally issued by special purpose public authorities. If an issuer of moral obligation bonds is unable to meet its obligations, the repayment of such bonds becomes a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the state or municipality in question.

Municipal Lease Obligations. Also included within the general category of MUJ Municipal Bonds are certificates of participation (“COPs”) issued by government authorities or entities to finance the acquisition or construction of equipment, land and/or facilities. COPs represent participations in a lease, an installment purchase contract or a conditional sales contract (hereinafter collectively called “lease obligations”) relating to such equipment, land or facilities. Municipal leases, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuer’s unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuer’s covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although “non-appropriation” lease obligations are secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult and the value of the property may be insufficient to issue lease obligations. Certain investments in lease obligations may be illiquid.

 

57


The ability of issuers of municipal leases to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Acquiring Fund, and could result in a reduction in the value of the municipal lease experiencing non-payment and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Acquiring Fund. Issuers of municipal lease obligations might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, the Acquiring Fund could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such municipal leases and the Acquiring Fund may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Acquiring Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities, which may increase the Acquiring Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect the NAV of the Acquiring Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Acquiring Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Acquiring Fund’s ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt or may fail to generate qualifying income for purposes of the income tests applicable to regulated investment companies. In addition, the Acquiring Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, may limit the extent to which the Acquiring Fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets, because as a regulated investment company the Acquiring Fund is subject to certain limitations on its investments and on the nature of its income.

Zero-Coupon Bonds. MUJ Municipal Bonds may include zero-coupon bonds. Zero-coupon bonds are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and do not pay interest during the life of the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder of a zero-coupon bond is entitled to receive the par value of the security.

While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero-coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero-coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero-coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.

The Acquiring Fund accrues income with respect to these securities for U.S. federal income tax and accounting purposes prior to the receipt of cash payments. Zero-coupon bonds may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash interest at regular intervals.

Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Acquiring Fund is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may have to dispose of other, more liquid portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances or may have to leverage itself by borrowing in order to generate the cash to satisfy these distributions. The required distributions may result in an increase in the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to zero-coupon bonds.

In addition to the above-described risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero-coupon bonds. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Acquiring Fund’s investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are held in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio.

Pre-Refunded Municipal Securities. The principal of, and interest on, pre-refunded municipal securities are no longer paid from the original revenue source for the securities. Instead, the source of such payments is typically an escrow fund consisting of U.S. Government securities. The assets in the escrow fund are derived from the proceeds of

 

58


refunding bonds issued by the same issuer as the pre-refunded municipal securities. Issuers of municipal securities use this advance refunding technique to obtain more favorable terms with respect to securities that are not yet subject to call or redemption by the issuer. For example, advance refunding enables an issuer to refinance debt at lower market interest rates, restructure debt to improve cash flow or eliminate restrictive covenants in the indenture or other governing instrument for the pre-refunded municipal securities.

However, except for a change in the revenue source from which principal and interest payments are made, the pre-refunded municipal securities remain outstanding on their original terms until they mature or are redeemed by the issuer.

Special Taxing Districts. Special taxing districts are organized to plan and finance infrastructure developments to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bond financing methods such as tax increment finance, tax assessment, special services district and Mello-Roos bonds (a type of municipal security established by the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982), are generally payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities. They often are exposed to real estate development-related risks and can have more taxpayer concentration risk than general tax-supported bonds, such as general obligation bonds. Further, the fees, special taxes, or tax allocations and other revenues that are established to secure such financings are generally limited as to the rate or amount that may be levied or assessed and are not subject to increase pursuant to rate covenants or municipal or corporate guarantees. The bonds could default if development failed to progress as anticipated or if larger taxpayers failed to pay the assessments, fees and taxes as provided in the financing plans of the districts.

Indexed and Inverse Floating Rate Securities. The Acquiring Fund may invest in MUJ Municipal Bonds (and MUJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities) that yield a return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. For example, the Acquiring Fund may invest in MUJ Municipal Bonds that pay interest based on an index of MUJ Municipal Bond interest rates. The principal amount payable upon maturity of certain MUJ Municipal Bonds also may be based on the value of the index. To the extent the Acquiring Fund invests in these types of MUJ Municipal Bonds, the Acquiring Fund’s return on such MUJ Municipal Bonds will be subject to risk with respect to the value of the particular index. Interest and principal payable on the MUJ Municipal Bonds may also be based on relative changes among particular indices. Also, the Acquiring Fund may invest in so-called “inverse floating rate bonds” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a Dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). The Acquiring Fund may purchase synthetically created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or trust receipts. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when short-term interest rates increase, and will increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate which is a multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed rate long-term tax-exempt securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities will generally be more volatile than the market values of fixed rate tax-exempt securities. To seek to limit the volatility of these securities, the Acquiring Fund may purchase inverse floating rate bonds with shorter-term maturities or limitations on the extent to which the interest rate may vary. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid. See “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Leverage—Tender Option Bond Transactions.”

When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments. The Acquiring Fund may purchase or sell securities that it is entitled to receive on a when-issued basis. The Acquiring Fund may also purchase or sell securities on a delayed delivery basis. The Acquiring Fund may also purchase or sell securities through a forward commitment. These transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by the Acquiring Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The purchase will be recorded on the date the Acquiring Fund enters into the commitment and the value of the securities will thereafter be reflected in the Acquiring Fund’s NAV. The Acquiring Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be committed in connection with these transactions. At the time the Acquiring Fund enters into a transaction on a when-issued basis, it will segregate or designate on its books and records cash or liquid assets with a value not less than the value of the when-issued securities.

There can be no assurance that a security purchased on a when-issued basis will be issued or that a security purchased or sold through a forward commitment will be delivered. A default by a counterparty may result in the Acquiring Fund

 

59


missing the opportunity of obtaining a price considered to be advantageous. The value of securities in these transactions on the delivery date may be more or less than the Acquiring Fund’s purchase price. The Acquiring Fund may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security in these transactions and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period.

If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, the Acquiring Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it has been entered into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Acquiring Fund on the settlement date. In these cases the Acquiring Fund may realize a taxable capital gain or loss.

When the Acquiring Fund engages in when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Acquiring Fund’s incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price considered to be advantageous.

The market value of the securities underlying a commitment to purchase securities, and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value, is taken into account when determining the market value of the Acquiring Fund starting on the day the Acquiring Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Acquiring Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date.

Call Rights. The Acquiring Fund may purchase a MUJ Municipal Bond issuer’s right to call all or a portion of such MUJ Municipal Bond for mandatory tender for purchase (a “Call Right”). A holder of a Call Right may exercise such right to require a mandatory tender for the purchase of related MUJ Municipal Bonds, subject to certain conditions. A Call Right that is not exercised prior to maturity of the related MUJ Municipal Bond will expire without value. The economic effect of holding both the Call Right and the related MUJ Municipal Bond is identical to holding a MUJ Municipal Bond as a non-callable security. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid.

Yields. Yields on MUJ Municipal Bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general condition of the money market and of the MUJ Municipal Bond market, the size of a particular offering, the financial condition of the issuer, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. The ability of the Acquiring Fund to achieve its investment objective is also dependent on the continuing ability of the issuers of the securities in which the Acquiring Fund invests to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal when due. There are variations in the risks involved in holding MUJ Municipal Bonds, both within a particular classification and between classifications, depending on numerous factors. Furthermore, the rights of owners of MUJ Municipal Bonds and the obligations of the issuer of such MUJ Municipal Bonds may be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws and court decisions affecting the rights of creditors generally and to general equitable principles, which may limit the enforcement of certain remedies.

“High Yield” or “Junk” Bonds. The Acquiring Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, or are considered by BlackRock to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase, subject to the Acquiring Fund’s other investment policies. Information with respect to ratings assigned to tax-exempt obligations that the Acquiring Fund may purchase is set forth in “Appendix A—Ratings of Investments” in the Statement of Additional Information. MUJ Municipal Bonds of below investment grade quality (“Ba/BB” or below) are commonly known as “junk bonds.” Securities rated below investment grade are judged to have speculative characteristics with respect to their interest and principal payments. Such securities may face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments.

Strategic Transactions

The Acquiring Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These Strategic Transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to the Acquiring Fund’s investment restrictions. While the Acquiring Fund’s use of Strategic Transactions is intended to reduce the volatility of the net asset value of the Acquiring Fund’s Common Shares, the net asset value of the Acquiring Fund’s Common Shares will fluctuate. No assurance can be given that the Acquiring Fund’s Strategic Transactions will be effective.

 

60


There is no particular strategy that requires use of one technique rather than another as the decision to use any particular strategy or instrument is a function of market conditions and the composition of the portfolio. The ability of the Acquiring Fund to use Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Investment Advisor’s ability to predict pertinent market movements as well as sufficient correlation among the instruments, which cannot be assured. Strategic Transactions subject the Acquiring Fund to the risk that, if the Investment Advisor incorrectly forecasts market values, interest rates or other applicable factors, the Acquiring Fund’s performance could suffer. Certain of these Strategic Transactions, such as investments in inverse floating rate securities and credit default swaps, may provide investment leverage to the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio. The Acquiring Fund is not required to use derivatives or other portfolio strategies to seek to hedge its portfolio and may choose not to do so.

The use of Strategic Transactions may result in losses greater than if they had not been used, may require the Acquiring Fund to sell or purchase portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices other than current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation the Acquiring Fund can realize on an investment or may cause the Acquiring Fund to hold a security that it might otherwise sell. In addition, because of the leveraged nature of the Common Shares, Strategic Transactions will result in a larger impact on the net asset value of the Common Shares than would be the case if the Common Shares were not leveraged. Furthermore, the Acquiring Fund may only engage in Strategic Transactions from time to time and may not necessarily be engaging in hedging activities when movements in interest rates occur.

Inasmuch as any obligations of the Acquiring Fund that arise from the use of Strategic Transactions will be covered by segregated or earmarked liquid assets or offsetting transactions, the Acquiring Fund and the Investment Advisor believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities and, accordingly, will not treat such transactions as being subject to its borrowing restrictions. Additionally, segregated or earmarked liquid assets, amounts paid by the Acquiring Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to Strategic Transactions are not otherwise available to the Acquiring Fund for investment purposes. For so long as the VRDP Shares are rated by a rating agency, the Acquiring Fund’s use of options and certain financial futures and options thereon will be subject to such rating agency’s guidelines and limitations on such transactions. In order to maintain ratings on the VRDP Shares from one or more rating agencies, the Acquiring Fund may be required to limit its use of Strategic Transactions in accordance with the specified guidelines of the applicable rating agencies.

Certain federal income tax requirements may restrict or affect the ability of the Acquiring Fund to engage in Strategic Transactions. In addition, the use of certain Strategic Transactions may give rise to taxable income and have certain other consequences.

Put and Call Options on Securities and Indices. The Acquiring Fund may purchase and sell put and call options on securities and indices. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell and the writer the obligation to buy the underlying security at the exercise price during the option period. The Acquiring Fund may also purchase and sell options on bond indices (“index options”). Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the bond index upon which the option is based is greater, in the case of a call, or less, in the case of a put, than the exercise price of the option. The purchase of a put option on a debt security could protect the Acquiring Fund’s holdings in a security or a number of securities against a substantial decline in the market value. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy and the seller the obligation to sell the underlying security or index at the exercise price during the option period or for a specified period prior to a fixed date. The purchase of a call option on a security could protect the Acquiring Fund against an increase in the price of a security that it intended to purchase in the future.

Writing Covered Call Options. The Acquiring Fund is authorized to write (i.e., sell) covered call options with respect to municipal bonds it owns, thereby giving the holder of the option the right to buy the underlying security covered by the option from the Acquiring Fund at the stated exercise price until the option expires. The Acquiring Fund writes only covered call options, which means that so long as the Acquiring Fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option.

 

61


The Acquiring Fund receives a premium from writing a call option, which increases the Acquiring Fund’s return on the underlying security in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. By writing a call, the Acquiring Fund limits its opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option for as long as the Acquiring Fund’s obligation as a writer continues. Covered call options serve as a partial hedge against a decline in the price of the underlying security. The Acquiring Fund may engage in closing transactions in order to terminate outstanding options that it has written.

Additional Information About Options. The Acquiring Fund’s ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an exchange-listed put or call option is dependent upon the existence of a liquid secondary market on option exchanges. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities; (iv) interruption of the normal operations on an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been listed by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. OTC options are purchased from or sold to dealers, financial institutions or other counterparties which have entered into direct agreements with the Acquiring Fund. With OTC options, such variables as expiration date, exercise price and premium will be agreed upon between the Acquiring Fund and the counterparty, without the intermediation of a third party such as the OCC. If the counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the securities underlying an option it has written, or otherwise settle the transaction in accordance with the terms of that option as written, the Acquiring Fund would lose the premium paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. OTC options and assets used to cover OTC options written by the Acquiring Fund are considered by the staff of the SEC to be illiquid. The illiquidity of such options or assets may prevent a successful sale of such options or assets, result in a delay of sale, or reduce the amount of proceeds that might otherwise be realized.

The Acquiring Fund may engage in options and futures transactions on exchanges and options in the over- the-counter markets. The Acquiring Fund will only enter into OTC options with counterparties the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy at the time they enter into such transactions.

The hours of trading for options on debt securities may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets.

Financial Futures Transactions and Options. The Acquiring Fund is authorized to purchase and sell certain exchange traded financial futures contracts (“financial futures contracts”) in order to hedge its investments against declines in value, and to hedge against increases in the cost of securities it intends to purchase or to seek to enhance the Acquiring Fund’s return. However, any transactions involving financial futures or options (including puts and calls associated therewith) will be in accordance with the Acquiring Fund’s investment policies and limitations. A financial futures contract obligates the seller of a contract to deliver and the purchaser of a contract to take delivery of the type of financial instrument covered by the contract, or in the case of index-based futures contracts to make and accept a cash settlement, at a specific future time for a specified price. To hedge its portfolio, the Acquiring Fund may take an investment position in a futures contract which will move in the opposite direction from the portfolio position being hedged. A sale of financial futures contracts may provide a hedge against a decline in the value of portfolio securities because such depreciation may be offset, in whole or in part, by an increase in the value of the position in the financial futures contracts. A purchase of financial futures contracts may provide a hedge against an increase in the cost of securities intended to be purchased because such appreciation may be offset, in whole or in part, by an increase in the value of the position in the futures contracts.

Distributions, if any, of net long-term capital gains from certain transactions in futures or options are taxable at long-term capital gains rates for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Futures Contracts. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security or, in the case of an index-based futures contract, to make and accept a cash settlement for a set price on a future date. A majority of

 

62


transactions in futures contracts, however, do not result in the actual delivery of the underlying instrument or cash settlement, but are settled through liquidation, i.e., by entering into an offsetting transaction. Futures contracts have been designed by boards of trade which have been designated “contracts markets” by the CFTC.

The purchase or sale of a futures contract differs from the purchase or sale of a security in that no price or premium is paid or received. Instead, an amount of cash or securities acceptable to the broker and the relevant contract market, which varies, but is generally about 5% of the contract amount, must be deposited with the broker. This amount is known as “initial margin” and represents a “good faith” deposit assuring the performance of both the purchaser and seller under the futures contract. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, called “variation margin,” are required to be made on a daily basis as the price of the futures contract fluctuates making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” At any time prior to the settlement date of the futures contract, the position may be closed out by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate the position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid to or released by the broker and the purchaser realizes a loss or gain. In addition, a nominal commission is paid on each completed sale transaction.

The Acquiring Fund may also purchase and sell financial futures contracts on U.S. Government securities as a hedge against adverse changes in interest rates as described below. The Acquiring Fund may purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts on U.S. Government securities in connection with its hedging strategies.

The Acquiring Fund also may engage in other futures contracts transactions such as futures contracts on municipal bond indices that may become available if the Investment Advisor should determine that there is normally a sufficient correlation between the prices of such futures contracts and municipal bonds in which the Acquiring Fund invests to make such hedging appropriate.

Futures Strategies. The Acquiring Fund may sell a financial futures contract (i.e., assume a short position) in anticipation of a decline in the value of its investments resulting from an increase in interest rates or otherwise. The risk of decline could be reduced without employing futures as a hedge by selling investments and either reinvesting the proceeds in securities with shorter maturities or by holding assets in cash. This strategy, however, entails increased transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads and typically would reduce the average yield of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio securities as a result of the shortening of maturities. The sale of futures contracts provides an alternative means of hedging against declines in the value of its investments. As such values decline, the value of the Acquiring Fund’s positions in the futures contracts will tend to increase, thus offsetting all or a portion of the depreciation in the market value of the Acquiring Fund’s investments that are being hedged. While the Acquiring Fund will incur commission expenses in selling and closing out futures positions, commissions on futures transactions are typically lower than transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of the Acquiring Fund’s investments being hedged. In addition, the ability of the Acquiring Fund to trade in the standardized contracts available in the futures markets may offer a more effective defensive position than a program to reduce the average maturity of the portfolio securities due to the unique and varied credit and technical characteristics of the instruments available to the Acquiring Fund. Employing futures as a hedge also may permit the Acquiring Fund to assume a defensive posture without reducing the yield on its investments beyond any amounts required to engage in futures trading.

When the Acquiring Fund intends to purchase a security, the Acquiring Fund may purchase futures contracts as a hedge against any increase in the cost of such security resulting from a decrease in interest rates or otherwise, that may occur before such purchase can be effected. Subject to the degree of correlation between such securities and the futures contracts, subsequent increases in the cost of such securities should be reflected in the value of the futures held by the Acquiring Fund. As such purchases are made, an equivalent amount of futures contracts will be closed out. Due to changing market conditions and interest rate forecasts, however, a futures position may be terminated without a corresponding purchase of portfolio securities.

Call Options on Futures Contracts. The Acquiring Fund may also purchase and sell exchange traded call and put options on financial futures contracts. The purchase of a call option on a futures contract is analogous to the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the pricing of the option compared to either the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying securities, it may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or underlying securities. Like the purchase of a futures contract, the Acquiring Fund may purchase a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance when the Acquiring Fund is not fully invested.

 

63


The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration is below the exercise price, the Acquiring Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio holdings.

Put Options on Futures Contracts. The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is analogous to the purchase of a protective put option on portfolio securities. The Acquiring Fund may purchase a put option on a futures contract to hedge the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio against the risk of rising interest rates.

The writing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration is higher than the exercise price, the Acquiring Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities which the Acquiring Fund intends to purchase.

The writer of an option on a futures contract is required to deposit initial and variation margin pursuant to requirements similar to those applicable to futures contracts. Premiums received from the writing of an option will be included in initial margin. The writing of an option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those relating to futures contracts.

The CFTC subjects advisers to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the investment adviser either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”), or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. To the extent the Acquiring Fund uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and will not market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments. Accordingly, the Investment Advisor has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA. The Investment Advisor is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of the Acquiring Fund.

Interest Rate Swap Transactions. In order to seek to hedge the value of the Acquiring Fund against interest rate fluctuations, to hedge against increases in the Acquiring Fund’s costs associated with the dividend payments on any preferred shares, including the VRDP Shares, or to seek to increase the Acquiring Fund’s return, the Acquiring Fund may enter into interest rate swap transactions such as Municipal Market Data AAA Cash Curve swaps (“MMD Swaps”) or Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Municipal Swap Index swaps (“SIFMA Swaps”). To the extent that the Acquiring Fund enters into these transactions, the Acquiring Fund expects to do so primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Acquiring Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. The Acquiring Fund may enter into these transactions primarily as a hedge or for duration or risk management rather than as a speculative investment. However, the Acquiring Fund also may invest in MMD Swaps and SIFMA Swaps to seek to enhance return or gain or to increase the Acquiring Fund’s yield, for example, during periods of steep interest rate yield curves (i.e., wide differences between short-term and long-term interest rates).

The Acquiring Fund may purchase and sell SIFMA Swaps in the SIFMA swap market. In a SIFMA Swap, the Acquiring Fund exchanges with another party their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments linked to the SIFMA Municipal Swap Index). Because the underlying index is a tax-exempt index, SIFMA Swaps may reduce cross-market risks incurred by the Acquiring Fund and increase the Acquiring Fund’s ability to hedge effectively. SIFMA Swaps are typically quoted for the entire yield curve, beginning with a seven day floating rate index out to 30 years. The duration of a SIFMA Swap is approximately equal to the duration of a fixed-rate municipal bond with the same attributes as the swap (e.g., coupon, maturity, call feature).

The Acquiring Fund may also purchase and sell MMD Swaps, also known as MMD rate locks. An MMD Swap permits the Acquiring Fund to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. By using an MMD Swap, the Acquiring Fund can create a synthetic long or short position, allowing the Acquiring Fund to select the most attractive part of the yield curve. An MMD Swap is a contract between the Acquiring Fund and an MMD Swap provider pursuant to which the

 

64


parties agree to make payments to each other on a notional amount, contingent upon whether the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above or below a specified level on the expiration date of the contract. For example, if the Acquiring Fund buys an MMD Swap and the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is below the specified level on the expiration date, the counterparty to the contract will make a payment to the Acquiring Fund equal to the specified level minus the actual level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract. If the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above the specified level on the expiration date, the Acquiring Fund will make a payment to the counterparty equal to the actual level minus the specified level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract.

In connection with investments in SIFMA and MMD Swaps, there is a risk that municipal yields will move in the opposite direction than anticipated by the Acquiring Fund, which would cause the Acquiring Fund to make payments to its counterparty in the transaction that could adversely affect the Acquiring Fund’s performance.

The Acquiring Fund has no obligation to enter into SIFMA Swaps or MMD Swaps and may elect not to do so. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Acquiring Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and the Acquiring Fund will segregate or designate on its books and records liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess.

If there is a default by the other party to an uncleared interest rate swap transaction, generally the Acquiring Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. With respect to interest rate swap transactions cleared through a central clearing counterparty, a clearing organization will be substituted for the counterparty and will guarantee the parties’ performance under the swap agreement. However, there can be no assurances that the clearing organization will satisfy its obligation to the Acquiring Fund or that the Acquiring Fund would be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited on its behalf with the clearing organization in the event of the default by the clearing organization or the Acquiring Fund’s clearing broker. Certain U.S. federal income tax requirements may limit the Acquiring Fund’s ability to engage in interest rate swaps. Distributions attributable to transactions in interest rate swaps generally will be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders.

Counterparty Credit Standards. To the extent that the Acquiring Fund engages in principal transactions, including, but not limited to, OTC options, forward currency transactions, swap transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and the purchase and sale of bonds and other fixed income securities, it must rely on the creditworthiness of its counterparties under such transactions. In certain instances, the credit risk of a counterparty is increased by the lack of a central clearing house for certain transactions, including certain swap contracts. In the event of the insolvency of a counterparty, the Acquiring Fund may not be able to recover its assets, in full or at all, during the insolvency process. Counterparties to investments may have no obligation to make markets in such investments and may have the ability to apply essentially discretionary margin and credit requirements. Similarly, the Acquiring Fund will be subject to the risk of bankruptcy of, or the inability or refusal to perform with respect to such investments by, the counterparties with which it deals. The Investment Advisor will seek to minimize the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to counterparty risk by entering into such transactions with counterparties the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy at the time it enters into the transaction. Certain option transactions and Strategic Transactions may require the Acquiring Fund to provide collateral to secure its performance obligations under a contract, which would also entail counterparty credit risk.

Other Investment Policies

The Acquiring Fund has adopted certain other policies as set forth below.

Index and Inverse Securities

The Acquiring Fund may invest in MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds yielding a return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. Also, the Acquiring Fund may invest in so-called “inverse floating obligations” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates typically vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). The Acquiring Fund may purchase synthetically-created inverse floating obligations evidenced by custodial or trust receipts.

 

65


Call Rights

The Acquiring Fund may purchase a MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bond or MUJ Municipal Bond issuer’s rights to call all or a portion of such MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bond or MUJ Municipal Bond for mandatory tender for purchase (a “call right”).

Repurchase Agreements

The Acquiring Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a member bank of the Federal Reserve System or primary dealer or an affiliate thereof, in U.S. Government securities or an affiliate thereof. A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed-upon repurchase price determines the yield during the Acquiring Fund’s holding period. The risk to the Acquiring Fund is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold but the Acquiring Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by the Acquiring Fund may be delayed or limited.

In general, for federal income tax purposes, repurchase agreements are treated as collateralized loans secured by the securities “sold.” Therefore, amounts earned under such agreements will not be considered tax exempt interest. The treatment of purchase and sales contracts is less certain.

Leverage

The Acquiring Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of VRDP Shares and TOB Residuals. The Acquiring Fund currently does not intend to borrow money or issue debt securities. Although it has no present intention to do so, the Acquiring Fund reserves the right to borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, or issue debt securities, in the future if it believes that market conditions would be conducive to the successful implementation of a leveraging strategy through borrowing money or issuing debt securities or preferred shares. Any such leveraging will not be fully achieved until the proceeds resulting from the use of leverage have been invested in accordance with the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective and policies. The Acquiring Fund is authorized to borrow money in amounts of up to 5% of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowings; provided, however, that the Acquiring Fund is authorized to borrow moneys in amounts of up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowings to finance the repurchase of its own common shares pursuant to tender offers or otherwise to redeem or repurchase preferred shares.

The use of leverage can create risks. When leverage is employed, the NAV and market price of the common shares and the yield to holders of common shares will be more volatile than if leverage were not used. Changes in the value of the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio, including securities bought with the proceeds of leverage, will be borne entirely by the holders of common shares. If there is a net decrease or increase in the value of the Acquiring Fund’s investment portfolio, leverage will decrease or increase, as the case may be, the NAV per common share to a greater extent than if the Acquiring Fund did not utilize leverage. A reduction in the Acquiring Fund’s NAV may cause a reduction in the market price of its shares. During periods in which the Acquiring Fund is using leverage, the fee paid to the Investment Advisor for advisory services will be higher than if the Acquiring Fund did not use leverage, because the fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Acquiring Fund’s assets including the proceeds from leverage. Any leveraging strategy the Acquiring Fund employs may not be successful. See “Risks—Leverage Risk.” See “Risks—Tender Option Bond Risk” for details about the risks associated with the Acquiring Fund’s use of TOB Residuals.

Certain types of leverage the Acquiring Fund may use may result in the Acquiring Fund being subject to covenants relating to asset coverage and portfolio composition requirements. The Acquiring Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by one or more lenders or by guidelines of one or more rating agencies, which may issue ratings for any short-term debt securities or preferred shares issued by the Acquiring Fund. The terms of any borrowings or rating agency guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are

 

66


more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act. The Investment Advisor does not believe that these covenants or guidelines will impede it from managing the Acquiring Fund’s portfolio in accordance with its investment objective and policies if the Acquiring Fund were to utilize leverage.

Under the 1940 Act, the Acquiring Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities if, immediately after the issuance of such senior securities, the Acquiring Fund would have an asset coverage ratio (as defined in the 1940 Act) of less than 300% with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness (i.e., for every dollar of indebtedness outstanding, the Acquiring Fund is required to have at least three dollars of assets) or less than 200% with respect to senior securities representing preferred shares (i.e., for every dollar of preferred shares outstanding, the Acquiring Fund is required to have at least two dollars of assets). The 1940 Act also provides that the Acquiring Fund may not declare distributions or purchase its stock (including through tender offers) if, immediately after doing so, it will have an asset coverage ratio of less than 300% or 200%, as applicable. Under the 1940 Act, certain short-term borrowings (such as for cash management purposes) are not subject to these limitations if (i) repaid within 60 days, (ii) not extended or renewed and (iii) not in excess of 5% of the total assets of the Acquiring Fund.

Effects of Leverage

Assuming that leverage will represent approximately []% of the Combined Fund’s total managed assets and that the Combined Fund will bear expenses relating to that leverage at an average annual rate of []%, the income generated by the Combined Fund’s portfolio (net of estimated expenses) must exceed []% in order to cover the expenses specifically related to the Combined Fund’s estimated use of leverage. Of course, these numbers are merely estimates used for illustration. Actual leverage expenses will vary frequently and may be significantly higher or lower than the rate estimated above.

The following table is furnished in response to requirements of the SEC. It is designed to illustrate the effect of leverage on Common Share total return, assuming investment portfolio total returns (comprised of income and changes in the value of securities held in the Combined Fund’s portfolio) of (10)%, (5)%, 0%, 5% and 10%. These assumed investment portfolio returns are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns experienced or expected to be experienced by the Combined Fund. The table further reflects the use of leverage representing []% of the Combined Fund’s total managed assets and the Combined Fund’s currently projected annual leverage expenses of []%.

 

Assumed Portfolio Total Return (net of expenses)

     (10)     (5)     0     5     10

Common Share Total Return

     ([])     ([])     ([])     []     []

Common Share total return is composed of two elements: the Common Share dividends paid by the Combined Fund (the amount of which is largely determined by the net investment income of the Combined Fund) and gains or losses on the value of the securities the Combined Fund owns. As required by SEC rules, the table assumes that the Combined Fund is more likely to suffer capital losses than to enjoy capital appreciation. For example, a total return of 0% assumes that the tax-exempt interest the Combined Fund receives on its municipal bonds investments is entirely offset by losses in the value of those securities.

Preferred Shares

The Acquiring Fund has leveraged its portfolio by issuing VRDP Shares. Under the 1940 Act, the Acquiring Fund is not permitted to issue preferred shares if, immediately after such issuance, the liquidation value of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding preferred shares exceeds 50% of its assets (including the proceeds from the issuance) less liabilities other than borrowings (i.e., the value of the Acquiring Fund’s assets must be at least 200% of the liquidation value of its outstanding preferred shares). In addition, the Acquiring Fund would not be permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Acquiring Fund’s assets less liabilities other than borrowings is at least 200% of such liquidation value. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for a description of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares.

For tax purposes, the Acquiring Fund is currently required to allocate tax-exempt interest income, net capital gain and other taxable income, if any, between its common shares and preferred shares outstanding in proportion to total

 

67


dividends paid to each class for the year in which or with respect to which tax-exempt income, the net capital gain or other taxable income is paid. If net capital gain or other taxable income is allocated to preferred shares, instead of solely tax-exempt income, the Acquiring Fund will likely have to pay higher total dividends to preferred shareholders or make special payments to preferred shareholders to compensate them for the increased tax liability. This would reduce the total amount of dividends paid to the common shareholders, but would increase the portion of the dividend that is tax-exempt. If the increase in dividend payments or the special payments to preferred shareholders are not entirely offset by a reduction in the tax liability of, and an increase in the tax-exempt dividends received by, the common shareholders, the advantage of the Acquiring Fund’s leveraged structure to common shareholders will be reduced.

Tender Option Bonds

The Acquiring Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of TOB Residuals, which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Acquiring Fund will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax. No independent investigation will be made to confirm the tax-exempt status of the interest or income paid by TOB Residuals held by the Acquiring Fund. Although volatile, TOB Residuals typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate municipal bonds with comparable credit quality.

TOB Residuals represent beneficial interests in a TOB Trust formed for the purpose of holding municipal bonds contributed by one or more funds. A TOB Trust typically issues two classes of beneficial interests: TOB Floaters, which are sold to third-party investors, and TOB Residuals, which are generally issued to the fund(s) that transferred municipal bonds to the TOB Trust. The Fund may invest in both TOB Floaters and TOB Residuals. TOB Floaters may have first priority on the cash flow from the municipal bonds held by the TOB Trust and are enhanced with a liquidity support arrangement from a third-party TOBs Liquidity Provider (defined below) which allows holders to tender their position at par (plus accrued interest). The Acquiring Fund, as a holder of TOB Residuals, is paid the residual cash flow from the TOB Trust. The Acquiring Fund contributes municipal bonds to the TOB Trust and is paid the cash received by the TOB Trust from the sale of the TOB Floaters, less certain transaction costs, and typically will invest the cash to purchase additional municipal bonds or other investments permitted by its investment policies. If the Acquiring Fund ever purchases all or a portion of the TOB Floaters sold by the TOB Trust, it may surrender those TOB Floaters together with a proportionate amount of TOB Residuals to the TOB Trust in exchange for a proportionate amount of the municipal bonds owned by the TOB Trust.

Other registered investment companies advised by the Investor Advisor or its affiliates (“BlackRock-advised Funds”) may contribute municipal bonds to a TOB Trust into which the Acquiring Fund has contributed municipal bonds. If multiple BlackRock-advised Funds participate in the same TOB Trust, the economic rights and obligations under the TOB Residual will generally be shared among the funds ratably in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust.

The municipal bonds transferred to a TOB Trust typically are high grade municipal bonds. In certain cases, when municipal bonds transferred are lower grade municipal bonds, the TOB Trust transaction includes a credit enhancement feature that provides for the timely payment of principal and interest on the bonds to the TOB Trust by a credit enhancement provider. The TOB Trust would be responsible for the payment of the credit enhancement fee and the Acquiring Fund, as a TOB Residual holder, would be responsible for reimbursement of any payments of principal and interest made by the credit enhancement provider.

The TOB Residuals held by the Acquiring Fund generally provide the Acquiring Fund with the right to cause the holders of a proportional share of the TOB Floaters to tender their notes to the TOB Trust at par plus accrued interest. Thereafter, the Acquiring Fund may withdraw a corresponding share of the municipal bonds from the TOB Trust. As a result, a tender option bond transaction, in effect, creates exposure for the Acquiring Fund to the entire return of the municipal bonds in the TOB Trust, with a net cash investment by the Acquiring Fund that is less than the value of the municipal bonds in the TOB Trust. This multiplies the positive or negative impact of the municipal bonds’ return within the Acquiring Fund (thereby creating leverage). The leverage within a TOB Trust depends on the value of the municipal bonds deposited in the TOB Trust relative to the value of the TOB Floaters it issues.

 

68


The Acquiring Fund may invest in highly leveraged TOB Residuals. A TOB Residual generally is considered highly leveraged if the principal amount of the TOB Floaters issued by the related TOB Trust exceeds 75% of the principal amount of the municipal bonds owned by the TOB Trust.

The leverage attributable to the Acquiring Fund’s use of TOB Residuals may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of leverage. The TOB Trust may be collapsed without the consent of the Acquiring Fund upon the occurrence of termination events, as defined in the TOB Trust agreements. Upon the occurrence of a termination event, a TOB Trust would be liquidated with the proceeds applied first to any accrued fees owed to the trustee of the TOB Trust, the remarketing agent of the TOB Floaters and the TOBs Liquidity Provider. Upon certain termination events, the holders of the TOB Floaters would be paid before the TOB Residual holders (i.e., the Acquiring Fund) whereas in other termination events, the holders of TOB Floaters and the TOB Residual holders would be paid pro rata.

TOB Trusts are typically supported by a liquidity facility provided by a TOBs Liquidity Provider that allows the holders of the TOB Floaters to tender their TOB Floaters in exchange for payment of par plus accrued interest on any business day (subject to the non-occurrence of a termination event). The tendered TOB Floaters are remarketed by a remarketing agent. In the event of a failed remarketing, the TOB Trust may draw upon a loan from the TOBs Liquidity Provider to purchase the tendered TOB Floaters. Any loans made by the TOBs Liquidity Provider will be secured by the purchased TOB Floaters held by the TOB Trust and will be subject to an increased interest rate based on number of days the loan is outstanding.

The Acquiring Fund may invest in a TOB Trust on either a non-recourse or recourse basis. When the Acquiring Fund invests in TOB Trusts on a non-recourse basis, and the TOBs Liquidity Provider is required to make a payment under the liquidity facility, the TOBs Liquidity Provider will typically liquidate all or a portion of the municipal bonds held in the TOB Trust and then fund the balance, if any, of the Liquidation Shortfall. If the Acquiring Fund invests in a TOB Trust on a recourse basis, it will typically enter into a reimbursement agreement with the TOBs Liquidity Provider pursuant to which the Acquiring Fund is required to reimburse the TOBs Liquidity Provider the amount of any Liquidation Shortfall. As a result, if the Acquiring Fund invests in a recourse TOB Trust, the Acquiring Fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to any Liquidation Shortfall. If multiple BlackRock-advised Funds participate in any such TOB Trust, these losses will be shared ratably, in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust.

Under accounting rules, MUJ Municipal Bonds of the Acquiring Fund that are deposited into a TOB Trust are investments of the Acquiring Fund and are presented on the Acquiring Fund’s Schedule of Investments and outstanding TOB Floaters issued by a TOB Trust are presented as liabilities in the Acquiring Fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Interest income from the underlying MUJ Municipal Bonds is recorded by the Acquiring Fund on an accrual basis. Interest expense incurred on the TOB Floaters and other expenses related to remarketing, administration, trustee and other services to a TOB Trust are reported as expenses of the Acquiring Fund. In addition, under accounting rules, loans made to a TOB Trust sponsored by the Acquiring Fund may be presented as loans of the Acquiring Fund in the Acquiring Fund’s financial statements even if there is no recourse to the Acquiring Fund’s assets.

For TOB Floaters, generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal bonds with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option. Since the tender option feature has a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying municipal bonds deposited in the TOB Trust, the holder of the TOB Floaters relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the liquidity facility as well as the credit strength of that institution. The perceived reliability and creditworthiness, of many major financial institutions, some of which sponsor and/or provide liquidity support to TOB Trusts increases the risk associated with TOB Floaters. This in turn may reduce the desirability of TOB Floaters as investments, which could impair the viability or availability of TOB Trusts.

The use of TOB Residuals will require the Acquiring Fund to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to any TOB Floaters, plus any accrued but unpaid interest due on the TOB Floaters, issued by TOB Trusts sponsored by, or on behalf of, the Acquiring Fund that are not owned by the Acquiring Fund. The use of TOB Residuals may also require the Acquiring Fund to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to loans provided by the TOBs Liquidity Provider to the TOB Trust to purchase tendered TOB Floaters. The Acquiring Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to the extent that such changes are in accordance with applicable

 

69


regulations or interpretations. Future regulatory requirements or SEC guidance may necessitate more onerous contractual or regulatory requirements, which may increase the costs or reduce the degree of potential economic benefits of TOB Trust transactions or limit the Acquiring Fund’s ability to enter into or manage TOB Trust transactions.

See “Risk Factors and Special Considerations—General Risks of Investing in the Acquiring Fund—Tender Option Bond Risk” for a description of the risks involved with a TOB issuer.

Credit Facility

The Acquiring Fund is permitted to leverage its portfolio by entering into one or more credit facilities. If the Acquiring Fund enters into a credit facility, the Acquiring Fund may be required to prepay outstanding amounts or incur a penalty rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events of default. The Acquiring Fund would also likely have to indemnify the lenders under the credit facility against liabilities they may incur in connection therewith. In addition, the Acquiring Fund expects that any credit facility would contain covenants that, among other things, likely would limit the Acquiring Fund’s ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change certain of its investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations, and require asset coverage ratios in addition to those required by the 1940 Act. The Acquiring Fund may be required to pledge its assets and to maintain a portion of its assets in cash or high-grade securities as a reserve against interest or principal payments and expenses. The Acquiring Fund expects that any credit facility would have customary covenant, negative covenant and default provisions. There can be no assurance that the Acquiring Fund will enter into an agreement for a credit facility, or one on terms and conditions representative of the foregoing, or that additional material terms will not apply. In addition, if entered into, a credit facility may in the future be replaced or refinanced by one or more credit facilities having substantially different terms or by the issuance of preferred shares.

Derivatives

The Acquiring Fund may enter into derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them. Derivative transactions that the Acquiring Fund may enter into and the risks associated with them are described elsewhere in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and are also referred to as “Strategic Transactions.” The Acquiring Fund cannot assure you that investments in derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them will result in a higher return on its common shares.

To the extent the terms of such transactions obligate the Acquiring Fund to make payments, the Acquiring Fund may earmark or segregate cash or liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the current value of the amount then payable by the Acquiring Fund under the terms of such transactions or otherwise cover such transactions in accordance with applicable interpretations of the staff of the SEC. If the current value of the amount then payable by the Acquiring Fund under the terms of such transactions is represented by the notional amounts of such investments, the Acquiring Fund would segregate or earmark cash or liquid assets having a market value at least equal to such notional amounts, and if the current value of the amount then payable by the Acquiring Fund under the terms of such transactions is represented by the market value of the Acquiring Fund’s current obligations, the Acquiring Fund would segregate or earmark cash or liquid assets having a market value at least equal to such current obligations. To the extent the terms of such transactions obligate the Acquiring Fund to deliver particular securities to extinguish the Acquiring Fund’s obligations under such transactions the Acquiring Fund may “cover” its obligations under such transactions by either (i) owning the securities or collateral underlying such transactions or (ii) having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities or collateral without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, having earmarked or segregated an appropriate amount of cash or liquid assets). Such earmarking, segregation or cover is intended to provide the Acquiring Fund with available assets to satisfy its obligations under such transactions. As a result of such earmarking, segregation or cover, the Acquiring Fund’s obligations under such transactions will not be considered senior securities representing indebtedness for purposes of the 1940 Act, or considered borrowings subject to the Acquiring Fund’s limitations on borrowings discussed above, but may create leverage for the Acquiring Fund. To the extent that the Acquiring Fund’s obligations under such transactions are not so earmarked, segregated or covered, such obligations may be considered “senior securities representing indebtedness” under the 1940 Act and therefore subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement.

 

70


These earmarking, segregation or cover requirements can result in the Acquiring Fund maintaining securities positions it would otherwise liquidate, segregating or earmarking assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or otherwise restrict portfolio management. Effective August 19, 2022, these requirements will be replaced by the requirements under the newly adopted Rule 18f-4 as described in this prospectus. See “Risks—Strategic Transactions and Derivatives.”

Temporary Borrowings

The Acquiring Fund may also borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Acquiring Fund securities.

Investment Restrictions

Each Fund has adopted certain investment restrictions that are “fundamental,” meaning such investment restrictions cannot be changed without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act. As defined in the 1940 Act, this phrase means the vote of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less. Each Fund has also adopted certain non-fundamental investment restrictions. The investment restrictions of the Funds are similar, although there are some differences, and are set forth in Appendix C to this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Each Fund’s VRDP Shares are assigned long-term ratings by Moody’s and Fitch. In order to maintain the required ratings, each Fund is required to comply with certain investment quality, diversification and other guidelines established by Moody’s and Fitch. Such guidelines may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. Each Fund does not anticipate that such guidelines would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective. Moody’s and Fitch receive fees in connection with their ratings issuances. Each Fund is also subject to certain covenants and requirements under the terms of the VRDP Shares and related documents, including the terms of the liquidity facility supporting the VRDP Shares. Such requirements may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. Each Fund does not anticipate that such requirements would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective. Please see “Information about the Preferred Shares of the Funds” for additional information.

 

71


THE TARGET FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

MYJ’s Investment Objectives and Policies

Investment Objective and Policies

MYJ’s investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and New Jersey personal income tax as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management.

MYJ seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of an aggregate of MYJ’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of MJY New Jersey Municipal Bonds. MYJ also may invest in municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes but is not exempt from gross income for New Jersey personal income tax purposes (“MYJ Municipal Bonds”). Unless otherwise noted, the term “MYJ Municipal Bonds” also includes MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds. MYJ may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. MYJ typically invests at least 80% of its total assets in MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds. MYJ’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of an aggregate of MYJ’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of MYJ (as defined in the 1940 Act). There can be no assurance that MYJ’s investment objective will be realized.

MYJ may invest in certain PABs (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in MYJ to an alternative minimum tax. The percentage of MYJ’s total assets invested in PABs will vary from time to time.

Under normal market conditions, MYJ expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term MYJ Municipal Bonds that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, which are obligations rated within the four highest quality ratings as determined by either Moody’s (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB), or are considered by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment. In the case of short-term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG-1 through MIG-3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG-3 and Prime-3 for Moody’s; and BBB and F-3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of MYJ Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Investment Advisor takes into account the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular MYJ Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the financial institution which provided such credit enhancement. Insurance is expected to protect MYJ against losses caused by a bond issuer’s failure to make interest or principal payments. However, insurance does not protect MYJ or its stockholders against losses caused by declines in a bond’s market value. If a bond’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the bond could drop. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Investment Advisor, to other obligations in which MYJ may invest.

MYJ may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities rated below investment grade, which are securities rated Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch or are considered by the Investment Advisor to be of comparable quality, at time of purchase. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

 

72


All percentage and ratings limitations on securities in which MYJ may invest apply at the time of making an investment and shall not be considered violated as a result of subsequent market movements or if an investment rating is subsequently downgraded to a rating that would have precluded MYJ’s initial investment in such security. In the event that MYJ disposes of a portfolio security subsequent to its being downgraded, MYJ may experience a greater risk of loss than if such security had been sold prior to such downgrade.

The average maturity of MYJ’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Investment Advisor. MYJ’s portfolio at any given time may include both long-term and intermediate-term municipal bonds.

The net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment company, such as MYJ, which invests primarily in fixed income securities, changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to decline. Prices of longer term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, such as MYJ.

For temporary periods or to provide liquidity, MYJ has the authority to invest as much as 20% of its total assets in tax-exempt and taxable money market obligations with a maturity of one year or less (such short-term obligations being referred to herein as “Temporary Investments”). In addition, MYJ reserves the right as a defensive measure to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments, when, in the opinion of the Investment Advisor, prevailing market or financial conditions warrant. Taxable money market obligations will yield taxable income. MYJ also may invest in VRDOs and VRDOs in the form of Participating VRDOs in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution. See “—Other Investment Policies.” MYJ’s hedging strategies are not fundamental policies and may be modified by the Board of Directors of MYJ without the approval of MYJ’s stockholders. MYJ is also authorized to invest in indexed and inverse floating rate obligations for hedging purposes and to seek to enhance return.

MYJ may invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if MYJ receives an opinion of counsel to the issuer that such securities pay interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes and, if applicable, exempt from New Jersey personal income tax (“MYJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities”). MYJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates, partnership interests or other instruments evidencing interest in one or more long-term MYJ Municipal Bonds. MYJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities also may include securities issued by other investment companies that invest in MYJ Municipal Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by MYJ’s investment restrictions and applicable law. MYJ Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities are subject to the same risks associated with an investment in MYJ Municipal Bonds as well as many of the risks associated with investments in derivatives. If the Internal Revenue Service were to issue any adverse ruling or take an adverse position with respect to the taxation on these types of securities, there is a risk that the interest paid on such securities would be deemed taxable at the federal level.

MYJ ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment income not exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax and New Jersey personal income tax. From time to time, MYJ may realize taxable capital gains.

Federal tax legislation may limit the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a U.S. federal income tax exemption. As a result, current legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of MYJ Municipal Bonds for investment by MYJ.

MYJ may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These derivatives may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to MYJ’s investment restrictions.

 

73


Description of Municipal Bonds

See “The Acquiring Fund’s Investments—Description of Municipal Bonds” for additional information regarding the types of MYJ Municipal Bonds in which MYJ invests.

Leverage

MYJ may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and net asset value of its Common Shares. However, this objective cannot be achieved in all interest rate environments. MYJ currently leverages its assets through the use of VRDP Shares and tender option bonds.

Under the 1940 Act, MYJ is permitted to issue debt up to 33 1/3% of its managed assets (50% of its net assets) or preferred equity securities up to 50% of its managed assets (100% of its net assets). MYJ may voluntarily elect to limit its leverage to less than the maximum amount permitted under the 1940 Act. In addition, MYJ may also be subject to certain asset coverage, leverage or portfolio composition requirements imposed by the VRDP Shares’ governing instruments, counterparties or by agencies rating the VRDP Shares, which may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

In general, the concept of leveraging is based on the premise that the financing cost of leverage, which will be based on short-term interest rates, will normally be lower than the income earned by MYJ on its longer-term portfolio investments purchased with the proceeds from leverage. To the extent that the total assets of MYJ (including the assets obtained from leverage) are invested in higher-yielding portfolio investments, MYJ’s common stockholders can benefit from incremental net income. The interest earned on securities purchased with the proceeds from leverage is paid to common stockholders in the form of dividends, and the value of these portfolio holdings is reflected in the per share net asset value.

However, in order to benefit common stockholders, the return on assets purchased with leverage proceeds must exceed the ongoing costs associated with the leverage. If interest and other costs of leverage exceed MYJ’s return on assets purchased with leverage proceeds, income to common stockholders will be lower than if MYJ had not used leverage. Furthermore, the value of MYJ’s portfolio investments generally varies inversely with the direction of long-term interest rates, although other factors can influence the value of portfolio investments. In contrast, the value of MYJ’s obligations under its leverage arrangement generally does not fluctuate in relation to interest rates. As a result, changes in interest rates can influence MYJ’s net asset value positively or negatively.

Changes in the future direction of interest rates are very difficult to predict accurately, and there is no assurance that MYJ’s leveraging strategy will be successful.

Leverage also will generally cause greater changes in MYJ’s net asset value, market price and dividend rate than comparable portfolios without leverage. In a declining market, leverage is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value and market price of MYJ’s Common Shares than if MYJ were not leveraged. In addition, MYJ may be required to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times or at distressed values in order to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to the use of leverage or as required by the terms of leverage instruments, which may cause MEN to incur losses. The use of leverage may limit MYJ’s ability to invest in certain types of securities or use certain types of hedging strategies. MYJ will incur expenses in connection with the use of leverage, all of which are borne by common stockholders and may reduce income to the Common Shares. During periods in which MYJ is using leverage, the fees paid to the Investment Advisor for advisory services will be higher than if MYJ did not use leverage, because the fees paid will be calculated on the basis of MYJ’s total managed assets, which includes the proceeds from leverage. MYJ’s leveraging strategy may not be successful.

There can be no assurance MYJ will be able to continue to use leverage through the use of preferred shares, tender option bonds or otherwise during periods of instability or illiquidity in the debt markets, during periods of high short-term interest rates or due to other adverse market conditions, because MYJ may not be able to enter into tender option bond transactions or use other forms of leverage during such periods. There can be no assurance that MYJ’s leverage strategy will be successful. The use of leverage can create risks.

 

74


Preferred Shares. MYJ has leveraged its portfolio by issuing VRDP Shares. Under the 1940 Act, MYJ is not permitted to issue preferred shares if, immediately after such issuance, the liquidation value of MYJ’s outstanding preferred shares exceeds 50% of its assets (including the proceeds from the issuance) less liabilities other than borrowings (i.e., the value of MYJ’s assets must be at least 200% of the liquidation value of its outstanding preferred shares). In addition, MYJ would not be permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of MYJ’s assets less liabilities other than borrowings is at least 200% of such liquidation value.

For tax purposes, MYJ is currently required to allocate tax-exempt interest income, net capital gain and other taxable income, if any, between its Common Shares and preferred shares outstanding in proportion to total dividends paid to each class for the year in which or with respect to which tax-exempt income, the net capital gain or other taxable income is paid. If net capital gain or other taxable income is allocated to preferred shares, instead of solely tax-exempt income, MYJ will likely have to pay higher total dividends to preferred stockholders or make special payments to preferred stockholders to compensate them for the increased tax liability. This would reduce the total amount of dividends paid to the holders of Common Shares, but would increase the portion of the dividend that is tax-exempt. If the increase in dividend payments or the special payments to preferred stockholders are not entirely offset by a reduction in the tax liability of, and an increase in the tax-exempt dividends received by, the holders of Common Shares, the advantage of MYJ’s leveraged structure to holders of Common Shares will be reduced.

Tender Option Bonds. MYJ currently leverages its assets through the use of TOB Residuals, which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which MYJ will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax. No independent investigation will be made to confirm the tax-exempt status of the interest or income paid by TOB Residuals held by MYJ. Although volatile, TOB Residuals typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate municipal bonds with comparable credit quality.

TOB Residuals represent beneficial interests in a TOB Trust formed for the purpose of holding municipal bonds contributed by one or more funds. A TOB Trust typically issues two classes of beneficial interests: TOB Floaters, which are sold to third-party investors, and TOB Residuals, which are generally issued to the funds(s) that transferred municipal bonds to the TOB Trust. MYJ may invest in both TOB Floaters and TOB Residuals. TOB Floaters may have first priority on the cash flow from the municipal bonds held by the TOB Trust and are enhanced with a liquidity support arrangement from the TOBs Liquidity Provider which allows holders to tender their position at par (plus accrued interest). MYJ, as a holder of TOB Residuals, is paid the residual cash flow from the TOB Trust. MYJ contributes municipal bonds to the TOB Trust and is paid the cash received by the TOB Trust from the sale of the TOB Floaters, less certain transaction costs, and typically will invest the cash to purchase additional municipal bonds or other investments permitted by its investment policies. If MYJ ever purchases all or a portion of the TOB Floaters sold by the TOB Trust, it may surrender those TOB Floaters together with a proportionate amount of TOB Residuals to the TOB Trust in exchange for a proportionate amount of the municipal bonds owned by the TOB Trust.

Other registered investment companies advised by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-advised Funds”) may contribute municipal bonds to a TOB Trust into which MYJ has contributed municipal bonds. If multiple BlackRock-advised Funds participate in the same TOB Trust, the economic rights and obligations under the TOB Residual will generally be shared among the funds ratably in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust.

The municipal bonds transferred to a TOB Trust typically are high grade municipal bonds. In certain cases, when municipal bonds transferred are lower grade municipal bonds, the TOB Trust transaction includes a credit enhancement feature that provides for the timely payment of principal and interest on the bonds to the TOB Trust by a credit enhancement provider. The TOB Trust would be responsible for the payment of the credit enhancement fee and MYJ, as a TOB Residual holder, would be responsible for reimbursement of any payments of principal and interest made by the credit enhancement provider.

The TOB Residuals held by MYJ generally provide MYJ with the right to cause the holders of a proportional share of the TOB Floaters to tender their notes to the TOB Trust at par plus accrued interest. Thereafter, MYJ may withdraw a corresponding share of the municipal bonds from the TOB Trust. As a result, a tender option bond transaction, in effect, creates exposure for MYJ to the entire return of the municipal bonds in the TOB Trust, with a

 

75


net cash investment by MYJ that is less than the value of the municipal bonds in the TOB Trust. This multiplies the positive or negative impact of the municipal bonds’ return within MYJ (thereby creating leverage). The leverage within a TOB Trust depends on the value of the municipal bonds deposited in the TOB Trust relative to the value of the TOB Floaters it issues.

MYJ may invest in highly leveraged TOB Residuals. A TOB Residual generally is considered highly leveraged if the principal amount of the TOB Floaters issued by the related TOB Trust exceeds 75% of the principal amount of the municipal bonds owned by the TOB Trust.

The leverage attributable to MYJ’s use of TOB Residuals may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of leverage. The TOB Trust may be collapsed without the consent of MYJ upon the occurrence of termination events, as defined in the TOB Trust agreements. Upon the occurrence of a termination event, a TOB Trust would be liquidated with the proceeds applied first to any accrued fees owed to the trustee of the TOB Trust, the remarketing agent of the TOB Floaters and the TOBs Liquidity Provider. Upon certain termination events, the holders of the TOB Floaters would be paid before the TOB Residual holders (i.e., MYJ) whereas in other termination events, the holders of TOB Floaters and the TOB Residual holders would be paid pro rata.

TOB Trusts are typically supported by a liquidity facility provided by a TOBs Liquidity Provider that allows the holders of the TOB Floaters to tender their TOB Floaters in exchange for payment of par plus accrued interest on any business day (subject to the non-occurrence of a termination event). The tendered TOB Floaters are remarketed by a remarketing agent. In the event of a failed remarketing, the TOB Trust may draw upon a loan from the TOBs Liquidity Provider to purchase the tendered TOB Floaters. Any loans made by the TOBs Liquidity Provider will be secured by the purchased TOB Floaters held by the TOB Trust and will be subject to an increased interest rate based on number of days the loan is outstanding.

MYJ may invest in a TOB Trust on either a non-recourse or recourse basis. When MYJ invests in TOB Trusts on a non-recourse basis, and the TOBs Liquidity Provider is required to make a payment under the liquidity facility, the TOBs Liquidity Provider will typically liquidate all or a portion of the municipal bonds held in the TOB Trust and then fund the balance, if any, of the Liquidation Shortfall. If MYJ invests in a TOB Trust on a recourse basis, it will typically enter into a reimbursement agreement with the TOBs Liquidity Provider pursuant to which MYJ is required to reimburse the TOBs Liquidity Provider the amount of any Liquidation Shortfall. As a result, if MYJ invests in a recourse TOB Trust, MYJ will bear the risk of loss with respect to any Liquidation Shortfall. If multiple BlackRock-advised Funds participate in any such TOB Trust, these losses will be shared ratably, in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust.

Under accounting rules, MYJ Municipal Bonds of MYJ that are deposited into a TOB Trust are investments of MYJ and are presented on MYJ’s Schedule of Investments and outstanding TOB Floaters issued by a TOB Trust are presented as liabilities in MYJ’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Interest income from the underlying MYJ Municipal Bonds is recorded by MYJ on an accrual basis. Interest expense incurred on the TOB Floaters and other expenses related to remarketing, administration, trustee and other services to a TOB Trust are reported as expenses of MYJ. In addition, under accounting rules, loans made to a TOB Trust sponsored by MYJ may be presented as loans of MYJ in MYJ’s financial statements even if there is no recourse to MYJ’s assets.

For TOB Floaters, generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal bonds with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option. Since the tender option feature has a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying municipal bonds deposited in the TOB Trust, the holder of the TOB Floaters relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the liquidity facility as well as the credit strength of that institution. The perceived reliability and creditworthiness, of many major financial institutions, some of which sponsor and/or provide liquidity support to TOB Trusts increases the risk associated with TOB Floaters. This in turn may reduce the desirability of TOB Floaters as investments, which could impair the viability or availability of TOB Trusts.

The use of TOB Residuals will require MYJ to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to any TOB Floaters, plus any accrued but unpaid interest due on the TOB Floaters, issued by TOB Trusts sponsored by, or on behalf of, MYJ that are not owned by MYJ. The use of TOB Residuals may also require MYJ to earmark or segregate

 

76


liquid assets in an amount equal to loans provided by the TOBs Liquidity Provider to the TOB Trust to purchase tendered TOB Floaters. MYJ reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to the extent that such changes are in accordance with applicable regulations or interpretations. Future regulatory requirements or SEC guidance may necessitate more onerous contractual or regulatory requirements, which may increase the costs or reduce the degree of potential economic benefits of TOB Trust transactions or limit MYJ’s ability to enter into or manage TOB Trust transactions.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. MYJ may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the investment restrictions set forth herein. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by MYJ with an agreement by MYJ to repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price, date and interest payment. At the time MYJ enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it may establish and maintain a segregated account with the custodian containing cash and/or liquid assets having a value not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). If MYJ establishes and maintains such a segregated account, or earmarks such assets as described, a reverse repurchase agreement will not be considered a senior security under the 1940 Act and therefore will not be considered a borrowing by MYJ; however, under certain circumstances in which MYJ does not establish and maintain such a segregated account, or earmark such assets on its books and records, such reverse repurchase agreement will be considered a borrowing for the purpose of MYJ’s limitation on borrowings discussed above. The use by MYJ of reverse repurchase agreements involves many of the same risks of leverage since the proceeds derived from such reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities acquired in connection with the reverse repurchase agreement may decline below the price of the securities MYJ has sold but is obligated to repurchase. Also, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale by MYJ in connection with the reverse repurchase agreement may decline in price.

If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce MYJ’s obligation to repurchase the securities and MYJ’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision. Also, MYJ would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the securities subject to such agreement.

MYJ also may effect simultaneous purchase and sale transactions that are known as “sale-buybacks.” A sale-buyback is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement, except that in a sale-buyback, the counterparty that purchases the security is entitled to receive any principal or interest payments made on the underlying security pending settlement of MYJ’s repurchase of the underlying security.

Dollar Roll Transactions. MYJ may enter into “dollar roll” transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, MYJ sells a mortgage related or other security to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to repurchase a similar security (but not the same security) in the future at a pre-determined price. A dollar roll transaction can be viewed, like a reverse repurchase agreement, as a collateralized borrowing in which MYJ pledges a mortgage related security to a dealer to obtain cash. However, unlike reverse repurchase agreements, the dealer with which MYJ enters into a dollar roll transaction is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by MYJ, but rather only securities which are “substantially identical,” which generally means that the securities repurchased will bear the same interest rate and a similar maturity as those sold, but the pools of mortgages collateralizing those securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold.

During the period between the sale and repurchase, MYJ will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. Proceeds of the sale will be invested in additional instruments for MYJ and the income from these investments will generate income for MYJ. If such income does not exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of MYJ compared with what the performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls.

At the time MYJ enters into a dollar roll transaction, it may establish and maintain a segregated account with the custodian containing cash and/or liquid assets having a value not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). If MYJ establishes and maintains such a segregated account, or earmarks such assets as described, a dollar roll transaction will not be considered a senior security under the 1940 Act and therefore will not be considered a

 

77


borrowing by MYJ; however, under certain circumstances in which MYJ does not establish and maintain such a segregated account, or earmark such assets on its books and records, such dollar roll transaction will be considered a borrowing for the purpose of MYJ’s limitation on borrowings.

Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities MYJ is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities. MYJ’s right to purchase or repurchase securities may be restricted. Successful use of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon the investment manager’s ability to correctly predict interest rates and prepayments. There is no assurances that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.

Derivatives. MYJ may enter into derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them. Derivative transactions that MYJ may enter into are also referred to as “Strategic Transactions.” MYJ cannot assure you that investments in derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them will result in a higher return on its Common Shares.

To the extent the terms of such transactions obligate MYJ to make payments, MYJ may earmark or segregate cash or liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the current value of the amount then payable by MYJ under the terms of such transactions or otherwise cover such transactions in accordance with applicable interpretations of the staff of the SEC. If the current value of the amount then payable by MYJ under the terms of such transactions is represented by the notional amounts of such investments, MYJ would segregate or earmark cash or liquid assets having a market value at least equal to such notional amounts, and if the current value of the amount then payable by MYJ under the terms of such transactions is represented by the market value of MYJ’s current obligations, MYJ would segregate or earmark cash or liquid assets having a market value at least equal to such current obligations. To the extent the terms of such transactions obligate MYJ to deliver particular securities to extinguish MYJ’s obligations under such transactions MYJ may “cover” its obligations under such transactions by either (i) owning the securities or collateral underlying such transactions or (ii) having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities or collateral without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, having earmarked or segregated an appropriate amount of cash or liquid assets). Such earmarking, segregation or cover is intended to provide MYJ with available assets to satisfy its obligations under such transactions. As a result of such earmarking, segregation or cover, MYJ’s obligations under such transactions will not be considered senior securities representing indebtedness for purposes of the 1940 Act, or considered borrowings subject to MYJ’s limitations on borrowings discussed above, but may create leverage for MYJ. To the extent that MYJ’s obligations under such transactions are not so earmarked, segregated or covered, such obligations may be considered “senior securities representing indebtedness” under the 1940 Act and therefore subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement.

These earmarking, segregation or cover requirements can result in MYJ maintaining securities positions it would otherwise liquidate, segregating or earmarking assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or otherwise restrict portfolio management.

Temporary Borrowings. MYJ may also borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Fund securities. Certain short-term borrowings (such as for cash management purposes) are not subject to the 1940 Act’s limitations on leverage if (i) repaid within 60 days, and (ii) not in excess of 5% of MYJ’s total assets.

Strategic Transactions

MYJ may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These Strategic Transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to MYJ’s investment restrictions. While MYJ’s use of Strategic Transactions is intended to reduce the volatility of the net asset value of MYJ’s Common Shares, the net asset value of MYJ’s Common Shares will fluctuate. No assurance can be given that MYJ’s Strategic Transactions will be effective.

 

78


There is no particular strategy that requires use of one technique rather than another as the decision to use any particular strategy or instrument is a function of market conditions and the composition of the portfolio. The ability of MYJ to use Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Investment Advisor’s ability to predict pertinent market movements as well as sufficient correlation among the instruments, which cannot be assured. Strategic Transactions subject MYJ to the risk that, if the Investment Advisor incorrectly forecasts market values, interest rates or other applicable factors, MYJ’s performance could suffer. Certain of these Strategic Transactions, such as investments in inverse floating rate securities and credit default swaps, may provide investment leverage to MYJ’s portfolio. MYJ is not required to use derivatives or other portfolio strategies to seek to hedge its portfolio and may choose not to do so.

The use of Strategic Transactions may result in losses greater than if they had not been used, may require MYJ to sell or purchase portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices other than current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation MYJ can realize on an investment or may cause MYJ to hold a security that it might otherwise sell. In addition, because of the leveraged nature of the Common Shares, Strategic Transactions will result in a larger impact on the net asset value of the Common Shares than would be the case if the Common Shares were not leveraged. Furthermore, MYJ may only engage in Strategic Transactions from time to time and may not necessarily be engaging in hedging activities when movements in interest rates occur.

Inasmuch as any obligations of MYJ that arise from the use of Strategic Transactions will be covered by segregated or earmarked liquid assets or offsetting transactions, MYJ and the Investment Advisor believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities and, accordingly, will not treat such transactions as being subject to its borrowing restrictions. Additionally, segregated or earmarked liquid assets, amounts paid by MYJ as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to Strategic Transactions are not otherwise available to MYJ for investment purposes.

For so long as the VRDP Shares are rated by a rating agency, MYJ’s use of options and certain financial futures and options thereon will be subject to such rating agency’s guidelines and limitations on such transactions. In order to maintain ratings on the VRDP Shares from one or more rating agencies, MYJ may be required to limit its use of Strategic Transactions in accordance with the specified guidelines of the applicable rating agencies.

Certain federal income tax requirements may restrict or affect the ability of MYJ to engage in Strategic Transactions. In addition, the use of certain Strategic Transactions may give rise to taxable income and have certain other consequences.

Put and Call Options on Securities and Indices. MYJ may purchase and sell put and call options on securities and indices. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell and the writer the obligation to buy the underlying security at the exercise price during the option period. MYJ may also purchase and sell options on bond indices (“index options”). Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the bond index upon which the option is based is greater, in the case of a call, or less, in the case of a put, than the exercise price of the option. The purchase of a put option on a debt security could protect MYJ’s holdings in a security or a number of securities against a substantial decline in the market value. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy and the seller the obligation to sell the underlying security or index at the exercise price during the option period or for a specified period prior to a fixed date. The purchase of a call option on a security could protect MYJ against an increase in the price of a security that it intended to purchase in the future.

Writing Covered Call Options. MYJ is authorized to write (i.e., sell) covered call options with respect to MYJ Municipal Bonds it owns, thereby giving the holder of the option the right to buy the underlying security covered by the option from MYJ at the stated exercise price until the option expires. MYJ writes only covered call options, which means that so long as MYJ is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option.

MYJ receives a premium from writing a call option, which increases MYJ’s return on the underlying security in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. By writing a call, MYJ limits its opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option for as long as

 

79


MYJ’s obligation as a writer continues. Covered call options serve as a partial hedge against a decline in the price of the underlying security. MYJ may engage in closing transactions in order to terminate outstanding options that it has written.

Additional Information About Options. MYJ’s ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an exchange-listed put or call option is dependent upon the existence of a liquid secondary market on option exchanges. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities; (iv) interruption of the normal operations on an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been listed by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. OTC options are purchased from or sold to dealers, financial institutions or other counterparties which have entered into direct agreements with MYJ. With OTC options, such variables as expiration date, exercise price and premium will be agreed upon between MYJ and the counterparty, without the intermediation of a third party such as the OCC. If the counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the securities underlying an option it has written, or otherwise settle the transaction in accordance with the terms of that option as written, MYJ would lose the premium paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. OTC options and assets used to cover OTC options written by MYJ are considered by the staff of the SEC to be illiquid. The illiquidity of such options or assets may prevent a successful sale of such options or assets, result in a delay of sale, or reduce the amount of proceeds that might otherwise be realized.

MYJ may engage in options and futures transactions on exchanges and options in the over- the-counter markets. MYJ will only enter into OTC options with counterparties the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy at the time they enter into such transactions.

The hours of trading for options on debt securities may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets.

Financial Futures Transactions and Options. MYJ is authorized to purchase and sell certain exchange traded financial futures contracts (“financial futures contracts”) in order to hedge its investments against declines in value, and to hedge against increases in the cost of securities it intends to purchase or to seek to enhance MYJ’s return. However, any transactions involving financial futures or options (including puts and calls associated therewith) will be in accordance with MYJ’s investment policies and limitations. A financial futures contract obligates the seller of a contract to deliver and the purchaser of a contract to take delivery of the type of financial instrument covered by the contract, or in the case of index-based futures contracts to make and accept a cash settlement, at a specific future time for a specified price. To hedge its portfolio, MYJ may take an investment position in a futures contract which will move in the opposite direction from the portfolio position being hedged. A sale of financial futures contracts may provide a hedge against a decline in the value of portfolio securities because such depreciation may be offset, in whole or in part, by an increase in the value of the position in the financial futures contracts. A purchase of financial futures contracts may provide a hedge against an increase in the cost of securities intended to be purchased because such appreciation may be offset, in whole or in part, by an increase in the value of the position in the futures contracts.

Distributions, if any, of net long-term capital gains from certain transactions in futures or options are taxable at long-term capital gains rates for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Futures Contracts. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security or, in the case of an index-based futures contract, to make and accept a cash settlement for a set price on a future date. A majority of transactions in futures contracts, however, do not result in the actual delivery of the underlying instrument or cash settlement, but are settled through liquidation, i.e., by entering into an offsetting transaction. Futures contracts have been designed by boards of trade which have been designated “contracts markets” by the CFTC.

 

80


The purchase or sale of a futures contract differs from the purchase or sale of a security in that no price or premium is paid or received. Instead, an amount of cash or securities acceptable to the broker and the relevant contract market, which varies, but is generally about 5% of the contract amount, must be deposited with the broker. This amount is known as “initial margin” and represents a “good faith” deposit assuring the performance of both the purchaser and seller under the futures contract. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, called “variation margin,” are required to be made on a daily basis as the price of the futures contract fluctuates making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.” At any time prior to the settlement date of the futures contract, the position may be closed out by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate the position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid to or released by the broker and the purchaser realizes a loss or gain. In addition, a nominal commission is paid on each completed sale transaction.

MYJ may also purchase and sell financial futures contracts on U.S. Government securities as a hedge against adverse changes in interest rates as described below. With respect to U.S. Government securities, currently there are financial futures contracts based on long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, U.S. Treasury notes, Government National Mortgage Association Certificates and three-month U.S. Treasury bills. MYJ may purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts on U.S. Government securities in connection with its hedging strategies.

MYJ also may engage in other futures contracts transactions such as futures contracts on municipal bond indices that may become available if the Investment Advisor should determine that there is normally a sufficient correlation between the prices of such futures contracts and the MYJ Municipal Bonds in which MYJ invests to make such hedging appropriate.

Futures Strategies. MYJ may sell a financial futures contract (i.e., assume a short position) in anticipation of a decline in the value of its investments resulting from an increase in interest rates or otherwise. The risk of decline could be reduced without employing futures as a hedge by selling investments and either reinvesting the proceeds in securities with shorter maturities or by holding assets in cash. This strategy, however, entails increased transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads and typically would reduce the average yield of MYJ’s portfolio securities as a result of the shortening of maturities. The sale of futures contracts provides an alternative means of hedging against declines in the value of its investments. As such values decline, the value of MYJ’s positions in the futures contracts will tend to increase, thus offsetting all or a portion of the depreciation in the market value of MYJ’s investments that are being hedged. While MYJ will incur commission expenses in selling and closing out futures positions, commissions on futures transactions are typically lower than transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of MYJ’s investments being hedged. In addition, the ability of MYJ to trade in the standardized contracts available in the futures markets may offer a more effective defensive position than a program to reduce the average maturity of the portfolio securities due to the unique and varied credit and technical characteristics of the instruments available to MYJ. Employing futures as a hedge also may permit MYJ to assume a defensive posture without reducing the yield on its investments beyond any amounts required to engage in futures trading.

When MYJ intends to purchase a security, MYJ may purchase futures contracts as a hedge against any increase in the cost of such security resulting from a decrease in interest rates or otherwise, that may occur before such purchase can be effected. Subject to the degree of correlation between such securities and the futures contracts, subsequent increases in the cost of such securities should be reflected in the value of the futures held by MYJ. As such purchases are made, an equivalent amount of futures contracts will be closed out. Due to changing market conditions and interest rate forecasts, however, a futures position may be terminated without a corresponding purchase of portfolio securities.

Call Options on Futures Contracts. MYJ may also purchase and sell exchange traded call and put options on financial futures contracts. The purchase of a call option on a futures contract is analogous to the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the pricing of the option compared to either the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying securities, it may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or underlying securities. Like the purchase of a futures contract, MYJ may purchase a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance when MYJ is not fully invested.

The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities, which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration is below the exercise price, MYJ will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in MYJ’s portfolio holdings.

 

81


Put Options on Futures Contracts. The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is analogous to the purchase of a protective put option on portfolio securities. MYJ may purchase a put option on a futures contract to hedge MYJ’s portfolio against the risk of rising interest rates.

The writing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the securities, which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration is higher than the exercise price, MYJ will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities which MYJ intends to purchase.

The writer of an option on a futures contract is required to deposit initial and variation margin pursuant to requirements similar to those applicable to futures contracts. Premiums received from the writing of an option will be included in initial margin. The writing of an option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those relating to futures contracts.

The CFTC subjects advisers to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the investment adviser either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC Derivatives, or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. To the extent MYJ uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and will not market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments. Accordingly, the Investment Advisor has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA. The Investment Advisor is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of MYJ.

Interest Rate Swap Transactions. In order to seek to hedge the value of MYJ against interest rate fluctuations, to hedge against increases in MYJ’s costs associated with the dividend payments on any preferred shares, including the VRDP Shares, or to seek to increase MYJ’s return, MYJ may enter into interest rate swap transactions such as MMD Swaps or SIFMA Swaps. To the extent that MYJ enters into these transactions, MYJ expects to do so primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities MYJ anticipates purchasing at a later date. MYJ may enter into these transactions primarily as a hedge or for duration or risk management rather than as a speculative investment. However, MYJ also may invest in MMD Swaps and SIFMA Swaps to seek to enhance return or gain or to increase MYJ’s yield, for example, during periods of steep interest rate yield curves (i.e., wide differences between short-term and long-term interest rates).

MYJ may purchase and sell SIFMA Swaps in the SIFMA swap market. In a SIFMA Swap, MYJ exchanges with another party their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments linked to the SIFMA Municipal Swap Index). Because the underlying index is a tax-exempt index, SIFMA Swaps may reduce cross-market risks incurred by MYJ and increase MYJ’s ability to hedge effectively. SIFMA Swaps are typically quoted for the entire yield curve, beginning with a seven day floating rate index out to 30 years. The duration of a SIFMA Swap is approximately equal to the duration of a fixed-rate MYJ Municipal Bond with the same attributes as the swap (e.g., coupon, maturity, call feature).

MYJ may also purchase and sell MMD Swaps, also known as MMD rate locks. An MMD Swap permits MYJ to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. By using an MMD Swap, MYJ can create a synthetic long or short position, allowing MYJ to select the most attractive part of the yield curve. An MMD Swap is a contract between MYJ and an MMD Swap provider pursuant to which the parties agree to make payments to each other on a notional amount, contingent upon whether the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above or below a specified level on the expiration date of the contract. For example, if MYJ buys an MMD Swap and the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is below the specified level on the expiration date, the counterparty to the contract will make a payment to MYJ equal to the specified level minus the actual level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract. If the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above the specified level on the expiration date, MYJ will make a payment to the counterparty equal to the actual level minus the specified level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract.

 

82


In connection with investments in SIFMA and MMD Swaps, there is a risk that municipal yields will move in the opposite direction than anticipated by MYJ, which would cause MYJ to make payments to its counterparty in the transaction that could adversely affect MYJ’s performance.

MYJ has no obligation to enter into SIFMA Swaps or MMD Swaps and may elect not to do so. The net amount of the excess, if any, of MYJ’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and MYJ will segregate or designate on its books and records liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess.

If there is a default by the other party to an uncleared interest rate swap transaction, generally MYJ will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. With respect to interest rate swap transactions cleared through a central clearing counterparty, a clearing organization will be substituted for the counterparty and will guarantee the parties’ performance under the swap agreement. However, there can be no assurances that the clearing organization will satisfy its obligation to MYJ or that MYJ would be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited on its behalf with the clearing organization in the event of the default by the clearing organization or MYJ’s clearing broker. Certain U.S. federal income tax requirements may limit MYJ’s ability to engage in interest rate swaps. Distributions attributable to transactions in interest rate swaps generally will be taxable as ordinary income to stockholders.

Counterparty Credit Standards. To the extent that MYJ engages in principal transactions, including, but not limited to, OTC options, forward currency transactions, swap transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and the purchase and sale of bonds and other fixed income securities, it must rely on the creditworthiness of its counterparties under such transactions. In certain instances, the credit risk of a counterparty is increased by the lack of a central clearing house for certain transactions, including certain swap contracts. In the event of the insolvency of a counterparty, MYJ may not be able to recover its assets, in full or at all, during the insolvency process. Counterparties to investments may have no obligation to make markets in such investments and may have the ability to apply essentially discretionary margin and credit requirements. Similarly, MYJ will be subject to the risk of bankruptcy of, or the inability or refusal to perform with respect to such investments by, the counterparties with which it deals. The Investment Advisor will seek to minimize MYJ’s exposure to counterparty risk by entering into such transactions with counterparties the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy at the time it enters into the transaction. Certain option transactions and Strategic Transactions may require MYJ to provide collateral to secure its performance obligations under a contract, which would also entail counterparty credit risk.

Other Investment Policies

MYJ has adopted certain other policies as set forth below.

Temporary Investments. MYJ may invest in short-term tax-exempt and taxable securities subject to the limitations set forth above. The tax-exempt money market securities may include municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, municipal bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year, variable rate demand notes and participations therein. Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes and grant anticipation notes. Anticipation notes are sold as interim financing in anticipation of tax collection, bond sales, government grants or revenue receipts. Municipal commercial paper refers to short-term unsecured promissory notes generally issued to finance short-term credit needs. The taxable money market securities in which MYJ may invest as Temporary Investments consist of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, domestic bank or savings institution certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short-term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper and repurchase agreements. These Temporary Investments must have a stated maturity not in excess of one year from the date of purchase. MYJ may not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank or a savings institution unless the bank or institution is organized and operating in the United States, has total assets of at least one billion dollars and is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), except that up to 10% of total assets may be invested in certificates of deposit of smaller institutions if such certificates are fully insured by the FDIC.

 

83


Credit Default Swap Agreements. MYJ may enter into credit default swap agreements for hedging purposes or to seek to increase its return. The credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by MYJ. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount (the difference between the market value of the reference obligation and its par value), if the swap is cash settled. MYJ may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If MYJ is a buyer and no credit event occurs, MYJ may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, MYJ generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As the seller, MYJ would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, MYJ would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

Credit default swap agreements involve greater risks than if MYJ had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risks. MYJ will enter into credit default swap agreements only with counterparties the Investment Advisor believes to be creditworthy at the time they enter into such transactions. A buyer generally also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. MYJ’s obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to MYJ).

MYJ will at all times segregate or designate on its books and records in connection with each such transaction liquid assets or cash with a value at least equal to MYJ’s exposure (any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed by MYJ to any counterparty) on a marked-to-market basis (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). If MYJ is a seller of protection in a credit default swap transaction, it will segregate or designate on its books and records in connection with such transaction liquid assets or cash with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the contract. Such segregation or designation will ensure that MYJ has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction and will avoid any potential leveraging of MYJ’s portfolio. Such segregation or designation will not limit MYJ’s exposure to loss.

VRDOs and Participating VRDOs. VRDOs are tax-exempt obligations that contain a floating or variable interest rate adjustment formula and right of demand on the part of the holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period not to exceed seven days. There is, however, the possibility that because of default or insolvency the demand feature of VRDOs and Participating VRDOs may not be honored. The interest rates are adjustable at intervals (ranging from daily to up to one year) to some prevailing market rate for similar investments, such adjustment formula being calculated to maintain the market value of the VRDOs, at approximately the par value of the VRDOs on the adjustment date. The adjustments typically are based upon the SIFMA Municipal Swap Index or some other appropriate interest rate adjustment index. MYJ may invest in all types of tax-exempt instruments currently outstanding or to be issued in the future which satisfy its short-term maturity and quality standards.

Participating VRDOs provide MYJ with a specified undivided interest (up to 100%) of the underlying obligation and the right to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest on the Participating VRDOs from the financial institution upon a specified number of days’ notice, not to exceed seven days. In addition, the Participating VRDO is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guaranty of the financial institution. MYJ would have an undivided interest in the underlying obligation and thus participate on the same basis as the financial institution in such obligation except that the financial institution typically retains fees out of the interest paid on the obligation for servicing the obligation, providing the letter of credit and issuing the repurchase commitment. MYJ

 

84


has been advised by its counsel that MYJ should be entitled to treat the income received on Participating VRDOs as interest from tax-exempt obligations as long as MYJ does not invest more than 20% of its total assets in such investments and certain other conditions are met. It is contemplated that MYJ will not invest more than 20% of its assets in Participating VRDOs.

VRDOs that contain an unconditional right of demand to receive payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest on a notice period exceeding seven days may be deemed to be illiquid securities. The Directors may adopt guidelines and delegate to the Investment Advisor the daily function of determining and monitoring liquidity of such VRDOs.

The Temporary Investments, VRDOs and Participating VRDOs in which MYJ may invest will be in the following rating categories at the time of purchase: MIG-1/VMIG-1 through MIG- 3/VMIG-3 for notes and VRDOs and Prime-1 through Prime-3 for commercial paper (as determined by Moody’s), SP-1 through SP-2 for notes and A-1 through A-3 for VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by S&P), or F-1 through F-3 for notes, VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by Fitch). Temporary Investments, if not rated, must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Investment Advisor. In addition, MYJ reserves the right to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments for defensive purposes, when, in the judgment of the Investment Advisor, market conditions warrant.

Repurchase Agreements. MYJ may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a member bank of the Federal Reserve System or a primary dealer or an affiliate thereof, in U.S. Government securities or an affiliate thereof. A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed-upon repurchase price determines the yield during MYJ’s holding period. The risk to MYJ is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold but MYJ might incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by MYJ may be delayed or limited.

In general, for federal income tax purposes, repurchase agreements are treated as collateralized loans secured by the securities “sold.” Therefore, amounts earned under such agreements will not be considered tax-exempt interest. The treatment of purchase and sales contracts is less certain.

Restricted and Illiquid Securities. MYJ may invest in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on disposition or lack an established secondary trading market. The sale of restricted and illiquid securities often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities eligible for trading on national securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets. Restricted securities may sell at a price lower than similar securities that are not subject to restrictions on resale.

 

85


MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

The Board of Directors and Officers

The Funds have the same Board Members and officers. The Board of each Fund is responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of the Fund and performs the various duties imposed on the trustees of investment companies by the 1940 Act and under applicable state law. A list of the Board Members and officers of the Funds, a brief biography of each Board Member and officer and additional information relating to the Board and officers are included in “Management of the Funds” in the Statement of Additional Information.

The Investment Advisor

BlackRock Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser for each Fund and is expected to continue to serve as investment adviser for the Combined Fund. The Investment Advisor is responsible for the management of each Fund’s portfolio and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operations of each Fund.

Each Fund entered into an Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Advisor to provide investment advisory services. Each Fund currently pays the Investment Advisor a monthly fee at an annual contractual investment management fee rate of 0.50% of the average daily value of its net assets. For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” means the total assets of each Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by TOB trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares).

Each Fund and the Investment Advisor have entered into the Fee Waiver Agreement, pursuant to which the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of each Fund’s assets attributable to investments in any equity and fixed-income mutual funds and ETFs managed by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates that have a contractual fee, through June 30, 2023. In addition, effective December 1, 2019, pursuant to the Fee Waiver Agreement, the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees each Fund pays to the Investment Advisor indirectly through its investment in money market funds advised by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates, through June 30, 2023. The Fee Waiver Agreement may be continued from year to year thereafter, provided that such continuance is specifically approved by the Investment Advisor and each Fund (including by a majority of each Fund’s Independent Board Members). Neither the Investment Advisor nor the Funds are obligated to extend the Fee Waiver Agreement. The Fee Waiver Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, only by each Fund (upon the vote of a majority of the Independent Board Members or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund), upon 90 days’ written notice by each Fund to the Investment Advisor.

If the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund, which will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund. The annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund is the same as the annual contractual investment management fee rate for each Fund.

[Based on a pro forma Broadridge peer expense universe for the Combined Fund, the estimated total annual fund expense ratio (excluding investment-related expenses and taxes) is expected to be in the [●] quartile and contractual investment management fee rate and actual investment management fee rate over total assets are each expected to be in the [●] quartile.]

There can be no assurance that future expenses of the Combined Fund will not increase or that any expense savings for any Fund will be realized as a result of any Reorganization.

A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the Investment Management Agreement by the Board of each Fund is provided in such Fund’s Form N-CSR for such Fund’s most recent fiscal year end available at www.sec.gov or by visiting www.blackrock.com.

 

86


The Investment Advisor is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock. BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly-traded investment management firms. As of [●], 2021, BlackRock’s assets under management were approximately $[●] trillion. BlackRock has over 25 years of experience managing closed-end products and, as of [●], advised a registered closed-end family of [●] exchange-listed active funds with approximately $[●] billion in assets.

BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients. BlackRock helps clients meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares® (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions®. Headquartered in New York City, as of [●], 2021, the firm had approximately [●] employees in more than [●] countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa.

Portfolio Management

Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is managed by a team of investment professionals comprised Phillip Soccio, CFA, Director at BlackRock, and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA, Managing Director at BlackRock. Each is a member of BlackRock’s municipal tax-exempt management group. Each is jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio, which includes setting each Fund’s overall investment strategy, overseeing the management of each Fund and/or selection of its investments. Messrs. Soccio and Jaeckel have been members of each Fund’s portfolio management team since 2017.

The biography of each portfolio manager of the Funds are set forth below:

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Biography

Phillip Soccio, CFA    Director of BlackRock since 2009; Vice President of BlackRock from 2005 to 2008.
Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA    Managing Director of BlackRock since 2006; Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (“MLIM”) from 2005 to 2006; Director of MLIM from 1997 to 2005.

Following the Reorganization, it is expected that the Combined Fund will be managed by a team of investment professionals led by Phillip Soccio, CFA and Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA.

The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in each Fund.

Portfolio Transactions with Affiliates

The Investment Advisor may place portfolio transactions, to the extent permitted by law, with brokerage firms affiliated with the Funds and the Investment Advisor, if it reasonably believes that the quality of execution and the commission are comparable to that available from other qualified brokerage firms.

None of the Funds paid brokerage commissions to affiliated broker-dealers during their three most recent fiscal years.

Other Service Providers

The professional service providers for the Funds are or will be as follows:

 

Service

  

Service Providers to the Funds

Accounting Agent    State Street Bank and Trust Company
Custodian    State Street Bank and Trust Company

 

87


Service

  

Service Providers to the Funds

Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar    Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Liquidity Provider to Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares    Bank of America, N.A.
Remarketing Agent to Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares    BofA Securities, Inc.
Liquidity Provider MYJ VRDP Shares    Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Remarketing Agent to MYJ VRDP Shares    Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Tender and Paying Agent to VRDP Shares    The Bank of New York Mellon
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm    [●]
Fund Counsel    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Counsel to the Independent Board Members    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

It is not anticipated that the Reorganization will result in any change in the organizations providing services to the Acquiring Fund as set forth above. As a result of the Reorganization, the service providers to the Acquiring Fund are anticipated to be the service providers to the Combined Fund.

Accounting Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company provides certain administration and accounting services to the Funds pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Services Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company provides the Funds with, among other things, customary fund accounting services, including computing each Fund’s NAV and maintaining books, records and other documents relating to each Fund’s financial and portfolio transactions, and customary fund administration services, including assisting the Funds with regulatory filings, tax compliance and other oversight activities. For these and other services it provides to the Funds, State Street Bank and Trust Company is paid a monthly fee from the Funds at an annual rate ranging from 0.0075% to 0.015% of each Fund’s managed assets, along with an annual fixed fee ranging from $0 to $10,000 for the services it provides to the Funds.

Custody of Assets

The custodian of the assets of each Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The custodian is responsible for, among other things, receipt of and disbursement of funds from each Fund’s accounts, establishment of segregated accounts as necessary, and transfer, exchange and delivery of Fund portfolio securities.

Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar

Computershare Trust Company, N.A., 150 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021, serves as each Fund’s transfer agent with respect to such Fund’s common shares.

VRDP Shares Liquidity Providers

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”), Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, serves as the liquidity provider for the MYJ VRDP Shares. Bank of America, N.A (“BofA”). New York, New York 10036, serves as the liquidity provider for the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares.

VRDP Shares Remarketing Agents

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, serves as the remarketing agent for the MYJ VRDP Shares. BofA Securities Inc. New York, New York 10036, serves as the remarketing agent for the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares.

 

88


VRDP Shares Tender and Paying Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, acts as the tender agent, transfer agent and registrar, dividend disbursing agent and paying agent and redemption price disbursing agent with respect to each Fund’s VRDP Shares and will serve in such capacity in connection with the VRDP Shares of the Combined Fund.

 

89


INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMON SHARES OF THE FUNDS

General

Common shareholders of each Fund are entitled to share pro rata in dividends declared by such Fund’s Board as payable to holders of the Fund’s common shares and in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to holders of the common shares. Common shareholders do not have preemptive or conversion rights and each Fund’s common shares are not redeemable. Voting rights are identical for the common shareholders of each Fund. Common shareholders of each Fund are entitled to one vote for each Share held by them and do not have any preemptive or preferential right to purchase or subscribe to any Shares of such Fund. Each Fund’s common shares do not have cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of a Fund’s common shares voting for the election of Board Members can elect all of the Board Members standing for election by such holders, and, in such event, the holders of the Fund’s remaining common shares will not be able to elect any Board Members. The outstanding MYJ and Acquiring Fund common shares are fully paid and non-assessable, except that the Board of each Fund has the power to cause common shareholders to pay certain expenses of the applicable Fund by setting off charges due from common shareholders from declared but unpaid dividends or distributions owed the common shareholders and/or by reducing the number of common shares owned by each respective common shareholder. Whenever preferred shares, including VRDP Shares, are outstanding, a Fund may not declare a dividend or distribution to common shareholders (other than a distribution paid in shares of, or in options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase, common shares or other shares, if any, ranking junior to the preferred shares, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation, or winding up of the Fund) or call for redemption, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any common shares (except by conversion into or exchange for shares of the Fund ranking junior to the preferred shares) unless all accumulated dividends on preferred shares have been paid and the Fund has redeemed the full number of any shares of preferred required to be redeemed, and unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to preferred shares at the time of declaration of such dividend or distribution or at the time of such purchase would be at least 200% after giving effect to the dividend or distribution or purchase price.

Purchase and Sale of Common Shares

Purchase and sale procedures for the common shares of each of the Funds are identical. Each Fund has its common shares listed on the NYSE. Investors typically purchase and sell common shares of the Funds through a registered broker-dealer on the NYSE, thereby incurring a brokerage commission set by the broker-dealer. Alternatively, investors may purchase or sell common shares of each of the Funds through privately negotiated transactions with existing common shareholders. Set forth below is information about each Fund’s common shares as of July 31, 2021.

 

Fund

   Title of Class    Amount
Authorized
   Amount
Held by
Fund
for its Own
Account
   Amount
Outstanding
Exclusive of
Amount
Shown in
Previous
Column

MYJ

   Common Shares    199,994,300    0    [●]

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   Common Shares    199,989,509    0    [●]

Common Share Price Data

The following tables set forth the high and low market prices for common shares of each Fund on the NYSE for each full quarterly period within each Fund’s two most recent fiscal years and each full quarter since the beginning of each Fund’s current fiscal year, along with the NAV and discount or premium to NAV for each quotation.

 

MYJ

  Market Price     NAV      Premium/(Discount) to NAV  

Period Ended

  High     Low     High     Low      High     Low  
7/31/2021   $ 16.21     $ 15.31     $ 16.35     $ 16.13        (0.9 )%      (5.1 )% 

 

90


4/30/2021   $ 15.41     $ 14.09     $ 16.21     $ 15.93        (4.9 )%      (11.6 )% 
1/31/2021   $ 14.62     $ 13.52     $ 16.34     $ 15.61        (10.5 )%      (13.39 )% 
10/31/2020   $ 14.61     $ 13.38     $ 16.03     $ 15.61        (8.9 )%      (14.3 )% 
7/31/2020   $ 14.28     $ 12.74     $ 15.90     $ 14.68        (10.2 )%      (13.2 )% 
4/30/2020   $ 15.82     $ 11.29     $ 16.38     $ 14.88        (3.4 )%      (24.1 )% 
1/31/2020   $ 15.66     $ 15.08     $ 15.94     $ 16.07        (1.8 )%      (6.2 )% 
10/31/2019   $ 15.80     $ 14.10     $ 16.27     $ 16.11        (2.9 )%      (12.5 )% 

 

Acquiring
Fund (MUJ)

  Market Price     NAV      Premium/(Discount) to NAV  

Period Ended

  High     Low     High     Low      High     Low  
7/31/2021   $ 16.06     $ 15.14     $ 16.31     $ 16.05        (1.5 )%      (5.7 )% 
4/30/2021   $ 15.35     $ 14.21     $ 16.11     $ 15.87        (4.7 )%      (10.5 )% 
1/31/2021   $ 14.64     $ 13.52     $ 16.28     $ 15.53        (10.0 )%      (12.9 )% 
10/31/2020   $ 14.59     $ 13.53     $ 15.97     $ 15.54        (8.6 )%      (12.9 )% 
7/31/2020   $ 14.21     $ 12.32     $ 15.84     $ 14.66        (10.3 )%      (16.0 )% 
4/30/2020   $ 14.92     $ 10.87     $ 16.33     $ 14.84        (8.6 )%      (26.8 )% 
1/31/2020   $ 14.76     $ 14.09     $ 16.30     $ 15.88        (9.5 )%      (11.3 )% 
10/31/2019   $ 14.63     $ 13.11     $ 16.02     $ 15.97        (8.7 )%      (17.9 )% 

For the periods shown in the tables above, the common shares of MYJ have traded at a discount and the common shares of the Acquiring Fund have traded at a discount.

The table below sets forth the market price, NAV, and the premium/discount to NAV of each Fund as of September 21, 2021.

 

Fund

   Market Price      NAV      Premium/
(Discount)
to NAV
 

MYJ

   $ 15.88      $ 16.17        (1.8 )% 

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   $ 16.03      $ 16.08        (0.3 )% 

To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a wider discount (or a narrower premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders would have the potential for an economic benefit by the narrowing of the discount or widening of the premium. To the extent MYJ’s common shares are trading at a narrower discount (or wider premium) than the Acquiring Fund at the time of the Reorganization, MYJ’s common shareholders may be negatively impacted if the Reorganization is consummated. Acquiring Fund common shareholders would only benefit from a premium/discount perspective to the extent the post-Reorganization discount (or premium) of the Acquiring Fund common shares improves.

There can be no assurance that, after the Reorganization, common shares of the Combined Fund will trade at, above or below NAV. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund common shares may trade at a price that is less than the current market price of Acquiring Fund common shares. In the Reorganization, common shareholders of MYJ will receive Acquiring Fund common shares based on the relative NAVs (not the market values) of the respective Fund’s common shares. The market value of the common shares of the Combined Fund may be less than the market value of the common shares of a Fund prior to the Reorganization.

Performance Information

The performance table below illustrates the past performance of an investment in common shares of each Fund by setting forth the average total returns for the Funds for the periods indicated. A Fund’s past performance does not indicate or guarantee how its common shares will perform in the future. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that the common shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted, and numbers may reflect small variances due to rounding. Standardized performance and performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by visiting the “Closed-End Funds” section of www.blackrock.com. References to BlackRock’s website are intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and do not, and are not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

91


Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2020

 

                            Annualized Rates of Return  
          Trailing
12-month
Distribution
Yield based  on
December 31,
2020 NAV
    One Year ended
December 31,
2020 based on
NAV
    One Year
ended
December 31,
2020 based
on Market
Price
    Five Year
ended
December 31,
2020 based on
NAV
    Five Year
ended
December 31,
2020 based on
Market Price
    Ten Year
ended
December 31,
2020 based on

NAV
    Ten Year
ended
December 31,
2020 based on

Market Price
 

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.

   MYJ      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]% 

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

   MUJ      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]% 

 

92


INFORMATION ABOUT THE PREFERRED SHARES OF THE FUNDS

MYJ’s and the Acquiring Fund’s respective charter authorizes the issuance of 200 million shares, all of which were initially classified as common shares with a par value of $0.10 per share. The Board of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund is authorized, however, to reclassify any unissued common shares to preferred shares without the approval of its common shareholders. Set forth below is information about each Fund’s preferred shares as of July 31, 2021.

 

Fund

  

Title of Class

   Amount
Authorized
    

Amount Authorized

Under Each Series

   Amount
Held by
Fund for its
Own
Account
    

Amount
Outstanding
Exclusive
of Amount

Shown in

Previous

Column

   Issue Date     

Mandatory
Redemption
Date

MYJ

   VRDP Shares      1,800      Series W-7 – 1,800      180,000,000      [●]      06/11/18      May 1, 2041

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   VRDP Shares      2,371      Series W-7 – 2,371      237,100,000      [●]      06/30/11      July 1, 2041

The outstanding preferred shares of each Fund are fully paid and non-assessable and have no preemptive or cumulative voting rights.

Below is a table that details, as of September 21, 2021, (i) each Fund’s current leverage attributable to preferred shares as a percentage of its total net assets, and (ii) the Combined Fund’s leverage attributable to preferred shares on a pro forma basis as a percentage of its total net assets assuming the Reorganization was consummated as of July 31, 2021.

 

Fund

   Title of Class      Shares
Outstanding
     Liquidation
Preference
Per Share
     Aggregate
Liquidation
Preference
     Total
Managed
Assets
     As
Percentage
of Net
Assets
 

MYJ

     VRDP Shares        1,800      $ 100,000      $ 180,000,000        622,646,845        46.1

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

     VRDP Shares        2,371      $ 100,000      $ 237,100,000        782,439,160        49.0

Pro forma Combined Fund (MYJ into MUJ)

     VRDP Shares        4,171      $ 100,000      $ 417,100,000        1,405,086,006        47.7

The VRDP Shares were offered to qualified institutional buyers in private transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act.

The annualized dividend rates for the preferred shares for each Fund’s most recent fiscal year end were as follows:

 

Fund

   Rate  

MYJ

     0.82

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

     0.91

Assuming the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, upon the Closing Date of the Reorganization, Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Share, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the Target Fund VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for each Target Fund VRDP Share held by the Target Fund VRDP Holders immediately prior to the Closing Date. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the

 

93


outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], 2021, unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are substantially similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

Each Fund’s VRDP Shares have the benefit of an unconditional demand feature pursuant to a purchase agreement provided by BofA, in the case of the Acquiring Fund and Wells Fargo, in the case of MYJ, acting as liquidity provider to ensure full and timely repayment of the liquidation preference amount plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends to holders upon the occurrence of certain events (each, a “Liquidity Facility”). Each Fund entered into a fee agreement with the applicable liquidity provider (each, a “Fee Agreement”) in connection with the Fund’s Liquidity Facility that requires a per annum liquidity fee payable to the liquidity provider. The Fee Agreement between each Fund and the applicable liquidity provider is scheduled to expire, unless renewed or terminated in advance, as follows:

 

Fund

   Expiration Date of Fee Agreement

MYJ

   July 2, 2022

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   April 30, 2022

Each Liquidity Facility requires the liquidity provider to purchase all VRDP Shares tendered for sale that were not successfully remarketed. Each Fund is required to redeem the Fund’s VRDP Shares owned by the applicable liquidity provider after six months of continuous, unsuccessful remarketing. Upon the occurrence of the first unsuccessful remarketing, a Fund is required to segregate liquid assets to fund the redemption.

In the event the VRDP Shares Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) for a Fund is not renewed, and the Fund does not arrange for a Purchase Agreement with an alternate liquidity provider, the Fund’s VRDP Shares will be subject to mandatory purchase by the applicable liquidity provider prior to the termination of the Purchase Agreement. There is no assurance that a Fund will replace such redeemed VRDP Shares with any other preferred shares or other form of leverage.

Except during a special rate period (as described below), VRDP Holders have the right to give notice on any business day to tender the VRDP Shares for remarketing in seven days, the VRDP Shares are subject to a mandatory tender for remarketing upon the occurrence of certain events, and should a remarketing be unsuccessful, the dividend rate for such VRDP Shares will reset to a maximum rate as defined in the governing documents of the VRDP Shares. Each Fund’s VRDP Shares are also subject to certain restrictions on transfer outside of the remarketing process. Except during a special rate period, a Fund may incur remarketing fees at the annual rate set forth below:

 

Fund

  

Remarketing Agent Fee

MYJ    0.05% of 101.85% of the liquidation preference of each outstanding VRDP Share
Acquiring Fund (MUJ)    0.10% times $100,000 per outstanding VRDP Share

 

94


Six months prior to the mandatory redemption date, each Fund is required to begin to segregate liquid assets with the Fund’s custodian to fund the redemption. In addition, each Fund is required to redeem certain of its outstanding VRDP Shares if it fails to maintain certain asset coverage, basic maintenance amount or leverage requirements.

Subject to certain conditions, each Fund’s VRDP Shares may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at any time at the option of the Fund. The redemption price per VRDP Share is equal to the liquidation value per VRDP Share plus any outstanding unpaid dividends.

Except during a special rate period, dividends on each Fund’s VRDP Shares are payable monthly at a variable rate set weekly by the remarketing agent. Such dividend rates are generally based upon a spread over a base rate and cannot exceed a maximum rate. In the event of a failed remarketing, the dividend rate of the VRDP Shares will be reset to a maximum rate. The maximum rate is determined based on, among other things, the long-term preferred share rating assigned to the VRDP Shares and the length of time that the VRDP Shares fail to be remarketed. The maximum rate of the VRDP Shares will not exceed an annual rate of 15% for each Fund, exclusive of any applicable gross-up payments or increased dividend payment relating to the inclusion in any dividend of net capital gains or ordinary income taxable for regular U.S. federal income tax purposes.

At the date of issuance, the VRDP Shares of each Fund were assigned a long-term rating of Aaa from Moody’s and AAA from Fitch. Subsequent to the issuance of the VRDP Shares, Moody’s completed a review of its methodology for rating securities issued by registered closed-end funds and adopted a new ratings methodology for such securities, which resulted in the downgrade of Moody’s ratings of the VRDP Shares of each Fund. As of July 31, 2021, the VRDP Shares were assigned a long-term rating of Aa2, in the case of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund. The VRDP Shares of each Fund continue to be assigned a long-term rating of AA from Fitch.

For each Fund, the short-term ratings on the VRDP Shares were withdrawn by Moody’s, Fitch and/or S&P at the commencement of the applicable special rate period, as described below. The short-term ratings on a Fund’s VRDP Shares are directly related to the short-term ratings of the liquidity provider for the Fund’s VRDP Shares. Changes in the credit quality of the applicable liquidity provider could cause a change in the short-term credit ratings of the VRDP Shares. Except during a special rate period, a change in the short-term credit rating of the applicable liquidity provider or the VRDP Shares may adversely affect the dividend rate paid on such VRDP Shares, although the dividend rate paid on the VRDP Shares is not directly related to the short-term rating. The liquidity provider to a Fund’s VRDP Shares may be terminated prior to the scheduled termination date if such liquidity provider fails to maintain short-term debt ratings in one of the two highest rating categories.

Each Fund’s VRDP Shares are senior in priority to the Fund’s common shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of such Fund. Each Fund’s VRDP Shares will rank on parity with other preferred shares of the Fund as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund. The 1940 Act prohibits the declaration of any dividend on a Fund’s common shares or the repurchase of the Fund’s common shares if the Fund fails to maintain the asset coverage of at least 200% of the liquidation preference of the outstanding VRDP Shares. In addition, pursuant to the governing instruments of each Fund’s VRDP Shares, the Fund is restricted from declaring and paying dividends on classes of shares ranking junior to or on parity with the VRDP Shares or repurchasing such shares if the Fund fails to declare and pay dividends on the VRDP Shares, redeem any VRDP Shares required to be redeemed under the VRDP Shares’ governing instruments or comply with the basic maintenance amount requirement of the agencies rating the VRDP Shares.

Each Fund’s VRDP Holders have voting rights equal to the Fund’s common shareholders (one vote per Share) and will vote together with such common shareholders (one vote per Share) as a single class. However, each Fund’s VRDP Holders, voting as a separate class, are also entitled to elect two Board Members for the Fund. In addition, the 1940 Act requires that along with approval by shareholders that might otherwise be required, the approval of a 1940 Act Majority of the VRDP Holders of a Fund, voting separately as a class, would be required to (a) adopt any plan of reorganization that would adversely affect the VRDP Shares of the Fund, (b) change the Fund’s sub-classification as a closed-end management investment company or change its fundamental investment restrictions or (c) change its business so as to cease to be an investment company.

 

95


Each Fund previously commenced a special rate period on the date set forth below, which was extended and is currently set to expire as indicated below:

 

Fund

   Commencement of Special
Rate Period
   Current Special Rate  Period
Expiration Date

MYJ

   06/21/12    06/17/22

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   04/17/14    04/15/22

The VRDP Holders and a Fund may mutually agree to extend the applicable special rate period prior to the expiration of such special rate period. If the applicable special rate period is not extended, the VRDP Shares will revert to remarketable securities upon the termination of the special rate period and will be remarketed and available for purchase by qualified institutional investors. A Liquidity Facility remains in effect for the duration of the applicable special rate period and the VRDP Shares are still subject to mandatory redemption by a Fund on their respective mandatory redemption date. However, the VRDP Shares will not be remarketed or subject to optional or mandatory tender events during such time. The short-term ratings of the VRDP Shares of each Fund were withdrawn by Moody’s, Fitch and/or S&P upon the commencement of the applicable special rate period. Short-term ratings may be re-assigned upon the termination of a special rate period.

During a special rate period, a Fund is required to maintain the same asset coverage, basic maintenance amount and leverage requirements for the VRDP Shares as was required prior to the special rate period.

During their Special Rate Period, each Fund pays no fees or nominal fees to the liquidity provider and remarketing agent, but instead pays dividends monthly based on the sum of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Municipal Swap Index (the “SIFMA Municipal Swap Index” or the “Base Rate”) and a percentage per annum based on the long-term ratings assigned to the VRDP Shares (the “Ratings Spread”). The Ratings Spread will increase in the event the VRDP Shares are rated below Aaa/AAA by all of the rating agencies rating the VRDP Shares at the time such Ratings Spread is determined, up to a maximum of 2.35% for MYJ or 3.00% for the Acquiring Fund in the event the VRDP Shares are either rated below Baa3/BBB- by at least one of the rating agencies then rating the VRDP Shares or not rated by any rating agency in the case of each Fund, for which the maximum is 3.35% for MYJ or 4.00% for the Acquiring Fund. As of July 31, 2021, each of MYJ’s and the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares were assigned an Aa2 rating from Moody’s, and each Fund’s VRDP Shares were assigned an AA rating from Fitch.

The annualized dividend rates of each Fund’s VRDP Shares as of each Fund’s most recent fiscal year end were as follows:

 

Fund

   Rate  

MYJ

     0.82

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

     0.91

Under MUJ’s Fee Agreement, to the extent the liquidity provider together with certain affiliates individually or in the aggregate own at least 20% of the outstanding VRDP Shares and the Fund has not failed to pay dividends on the VRDP Shares for two years, the liquidity provider agreed to enter into and maintain a voting trust agreement and convey into the voting trust the right to vote all of its VRDP Shares owned by it or such affiliates, with respect to: (i) the election of the two members of the Board for which VRDP Holders are entitled to vote under the 1940 Act and all other rights given to VRDP Holders with respect to the election of the Board; (ii) the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end management investment company to an open-end fund, or to change the Fund’s classification from diversified to non-diversified; (iii) the deviation from a policy in respect of concentration of investments in any particular industry or group of industries as recited in the Fund’s registration statement; and (iv) borrowing money, issuing senior securities, underwriting securities issued by other persons, purchasing or selling real estate or commodities or making loans to other persons other than in accordance with the recitals of policy with respect thereto in the Fund’s registration statement.

Under MYJ’s Fee Agreement, to the extent the liquidity provider together with certain affiliates individually or in the aggregate own at least 20% of the outstanding VRDP Shares and the Fund has not failed to pay dividends on the

 

96


VRDP Shares for two years, the liquidity provider agreed to enter into and maintain a voting trust agreement and convey into the voting trust the right to vote all of its VRDP Shares owned by it or such affiliates, with respect to: (i) the election of the two members of the Board for which VRDP Holders are entitled to vote under the 1940 Act and all other rights given to VRDP Holders with respect to the election of the Board; (ii) the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end management investment company to an open-end fund, or to change the Fund’s classification from diversified to non-diversified; (iii) the deviation from a policy in respect of concentration of investments in any particular industry or group of industries as recited in the Fund’s registration statement; (iv) borrowing money, issuing senior securities, underwriting securities issued by other persons, purchasing or selling real estate or commodities or making loans to other persons other than in accordance with the recitals of policy with respect thereto in the Fund’s registration statement; (v) any state law voting and consent rights granted to the purchaser as a matter of state law unless such voting or consent rights relate to situations where the rights or seniority of the beneficial owners of the VRDP Shares could be adversely affected (as determined by the purchaser); and (vi) all other voting and consent rights of the purchaser as a beneficial owner of the VRDP Shares unless such voting or consent rights relate to situations where the rights or seniority of the beneficial owners of the VRDP Shares could be adversely affected (as determined by the purchaser).

If a special rate period is not extended, the VRDP Shares will revert back to remarketable securities and will be remarketed and available for purchase by qualified institutional investors. There is no assurance that the VRDP Shares will be remarketed or purchased by investors after the termination of a special rate period. If the VRDP Shares are not remarketed or purchased, then a failed remarketing will occur. As described above, in the event of a failed remarketing, the dividend rate of the VRDP Shares will be reset to the maximum rate and the VRDP Shares that have not been remarketed are required to be purchased by the liquidity provider and subject to redemption by the applicable Fund after six months of continuous, unsuccessful remarketing.]

 

97


FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (MYJ)

The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand MYJ’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects the financial results for a single common share of MYJ. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in MYJ (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions, if applicable). The information shown has been audited by [●], MYJ’s independent registered public accounting firm. Financial statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 and the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm thereon appear in MYJ’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, which is available upon request.

Please see next page for Financial Highlights Table

 

98


MYJ Financial Highlights

[To come.]

 

99


BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (MUJ)

The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand the Acquiring Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects the financial results for a single Common Share of the Acquiring Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Acquiring Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions, if applicable). The information shown has been audited by [●], the Acquiring Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. Financial statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 and the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm thereon appear in the Acquiring Fund’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, which is available upon request.

Please see next page for Financial Highlights Table

 

100


The Acquiring Fund (MUJ) Financial Highlights

[To come.]

 

101


DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

General

The Acquiring Fund’s dividend and distribution policy with respect to common shares will be the Combined Fund’s dividend and distribution policy with respect to common shares. MYJ’s dividend and distribution policy with respect to common shares is identical as that of the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund intends to make regular monthly cash distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income, after payment of dividends on the Acquiring Fund’s preferred shares outstanding, to holders of the Acquiring Fund’s common shares, except as described below in “—Undistributed Net Investment Income.” The Acquiring Fund’s net investment income consists of all interest income accrued on portfolio assets less all expenses of the Acquiring Fund. The Acquiring Fund is required to allocate net capital gains and other taxable income, if any, received by the Acquiring Fund among its common shareholders on a pro rata basis in the year for which such capital gains and other income is realized.

Various factors will affect the level of the Acquiring Fund’s net investment income, such as its asset mix, portfolio turnover level, performance of its investments, level of retained earnings, the amount of leverage utilized by the Acquiring Fund and the effects thereof, the costs of such leverage, the movement of interest rates and general market conditions. These factors, among others, may result in the Combined Fund’s level of net investment income being different from the level of net investment income for any of the individual Funds if the Reorganization was not completed. To permit the Acquiring Fund to maintain more stable monthly distributions and to the extent consistent with the distribution requirements imposed on regulated investment companies by the Code, the Acquiring Fund may from time to time distribute less than the entire amount earned in a particular period. The income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Acquiring Fund for any particular month may be more or less than the amount actually earned by the Acquiring Fund during that month. The amount of undistributed income paid by the Acquiring Fund for any particular month may vary from time to time. The portion of a Combined Fund’s monthly distribution that consists of undistributed income may be greater than any individual Fund prior to the Reorganization for any particular month. Undistributed earnings will increase the Acquiring Fund’s NAV and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed earnings and from capital, if any, will reduce the Acquiring Fund’s NAV.

Acquiring Fund common shareholders will automatically have all dividends and distributions reinvested in common shares issued by the Acquiring Fund or Acquiring Fund common shares purchased in the open market in accordance with the Acquiring Fund’s Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan, unless an election is made to receive cash. For information concerning the manner in which dividends and distributions to holders of the Acquiring Fund common shares may be reinvested automatically in the Acquiring Fund common shares, see “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

Undistributed Net Investment Income

If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1) substantially all of the undistributed net investment income, if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date (the “Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions”). The declaration date, ex-dividend date (the “Ex-Dividend Date”) and record date of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions will occur prior to the Closing Date. However, all or a significant portion of the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions may be paid in one or more distributions to common shareholders of the Funds entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions after the Closing Date. Former MYJ shareholders entitled to such Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions paid after the Closing Date will receive such distributions in cash.

Persons who purchase common shares of any of the Funds on or after the Ex-Dividend Date for the Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distributions should not expect to receive any distributions from any Fund until distributions, if any, are declared by the Board of the Combined Fund and paid to shareholders entitled to any such distributions. No such distributions are expected to be paid by the Combined Fund until at least approximately one month following the Closing Date.

 

102


Additionally, the Acquiring Fund, in order to seek to provide its common shareholders with distribution rate stability, may include in its Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution amounts in excess of its undistributed net investment income and net investment income accrued through the Closing Date. This would result in the Acquiring Fund issuing incrementally more common shares in the Reorganization since its NAV as of the business day prior to the Closing Date of the Reorganization would be lower relative to a scenario where such excess amounts were not included in the Acquiring Fund’s Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution.

The Combined Fund is anticipated to retain a lower UNII balance after the Reorganization than the Acquiring Fund prior to the Reorganization. The lower anticipated UNII balance for the Combined Fund relative to the UNII balance of the Acquiring Fund poses risks for shareholders of the Combined Fund. UNII balances, in part, support the level of a fund’s regular distributions and provide a cushion in the event a fund’s net earnings for a particular distribution period are insufficient to support the level of its regular distribution for that period. If the Combined Fund’s net earnings are below the level of its current distribution rate, the Combined Fund’s UNII balance could be more likely to contribute to a determination to decrease the Combined Fund’s distribution rate, or could make it more likely that the Combined Fund will make distributions consisting in part of a return of capital to maintain the level of its regular distributions. See “Dividends and Distributions.” Moreover, because a fund’s UNII balance, in part, supports the level of a fund’s regular distributions, the UNII balance of the Combined Fund could impact the trading market for the Combined Fund’s common shares and the magnitude of the trading discount to NAV of the Combined Fund’s common shares. However, the Combined Fund is anticipated to benefit from a lower expense ratio, a potentially higher net earnings profile (compared to the Acquiring Fund) and other anticipated benefits of economies of scale as discussed herein. Each Fund, including the Combined Fund, reserves the right to change its distribution policy with respect to common share distributions and the basis for establishing the rate of its distributions for the common shares at any time and may do so without prior notice to common shareholders. The payment of any distributions by any Fund, including the Combined Fund, is subject to, and will only be made when, as, and if, declared by the Board of such Fund. There is no assurance the Board of any Fund, including the Combined Fund, will declare any distributions for such Fund.

To the extent any Pre-Reorganization Declared UNII Distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Restrictions on Distributions to Common Shares

While there are any preferred shares of the Acquiring Fund outstanding, the Acquiring Fund may not declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common shares, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accrued preferred shares dividends have been paid and (ii) the value of the Acquiring Fund’s total assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution), less all liabilities and indebtedness of the Acquiring Fund, is at least 200% (as required by the 1940 Act) of the liquidation preference of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the aggregate original purchase price of the outstanding preferred shares plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared on a cumulative basis). This limitation on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to make distributions on its common shares could in certain circumstances impair the ability of the Acquiring Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a regulated investment company under the Code. The Acquiring Fund intends, however, to the extent possible, to purchase or redeem preferred shares from time to time to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements and may pay special dividends to the holders of the preferred shares in certain circumstances in connection with any such impairment of the Acquiring Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code.

Tax Treatment of Distributions

The tax treatment and characterization of the Acquiring Fund’s distributions may vary significantly from time to time because of the varied nature of the Acquiring Fund’s investments. The Acquiring Fund will indicate the proportion of its capital gains distributions that constitute long-term and short-term gains annually.

The final tax characterization of distributions is determined after the end of the Acquiring Fund’s fiscal year and is reported to shareholders on Form 1099. Distributions will be characterized as tax-exempt interest income, ordinary income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The Acquiring Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains may not be sufficient to support the level of distributions paid. To the extent that distributions exceed the

 

103


Acquiring Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in the current fiscal year, the excess may be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Acquiring Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income.’ A return of capital is a return of a portion of an investor’s original investment. A return of capital is generally not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent disposition by the shareholder of his or her shares. It is possible that a substantial portion of the distributions paid during a calendar year may ultimately be classified as return of capital for income tax purposes when the final determination of the source and character of the distributions is made.

 

104


AUTOMATIC DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

Unless the registered owner of Acquiring Fund common shares elects to receive cash by contacting Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (the “Reinvestment Plan Agent”), all dividends or other distributions (together, a “dividend”) declared for your Acquiring Fund common shares will be automatically reinvested by the Reinvestment Plan Agent, as agent for shareholders in administering the Acquiring Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan (the “Reinvestment Plan”), in additional Acquiring Fund common shares.

Shareholders who elect not to participate in the Reinvestment Plan will receive all dividends in cash paid by check mailed directly to the shareholder of record (or, if the common shares are held in street or other nominee name, then to such nominee) by the Reinvestment Plan Agent. You may elect not to participate in the Reinvestment Plan and to receive all dividends in cash by contacting Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Reinvestment Plan Agent, at the address set forth below. Participation in the Reinvestment Plan is completely voluntary and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by telephonic, internet or written notice if received and processed by the Reinvestment Plan Agent prior to the dividend record date. Additionally, the Reinvestment Plan Agent seeks to process notices received after the record date but prior to the payable date and such notices often will become effective by the payable date. Where late notices are not processed by the applicable payable date, such termination or resumption will be effective with respect to any subsequently declared dividend.

Some brokers may automatically elect to receive cash on your behalf and may re-invest that cash in additional Acquiring Fund common shares for you. If you wish for all dividends declared on your Acquiring Fund common shares to be automatically reinvested pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan, please contact your broker.

The Reinvestment Plan Agent will open an account for each Acquiring Fund common shareholder under the Reinvestment Plan in the same name in which such common shareholder’s Acquiring Fund common shares are registered. Whenever the Acquiring Fund declares a dividend payable in cash, non-participants in the Reinvestment Plan will receive cash and participants in the Reinvestment Plan will receive the equivalent in Acquiring Fund common shares. The Acquiring Fund common shares will be acquired by the Reinvestment Plan Agent for the participants’ accounts, depending upon the circumstances described below, either (i) through receipt of additional unissued but authorized Acquiring Fund common shares from the Acquiring Fund (“newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares”) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding Acquiring Fund common shares on the open market (“open-market purchases”). If, on the dividend payment date, the NAV is equal to or less than the market price per share plus estimated per share fees (such condition often referred to as a “market premium”), the Reinvestment Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares on behalf of the participants. The number of newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares to be credited to each participant’s account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the dividend by the NAV on the dividend payment date. However, if the NAV is less than 95% of the market price on the dividend payment date, the dollar amount of the dividend will be divided by 95% of the market price on the dividend payment date. If, on the dividend payment date, the NAV is greater than the market price per share plus estimated per share fees (such condition often referred to as a “market discount”), the Reinvestment Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in Acquiring Fund common shares acquired on behalf of the participants in open-market purchases. In the event of a market discount on the dividend payment date, the Reinvestment Plan Agent will have until the last business day before the next date on which the Acquiring Fund common shares trade on an “ex-dividend” basis or 30 days after the dividend payment date, whichever is sooner, to invest the dividend amount in Acquiring Fund common shares acquired in open-market purchases. If, before the Reinvestment Plan Agent has completed its open-market purchases, the market price per Acquiring Fund Common Share exceeds the NAV per Acquiring Fund Common Share, the average per Acquiring Fund Common Share purchase price paid by the Reinvestment Plan Agent may exceed the NAV of the Acquiring Fund common shares, resulting in the acquisition of fewer Acquiring Fund common shares than if the dividend had been paid in newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares on the dividend payment date.

Because of the foregoing difficulty with respect to open-market purchases, the Reinvestment Plan provides that if the Reinvestment Plan Agent is unable to invest the full dividend amount in open-market purchases, or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the purchase period, the Reinvestment Plan Agent may cease making open-market purchases and may invest any uninvested portion in newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares. Investments in newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares made in this manner would be made pursuant to the same process described above and the date of issue for such newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares will substitute for the dividend payment date.

 

105


The Reinvestment Plan Agent maintains all shareholders’ accounts in the Reinvestment Plan and furnishes written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by shareholders for tax records. Acquiring Fund Common shares in the account of each participant will be held by the Reinvestment Plan Agent on behalf of such participant, and each shareholder proxy will include those Acquiring Fund common shares purchased or received pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan.

In the case of shareholders such as banks, brokers or nominees, which hold shares for others who are the beneficial owners, the Reinvestment Plan Agent will administer the Reinvestment Plan on the basis of the number of Acquiring Fund common shares certified from time to time by the record shareholder’s name and held for the account of beneficial owners who participate in the Reinvestment Plan.

The Reinvestment Plan Agent’s fees for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends will be paid by the Acquiring Fund; however, each participant will pay a $0.02 per share fee incurred in connection with open-market purchases, which will be deducted from the value of the dividend. The automatic reinvestment of dividends pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan will not relieve participants of any U.S. federal, state or local income tax that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such dividends.

Participants in MYJ and the Acquiring Fund that request a sale of shares are subject to a $0.02 per share sold brokerage commission. Per share fees include any applicable brokerage commissions the Reinvestment Plan Agent is required to pay.

The Acquiring Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Reinvestment Plan. There is no direct service charge to participants with regard to purchases in the Reinvestment Plan; however, the Acquiring Fund reserves the right to amend the Reinvestment Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Notice of amendments to the Reinvestment Plan will be sent to participants.

All correspondence concerning the Reinvestment Plan should be directed to the Reinvestment Plan Agent through the internet at www.computershare.com/blackrock, or in writing to Computershare Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 505000, Louisville, KY 40233, Telephone: (800) 699-1236.

All overnight correspondence should be directed to the Reinvestment Plan Agent at Computershare, 462 South 4th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, KY 40202.

 

106


CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER AND BYLAWS

Each of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund’s Charter and Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions that could have the effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board. This could have the effect of depriving shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control over the Fund. Such attempts could have the effect of increasing the expenses of the Fund and disrupting the normal operation of the Fund.

Certain Provisions in the Charter of Each Fund

Each Fund’s Charter provides that a favorable vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to be voted on the matter shall be required to approve, adopt or authorize (i) a merger or consolidation or statutory share exchange of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund with any other corporation, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund (other than in the regular course of its investment activities), or (iii) a liquidation or dissolution of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund, unless such action has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of MYJ’s or the Acquiring Fund’s Board Members, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund entitled to vote thereon shall be required.

If any plan of reorganization (as such term is used under the 1940 Act) adversely affects a Fund’s preferred shares, including such Fund’s VRDP Shares, then such plan of reorganization will require the approval of a 1940 Act Majority of the holders of such preferred shares, including such Fund’s VRDP Holders.

Each Fund has elected to be subject to the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act (the “MCSAA”). In general, the MCSAA limits the ability of holders of “control shares” to vote those shares above various threshold levels that start at 10% unless the other stockholders of each Fund reinstate those voting rights at a meeting of stockholders as provided in the MCSAA. “Control shares” are generally defined in the MCSAA as shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock that are either (i) owned by a person or (ii) as to which that person is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power, except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy, would entitle that person to exercise voting power in electing directors above various thresholds of voting power starting at 10%. The bylaws of each Fund also provide that the provisions of the MCSAA shall not apply to the voting rights of the holders of any shares of preferred stock of such Fund (but only with respect to such preferred stock).

Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors, as documented pursuant to the filing of articles supplementary, and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to a provision requiring that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred. Pursuant to Subtitle 8 and by amendment to the bylaws and the filing of articles supplementary, the Board of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund elected to provide that vacancies on the Board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred.

The Board of each Fund has determined that the voting requirements described above are in the best interests of shareholders generally. Reference should be made to the Charter of each Fund on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.

Certain Provisions in the Bylaws of Each Fund

Each Fund’s bylaws generally require that advance notice be given to the Fund in the event a shareholder desires to nominate a person for election to the Board or to transact any other business at an annual meeting of shareholders. Notice of any such nomination or business must be delivered to or received at the principal executive offices of the Fund not less than 120 calendar days nor more than 150 calendar days prior to the anniversary date of the prior year’s annual meeting (subject to certain exceptions). Any notice by a shareholder must be accompanied by certain information as provided in the bylaws. Reference should be made to each Fund’s bylaws on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.

 

107


GOVERNING LAW

MYJ was formed as a Maryland corporation governed by the laws of the State of Maryland on February 24, 1992, and commenced operations on May 1, 1992.

The Acquiring Fund was formed as a Maryland corporation governed by the laws of the State of Maryland on January 27, 1998, and commenced operations on March 11, 1998.

Shareholders should refer to the relevant laws of each state and the provisions of each Fund’s applicable organizational documents for a more thorough explanation. Such documents are filed as part of each Fund’s registration statement with the SEC, and shareholders may obtain copies of such documents as described on page vi of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

108


CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

Each Fund’s Charter provides that a favorable vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to be voted on the matter shall be required to convert the Fund to an open-end investment company, unless such action has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s Board Members, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Acquiring Fund entitled to vote thereon shall be required.

The foregoing votes would satisfy a separate requirement in the 1940 Act that any conversion of a Fund to an open-end investment company be approved by the shareholders. If approved in the foregoing manners, we anticipate conversion of a Fund to an open-end investment company might not occur until 90 days after the shareholders’ meeting at which such conversion was approved and would also require at least 10 days’ prior notice to all shareholders. Following any such conversion, it is possible that certain of the Fund’s investment policies and strategies would have to be modified to assure sufficient portfolio liquidity. In the event of conversion, the Fund’s common shares would cease to be listed on the NYSE and the Fund’s preferred shares would be redeemed. Shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares at any time, except in certain circumstances as authorized by or under the 1940 Act, at their NAV, less such redemption charge, if any, as might be in effect at the time of redemption. An open-end investment company expects to pay all such redemption requests in cash, but reserves the right to pay redemption requests in a combination of cash and securities. If such partial payment in securities were made, investors may incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. If a Fund were converted to an open-end investment company, it is likely that new shares would be sold at NAV plus a sales load. Each Board believes, however, that its Fund’s closed-end structure is desirable in light of its Fund’s investment objective and policies. Therefore, shareholders should assume that it is not likely that any Board would vote to convert its Fund to an open-end fund.

 

109


CAPITALIZATION TABLE

The Board of each Fund may authorize separate classes of shares together with such designation of preferences, rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications or terms as may be determined from time to time by the Board of such Fund. The table below sets forth the capitalization of MYJ and MUJ as of August 31, 2021 and the pro forma capitalization of the Combined Fund assuming the Reorganization was consummated as of August 31, 2021.

Capitalization of MYJ and MUJ as of August 31, 2021 and pro forma capitalization of the Combined

Fund assuming the Reorganization was consummated as of August 31, 2021 (unaudited)

 

     Target Fund
(MYJ)
     Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
     Adjustments     Pro forma
Combined
Fund (MYJ
into MUJ)
 

Net Assets Attributable to:

          

Common Shares(1)

   $ 391,312,517      $ 485,516,674        $ (3,374,688 )(2)    $ 873,454,503  

VRDP Shares

   $ 180,000,000      $ 237,100,000        —       $ 417,100,000  

Shares Outstanding

          

Common Shares

     24,124,417        30,0871,169        ([●] )(3)      54,357,901  

VRDP Shares

     1,800        2,371        —         4,171  

NAV per Common Share

   $ 16.22      $ 16.14        $ 16.07  

Liquidation Preference per VRDP Share

   $ 100,000      $ 100,000        $ 100,000  

 

(1)  

Based on the number of outstanding common shares as of August 31, 2021.

 

(2) 

Reflects non-recurring aggregate estimated Reorganization expenses of $433,018, of which $236,951 was attributable to MYJ and $196,067 was attributable to the Acquiring Fund. The actual costs associated with the Reorganization may be more or less than the estimated costs discussed herein. Reflects undistributed net investment income (previously defined as “UNII”) of $2,941,670, of which $1,079,317 was attributable to MYJ and $1,862,353 was attributable to the Acquiring Fund.

 

(3) 

Reflects adjustments due to differences in per common share NAV.

 

110


VOTING RIGHTS

Voting rights are identical for the holders of each Fund’s common shares. Holders of each Fund’s common shares are entitled to one vote for each Common Share held by them. Holders of each Fund’s preferred shares are entitled to one vote for each preferred share held by them. Each Fund’s common shares and preferred shares do not have cumulative voting rights.

APPRAISAL RIGHTS

Under Maryland law, except in limited circumstances, stockholders are not entitled to demand the fair value of their shares in connection with a reorganization if any shares of the class or series of the stock are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the common shares of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, on the Record Date.

 

111


U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REORGANIZATION

The following is a general summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization to the U.S holders of MYJ common shares. The discussion is based upon the Code, Treasury regulations, court decisions, published positions of the IRS and other applicable authorities, all as in effect on the date hereof and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). The discussion is limited to U.S. persons who hold common shares of MYJ as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). This summary does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a particular shareholder or to shareholders who may be subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws. No ruling has been or will be obtained from the IRS regarding any matter relating to the Reorganization. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax aspects described below. This summary of U.S. federal income tax consequences is for general information only. The Funds’ shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization, as well as the effects of state, local and non-U.S. tax laws, including possible changes in tax law.

It is a condition to the closing of the Reorganization that each Fund receives an opinion from Willkie, dated as of the Closing Date, regarding the characterization of the Reorganization as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. The opinion of Willkie will be based on U.S. federal income tax law in effect on the Closing Date. In rendering its opinion, Willkie will also rely upon certain representations of the management of each Fund and assume, among other things, that the Reorganization will be consummated in accordance with the Reorganization Agreement and other operative documents and as described herein. An opinion of counsel is not binding on the IRS or any court.

As a reorganization, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization can be summarized as follows:

 

   

No gain or loss will be recognized by a Fund by reason of the Reorganization.

 

   

No gain or loss will be recognized by a shareholder of MYJ who exchanges, as the case may be, all of its common shares solely for Acquiring Fund common shares or all of its MYJ VRDP Shares solely for Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares pursuant to the Reorganization (except with respect to cash received in lieu of a fractional Acquiring Fund common share, as discussed below).

 

   

The aggregate tax basis of Acquiring Fund common shares received by a shareholder of MYJ pursuant to the Reorganization will be the same as the aggregate tax basis of the shareholder’s MYJ common shares surrendered in exchange therefor (reduced by any amount of tax basis allocable to a fractional Acquiring Fund common share for which cash is received).

 

   

The holding period of Acquiring Fund common shares received by a shareholder of MYJ pursuant to the Reorganization will include the holding period of the shareholder’s common shares surrendered in exchange therefor.

 

   

A shareholder of MYJ that receives cash in lieu of a fractional Acquiring Fund common share in connection with the Reorganization will be treated as having received cash in exchange for such fractional Acquiring Fund common share. A MYJ shareholder that receives cash in lieu of a fractional Acquiring Fund common share will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash deemed received for the fractional Acquiring Fund common share and MYJ shareholder’s tax basis in MYJ common shares allocable to the fractional Acquiring Fund common share. The capital gain or loss will be a long-term capital gain or loss if MYJ shareholder’s holding period for MYJ common shares is more than one year as of the date the Reorganization is consummated.

 

   

The Acquiring Fund’s tax basis in MYJ’s assets received by the Acquiring Fund pursuant to the Reorganization will, in each instance, equal the tax basis of such assets in the hands of MYJ immediately prior to the Closing Date, and the Acquiring Fund’s holding period for such assets will, in each instance, include the period during which the assets were held by MYJ.

 

112


The Acquiring Fund intends to continue to be taxed under the rules applicable to regulated investment companies as defined in Section 851 of the Code, which are the same rules currently applicable to each Fund and its shareholders.

Neither Fund intends to sell any assets in connection with the Reorganization other than in the ordinary course of business. If, however, assets of MYJ were to be sold in connection with the Reorganization, or if such assets were required to be marked to market as a result of the termination of MYJ’s taxable year or as a result of the transfer of certain assets in the Reorganization, the tax impact of any such sales (or deemed sales) would depend on the difference between the price at which such portfolio assets are sold and MYJ’s basis in such assets. Any capital gains recognized in these sales (or deemed sales) on a net basis will be distributed to MYJ shareholders as capital gain dividends (to the extent of net realized long-term capital gains) and/or ordinary dividends (to the extent of net realized short-term capital gains) during or with respect to the year of sale (or deemed sale) and prior to or after the date of the Reorganization, and such distributions will be taxable to MYJ shareholders.

Prior to the Closing Date, each Fund will declare a distribution to its shareholders, which together with all previous distributions, will have the effect of distributing to the shareholders of such Fund all of the Fund’s (i) investment company income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), if any, through the Closing Date, (ii) net capital gains, if any, through the Closing Date, and (iii) net tax-exempt interest income, if any, through the Closing Date. To the extent that such a distribution is not an “exempt interest dividend” (as defined in the Code), the distribution may be taxable to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Acquiring Fund will succeed to capital loss carryforwards (and certain unrealized built-in losses, if any) of MYJ, which are expected to be subject to tax loss limitation rules because MYJ will undergo an “ownership change” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Because MYJ will undergo an “ownership change,” the Code will generally limit the amount of pre-ownership change losses of MYJ that may be used to offset post-ownership change gains to a specific “annual loss limitation amount” (generally the product of (i) the fair market value of the stock of MYJ, with certain adjustments, immediately prior to the Reorganization and (ii) a rate established by the IRS). Subject to certain limitations, any unused portion of these losses may be available in subsequent years, subject to the remaining portion of any applicable capital loss carryforward limit, as measured from the date of recognition.

Although the capital loss carryforwards of the Combined Fund attributable to MYJ or MUJ may be subject to tax loss limitation rules to the extent outlined above, it is currently expected that such tax loss limitation rules should not have a material adverse effect on the Combined Fund’s utilization of MYJ’s or MUJ’s capital loss carryforward as compared with what each Fund’s utilization of its own capital loss carryforward would be without the Reorganization. The ability of each Fund (and the Combined Fund) to utilize any capital loss carryforwards now or in the future depends on many variables and assumptions, including but not limited to, projected performance of a Fund, the unrealized gain/loss position of a Fund, the types of securities held by a Fund, the current and future market environment (including the level of interest rates), portfolio turnover and applicable law, and is, therefore, highly uncertain. As of July 31, 2021, the Funds’ unused capital loss carryforwards, which have no expiration date and may be carried forward indefinitely, are estimated to be approximately as follows:

 

113


Capital Loss Carryforward Amount

 

MYJ    Acquiring Fund
(MUJ)
$(6,572,209)    $(8,621,838)

Due to the operation of these tax loss limitation rules, it is possible that shareholders of MYJ or the Acquiring Fund would receive taxable distributions of short-term and long-term capital gains earlier than they would have in the absence of the Reorganization. Such taxable distributions will be treated either as ordinary income (and not as favorably taxed “qualified dividend income”) if such capital gains are short term or as favorably taxed capital gain dividends if such capital gains are long term. The actual financial effect of the loss limitation rules on a shareholder of MYJ whose losses are subject to the loss limitation rules would depend on many variables, including MYJ’s expected growth rate if the Reorganization were not to occur (i.e., whether, in the absence of the Reorganization, MYJ would generate sufficient capital gains against which to utilize its capital loss carryforwards (and certain realized built-in losses), in excess of what would have been the “annual loss limitation amount” had the Reorganization occurred), the timing and amount of future capital gains recognized by the Combined Fund if the Reorganization was to occur, and the timing of a historic MYJ shareholder’s disposition of its Shares (the tax basis of which might, depending on the facts, reflect that shareholder’s share of such Fund’s capital losses). Shareholders of all of the Funds should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.

For five years beginning on the Closing Date of the Reorganization, the Combined Fund will not be allowed to offset certain pre-Reorganization built-in gains attributable to a Fund that is a gain corporation with capital loss carryforwards (and certain built-in losses) attributable to another Fund.

 

114


VOTING INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

Record Date

The Funds’ have fixed the close of business on [●] as the record date (the “Record Date”) for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Shareholders on the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each Share held, with no Shares having cumulative voting rights.

A list of each Fund’s shareholders of record as of the Record Date will be available for inspection at the Special Meeting.

As of the Record Date, the Funds had the following number of common shares and preferred shares outstanding:

 

Title of Class

  

MYJ

  

Acquiring

Fund
(MUJ)

Common shares

   [●]    [●]

VRDP Shares

   [●]    [●]

Proxies

Shareholders may vote by participating at the Special Meeting remotely, by returning the enclosed proxy card or by casting their vote via telephone or the Internet using the instructions provided on the enclosed proxy card (described in greater detail below). Shareholders of each Fund have the opportunity to submit their voting instructions via the Internet or by “touch-tone” telephone voting. The giving of such a proxy will not affect your right to vote should you decide to attend the Special Meeting remotely. To use the Internet, please access the Internet address found on your proxy card. To record your voting instructions by automated telephone, please call the toll-free number listed on your proxy card. The Internet and automated telephone voting instructions are designed to authenticate shareholder identities, to allow shareholders to give their voting instructions, and to confirm that shareholders’ instructions have been recorded properly. Shareholders submitting their voting instructions via the Internet should understand that there may be costs associated with Internet access, such as usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies that must be borne by the shareholders. Any person giving a proxy may revoke it at any time prior to its exercise by giving written notice of the revocation to the Secretary of the Fund at 40 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10022, by delivering a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, by recording later-dated voting instructions via the Internet or automated telephone or by attending the Special Meeting and voting. The giving of a proxy will not affect your right to vote if you attend the Special Meeting and wish to do so.

Votes cast by proxy or at the Special Meeting will be tabulated by the inspectors of election appointed for the Special Meeting. The presence at the Special Meeting or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast shall constitute a quorum to conduct business at the Special Meeting, except with respect to any matter which requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes or series of shares, in which case the presence at the Special Meeting or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast by each class or series entitled to vote as a separate class or series shall constitute a quorum to conduct business at the Special Meeting. A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the shareholders, the chair of the Special Meeting shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, in the manner provided in the Fund’s bylaws, until a quorum shall be present or represented.

The inspectors of election, who may be employees of BlackRock, will determine whether or not a quorum is present at the Special Meeting. The inspectors of election will generally treat abstentions and “broker non-votes” (i.e., shares held by brokers or nominees, typically in “street name,” as to which proxies have been returned but (a) instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote and (b) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power or elects not to exercise discretion on a particular matter) as present for purposes of determining a quorum, subject to any applicable rules of the NYSE.

 

115


If you hold your shares directly (not through a broker-dealer, bank or other financial institution) and if you return a properly executed proxy card that does not specify how you wish to vote on a proposal, your shares will be voted “FOR” each proposal on which you are entitled to vote.

Broker-dealer firms holding shares of a Fund in “street name” for the benefit of their customers and clients will request the instructions of such customers and clients on how to vote their shares on Proposals 1-2 before the Special Meeting. Proposals 1-2 are not “routine” matters and shareholder instructions are required for broker-dealers to vote a beneficial owner’s shares.

If you hold shares of a Fund through a bank or other financial institution or intermediary (called a service agent) that has entered into a service agreement with the Fund or a distributor of the Fund, the service agent may be the record holder of your shares. At the Special Meeting, a service agent will vote shares for which it receives instructions from its customers in accordance with those instructions. A properly executed proxy card or other authorization by a shareholder that does not specify how the shareholder’s shares should be voted on a proposal may be deemed to authorize a service provider to vote such shares in favor of the proposal. Depending on its policies, applicable law or contractual or other restrictions, a service agent may be permitted to vote shares with respect to which it has not received specific voting instructions from its customers. In those cases, the service agent may, but may not be required to, vote such shares in the same proportion as those shares for which the service agent has received voting instructions. This practice is commonly referred to as “echo voting.”

All properly executed proxies received prior to the Special Meeting will be voted in accordance with the instructions marked thereon or otherwise as provided therein. Unless instructions to the contrary are marked, proxies will be voted “FOR” the approval of each proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be voted.

Common shareholders of MYJ are being asked to consider Proposal 1(A) below. With respect to Proposal 1(A), abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as shares present and will therefore have the same effect as votes “AGAINST” the proposal.

Common shareholders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to consider Proposal 2 below. With respect to Proposal 2, abstentions will be counted as “votes cast” and will therefore have the same effect as votes “AGAINST” the proposal and broker non-votes will not have any effect on the result of the vote.

Voting Requirement for Proposal 1: The Reorganization of the Funds

 

Proposal

  

Required Approval of
Shareholders

Proposal 1(A): The common shareholders and VRDP Holders of MYJ are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the Reorganization Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including (i) the acquisition by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s assets and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of substantially all of MYJ’s liabilities in exchange solely for newly issued common shares and VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund, which will be distributed to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and VRDP Holders, respectively, of MYJ, and which shall constitute the sole consideration to be distributed or paid to the common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and the VRDP Holders in respect of their common shares and VRDP Shares, respectively, and (ii) the termination by MYJ of its registration under the 1940 Act, and the liquidation, dissolution and termination of MYJ in accordance with its charter and Maryland law.   

Majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote

 

116


Voting Requirement for Proposal 2: The Issuance of Acquiring Fund Common Shares

 

Proposal

  

Required Approval of
Shareholders

Proposal 2: The common shareholders and VRDP Holders of the Acquiring Fund are being asked to vote as a single class on a proposal to approve the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund common shares in connection with the Reorganization.    Majority of votes entitled to vote

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

To each Fund’s knowledge based on Schedule 13D/13G filings made on or before [●], 2021, as of [●], 2021, no person beneficially owned more than 5% of the Fund’s respective outstanding shares.

As of [●], 2021 the officers and Board Members of each Fund, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding common shares of each such Fund and none of the outstanding VRDP Shares of each such Fund.

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

To be considered for presentation at a shareholder’s meeting, rules promulgated by the SEC generally require that, among other things, a shareholder’s proposal must be received at the offices of the relevant Fund a reasonable time before solicitation is made. In addition, each Fund’s bylaws provide for advance notice provisions, which require shareholders to give timely notice in proper written form to the Secretary of the Fund. Shareholders should review each Fund’s bylaws for additional information regarding the Funds’ advance notice provisions. The bylaws of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund were filed with the SEC on February 4, 2011 on Form 8-K. Shareholders may obtain copies of such documents as described on page vi of this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

The timely submission of a proposal does not necessarily mean that such proposal will be included. Any shareholder who wishes to submit a proposal for consideration at a meeting of such shareholder’s Fund should send such proposal to the relevant Fund at 40 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10022.

SOLICITATION OF PROXIES

Solicitation of proxies is being made primarily by the mailing of this Notice and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus with its enclosures on or about [●], 2021. Shareholders of the Funds whose shares are held by nominees such as brokers can vote their proxies by contacting their respective nominee. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, employees of the Investment Advisor and their affiliates as well as dealers or their representatives may solicit proxies in person or by mail, telephone, fax or the internet. The Funds and the Investment Advisor have retained Georgeson LLC to assist with the distribution of proxy materials and the solicitation and tabulation of proxies. The cost of Georgeson LLC’s services in connection with the proxy is anticipated to be approximately $77,600 and $75,200 for MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, respectively.

LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization will be passed upon by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which serves as counsel to the Funds. Certain legal matters concerning the issuance of common shares of the Acquiring Fund will be passed upon by Miles & Stockbridge P.C., which serves as special Maryland counsel to the Acquiring Fund.

 

117


INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds performs an annual audit of each Fund’s financial statements. Each Fund’s Board has appointed [●] to be each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. [●] is located at [●].

OTHER MATTERS WITH RESPECT TO THE MEETING

Shareholders who want to communicate with the Board or any individual Board Member should write to the attention of the Secretary of their Fund, 40 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022. Shareholders may communicate with the Boards electronically by sending an e-mail to closedendfundsbod@blackrock.com. The communication should indicate that you are a Fund shareholder. If the communication is intended for a specific Board Member and so indicates, it will be sent only to that Board Member. If a communication does not indicate a specific Board Member, it will be sent to the Chair of the Governance Committee and the outside counsel to the Independent Board Members for further distribution as deemed appropriate by such persons.

Additionally, shareholders with complaints or concerns regarding accounting matters may address letters to the CCO of their respective Fund 40 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022. Shareholders who are uncomfortable submitting complaints to the CCO may address letters directly to the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board that oversees the Fund. Such letters may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

ADJOURNMENTS AND POSTPONEMENTS

Failure of a quorum to be present at the Special Meeting may necessitate adjournment. The Board of each Fund, prior to the Special Meeting being convened, may postpone such meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date. The chair of the Special Meeting may also adjourn the Special Meeting from time to time with respect to either Fund and one or more matters to be considered by a Fund, to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place by which shareholders may be deemed to be present and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. The chair of the Special Meeting may adjourn the Special Meeting to permit further solicitation of proxies with respect to a proposal if they determine that adjournment and further solicitation is reasonable and in the best interests of shareholders. At the adjourned meeting, the Fund may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. Any adjourned meeting may be held as adjourned one or more times without further notice not later than 120 days after the record date.

PRIVACY PRINCIPLES OF THE FUNDS

The Funds are committed to maintaining the privacy of shareholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information the Funds collect, how we protect that information, and why in certain cases we may share such information with select other parties.

The Funds do not receive any non-public personal information relating to their shareholders who purchase shares through their broker-dealers. In the case of shareholders who are record holders of a Fund, the Fund receives personal non-public information on account applications or other forms. With respect to these shareholders, the Funds also have access to specific information regarding their transactions in each Fund.

The Funds do not disclose any non-public personal information about their shareholders or former shareholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service our shareholders’ accounts (for example, to a transfer agent).

 

118


The Funds restrict access to non-public personal information about their shareholders to BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. The Funds maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal information of our shareholders.

OTHER INFORMATION

BlackRock is independent in ownership and governance, with no single majority stockholder and a majority of independent directors.

If you cannot be present at the Special Meeting, please fill in, sign and return the enclosed proxy card or please record your voting instructions by telephone or via the Internet promptly. No postage is necessary if the enclosed proxy card is mailed in the United States.

John M. Perlowski

President and Chief Executive Officer

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

[●], 2021

 

119


APPENDIX A

FORM OF AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

[TO COME]

 

A-1


APPENDIX B

FACTORS AFFECTING MUNICIPAL SECURITIES IN NEW JERSEY

The following information constitutes only a brief summary of some of the general factors that may impact certain issuers of municipal bonds and does not purport to be a complete or exhaustive description of all adverse conditions to which the issuers of municipal bonds held by BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) are subject. Additionally, many factors, including national economic, social and environmental policies and conditions, which are not within the control of the issuers of the municipal bonds, could affect or could have an adverse impact on the financial condition of the issuers. The Fund is unable to predict whether or to what extent such factors or other factors may affect the issuers of the municipal securities, the market value or marketability of the municipal securities or the ability of the respective issuers of the municipal bonds acquired by the Fund to pay interest on or principal of the municipal securities. This information has not been independently verified.

Special Considerations Relating to New Jersey Municipal Obligations. The Fund will have considerable investments in New Jersey municipal obligations. Accordingly, the Fund is susceptible to certain factors which could adversely affect issuers of New Jersey municipal obligations. The ability of issuers to pay interest on, and repay principal of, New Jersey municipal obligations may be affected by: (1) amendments to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey (“State”) and other statutes that limit the taxing and spending authority of State government entities; (2) the general financial and economic profile as well as the political climate of the State, its public authorities and political subdivisions; and (3) a change in State laws and regulations or subsequent court decisions that may affect, directly or indirectly, New Jersey municipal obligations. The Fund’s yield and share price are sensitive to these factors as one or more of such factors could undermine New Jersey issuers’ efforts to borrow, inhibit secondary market liquidity and erode credit ratings. Furthermore, it should be noted that the creditworthiness of obligations issued by local New Jersey issuers may be unrelated to the creditworthiness of obligations issued by the State and that there is no obligation on the part of the State to make payment on such local obligations in the event of default.

Summarized below are important financial concerns relating to the Fund’s investments in New Jersey municipal obligations. This section is not intended to be an entirely comprehensive description of all risks involved in investing in New Jersey municipal obligations. The information in this section is intended to give a recent historical description and is not intended to indicate future or continuing trends in the financial or other positions of the State. It should be noted that the information recorded here is based on the economic and budget data and forecasts found in certain publications issued by the State between April 9, 2021 and September 16, 2021. The accuracy and completeness of the information in those publications have not been independently verified. Since the time that certain of those resources were published, there have been (and may still be) significant changes in circumstances altering the economic and budget predictions found in those publications and presented here.

It is also important to note that each dollar amount referenced in this section has been truncated to one digit after the decimal, rounded up or down to the appropriate dollar denomination. Because such dollar amounts generally reference large sums of money (e.g., millions or billions of dollars), the truncation and rounding of such dollar amounts may significantly differ from the untruncated and unrounded dollar amounts.

State Demographics. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation, with an average density of 1,208 persons per square mile as of 2019. The State is a part of a megalopolis that extends from Washington D.C. in the south to Boston, Massachusetts in the north and includes over one-fifth of the nation’s population. Thus, New Jersey is an attractive location for businesses due to its central location and ability to access both regional and world markets.

The following core industry clusters are the center of the State’s diverse economy: technology, transportation and logistics, health care, financial services, biopharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. There is also a strong commercial agriculture sector in the rural areas. The “Jersey Shore,” along the Atlantic Seaboard, is the focus of the State’s tourism sector and includes casino gambling in Atlantic City. The State attracted over 110.8 million visitors in 2018 and 116.2 million visitors in 2019.

There were just under 8.9 million persons residing in New Jersey according to the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau as of July 1, 2019. New Jersey’s population has grown an average

 

B-1


of 0.1% per year from 2010 to 2019. This is above the average annual growth rate of 0.03% and 0.08% for New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. It is below the national growth rate of 0.7%. 30.3% of New Jersey’s population is under the age of 25, lower than the national average of 31.4%. In addition, 16.6% of the State’s population is 65 years or older, similar to the national share of 16.4%.

41.2% of New Jersey residents 25 years of age or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2019. This is the third highest rate in the nation and above the national average of 33.1%. New Jersey is also a diverse state. At 23.4%, New Jersey has the second highest share of foreign-born residents, behind only California, and above the national average of 13.7%. New Jersey also has the fourth highest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English at home at 32.2%. The State ranks behind only California, Texas, and New Mexico and is above the national percentage of 22%.

New Jersey’s total population grew by 0.9% from 2010 to 2019. However, New Jersey also experienced net domestic out-migration during this period. Net domestic out-migration was greatest for residents aged 18-24, followed by residents aged 60 and over, according to data from the U.S. Census’s American Community Survey. New Jersey’s overall population still grew despite net domestic out-migration because natural population growth and foreign in-migration offset the losses from net domestic out-migration during this period.

New Jersey state income tax return data also indicates that the higher-income population grew faster than the overall population from 2009 to 2019 (the most recent year for which data is available). The total number of resident returns grew 8.2% during this time. Growth in the higher-income population was greatest with returns reporting income between $500,000 and $1.0 million growing by 112.9% and returns with income greater than $1.0 million growing by 95.1%.

State Economy. The discussion that follows is primarily based on information published by the State Department of the Treasury in the 2021 Financial Report (as defined herein). All predictions and past performance information contained in this subsection were made on or before that time even though they may be stated in the present tense and may no longer be accurate.

The COVID-19 Pandemic upended the economic outlook for New Jersey and the nation. Calendar Year 2020 started off well with the New Jersey labor market adding 23,000 jobs in the first two months, continuing the growth trend of 2019 when 31,100 jobs were added. Economic growth in New Jersey strengthened in both 2018 and 2019, with real GDP expanding by an average of 1.5 percent per year, which was expected to continue into 2020.

The positive outlook changed quickly. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020, which was followed by a declaration of a national emergency by the President of the United States on March 13, 2020. The Governor issued Executive Order No. 103 on March 9, 2020, whereby the Governor declared a public health emergency and a state of emergency. However, the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the country forced many states to strengthen restrictions by issuing “stay-at-home” orders. The Governor issued a “stay-at-home” order, Executive Order No. 107 on March 21, 2020. The Governors of New York and Pennsylvania issued similar “stay-at-home” orders shortly thereafter.

Payroll employment in New Jersey declined by a total of 717,200 jobs, or 17.0 percent, during March and April 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions. Other states suffered similar declines with employment falling by 20.2 percent in New York and 18.5 percent in Pennsylvania. New Jersey’s real GDP deteriorated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 35.6 percent in the second quarter of 2020, in line with New York’s 36.3 percent decline and Pennsylvania’s 34.0 percent decline.

Job growth rebounded when states began to re-open their economies in May 2020. Payroll employment grew by an average of 69,600 jobs per month in New Jersey from May to September 2020. However, growth subsequently plateaued because health considerations required that the COVID-19 Pandemic-related restrictions remain in place. The State added 5,300 jobs in total from October 2020 to January 2021. The State’s unemployment rate, which peaked at 16.6 percent in April 2020, improved to 7.9 percent by January 2021.

 

B-2


Through January 2021, the New Jersey labor market recovered 49.3 percent of the total jobs lost from this past spring, which is below the 59.8 percent share of Pennsylvania, but above the 46.1 percent share for New York. The brunt of the economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic has been borne by workers in low-wage sectors. The leisure & hospitality services sector (hotels, restaurants, & bars); trade, transportation & utilities sector (retail trade); and other services sector accounted for 57.4 percent of job losses in March and April 2020. As of January 2021, both the leisure & hospitality services sector (47.0 percent) and the other services sector (46.9 percent) have recovered just under half of the jobs lost during Spring 2020.

Real GDP recovered in the third quarter with economic activity in New Jersey growing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 37.2 percent, which was faster than the 35.5 percent rate of Pennsylvania and 30.3 percent rate of New York. The housing market has been a bright spot during the recovery. While, according to the estimates of New Jersey Realtors Association, single-family home sales in New Jersey were 19.1 percent lower year-over-year from March to June 2020, they rebounded in July and August 2020, up 6.0 percent over the same period during the prior year. Sales then rapidly accelerated beginning in September 2020, higher by 34.0 percent on average over the last four months of 2020. Transaction prices have also risen sharply, with the average price of a single-family home sale in 2020 reaching nearly $475,000, which is 16.3 percent higher than in 2019.

The substantial federal stimulus provided to businesses and households in the spring provided necessary support to the economic recovery. New Jersey residents received $6.7 billion in Economic Impact Payments last spring, while businesses received $17.4 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans through August 2020. Unemployed workers in New Jersey received $14.1 billion in unemployment insurance benefits through newly established federal programs, including this past fall’s Lost Wage Assistance Program that was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”).

New Jersey’s Personal Income grew at a 40.8 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2020 due to the significant federal stimulus, even though wage and salary income declined by 31.3 percent. Wages and salaries rebounded in the third quarter, increasing at a 26.6 percent annual rate because of the strong job growth. However, Personal Income declined at an 8.7 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2020 due to the phase-out of federal aid.

The economic outlook has improved recently for both New Jersey and the United States, though COVID-19 continues to determine the path of the economic recovery. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) estimate real GDP in the U.S. to grow 4.2 percent in 2021 according to the FOMC’s December 2020 projection. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal are forecasting real GDP growth of 6.0 percent for the U.S. in 2021 according to the March survey, which is more than two full percentage points over the December 2020 average forecast of 3.7 percent. The improved outlook is based on the additional federal stimulus this spring as well as continued success in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines..

State Budget. The State operates on a fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Annual budgets are adopted for the General Fund and certain special revenue funds. The Legislature enacts the annual budget through specific departmental appropriations, the sum of which may not exceed estimated resources. The State Constitution requires that the annual State budget be balanced. Pursuant to the State Constitution, no money may be drawn from the State Treasury except for appropriations made by law. In addition, all monies for the support of State government and all other State purposes, as far as can be reasonably ascertained or predicted, must be provided for in one general appropriation law covering the span of a single fiscal year. No general appropriations law or other law appropriating money for any State purpose may be enacted if the amount of money appropriated, together with all other appropriations for that fiscal year, exceeds the total amount of revenue available (current and anticipated) for such fiscal year, as certified by the Governor.

Debt Limitations. The State Constitution provides, in part, that the State Legislature shall not, in any manner, create in any fiscal year a debt or liability of the State, which, together with any previous debts or liabilities, shall exceed at any time one percent of the total appropriations for such year, unless the same shall be authorized by a law for some single object or work distinctly specified therein. No such law shall take effect until submitted to the people at a general election and approved by a majority of the legally qualified voters voting thereon; provided, however, no such voter approval is required for any such law authorizing the creation of a debt for a refinancing of all or any portion of the outstanding debts or liabilities of the State, so long as such refinancing produces a debt

 

B-3


service savings. Furthermore, any funds raised under these authorizations must be applied only to the specific object stated therein. The State Constitution provides as to any law authorizing such debt: “Regardless of any limitation relating to taxation in this Constitution, such law shall provide the ways and means, exclusive of loans, to pay the interest of such debt or liability as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within thirty-five years from the time it is contracted; and the law shall not be repealed until such debt or liability and the interest thereon are fully paid and discharged.” This constitutional provision does not apply to the creation of debts or liabilities for purposes of war, or to repel invasion, or to suppress insurrection or to meet emergencies caused by disaster or act of God (Article VIII, Sec. 2, para. 3) (the “Debt Limitation Clause”). The Debt Limitation Clause was amended by voters on November 4, 2008. The amendment provides that, beginning after the effective date of the amendment, the State Legislature is prohibited from enacting any law that creates or authorizes the creation of a debt or liability of an autonomous State corporate entity, which debt or liability has a pledge of an annual appropriation as the means to pay the principal of and interest on such debt or liability, unless a law authorizing the creation of that debt or liability for some single object or work distinctly specified therein is submitted to the people and approved by a majority of the legally qualified voters of the State voting thereon at a general election. The constitutional amendment does not require voter approval for any such law providing the means to pay the principal of and interest on such debt or liability subject to appropriations of an independent non-State source of revenue paid by third persons for the use of the single object or work thereof, or from a source of State revenue otherwise required to be appropriated pursuant to another provision of the State Constitution. Furthermore, voter approval is not needed for any law providing for the refinancing of all or a portion of any outstanding debts or liabilities of the State or of an autonomous State corporate entity provided that such law requires that the refinancing produces debt service savings, or for any law authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to meet an emergency caused by a disaster.

State Funds. The State’s financial accounting is organized by funds which are accounting entities that segregate financial resources according to the purposes for which they may be used. Individual funds are grouped into one of the following categories—General State Funds, Special Revenue, Capital Projects, Proprietary and Private Purpose Trust Funds. .

General State Funds. These funds include the General Fund, Property Tax Relief Fund, Casino Revenue Fund, Casino Control Fund and Gubernatorial Elections Fund.

The General Fund. This fund is the State’s chief operating fund and is the fund into which all State revenues, not otherwise restricted by State statute, are deposited and from which appropriations are made. The largest part of the total financial operations of the State is accounted for in the General Fund. Revenues received from most taxes, federal sources and certain miscellaneous revenue items are recorded in this fund. The Appropriations Act enacted by the State Legislature provides the basic framework for the operations of the General Fund.

The Property Tax Relief Fund. This fund accounts for revenues from the New Jersey Gross Income Tax and revenues derived from a tax rate of 0.5% imposed under the Sales and Use Tax both of which are constitutionally dedicated toward property tax relief and reform. All receipts from taxes levied on personal income of individuals, estates and trusts must be appropriated exclusively for the purpose of reducing or offsetting property taxes. Annual appropriations are made from the Property Tax Relief Fund, pursuant to formulas established by the Legislature, to counties, municipalities and school districts. During fiscal year 2020, $16.7 billion of property tax relief expenditures were made. The Property Tax Relief Fund’s fiscal year 2020 ending fund balance was $80.7 million.

The Casino Revenue Fund. This fund consists of taxes imposed on the State’s casinos and other related activities including internet gambling. Gross revenue refers to the total of all sums actually received by a licensee from gaming operations, less the total sums paid out as winnings to patrons. Appropriations from this fund must be used for reductions in property taxes, utility charges and other specified expenses of eligible senior and disabled citizens.

The Casino Control Fund. This fund consists of fees collected from the issuance and annual renewal of casino licenses. Appropriations are made to fund the operations of the Casino Control Commission and the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

The Gubernatorial Elections Fund. This fund is used to account for receipts from the one dollar designations on State Gross Income Tax returns. When indicated by the taxpayer on a State gross income tax return, one dollar of

 

B-4


the tax is taken from the individual’s New Jersey Gross Income Tax revenues and credited to the Gubernatorial Elections Fund. Such funds are available for appropriations pursuant to the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act, as amended.

Special Revenue Funds. These funds account for resources legally restricted to expenditure for specific purposes. While the Property Tax Relief, Casino Revenue, Casino Control and Gubernatorial Elections Funds fall into this category, they are included under General State Funds as they make up an integral portion of the State’s annual budget.

Capital Projects Funds. These funds are used to account for financial resources, usually general obligation bonds, to be used for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities for the State. The Capital Projects Funds includes the Special Transportation Fund which is used to account for financial resources for State transportation projects. Other projects funded by these funds may include mental health, educational and correctional facilities and public transportation projects.

Proprietary Funds. These funds are used to account for any State activity that is operated similar to a private business for which a fee is charged to external users for goods and services. Activities are required to be reported as proprietary funds if laws or regulations require that the activity’s cost of providing services be recovered with fees and charges. Because these funds charge fees to external users for goods and services, they are known as enterprise funds. Two such funds are the State Lottery Fund and the Unemployment Compensation Fund.

State Lottery Fund. Monies derived from the sale of State lottery tickets are deposited into this fund. Disbursements are authorized for the payment of prizes to holders of winning lottery tickets, vendor fees in the production and distribution of lottery tickets, and for the administrative expenses of the Division of State Lottery. Available fund balances are solely available to and for the benefit of the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (77.78%), Public Employees’ Retirement System (21.02%), and Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (1.20%) for a 30 year term effective as of June 30, 2017. In Fiscal year 2020, gross revenues totaled $3.3 billion of which $2.0 billion was returned in prizes; $987.0 million went to State education and institutions; $245.5 million was paid to sales agents and ticket vendors; and $54.4 million covered lottery operational and promotional expenses. For Fiscal Year 2022, the State is expected to make a full contribution to the Pension Plans equal to $5,292.0 million. While the State’s contribution is reduced by the Special Asset Adjustment, from a pension funding perspective, that reduction is expected to be offset by the net proceeds of the Lottery Enterprise that began flowing to the Pension Plans at the start of Fiscal Year 2018. The combined contribution in Fiscal Year 2022 from the State, along with the Lottery Net Proceeds, will total $6,388.0 million.

Unemployment Compensation Fund. This fund accounts for monies deposited from contributions of employees and employers for unemployment compensation, amounts credited or advanced by the U.S. Government and monies received from other sources. After consideration is given to any claim made for refund of overpayment of contributions, the Division of Employment Security transfers the remainder to the U.S. Treasurer for credit to this fund. Under State law, the rates for employers are subject to automatic annual adjustment, as necessary, to maintain the Fund’s sufficiency. The Fund operates independently and its obligations are not payable from the General Fund. To provide for sufficient cash flow to fund unemployment claims, the State can make a request to the U.S. Treasurer for advances on an as needed basis. In Fiscal Year 2020, contributions from employers and workers were approximately $2.0 billion, while regular State unemployment benefits were $4.3 billion. As of June 30, 2020, the State’s trust fund balance, on a cash basis, was approximately $0.9 billion.

Private Purpose Trust Funds. These funds account for all trust fund arrangements for which principal and income benefit individuals, private organizations or other governments.

Fiscal Year 2020 Summary. The State Department of the Treasury’s Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) has released the audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 (“2020 Financial Report”). The 2020 Financial Report presents the audited financial position and operating results of the State under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applicable to state and local governments as established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (“GASB”).

For fiscal year 2020, State revenues, including transfers, totaled $73.6 billion or an increase of $7.7 billion when compared to the prior fiscal year after restatements. This increase in total revenues is primarily attributable to higher operating grants.

 

B-5


General taxes totaled $35.8 billion and operating grants totaled $26.1 billion, accounting for 48.7% and 35.5%, respectively, of total State revenues for fiscal year 2020. The State’s Gross Income Tax totaled $16.3 billion; the Sales and Use Tax totaled $9.8 billion; and the Corporation Business Tax totaled $3.8 billion. The State’s three major taxes comprised 83.3% of the total general taxes that were collected during fiscal year 2020. The State’s general taxes increased by $0.1 billion compared to fiscal year 2019.

Fiscal year 2020 expenses totaled $75.5 billion, for an increase of $8.8 billion after restatements in comparison to the prior fiscal year. State spending increased by $9.4 billion in the Unemployment Compensation Fund due to claims exceeding available resources.

According to the 2020 Financial Report, the General Fund’s 2020 fiscal year end balance totaled $7.2 billion, of which $2.2 billion represented unassigned fund balance. During fiscal year 2020, the State’s total governmental fund balance increased by $0.5 billion.

The Surplus Revenue Fund is an account within the State’s General Fund that is used as a “rainy day fund.” Surplus revenue is defined as an amount equivalent to 50% of the excess between the amount certified by the Governor at the time of the approval of the annual budget and the amount of General Fund revenue reported from the annual financial report of the General Fund for that fiscal year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State transferred its Surplus Revenue Fund Fiscal Year 2019 deposit of $420.6 million to the General Fund to help balance the budget. As of June 30, 2020, the State’s Surplus Revenue Fund had a balance of $6.7 million.

Total expenditures were $2.2 billion lower than original appropriations as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act plus supplemental appropriations enacted during the fiscal year. A major cause for under-spending resulted from spending freezes and contractions enacted due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. During fiscal year 2020, the State’s appropriation of federal funds and other grants exceeded expenditures by $2.5 billion; these excess appropriations are available for use in future years. From a fiscal year 2020 program perspective, under-spending transpired in community development and environmental management ($851.4 million); public safety and criminal justice ($535.1 million); economic planning, development, and security ($113.7 million); transportation programs ($376.6 million); special government services ($13.4 million); government direction, management, and control ($1.2 billion); and offset by over-spending in educational, cultural, and intellectual development ($611.9 million) and physical and mental health ($286.2 million).

On a budgetary basis, the General Fund collected general revenues of $37.6 billion. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while these general revenues were $0.1 billion higher than final budget, this was $2.2 billion lower than originally anticipated. The impact was the result of the pandemic’s effect on certain consumption taxes from March to June 2020, such as Sales and Use and other motor fuels taxes.

State Indebtedness. As of June 30, 2020, New Jersey’s outstanding long-term obligations for governmental activities totaled $204.2 billion, a $13.5 billion decrease over the prior fiscal year. Of the $13.5 billion decrease, primarily all is attributable to decreases in the Net Pension Liability and Net OPEB Liability. Additionally, there was a decrease of $33.7 million in bonded debt and an $8.3 million decrease in all other non-bonded debt. Long-term bonded obligations totaled $44.4 billion, while other long-term obligations totaled $159.8 billion. In addition, the State has $12.7 billion of legislatively authorized bonding capacity that has not yet been issued. As of June 30, 2020, the legislatively authorized but unissued debt decreased by $1.8 billion from the prior fiscal year.

General Obligation Bonds. The State is empowered by voters to authorize, issue, and incur debt subject to certain constitutional restrictions. General obligation bond acts are both legislatively and voter-approved, subject to certain contractual obligations, and are backed by the State’s full faith and credit. As of June 30, 2020, the State had $1.6 billion of State general obligation bonds outstanding with another $768.2 million of bonding authorization remaining from various State general obligation bond acts. The amount provided by the State’s General Fund for debt service payments for Fiscal year 2020 was $347.4 million.

The State has refunded various outstanding general obligation bonds. Refunding bond proceeds are used to purchase and deposit United States Treasury Obligations—State and Local Government Series or open market U.S. Treasury Securities into a separate irrevocable trust fund held by a trustee. The investments and the fixed earnings that accrue are sufficient to fully service the defeased debt until it is called or matures. For financial reporting purposes, the refunded debt is considered defeased at the time the refunding bonds have been issued. Therefore, the refunded debt is removed as a liability from the State’s long-term obligations. During Fiscal Year 2020, $325.0 million of general obligation refunding bonds were issued by the State. As of June 30, 2020, the amount of defeased general obligation debt outstanding, but removed from the State’s long-term obligations, amounted to zero.

 

B-6


Revenue Bonds. This debt classification represents bond issuances whose segment of debt service is derived solely from legally restricted revenues. Revenue bonds include debt issued by the New Jersey Building Authority (NJBA), the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT), and the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority (TTFA). During Fiscal year 2020, the TTFA issued $2.6 billion of bonds, of which $1.6 billion were refunding bonds, that were issued in order to defease $1.6 billion of existing debt. The liability on these refunded bonds has been removed from the State’s long-term obligations. Total debt service payments over the next 22 years were decreased by $204.0 million which resulted in $156.7 million in present value savings. During Fiscal year 2020, no NJBA and GSPT debt was issued. Total authorized but unissued revenue bonds equal $10.1 billion as of June 30, 2020.

Installment Obligations. Installment Obligations represent agreements between the State and several authorities which have issued bonds for the purpose of purchasing or constructing facilities to be rented by the State or to provide financing for other State projects. The State agrees to make payments equal to the corresponding authority’s debt service, subject to and dependent upon appropriations being made from time to time by the State Legislature. At the conclusion of the term of the installment obligation agreement, title to the various facilities is transferred to the State, except in the case of the School Facilities Construction Program. During Fiscal year 2020, these authorities issued $1.9 billion of bonds, of which $414.6 million were refunding bonds, that were issued in order to defease $395.3 million of existing debt. The liability on these refunded bonds has been removed from the State’s long-term obligations. Total debt service payments over the next 13 years will decreased by $14.9 million and result in a net present value savings of $12.2 million. The State’s installment obligations outstanding as of June 30, 2020 total $17.4 billion. Total authorized but unissued installment obligations equal $1.8 billion as of June 30, 2020.

Certificates of Participation. These obligations represent two separate contracts several lines of credit that were drawn on to finance State equipment needs through the State’s master lease program, as well as an energy master lease program.

Short-Term Debt. The State issues short-term debt instruments in the form of Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (“TRAN”) in advance of income tax and corporation business tax collections, depositing the proceeds in the General Fund. These notes are used to provide effective cash management to fund the imbalances that occur between the collection of revenues and the disbursement of appropriations of the General Fund and Property Tax Relief Fund. For Fiscal Year 2020, the State, under a resolution executed by the Treasurer on July 31, 2019, authorized the issuance of a $2.0 billion TRAN. On December 3, 2019, the State issued $1.5 billion of TRAN through a private placement. These notes bear interest from their date of issuance through maturity or earlier redemption by the State at an adjustable rate per annum equal to the adjusted Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) Municipal Swap Index rate plus 37 basis points. Due to the State extending the Budget Fiscal Year end to September 30, 2020, an amendment to the notes was negotiated. This amendment changed the maturity of the notes to September 25, 2020, and the interest rate from April 15, 2020 to maturity or earlier redemption by the State to 4.0%.

Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation, Inc. In November 1998, the State entered into a master settlement agreement (the “MSA”) with participating cigarette manufacturers, forty-six states, and six other U.S. jurisdictions in the settlement of certain smoking-related litigation. During fiscal year 2003, the State sold to the newly established Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation, Inc. (“TSFC”) the State’s right, title and beneficial ownership interest in the State’s right to receive tobacco settlement payments under the MSA and decree of final judgment. In return, in 2002 and 2003, TSFC issued $3.5 billion of bonds to pay for the tobacco settlement rights. Proceeds of the two bond issuances were used to fund General Fund expenditures during fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2004. During fiscal year 2007, $4.7 billion of refunding bonds were issued, of which $1.1 billion were capital appreciation bonds. The State retains 23.74% of the tobacco settlement receipts.

During fiscal year 2003, the TSFC was presented as a discreet component unit of the State. Since then, the State adopted GASB Technical Bulletin No. 2004-1, Tobacco Settlement Recognition and Financial Reporting Entity Issues. As a result, the TSFC is required to be shown as a blended component unit of the State. Bonds issued by the TSFC are the sole obligation of the TSFC. The State is not liable for any debt issued by the TSFC nor is the debt dependent on any dedicated stream of revenue generated by the State.

 

B-7


On March 7, 2014, the TSFC entered into a credit enhancement transaction. Pursuant to the Series 2007-1B Pledge Agreement, the TSFC will pledge 15.99% of the Tobacco Settlement Revenues (“TSRs”) received on and after July 1, 2016 to be applied to the optional redemption of the Series 2007-1B Bonds. Pursuant to the Series 2007-1C Pledge Agreement, the TSFC additionally pledged 7.75% of the TSRs received on and after July 1, 2016 to be applied to the optional redemption of the 2007-1C Bonds. All 2007 unpledged TSRs received prior to July 1, 2020 will continue to be paid to the State. As a result of these Pledge Agreements, a bond enhancement premium of $96.5 million was received by the TSFC in Fiscal Year 2014, of which $91.6 million was paid to the State of New Jersey, in accordance with the Pledge Agreements, and the remaining $4.9 million was paid to the various professionals as a transaction fee to the State and the remaining $4.9 million was paid to various professionals as a transaction fee.

On April 11, 2018, the TSFC issued Series 2018 A Senior Bonds in the amount of $2.1 billion and Series 2018 B Subordinate Bonds in the amount of $1.0 billion. These bonds were issued to refund the balances of the Series 2007 Bonds. The liability on these refunded bonds has been removed from the TSFC’s long-term obligations. Total debt service payments over the next 27 years were decreased by $131.7 million and resulted in a net present value savings of $162.2 million. The MSA revenue received totaling $265.6 million in April 2018, was transferred to the General Fund of the State of New Jersey. Master Settlement Revenues received subsequent to 2018 will remain in the TSFC. The proceeds of the Series 2018 Bonds are secured by TSFC’s right, title, and interest in the pledged TSRs, consisting of 100 percent of the tobacco assets received by the Corporation on or after December 1, 2018.

State Pension and Other Postemployment Benefits (“OPEB”) Obligations. Previously, the State had not fully funded its various pension plans for several years, and its post-retirement medical program is primarily funded on a pay-as-you-go basis. This continued underfunding on an actuarial basis has led to the State’s current Net Pension Liability of $90.8 billion and a net OPEB obligation of $65.5 billion based on the current actuarial valuations which are as of June 30, 2020.

Ratings. New Jersey’s various outstanding general obligation bonds were rated “A” with a negative outlook by Fitch as of September 5, 2014, “A3” by Moody’s as of March 27, 2017, and “A-“ by S&P as of November 14, 2016. Kroll Bond Rating Agency has also assigned an “A” rating to New Jersey’s general obligation debt. Ratings reflect only the respective views of such organizations, and an explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained from the rating agency that furnished the rating. There is no assurance that a particular rating will continue for any given period of time or that any such rating will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely, if in the judgment of the agency originally establishing the rating, circumstances so warrant. Any such downward revision or withdrawal could have an adverse effect on the market prices of the State general obligation bonds.

Litigation. At any given time, there can be various numbers of claims and cases pending against the State, State agencies and employees, seeking recovery of monetary damages that are primarily paid out of the fund created pursuant to the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. At any given time there are also various numbers of claims seeking monetary damages or other relief, which, if granted, would require the expenditure of funds. Additional cases pending or threatened in which the State has the potential for either a significant loss of revenue or a significant unanticipated expenditure can be found in the State’s Official Statement concerning the general obligation bonds it issues.

 

B-8


APPENDIX C

FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Acquiring Fund

The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock and the outstanding shares of preferred stock, voting together as a single class, and a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred stock, voting separately as a class. For this purpose and under the 1940 Act, for the common stock and preferred stock voting together as a single class, “majority” means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of each class of capital stock represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each class of capital stock are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each class of capital stock, but for the shares of preferred stock voting separately as a single class, “majority” means more than 50% of the outstanding shares of preferred stock. The Fund may not:

 

  1.

Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management.

 

  2.

Purchase or sell real estate, commodities or commodity contracts; provided, that the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein, and the Fund may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and options thereon.

 

  3.

Issue senior securities or borrow money except as permitted by Section 18 of the 1940 Act.

 

  4.

Underwrite securities of other issuers except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act, in selling portfolio securities.

 

  5.

Make loans to other persons, except that the Fund may purchase MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, MUJ Municipal Bonds and other debt securities and enter into repurchase agreements in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations.

 

  6.

Invest more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of each investment) in securities of issuers in a single industry; provided, that for purposes of this restriction, states, municipalities and their political subdivisions are not considered to be part of any industry.

For purposes of restriction (6), the exception for states, municipalities and their political subdivisions applies only to tax-exempt securities issued by such entities.

Additional investment restrictions adopted by the Fund, which may be changed by the Board of Directors without stockholder approval, provided that the Fund may not:

 

  a.

Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent that such purchases are permitted by applicable law. Applicable law currently prohibits the Fund from purchasing the securities of other investment companies except if immediately thereafter not more than (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such company is owned by the Fund, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets, taken at market value, would be invested in any one such company, (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets, taken at market value, would be invested in such securities, and (iv) the Fund, together with other investment companies having the same investment advisor and companies controlled by such companies, owns not more than 10% of the total outstanding stock of any one closed-end investment company.

 

  b.

Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any securities owned or held by the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings mentioned in investment restriction (3) above or except as may be necessary in connection with transactions in financial futures contracts and options thereon.

 

C-1


  c.

Purchase any securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities (the deposit or payment by the Fund of initial or variation margin in connection with financial futures contracts and options thereon is not considered the purchase of a security on margin).

 

  d.

Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position or invest in put, call, straddle or spread options, except that the Fund may write, purchase and sell options and futures on MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, MUJ Municipal Bonds, U.S. Government obligations and related indices or otherwise in connection with bona fide hedging activities and may purchase and sell Call Rights to require mandatory tender for the purchase of related MUJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds and MUJ Municipal Bonds.

If a percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth above is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation.

The Fund’s VRDP Shares are assigned long-term ratings by Moody’s and Fitch. In order to maintain the required ratings, the Fund is required to comply with certain investment quality, diversification and other guidelines established by Moody’s and Fitch. Such guidelines may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. The Fund does not anticipate that such guidelines would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective. Moody’s and Fitch receive fees in connection with their ratings issuances. The Fund is also subject to certain covenants and requirements under the terms of the Fund VRDP Shares and related documents, including the terms of the liquidity facility supporting the Fund VRDP Shares. Such requirements may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. The Fund does not anticipate that such requirements would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective. Please see “Information about the VRDP Shares of the Funds” for additional information about each Fund’s VRDP Shares.

MYJ

The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding common shares and outstanding VRDP Shares and any other Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class, and a majority of the outstanding VRDP Shares and any other Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of each class of capital stock represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each class of capital stock are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each class of capital stock). The Fund may not:

 

  1.

Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management.

 

  2.

Purchase securities of other investment companies, except (i) in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition or reorganization, (ii) by purchase of shares of tax-exempt money market funds advised by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates (as defined in the 1940 Act) to the extent permitted by an exemptive order issued to the Fund by the SEC, or (iii) by purchase in the open market of securities of closed-end investment companies and only if immediately thereafter not more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in such securities.

 

  3.

Purchase or sell real estate, real estate limited partnerships, commodities or commodity contracts; provided that the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies that invest in real estate or interests therein and the Fund may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and options thereon.

 

  4.

Issue senior securities other than preferred stock or borrow in excess of 5% of its total assets taken at market value; provided, however, that the Fund is authorized to borrow moneys in excess of 5% of the value of its total assets for the purpose of repurchasing shares of common stock or redeeming shares of preferred stock.

 

  5.

Underwrite securities of other issuers except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in selling portfolio securities.

 

C-2


  6.

Make loans to other persons, except that the Fund may purchase MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, MYJ Municipal Bonds and other debt securities in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations.

 

  7.

Purchase any securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities (the deposit or payment by the Fund or initial or variation margin in connection with financial futures contracts and options thereon is not considered the purchase of a security on margin).

 

  8.

Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position or invest in put, call, straddle or spread options, except that the Fund may write, purchase and sell options and futures on MYJ New Jersey Municipal Bonds, MYJ Municipal Bonds, U.S. Government obligations and related indices or otherwise in connection with bona fide hedging activities.

 

  9.

Invest more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of each investment) in securities of issuers in a single industry; provided that, for purposes of this restriction, states, municipalities and their political subdivisions are not considered to be part of any industry.

For purposes of investment restriction (4) above, the Fund may borrow moneys in excess of 5% of the value of its total assets to the extent permitted by Section 18 of the 1940 Act or otherwise as permitted by applicable law for the purpose of repurchasing shares of common stock or redeeming shares of preferred stock. For purposes of fundamental investment restriction (9) above, the exception for states, municipalities and their political subdivisions applies only to tax-exempt securities issued by such entities.

An additional investment restriction adopted by the Fund, which may be changed by the Board of Directors without stockholder approval, provides that the Fund may not mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any securities owned or held by the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings mentioned in investment restriction (4) above or except as may be necessary in connection with transactions in financial futures contracts and options thereon.

If a percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth above is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation.

The Fund is classified as non-diversified within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act in the proportion of its total assets that it may invest in securities of a single issuer. However, the Fund’s investments are limited so as to qualify the Fund for the special tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies under the federal tax laws. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must, among other things, diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of cash, cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities, with such other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers controlled by the Fund and engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or any one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” For purposes of this restriction, the Fund will regard each state and each political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of such state and each multi-state agency of which such state is a member and each public authority which issues securities on behalf of a private entity as a separate issuer, except that if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of a non-government entity then the entity with the ultimate responsibility for the payment of interest and principal may be regarded as the sole issuer. These tax-related limitations may be changed by the Board of the Fund to the extent necessary to comply with changes in the federal tax requirements.

To the extent that the Fund assumes large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, its yield may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified company as a result of changes in the financial condition or in the market’s assessment of the issuers.

 

C-3


The Fund’s VRDP Shares are assigned long-term ratings by Moody’s and Fitch. In order to maintain the required ratings, the Fund is required to comply with certain investment quality, diversification and other guidelines established by Moody’s and Fitch. Such guidelines may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. The Fund does not anticipate that such guidelines would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective. Moody’s and Fitch receive fees in connection with their ratings issuances. The Fund is also subject to certain covenants and requirements under the terms of the Fund VRDP Shares and related documents, including the terms of the liquidity facility supporting the Fund VRDP Shares. Such requirements may be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. The Fund does not anticipate that such requirements would have a material adverse effect on its ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

C-4


STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.

Dated [], 2021

This Statement of Additional Information is available to the common shareholders of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MYJ) (“MYJ”), in connection with the Reorganization (the “Reorganization”) of MYJ into BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE Ticker: MUJ) (“MUJ” or the “Acquiring Fund” and together with MYJ, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”), whereby the Acquiring Fund will acquire substantially all of the assets and assume substantially all of the liabilities of MYJ in exchange solely for newly issued shares of the Acquiring Fund’s common stock, par value $0.10 per share and Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (“VRDP Shares” and the holders thereof, “VRDP Holders”) (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on the MYJ VRDP Shares up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date of the Reorganization if such dividends have not been paid prior to such Closing Date), in the form of book-entry interests. The Acquiring Fund will list the newly issued common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). MYJ will then distribute the newly issued Acquiring Fund common shares and Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to MYJ common shareholders (although cash may be distributed in lieu of fractional common shares) and VRDP Holders, respectively. MYJ will then terminate its registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and liquidate, dissolve and terminate in accordance with its respective charter and Maryland law. The Acquiring Fund will continue to operate after the Reorganization as a registered, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with the investment objective, investment strategies, investment policies and restrictions described in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. MYJ may be referred to herein as a “Target Fund.”

The aggregate net asset value (“NAV”) (not the market value) of the Acquiring Fund common shares received by the common shareholders of MYJ in the Reorganization will equal the aggregate NAV (not the market value) of the MYJ common shares held by such common shareholders immediately prior to the Closing Date (although MYJ common shareholders may receive cash for their fractional common shares). The value of each Fund’s net assets will be calculated net of the liquidation preference (including accumulated and unpaid dividends) of all outstanding VRDP Shares of such Fund. [In connection with the Reorganization, each outstanding VRDP Share of MYJ will, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, be exchanged for one newly issued VRDP Share of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are substantially similar to the terms of the outstanding MYJ VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. The terms of the Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will be identical to the terms of the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s outstanding VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [●], 2021, unless extended. [The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding.]] A copy of a form of the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization that will be entered into between MYJ with the Acquiring Fund is attached as Appendix A to the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the meanings given to them in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus dated [●], 2021 relating to the Reorganization. A copy of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by writing to the Funds at 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-6455, or by calling (800) 882-0052.

 

1


The Acquiring Fund will provide, without charge, upon the written or oral request of any person to whom this Statement of Additional Information is delivered, a copy of any and all documents that have been incorporated by reference in the registration statement of which this Statement of Additional Information is a part.

 

2


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES

     4  

ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

     4  

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

     9  

The Board of Directors and Officers

     9  

Experience, Qualifications and Skills of the Board Members

     12  

Board Leadership Structure and Oversight

     16  

Compensation of the Board Members

     20  

Share Ownership

     22  

Independent Board Member Ownership of Securities

     22  

Information Pertaining to the Officers

     22  

Indemnification of Board Members and Officers

     23  

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS

     24  

Investment Management Agreements

     24  

PORTFOLIO MANAGER INFORMATION

     26  

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers

     26  

[Potential Material Conflicts of Interest

     26  

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

     27  

Base Compensation

     27  

Discretionary Incentive Compensation

     27  

Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation

     28  

Other Compensation Benefits

     28  

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION

     29  

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

     33  

OTHER INFORMATION

     40  

Code of Ethics

     40  

Proxy Voting Policy

     40  

PRO FORMA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     41  

APPENDIX A    RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS

     A-1  

APPENDIX B     PROXY VOTING POLICIES – BLACKROCK CLOSED-END FUNDS

     B-1  

 

3


INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES

The following information supplements the discussion of the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective, policies and techniques that are described in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Integration. Although the Acquiring Fund does not seek to implement a specific ESG, impact or sustainability strategy, Acquiring Fund management will consider ESG characteristics as part of the investment process for actively managed funds such as the Acquiring Fund. These considerations will vary depending on a fund’s particular investment strategies and may include consideration of third-party research as well as consideration of proprietary research of the Investment Advisor across the ESG risks and opportunities regarding an issuer. Acquiring Fund management will consider those ESG characteristics it deems relevant or additive when making investment decisions for the Acquiring Fund. The ESG characteristics utilized in the Acquiring Fund’s investment process are anticipated to evolve over time and one or more characteristics may not be relevant with respect to all issuers that are eligible for investment.

ESG characteristics are not the sole considerations when making investment decisions for the Acquiring Fund. Further, investors can differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative ESG characteristics. As a result, the Acquiring Fund may invest in issuers that do not reflect the beliefs and values with respect to ESG of any particular investor. ESG considerations may affect the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and the Acquiring Fund may forego certain investment opportunities. While Acquiring Fund management views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Acquiring Fund’s long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The following information supplements the discussion of the Acquiring Fund’s risk factors that are described in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Risk Factors in Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. The Acquiring Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks such as credit risk, currency risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, correlation risk, index risk and volatility as described below:

 

   

Credit Risk—the risk that the counterparty in a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation to the Acquiring Fund, or the risk that the reference entity in a derivative will not be able to honor its financial obligations. In particular, derivatives traded in over the counter “OTC” markets often are not guaranteed by an Exchange (as defined herein) or clearing corporation and often do not require payment of margin, and to the extent that the Acquiring Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparties, the Acquiring Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor their obligations.

 

   

Currency Risk—the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect the value (in U.S. dollar terms) of an investment.

 

   

Leverage Risk—the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (such as, for example, borrowing money to increase the amount of investments) that relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain transactions in derivatives (such as futures transactions or sales of put options) involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Acquiring Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Acquiring Fund. When the Acquiring Fund engages in such a transaction, the Acquiring Fund will deposit in a segregated account, or earmark on its books and records, liquid assets with a value at least equal to the Acquiring Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). Such segregation or earmarking will ensure that the Acquiring Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction, but will not limit the Acquiring Fund’s exposure to loss.

 

4


   

Liquidity Risk—the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the Acquiring Fund would like or at the price that the Acquiring Fund as seller believes the security is currently worth. There can be no assurances that, at any specific time, either a liquid secondary market will exist for a derivative or the Acquiring Fund will otherwise be able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may, therefore, not be possible to close a position in a derivative without incurring substantial losses, if at all. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Acquiring Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. Although both OTC and exchange-traded derivatives markets may experience a lack of liquidity, certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, swaps and OTC options, involve substantial illiquidity risk. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, the liquidity of a secondary market in an exchange-traded derivative contract may be adversely affected by “daily price fluctuation limits” established by the exchanges which limit the amount of fluctuation in an exchange-traded contract price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open positions. Prices have in the past moved beyond the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days. If it is not possible to close an open derivative position entered into by the Acquiring Fund, the Acquiring Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such a situation, if the Acquiring Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

   

Correlation Risk—the risk that changes in the value of a derivative will not match the changes in the value of the portfolio holdings that are being hedged or of the particular market or security to which the Acquiring Fund seeks exposure through the use of the derivative. There are a number of factors which may prevent a derivative instrument from achieving the desired correlation (or inverse correlation) with an underlying asset, rate or index, such as the impact of fees, expenses and transaction costs, the timing of pricing, and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for such derivative instrument.

 

   

Index Risk—if the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. If the index changes, the Acquiring Fund could receive lower interest payments or experience a reduction in the value of the derivative to below the price that the Acquiring Fund paid for such derivative. Certain indexed securities, including inverse securities (which move in an opposite direction to the index), may create leverage, to the extent that they increase or decrease in value at a rate that is a multiple of the changes in the applicable index.

 

   

Volatility Risk—the risk that the Acquiring Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce income or gain and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price over a defined time period. The Acquiring Fund could suffer losses related to its derivative positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited.

When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Acquiring Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurances that the Acquiring Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The Acquiring Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivative positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Investment Advisor”) may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Acquiring Fund’s derivatives positions to lose value. In addition, some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Acquiring Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Acquiring Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Acquiring Fund to value accurately.

When engaging in a hedging transaction, the Acquiring Fund may determine not to seek to establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments utilized and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such an imperfect

 

5


correlation may prevent the Acquiring Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Acquiring Fund to a risk of loss. The Acquiring Fund may also determine not to hedge against a particular risk because it does not regard the probability of the risk occurring to be sufficiently high as to justify the cost of the hedge or because it does not foresee the occurrence of the risk. It may not be possible for the Acquiring Fund to hedge against a change or event at attractive prices or at a price sufficient to protect the assets of the Acquiring Fund from the decline in value of the portfolio positions anticipated as a result of such change. The Acquiring Fund may also be restricted in its ability to effectively manage the portion of its assets that are segregated or earmarked to cover its obligations. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge at all against certain risks.

If the Acquiring Fund invests in a derivative instrument it could lose more than the principal amount invested. Moreover, derivatives raise certain tax, legal, regulatory and accounting issues that may not be presented by investments in securities, and there is some risk that certain issues could be resolved in a manner that could adversely impact the performance of the Acquiring Fund.

The Acquiring Fund is not required to use derivatives or other portfolio strategies to seek to increase return or to seek to hedge its portfolio and may choose not to do so. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurances that the Acquiring Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial. Although the Investment Advisor seeks to use derivatives to further the Acquiring Fund’s investment objective, there is no assurance that the use of derivatives will achieve this result.

Options Risk. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and indexes. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objective. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded OTC or on a recognized securities exchange (e.g., NYSE), separate trading boards of a securities exchange or through a market system that provides contemporaneous transaction pricing information (an “exchange”) may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Futures Transactions and Options Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Acquiring Fund and the price of the futures contract or option; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Investment Advisor’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.

Investment in futures contracts involves the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures contract and the price of the security being hedged. The hedge will not be fully effective when there is imperfect correlation between the movements in the prices of two financial instruments. For example, if the price of the futures contract moves more or less than the price of the hedged security, the Acquiring Fund will experience either a loss or gain on the futures contract which is not completely offset by movements in the price of the hedged securities. To compensate for imperfect correlations, the Acquiring Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts in a greater dollar amount than the hedged securities if the volatility of the hedged securities is historically greater than the volatility of the futures contracts. Conversely, the Acquiring Fund may purchase or sell fewer futures contracts if the volatility of the price of the hedged securities is historically lower than that of the futures contracts.

 

6


The particular securities comprising the index underlying a securities index financial futures contract may vary from the securities held by the Acquiring Fund. As a result, the Acquiring Fund’s ability to hedge effectively all or a portion of the value of its securities through the use of such financial futures contracts will depend in part on the degree to which price movements in the index underlying the financial futures contract correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Acquiring Fund. The correlation may be affected by disparities in the average maturity, ratings, geographical mix or structure of the Acquiring Fund’s investments as compared to those comprising the securities index and general economic or political factors. In addition, the correlation between movements in the value of the securities index may be subject to change over time as additions to and deletions from the securities index alter its structure. The correlation between futures contracts on U.S. Government securities and the securities held by the Acquiring Fund may be adversely affected by similar factors and the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of such futures contracts and the prices of securities held by the Acquiring Fund may be greater. The trading of futures contracts also is subject to certain market risks, such as inadequate trading activity, which could at times make it difficult or impossible to liquidate existing positions.

The Acquiring Fund may liquidate futures contracts it enters into through offsetting transactions on the applicable contract market. There can be no assurances, however, that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close out a futures position. In the event of adverse price movements, the Acquiring Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. In such situations, if the Acquiring Fund has insufficient cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close out futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the Acquiring Fund’s ability to hedge effectively its investments in securities. The liquidity of a secondary market in a futures contract may be adversely affected by “daily price fluctuation limits” established by commodity exchanges which limit the amount of fluctuation in a futures contract price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open futures positions. Prices have in the past moved beyond the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days. The Acquiring Fund will enter into a futures position only if, in the judgement of the Investment Advisor, there appears to be an actively traded secondary market for such futures contracts.

The successful use of transactions in futures and related options also depends on the ability of the Investment Advisor to forecast correctly the direction and extent of interest rate movements within a given time frame. To the extent interest rates remain stable during the period in which a futures contract or option is held by the Acquiring Fund or such rates move in a direction opposite to that anticipated, the Acquiring Fund may realize a loss on the Strategic Transaction which is not fully or partially offset by an increase in the value of portfolio securities. As a result, the Acquiring Fund’s total return for such period may be less than if it had not engaged in the Strategic Transaction.

Because of low initial margin deposits made upon the opening of a futures position, futures transactions involve substantial leverage. As a result, relatively small movements in the price of the futures contracts can result in substantial unrealized gains or losses. There is also the risk of loss by the Acquiring Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with which the Acquiring Fund has an open position in a financial futures contract. Because the Acquiring Fund will engage in the purchase and sale of futures contracts for hedging purposes or to seek to enhance the Acquiring Fund’s return, any losses incurred in connection therewith may, if the strategy is successful, be offset in whole or in part by increases in the value of securities held by the Acquiring Fund or decreases in the price of securities the Acquiring Fund intends to acquire.

The amount of risk the Acquiring Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of an option on a futures contract also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased.

Over-the-Counter Trading Risk. The derivative instruments that may be purchased or sold by the Acquiring Fund may include instruments not traded on an exchange. The risk of nonperformance by the counterparty to an instrument may be greater than, and the ease with which the Acquiring Fund can dispose of or enter into closing transactions with respect to an instrument may be less than, the risk associated with an exchange traded instrument. In addition, significant disparities may exist between “bid” and “asked” prices for derivative instruments that are not traded on an exchange. Derivative instruments not traded on exchanges also are not subject to the same type of government

 

7


regulation as exchange traded instruments, and many of the protections afforded to participants in a regulated environment may not be available in connection with the transactions. Because derivatives traded in OTC markets generally are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation, to the extent that the Acquiring Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparties, the Acquiring Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations.

Certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity risk. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult or impossible for the Acquiring Fund to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable price. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Acquiring Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The Acquiring Fund will, therefore, acquire illiquid OTC instruments (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the Investment Advisor anticipates the Acquiring Fund can receive on each business day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer’s quotation may be used. Because derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that the Acquiring Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparties the Acquiring Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations. The Acquiring Fund will attempt to minimize these risks by engaging in transactions in derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that have substantial capital or that have provided the Acquiring Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.

Dodd-Frank Act Risk. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) (the “Derivatives Title”) imposed a substantially new regulatory structure on derivatives markets, with particular emphasis on swaps (which were subject to oversight by the CFTC) and security-based swaps (which were subject to oversight by the SEC). The regulatory framework covers a broad range of swap market participants, including banks, non-banks, credit unions, insurance companies, broker-dealers and investment advisers. Prudential regulators were granted authority to regulate margining of swaps and security-based swaps of banks and bank-related entities.

Although the CFTC and the prudential regulators have adopted and have begun implementing required regulations, the SEC rules were not finalized until December 2019 and firms have until October 2021 to come into compliance.

Current regulations for swaps require the mandatory central clearing and mandatory exchange trading of particular types of interest rate swaps and index credit default swaps (together, “Covered Swaps”). The Fund is required to clear its Covered Swaps through a clearing broker, which requires, among other things, posting initial margin and variation margin to the Fund’s clearing broker in order to enter into and maintain positions in Covered Swaps. Covered Swaps generally are required to be executed through a swap execution facility (“SEF”), which can involve additional transaction fees.

Additionally, under the Dodd-Frank Act, swaps (and both swaps and security-based swaps entered into with banks) are subject to margin requirements and swap dealers are required to collect margin from the Fund and post variation margin to the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Specifically, regulations are now in effect that require swap dealers to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid instruments and subject to a required haircut) in connection with trading of OTC swaps with the Fund. Shares of investment companies (other than certain money market funds) may not be posted as collateral under these regulations. Requirements for posting of initial margin in connection with OTC swaps (as well as security-based swaps in addition to OTC swaps where the dealer is a bank or subsidiary of a bank holding company) will be phased-in through September 2021. The CFTC has not yet adopted capital requirements for swap dealers. As uncleared capital requirements for swap dealers and uncleared capital and margin requirements for security-based swaps are phased in and implemented, such requirements may make certain types of trades and/or trading strategies more costly. There may be market dislocations due to uncertainty during the implementation period of any new regulation and the Investment Advisor cannot know how the derivatives market will adjust to the CFTC’s new capital regulations and to the new SEC regulations governing security-based swaps.

In addition, regulations adopted by global prudential regulators that are now in effect require certain bank- regulated counterparties and certain of their affiliates to include in “qualified financial contracts,” including many derivatives

 

8


contracts as well as repurchase agreements and securities lending agreements, terms that delay or restrict the rights of counterparties to terminate such contracts, foreclose upon collateral, exercise other default rights or restrict transfers of affiliate credit enhancements (such as guarantees) in the event that the bank-regulated counterparty and/or its affiliates are subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings.

Legal and Regulatory Risk. At any time after the date hereof, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Acquiring Fund. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on the securities in which the Acquiring Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Acquiring Fund itself is regulated. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Acquiring Fund or will not impair the ability of the Acquiring Fund to achieve its investment objective. In addition, as new rules and regulations resulting from the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act are implemented and new international capital and liquidity requirements are introduced under the Basel III Accords, the market may not react the way the Investment Advisor expects. Whether the Acquiring Fund achieves its investment objective may depend on, among other things, whether the Investment Advisor correctly forecasts market reactions to this and other legislation. In the event the Investment Advisor incorrectly forecasts market reaction, the Acquiring Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Regulation as a “Commodity Pool.” The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) subjects advisers to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the investment adviser either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC regulated futures, options and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”), or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. To the extent the Acquiring Fund uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and will not market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments. Accordingly, the Investment Advisor has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA. The Investment Advisor is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of the Acquiring Fund.

Failure of Futures Commission Merchants and Clearing Organizations. The Acquiring Fund is required to deposit funds to margin open positions in cleared derivative instruments (both futures and swaps) with a clearing broker registered as a “futures commission merchant” (“FCM”). The CEA requires an FCM to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of U.S. domestic futures contracts and cleared swaps from the FCM’s proprietary assets. Similarly, the CEA requires each FCM to hold in a separate secure account all funds received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of foreign futures contracts and segregate any such funds from the funds received with respect to domestic futures contracts. However, all funds and other property received by an FCM from its customers are held by an FCM on a commingled basis in an omnibus account and amounts in excess of assets posted to the clearing organization may be invested by an FCM in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulation. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Acquiring Fund with any FCM as margin for futures contracts or commodity options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Acquiring Fund’s FCM. In addition, the assets of the Acquiring Fund posted as margin against both swaps and futures contracts may not be fully protected in the event of the FCM’s bankruptcy.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

The Board of Directors and Officers

The Board of Directors (the “Board”), of each Fund currently consists of thirteen individuals (each, a “Board Member”), eleven of whom are not “interested persons” of each Fund as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Board Members”). The registered investment companies advised by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-Advised Funds”) are organized into one complex of closed-end funds and open-end non-index fixed-income funds (the “BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex”), one complex of open-end equity, multi-asset, index and money market funds (the “BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex”) and one complex of exchange-traded funds (each, a “BlackRock Fund Complex”). Each Fund is included in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. The Board Members also oversee as Board members the operations of the other closed-end registered investment companies included in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.

 

9


Certain biographical and other information relating to the Board Members and officers of each Fund is set forth below, including their year of birth, their principal occupation for at least the last five years, the length of time served, the total number of investment companies overseen in the BlackRock Fund Complexes and any public directorships or trusteeships.

Please refer to the below table which identifies the Board Members and sets forth certain biographical information about the Board Members for each Fund.

 

Name and Year of

            Birth(1)            

  

Position(s)

Held

(Length of

Service) (3)

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years

  

Number of

BlackRock-

Advised

Registered

Investment

Companies

(“RICs”)

Consisting of

Investment

Portfolios

(“Portfolios”)

Overseen(4)

  

Other Public

Company or

Investment

Company

Directorships

Held During

Past Five

Years(5)

Independent Board Members(2)

Richard E. Cavanagh 1946    Co-Chair of the Board and Board Member (Since 2007)    Director, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America since 1998; Board Chair, Volunteers of America (a not-for-profit organization) from 2015 to 2018 (board member since 2009); Director, Arch Chemicals (chemical and allied products) from 1999 to 2011; Trustee, Educational Testing Service from 1997 to 2009 and Chairman thereof from 2005 to 2009; Senior Advisor, The Fremont Group since 2008 and Director thereof since 1996; Faculty Member/Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard University since 2007 and Executive Dean from 1987 to 1995; President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board, Inc. (global business research organization) from 1995 to 2007.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None
Karen P. Robards 1950    Co-Chair of the Board and Board Member (Since 2007)    Principal of Robards & Company, LLC (consulting and private investing) since 1987; Co-founder and Director of the Cooke Center for Learning and Development (a not-for-profit organization) since 1987; Director of Enable Injections, LLC (medical devices) since 2019; Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley from 1976 to 1987.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    Greenhill & Co., Inc.; AtriCure, Inc. (medical devices) from 2000 until 2017
Michael J. Castellano 1946    Board Member (Since 2011)    Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Group LLC from 2001 to 2011; Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Ltd from 2004 to 2011; Director, Support Our Aging Religious (non-profit) from 2009 to June 2015 and from 2017 to September 2020; Director, National Advisory Board of Church Management at Villanova University since 2010; Trustee, Domestic Church Media Foundation since 2012; Director, CircleBlack Inc. (financial technology company) from 2015 to July 2020.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None
Cynthia L. Egan 1955    Board Member (Since 2016)    Advisor, U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2014 to 2015; President, Retirement Plan Services, for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. from 2007 to 2012; executive positions within Fidelity Investments from 1989 to 2007.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    Unum (insurance); The Hanover Insurance Group (insurance); Envestnet (investment platform) from 2013 until 2016

 

10


Name and Year of

Birth(1)

  

Position(s)
Held
(Length of
Service) (3)

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years

  

Number of
BlackRock-
Advised
Registered
Investment
Companies
(“RICs”)
Consisting of
Investment
Portfolios
(“Portfolios”)
Overseen(4)

  

Other Public
Company or
Investment
Company
Directorships
Held During
Past Five
Years(5)

Frank J. Fabozzi 1948    Board Member (Since 2007)    Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management since 1986; Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School (France) since 2011; Visiting Professor, Princeton University for the 2013 to 2014 academic year and Spring 2017 semester; Professor in the Practice of Finance, Yale University School of Management from 1994 to 2011 and currently a Teaching Fellow in Yale’s Executive Programs; Board Member, BlackRock Equity-Liquidity Funds from 2014 to 2016; affiliated professor Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 2008 to 2011; Visiting Professor, Rutgers University for the Spring 2019 semester; Visiting Professor, New York University for the 2019 academic year.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None

Lorenzo Flores

1964

   Board Member (Since 2021)    Vice Chairman, Kioxia, Inc. since 2019; Chief Financial Officer, Xilinx, Inc. from 2016 to 2019; Corporate Controller, Xilinx, Inc. from 2008 to 2016.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None

Stayce D. Harris

1959

   Board Member (Since 2021)    Lieutenant General, Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the United States Air Force from 2017 to 2019; Lieutenant General, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff, United States Air Force from 2016 to 2017; Major General, Commander, 22nd Air Force, AFRC, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia from 2014 to 2016; Pilot, United Airlines from 1990 to 2020.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None

J. Phillip Holloman

1955

   Board Member (Since 2021)    President and Chief Operating Officer, Cintas Corporation from 2008 to 2018.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None
R. Glenn Hubbard 1958    Board Member (Since 2007)    Dean, Columbia Business School from 2004 to 2019; Faculty member, Columbia Business School since 1988.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    ADP (data and information services); Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (insurance); KKR Financial Corporation (finance) from 2004 until 2014
W. Carl Kester 1951    Board Member (Since 2007)    George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School since 2008; Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs from 2006 to 2010; Chairman of the Finance Unit, from 2005 to 2006; Senior Associate Dean and Chairman of the MBA Program from 1999 to 2005; Member of the faculty of Harvard Business School since 1981.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None
Catherine A. Lynch 1961    Board Member (Since 2016)    Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and various other positions, National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust from 2003 to 2016; Associate Vice President for Treasury Management, The George Washington University from 1999 to 2003; Assistant Treasurer, Episcopal Church of America from 1995 to 1999.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None

 

11


Name and Year of
Birth(1)

  

Position(s)
Held
(Length of
Service) (3)

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years

  

Number of
BlackRock-
Advised
Registered
Investment
Companies
(“RICs”)
Consisting of
Investment
Portfolios
(“Portfolios”)
Overseen(4)

  

Other Public
Company or
Investment
Company
Directorships
Held During
Past Five
Years(5)

Interested Board Members(5)

     

Robert Fairbairn

1965

   Board Member (Since 2018)    Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019; Member of BlackRock’s Global Executive and Global Operating Committees; Co-Chair of BlackRock’s Human Capital Committee; Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2010 to 2019; oversaw BlackRock’s Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group from 2012 to 2019; Member of the Board of Managers of BlackRock Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2018; Global Head of BlackRock’s Retail and iShares® businesses from 2012 to 2016.    [●] RICs consisting of [●]Portfolios    None
John M. Perlowski 1964    Board Member (Since 2015), President and Chief Executive Officer (Since 2010    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009; Head of BlackRock Global Accounting and Product Services since 2009; Advisory Director of Family Resource Network (charitable foundation) since 2009.    [●] RICs consisting of [●] Portfolios    None

 

(1)

The address of each Board Member is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055.

(2)

Each Independent Board Member holds office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal, or until December 31 of the year in which he or she turns 75. Board Members who are “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act, serve until their successor is elected and qualifies or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal as provided by each Fund’s bylaws or statute, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. The Board may determine to extend the terms of Independent Board Members on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate.

(3)

Date shown is the earliest date a person has served for the Funds covered by this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Following the combination of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (“MLIM”) and BlackRock, Inc. in September 2006, the various legacy MLIM and legacy BlackRock fund boards were realigned and consolidated into three new fund boards in 2007. Certain Independent Board Members first became members of the boards of other legacy MLIM or legacy BlackRock funds as follows: Richard E. Cavanagh, 1994; Frank J. Fabozzi, 1988; R. Glenn Hubbard, 2004; W. Carl Kester, 1995; and Karen P. Robards, 1998. Certain other Independent Board Members became members of the boards of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex as follows: Michael J. Castellano, 2011; Cynthia L. Egan, 2016; and Catherine A. Lynch, 2016.

(4)

Dr. Fabozzi, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch and Mr. Perlowski are also trustees of the BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund and BlackRock Private Investments Fund.

(5)

Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are both “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act, of each Fund based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are also board members of the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.

Experience, Qualifications and Skills of the Board Members

The Independent Board Members have adopted a statement of policy that describes the experiences, qualifications, skills and attributes that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Board Member candidates (the “Statement of Policy”). The Boards believe that each Independent Board Member satisfied, at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Board Member, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy as well as the standards set forth in each Fund’s By-laws. Furthermore, in determining that a particular Board Member was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Board Member, the Boards have considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Boards believe that, collectively, the Board Members have balanced and diverse experiences, skills, attributes and qualifications, which allow the Boards to operate effectively in governing the Funds and protecting the interests of shareholders. Among the attributes common to all

 

12


Board Members is their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Funds’ Investment Advisor, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Board Members. Each Board Member’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively is evidenced by his or her educational background or professional training; business, consulting, public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member of the Funds or the other funds in the BlackRock Fund Complexes (and any predecessor funds), other investment funds, public companies, or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; ongoing commitment and participation in Board and Committee meetings, as well as his or her leadership of standing and other committees of other BlackRock-advised funds throughout the years; or other relevant life experiences.

The table below discusses some of the experiences, qualifications and skills of Board Members that support the conclusion that he or she should serve on the Boards.

 

Board Members

  

Experience, Qualifications and Skills

Independent Board Members

  
Richard E. Cavanagh    Richard E. Cavanagh brings to the Boards a wealth of practical business knowledge and leadership as an experienced director/trustee of various public and private companies. In particular, because Mr. Cavanagh served for over a decade as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Board, Inc., a global business research organization, he is able to provide the Boards with expertise about business and economic trends and governance practices. Mr. Cavanagh created the “blue ribbon” Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise in 2002, which recommended corporate governance enhancements. Mr. Cavanagh’s service as a director of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and as a senior advisor and director of The Fremont Group provides added insight into investment trends and conditions. Mr. Cavanagh’s long-standing service as a director/trustee/chair of the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Funds, its operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Mr. Cavanagh is also an experienced board leader, having served as the lead independent director of a NYSE public company (Arch Chemicals) and as the Board Chairman of the Educational Testing Service. Mr. Cavanagh’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances his service as Co-Chair of the Boards, Chair of the Executive Committee, and a member of the Compliance Committee, the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
Karen P. Robards    The Boards benefit from Karen P. Robards’s many years of experience in investment banking and the financial advisory industry where she obtained extensive knowledge of the capital markets and advised clients on corporate finance transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and the issuance of debt and equity securities. Ms. Robards’s prior position as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley provides useful oversight of the Funds’ investment decisions and investment valuation processes. Additionally, Ms. Robards’s experience as a director of publicly held and private companies allows her to provide the Boards with insight into the management and governance practices of other companies. Ms. Robards’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides her with a specific understanding of the Funds, their operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Ms. Robards’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies her to serve as Co-Chair of the Boards and Chair of each Fund’s Audit Committee. Ms. Robards’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances her service as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Performance Oversight Committee, and the Executive Committee.

 

13


Board Members

  

Experience, Qualifications and Skills

Michael J. Castellano    The Boards benefit from Michael J. Castellano’s career in accounting which spans over forty years. Mr. Castellano has served as Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Ltd. and as a Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Group. Prior to joining Lazard, Mr. Castellano held various senior management positions at Merrill Lynch & Co., including Senior Vice President—Chief Control Officer for Merrill Lynch’s capital markets businesses, Chairman of Merrill Lynch International Bank and Senior Vice President—Corporate Controller. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch & Co., Mr. Castellano was a partner with Deloitte & Touche where he served a number of investment banking clients over the course of his 24 years with the firm. Mr. Castellano currently serves as a director for CircleBlack Inc. Mr. Castellano’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as Chair of each Fund’s Audit Committee. Mr. Castellano’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances his service as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
Cynthia L. Egan    Cynthia L. Egan brings to the Boards a broad and diverse knowledge of investment companies and the retirement industry as a result of her many years of experience as President, Retirement Plan Services, for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and her various senior operating officer positions at Fidelity Investments, including her service as Executive Vice President of FMR Co., President of Fidelity Institutional Services Company and President of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. Ms. Egan has also served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Treasury as an expert in domestic retirement security. Ms. Egan began her professional career at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Ms. Egan is also a director of UNUM Corporation, a publicly traded insurance company providing personal risk reinsurance, and of The Hanover Group, a public property casualty insurance company. Ms. Egan’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances her service as Chair of the Compliance Committee, and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
Frank J. Fabozzi    Frank J. Fabozzi has served for over 25 years on the boards of registered investment companies. Dr. Fabozzi holds the designations of Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. Dr. Fabozzi was inducted into the Fixed Income Analysts Society’s Hall of Fame and is the 2007 recipient of the C. Stewart Sheppard Award and the 2015 recipient of the James R. Vertin Award, both given by the CFA Institute. The Boards benefit from Dr. Fabozzi’s experiences as a professor and author in the field of finance. Dr. Fabozzi’s experience as a professor at various institutions, including EDHEC Business School, Yale, MIT, and Princeton, as well as Dr. Fabozzi’s experience as a Professor in the Practice of Finance and Becton Fellow at the Yale University School of Management and as editor of the Journal of Portfolio Management demonstrates his wealth of expertise in the investment management and structured finance areas. Dr. Fabozzi has authored and edited numerous books and research papers on topics in investment management and financial econometrics, and his writings have focused on fixed-income securities and portfolio management, many of which are considered standard references in the investment management industry. Dr. Fabozzi’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Funds, their operations and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Moreover, Dr. Fabozzi’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as a member of each Fund’s Audit Committee. Dr. Fabozzi’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances his service as Chair of the Performance Oversight Committee.

 

14


Board Members

  

Experience, Qualifications and Skills

Lorenzo Flores    The Board benefits from Lorenzo A. Flores’s many years of business, leadership and financial experience in his roles at various public and private companies. In particular, Mr. Flores’s service as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller of Xilinx, Inc. and Vice Chairman of Kioxia, Inc. and his long experience in the technology industry allow him to provide insight to into financial, business and technology trends. Mr. Flores’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
Stayce D. Harris    The Board benefits from Stayce D. Harris’s leadership and governance experience gained during her extensive military career, including as a three-star Lieutenant General of the United States Air Force. In her most recent role, Ms. Harris reported to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force on matters concerning Air Force effectiveness, efficiency and the military discipline of active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. Ms. Harris’s experience on governance matters includes oversight of inspection policy and the inspection and evaluation system for all Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversight of Air Force counterintelligence operations and service on the Air Force Intelligence Oversight Panel; investigation of fraud, waste and abuse; and oversight of criminal investigations and complaints resolution programs. Ms. Harris’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances her service as a member of the Compliance Committee.
J. Phillip Holloman    The Board benefits from J. Phillip Holloman’s many years of business and leadership experience as an executive, director and advisory board member of various public and private companies. In particular, Mr. Holloman’s service as President and Chief Operating Officer of Cintas Corporation and director of PulteGroup, Inc. and Rockwell Automation Inc. allows him to provide insight into business trends and conditions. Mr. Holloman’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies him to serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
R. Glenn Hubbard    R. Glenn Hubbard has served in numerous roles in the field of economics, including as the Chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers of the President of the United States. Dr. Hubbard has served as the Dean of Columbia Business School, as a member of the Columbia Faculty and as a Visiting Professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Harvard Business School and the University of Chicago. Dr. Hubbard’s experience as an adviser to the President of the United States adds a dimension of balance to the Funds’ governance and provides perspective on economic issues. Dr. Hubbard’s service on the boards of ADP and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company provides the Boards with the benefit of his experience with the management practices of other financial companies. Dr. Hubbard’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of the closed-end funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Funds, their operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Dr. Hubbard’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances his service as Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the Compliance Committee and the Performance Oversight Committee.
W. Carl Kester    The Boards benefit from W. Carl Kester’s experiences as a professor and author in finance, and his experience as the George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and as Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs at Harvard Business School from 2006 through 2010 adds to the Boards a wealth of expertise in corporate finance and corporate governance. Dr. Kester has authored and edited numerous books and research papers on both subject matters, including co-editing a leading volume of finance case studies used worldwide. Dr. Kester’s long-standing service on the boards of directors/trustees of the closed-end funds in the

 

15


Board Members

  

Experience, Qualifications and Skills

   BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex also provides him with a specific understanding of the Funds, their operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Dr. Kester’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances his service as a member of the Compliance Committee and Performance Oversight Committee.
Catherine A. Lynch    Catherine A. Lynch, who served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust, benefits the Boards by providing business leadership and experience and a diverse knowledge of pensions and endowments. Ms. Lynch also holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. Ms. Lynch’s knowledge of financial and accounting matters qualifies her to serve as a member of each Fund’s Audit Committee. Ms. Lynch’s independence from the Funds and the Investment Advisor enhances her service as a member of the Performance Oversight Committee.
Interested Board Members
Robert Fairbairn    Robert Fairbairn has more than 25 years of experience with BlackRock, Inc. and over 30 years of experience in finance and asset management. In particular, Mr. Fairbairn’s positions as Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc., Member of BlackRock’s Global Executive and Global Operating Committees and Co-Chair of BlackRock’s Human Capital Committee provide the Boards with a wealth of practical business knowledge and leadership. In addition, Mr. Fairbairn has global investment management and oversight experience through his former positions as Global Head of BlackRock’s Retail and iShares® businesses, Head of BlackRock’s Global Client Group, Chairman of BlackRock’s international businesses and his previous oversight over BlackRock’s Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group. Mr. Fairbairn also serves as a board member for the funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.
John M. Perlowski    John M. Perlowski’s experience as Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009, as the Head of BlackRock Global Accounting and Product Services since 2009, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Funds provides him with a strong understanding of the Funds, their operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the Funds. Mr. Perlowski’s prior position as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Product Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and his former service as Treasurer and Senior Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Mutual Funds and as Director of the Goldman Sachs Offshore Funds provides the Boards with the benefit of his experience with the management practices of other financial companies. Mr. Perlowski also serves as a board member for the funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex. Mr. Perlowski’s experience with BlackRock enhances his service as a member of the Funds’ Executive Committee.

Board Leadership Structure and Oversight

The Boards have overall responsibility for the oversight of the Funds. The Chair of the Boards and the Chief Executive Officer are two different people. Not only is each Co-Chair of the Boards an Independent Board Member, but also the Chair of each Board committee (each, a “Committee”) is an Independent Board Member. The Boards have five standing Committees: an Audit Committee, a Governance and Nominating Committee, a Compliance Committee, a Performance Oversight Committee and an Executive Committee.

The role of each Co-Chair of the Boards is to preside over all meetings of the Boards and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board Members between meetings. The Chair of each Committee performs a similar role with respect to the Committee. The Co-Chairs of the Boards or Chair of a Committee may

 

16


also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Boards or the Committee from time to time. The Independent Board Members meet regularly outside the presence of the Funds’ management, in executive sessions or with other service providers to the Funds. The Boards have regular in-person meetings five times a year, including a meeting to consider the approval of the Funds’ investment management agreements and, if necessary, may hold special meetings before their next regular meeting. Each Committee meets regularly to conduct the oversight functions delegated to that Committee by the Boards and reports its findings to the Boards. The Boards and each standing Committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Boards have determined that the Boards’ leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Boards to exercise independent judgment over management and to allocate areas of responsibility among Committees and the Boards to enhance oversight.

 

   

The Boards decided to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer from the Co-Chairs because they believe that having independent Co-Chairs:

 

   

increases the independent oversight of the Funds and enhances the Boards’ objective evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer;

 

   

allows the Chief Executive Officer to focus on the Funds’ operations instead of Board administration;

 

   

provides greater opportunities for direct and independent communication between shareholders and the Boards; and

 

   

provides an independent spokesman for the Funds.

The Boards have engaged the Investment Advisor to manage the Funds on a day-to-day basis. Each Board is responsible for overseeing the Investment Advisor, other service providers, the operations of each Fund and associated risks in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, state law, other applicable laws, each Fund’s charter, and each Fund’s investment objective(s) and strategies. The Boards review, on an ongoing basis, the Funds’ performance, operations, and investment strategies and techniques. The Boards also conduct reviews of the Investment Advisor and its role in running the operations of the Funds.

Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Funds is the responsibility of the Investment Advisor or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to the supervision of the Investment Advisor. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. While there are a number of risk management functions performed by the Investment Advisor or other service providers, as applicable, it is not possible to eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Funds. Risk oversight is part of the Boards’ general oversight of the Funds and is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. The Boards, directly or through Committees, also review reports from, among others, management, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds, the Investment Advisor, and internal auditors for the Investment Advisor or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Funds and management’s or the service providers’ risk functions. The Committee system facilitates the timely and efficient consideration of matters by the Board Members and facilitates effective oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and of the Funds’ activities and associated risks. The Boards have approved the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”), who oversees the implementation and testing of the Funds’ compliance program and reports regularly to the Boards regarding compliance matters for the Funds and their service providers. The Independent Board Members have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibilities.

During the calendar year 2020, the Board of each Fund met [●] times. During the most recent full fiscal year for each Fund, the Board met the following number of times:

 

Fund Name

   Ticker    Fiscal Year
End
   Number of
Board Meetings

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.

   MYJ    July 31, 2021    [●]

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

   MUJ    July 31, 2021    [●]

 

17


No incumbent Board Member attended less than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of each Board and of each Committee on which the Board Member served during each Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.

Audit Committee. Each Board has a standing Audit Committee composed of Michael J. Castellano (Chair), Frank J. Fabozzi, Catherine A. Lynch and Karen P. Robards, all of whom are Independent Board Members and all of whom have been determined by the Audit Committee and the Board to be Audit Committee Financial Experts. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the accounting and financial reporting policies and practices of the Fund. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) approving and recommending to the full Board for approval the selection, retention, termination and compensation of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm (the “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm”) and evaluating the independence and objectivity of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm; (ii) approving all audit engagement terms and fees for the Fund; (iii) reviewing the conduct and results of each audit; (iv) reviewing any issues raised by the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm or management regarding the accounting or financial reporting policies and practices of the Fund, its internal controls, and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers and management’s response to any such issues; (v) reviewing and discussing the Fund’s audited and unaudited financial statements and disclosure in the Fund’s shareholder reports relating to the Fund’s performance; (vi) assisting the Board’s responsibilities with respect to the internal controls of the Fund and its service providers with respect to accounting and financial matters; and (vii) resolving any disagreements between the Fund’s management and the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm regarding financial reporting.

Each Board has adopted a written charter for such Board’s Audit Committee. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter for each Fund can be found in the “Corporate Governance” section of the BlackRock Closed-End Fund website at https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/education/closed-end-funds/corporate-governance.

Governance and Nominating Committee. Each Board has a standing Governance and Nominating Committee composed of R. Glenn Hubbard (Chair), Michael J. Castellano, Richard E. Cavanagh, Cynthia L. Egan and Karen P. Robards, all of whom are Independent Board Members.

The principal responsibilities of the Governance and Nominating Committee are: (i) identifying individuals qualified to serve as Independent Board Members and recommending Board nominees that are not “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) for election by shareholders or appointment by the Board; (ii) advising the Board with respect to Board composition, procedures and Committees of the Board (other than the Audit Committee); (iii) overseeing periodic self-assessments of the Board and committees of the Board (other than the Audit Committee); (iv) reviewing and making recommendations in respect to Independent Board Member compensation; (v) monitoring corporate governance matters and making recommendations in respect thereof to the Board; (vi) acting as the administrative committee with respect to Board policies and procedures, committee policies and procedures (other than the Audit Committee) and codes of ethics as they relate to the Independent Board Members; and (vii) reviewing and making recommendations to the Board in respect of Fund share ownership by the Independent Board Members. Each Board has adopted a written charter for such Board’s Governance and Nominating Committee.

The Governance and Nominating Committee of each Board seeks to identify individuals to serve on the Board who have a diverse range of viewpoints, qualifications, experiences, backgrounds and skill sets so that the Board will be better suited to fulfill its responsibility of overseeing the Fund’s activities. In so doing, the Governance and Nominating Committee reviews the size of the Board, the ages of the current Board Members and their tenure on the Board, and the skills, background and experiences of the Board Members in light of the issues facing the Fund in determining whether one or more new board members should be added to the Board. The Board as a group strives to achieve diversity in terms of gender, race and geographic location. The Governance and Nominating Committee believes that the Board Members as a group possess the array of skills, experiences and backgrounds necessary to guide the Fund. The Board Members’ biographies included herein highlight the diversity and breadth of skills, qualifications and expertise that the Board Members bring to the Fund.

Each Governance Committee may consider nominations for Board Members made by the Fund’s shareholders as it deems appropriate. Under each Fund’s By-laws, shareholders must follow certain procedures to nominate a person for election as a Board Member at an annual or special meeting, or to introduce an item of business at an annual meeting. Under these advance notice procedures, shareholders must submit the proposed nominee or item of business

 

18


by delivering a notice to the Secretary of the Fund at its principal executive offices. Each Fund must receive notice of a shareholder’s intention to introduce a nomination or proposed item of business for an annual shareholder meeting not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days before the anniversary of the prior year’s annual shareholder meeting. Assuming that the 2021 annual shareholder meeting of each Fund is held within 25 days of July 29, 2022, the relevant Fund must receive notice pertaining to the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders no earlier than Tuesday, March 1, 2022 and no later than Thursday, March 31, 2022. However, if a Fund holds its 2022 annual shareholder meeting on a date that is not within 25 days before or after July 29, 2022, such Fund must receive the notice of a shareholder’s intention to introduce a nomination or proposed item of business not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which the notice of the date of the shareholder meeting was mailed or the public disclosure of the date of the shareholder meeting was made, whichever comes first.

Each Fund’s By-laws provide that notice of a proposed nomination must include certain information about the shareholder and the nominee, as well as a written consent of the proposed nominee to serve if elected. A notice of a proposed item of business must include a description of and the reasons for bringing the proposed business to the meeting, any material interest of the shareholder in the business, and certain other information about the shareholder.

Further, each Fund has adopted Board Member qualification requirements which can be found in each Fund’s By-laws and are applicable to all Board Members that may be nominated, elected, appointed, qualified or seated to serve as Board Members. The qualification requirements may include: (i) age limits; (ii) limits on service on other boards; (iii) restrictions on relationships with investment advisers other than BlackRock; and (iv) character and fitness requirements. In addition to not being an “interested person” of the Fund as defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, each Independent Board Member may not be or have certain relationships with a shareholder owning five percent or more of the Fund’s voting securities or owning other percentage ownership interests in investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. Reference is made to each Fund’s By-laws for more details.

A copy of the Governance Committee Charter for each Fund can be found in the “Corporate Governance” section of the BlackRock Closed-End Fund website at https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/education/closed-end-funds/corporate-governance.

Compliance Committee. The Boards have a Compliance Committee composed of Cynthia L. Egan (Chair), Richard E. Cavanagh, R. Glenn Hubbard and W. Carl Kester, all of whom are Independent Board Members. The Compliance Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility with respect to the oversight of regulatory and fiduciary compliance matters involving the Fund, the fund-related activities of BlackRock, and any sub-advisers and the Fund’s other third-party service providers. The Compliance Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) overseeing the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund and its service providers and recommending changes or additions to such policies and procedures; (ii) reviewing information on and, where appropriate, recommending policies concerning the Fund’s compliance with applicable law; (iii) reviewing information on any significant correspondence with or other actions by regulators or governmental agencies with respect to the Fund and any employee complaints or published reports that raise concerns regarding compliance matters; and (iv) reviewing reports from, overseeing the annual performance review of, and making certain recommendations in respect of the CCO, including, without limitation, determining the amount and structure of the CCO’s compensation. Each Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Compliance Committee.

Performance Oversight Committee. The Boards have a Performance Oversight Committee composed of Frank J. Fabozzi (Chair), Michael J. Castellano, Richard E. Cavanagh, Cynthia L. Egan, R. Glenn Hubbard, W. Carl Kester, Catherine A. Lynch and Karen P. Robards, all of whom are Independent Board Members. The Performance Oversight Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee the Fund’s investment performance relative to the Fund’s investment objective(s), policies and practices. The Performance Oversight Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation: (i) reviewing the Fund’s investment objective(s), policies and practices; (ii) recommending to the Board any required action in respect of changes in fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions; (iii) reviewing information on appropriate benchmarks and competitive universes; (iv) reviewing the Fund’s investment performance relative to such benchmarks; (v) reviewing information on unusual or exceptional investment matters; (vi) reviewing whether the Fund has complied with its investment policies and restrictions; and (vii) overseeing policies, procedures and controls regarding valuation of the Fund’s investments. Each Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Performance Oversight Committee.

 

19


Executive Committee. The Boards have an Executive Committee composed of Richard E. Cavanagh (Chair) and Karen P. Robards, both of whom are Independent Board Members, and John M. Perlowski, who serves as an interested Board Member. The principal responsibilities of the Executive Committee include, without limitation: (i) acting on routine matters between meetings of the Board; (ii) acting on such matters as may require urgent action between meetings of the Board; and (iii) exercising such other authority as may from time to time be delegated to the Executive Committee by the Board. Each Board has adopted a written charter for the Board’s Executive Committee.

Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes and qualifications of each Board Member, which in each case led to each Board’s conclusion that the Board Member should serve (or continue to serve) as a Board Member of the Funds, is provided in “Biographical Information of the Trustees.”

Each Audit Committee, Governance Committee, Compliance Committee, Performance Oversight Committee and Executive Committee met the following number of times for each Fund’s most recent fiscal year:

 

Ticker

   Fiscal Year End    Number of
Audit
Committee
Meetings
  Number of
Governance
Committee
Meetings
  Number of
Compliance
Committee
Meetings
  Number of
Performance
Oversight
Committee
Meetings
  Number of
Executive
Committee
Meetings

MYJ

   July 31, 2021    [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

   July 31, 2021    [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

Compensation of the Board Members

Effective January 1, 2021, each Independent Board Member is paid an annual retainer of $370,000 per year for his or her services as a board member of the BlackRock-advised Funds, including each Fund, and each Board Member may also receive a $10,000 board meeting fee for special unscheduled meetings or meetings in excess of six Board meetings held in a calendar year, together with out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with a Board policy on travel and other business expenses relating to attendance at meetings. In addition, each Co-Chair of the Board is paid an additional annual retainer of $100,000. The Chairs of the Audit Committee, Performance Oversight Committee, Compliance Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee are paid an additional annual retainer of $45,000, $37,500, $45,000 and $37,500, respectively. Each of the members of the Audit Committee and Compliance Committee are paid an additional annual retainer of $30,000 and $25,000, respectively, for his or her service on such committee. Each Fund pays a pro rata portion quarterly (based on relative net assets) of the foregoing Board Member fees paid by the funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.

The Independent Board Members have agreed that a maximum of 50% of each Independent Board Member’s total compensation paid by funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex may be deferred pursuant to the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex’s deferred compensation plan. Under the deferred compensation plan, deferred amounts earn a return for the Independent Board Members as though equivalent dollar amounts had been invested in shares of certain funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex selected by the Independent Board Members. This has approximately the same economic effect for the Independent Board Members as if they had invested the deferred amounts in such other funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. The deferred compensation plan is not funded and obligations thereunder represent general unsecured claims against the general assets of a fund and are recorded as a liability for accounting purposes.

Prior to January 1, 2021, each Board Member who was an Independent Board Member was paid an annual retainer of $330,000 per year for his or her services as a Board member of the BlackRock-advised Funds, including the Funds. The Chairs of the Performance Oversight Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee were paid an additional annual retainer of $30,000 and $20,000, respectively.

The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation, including deferred compensation amounts, paid to each Independent Board Member by each Fund during its most recently completed fiscal year and by all BlackRock-advised Funds for the calendar year ended December 31, 2020. Mr. Perlowski and Mr. Fairbairn serve without compensation from the Funds because of their affiliation with BlackRock, Inc. and the Investment Advisor.

 

20


Name1    Compensat
ion from
MYJ
    Compensa
tion from
the
Acquiring
Fund
(MUJ)
    Estimated
Annual
Benefits

upon
Retirement
     Aggregate
Compensation
from the
Funds
and Other
BlackRock-
Advised
Funds2,3
 

Independent Board Members:

         

Michael J. Castellano

     [●]       [●]       None        $405,000  

Richard E. Cavanagh

     [●]       [●]       None        $455,000  

Cynthia L. Egan

     [●]       [●]       None        $400,000  

Frank J. Fabozzi

     [●]       [●]       None        $405,000  

Lorenzo Flores4

     None       None       None        N/A  

Stayce D. Harris5

     None       None       None        N/A  

J. Phillip Holloman6

     None       None       None        N/A  

Henry Gabbay7

     [●]       [●]       None        $360,000  

R. Glenn Hubbard

     [●]       [●]       None        $375,000  

W. Carl Kester

     [●]       [●]       None        $370,000  

Catherine A. Lynch

     [●]       [●]       None        $375,000  

Karen P. Robards

     [●]       [●]       None        $460,000  
     [●]       [●]       

Interested Board Members:

     [●]       [●]       

Robert Fairbairn

     [●]       [●]       None        None  

John M. Perlowski

     [●]       [●]       None        None  

 

1 

For the number of BlackRock-advised Funds from which each Board Member receives compensation see the Biographical Information Chart beginning on page [10].

 

2

For the Independent Board Members, this amount represents the aggregate compensation earned from the funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex during the calendar year ended December 31, 2020. Of this amount, Mr. Castellano, Mr. Cavanagh, Dr. Fabozzi, Dr. Hubbard, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch and Ms. Robards deferred $121,500, $150,150, $84,000, $187,500, $50,000, $58,500 and $23,000, respectively, pursuant to the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex’s deferred compensation plan.

 

3

Total amount of deferred compensation payable by the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex to Mr. Castellano, Mr. Cavanagh, Dr. Fabozzi, Dr. Hubbard, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch and Ms. Robards is $1,219,536, $1,833,807, $1,005,663, $2,999,679, $1,481,108, $283,963 and $1,068,129, respectively, as of December 31, 2020. Ms. Egan did not participate in the deferred compensation plan as of December 31, 2020.

 

4 

Mr. Flores was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective July 30, 2021 and a member of the Audit Committee effective August 5, 2021.

 

5 

Ms. Harris was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective June 10, 2021 and a member of the Compliance Committee effective July 31, 2021.

 

6 

Mr. Holloman was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective June 10, 2021 and a member of the Audit Committee effective July 31, 2021.

 

7

Mr. Gabbay resigned as a Board Member of each Fund effective February 19, 2020.

 

21


Share Ownership

Information relating to each Board Member’s share ownership in each Fund and in the other funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex that are overseen by the respective director (“Supervised Funds”) as of December 31, 2020 is set forth in the chart below:

 

Name of Board

Member

   Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Common
Shares in
MYJ
  Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Common
Shares in the
Acquiring
Fund (MUJ)
  Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Common
Shares in
Supervised
Funds*
 

Michael J. Castellano

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Richard E. Cavanagh

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Cynthia L. Egan

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Frank J. Fabozzi

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Lorenzo Flores**

   None   None     None  

Stayce D. Harris***

   None   None     None  

J. Phillip Holloman****

   None   None     None  

R. Glenn Hubbard

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

W. Carl Kester

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Catherine A. Lynch

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Karen P. Robards

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

John M. Perlowski

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

Robert Fairbairn

   [●]   [●]   Over $ 100,000  

 

*

Includes share equivalents owned under the deferred compensation plan in the Supervised Funds by certain Independent Board Members who have participated in the deferred compensation plan of the Supervised Funds.

 

**

Mr. Flores was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective July 30, 2021.

 

***

Ms. Harris was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective June 10, 2021.

 

****

Mr. Holloman was appointed as a Board Member of each Fund effective June 10, 2021.

As of December 31, 2020, none of the Independent Board Members of each Fund or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of BlackRock or any affiliate of BlackRock or underwriter or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any such entities nor did any Independent Board Member of each Fund or their immediate family member have any material interest in any transaction, or series of similar transactions, during the most recently completed two calendar years involving each Fund, BlackRock or any affiliate of BlackRock or underwriter or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any such entities.

Independent Board Member Ownership of Securities

As of December 31, 2030, the Independent Board Members (and their respective immediate family members) did not beneficially own securities of the Investment Advisor, or an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Investment Advisor (not including registered investment companies).

Information Pertaining to the Officers

Certain biographical and other information relating to the officers of the Funds who are not Board Members is set forth below, including their address and year of birth, principal occupations for at least the last five years and length of time served. With the exception of the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), executive officers receive no compensation from the Funds. The Acquiring Fund compensates the CCO for his services as its CCO.

Each executive officer is an “interested person” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) by virtue of that individual’s position with BlackRock or its affiliates described in the table below.

 

22


Name, Address(1),(2) and
Year of Birth

  

Position(s) Held (Length
of Service)

  

Principal Occupations(s)
During Past Five Years

Jonathan Diorio
1980
  

Vice President

(Since 2015)

   Managing Director of BlackRock since 2015; Director of BlackRock from 2011 to 2015.
Trent Walker
1974
  

Chief Financial Officer

(Since 2021)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since September 2019; Executive Vice President of PIMCO from 2016 to 2019; Senior Vice President of PIMCO from 2008 to 2015; Treasurer from 2013 to 2019 and Assistant Treasurer from 2007 to 2017 of PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Equity Series, PIMCO Equity Series VIT, PIMCO Managed Accounts Trust, 2 PIMCO-sponsored interval funds and 21 PIMCO-sponsored closed-end funds.
Jay M. Fife
1970
  

Treasurer

(Since 2007)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007.
Charles Park
1967
  

Chief Compliance Officer

(Since 2014)

   Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for certain BlackRock-advised Funds from 2014 to 2015; Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex and the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex since 2014; Principal of and Chief Compliance Officer for iShares® Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC since 2012 and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for the BFA-advised iShares® exchange traded funds since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for BlackRock Asset Management International Inc. since 2012.
Janey Ahn
1975
  

Secretary

(Since 2012)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2018; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2017.

 

(1)

The address of each executive officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055.

 

(2)

Officers of the Funds serve at the pleasure of the Board.

Indemnification of Board Members and Officers

The governing documents of each Fund generally provide that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund will indemnify its Board Members and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Fund unless they engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in their offices. In addition, the Fund will not indemnify Board Members with respect to any matter as to which Board Members did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interest of the Fund or, in the case of any criminal proceeding, as to which Board Members had reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful. Indemnification provisions contained in a Fund’s governing documents are subject to any limitations imposed by applicable law.

The funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex, including the Funds, have also entered into a separate indemnification agreement with the Board Members of each Board (the “Indemnification Agreement”). The Indemnification Agreement (i) extends the indemnification provisions contained in a Fund’s governing documents to

 

23


Board Members who leave that Fund’s Board and serve on an advisory board of a different fund in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex; (ii) sets in place the terms of the indemnification provisions of a Fund’s governing documents once a director retires from a Board; and (iii) in the case of Board Members who left the Board of a Fund in connection with or prior to the board consolidation that occurred in 2007 as a result of the merger of BlackRock and Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.’s investment management business, clarifies that such Fund continues to indemnify the director for claims arising out of his or her past service to that Fund.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS

Investment Management Agreements

The Investment Management Agreement between each Fund and the Investment Advisor was approved by such Fund’s Board, including a majority of the Independent Board Members. The Investment Advisor is responsible for the management of each Fund’s portfolio and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operation of the Funds. The Investment Advisor, located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock.

The Investment Management Agreement of each Fund is in effect for a one year term ending June 30, 2022 and will continue in effect for successive periods of 12 months thereafter, provided that each continuance is specifically approved at least annually by both (1) the vote of a majority of such Fund’s Board or the vote of a majority of the securities of such Fund at the time outstanding and entitled to vote (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Board Members of such Fund who are not interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) to the Investment Management Agreement or interested persons of any party to the Investment Management Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

The Investment Management Agreement of each Fund may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by such Fund (upon the vote of a majority of such Fund’s Board or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund) or by the Investment Advisor, upon 60 days’ written notice by either party to the other which can be waived by the non-terminating party. The Investment Management Agreement of each Fund will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder).

The Investment Management Agreement of each Fund provides that the Investment Advisor will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by such Fund in connection with the performance of such Fund’s Investment Management Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Investment Advisor’s part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Investment Advisor of its duties under the Investment Management Agreement. The Investment Management Agreement of each Fund also provides for indemnification by such Fund of the Investment Advisor, its Board Members, officers, employees, agents and control persons for liabilities incurred by them in connection with their services to such Fund, subject to certain limitations and conditions.

The Investment Advisor will devote such time and effort to the business of each Fund as is reasonably necessary to perform its duties to such Fund. However, the services of the Investment Advisor are not exclusive, and the Investment Advisor provides similar services to other investment companies and other clients and may engage in other activities.

In addition to the fees paid to the Investment Advisor, each Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its respective operations, including compensation of its Board Members (other than those affiliated with the Investment Advisor), custodian, leveraging expenses, transfer and dividend disbursing agent expenses, legal fees, rating agency fees, listing fees and expenses, expenses of independent auditors, expenses of repurchasing shares, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies and taxes, if any.

Each Fund and the Investment Advisor have entered into a fee waiver agreement (the “Fee Waiver Agreement”), pursuant to which the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of each Fund’s assets attributable to investments in any equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) managed by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates that have a contractual fee, through June 30, 2023.

 

24


In addition, effective December 1, 2019, pursuant to the Fee Waiver Agreement, the Investment Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees each Fund pays to the Investment Advisor indirectly through its investment in money market funds advised by the Investment Advisor or its affiliates, through June 30, 2023. The Fee Waiver Agreement may be continued from year to year thereafter, provided that such continuance is specifically approved by the Investment Advisor and each Fund (including by a majority of the Independent Board Members). Neither the Investment Advisor nor the Funds are obligated to extend the Fee Waiver Agreement. The Fee Waiver Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, only by each Fund (upon the vote of a majority of the Independent Board Members or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund), upon 90 days’ written notice by each Fund to the Investment Advisor. Prior to December 1, 2019, such agreement to waive a portion of each Fund’s management fee in connection with each Fund’s investment in affiliated money market funds was voluntary.

Advisory Fees Paid to the Investment Advisor

BlackRock Advisors, LLC acts as the investment adviser for each Fund. The tables below set forth information about the total advisory fees paid by each Fund to the Investment Advisor and any amounts waived by the Investment Advisor with respect to each Fund during each Fund’s previous three fiscal years.

 

MYJ              

For the Fiscal Year Ended

   Paid to the Investment
Advisor
     Waived by the Investment
Advisor
 

July 31, 2021

   $ 3,138,608      $ 2,891  

July 31, 2020

   $ 3,150,685      $ 5,195  

July 31, 2019

   $ 3,101,225      $ 59,946  
Acquiring Fund (MUJ)              

For the Fiscal Year Ended

   Paid to the Investment
Advisor
     Waived by the Investment
Advisor
 

July 31, 2021

   $ 3,900,949      $ 4,875  

July 31, 2020

   $ 3,901,836      $ 3,848  

July 31, 2019

   $ 3,803,360      $ 2,210  

Accounting Services Provider

State Street Bank and Trust Company provides certain administration and accounting services to the Funds pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Services Agreement. The following table sets forth the amounts paid by each Fund to State Street Bank and Trust Company during each Fund’s previous three fiscal years.

 

25


MYJ       

For the Fiscal Year Ended

   Administrative Services
Fees Paid
 

July 31, 2021

   $ 96,680  

July 31, 2020

   $ 99,102  

July 31, 2019

   $ 98,125  
Acquiring Fund (MUJ)       

For the Fiscal Year Ended

   Administrative Services
Fees Paid
 

July 31, 2021

   $ 112,041  

July 31, 2020

   $ 113,660  

July 31, 2019

   $ 110,591  

PORTFOLIO MANAGER INFORMATION

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers

The tables below set forth information about the other accounts managed by each Fund’s portfolio managers as of July 31, 2021.

 

MYJ:

     Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets
by Account Type
  Number of Other Accounts and Assets  for
Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based

Name of Portfolio Manager

   Other
Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
  Other
Accounts
  Other
Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
  Other
Accounts

Phillip Soccio, CFA

   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]
   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA

   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]
   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

Acquiring Fund (MUJ):

     Number of Other Accounts Managed and
Assets by Account Type
  Number of Other Accounts and Assets  for
Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based

Name of Portfolio Manager

   Other Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
  Other
Accounts
  Other
Registered
Investment
Companies
  Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
  Other
Accounts

Phillip Soccio, CFA

   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]
   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA

   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]   [●]

[Potential Material Conflicts of Interest

BlackRock has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio

 

26


transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, Inc., its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, shareholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, Inc., or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, shareholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock, Inc.’s (or its affiliates’ or significant shareholders’) officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock, Inc. or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Certain portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for a fund. It should also be noted that a portfolio manager may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Such portfolio managers may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts. Currently, the portfolio managers of the Funds are not entitled to receive a portion of incentive fees of other accounts.

As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock, Inc. has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

The discussion below describes the portfolio managers’ compensation as of each Fund’s most recent fiscal year end.

BlackRock’s financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock.

Base Compensation

Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Discretionary Incentive Compensation

Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager’s group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firm’s assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individual’s performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. Among other things, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to each portfolio manager’s compensation based on the performance of the Funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks. Performance of fixed income funds is measured on a pre-tax and/or after-tax basis over various time periods including 1-, 3- and 5- year periods, as applicable. With respect to these portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts are: a combination of market-based indices (e.g., Standard & Poor’s Municipal Bond Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.

 

27


Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation

Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash, deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards, and/or deferred cash awards that notionally track the return of certain BlackRock investment products.

Portfolio managers receive their annual discretionary incentive compensation in the form of cash. Portfolio managers whose total compensation is above a specified threshold also receive deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards annually as part of their discretionary incentive compensation. Paying a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in the form of deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock’s ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. In some cases, additional deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock may be granted to certain key employees as part of a long-term incentive award to aid in retention, align interests with long-term shareholders and motivate performance. Deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that vest pursuant to the terms of the applicable plan and, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. The portfolio managers of these Funds have deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards.

For certain portfolio managers, a portion of the discretionary incentive compensation is also distributed in the form of deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage, which provides direct alignment of portfolio manager discretionary incentive compensation with investment product results. Deferred cash awards vest ratably over a number of years and, once vested, settle in the form of cash. Only portfolio managers who manage specified products and whose total compensation is above a specified threshold are eligible to participate in the deferred cash award program.

Other Compensation Benefits

In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

Incentive Savings Plans—BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock, Inc. employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($285,000 for 2020). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock, Inc. contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock, Inc. common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. All of the eligible portfolio managers are eligible to participate in these plans.]

Securities Ownership of Portfolio Managers as of July 31, 2021 for MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, each

Fund’s most recent fiscal year end

 

Portfolio Manager

   Dollar Range
of Equity
Securities of
MYJ
Beneficially
Owned
  Dollar Range of
Equity
Securities of the
Acquiring  Fund
(MUJ)
Beneficially
Owned

Theodore R. Jaeckel, Jr., CFA

   [●]   [●]

Phillip Soccio, CFA

   [●]   [●]

 

28


PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION

Subject to policies established by the Board, the Investment Advisor is primarily responsible for the execution of each Fund’s portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage. The Investment Advisor does not execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but seeks to obtain the best net results for each Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While the Investment Advisor generally seeks reasonable trade execution costs, the Funds do not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available, and payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions. Subject to applicable legal requirements, the Investment Advisor may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to the Investment Advisor and its clients, including the Funds. In return for such services, the Investment Advisor may cause the Funds to pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if the Investment Advisor determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

In selecting brokers or dealers to execute portfolio transactions, the Investment Advisor seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for each Fund, taking into account a variety of factors including: (i) the size, nature and character of the security or instrument being traded and the markets in which it is purchased or sold; (ii) the desired timing of the transaction; (iii) the Investment Advisor’s knowledge of the expected commission rates and spreads currently available; (iv) the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular security or instrument, including any anticipated execution difficulties; (v) the full range of brokerage services provided; (vi) the broker’s or dealer’s capital; (vii) the quality of research and research services provided; (viii) the reasonableness of the commission, dealer spread or its equivalent for the specific transaction; and (ix) the Investment Advisor’s knowledge of any actual or apparent operational problems of a broker or dealer.

The securities in which the Funds invest are traded primarily in the OTC market. Each Fund intends to deal directly with the dealers who make a market in the particular securities, except in those circumstances in which better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with the Funds and persons who are affiliated with such affiliated persons are prohibited from dealing with the Funds as principals in the purchase and sale of securities unless a permissive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC. Since transactions in the OTC market usually involve transactions with the dealers acting as principal for their own accounts, the Funds will not deal with affiliated persons in connection with such transactions. However, an affiliated person of a Fund may serve as its broker in OTC transactions conducted on an agency basis provided that, among other things, the fee or commission received by such affiliated broker is reasonable and fair compared to the fee or commission received by non-affiliated brokers in connection with comparable transactions.

OTC issues, including most fixed income securities such as municipal bonds, corporate debt and U.S. Government securities, are normally traded on a “net” basis without a stated commission, through dealers acting for their own account and not as brokers. The Funds will primarily engage in transactions with these dealers or deal directly with the issuer unless a better price or execution could be obtained by using a broker. Prices paid to a dealer with respect to both foreign and domestic securities will generally include a “spread,” which is the difference between the prices at which the dealer is willing to purchase and sell the specific security at the time, and includes the dealer’s normal profit.

Purchases of money market instruments by the Funds are made from dealers, underwriters and issuers. The Funds do not currently expect to incur any brokerage commission expense on such transactions because money market instruments are generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission. The price of the security, however, usually includes a profit to the dealer.

Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act (“Section 28(e)”) permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction that exceeds the amount another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker or dealer. This includes commissions paid on riskless principal transactions under certain conditions. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, including pricing and appraisal advice, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis, as well as the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers

 

29


or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental to securities transactions (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). The Investment Advisor believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

The Investment Advisor may participate in client commission arrangements under which the Investment Advisor may execute transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions or commission credits to another firm that provides research to the Investment Advisor. The Investment Advisor believes that research services obtained through soft dollar or commission sharing arrangements enhance its investment decision-making capabilities, thereby increasing the prospects for higher investment returns. The Investment Advisor will engage only in soft dollar or commission sharing transactions that comply with the requirements of Section 28(e). The Investment Advisor regularly evaluates the soft dollar products and services utilized, as well as the overall soft dollar and commission sharing arrangements to ensure that trades are executed by firms that are regarded as best able to execute trades for client accounts, while at the same time providing access to the research and other services the Investment Advisor views as impactful to its trading results.

The Investment Advisor may utilize soft dollars and related services, including research (whether prepared by the broker-dealer or prepared by a third-party and provided to the Investment Advisor by the broker-dealer) and execution or brokerage services within applicable rules and the Investment Advisor’s policies to the extent that such permitted services do not compromise the Investment Advisor’s ability to seek to obtain best execution. In this regard, the portfolio management investment and/or trading teams may consider a variety of factors, including the degree to which the broker-dealer: (a) provides access to company management; (b) provides access to their analysts; (c) provides meaningful/insightful research notes on companies or other potential investments; (d) facilitates calls on which meaningful or insightful ideas about companies or potential investments are discussed; (e) facilitates conferences at which meaningful or insightful ideas about companies or potential investments are discussed; or (f) provides research tools such as market data, financial analysis, and other third party related research and brokerage tools that aid in the investment process.

Research-oriented services for which the Investment Advisor might pay with fund commissions may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies or industries and securities or groups of securities, as well as market, economic, or institutional advice and statistical information, political developments and technical market information that assists in the valuation of investments. Except as noted immediately below, research services furnished by brokers may be used in servicing some or all client accounts and not all services may be used in connection with the Funds or account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. In some cases, research information received from brokers by investment company management personnel, or personnel principally responsible for the Investment Advisor’s individually managed portfolios, is not necessarily shared by and between such personnel. Any investment advisory or other fees paid by the Funds to the Investment Advisor are not reduced as a result of the Investment Advisor’s receipt of research services. In some cases, the Investment Advisor may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs the Investment Advisor makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Investment Advisor will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Investment Advisor faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Investment Advisor believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

Payments of commissions to brokers who are affiliated persons of the Funds will be made in accordance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.

From time to time, Funds may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the broker may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Investment Advisor with research services. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the broker will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

30


The Investment Advisor does not consider sales of shares of the investment companies it advises as a factor in the selection of brokers or dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Funds; however, whether or not a particular broker or dealer sells shares of the investment companies advised by the Investment Advisor neither qualifies nor disqualifies such broker or dealer to execute transactions for those investment companies.

Securities purchased in underwritten offerings include a fixed amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. When securities are purchased or sold directly from or to an issuer, no commissions or discounts are paid.

The Investment Advisor may seek to obtain an undertaking from issuers of commercial paper or dealers selling commercial paper to consider the repurchase of such securities from the Funds prior to maturity at their original cost plus interest (sometimes adjusted to reflect the actual maturity of the securities), if it believes that the Funds’ respective anticipated need for liquidity makes such action desirable. Any such repurchase prior to maturity reduces the possibility that the Funds would incur a capital loss in liquidating commercial paper, especially if interest rates have risen since acquisition of such commercial paper.

Investment decisions for the Funds and for other investment accounts managed by the Investment Advisor are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. The Investment Advisor allocates investments among client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. A variety of factors will be considered in making such allocations. These factors include: (i) investment objectives or strategies for particular accounts, including sector, industry, country or region and capitalization weightings, (ii) tax considerations of an account, (iii) risk or investment concentration parameters for an account, (iv) supply or demand for a security at a given price level, (v) size of available investment, (vi) cash availability and liquidity requirements for accounts, (vii) regulatory restrictions, (viii) minimum investment size of an account, (ix) relative size of account, and (x) such other factors as may be approved by the Investment Advisor’s general counsel. Moreover, investments may not be allocated to one client account over another based on any of the following considerations: (i) to favor one client account at the expense of another, (ii) to generate higher fees paid by one client account over another or to produce greater performance compensation to the Investment Advisor, (iii) to develop or enhance a relationship with a client or prospective client, (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to the Investment Advisor or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to the Investment Advisor, or (v) to manage or equalize investment performance among different client accounts.

Equity securities will generally be allocated among client accounts within the same investment mandate on a pro rata basis. This pro-rata allocation may result in the Funds receiving less of a particular security than if pro-ration had not occurred. All allocations of equity securities will be subject, where relevant, to share minimums established for accounts and compliance constraints.

Initial public offerings of securities may be over-subscribed and subsequently trade at a premium in the secondary market. When the Investment Advisor is given an opportunity to invest in such an initial offering or “new” or “hot” issue, the supply of securities available for client accounts is often less than the amount of securities the accounts would otherwise take. In order to allocate these investments fairly and equitably among client accounts over time, each portfolio manager or a member of his or her respective investment team will indicate to the Investment Advisor’s trading desk their level of interest in a particular offering with respect to eligible clients’ accounts for which that team is responsible. Initial public offerings of U.S. equity securities will be identified as eligible for particular client accounts that are managed by portfolio teams who have indicated interest in the offering based on market capitalization of the issuer of the security and the investment mandate of the client account and in the case of international equity securities, the country where the offering is taking place and the investment mandate of the client account. Generally, shares received during the initial public offering will be allocated among participating client accounts within each investment mandate on a pro rata basis. In situations where supply is too limited to be allocated among all accounts for which the investment is eligible, portfolio managers may rotate such investment opportunities among one or more accounts so long as the rotation system provides for fair access for all client accounts over time. Other allocation methodologies that are considered by the Investment Advisor to be fair and equitable to clients may be used as well.

 

31


Because different accounts may have differing investment objectives and policies, the Investment Advisor may buy and sell the same securities at the same time for different clients based on the particular investment objectives, guidelines and strategies of those accounts. For example, the Investment Advisor may decide that it may be entirely appropriate for a growth fund to sell a security at the same time a value fund is buying that security. To the extent that transactions on behalf of more than one client of the Investment Advisor or its affiliates during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, there may be an adverse effect on price. For example, sales of a security by the Investment Advisor on behalf of one or more of its clients may decrease the market price of such security, adversely impacting other clients of the Investment Advisor that still hold the security. If purchases or sales of securities arise for consideration at or about the same time that would involve the Funds or other clients or funds for which the Investment Advisor or an affiliate act as investment manager, transactions in such securities will be made, insofar as feasible, for the respective funds and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all.

In certain instances, the Investment Advisor may find it efficient for purposes of seeking to obtain best execution, to aggregate or “bunch” certain contemporaneous purchases or sale orders of its advisory accounts. In general, all contemporaneous trades for client accounts under management by the same portfolio manager or investment team will be bunched in a single order if the trader believes the bunched trade would provide each client with an opportunity to achieve a more favorable execution at a potentially lower execution cost. The costs associated with a bunched order will be shared pro rata among the clients in the bunched order. Generally, if an order for a particular portfolio manager or management team is filled at several different prices through multiple trades, all accounts participating in the order will receive the average price except in the case of certain international markets where average pricing is not permitted. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as the Funds are concerned, in other cases it could be beneficial to the Funds. Transactions effected by the Investment Advisor on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.

The Funds will not purchase securities during the existence of any underwriting or selling group relating to such securities of which the Investment Advisor or any affiliated person (as defined in the 1940 Act) thereof is a member except pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board in accordance with Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act. In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or sold to the Investment Advisor or any affiliated person of the foregoing entities except as permitted by SEC exemptive order or by applicable law.

While the Funds generally do not expect to engage in trading for short-term gains, they will effect portfolio transactions without regard to any holding period if, in the Investment Advisor’s judgment, such transactions are advisable in light of a change in circumstances of a particular company or within a particular industry or in general market, economic or financial conditions. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of each Fund’s annual sales or purchases of portfolio securities (exclusive of purchases or sales of U.S. Government Securities and all other securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less) by the monthly average value of the securities in the portfolio during the year. A high rate of portfolio turnover results in certain tax consequences, such as increased capital gain dividends and/or ordinary income dividends, and in correspondingly greater transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads and brokerage commissions, which are borne directly by the Funds.

[Each Fund paid no brokerage commissions, including to affiliated broker-dealers, during the three most recent fiscal years.

Each Fund paid no security lending agent fees to the security lending agent during its previous three fiscal years.

The Acquiring Fund and MYJ held no securities of its regular brokers or dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021.]

 

32


CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Certain activities of BlackRock, Inc., the Investment Advisor and the other subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc. (collectively referred to in this section as “BlackRock”) and their respective directors, officers or employees, with respect to each Fund and/or other accounts managed by BlackRock, may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest such as those described below.

BlackRock is one of the world’s largest asset management firms. BlackRock, its subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers and employees, including the business units or entities and personnel who may be involved in the investment activities and business operations of a Fund, are engaged worldwide in businesses, including managing equities, fixed income securities, cash and alternative investments, and other financial services, and have interests other than that of managing a Fund. These are considerations of which investors in a Fund should be aware, and which may cause conflicts of interest that could disadvantage a Fund and its shareholders. These businesses and interests include potential multiple advisory, transactional, financial and other relationships with, or interests in companies and interests in securities or other instruments that may be purchased or sold by a Fund.

BlackRock has proprietary interests in, and may manage or advise with respect to, accounts or funds (including separate accounts and other funds and collective investment vehicles) that have investment objectives similar to those of the Funds and/or that engage in transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and instruments as the Funds. BlackRock is also a major participant in the global currency, equities, swap and fixed income markets, in each case, for the accounts of clients and, in some cases, on a proprietary basis. As such, BlackRock is or may be actively engaged in transactions in the same securities, currencies, and instruments in which each Fund invests. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which each Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund’s performance. Such transactions, particularly in respect of most proprietary accounts or client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund’s transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by such Fund.

When BlackRock seeks to purchase or sell the same assets for managed accounts, including the Funds, the assets actually purchased or sold may be allocated among the accounts on a basis determined in its good faith discretion to be equitable. In some cases, this system may adversely affect the size or price of the assets purchased or sold for a Fund. In addition, transactions in investments by one or more other accounts managed by BlackRock may have the effect of diluting or otherwise disadvantaging the values, prices or investment strategies of a Fund, particularly, but not limited to, with respect to small capitalization, emerging market or less liquid strategies. This may occur with respect to BlackRock-advised accounts when investment decisions regarding a Fund are based on research or other information that is also used to support decisions for other accounts. When BlackRock implements a portfolio decision or strategy on behalf of another account ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar decisions or strategies for a Fund, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in a Fund receiving less favorable trading results and the costs of implementing such decisions or strategies could be increased or a Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged. BlackRock may, in certain cases, elect to implement internal policies and procedures designed to limit such consequences, which may cause a Fund to be unable to engage in certain activities, including purchasing or disposing of securities, when it might otherwise be desirable for it to do so. Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding a Fund may benefit other accounts managed by BlackRock. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a Fund may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) BlackRock or its other accounts or funds, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by a Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) BlackRock or its other accounts or funds.

BlackRock, on behalf of other client accounts, on the one hand, and a Fund, on the other hand, may invest in or extend credit to different parts of the capital structure of a single issuer. BlackRock may pursue rights, provide advice or engage in other activities, or refrain from pursuing rights, providing advice or engaging in other activities, on behalf of other clients with respect to an issuer in which a Fund has invested, and such actions (or refraining from action) may have a material adverse effect on a Fund. In situations in which clients of BlackRock (including a Fund) hold positions in multiple parts of the capital structure of an issuer, BlackRock may not pursue certain actions or remedies that may be available to a Fund, as a result of legal and regulatory requirements or otherwise. BlackRock addresses these and other potential conflicts of interest based on the facts and circumstances of particular situations. For example, BlackRock may determine to rely on information barriers between different business units or portfolio management teams. BlackRock may also determine to rely on the actions of similarly situated holders of loans or securities rather than, or in connection with, taking such actions itself on behalf of a Fund.

 

33


In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law, a Fund may invest its assets in other funds advised by BlackRock, including funds that are managed by one or more of the same portfolio managers, which could result in conflicts of interest relating to asset allocation, timing of Fund purchases and redemptions, and increased remuneration and profitability for BlackRock and/or its personnel, including portfolio managers.

In certain circumstances, BlackRock, on behalf of a Fund, may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by BlackRock. BlackRock may (but is not required to) effect purchases and sales between BlackRock clients (“cross trades”), including such Fund, if BlackRock believes such transactions are appropriate based on each party’s investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. There may be potential conflicts of interest or regulatory issues relating to these transactions which could limit BlackRock’s decision to engage in these transactions for a Fund. BlackRock may have a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to the parties in such transactions.

BlackRock and its clients may pursue or enforce rights with respect to an issuer in which a Fund has invested, and those activities may have an adverse effect on such Fund. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of a Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of BlackRock or its clients, and transactions for a Fund may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.

The results of a Fund’s investment activities may differ significantly from the results achieved by BlackRock for its proprietary accounts or other accounts (including investment companies or collective investment vehicles) which it manages or advises. It is possible that one or more accounts managed or advised by BlackRock and such other accounts will achieve investment results that are substantially more or less favorable than the results achieved by a Fund. Moreover, it is possible that a Fund will sustain losses during periods in which one or more proprietary or other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock achieve significant profits. The opposite result is also possible.

From time to time, a Fund may be restricted from purchasing or selling securities, or from engaging in other investment activities because of regulatory, legal or contractual requirements applicable to BlackRock or other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock, and/or the internal policies of BlackRock designed to comply with such requirements. As a result, there may be periods, for example, when BlackRock will not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions in certain securities or instruments with respect to which BlackRock is performing services or when position limits have been reached. For example, the investment activities of BlackRock for its proprietary accounts and accounts under its management may limit the investment opportunities for a Fund in certain emerging and other markets in which limitations are imposed upon the amount of investment, in the aggregate or in individual issuers, by affiliated foreign investors.

In connection with its management of a Fund, BlackRock may have access to certain fundamental analysis and proprietary technical models developed by BlackRock. BlackRock will not be under any obligation, however, to effect transactions on behalf of a Fund in accordance with such analysis and models. In addition, BlackRock will not have any obligation to make available any information regarding its proprietary activities or strategies, or the activities or strategies used for other accounts managed by them, for the benefit of the management of a Fund and it is not anticipated that BlackRock will have access to such information for the purpose of managing such Fund. The proprietary activities or portfolio strategies of BlackRock, or the activities or strategies used for accounts managed by BlackRock or other client accounts could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed by BlackRock in managing a Fund.

In addition, certain principals and certain employees of a Fund’s investment adviser are also principals or employees of other business units or entities within BlackRock. As a result, these principals and employees may have obligations to such other business units or entities or their clients and such obligations to other business units or entities or their clients may be a consideration of which investors in a Fund should be aware.

BlackRock may enter into transactions and invest in securities, instruments and currencies on behalf of a Fund in which clients of BlackRock, or, to the extent permitted by the SEC and applicable law, BlackRock, serves as the

 

34


counterparty, principal or issuer. In such cases, such party’s interests in the transaction will be adverse to the interests of a Fund, and such party may have no incentive to assure that such Fund obtains the best possible prices or terms in connection with the transactions. In addition, the purchase, holding and sale of such investments by a Fund may enhance the profitability of BlackRock.

BlackRock may also create, write or issue derivatives for its clients, the underlying securities, currencies or instruments of which may be those in which a Fund invests or which may be based on the performance of such Fund. BlackRock has entered into an arrangement with Markit Indices Limited, the index provider for underlying fixed-income indexes used by certain iShares ETFs, related to derivative fixed-income products that are based on such iShares ETFs. BlackRock will receive certain payments for licensing intellectual property belonging to BlackRock and for facilitating provision of data in connection with such derivative products, which may include payments based on the trading volumes of, or revenues generated by, the derivative products. A Fund and other accounts managed by BlackRock may from time to time transact in such derivative products where permitted by a Fund’s investment strategy, which could contribute to the viability of such derivative products by making them more appealing to funds and accounts managed by third parties, and in turn lead to increased payments to BlackRock. Trading activity in these derivative products could also potentially lead to greater liquidity for such products, increased purchase activity with respect to these iShares ETFs and increased assets under management for BlackRock.

A Fund may, subject to applicable law, purchase investments that are the subject of an underwriting or other distribution by BlackRock and may also enter into transactions with other clients of BlackRock where such other clients have interests adverse to those of such Fund. At times, these activities may cause business units or entities within BlackRock to give advice to clients that may cause these clients to take actions adverse to the interests of such Fund. To the extent such transactions are permitted, such Fund will deal with BlackRock on an arms-length basis.

To the extent authorized by applicable law, BlackRock may act as broker, dealer, agent, lender or adviser or in other commercial capacities for a Fund. It is anticipated that the commissions, mark-ups, mark-downs, financial advisory fees, underwriting and placement fees, sales fees, financing and commitment fees, brokerage fees, other fees, compensation or profits, rates, terms and conditions charged by BlackRock will be in its view commercially reasonable, although BlackRock, including its sales personnel, will have an interest in obtaining fees and other amounts that are favorable to BlackRock and such sales personnel, which may have an adverse effect on a Fund.

Subject to applicable law, BlackRock (and its personnel and other distributors) will be entitled to retain fees and other amounts that they receive in connection with their service to a Fund as broker, dealer, agent, lender, adviser or in other commercial capacities. No accounting to a Fund or its shareholders will be required, and no fees or other compensation payable by a Fund or its shareholders will be reduced by reason of receipt by BlackRock of any such fees or other amounts.

When BlackRock acts as broker, dealer, agent, adviser or in other commercial capacities in relation to a Fund, BlackRock may take commercial steps in its own interests, which may have an adverse effect on such Fund.

A Fund will be required to establish business relationships with its counterparties based on such Fund’s own credit standing. BlackRock will not have any obligation to allow its credit to be used in connection with a Fund’s establishment of its business relationships, nor is it expected that a Fund’s counterparties will rely on the credit of BlackRock in evaluating such Fund’s creditworthiness.

BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (“BIM”), an affiliate of BlackRock, pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, acts as securities lending agent to, and receives a share of securities lending revenues from, a Fund. BIM may receive compensation for managing the reinvestment of the cash collateral from securities lending. There are potential conflicts of interests in managing a securities lending program, including but not limited to: (i) BIM as securities lending agent may have an incentive to increase or decrease the amount of securities on loan or to lend particular securities in order to generate additional risk-adjusted revenue for BIM and its affiliates; and (ii) BIM as securities lending agent may have an incentive to allocate loans to clients that would provide more revenue to BIM. As described further below, BIM seeks to mitigate this conflict by providing its securities lending clients with equal lending opportunities over time in order to approximate pro rata allocation.

 

35


As part of its securities lending program, BlackRock indemnifies certain clients and/or funds against a shortfall in collateral in the event of borrower default. RQA calculates, on a regular basis, BlackRock’s potential dollar exposure to the risk of collateral shortfall upon counterparty default (“shortfall risk”) under the securities lending program for both indemnified and non-indemnified clients. On a periodic basis, RQA also determines the maximum amount of potential indemnified shortfall risk arising from securities lending activities (“indemnification exposure limit”) and the maximum amount of counterparty-specific credit exposure (“credit limits”) BlackRock is willing to assume as well as the program’s operational complexity. RQA oversees the risk model that calculates projected shortfall values using loan-level factors such as loan and collateral type and market value as well as specific borrower counterparty credit characteristics. When necessary, RQA may further adjust other securities lending program attributes by restricting eligible collateral or reducing counterparty credit limits. As a result, the management of the indemnification exposure limit may affect the amount of securities lending activity BlackRock may conduct at any given point in time and impact indemnified and non-indemnified clients by reducing the volume of lending opportunities for certain loans (including by asset type, collateral type and/or revenue profile).

BlackRock uses a predetermined systematic process in order to approximate pro rata allocation over time. In order to allocate a loan to a portfolio: (i) BlackRock as a whole must have sufficient lending capacity pursuant to the various program limits (i.e. indemnification exposure limit and counterparty credit limits); (ii) the lending portfolio must hold the asset at the time a loan opportunity arrives; and (iii) the lending portfolio must also have enough inventory, either on its own or when aggregated with other portfolios into one single market delivery, to satisfy the loan request. In doing so, BlackRock seeks to provide equal lending opportunities for all portfolios, independent of whether BlackRock indemnifies the portfolio. Equal opportunities for lending portfolios does not guarantee equal outcomes. Specifically, short and long-term outcomes for individual clients may vary due to asset mix, asset/liability spreads on different securities, and the overall limits imposed by the firm.

Purchases and sales of securities and other assets for a Fund may be bunched or aggregated with orders for other BlackRock client accounts, including with accounts that pay different transaction costs solely due to the fact that they have different research payment arrangements. BlackRock, however, is not required to bunch or aggregate orders if portfolio management decisions for different accounts are made separately, or if they determine that bunching or aggregating is not practicable or required, or in cases involving client direction.

Prevailing trading activity frequently may make impossible the receipt of the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities purchased or sold. When this occurs, the various prices may be averaged, and a Fund will be charged or credited with the average price. Thus, the effect of the aggregation may operate on some occasions to the disadvantage of a Fund. In addition, under certain circumstances, a Fund will not be charged the same commission or commission equivalent rates in connection with a bunched or aggregated order.

As discussed in the section entitled “Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage” in this SAI, BlackRock, unless prohibited by applicable law, may cause a Fund or account to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction that exceeds the amount another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker or dealer.

Subject to applicable law, BlackRock may select brokers that furnish BlackRock, a Fund, other BlackRock client accounts or personnel, directly or through correspondent relationships, with research or other appropriate services which provide, in BlackRock’s view, appropriate assistance to BlackRock in the investment decision-making process (including with respect to futures, fixed-price offerings and OTC transactions). Such research or other services may include, to the extent permitted by law, research reports on companies, industries and securities; economic and financial data; financial publications; proxy analysis; trade industry seminars; computer data bases; research-oriented software and other services and products.

Research or other services obtained in this manner may be used in servicing any or all of a Fund and other BlackRock client accounts, including in connection with BlackRock client accounts other than those that pay commissions to the broker relating to the research or other service arrangements. Such products and services may disproportionately benefit other BlackRock client accounts relative to a Fund based on the amount of brokerage commissions paid by such Fund and such other BlackRock client accounts. For example, research or other services that are paid for through one client’s commissions may not be used in managing that client’s account. In addition, other BlackRock client accounts may receive the benefit, including disproportionate benefits, of economies of scale or price discounts in connection with products and services that may be provided to a Fund and to such other BlackRock client accounts. To the extent that BlackRock uses soft dollars, it will not have to pay for those products and services itself.

 

36


BlackRock, unless prohibited by applicable law, may endeavor to execute trades through brokers who, pursuant to such arrangements, provide research or other services in order to ensure the continued receipt of research or other services BlackRock believes are useful in its investment decision-making process. BlackRock may from time to time choose not to engage in the above described arrangements to varying degrees. BlackRock, unless prohibited by applicable law, may also enter into commission sharing arrangements under which BlackRock may execute transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions or commission credits to another firm that provides research to BlackRock. To the extent that BlackRock engages in commission sharing arrangements, many of the same conflicts related to traditional soft dollars may exist.

BlackRock may utilize certain electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) (including, without limitation, ECNs in which BlackRock has an investment or other interest, to the extent permitted by applicable law) in executing client securities transactions for certain types of securities. These ECNs may charge fees for their services, including access fees and transaction fees. The transaction fees, which are similar to commissions or markups/markdowns, will generally be charged to clients and, like commissions and markups/markdowns, would generally be included in the cost of the securities purchased. Access fees may be paid by BlackRock even though incurred in connection with executing transactions on behalf of clients, including a Fund. In certain circumstances, ECNs may offer volume discounts that will reduce the access fees typically paid by BlackRock. BlackRock will only utilize ECNs consistent with its obligation to seek to obtain best execution in client transactions.

BlackRock owns a minority interest in, and is a member of, Members Exchange (“MEMX”), a newly created U.S. stock exchange. Transactions for a Fund may be executed on MEMX if third party brokers select MEMX as the appropriate venue for execution of orders placed by BlackRock traders on behalf of client portfolios.

BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions that it makes on behalf of advisory clients, including a Fund, and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with BlackRock’s fiduciary obligations to its clients. Nevertheless, notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of BlackRock may have the effect of favoring the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of BlackRock, provided that BlackRock believes such voting decisions to be in accordance with its fiduciary obligations. For a more detailed discussion of these policies and procedures, see Appendix B.

It is possible that a Fund may invest in securities of, or engage in transactions with, companies in which BlackRock has significant debt or equity investments or other interests. A Fund may also invest in issuances (such as structured notes) by entities for which BlackRock provides and is compensated for cash management services relating to the proceeds from the sale of such issuances. In making investment decisions for a Fund, BlackRock is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information acquired by any unit of BlackRock, in the course of these activities. In addition, from time to time, the activities of BlackRock may limit a Fund’s flexibility in purchases and sales of securities. As indicated below, BlackRock may engage in transactions with companies in which BlackRock-advised funds or other clients of BlackRock have an investment.

BlackRock and Chubb Limited (“Chubb”), a public company whose securities are held by BlackRock-advised funds and other accounts, partially funded the creation of a re-insurance company (“Re Co”) pursuant to which each has approximately a 9.9% ownership interest and each has representation on the board of directors. Certain employees and executives of BlackRock have a less than 1/2 of 1% ownership interest in Re Co. BlackRock manages the investment portfolio of Re Co, which is held in a wholly-owned subsidiary. Re Co participates as a reinsurer with reinsurance contracts underwritten by subsidiaries of Chubb.

BlackRock may provide valuation assistance to certain clients with respect to certain securities or other investments and the valuation recommendations made for such clients’ accounts may differ from the valuations for the same securities or investments assigned by a Fund’s pricing vendors, especially if such valuations are based on broker-dealer quotes or other data sources unavailable to a Fund’s pricing vendors. While BlackRock will generally communicate its valuation information or determinations to a Fund’s pricing vendors and/or fund accountants, there may be instances where a Fund’s pricing vendors or fund accountants assign a different valuation to a security or other investment than the valuation for such security or investment determined or recommended by BlackRock.

 

37


As disclosed in more detail in “Net Asset Value” in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, when market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BlackRock to be unreliable, a Fund’s investments are valued at fair value by BlackRock, in accordance with procedures adopted by a Fund’s Board of Directors. When determining a “fair value price,” BlackRock seeks to determine the price that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. The price generally may not be determined based on what a Fund might reasonably expect to receive for selling an asset or liability at a later time or if it holds the asset or liability to maturity. While fair value determinations will be based upon all available factors that BlackRock deems relevant at the time of the determination, and may be based on analytical values determined by BlackRock using proprietary or third-party valuation models, fair value represents only a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. The fair value of one or more assets or liabilities may not, in retrospect, be the price at which those assets or liabilities could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used in determining a Fund’s NAV. As a result, a Fund’s sale or repurchase of its shares at NAV, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued by BlackRock (pursuant to Board-adopted procedures) at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders and may affect the amount of revenue received by BlackRock with respect to services for which it receives an asset-based fee.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, a Fund may invest all or some of its short term cash investments in any money market fund or similarly-managed private fund advised or managed by BlackRock. In connection with any such investments, a Fund, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, may pay its share of expenses of a money market fund or other similarly-managed private fund in which it invests, which may result in a Fund bearing some additional expenses.

BlackRock and its directors, officers and employees, may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on behalf of a Fund. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, officers and employees of BlackRock that are the same, different from or made at different times than positions taken for a Fund. To lessen the possibility that a Fund will be adversely affected by this personal trading, a Fund and the Investment Advisor each have adopted a Code of Ethics in compliance with Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act that restricts securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding a Fund’s portfolio transactions. Each Code of Ethics is also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.

BlackRock will not purchase securities or other property from, or sell securities or other property to, a Fund, except that such Fund may in accordance with rules or guidance adopted under the 1940 Act engage in transactions with accounts that are affiliated with a Fund as a result of common officers, directors, or investment advisers or pursuant to exemptive orders granted to such Fund and/or BlackRock by the Commission. These transactions would be effected in circumstances in which BlackRock determined that it would be appropriate for a Fund to purchase and another client of BlackRock to sell, or such Fund to sell and another client of BlackRock to purchase, the same security or instrument on the same day. From time to time, the activities of a Fund may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to BlackRock and/or BlackRock’s internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or otherwise relate to such requirements. A client not advised by BlackRock would not be subject to some of those considerations. There may be periods when BlackRock may not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions, or may otherwise restrict or limit its advice in certain securities or instruments issued by or related to companies for which BlackRock is performing advisory or other services or has proprietary positions. For example, when BlackRock is engaged to provide advisory or risk management services for a company, BlackRock may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company on behalf of a Fund, particularly where such services result in BlackRock obtaining material non-public information about the company (e.g., in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee). Similar situations could arise if personnel of BlackRock serve as directors of companies the securities of which a Fund wishes to purchase or sell. However, if permitted by applicable law, and where consistent with BlackRock’s policies and procedures (including the necessary implementation of appropriate information barriers), a Fund may purchase securities or instruments that are issued by such companies, are the subject of an advisory or risk management assignment by BlackRock, or where personnel of BlackRock are directors or officers of the issuer.

 

38


The investment activities of BlackRock for its proprietary accounts and for client accounts may also limit the investment strategies and rights of a Fund. For example, in certain circumstances where a Fund invests in securities issued by companies that operate in certain regulated industries, in certain emerging or international markets, or are subject to corporate or regulatory ownership restrictions, or invest in certain futures and derivative transactions, there may be limits on the aggregate amount invested by BlackRock for its proprietary accounts and for client accounts (including a Fund) that may not be exceeded without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate consent, or, if exceeded, may cause BlackRock, a Fund or other client accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions. If certain aggregate ownership thresholds are reached or certain transactions undertaken, the ability of BlackRock on behalf of clients (including a Fund) to purchase or dispose of investments, or exercise rights or undertake business transactions, may be restricted by regulation or otherwise impaired. As a result, BlackRock on behalf of its clients (including a Fund) may limit purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict, forgo or limit the exercise of rights (including transferring, outsourcing or limiting voting rights or forgoing the right to receive dividends) when BlackRock, in its sole discretion, deems it appropriate in light of potential regulatory or other restrictions on ownership or other consequences resulting from reaching investment thresholds.

In those circumstances where ownership thresholds or limitations must be observed, BlackRock seeks to allocate limited investment opportunities equitably among clients (including a Fund), taking into consideration benchmark weight and investment strategy. When ownership in certain securities nears an applicable threshold, BlackRock may limit purchases in such securities to the issuer’s weighting in the applicable benchmark used by BlackRock to manage a Fund. If client (including a Fund) holdings of an issuer exceed an applicable threshold and BlackRock is unable to obtain relief to enable the continued holding of such investments, it may be necessary to sell down these positions to meet the applicable limitations. In these cases, benchmark overweight positions will be sold prior to benchmark positions being reduced to meet applicable limitations.

In addition to the foregoing, other ownership thresholds may trigger reporting requirements to governmental and regulatory authorities, and such reports may entail the disclosure of the identity of a client or BlackRock’s intended strategy with respect to such security or asset.

BlackRock may maintain securities indices. To the extent permitted by applicable laws, a Fund may seek to license and use such indices as part of their investment strategy. Index based funds that seek to track the performance of securities indices also may use the name of the index or index provider in the fund name. Index providers, including BlackRock (to the extent permitted by applicable law), may be paid licensing fees for use of their index or index name. BlackRock is not obligated to license its indices to a Fund and such Fund is under no obligation to use BlackRock indices. A Fund cannot be assured that the terms of any index licensing agreement with BlackRock will be as favorable as those terms offered to other licensees.

BlackRock may not serve as an Authorized Participant in the creation and redemption of BlackRock-advised ETFs.

BlackRock may enter into contractual arrangements with third-party service providers to a Fund (e.g., custodians, administrators and index providers) pursuant to which BlackRock receives fee discounts or concessions in recognition of BlackRock’s overall relationship with such service providers. To the extent that BlackRock is responsible for paying these service providers out of its management fee, the benefits of any such fee discounts or concessions may accrue, in whole or in part, to BlackRock.

BlackRock owns or has an ownership interest in certain trading, portfolio management, operations and/or information systems used by a Fund’s service providers. These systems are, or will be, used by a Fund service provider in connection with the provision of services to accounts managed by BlackRock and funds managed and sponsored by BlackRock, including a Fund, that engage the service provider (typically the custodian). A Fund’s service provider remunerates BlackRock for the use of the systems. A Fund’s service provider’s payments to BlackRock for the use of these systems may enhance the profitability of BlackRock.

 

39


BlackRock’s receipt of fees from a service provider in connection with the use of systems provided by BlackRock may create an incentive for BlackRock to recommend that a Fund enter into or renew an arrangement with the service provider.

In recognition of a BlackRock client’s overall relationship with BlackRock, BlackRock may offer special pricing arrangements for certain services provided by BlackRock. Any such special pricing arrangements will not affect a Fund’s fees and expenses applicable to such client’s investment in a Fund.

Present and future activities of BlackRock and its directors, officers and employees, in addition to those described in this section, may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

OTHER INFORMATION

Code of Ethics

Each Fund and the Investment Advisor has adopted a code of ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act and Rule 17j-1 thereunder. Each Code of Ethics establishes procedures for personal investing and restricts certain transactions. Employees subject to a Code of Ethics may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including making investments in securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund. The Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Copies of the Codes of Ethics may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

Proxy Voting Policy

The Board of each Fund has delegated the voting of proxies for its Fund’s securities to the Investment Advisor pursuant to the Investment Advisor’s proxy voting guidelines. Under these guidelines, the Investment Advisor will vote proxies related to Fund securities in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders. From time to time, a vote may present a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Investment Advisor, or any affiliated person of such Fund or the Investment Advisor, on the other. In such event, provided that the Investment Advisor’s Equity Investment Policy Oversight Committee, or a sub-committee thereof (the “Committee”) is aware of the real or potential conflict, if the matter to be voted on represents a material, non-routine matter and if the Committee does not reasonably believe it is able to follow its general voting guidelines (or if the particular proxy matter is not addressed in the guidelines) and vote impartially, the Committee may retain an independent fiduciary to advise the Committee on how to vote or to cast votes on behalf of the Investment Advisor’s clients. If the Investment Advisor determines not to retain an independent fiduciary, or does not desire to follow the advice of such independent fiduciary, the Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy after consulting with the Investment Advisor’s Portfolio Management Group and/or the Investment Advisor’s Legal & Compliance Department and concluding that the vote cast is in its client’s best interest notwithstanding the conflict. A copy of the Funds’ Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included as Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information. Information on how a Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, (i) at www.blackrock.com and (ii) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of the Acquiring Fund for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 are incorporated by reference herein to the Acquiring Fund’s annual report filed on Form N-CSR on October 4, 2021.

The financial statements of MYJ for the fiscal year ended July  31, 2021 are incorporated by reference herein to MYJ’s annual report filed on Form N-CSR on October 4, 2021.

 

40


PRO FORMA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The unaudited pro forma financial information set forth herein is for informational purposes only and does not purport to be indicative of the financial condition that actually would have resulted if the Reorganization had been consummated. The closing of each Reorganization is contingent upon certain conditions being satisfied, including that shareholders of each Target Fund must approve the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between the respective Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund and that shareholders of the Acquiring Fund must approve the issuance of additional Acquiring Fund common shares in connection with each Reorganization. These pro forma numbers have been estimated in good faith based on information regarding each Fund as of July 31, 2021.

The unaudited pro forma information provided herein should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report of MYJ and the Acquiring Fund, dated July 31, 2021, each of which is on file with the SEC and are available at no charge. Further information on obtaining the Annual Report may be found on page (vi) of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

The Reorganization is intended to consolidate the Target Fund with a similar fund advised by the Investment Advisor.

The Funds have the same investment adviser, transfer agent, accounting services agent and custodian. Each of such service providers has entered into an agreement with each Fund, which governs the provision of services to that Fund. Such agreements contain the same terms with respect to each Fund except for the Investment Management Agreement. Each Fund entered into an Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Advisor to provide investment advisory services.

Each Fund currently pays the Investment Advisor a monthly fee at an annual contractual investment management fee rate of 0.50% of the average daily value of its net assets. For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” means the total assets of each Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by TOB trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares).

If the Reorganization is consummated, the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Acquiring Fund will be the annual contractual investment management fee rate of the Combined Fund, which will be 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Combined Fund.

The unaudited pro forma information set forth below as of July 31, 2021 is intended to present supplemental data as if the Reorganization had been consummated on July 31, 2021.

As of September 21, 2021, MYJ had approximately $390.1 million in net assets and approximately $622.6 million in managed assets and the Acquiring Fund had approximately $483.8 million in net assets and approximately $782.4 million in managed assets. “Managed assets” means the total assets of the relevant Fund, including any assets attributable to VRDP Shares and tender option bond (“TOB”) trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities. In the Reorganization, the outstanding common shares of the Target Fund will be exchanged for newly issued common shares of the Acquiring Fund, par value $0.10 per share. The aggregate net asset value (not the market value) of Acquiring Fund common shares received by the shareholders of the Target Fund in the Reorganization will equal the aggregate net asset value (not the market value) of Target Fund common shares held by such shareholders immediately prior to such Reorganization, less the distribution of undistributed net investment income (although shareholders may receive cash for their fractional common shares). The aggregate NAV of each Fund immediately prior to the applicable Reorganization will reflect accrued expenses associated with such Reorganization. The amount of increased common shares of [●] was calculated based on net asset value of the Acquiring Fund common shares of [●] in exchange for common shares of the Target Fund.

If the Reorganization is not consummated, then the Target Fund will continue to operate as a standalone Maryland corporation and the Acquiring Fund will continue to operate as a standalone Maryland corporation. Both the Target Fund and the Acquiring Fund will continue to be advised by the Investment Advisor. If the Reorganization is not consummated, the Investment Advisor may recommend alternative proposals to the Board of each Fund.

 

41


Upon the closing of the Reorganization, the Target Fund VRDP Holders will receive on a one-for-one basis one newly issued VRDP Share of the Acquiring Fund, par value $0.10 per share and with a liquidation preference of $100,000 per share (plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends that have accrued on such Target Fund VRDP Share up to and including the day immediately preceding the Closing Date if such dividends have not been paid prior to the Closing Date), in exchange for the Target Fund VRDP Share held by such Target Fund VRDP Holder immediately prior to the closing of the Reorganization. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be Series W-7 VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund. No fractional Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be issued.

The Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares to be issued in connection with the Reorganization will have terms that are identical to the terms of the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares and will rank on parity with the Acquiring Fund’s existing VRDP Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Acquiring Fund. The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will be subject to the same special rate period (including the terms thereof) applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization. Such special rate period will terminate on [•], unless extended. The Reorganization will not result in any changes to the terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares currently outstanding. The terms of the Acquiring Fund’s VRDP Shares may change from time to time, subject to Board approval.

The newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares will have terms that are similar to the terms of the outstanding Target Fund VRDP Shares, with certain differences. The VRDP Shares of MYJ have a mandatory redemption date of May 1, 2041, while the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to have a mandatory redemption date of July 1, 2041. A Fund may designate any succeeding subsequent rate period of the VRDP Shares as a “special rate period” subject to the restrictions and requirements set forth in the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares. During a special rate period, a Fund may choose to modify the terms of the VRDP Shares as permitted by the governing instrument for such Fund’s VRDP Shares, including, for example, special provisions relating to the calculation of dividends and the redemption of the VRDP Shares. The VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ are currently in a one year Special Rate Period that will end on April 15, 2022 for the Acquiring Fund and June 17, 2022 for MYJ, unless extended. The terms currently applicable to the VRDP Shares of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ during their respective Special Rate Periods are otherwise substantially similar. The terms of the special rate period applicable to the newly issued Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares are expected to be identical to the terms of the Special Rate Period applicable to the outstanding Acquiring Fund VRDP Shares as of the Closing Date of the Reorganization.

The unaudited pro forma information set forth below for the period ended July 31, 2021 is intended to present ratios and supplemental data as if the Reorganization had been consummated at August 1, 2020.

On a pro forma basis for the twelve months ended July 31, 2021, the proposed Reorganization would result in no change to the investment advisory fees charged, a decrease in other operating expenses (including custody, legal, accounting and audit fees) of $259,724 and no change to investment advisory fee waivers.

For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021, the total annual portfolio operating expenses of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ were [●]% and [●]% respectively, and the total annual portfolio operating expense ratio of the Acquiring Fund and MYJ were 1.44% and 1.39% respectively. Assuming the Reorganization is consummated, the Combined Fund’s net annual portfolio operating expense ratio (excluding interest expenses) is expected to be 0.86% on a historical and pro forma basis for the fiscal year July 31, 2021.

No significant accounting policies will change as a result of the proposed Reorganization, specifically, policies regarding valuation and Subchapter M compliance. As of July 31, 2021, all the securities held by the Target Fund complies with the compliance guidelines and/or investment restrictions of the Acquiring Fund. It is not anticipated that the Acquiring Fund will sell any securities of the Target Fund acquired in the Reorganization other than in the ordinary course of business.

The Reorganization is expected to be tax free for federal income tax purposes. This means that no gain or loss will be recognized by the Target Fund or its shareholders as a result of the Reorganization. The aggregate tax basis of the Acquiring Fund Shares received by the shareholders of the Target Fund will be the same as the aggregate tax basis the shareholders of the Target Fund held in its shares of the Target Fund immediately before the Reorganization.

 

42


Accounting Survivor: The Acquiring Fund is deemed to be the “accounting survivor” in connection with the Reorganization.

Cost of Reorganization: Regardless of whether the Reorganization is completed, the costs associated with the proposed Reorganization, including the costs associated with the stockholder meetings, will be borne directly by the respective Fund incurring the expense, except that the Investment Advisor has agreed to bear a portion of the Acquiring Fund’s costs of the Reorganization. The estimated expenses of the Reorganization attributable to each Fund, which include the amount to be paid by the Investment Advisor, are as follows:

 

        Estimated Reorganization Expenses        

Target Fund

            (MYJ)             

  

Acquiring Fund

            (MUJ)             

$ 366,537

  

$357,561

Undistributed Net Investment Income: If the Reorganization is approved by shareholders, then the greater of (1) substantially all of the undistributed net investment income, if any, or (2) the monthly distribution of each Fund is expected to be declared to such Fund’s common shareholders prior to the Closing Date. As of July 31, 2021, the amount of undistributed net investment income for each Fund was as follows:

 

        Undistributed Net Investment Income        

Target Fund (MYJ)

  

Acquiring Fund (MUJ)

$[●]

  

$[●]

 

43


Capital Loss Carryforwards: As of July 31, 2021, the Funds’ unused capital loss carryforwards, which have no expiration date and may be carried forward indefinitely, were as follows:

 

Capital Loss Carryforward

                                 Amount                             

Target Fund

            (MYJ)             

  

Acquiring Fund

            (MUJ)             

$(6,572,209)

  

$(8,621,838)

 

44


APPENDIX A

RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS

A Description of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.’s (“Moody’s”) Global Rating Scales

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Moody’s defines credit risk as the risk that an entity may not meet its contractual financial obligations as they come due and any estimated financial loss in the event of default or impairment. The contractual financial obligations addressed by Moody’s ratings are those that call for, without regard to enforceability, the payment of an ascertainable amount, which may vary based upon standard sources of variation (e.g., floating interest rates), by an ascertainable date. Moody’s rating addresses the issuer’s ability to obtain cash sufficient to service the obligation, and its willingness to pay. Moody’s ratings do not address non-standard sources of variation in the amount of the principal obligation (e.g., equity indexed), absent an express statement to the contrary in a press release accompanying an initial rating. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. Short-term ratings are assigned for obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. Moody’s issues ratings at the issuer level and instrument level on both the long-term scale and the short-term scale. Typically, ratings are made publicly available although private and unpublished ratings may also be assigned.

Moody’s differentiates structured finance ratings from fundamental ratings (i.e., ratings on nonfinancial corporate, financial institution, and public sector entities) on the global long-term scale by adding (sf) to all structured finance ratings. The addition of (sf) to structured finance ratings should eliminate any presumption that such ratings and fundamental ratings at the same letter grade level will behave the same. The (sf) indicator for structured finance security ratings indicates that otherwise similarly rated structured finance and fundamental securities may have different risk characteristics. Through its current methodologies, however, Moody’s aspires to achieve broad expected equivalence in structured finance and fundamental rating performance when measured over a long period of time.

Description of Moody’s Global Long-Term Rating Scale

 

Aaa

Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

Aa

Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

A

Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa

Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

Ba

Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

B

Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

Caa

Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

Ca

Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

C

Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

A-1


Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.

By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Description of Moody’s Global Short-Term Rating Scale

 

P-1

Ratings of Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

P-2

Ratings of Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

P-3

Ratings of Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

NP

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Description of Moody’s U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings

Description of Moody’s Short-Term Obligation Ratings

Moody’s uses the global short-term Prime rating scale for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer’s self-liquidity.

For other short-term municipal obligations, Moody’s uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (“VMIG”) scales discussed below.

Moody’s uses the MIG scale for U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, Moody’s uses the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.

MIG Scale

 

MIG 1

This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG 2

This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3

This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG

This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

Description of Moody’s Demand Obligation Ratings

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned. The components are a long-term rating and a short-term demand obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer’s ability

 

A-2


to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon-demand feature (“demand feature”) of the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

Moody’s typically assigns the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is “NR”.

VMIG Scale

 

VMIG 1

This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 2

This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 3

This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

SG

This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

Description of S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), a Division of S&P Global Inc., Issue Credit Ratings

An S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P’s view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term issue credit ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market, typically with an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Short-term issue credit ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. S&P would typically assign a long-term issue credit rating to an obligation with an original maturity of greater than 365 days. However, the ratings S&P assigns to certain instruments may diverge from these guidelines based on market practices. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations:

 

   

The likelihood of payment—the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

 

   

The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise S&P imputes; and

 

   

The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

 

A-3


An issue rating is an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*

 

AAA

   An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA

   An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

A

   An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

BBB

   An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

BB,

B,

CCC,

CC,

and C

   Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

BB

   An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

B

   An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

CCC

   An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

CC

   An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

C

   An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

D

   An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

 

A-4


*

Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings

 

A-1

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

A-2

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

A-3

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

B

A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

C

A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

D

A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

Description of S&P’s Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings

An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’s analysis will review the following considerations:

 

   

Amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

   

Source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

S&P’s municipal short-term note rating symbols are as follows:

 

SP-1

Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

SP-2

Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

A-5


SP-3

Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

D

‘D’ is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

Description of Fitch Ratings’ (“Fitch’s”) Credit Ratings Scales

Fitch Ratings publishes opinions on a variety of scales. The most common of these are credit ratings, but the agency also publishes ratings, scores and other relative opinions relating to financial or operational strength. For example, Fitch also provides specialized ratings of servicers of residential and commercial mortgages, asset managers and funds. In each case, users should refer to the definitions of each individual scale for guidance on the dimensions of risk covered in each assessment.

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings relating to securities and obligations of an issuer can include a recovery expectation. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agency’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

The terms “investment grade” and “speculative grade” have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories ‘AAA’ to ‘BBB’ (investment grade) and ‘BB’ to ‘D’ (speculative grade). The terms investment grade and speculative grade are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.

For the convenience of investors, Fitch may also include issues relating to a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated on its web page. Such issues are also denoted as ‘NR’.

Credit ratings express risk in relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss. For information about the historical performance of ratings please refer to Fitch’s Ratings Transition and Default studies which detail the historical default rates and their meaning. The European Securities and Markets Authority also maintains a central repository of historical default rates.

Fitch’s credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment.

Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds).

In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instrument’s documentation. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation’s documentation).

The primary credit rating scales can be used to provide a rating of privately issued obligations or certain note issuance programs or for private ratings. In this case the rating is not published, but only provided to the issuer or its agents in the form of a rating letter.

 

A-6


The primary credit rating scales may also be used to provide ratings for a more narrow scope, including interest strips and return of principal or in other forms of opinions such as credit opinions or rating assessment services. Credit opinions are either a notch- or category-specific view using the primary rating scale and omit one or more characteristics of a full rating or meet them to a different standard. Credit opinions will be indicated using a lower case letter symbol combined with either an ‘*’ (e.g. ‘bbb+*’) or (cat) suffix to denote the opinion status. Credit opinions will be point-in-time typically but may be monitored if the analytical group believes information will be sufficiently available. Rating assessment services are a notch-specific view using the primary rating scale of how an existing or potential rating may be changed by a given set of hypothetical circumstances. While credit opinions and rating assessment services are point-in-time and are not monitored, they may have a directional watch or outlook assigned, which can signify the trajectory of the credit profile.

Description of Fitch’s Long-Term Corporate Finance Obligations Rating Scales

Ratings of individual securities or financial obligations of a corporate issuer address relative vulnerability to default on an ordinal scale. In addition, for financial obligations in corporate finance, a measure of recovery given default on that liability is also included in the rating assessment. This notably applies to covered bonds ratings, which incorporate both an indication of the probability of default and of the recovery given a default of this debt instrument. On the contrary, Ratings of debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) obligations incorporate the expectation of full repayment.

The relationship between the issuer scale and obligation scale assumes a generic historical average recovery. Individual obligations can be assigned ratings higher, lower, or the same as that entity’s issuer rating or issuer default rating (“IDR”), based on their relative ranking, relative vulnerability to default or based on explicit Recovery Ratings.

As a result, individual obligations of entities, such as corporations, are assigned ratings higher, lower, or the same as that entity’s issuer rating or IDR, except DIP obligation ratings that are not based off an IDR. At the lower end of the ratings scale, Fitch publishes explicit Recovery Ratings in many cases to complement issuer and obligation ratings.

Fitch long-term obligations rating scales are as follows:

 

AAA

Highest Credit Quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA

Very High Credit Quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A

High Credit Quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB

Good Credit Quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

BB

Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

B

Highly Speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

CCC

Substantial Credit Risk. ‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

 

A-7


CC

Very High Levels of Credit Risk. ‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

 

C

Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk. ‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Within rating categories, Fitch may use modifiers. The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories.

For example, the rating category ‘AA’ has three notch-specific rating levels (‘AA+’; ‘AA’; ‘AA–’; each a rating level). Such suffixes are not added to ‘AAA’ ratings and ratings below the ‘CCC’ category. For the short-term rating category of ‘F1’, a ‘+’ may be appended.

Description of Fitch’s Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers and Obligations

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

Fitch short-term ratings are as follows:

 

F1

Highest Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

F2

Good Short-Term Credit Quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

F3

Fair Short-Term Credit Quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

B

Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

C

High Short-Term Default Risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

RD

Restricted Default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

D

Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

A-8


APPENDIX B

PROXY VOTING POLICIES – BLACKROCK U.S. REGISTERED FUNDS

 

LOGO

 

 Closed-End Fund Proxy Voting Policy

 

  Procedures Governing Delegation of Proxy Voting to Fund Adviser

 

 

Effective Date: August 1, 2021

 

 

 

Applies to the following types of Funds registered under the 1940 Act:

Open-End Mutual Funds (including money market funds)

☐ Money Market Funds Only

☒ iShares and BlackRock ETFs

Closed-End Funds

☐ Other

 

 

Objective and Scope

Set forth below is the Closed-End Fund Proxy Voting Policy.

Policy / Document Requirements and Statements

The Boards of Trustees/Directors (the “Directors”) of the closed-end funds advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) (the “Funds”) have the responsibility for the oversight of voting proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds, and have determined that it is in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders to delegate that responsibility to BlackRock as part of BlackRock’s authority to manage, acquire and dispose of account assets, all as contemplated by the Funds’ respective investment management agreements.

BlackRock has adopted guidelines and procedures (together and as from time to time amended, the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”) governing proxy voting by accounts managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock will cast votes on behalf of each of the Funds on specific proxy issues in respect of securities held by each such Fund in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines; provided, however, that in the case of underlying closed-end funds (including business development companies and other similarly-situated asset pools) held by the Funds that have, or are proposing to adopt, a classified board structure, BlackRock will typically (a) vote in favor of proposals to adopt classification and against proposals to eliminate classification, and (b) not vote against directors as a result of their adoption of a classified board structure.

BlackRock will report on an annual basis to the Directors on (1) a summary of all proxy votes that BlackRock has made on behalf of the Funds in the preceding year together with a representation that all votes were in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines (as modified pursuant to the immediately preceding paragraph), and (2) any changes to the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines that have not previously been reported.

 

B-1


BlackRock

Investment

Stewardship

Global Principles

Effective as of January 2021

BlackRock

 

B-2


Contents

 

Introduction to BlackRock

     B-4  

Philosophy on investment stewardship

     B-4  

Key themes

     B-5  

- Boards and directors

     B-5  

- Auditors and audit-related issues

     B-7  

- Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

     B-8  

- Compensation and benefits

     B-8  

- Environmental and social issues

     B-9  

- General corporate governance matters and shareholder protections

     B-10  

- Shareholder proposals

     B-11  

BlackRock’s oversight of its investment stewardship activities

     B-11  

- Oversight

     B-11  

- Vote execution

     B-12  

- Conflicts management policies and procedures

     B-13  

- Voting guidelines

     B-14  

- Reporting and vote transparency

     B-14  

The purpose of this document is to provide an overarching explanation of BlackRock’s approach globally to our responsibilities as a shareholder on behalf of our clients, our expectations of companies, and our commitments to clients in terms of our own governance and transparency.

If you would like additional information, please contact:

ContactStewardship@blackrock.com

 

B-3


Introduction to BlackRock

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. We manage assets on behalf of institutional and individual clients, across a full spectrum of investment strategies, asset classes, and regions. Our client base includes pension plans, endowments, foundations, charities, official institutions, insurers, and other financial institutions, as well as individuals around the world. As part of our fiduciary duty to our clients, we have determined that it is generally in the best long-term interest of our clients to promote sound corporate governance through voting as an informed, engaged shareholder. This is the responsibility of the Investment Stewardship Team.

Philosophy on investment stewardship

Companies are responsible for ensuring they have appropriate governance structures to serve the interests of shareholders and other key stakeholders. We believe that there are certain fundamental rights attached to shareholding. Companies and their boards should be accountable to shareholders and structured with appropriate checks and balances to ensure that they operate in shareholders’ best interests to create sustainable value. Shareholders should have the right to vote to elect, remove, and nominate directors, approve the appointment of the auditor, and amend the corporate charter or by-laws. Shareholders should be able to vote on matters that are material to the protection of their investment, including but not limited to, changes to the purpose of the business, dilution levels and pre-emptive rights, and the distribution of income and capital structure. In order to make informed decisions, we believe that shareholders have the right to sufficient and timely information. In addition, shareholder voting rights should be proportionate to their economic ownership—the principle of “one share, one vote” helps achieve this balance.

Consistent with these shareholder rights, we believe BlackRock has a responsibility to monitor and provide feedback to companies, in our role as stewards of our clients’ investments. BlackRock Investment Stewardship (“BIS”) does this through engagement with management teams and/or board members on material business issues including environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) matters and, for those clients who have given us authority, through voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of our clients. We also participate in the public debate to shape global norms and industry standards with the goal of a policy framework consistent with our clients’ interests as long-term shareholders.

BlackRock looks to companies to provide timely, accurate, and comprehensive reporting on all material governance and business matters, including ESG issues. This allows shareholders to appropriately understand and assess how relevant risks and opportunities are being effectively identified and managed. Where company reporting and disclosure is inadequate or the approach taken is inconsistent with our view of what supports sustainable long-term value creation, we will engage with a company and/or use our vote to encourage a change in practice.

BlackRock views engagement as an important activity; engagement provides us with the opportunity to improve our understanding of the business and ESG risks and opportunities that are material to the companies in which our clients invest. As long-term investors on behalf of clients, we seek to have regular and continuing dialogue with executives and board directors to advance sound governance and sustainable business practices, as well as to understand the effectiveness of the company’s management and oversight of material issues. Engagement is an important mechanism for providing feedback on company practices and disclosures, particularly where we believe they could be enhanced. We primarily engage through direct dialogue but may use other tools such as written correspondence to share our perspectives. Engagement also informs our voting decisions.

We vote in support of management and boards where and to the extent they demonstrate an approach consistent with creating sustainable long-term value. If we have concerns about a company’s approach, we may choose to engage to explain our expectations. Where we consider that a company has failed to address one or more material issues within an appropriate timeframe, we may hold directors accountable or take other voting actions to signal our concerns. We apply our voting guidelines to achieve the outcome we believe is most aligned with our clients’ long-term economic interests.

 

B-4


Key themes

We recognize that accepted standards and norms of corporate governance differ between markets; however, there are sufficient common threads globally to identify this overarching set of principles (the “Principles”) which are anchored in transparency and accountability. At a minimum, we expect companies to observe the accepted corporate governance standards in their domestic market or to explain why not doing so supports sustainable long-term value creation.

Our regional and market-specific voting guidelines explain how these Principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific ballot items for shareholder meetings.

These Principles cover seven key themes:

 

   

Boards and directors

 

   

Auditors and audit-related issues

 

   

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales, and other special transactions

 

   

Compensation and benefits

 

   

Environmental and social issues

 

   

General corporate governance matters and shareholder protections

 

   

Shareholder proposals

Boards and directors

The performance of the board is critical to the economic success of the company and the protection of shareholders’ interests. As part of their responsibilities, board members owe fiduciary duties to shareholders in overseeing the strategic direction and operation of the company. For this reason, BlackRock focuses on directors in many of our engagements and sees the election of directors as one of our most important responsibilities in the proxy voting context.

We support boards whose approach is consistent with creating sustainable long-term value. This includes the effective management of strategic, operational, and material ESG factors and the consideration of key stakeholder interests. Our primary focus is on the performance of the board of directors. The board should establish and maintain a framework of robust and effective governance mechanisms to support its oversight of the company’s strategic aims. We look to the board to articulate the effectiveness of these mechanisms in overseeing the management of business risks and opportunities and the fulfillment of the company’s purpose. Disclosure of material issues that affect the company’s long-term strategy and value creation, including material ESG factors, is essential for shareholders to be able to appropriately understand and assess how the board is effectively identifying, managing, and mitigating risks.

Where a company has not adequately disclosed and demonstrated these responsibilities, we will consider withholding our support for the re-election of directors whom we hold accountable. We assess director performance on a case-by-case basis and in light of each company’s particular circumstances, taking into consideration our assessment of their governance, sustainable business practices, and performance. In serving the interests of shareholders, the responsibility of the board of directors includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

   

Establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure

 

   

Supporting and overseeing management in setting long-term strategic goals, applicable measures of value-creation and milestones that will demonstrate progress, and steps taken if any obstacles are anticipated or incurred

 

B-5


   

Providing oversight on the identification and management of material, business operational and sustainability-related risks

 

   

Overseeing the financial resilience of the company, the integrity of financial statements, and the robustness of a company’s Enterprise Risk Management1 frameworks

 

   

Making decisions on matters that require independent evaluation which may include mergers, acquisitions and disposals, activist situations or other similar cases

 

   

Establishing appropriate executive compensation structures

 

   

Addressing business issues, including environmental and social issues, when they have the potential to materially impact the company’s long-term value

There should be clear definitions of the role of the board, the committees of the board and senior management. We set out below ways in which boards and directors can demonstrate a commitment to acting in the best interests of long-term shareholders. We will seek to engage with the appropriate directors where we have concerns about the performance of the company, board, or individual directors. As noted above, we believe that when a company is not effectively addressing a material issue, its directors should be held accountable.

Regular accountability

BlackRock believes that directors should stand for re-election on a regular basis, ideally annually. In our experience, annual re-elections allow shareholders to reaffirm their support for board members or hold them accountable for their decisions in a timely manner. When board members are not re-elected annually, we believe it is good practice for boards to have a rotation policy to ensure that, through a board cycle, all directors have had their appointment re-confirmed, with a proportion of directors being put forward for re-election at each annual general meeting.

Effective board composition

Regular director elections also give boards the opportunity to adjust their composition in an orderly way to reflect the evolution of the company’s strategy and the market environment. BlackRock believes it is beneficial for new directors to be brought onto the board periodically to refresh the group’s thinking and in a manner that supports both continuity and appropriate succession planning. We expect companies to keep under regular review the effectiveness of its board (including its size), and assess directors nominated for election or re-election in the context of the composition of the board as a whole. This assessment should consider a number of factors, including the potential need to address gaps in skills or experience, the diversity of the board, and the balance of independent and non-independent directors. We also consider the average tenure of the overall board, where we are seeking a balance between the knowledge and experience of longer-serving members and the fresh perspectives of newer members.

When nominating new directors to the board, there should be detailed information on the individual candidates in order for shareholders to assess the suitability of an individual nominee and the overall board composition. These disclosures should give a clear sense of how the collective experience and expertise of the board aligns with the company’s long-term strategy and business model. We also expect disclosures to demonstrate how diversity is accounted for within the proposed board composition, including demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, and age; as well as professional characteristics, such as a director’s industry experience, specialist areas of expertise, and geographic location.

We expect there to be a sufficient number of independent directors, free from conflicts of interest or undue influence from connected parties, to ensure objectivity in the decision-making of the board and its ability to oversee management. Common impediments to independence may include but are not limited to:

 

 

1 Enterprise risk management is a process, effected by the entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, applied in strategy setting and across the enterprise, designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity, and manage risk to be within the risk appetite, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives. (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), Enterprise Risk Management — Integrated Framework, September 2004, New York, NY).

 

B-6


   

Current or recent employment at the company or a subsidiary

 

   

Being, or representing, a shareholder with a substantial shareholding in the company

 

   

Interlocking directorships

 

   

Having any other interest, business, or other relationship which could, or could reasonably be perceived to, materially interfere with a director’s ability to act in the best interests of the company

BlackRock believes that the board is able to fulfill its fiduciary duty when there is a clearly independent, senior non-executive director to chair it or, where the chairman is also the CEO (or is otherwise not independent), a lead independent director. The role of this director is to enhance the effectiveness of the independent members of the board through shaping the agenda, ensuring adequate information is provided to the board and encouraging independent participation in board deliberations. The lead independent director or another appropriate director should be available to shareholders in those situations where an independent director is best placed to explain and justify a company’s approach.

There are matters for which the board has responsibility that may involve a conflict of interest for executives or for affiliated directors. BlackRock believes that objective oversight of such matters is best achieved when the board forms committees comprised entirely of independent directors. In many markets, these committees of the board specialize in audit, director nominations and compensation matters. An ad hoc committee might also be formed to decide on a special transaction, particularly one involving a related party, or to investigate a significant adverse event.

Sufficient capacity

As the role of a director is demanding, directors must be able to commit an appropriate amount of time to board and committee matters. It is important that every director has the capacity to meet all of his/her responsibilities – including when there are unforeseen events – and therefore, he/she should not take on an excessive number of roles that would impair his/her ability to fulfill his/her duties.

Auditors and audit-related issues

BlackRock recognizes the critical importance of financial statements, which should provide a true and fair picture of a company’s financial condition. Accordingly, the assumptions made by management and reviewed by the auditor in preparing the financial statements should be reasonable and justified.

The accuracy of financial statements, inclusive of financial and non-financial information, is clearly of paramount importance to BlackRock. Investors’ views on financial materiality are developing to encompass a broader range of risks. Over time, we expect increased scrutiny of the assumptions underlying financial reports.

In this context, audit committees, or equivalent, play a vital role in a company’s financial reporting system by providing independent oversight of the accounts, material financial and non-financial information, internal control frameworks, and Enterprise Risk Management systems. BlackRock believes that effective audit and risk committee oversight strengthens the quality and reliability of a company’s financial statements and provides an important level of reassurance to shareholders.

We hold the members of the audit committee or equivalent responsible for overseeing the management of the audit function. Audit committees or equivalent should have clearly articulated charters that set out the committee’s responsibilities and have a rotation plan in place that allows for a periodic refreshment of the committee memberships.

We take particular note of critical accounting matters, cases involving significant financial restatements or ad hoc notifications of material financial weakness. In this respect, audit committees should provide timely disclosure on the remediation of Key and Critical Audit Matters identified either by the external auditor or Internal Audit function.

The integrity of financial statements depends on the auditor being free of any impediments to being an effective check on management. To that end, we believe it is important that auditors are, and are seen to be, independent. Where the audit firm provides services to the company in addition to the audit, the fees earned should be disclosed

 

B-7


and explained. Audit committees should have in place a procedure for assessing annually the independence of the auditor and the quality of the external audit process.

Comprehensive disclosure provides investors with a sense of the company’s long-term operational risk management practices and, more broadly, the quality of the board’s oversight. The audit committee or equivalent should periodically review the company’s risk assessment and risk management policies and significant risks and exposures identified by management, the internal auditors or the independent accountants, and management’s steps to address them. In the absence of robust disclosures, we may reasonably conclude that companies are not adequately managing risk.

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

The capital structure of a company is critical to shareholders as it impacts the value of their investment and the priority of their interest in the company relative to that of other equity or debt investors. Pre-emptive rights are a key protection for shareholders against the dilution of their interests.

Effective voting rights are basic rights of share ownership and we believe strongly in one vote for one share as a guiding principle that supports effective corporate governance. Shareholders, as the residual claimants, have the strongest interest in protecting company value, and voting power should match economic exposure.

In principle, we disagree with the creation of a share class with equivalent economic exposure and preferential, differentiated voting rights as it violates the fundamental corporate governance principle of proportionality, and results in a concentration of power in the hands of a few shareholders, thus disenfranchising other shareholders and amplifying any potential conflicts of interest. However, we recognize that in certain markets, at least for a period of time, companies may have a valid argument for dual-class listings. We believe that such companies should review these share class structures on a regular basis or as company circumstances change. Additionally, they should receive shareholder approval of their capital structure on a periodic basis via a management proposal at the company’s shareholder meeting. The proposal should give unaffiliated shareholders the opportunity to affirm the current structure or establish mechanisms to end or phase out controlling structures at the appropriate time, while minimizing costs to shareholders.

In assessing mergers, asset sales, or other special transactions, BlackRock’s primary consideration is the long-term economic interests of our clients as shareholders. Boards proposing a transaction need to clearly explain the economic and strategic rationale behind it. We will review a proposed transaction to determine the degree to which it enhances long-term shareholder value. We would prefer that proposed transactions have the unanimous support of the board and have been negotiated at arm’s length. We may seek reassurance from the board that executives’ and/or board members’ financial interests in a given transaction have not adversely affected their ability to place shareholders’ interests before their own. Where the transaction involves related parties, we would expect the recommendation to support it to come from the independent directors, and ideally, the terms have been assessed through an independent appraisal process. In addition, it is good practice that it be approved by a separate vote of the non-conflicted shareholders.

BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to dispose of company shares in the open market without unnecessary restriction. In our view, corporate mechanisms designed to limit shareholders’ ability to sell their shares are contrary to basic property rights. Such mechanisms can serve to protect and entrench interests other than those of the shareholders. We believe that shareholders are broadly capable of making decisions in their own best interests. We expect any so-called ‘shareholder rights plans’ proposed by a board to be subject to shareholder approval upon introduction and periodically thereafter for continuation.

Compensation and benefits

BlackRock expects a company’s board of directors to put in place a compensation structure that incentivizes and rewards executives appropriately and is linked with performance that aligns with shareholder interests, particularly the generation of sustainable long-term value. We would expect the compensation committee to carefully consider the specific circumstances of the company and the key individuals the board is trying to incentivize. We encourage

 

B-8


companies to ensure that their compensation plans incorporate appropriate and rigorous performance metrics consistent with corporate strategy and market practice. We use third party research, in addition to our own analysis, to evaluate existing and proposed compensation structures. We hold members of the compensation committee or equivalent board members accountable for poor compensation practices or structures.

BlackRock believes that there should be a clear link between variable pay and company performance that drives value creation. We are not supportive of one-off or special bonuses unrelated to company or individual performance. Where discretion has been used by the compensation committee, we expect disclosure relating to how and why the discretion was used, and further, how the adjusted outcome is aligned with the interests of shareholders. We acknowledge that the use of peer group evaluation by compensation committees can help ensure competitive pay; however, we are concerned when the rationale for increases in total compensation at a company is solely based on peer benchmarking rather than a rigorous measure of outperformance.

We support incentive plans that foster the sustainable achievement of results consistent with the company’s long-term strategic initiatives. The vesting timeframes associated with incentive plans should facilitate a focus on long-term value creation. We believe consideration should be given to building claw back provisions into incentive plans such that executives would be required to forgo rewards when they are not justified by actual performance and/or when compensation was based on faulty financial reporting or deceptive business practices. We also favor recoupment from any senior executive whose behavior caused material financial harm to shareholders, material reputational risk to the company, or resulted in a criminal investigation, even if such actions did not ultimately result in a material restatement of past results. Compensation committees should guard against contractual arrangements that would entitle executives to material compensation for early termination of their contract. Finally, pension contributions and other deferred compensation arrangements should be reasonable in light of market practice.

Non-executive directors should be compensated in a manner that is commensurate with the time and effort expended in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. Additionally, these compensation arrangements should not risk compromising their independence or aligning their interests too closely with those of the management, whom they are charged with overseeing.

Environmental and social issues

We believe that well-managed companies will deal effectively with material ESG factors relevant to their businesses. As stated throughout this document, governance is the core structure by which boards can oversee the creation of sustainable long-term value —appropriate risk oversight of environmental and social (“E&S”) considerations stems from this construct.

Robust disclosure is essential for investors to effectively gauge companies’ business practices and strategic planning related to E&S risks and opportunities. When a company’s reporting is inadequate, investors, including BlackRock, will increasingly conclude that companies are not adequately managing risk. Given the increased understanding of material sustainability risks and opportunities, and the need for better information to assess them, BlackRock will advocate for continued improvement in companies’ reporting and will hold management and/or directors accountable where disclosures or the business practices underlying them are inadequate.

BlackRock views the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the standards put forward by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) as appropriate and complementary frameworks for companies to adopt for the disclosure of financially material sustainability information. While the TCFD framework was crafted with the aim of climate-related risk disclosure, the four pillars of the TCFD Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics and Targets are a useful way for companies to disclose how they identify, assess, manage, and oversee a variety of sustainability-related risks and opportunities. SASB’s industry-specific guidance (as identified in its materiality map) is beneficial in helping companies identify key performance indicators (KPIs) across various dimensions of sustainability that are considered to be financially material and decision-useful within their industry,

Accordingly, we ask companies to:

 

B-9


   

Disclose the identification, assessment, management, and oversight of sustainability-related risks in accordance with the four pillars of TCFD; and

   

Publish SASB-aligned reporting with industry-specific, material metrics and rigorous targets2.

Companies may also adopt or refer to guidance on sustainable and responsible business conduct issued by supranational organizations such as the United Nations or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Further, industry specific initiatives on managing specific operational risks may be useful. Companies should disclose any global standards adopted, the industry initiatives in which they participate, any peer group benchmarking undertaken, and any assurance processes to help investors understand their approach to sustainable and responsible business practices.

Climate risk

BlackRock believes that climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects. We expect every company to help their investors understand how the company may be impacted by climate-related risk and opportunities, and how they are considered within strategy. Specifically, we expect companies to articulate how they are aligned to a scenario in which global warming is limited to well below 2°C and is consistent with a global aspiration to reach net zero GHG emissions by 20503.

The public and private sectors have roles to play in aligning greenhouse gas reduction efforts with targets based on science, where available, to curb the worst effects of climate change and reach the global goal of carbon neutrality by the mid-century. Companies have an opportunity to utilize and contribute to the development of current and future low-carbon transition technologies, which are an important consideration for the rate at which emissions can be reduced. We expect companies to disclose how they are considering these challenges, alongside opportunities for innovation, within their strategy and emissions reduction efforts.

Key stakeholder interests

Given our expectation that companies operate in long-term shareholders’ interests to create sustainable value and fulfill their purpose, BlackRock believes that companies should take due account of their key stakeholders’ interests. It is for each company to determine its key stakeholders based on what is material to its business, but they are likely to include employees, business partners (such as suppliers and distributors), clients and consumers, government and regulators, and the communities in which they operate, as well as investors.

Having regard to the interests of key stakeholders recognizes the collective nature of long-term value creation, and the extent to which each company’s prospects for growth are tied to its ability to foster strong sustainable relationships with those stakeholders. Companies should articulate how they address adverse impacts that could arise from their business practices and affect critical business relationships with their stakeholders. We expect companies to implement, to the extent appropriate, monitoring processes (often referred to as due diligence) to identify and mitigate potential adverse impacts, and grievance mechanisms to remediate any actual adverse impacts. The maintenance of trust within these relationships is often equated with a company’s social license to operate.

To ensure transparency and accountability, companies should report on how they have identified their key stakeholders and considered their interests in business decision-making, demonstrating the applicable governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets. This approach should be overseen by the board, whose job it is to ensure that the approach taken is informed by and aligns with the company’s purpose.

General corporate governance matters and shareholder protections

BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to material and timely information on the financial performance and viability of the companies in which they invest. In addition, companies should also publish information on the

 

2 See our commentary on our approach to engagement on TCFD and SASB aligned reporting for greater detail of our expectations.

3 The global aspiration is reflective of aggregated efforts; companies in developed and emerging markets are not equally equipped to transition their business and reduce emissions at the same rate—those in developed markets with the largest market capitalization are better positioned to adapt their business models at an accelerated pace. Government policy and regional targets may be reflective of these realities.

 

B-10


governance structures in place and the rights of shareholders to influence these structures. The reporting and disclosure provided by companies help shareholders assess whether their economic interests have been protected and the quality of the board’s oversight of management. We believe shareholders should have the right to vote on key corporate governance matters, including changes to governance mechanisms, to submit proposals to the shareholders’ meeting, and to call special meetings of shareholders.

Shareholder proposals

In most markets in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients, shareholders have the right to submit proposals to be voted on by shareholders at a company’s annual or extraordinary meeting, as long as eligibility and procedural requirements are met. The matters that we see put forward by shareholders address a wide range of topics, including governance reforms, capital management, and improvements in the management or disclosure of environmental and social risks.

When assessing shareholder proposals, we evaluate each proposal on its merit, with a singular focus on its implications for long-term value creation. We consider the business and economic relevance of the issue raised, as well as its materiality and the urgency with which we believe it should be addressed. We take into consideration the legal effect of the proposal, as shareholder proposals may be advisory or legally binding depending on the jurisdiction. We would not support proposals that we believe would result in over-reaching into the basic business decisions of the issuer.

Where a proposal is focused on an issue that we agree needs to be addressed and the intended outcome is consistent with long-term value creation, we will look to the board and management to demonstrate that the company has met the intent of the request made in the shareholder proposal. Where our analysis and/or engagement indicate a need for improvement in the company’s approach to the issue, we will support shareholder proposals that are reasonable and not unduly constraining on management. Alternatively, or in addition, we may vote against the re-election of one of more directors if, in our assessment, the board has not responded sufficiently or with an appropriate sense of urgency.

BlackRock’s oversight of its investment stewardship activities

Oversight

We hold ourselves to a very high standard in our investment stewardship activities, including proxy voting. To meet this standard, BIS is comprised of BlackRock employees who do not have other responsibilities other than their roles in BIS. BIS is considered an investment function.

BlackRock maintains three regional advisory committees (“Stewardship Advisory Committees”) for (a) the Americas; (b) Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”); and (c) Asia-Pacific, generally consisting of senior BlackRock investment professionals and/or senior employees with practical boardroom experience. The regional Stewardship Advisory Committees review and advise on amendments to BIS proxy voting guidelines covering markets within each respective region (“Guidelines”).

In addition to the regional Stewardship Advisory Committees, the Investment Stewardship Global Oversight Committee (“Global Committee”) is a risk-focused committee, comprised of senior representatives from various BlackRock investment teams, a senior legal representative, the Global Head of Investment Stewardship (“Global Head”), and other senior executives with relevant experience and team oversight.

The Global Head has primary oversight of the activities of BIS, including voting in accordance with the Guidelines, which require the application of professional judgment and consideration of each company’s unique circumstances. The Global Committee reviews and approves amendments to these Principles. The Global Committee also reviews and approves amendments to the regional Guidelines, as proposed by the regional Stewardship Advisory Committees.

In addition, the Global Committee receives and reviews periodic reports regarding the votes cast by BIS, as well as updates on material process issues, procedural changes, and other risk oversight considerations. The Global

 

B-11


Committee reviews these reports in an oversight capacity as informed by the BIS corporate governance engagement program and the Guidelines.

BIS carries out engagement with companies, monitors and executes proxy votes, and conducts vote operations (including maintaining records of votes cast) in a manner consistent with the relevant Guidelines. BIS also conducts research on corporate governance issues and participates in industry discussions to contribute to and keep abreast of important developments in the corporate governance field. BIS may utilize third parties for certain of the foregoing activities and performs oversight of those third parties. BIS may raise complicated or particularly controversial matters for internal discussion with the relevant investment teams and/or refer such matters to the appropriate regional Stewardship Advisory Committees for review, discussion and guidance prior to making a voting decision.

Vote execution

We carefully consider proxies submitted to funds and other fiduciary account(s) (“Fund” or “Funds”) for which we have voting authority. BlackRock votes (or refrains from voting) proxies for each Fund for which we have voting authority based on our evaluation of the best long-term economic interests of our clients as shareholders, in the exercise of our independent business judgment, and without regard to the relationship of the issuer of the proxy (or any shareholder proponent or dissident shareholder) to the Fund, the Fund’s affiliates (if any), BlackRock or BlackRock’s affiliates, or BlackRock employees (see “Conflicts management policies and procedures”, below).

When exercising voting rights, BlackRock will normally vote on specific proxy issues in accordance with the Guidelines for the relevant market. The Guidelines are reviewed regularly and are amended consistent with changes in the local market practice, as developments in corporate governance occur, or as otherwise deemed advisable by the applicable Stewardship Advisory Committees. BIS analysts may, in the exercise of their professional judgment, conclude that the Guidelines do not cover the specific matter upon which a proxy vote is required or that an exception to the Guidelines would be in the best long-term economic interests of BlackRock’s clients.

In the uncommon circumstance of there being a vote with respect to fixed income securities or the securities of privately held issuers, the decision generally will be made by a Fund’s portfolio managers and/or BIS based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

In certain markets, proxy voting involves logistical issues which can affect BlackRock’s ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. These issues include, but are not limited to: (i) untimely notice of shareholder meetings; (ii) restrictions on a foreigner’s ability to exercise votes; (iii) requirements to vote proxies in person; (iv) “share-blocking” (requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting); (v) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; (vi) regulatory constraints; and (vii) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions. We are not supportive of impediments to the exercise of voting rights such as share-blocking or overly burdensome administrative requirements.

As a consequence, BlackRock votes proxies on a “best-efforts” basis. In addition, BIS may determine that it is generally in the best interests of BlackRock’s clients not to vote proxies if the costs (including but not limited to opportunity costs associated with share-blocking constraints) associated with exercising a vote are expected to outweigh the benefit the client would derive by voting on the proposal.

Portfolio managers have full discretion to vote the shares in the Funds they manage based on their analysis of the economic impact of a particular ballot item. Portfolio managers may from time to time reach differing views on how best to maximize economic value with respect to a particular investment. Therefore, portfolio managers may, and sometimes do, vote shares in the Funds under their management differently from one another. However, because BlackRock’s clients are mostly long-term investors with long-term economic goals, ballots are frequently cast in a uniform manner.

 

B-12


Conflicts management policies and procedures

BIS maintains policies and procedures that seek to prevent undue influence on BlackRock’s proxy voting activity. Such influence might stem from any relationship between the investee company (or any shareholder proponent or dissident shareholder) and BlackRock, BlackRock’s affiliates, a Fund or a Fund’s affiliates, or BlackRock employees. The following are examples of sources of perceived or potential conflicts of interest:

 

 

BlackRock clients who may be issuers of securities or proponents of shareholder resolutions

 

 

BlackRock business partners or third parties who may be issuers of securities or proponents of shareholder resolutions

 

 

BlackRock employees who may sit on the boards of public companies held in Funds managed by BlackRock

 

 

Significant BlackRock, Inc. investors who may be issuers of securities held in Funds managed by BlackRock

 

 

Securities of BlackRock, Inc. or BlackRock investment funds held in Funds managed by BlackRock

 

 

BlackRock, Inc. board members who serve as senior executives of public companies held in Funds managed by BlackRock

BlackRock has taken certain steps to mitigate perceived or potential conflicts including, but not limited to, the following:

 

 

Adopted the Guidelines which are designed to advance our clients’ interests in the companies in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients.

 

 

Established a reporting structure that separates BIS from employees with sales, vendor management, or business partnership roles. In addition, BlackRock seeks to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers, dissident shareholders or shareholder proponents are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with such parties. Clients or business partners are not given special treatment or differentiated access to BIS. BIS prioritizes engagements based on factors including, but not limited to, our need for additional information to make a voting decision or our view on the likelihood that an engagement could lead to positive outcome(s) over time for the economic value of the company. Within the normal course of business, BIS may engage directly with BlackRock clients, business partners and/or third parties, and/or with employees with sales, vendor management, or business partnership roles, in discussions regarding our approach to stewardship, general corporate governance matters, client reporting needs, and/or to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met.

 

 

Determined to engage, in certain instances, an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest, to satisfy regulatory compliance requirements, or as may be otherwise required by applicable law. In such circumstances, the independent fiduciary provides BlackRock’s proxy voting agent with instructions, in accordance with the Guidelines, as to how to vote such proxies, and BlackRock’s proxy voting agent votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. BlackRock uses an independent fiduciary to vote proxies of BlackRock, Inc. and companies affiliated with BlackRock, Inc. BlackRock may also use an independent fiduciary to vote proxies of:

 

    i.

public companies that include BlackRock employees on their boards of directors,

 

   ii.

public companies of which a BlackRock, Inc. board member serves as a senior executive,

 

  iii.

public companies that are the subject of certain transactions involving BlackRock Funds,

 

  iv.

public companies that are joint venture partners with BlackRock, and

 

   v.

public companies when legal or regulatory requirements compel BlackRock to use an independent fiduciary.

In selecting an independent fiduciary, we assess several characteristics, including but not limited to: independence, an ability to analyze proxy issues and vote in the best economic interest of our clients, reputation for reliability and

 

B-13


integrity, and operational capacity to accurately deliver the assigned votes in a timely manner. We may engage more than one independent fiduciary, in part in order to mitigate potential or perceived conflicts of interest at an independent fiduciary. The Global Committee appoints and reviews the performance of the independent fiduciaries, generally on an annual basis.

When so authorized, BlackRock acts as a securities lending agent on behalf of Funds. With regard to the relationship between securities lending and proxy voting, BlackRock’s approach is driven by our clients’ economic interests. The decision whether to recall securities on loan to vote is based on a formal analysis of the revenue producing value to clients of loans, against the assessed economic value of casting votes. Generally, we expect that the likely economic value to clients of casting votes would be less than the securities lending income, either because, in our assessment, the resolutions being voted on will not have significant economic consequences or because the outcome would not be affected by BlackRock voting the loaned securities that were recalled in order to vote. BlackRock also may, in our discretion, determine that the value of voting outweighs the cost of recalling shares, and thus recall shares to vote in that instance.

Periodically, BlackRock reviews our process for determining whether to recall securities on loan in order to vote and may modify it as necessary.

Voting guidelines

The issue-specific Guidelines published for each region/country in which we vote are intended to summarize BlackRock’s general philosophy and approach to issues that may commonly arise in the proxy voting context in each market where we invest. The Guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. BIS applies the Guidelines on a case-by-case basis, in the context of the individual circumstances of each company and the specific issue under review. As such, the Guidelines do not indicate how BIS will vote in every instance. Rather, they reflect our view about corporate governance issues generally, and provide insight into how we typically approach issues that commonly arise on corporate ballots.

Reporting and vote transparency

Investment stewardship is how we use our voice as an investor to promote sound corporate governance and business practices to help maximize long-term shareholder value for our clients, the vast majority of whom are investing for long-term goals such as retirement. We are committed to transparency in the stewardship work we do on behalf of clients. We inform clients about our engagement and voting policies and activities through direct communication and through disclosure on our website. Each year we publish an annual report as well as quarterly stewardship reports which provide a global overview of our investment stewardship engagement and voting activities during the quarter, including market developments, speaking engagements, and engagement, and voting statistics. Additionally, we make public our market-specific voting guidelines for the benefit of clients and companies with whom we engage. We also publish commentaries to share our perspective on market developments and emerging key themes.

At a more granular level, we publish quarterly our vote record for each company that held a shareholder meeting during the period, showing how we voted on each proposal and explaining any votes against management proposals or on shareholder proposals. For shareholder meetings where a vote might be high profile or of significant interest to clients, we publish a voting bulletin shortly after the meeting, disclosing and explaining our vote on key proposals. We also publish a quarterly list of all companies we engaged and the key topics addressed in the engagement meeting.

In this way, we help inform our clients about the work we do on their behalf in promoting the governance and business practices that support long-term sustainable value creation.

 

B-14


This document is provided for information purposes only and is subject to change. Reliance upon this information is at the sole discretion of the reader.

Prepared by BlackRock, Inc.

©2020 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

B-15


BlackRock

Investment

Stewardship

Proxy voting guidelines for U.S. securities

Effective as of January 2021

BlackRock

 

B-16


Contents

 

Introduction

     B-18  

Voting guidelines

     B-18  

Boards and directors

     B-18  

Auditors and audit-related issues

     B-25  

Capital structure proposals

     B-25  

Mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and other special transactions

     B-26  

Executive Compensation

     B-27  

Environmental and social issues

     B-30  

General corporate governance matters

     B-32  

Shareholder Protections

     B-33  

If you would like additional information, please contact:

ContactStewardship@blackrock.com

 

B-17


These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the BlackRock Investment Stewardship Global Principles.

Introduction

We believe BlackRock has a responsibility to monitor and provide feedback to companies, in our role as stewards of our clients’ investments. BlackRock Investment Stewardship (“BIS”) does this through engagement with management teams and/or board members on material business issues, including environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) matters and, for those clients who have given us authority, through voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of our clients.

The following issue-specific proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) are intended to summarize BIS’ general philosophy and approach to ESG factors, as well as our expectations of directors, that most commonly arise in proxy voting for U.S. securities. These Guidelines are not intended to limit the analysis of individual issues at specific companies or provide a guide to how BlackRock will vote in every instance. They are applied with discretion, taking into consideration the range of issues and facts specific to the company, as well as individual ballot items.

Voting guidelines

These guidelines are divided into eight key themes, which group together the issues that frequently appear on the agenda of annual and extraordinary meetings of shareholders:

 

   

Boards and directors

 

   

Auditors and audit-related issues

 

   

Capital structure

 

   

Mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and other special transactions

 

   

Executive compensation

 

   

Environmental and social issues

 

   

General corporate governance matters

 

   

Shareholder protections

Boards and directors

The effective performance of the board is critical to the economic success of the company and the protection of shareholders’ interests. As part of their responsibilities, board members owe fiduciary duties to shareholders in overseeing the strategic direction and operation of the company. For this reason, BlackRock focuses on directors in many of our engagements and sees the election of directors as one of our most critical responsibilities.

 

B-18


Disclosure of material issues that affect the company’s long-term strategy and value creation, including material ESG factors, is essential for shareholders to be able to appropriately understand and assess how effectively the board is identifying, managing, and mitigating risks.

Where we conclude that a board has failed to address or disclose one or more material issues within a specified timeframe, we may hold directors accountable or take other appropriate action in the context of our voting decisions.

Director elections

Where a board has not adequately demonstrated, through company disclosures and actions, how material issues are appropriately identified, managed, and overseen, we will consider withholding our support for the re-election of directors whom we hold accountable.

In addition, we may withhold votes from directors or members of particular board committees in certain situations, as indicated below.

Independence

We expect a majority of the directors on the board to be independent. In addition, all members of key committees, including audit, compensation, and nominating/governance committees, should be independent. Our view of independence may vary from listing standards.

Common impediments to independence may include:

 

   

Employment as a senior executive by the company or a subsidiary within the past five years

 

   

An equity ownership in the company in excess of 20%

 

   

Having any other interest, business, or relationship (professional or personal) which could, or could reasonably be perceived to, materially interfere with the director’s ability to act in the best interests of the company

 

   

When evaluating controlled companies, as defined by the U.S. stock exchanges, we may vote against insiders or affiliates who sit on the audit committee, but not other key committees

We may vote against directors serving on key committees who we do not consider to be independent.

Oversight

We expect the board to exercise appropriate oversight over management and business activities of the company. We will consider voting against committee members and/or individual directors in the following circumstances:

 

   

Where the board has failed to exercise sufficient oversight with regard to material ESG risk factors, or the company has failed to provide shareholders with adequate disclosure to conclude appropriate strategic consideration is given to these factors by the board

 

   

Where the board has failed to exercise oversight with regard to accounting practices or audit oversight, we will consider voting against the current audit committee, and any other members of the board who may be responsible. For example, we may vote against members of the audit committee during a period when the board failed to facilitate quality, independent auditing if substantial accounting irregularities suggest insufficient oversight by that committee

 

B-19


   

Members of the compensation committee during a period in which executive compensation appears excessive relative to performance and peers, and where we believe the compensation committee has not already substantially addressed this issue

 

   

The chair of the nominating/governance committee, or where no chair exists, the nominating/governance committee member with the longest tenure, where the board is not comprised of a majority of independent directors. This may not apply in the case of a controlled company

 

   

Where it appears the director has acted (at the company or at other companies) in a manner that compromises his/her ability to represent the best long-term economic interests of shareholders

 

   

Where a director has a multi-year pattern of poor attendance at combined board and applicable committee meetings, or a director has poor attendance in a single year with no disclosed rationale. Excluding exigent circumstances, BlackRock generally considers attendance at less than 75% of the combined board and applicable committee meetings to be poor attendance

 

   

Where a director serves on an excessive number of boards, which may limit his/her capacity to focus on each board’s requirements. The following identifies the maximum number of boards on which a director may serve, before he/she is considered to be over-committed:

 

     

Public Company

Executive or Fund

Manager4

   # Outside Public Boards5    Total # of Public Boards

 

Director A  

 

  

 

 

  

 

1

 

  

 

2

 

 

Director B  

 

       

 

3

 

  

 

4

 

Responsiveness to shareholders

We expect a board to be engaged and responsive to its shareholders, including acknowledging voting outcomes for shareholder proposals, director elections, compensation, and other ballot items. Where we believe a board has not substantially addressed shareholder concerns, we may vote against the responsible committees and/or individual directors. The following illustrates common circumstances:

 

   

The independent chair or lead independent director, members of the nominating/governance committee, and/or the longest tenured director(s), where we observe a lack of board responsiveness to shareholders, evidence of board entrenchment, and/or failure to plan for adequate board member succession

 

   

The chair of the nominating/governance committee, or where no chair exists, the nominating/governance committee member with the longest tenure, where board member(s) at the most recent election of directors have received against votes from more than 25% of shares voted, and the board has not taken appropriate action to respond to shareholder concerns. This may not apply in cases where BlackRock did not support the initial against vote

 

   

The independent chair or lead independent director and/or members of the nominating/governance committee, where a board fails to consider shareholder proposals that

 

 

4 In this instance, “fund manager” refers to individuals whose full-time employment involves responsibility for the investment and oversight of fund vehicles, and those who have employment as professional investors and provide oversight for those holdings.

5 In addition to the company under review

 

B-20


 

receive substantial support, and the proposals, in our view, have a material impact on the business, shareholder rights, or the potential for long-term value creation

Shareholder rights

We expect a board to act with integrity and to uphold governance best practices. Where we believe a board has not acted in the best interests of its shareholders, we may vote against the appropriate committees and/or individual directors. The following illustrates common circumstances:

 

   

The independent chair or lead independent director and members of the nominating/governance committee, where a board implements or renews a poison pill without shareholder approval

 

   

The independent chair or lead independent director and members of the nominating/governance committee, where a board amends the charter/articles/bylaws such that the effect may be to entrench directors or to significantly reduce shareholder rights

 

   

Members of the compensation committee where the company has repriced options without shareholder approval

 

   

If a board maintains a classified structure, it is possible that the director(s) with whom we have a particular concern may not be subject to election in the year that the concern arises. In such situations, if we have a concern regarding the actions of a committee and the responsible member(s) or committee chair are not up for re-election, we will generally register our concern by voting against all available members of the relevant committee

Board composition and effectiveness

We encourage boards to periodically renew their membership to ensure relevant skills and experience within the boardroom. To this end, regular performance reviews and skills assessments should be conducted by the nominating/governance committee or the lead independent director.

Furthermore, we expect boards to be comprised of a diverse selection of individuals who bring their personal and professional experiences to bear in order to create a constructive debate of a variety of views and opinions in the boardroom. We recognize that diversity has multiple dimensions. In identifying potential candidates, boards should take into consideration the full breadth of diversity, including personal factors, such as gender, ethnicity, race, and age, as well as professional characteristics, such as a director’s industry, area of expertise, and geographic location. In addition to other elements of diversity, we encourage companies to have at least two women directors on their board. Our publicly available commentary explains our approach to engaging on board diversity.

We encourage boards to disclose:

 

   

The mix of competencies, experience, and other qualities required to effectively oversee and guide management in light of the stated long-term strategy of the company

 

   

The process by which candidates are identified and selected, including whether professional firms or other sources outside of incumbent directors’ networks have been engaged to identify and/or assess candidates

 

   

The process by which boards evaluate themselves and any significant outcomes of the evaluation process, without divulging inappropriate and/or sensitive details

 

B-21


   

Demographics related to board diversity, including, but not limited to, gender, ethnicity, race, age, and geographic location, in addition to measurable milestones to achieve a boardroom reflective of multi-faceted racial, ethnic, and gender representation

Our primary concern is that board members are able to contribute effectively as corporate strategy evolves and business conditions change. We acknowledge that no single person can be expected to bring all relevant skill sets to a board; at the same time, we generally do not believe it is necessary or appropriate to have any particular director on the board solely by virtue of a singular background or specific area of expertise.

Where boards find that age limits or term limits are the most efficient and objective mechanism for ensuring periodic board refreshment, we generally defer to the board’s determination in setting such limits. BlackRock will also consider the average board tenure to evaluate processes for board renewal. We may oppose boards that appear to have an insufficient mix of short-, medium-, and long-tenured directors.

To the extent that a company has not adequately accounted for diversity in its board composition within a reasonable timeframe, based on our assessment, we may vote against members of the nominating/governance committee for an apparent lack of commitment to board effectiveness.

Board size

We typically defer to the board in setting the appropriate size and believe directors are generally in the best position to assess the optimal board size to ensure effectiveness. However, we may oppose boards that appear too small to allow for the necessary range of skills and experience or too large to function efficiently.

CEO and management succession planning

There should be a robust CEO and senior management succession plan in place at the board level that is reviewed and updated on a regular basis. We expect succession planning to cover both long-term planning consistent with the strategic direction of the company and identified leadership needs over time, as well as short-term planning in the event of an unanticipated executive departure. We encourage the company to explain its executive succession planning process, including where accountability lies within the boardroom for this task, without prematurely divulging sensitive information commonly associated with this exercise.

Classified board of directors/staggered terms

We believe that directors should be re-elected annually; classification of the board generally limits shareholders’ rights to regularly evaluate a board’s performance and select directors. While we will typically support proposals requesting board de-classification, we may make exceptions, should the board articulate an appropriate strategic rationale for a classified board structure, such as when a company needs consistency and stability during a time of transition, e.g. newly public companies or companies undergoing a strategic restructuring. A classified board structure may also be justified at non-operating companies, e.g. closed-end funds or business development companies (BDC)6, in certain circumstances. We would, however, expect boards with a classified structure to periodically review the rationale for such structure and consider when annual elections might be more appropriate.

Without a voting mechanism to immediately address concerns about a specific director, we may choose to vote against the available slate of directors (see “Shareholder rights” for additional detail).

 

 

6 A BDC is a special investment vehicle under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that is designed to facilitate capital formation for small and middle-market companies.

 

B-22


Contested director elections

The details of contested elections, or proxy contests, are assessed on a case-by-case basis. We evaluate a number of factors, which may include: the qualifications of the dissident and management candidates; the validity of the concerns identified by the dissident; the viability of both the dissident’s and management’s plans; the ownership stake and holding period of the dissident; the likelihood that the dissident’s solutions will produce the desired change; and whether the dissident represents the best option for enhancing long-term shareholder value.

Cumulative voting

We believe that a majority vote standard is in the best long-term interests of shareholders. It ensures director accountability through the requirement to be elected by more than half of the votes cast. As such, we will generally oppose proposals requesting the adoption of cumulative voting, which may disproportionately aggregate votes on certain issues or director candidates.

Director compensation and equity programs

We believe that compensation for directors should be structured to attract and retain directors, while also aligning their interests with those of shareholders. We believe director compensation packages that are based on the company’s long-term value creation and include some form of long-term equity compensation are more likely to meet this goal. In addition, we expect directors to build meaningful share ownership over time.

Majority vote requirements

BlackRock believes that directors should generally be elected by a majority of the shares voted and will normally support proposals seeking to introduce bylaws requiring a majority vote standard for director elections. Majority vote standards assist in ensuring that directors who are not broadly supported by shareholders are not elected to serve as their representatives. Some companies with a plurality voting standard have adopted a resignation policy for directors who do not receive support from at least a majority of votes cast. Where we believe that the company already has a sufficiently robust majority voting process in place, we may not support a shareholder proposal seeking an alternative mechanism.

We note that majority voting may not be appropriate in all circumstances, for example, in the context of a contested election, or for majority-controlled companies.

Risk oversight

Companies should have an established process for identifying, monitoring, and managing business and material ESG risks. Independent directors should have access to relevant management information and outside advice, as appropriate, to ensure they can properly oversee risk. We encourage companies to provide transparency around risk management, mitigation, and reporting to the board. We are particularly interested in understanding how risk oversight processes evolve in response to changes in corporate strategy and/or shifts in the business and related risk environment. Comprehensive disclosure provides investors with a sense of the company’s long-term operational risk management practices and, more broadly, the quality of the board’s oversight. In the absence of robust disclosures, we may reasonably conclude that companies are not adequately managing risk.

 

B-23


Separation of chairman and CEO

We believe that independent leadership is important in the boardroom. There are two commonly accepted structures for independent board leadership: 1) an independent chairman; or 2) a lead independent director when the roles of chairman and CEO are combined.

In the absence of a significant governance concern, we defer to boards to designate the most appropriate leadership structure to ensure adequate balance and independence.

In the event that the board chooses a combined chair/CEO model, we generally support the designation of a lead independent director if they have the power to: 1) provide formal input into board meeting agendas; 2) call meetings of the independent directors; and 3) preside at meetings of independent directors. Furthermore, while we anticipate that most directors will be elected annually, we believe an element of continuity is important for this role to provide appropriate leadership balance to the chair/CEO.

The following table illustrates examples of responsibilities under each board leadership model:

 

      Combined Chair/CEO Model    Separate Chair Model
   Chair/CEO    Lead Independent Director    Chair
Board Meetings   

 

Authority to call full meetings of the board of directors

  

 

Attends full meetings of the board of directors

 

Authority to call meetings of independent directors

 

Briefs CEO on issues arising from executive sessions

 

  

 

Authority to call full meetings of the board of directors

Agenda   

 

Primary responsibility for shaping board agendas, consulting with the lead independent director

 

  

 

Collaborates with chair/CEO to set board agenda and board information

  

 

Primary responsibility for shaping board agendas, in conjunction with CEO

Board Communications     

 

Communicates with all directors on key issues and concerns outside of full board meetings

  

 

Facilitates discussion among independent directors on key issues and concerns outside of full board meetings, including contributing to the oversight of CEO and management succession planning

 

  

 

Facilitates discussion among independent directors on key issues and concerns outside of full board meetings, including contributing to the oversight of CEO and management succession planning

 

 

B-24


Auditors and audit-related issues

BlackRock recognizes the critical importance of financial statements to provide a complete and accurate portrayal of a company’s financial condition. Consistent with our approach to voting on boards of directors, we seek to hold the audit committee of the board responsible for overseeing the management of the audit function at a company, and may vote against the audit committee members where the board has failed to facilitate quality, independent auditing. We look to the audit committee report for insight into the scope of the audit committee responsibilities, including an overview of audit committee processes, issues on the audit committee agenda, and key decisions taken by the audit committee. We take particular note of cases involving significant financial restatements or material weakness disclosures, and we expect timely disclosure and remediation of accounting irregularities.

The integrity of financial statements depends on the auditor effectively fulfilling its role. To that end, we favor an independent auditor. In addition, to the extent that an auditor fails to reasonably identify and address issues that eventually lead to a significant financial restatement, or the audit firm has violated standards of practice that protect the interests of shareholders, we may also vote against ratification.

From time to time, shareholder proposals may be presented to promote auditor independence or the rotation of audit firms. We may support these proposals when they are consistent with our views as described above.

Capital structure proposals

Equal voting rights

BlackRock believes that shareholders should be entitled to voting rights in proportion to their economic interests. We believe that companies that look to add or already have dual or multiple class share structures should review these structures on a regular basis, or as company circumstances change. Companies with multiple share classes should receive shareholder approval of their capital structure on a periodic basis via a management proposal on the company’s proxy. The proposal should give unaffiliated shareholders the opportunity to affirm the current structure or establish mechanisms to end or phase out controlling structures at the appropriate time, while minimizing costs to shareholders.

Blank check preferred stock

We frequently oppose proposals requesting authorization of a class of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights (“blank check” preferred stock) because they may serve as a transfer of authority from shareholders to the board and as a possible entrenchment device. We generally view the board’s discretion to establish voting rights on a when-issued basis as a potential anti-takeover device, as it affords the board the ability to place a block of stock with an investor sympathetic to management, thereby foiling a takeover bid without a shareholder vote.

Nonetheless, we may support the proposal where the company:

 

   

Appears to have a legitimate financing motive for requesting blank check authority

 

   

Has committed publicly that blank check preferred shares will not be used for anti-takeover purposes

 

   

Has a history of using blank check preferred stock for financings

 

   

Has blank check preferred stock previously outstanding such that an increase would not necessarily provide further anti-takeover protection but may provide greater financing flexibility

 

B-25


Increase in authorized common shares

BlackRock will evaluate requests to increase authorized shares on a case-by-case basis, in conjunction with industry-specific norms and potential dilution, as well as a company’s history with respect to the use of its common shares.

Increase or issuance of preferred stock

We generally support proposals to increase or issue preferred stock in cases where the company specifies the voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights of such stock and where the terms of the preferred stock appear reasonable.

Stock splits

We generally support stock splits that are not likely to negatively affect the ability to trade shares or the economic value of a share. We generally support reverse stock splits that are designed to avoid delisting or to facilitate trading in the stock, where the reverse split will not have a negative impact on share value (e.g. one class is reduced while others remain at pre-split levels). In the event of a proposal for a reverse split that would not proportionately reduce the company’s authorized stock, we apply the same analysis we would use for a proposal to increase authorized stock.

Mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and other special transactions

In assessing mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, or other special transactions, BlackRock’s primary consideration is the long-term economic interests of our clients as shareholders. Boards proposing a transaction need to clearly explain the economic and strategic rationale behind it. We will review a proposed transaction to determine the degree to which it enhances long-term shareholder value. While mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and other special transaction proposals vary widely in scope and substance, we closely examine certain salient features in our analyses, such as:

 

   

The degree to which the proposed transaction represents a premium to the company’s trading price. We consider the share price over multiple time periods prior to the date of the merger announcement. We may consider comparable transaction analyses provided by the parties’ financial advisors and our own valuation assessments. For companies facing insolvency or bankruptcy, a premium may not apply

 

   

There should be clear strategic, operational, and/or financial rationale for the combination

 

   

Unanimous board approval and arm’s-length negotiations are preferred. We will consider whether the transaction involves a dissenting board or does not appear to be the result of an arm’s-length bidding process. We may also consider whether executive and/or board members’ financial interests appear likely to affect their ability to place shareholders’ interests before their own

 

   

We prefer transaction proposals that include the fairness opinion of a reputable financial advisor assessing the value of the transaction to shareholders in comparison to recent similar transactions

Poison pill plans

Where a poison pill is put to a shareholder vote by management, our policy is to examine these plans individually. Although we oppose most plans, we may support plans that include a reasonable “qualifying offer clause.” Such clauses typically require shareholder ratification of the pill and stipulate a sunset provision whereby the pill expires unless it is renewed. These clauses also tend to specify that an all-cash bid for all shares that includes a fairness opinion and evidence of financing does not trigger the pill, but forces either a

 

B-26


special meeting at which the offer is put to a shareholder vote, or requires the board to seek the written consent of shareholders, where shareholders could rescind the pill at their discretion. We may also support a pill where it is the only effective method for protecting tax or other economic benefits that may be associated with limiting the ownership changes of individual shareholders.

We generally vote in favor of shareholder proposals to rescind poison pills.

Reimbursement of expenses for successful shareholder campaigns

We generally do not support shareholder proposals seeking the reimbursement of proxy contest expenses, even in situations where we support the shareholder campaign. We believe that introducing the possibility of such reimbursement may incentivize disruptive and unnecessary shareholder campaigns.

Executive compensation

BlackRock expects a company’s board of directors to put in place a compensation structure that incentivizes and rewards executives appropriately and is aligned with shareholder interests, particularly the generation of sustainable long-term value.

We expect the compensation committee to carefully consider the specific circumstances of the company and the key individuals the board is focused on incentivizing. We encourage companies to ensure that their compensation plans incorporate appropriate and rigorous performance metrics consistent with corporate strategy and market practice. We use third party research, in addition to our own analysis, to evaluate existing and proposed compensation structures. We hold members of the compensation committee, or equivalent board members, accountable for poor compensation practices or structures.

BlackRock believes that there should be a clear link between variable pay and company performance that drives value creation. We are generally not supportive of one-off or special bonuses unrelated to company or individual performance. Where discretion has been used by the compensation committee, we expect disclosure relating to how and why the discretion was used and further, how the adjusted outcome is aligned with the interests of shareholders.

We acknowledge that the use of peer group evaluation by compensation committees can help calibrate competitive pay; however, we are concerned when the rationale for increases in total compensation is solely based on peer benchmarking, rather than absolute outperformance.

We support incentive plans that foster the sustainable achievement of results consistent with the company’s long-term strategic initiatives. The vesting timeframes associated with incentive plans should facilitate a focus on long-term value creation. Compensation committees should guard against contractual arrangements that would entitle executives to material compensation for early termination of their contract. Finally, pension contributions and other deferred compensation arrangements should be reasonable in light of market practice.

“Say on Pay” advisory resolutions

In cases where there is a “Say on Pay” vote, BlackRock will respond to the proposal as informed by our evaluation of compensation practices at that particular company and in a manner that appropriately addresses the specific question posed to shareholders. In a commentary on our website, entitled “BlackRock Investment Stewardship’s approach to executive compensation,” we explain our expectations related to executive compensation practices, our “Say on Pay” analysis framework, and our typical approach to engagement and voting on “Say on Pay.”

 

B-27


Where we conclude that a company has failed to align pay with performance, we will vote against the management compensation proposal and consider voting against the compensation committee members.

Frequency of “Say on Pay” advisory resolutions

BlackRock will generally support annual advisory votes on executive compensation, and will consider biennial and triennial timeframes, absent compensation concerns. In evaluating pay, we believe that the compensation committee is responsible for constructing a plan that appropriately incentivizes executives for long-term value creation, utilizing relevant metrics and structure to promote overall pay and performance alignment.

Clawback proposals

We generally favor recoupment from any senior executive whose compensation was based on faulty financial reporting or deceptive business practices. We also favor recoupment from any senior executive whose behavior caused material financial harm to shareholders, material reputational risk to the company, or resulted in a criminal proceeding, even if such actions did not ultimately result in a material restatement of past results. This includes, but is not limited to, settlement agreements arising from such behavior and paid for directly by the company. We typically support shareholder proposals on these matters unless the company already has a robust claw back policy that sufficiently addresses our concerns.

Employee stock purchase plans

We believe employee stock purchase plans (“ESPP”) are an important part of a company’s overall human capital management strategy and can provide performance incentives to help align employees’ interests with those of shareholders. The most common form of ESPP qualifies for favorable tax treatment under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. We will typically support qualified ESPP proposals.

Equity compensation plans

BlackRock supports equity plans that align the economic interests of directors, managers, and other employees with those of shareholders. We believe that boards should establish policies prohibiting the use of equity awards in a manner that could disrupt the intended alignment with shareholder interests (e.g. the use of stock as collateral for a loan; the use of stock in a margin account; the use of stock in hedging or derivative transactions). We may support shareholder proposals requesting the establishment of such policies.

Our evaluation of equity compensation plans is based on a company’s executive pay and performance relative to peers and whether the plan plays a significant role in a pay-for-performance disconnect. We generally oppose plans that contain “evergreen” provisions, which allow for the unlimited increase of shares reserved without requiring further shareholder approval after a reasonable time period. We also generally oppose plans that allow for repricing without shareholder approval. We may also oppose plans that provide for the acceleration of vesting of equity awards even in situations where an actual change of control may not occur. We encourage companies to structure their change of control provisions to require the termination of the covered employee before acceleration or special payments are triggered (commonly referred to as “double trigger” change of control provisions).

Golden parachutes

We generally view golden parachutes as encouragement to management to consider transactions that might be beneficial to shareholders. However, a large potential pay-out under a golden parachute arrangement also presents the risk of motivating a management team to support a sub-optimal sale price for a company.

 

B-28


When determining whether to support or oppose an advisory vote on a golden parachute plan, BlackRock may consider several factors, including:

 

   

Whether we believe that the triggering event is in the best interests of shareholders

 

   

Whether management attempted to maximize shareholder value in the triggering event

 

   

The percentage of total premium or transaction value that will be transferred to the management team, rather than shareholders, as a result of the golden parachute payment

 

   

Whether excessively large excise tax gross-up payments are part of the pay-out

 

   

Whether the pay package that serves as the basis for calculating the golden parachute payment was reasonable in light of performance and peers

 

   

Whether the golden parachute payment will have the effect of rewarding a management team that has failed to effectively manage the company

It may be difficult to anticipate the results of a plan until after it has been triggered; as a result, BlackRock may vote against a golden parachute proposal even if the golden parachute plan under review was approved by shareholders when it was implemented.

We may support shareholder proposals requesting that implementation of such arrangements require shareholder approval. We generally support proposals requiring shareholder approval of plans that exceed 2.99 times an executive’s current salary and bonus, including equity compensation.

Option exchanges

We believe that there may be legitimate instances where underwater options create an overhang on a company’s capital structure and a repricing or option exchange may be warranted. We will evaluate these instances on a case-by-case basis. BlackRock may support a request to reprice or exchange underwater options under the following circumstances:

 

   

The company has experienced significant stock price decline as a result of macroeconomic trends, not individual company performance

 

   

Directors and executive officers are excluded; the exchange is value neutral or value creative to shareholders; tax, accounting, and other technical considerations have been fully contemplated

 

   

There is clear evidence that absent repricing, the company will suffer serious employee incentive or retention and recruiting problems

BlackRock may also support a request to exchange underwater options in other circumstances, if we determine that the exchange is in the best interests of shareholders.

Supplemental executive retirement plans

BlackRock may support shareholder proposals requesting to put extraordinary benefits contained in supplemental executive retirement plans (“SERP”) to a shareholder vote unless the company’s executive pension plans do not contain excessive benefits beyond what is offered under employee-wide plans.

 

B-29


Environmental and social issues

We believe that well-managed companies deal effectively with material ESG factors relevant to their businesses. As stated throughout this document, governance is the core structure by which boards can oversee the creation of sustainable long-term value—appropriate risk oversight of environmental and social (“E&S”) considerations stems from this construct.

Robust disclosure is essential for investors to effectively gauge companies’ business practices and strategic planning related to E&S risks and opportunities. When a company’s reporting is inadequate, investors, including BlackRock, will increasingly conclude that the company is not adequately managing risk. Given the increased understanding of material sustainability risks and opportunities, and the need for better information to assess them, BlackRock will advocate for continued improvement in companies’ reporting and will hold management and/or directors accountable where disclosures or the business practices underlying them are inadequate.

BlackRock views the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the standards put forth by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) as appropriate and complementary frameworks for companies to disclose financially material sustainability information. While the TCFD framework was crafted with the aim of climate-related risk disclosure, the four pillars of the TCFD—Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics and Targets—are a useful way for companies to disclose how they identify, assess, manage, and oversee a variety of sustainability-related risks and opportunities. SASB’s industry-specific guidance (as identified in its materiality map) is beneficial in helping companies identify key performance indicators (KPIs) across various dimensions of sustainability that are considered to be financially material and decision-useful within their industry.

Accordingly, we ask companies to:

 

   

Disclose the identification, assessment, management, and oversight of sustainability-related risks in accordance with the four pillars of TCFD

 

   

Publish SASB-aligned reporting with industry-specific, material metrics and rigorous targets

See our commentary on our approach to engagement on TCFD- and SASB-aligned reporting for greater detail of our expectations.

Climate risk

BlackRock believes that climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects. We expect every company to help their investors understand how the company may be impacted by climate-related risks and opportunities, and how they are considered within the company’s strategy.

Specifically, we expect companies to articulate how they are aligned to a scenario in which global warming is limited to well below 2° C and is consistent with a global aspiration to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050.7 In order to assess companies’ progress, BIS expects carbon-intensive companies to disclose explicit GHG emissions reduction targets.

The public and private sectors have roles to play in aligning greenhouse gas reduction efforts with targets based on science, where available to curb the worst effects of climate change and reach the global goal of carbon neutrality by mid-century. Companies have an opportunity to utilize and contribute to the development

 

7 The global aspiration is reflective of aggregated efforts; companies in developed and emerging markets are not equally equipped to transition their business and reduce emissions at the same rate—those in developed markets with the largest market capitalization are better positioned to adapt their business models at an accelerated pace. Government policy and regional targets may be reflective of these realities.

 

B-30


of current and future low-carbon transition technologies, which are an important consideration for the rate at which emissions can be reduced. We expect companies to disclose how they are considering these challenges, alongside opportunities for innovation, within their strategy and emissions reduction efforts.

We may support shareholder proposals that ask companies to disclose climate plans aligned with our expectations.

Key stakeholder interests

As a long-term investor, we believe that in order to deliver value for shareholders, companies should also consider their stakeholders. While stakeholder groups may vary across industries, they are likely to include employees; business partners (such as suppliers and distributors); clients and consumers; government and regulators; and the communities in which companies operate. Companies that build strong relationships with their stakeholders are more likely to meet their own strategic objectives, while poor relationships may create adverse impacts that expose a company to legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks and jeopardize their social license to operate. We expect companies to effectively oversee and mitigate these risks with appropriate due diligence processes and board oversight.

Human capital management

A company’s approach to human capital management is a critical factor in fostering an inclusive, diverse, and engaged workforce, which contributes to business continuity, innovation, and long-term value creation. As an important component of strategy, we expect boards to oversee human capital management.

We believe that clear and consistent reporting on these matters is critical for investors to understand the composition of a company’s workforce. We expect companies to disclose workforce demographics, such as gender, race, and ethnicity in line with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s EEO-1 Survey, alongside the steps they are taking to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Where we believe a company’s disclosures or practices fall short relative to the market or peers, or we are unable to ascertain the board and management’s effectiveness in overseeing related risks and opportunities, we may vote against members of the appropriate committee or support relevant shareholder proposals. Our commentary on human capital management provides more information on our expectations.

Corporate political activities

Companies may engage in certain political activities, within legal and regulatory limits, in order to influence public policy consistent with the companies’ values and strategies. These activities can also create risks, including: the potential for allegations of corruption; reputational risk associated with a candidate, party, or issue; and risks that arise from the complex legal, regulatory, and compliance considerations associated with corporate political spending and lobbying activity. Companies that engage in political activities should develop and maintain robust processes to guide these activities and mitigate risks, including board oversight.

When presented with shareholder proposals requesting increased disclosure on corporate political activities, BlackRock will evaluate publicly available information to consider how a company’s lobbying may impact the company. We will also evaluate whether there is alignment between a company’s stated positions on policy matters material to its strategy and the positions taken by industry groups of which it is a member. We may decide to support a shareholder proposal requesting additional disclosure if we identify a material misalignment. Additional detail can be found in our commentary on political contributions and lobbying disclosures.

 

B-31


General corporate governance matters

Adjourn meeting to solicit additional votes

We generally support such proposals unless the agenda contains items that we judge to be detrimental to shareholders’ best long-term economic interests.

Bundled proposals

We believe that shareholders should have the opportunity to review substantial governance changes individually without having to accept bundled proposals. Where several measures are grouped into one proposal, BlackRock may reject certain positive changes when linked with proposals that generally contradict or impede the rights and economic interests of shareholders.

Exclusive forum provisions

BlackRock generally supports proposals to seek exclusive forum for certain shareholder litigation. In cases where a board unilaterally adopts exclusive forum provisions that we consider unfavorable to the interests of shareholders, we will vote against the independent chair or lead independent director and members of the nominating/governance committee.

Multi-jurisdictional companies

Where a company is listed on multiple exchanges or incorporated in a country different from its primary listing, we will seek to apply the most relevant market guideline(s) to our analysis of the company’s governance structure and specific proposals on the shareholder meeting agenda. In doing so, we typically consider the governance standards of the company’s primary listing, the market standards by which the company governs itself, and the market context of each specific proposal on the agenda. If the relevant standards are silent on the issue under consideration, we will use our professional judgment as to what voting outcome would best protect the long-term economic interests of investors. We expect companies to disclose the rationale for their selection of primary listing, country of incorporation, and choice of governance structures, particularly where there is conflict between relevant market governance practices.

Other business

We oppose giving companies our proxy to vote on matters where we are not given the opportunity to review and understand those measures and carry out an appropriate level of shareholder oversight.

Reincorporation

Proposals to reincorporate from one state or country to another are most frequently motivated by considerations of anti-takeover protections, legal advantages, and/or cost savings. We will evaluate, on a case-by-case basis, the economic and strategic rationale behind the company’s proposal to reincorporate. In all instances, we will evaluate the changes to shareholder protections under the new charter/articles/bylaws to assess whether the move increases or decreases shareholder protections. Where we find that shareholder protections are diminished, we may support reincorporation if we determine that the overall benefits outweigh the diminished rights.

 

B-32


IPO governance

We expect boards to consider and disclose how the corporate governance structures adopted upon initial public offering (“IPO”) are in shareholders’ best long-term interests. We also expect boards to conduct a regular review of corporate governance and control structures, such that boards might evolve foundational corporate governance structures as company circumstances change, without undue costs and disruption to shareholders. In our letter on unequal voting structures, we articulate our view that “one vote for one share” is the preferred structure for publicly-traded companies. We also recognize the potential benefits of dual class shares to newly public companies as they establish themselves; however, we believe that these structures should have a specific and limited duration. We will generally engage new companies on topics such as classified boards and supermajority vote provisions to amend bylaws, as we believe that such arrangements may not be in the best interest of shareholders in the long-term.

We will typically apply a one-year grace period for the application of certain director-related guidelines (including, but not limited to, responsibilities on other public company boards and board composition concerns), during which we expect boards to take steps to bring corporate governance standards in line with our expectations.

Further, if a company qualifies as an emerging growth company (an “EGC”) under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), we will give consideration to the NYSE and NASDAQ governance exemptions granted under the JOBS Act for the duration such a company is categorized as an EGC. We expect an EGC to have a totally independent audit committee by the first anniversary of its IPO, with our standard approach to voting on auditors and audit-related issues applicable in full for an EGC on the first anniversary of its IPO.

Shareholder protections

Amendment to charter/articles/bylaws

We believe that shareholders should have the right to vote on key corporate governance matters, including changes to governance mechanisms and amendments to the charter/articles/bylaws. We may vote against certain directors where changes to governing documents are not put to a shareholder vote within a reasonable period of time, particularly if those changes have the potential to impact shareholder rights (see “Director elections”). In cases where a board’s unilateral adoption of changes to the charter/articles/bylaws promotes cost and operational efficiency benefits for the company and its shareholders, we may support such action if it does not have a negative effect on shareholder rights or the company’s corporate governance structure.

When voting on a management or shareholder proposal to make changes to the charter/articles/bylaws, we will consider in part the company’s and/or proponent’s publicly stated rationale for the changes; the company’s governance profile and history; relevant jurisdictional laws; and situational or contextual circumstances which may have motivated the proposed changes, among other factors. We will typically support amendments to the charter/articles/bylaws where the benefits to shareholders outweigh the costs of failing to make such changes.

Proxy access

We believe that long-term shareholders should have the opportunity, when necessary and under reasonable conditions, to nominate directors on the company’s proxy card.

In our view, securing the right of shareholders to nominate directors without engaging in a control contest can enhance shareholders’ ability to meaningfully participate in the director election process, encourage board attention to shareholder interests, and provide shareholders an effective means of directing that attention where it is lacking. Proxy access mechanisms should provide shareholders with a reasonable opportunity to use this

 

B-33


right without stipulating overly restrictive or onerous parameters for use, and also provide assurances that the mechanism will not be subject to abuse by short-term investors, investors without a substantial investment in the company, or investors seeking to take control of the board.

In general, we support market-standardized proxy access proposals, which allow a shareholder (or group of up to 20 shareholders) holding three percent of a company’s outstanding shares for at least three years the right to nominate the greater of up to two directors or 20% of the board. Where a standardized proxy access provision exists, we will generally oppose shareholder proposals requesting outlier thresholds.

Right to act by written consent

In exceptional circumstances and with sufficiently broad support, shareholders should have the opportunity to raise issues of substantial importance without having to wait for management to schedule a meeting. We therefore believe that shareholders should have the right to solicit votes by written consent provided that: 1) there are reasonable requirements to initiate the consent solicitation process (in order to avoid the waste of corporate resources in addressing narrowly supported interests); and 2) shareholders receive a minimum of 50% of outstanding shares to effectuate the action by written consent. We may oppose shareholder proposals requesting the right to act by written consent in cases where the proposal is structured for the benefit of a dominant shareholder to the exclusion of others, or if the proposal is written to discourage the board from incorporating appropriate mechanisms to avoid the waste of corporate resources when establishing a right to act by written consent. Additionally, we may oppose shareholder proposals requesting the right to act by written consent if the company already provides a shareholder right to call a special meeting that we believe offers shareholders a reasonable opportunity to raise issues of substantial importance without having to wait for management to schedule a meeting.

Right to call a special meeting

In exceptional circumstances and with sufficiently broad support, shareholders should have the opportunity to raise issues of substantial importance without having to wait for management to schedule a meeting. Accordingly, shareholders should have the right to call a special meeting in cases where a reasonably high proportion of shareholders (typically a minimum of 15% but no higher than 25%) are required to agree to such a meeting before it is called. However, we may oppose this right in cases where the proposal is structured for the benefit of a dominant shareholder, or where a lower threshold may lead to an ineffective use of corporate resources. We generally believe that a right to act via written consent is not a sufficient alternative to the right to call a special meeting.

Simple majority voting

We generally favor a simple majority voting requirement to pass proposals. Therefore, we will support the reduction or the elimination of supermajority voting requirements to the extent that we determine shareholders’ ability to protect their economic interests is improved. Nonetheless, in situations where there is a substantial or dominant shareholder, supermajority voting may be protective of minority shareholder interests and we may support supermajority voting requirements in those situations.

Virtual meetings

Shareholders should have the opportunity to participate in the annual and special meetings for the companies in which they are invested, as these meetings facilitate an opportunity for shareholders to provide feedback and hear from the board and management. While these meetings have traditionally been conducted in-person, virtual meetings are an increasingly viable way for companies to utilize technology to facilitate shareholder accessibility, inclusiveness, and cost efficiencies. We expect shareholders to have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the meeting and interact with the board and management in these virtual settings; companies

 

B-34


should facilitate open dialogue and allow shareholders to voice concerns and provide feedback without undue censorship.

This document is provided for information purposes only and is subject to change. Reliance upon this information is at the sole discretion of the reader.

Prepared by BlackRock, Inc.

©2020 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

B-35


PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 15.    Indemnification

Article V of the Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation, a copy of which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s N-2 on January 30, 1998, and Article IV of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, a copy of which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s 8-K filed on September 21, 2010, provides for indemnification, as set forth below:

Article V (Provisions for Defining, Limiting and Regulating Certain Powers of the Corporation and of the Directors and Stockholders) of the Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation provides as follows:

5.4. Each director and each officer of the Corporation shall be indemnified and advanced expenses by the Corporation to the full extent permitted by the General Laws of the State of Maryland now or hereafter in force, including the advance of expenses under the procedures and to the full extent permitted by law subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. The foregoing rights of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled. No amendment of these Articles of Incorporation or repeal of any provision hereof shall limit or eliminate the benefits provided to directors and officers under this provision in connection with any act or omission that occurred prior to such amendment or repeal..

5.5. To the fullest extent permitted by the General Laws of the State of Maryland or decisional law, as amended or interpreted, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, no director or officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its security holders for money damages. No amendment of these Articles of Incorporation or repeal of any provision hereof shall limit or eliminate the benefits provided to directors and officers under this provision in connection with any act or omission that occurred prior to such amendment or repeal.

Article IV of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws provides as follows:

Section 1. No Personal Liability of Directors or Officers. No Director, advisory board member or officer of the Fund shall be subject in such capacity to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person, save only liability to the Fund or its shareholders arising from bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard for his or her duty to such Person; and, subject to the foregoing exception, all such Persons shall look solely to the assets of the Fund for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the affairs of the Fund. If any Director, advisory board member or officer, as such, of the Fund, is made a party to any suit or proceeding to enforce any such liability, subject to the foregoing exception, such person shall not, on account thereof, be held to any personal liability. Any repeal or modification of the Charter or this Article IV Section 1 shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Director, advisory board member or officer of the Fund existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

Section 2. Mandatory Indemnification.

(a) The Fund hereby agrees to indemnify each person who is or was a Director, advisory board member or officer of the Fund (each such person being an “Indemnitee”) to the full extent permitted under the Charter. In addition, the Fund may provide greater but not lesser rights to indemnification pursuant to a contract approved by at least a majority of Directors between the Fund and any Indemnitee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Indemnitee shall be indemnified hereunder against any liability to any person or any expense of such Indemnitee arising by reason of (i) willful misfeasance, (ii) bad faith, (iii) gross negligence, or (iv) reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Indemnitee’s position (the conduct referred to in such clauses (i) through (iv) being sometimes referred to herein as “Disabling Conduct”). Furthermore, with respect to any action, suit or other proceeding voluntarily prosecuted by any Indemnitee as plaintiff, indemnification shall be mandatory only if the prosecution of such action, suit or other proceeding by such Indemnitee (A) was authorized by a majority of the Directors or (B) was instituted by the Indemnitee to enforce his or her rights to indemnification hereunder in a case in which the Indemnitee is found to be entitled to such indemnification.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in any agreement relating to indemnification between an Indemnitee and the Fund, no indemnification shall be made hereunder unless there has been a determination (i) by a final decision on the merits by a court or other body of competent jurisdiction before whom the issue of entitlement to indemnification hereunder was brought that such


Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder or, (ii) in the absence of such a decision, by (A) a majority vote of a quorum of those Directors who are both Independent Directors and not parties to the proceeding (“Independent Non-Party Directors”), that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder, or (B) if such quorum is not obtainable or even if obtainable, if such majority so directs, a Special Counsel in a written opinion concludes that the Indemnitee should be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

(c) Subject to any limitations provided by the 1940 Act and the Charter, the Fund shall have the power and authority to indemnify and provide for the advance payment of expenses to employees, agents and other Persons providing services to the Fund or serving in any capacity at the request of the Fund to the full extent permitted for corporations organized under the corporations laws of the state in which the Fund was formed, provided that such indemnification has been approved by a majority of the Directors.

(d) Any repeal or modification of the Charter or Section 2 of this Article IV shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Director, advisory board member or officer of the Fund existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

Section 3. Good Faith Defined; Reliance on Experts. For purposes of any determination under this Article IV, a person shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Fund, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful, if such person’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Fund, or on information supplied to such person by the officers of the Fund in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Fund or on information or records given or reports made to the Fund by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert or agent selected with reasonable care by the Fund. The provisions of this Article IV Section 3 shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the circumstances in which a person may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Article IV. Each Director and officer or employee of the Fund shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully and completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Fund, upon an opinion of counsel selected by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Directors, or upon reports made to the Fund by any of the Fund’s officers or employees or by any advisor, administrator, manager, distributor, dealer, accountant, appraiser or other expert or consultant selected with reasonable care by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Directors, officers or employees of the Fund, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a Director.

Section 4. Survival of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article IV shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

Section 5. Insurance. The Directors may maintain insurance for the protection of the Fund’s property, the shareholders, Directors, officers, employees and agents in such amount as the Directors shall deem adequate to cover possible tort liability, and such other insurance as the Directors in their sole judgment shall deem advisable or is required by the 1940 Act.

Section 6. Subrogation. In the event of payment by the Fund to an Indemnitee under the Charter or these Bylaws, the Fund shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee, who shall execute such documents and do such acts as the Fund may reasonably request to secure such rights and to enable the Fund effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

Registrant has also entered into an agreement with directors and officers of the Registrant entitled to indemnification under the charter of the Registrant pursuant to which the Registrant has agreed to advance expenses and costs incurred by the indemnitee in connection with any matter in respect of which indemnification might be sought pursuant to the charter of the Registrant to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Reference is also made to Sections 10 and 11 of the Registrant’s Investment Management Agreement.

 

C-2


Additionally, the Registrant and the other funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Fund Complex jointly maintain, at their own expense, E&O/D&O insurance policies for the benefit of its Directors, officers and certain affiliated persons. The Registrant pays a pro rata portion of the premium on such insurance policies.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant, pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

ITEM 16.    Exhibits

The agreements included or incorporated by reference as exhibits to this registration statement contain representations and warranties by each of the parties to the applicable agreement. These representations and warranties were made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreement and (i) were not intended to be treated as categorical statements of fact, but rather as a way of allocating the risk to one of the parties if those statements prove to be inaccurate; (ii) may have been qualified in such agreement by disclosures that were made to the other party in connection with the negotiation of the applicable agreement; (iii) may apply contract standards of “materiality” that are different from “materiality” under the applicable securities laws; and (iv) were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement or such other date or dates as may be specified in the agreement. The Registrant acknowledges that, notwithstanding the inclusion of the foregoing cautionary statements, it is responsible for considering whether additional specific disclosures of material information regarding material contractual provisions are required to make the statements in this registration statement not misleading.

 

Exhibit No.

  Description of Exhibit
(1)(a)   Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 811-08621) filed on January 30, 1998.
     (b)   Articles of Amendment dated September  14, 2006 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(b) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
     (c)   Articles Supplementary dated September  17, 2010 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(c) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
     (d)   Articles of Amendment dated October  13, 2010 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(d) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
     (e)   Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated June 28, 2011, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(e) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
     (f)   Articles of Amendment to the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated April 17, 2014 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 77Q1(a) to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form N-SAR filed on September 26, 2014.

 

C-3


     (g)   Articles of Amendment to the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated April 10, 2015 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 77Q1(a) to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form N-SAR filed on September 28, 2015.
     (i)   Articles of Amendment to the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated February 28, 2020 to be filed by amendment.
     (j)   Articles of Amendment to the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated December 31, 2021 to be filed by amendment.
     (k)   Articles of Amendment to the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares dated March 2, 2021 to be filed by amendment.
(2)(a)   Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant’s Form 8-K, filed on September 21, 2010.
(3)   Voting Trust Agreement of VRDP Holder is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
(4)   Form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization is incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Statement of Additional Information
(5)   Selected Provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant Defining the Rights of Shareholders are incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1(a) and Exhibit 2(a) above
(6)(a)   Investment Management Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC dated September 29, 2006 incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 6 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on December 11, 2014.
     (b)   Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
     (c)   Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
     (d)   Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
     (e)   Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
     (f)   Amendment No. 4 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
     (g)   Amendment No. 5 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement is filed herewith.
(7)   Not applicable
(8)   BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan is filed herewith.

 

C-4


  (9)   Form of Master Custodian Agreement is filed herewith.
(10)   Not applicable
(11)   Opinion and Consent of Special Counsel for the Registrant to be filed by amendment.
(12)(a)   Form of tax opinion of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP regarding the reorganization of BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. and the Registrant to be filed by amendment.
(13)(a)   Form of Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is filed herewith.
       (b)   Form of Administration and Accounting Services Agreement is filed herewith.
       (c)   Form of Seventh Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agreement is filed herewith.
(14)   Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Registrant and BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. to be filed by amendment.
(15)   Not applicable
(16)   Power of Attorney of the Board of Directors is filed herewith.
(17)   Form of Proxy Cards for Common Shares of the Funds to be filed by amendment.

 

ITEM 17.    Undertakings

(1) The undersigned Registrant agrees that prior to any public reoffering of the securities registered through the use of a prospectus which is a part of this Registration Statement by any person or party who is deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Rule 145(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended [17 CFR 230.145c], the reoffering prospectus will contain the information called for by the applicable registration form for the reofferings by persons who may be deemed underwriters, in addition to the information called for by the other items of the applicable form.

(2) The undersigned registrant agrees that every prospectus that is filed under paragraph (1) above will be filed as a part of an amendment to the Registration Statement and will not be used until the amendment is effective, and that, in determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement for the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering of them.

(3) The undersigned Registrant agrees to file, by post-effective amendment, opinions of counsel supporting the tax consequences of the Reorganization within a reasonably prompt time after receipt of such opinions.

 

 

C-5


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of New York on the 8th day of October, 2021.

 

BLACKROCK MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY QUALITY FUND, INC.
BY:  

      /s/ JOHN M. PERLOWSKI

Name:               John M. Perlowski
Title:               President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated and on the 8th day of October, 2021.

 

Signature

  

Title

/s/ JOHN M. PERLOWSKI

  

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

John M. Perlowski

/s/ TRENT WALKER

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Trent Walker

MICHAEL J. CASTELLANO*

  

Director

Michael J. Castellano   

RICHARD E. CAVANAGH*

  

Director

Richard E. Cavanagh   

CYNTHIA L. EGAN*

  

Director

Cynthia L. Egan   

FRANK J. FABOZZI*

  

Director

Frank J. Fabozzi   

LORENZO A. FLORES*

  

Director

Lorenzo A. Flores   

STAYCE D. HARRIS*

  

Director

Stayce D. Harris   

J. PHILLIP HOLLOMAN*

  

Director

J. Phillip Holloman   

R. GLENN HUBBARD*

  

Director

R. Glenn Hubbard   

W. CARL KESTER*

  

Director

W. Carl Kester   

CATHERINE A. LYNCH*

  

Director

Catherine A. Lynch   

KAREN P. ROBARDS*

  

Director

Karen P. Robards   

 

C-6


ROBERT FAIRBAIRN*

  

Director

Robert Fairbairn   
        *By:  

/s/ JANEY AHN

  
  (Janey Ahn, Attorney-In-Fact)   

 

 

C-7


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description of Exhibit

  (6)(b)   Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
       (c)   Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
       (d)   Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
       (e)   Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
       (f)   Amendment No. 4 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
       (g)   Amendment No. 5 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement
  (8)   BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan
  (9)   Form of Master Custodian Agreement
(13)(a)   Form of Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
       (b)   Form of Administration and Accounting Services Agreement
       (c)   Form of Seventh Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agreement
(16)   Power of Attorney of the Board of Directors

Exhibit (6)(b)

Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER ADVISORY FEE WAIVER AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of December 1, 2019, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act’’), as a closed-end management company, and is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, the Adviser and each Fund are parties to investment advisory agreements (the “Advisory Agreements’’), pursuant to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services to each Fund in consideration of compensation as set forth in each Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Fee”);

WHEREAS, the Adviser has determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of each Fund and its interestholders to waive part of each Fund’s Advisory Fee as set forth in Schedule B attached hereto (the “Fee Waiver’’). Each Fund and the Adviser, therefore, have entered into this Agreement in order to effect the Fee Waiver for each Fund at the level specified in Schedule B attached hereto on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, effective December I, 2019, this Agreement replaces the Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement, dated as of December 2, 2016.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Contractual Fee Waiver. During the Term (as defined in Section 3 below), the Adviser shall waive a portion of its Advisory Fee with respect to each Fund as set forth in Schedule B attached hereto.

2. Voluntary Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement. Nothing herein shall preclude an Adviser from contractually waiving other fees and/or reimbursing expenses of any Fund, voluntarily waiving Advisory Fees it is entitled to from any Fund or voluntarily reimbursing expenses of any Fund as the Adviser, in its discretion, deems reasonable or appropriate. Any such voluntary waiver or voluntary expense reimbursement may be modified or terminated by the Adviser at any time in its sole and absolute discretion without the approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as the case may be.

3. Term; Termination.

3.1 Term. This Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to each Fund until the close of business on the date set forth on Schedule A (or such other date as agreed to in writing between the Adviser and the Fund) unless the Fee Waiver is earlier terminated in accordance with

 

1


Section 3.2. The Term of the Fee Waiver with respect to a Fund may be continued from year to year thereafter provided that each such continuance is specifically approved by the Adviser and the Fund (including with respect to the Fund, a majority of the Fund’s Trustees or Directors, as the case may be, who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Fund (the “Non-Interested Directors”)). Neither the Adviser nor a Fund shall be obligated to extend the Fee Waiver with respect to the Fund.

3.2 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated prior to expiration by any Fund with respect to such Fund without payment of any penalty, upon 90 days’ prior written notice to the Adviser at its principal place of business (or at an earlier date as may be agreed to by both parties); provided that, such action shall be authorized by resolution of a majority of the Non-Interested Directors of such Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Fund.

4. Miscellaneous.

4.1 Captions. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no other way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.

4.2 Interpretation. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require a Fund to take any action contrary to the Fund’s Declaration of Trust or Articles of Incorporation, as the case may be, or Bylaws, or any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Fund’s Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as the case may be, of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Fund.

4.3 Limitation of Liability. The obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a Fund shall be enforced against the assets of such Fund and not against the assets of any other Fund.

4.4 Definitions. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the computations of average daily net assets or of any Advisory Fee, and the allocation of expenses, having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from the terms and provisions of the relevant Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Fund or the 1940 Act, shall have the same meaning as and be resolved by reference to such Advisory Agreement or the 1940 Act, as applicable, and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States Courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such Court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, if the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is revised by rule, regulation or order of the SEC, that provision will be deemed to incorporate the effect of that rule, regulation or order. Otherwise the provisions of this Agreement will be interpreted in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York.

4.5 Business Trusts. With respect to a Fund which is a business trust, this Agreement is executed by or on behalf of the trustees of the Fund solely in their capacity as such trustees, and shall not constitute their personal obligation either jointly or severally in their individual

 

2


capacities. In accordance with the Fund’s charter, no trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of the Fund shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise under this Agreement and the Fund shall be solely liable therefor; all parties hereto shall look solely to the Fund property for the payment of any claim, or the performance of any obligation, hereunder.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

3


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON SCHEDULE
A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

/s/ John M. Perlowski

  Name:   John M. Perlowski
  Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

  Name:   Neal J. Andrews
  Title:   Managing Director

 

4


SCHEDULE A

Amended and Restated

Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of December 1, 2019)

 

    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

1.

   BBN    BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

2.

   BFZ    BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2021

3.

   BHK.    BlackRock Core Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

4.

   HYT    BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

5.

   BTZ    BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust    June 30, 2021

6.

   DSU    BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

7.

   BGR    BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust    June 30, 2021

8.

   CII    BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

9.

   BDJ    BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust    June 30, 2021

10.

   EGF    BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

11.

   FRA    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

12.

   BGT    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust    June 30, 2021

13.

   BFO    BlackRock Florida Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2021

14.

   BOE    BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust    June 30, 2021

15.

   BME    BlackRock Health Sciences Trust    June 30, 2021

16.

   BKT    BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2021

17.

   BGY    BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust    June 30, 2021

18.

   BKN    BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2021

19.

   BLW    BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust    June 30, 2021

20.

   BTA    BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust    June 30, 2021

21.

   BZM    BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

22.

   MHE    BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust    June 30, 2021

 

5


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

23.

   BIT    BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust    June 30, 2021

24.

   MUI    BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

25.

   MNE    BlackRock Muni New York Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

26.

   MUA    BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

27.

   BKK    BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2021

28.

   BBK    BlackRock Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

29.

   BAF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust    June 30, 2021

30.

   BBF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust    June 30, 2021

31.

   BYM    BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2021

32.

   BFK    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2021

33.

   BLE    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2021

34.

   BTT    BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust    June 30, 2021

35.

   MEN    BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

36.

   MUC    BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

37.

   MUH    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2021

38.

   MHD    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

39.

   MFL    BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2021

40.

   MUJ    BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

41.

   MHN    BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

42.

   MUE    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2021

43.

   MUS    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

44.

   MVT    BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2021

45.

   MVF    BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

46.

   MZA    BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

47.

   MYC    BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

48.

   MCA    BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

49.

   MYD    BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

50.

   MYF    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund    June 30, 2021

51.

   MFT    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2021

52.

   MIY    BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

53.

   MYJ    BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

54.

   MYN    BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

 

6


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

55.

   MPA    BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund    June 30, 2021

56.

   MQT    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2021

57.

   MYI    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    June 30, 2021

58.

   MQY    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2021

59.

   BQH    BlackRock New York Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

60.

   BSE    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2021

61.

   BNY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2021

62.

   BFY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2021

63.

   BCX    BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust    June 30, 2021

64.

   BST    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust    June 30, 2021

65.

   BUI    BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2021

66.

   BHV    BlackRock VIrginia Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2021

67.

   BSD    The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust    June 30, 2021

68.

   BGIO    BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunity Trust    June 30, 2021

69.

      BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2021

70.

      BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II    June 30, 2021

71.

      BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund    June 30, 2021

72.

   BSTZ    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II    June 30, 2021

 

7


Schedule B

Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of December 1, 2019)

BlackRock Advisors, LLC will waive its investment advisory fees with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC or its affiliates.

In addition, BlackRock Advisors, LLC will waive its investment advisory fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock Advisors, LLC or its affiliates indirectly through its investment in money market funds advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC or its affiliates.

 

8

Exhibit (6)(c)

Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDMENT NO. 1 (this “Amendment’’) to the Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement dated December 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”) is made as of this 24th day of January, 2020, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management company;

WHEREAS, each Fund that is currently party to the Agreement is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II (the “New Fund”) is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Funds desire to amend and restate Schedule A to the Agreement to reflect the addition of the New Fund as a party to the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.

2.

(a) Except as expressly amended and provided herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Amendment with respect to the New Fund and the terms of the Agreement, this Amendment shall control.

(b) This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be signed by their respective officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON
SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

  Name:   Neal J. Andrews
  Title:   Chief Financial Officer
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

  Name:   Neal J. Andrews
  Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement]


AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A

Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of January 24, 2020)

 

    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

1.

   BBN   

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

2.

   BFZ   

BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

3.

  

BHK

  

BlackRock Core Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

4.

   HYT   

BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

5.

   BTZ   

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

6.

   DSU   

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

7.

   BGR   

BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust

   June 30, 2021

8.

   CII   

BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

9.

   BDJ   

BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust

   June 30, 2021

10.

   EGF   

BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

11.

   FRA   

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

12.

   BGT   

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

13.

   BFO   

BlackRock Florida Municipal 2020 Term Trust

   June 30, 2021

14.

   BOE   

BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust

   June 30, 2021

15.

   BME   

BlackRock Health Sciences Trust

   June 30, 2021

16.

   BKT   

BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

17.

   BGY   

BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust

   June 30, 2021

18.

   BKN   

BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

19.

   BLW   

BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

20.

   BTA   

BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust

   June 30, 2021

 

A-1


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

21.

   BZM   

BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

22.

   MHE   

BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust

   June 30, 2021

23.

   BIT   

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

24.

   MUI   

BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

25.

   MNE   

BlackRock Muni New York Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

26.

   MUA   

BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

27.

   BKK   

BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust

   June 30, 2021

28.

   BBK   

BlackRock Municipal Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

29.

   BAF   

BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust

   June 30, 2021

30.

   BBF   

BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust

   June 30, 2021

31.

   BYM   

BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust

   June 30, 2021

32.

   BFK   

BlackRock Municipal Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

33.

   BLE   

BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II

   June 30, 2021

34.

   BTT   

BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust

   June 30, 2021

35.

   MEN   

BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

36.

   MUC   

BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

37.

   MUH   

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

38.

   MHD   

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

39.

   MFL   

BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund

   June 30, 2021

40.

   MUJ   

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

41.

   MHN   

BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

42.

   MUE   

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

 

A-2


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

43.

   MUS   

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

44.

   MVT   

BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

45.

   MVF   

BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

46.

   MZA   

BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

47.

   MYC   

BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

48.

   MCA   

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

49.

   MYD   

BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

50.

   MYF   

BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund

   June 30, 2021

51.

   MFT   

BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund

   June 30, 2021

52.

   MIY   

BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

53.

   MYJ   

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

54.

   MYN   

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

55.

   MPA   

BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund

   June 30, 2021

56.

   MQT   

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

57.

   MYI   

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

58.

   MQY   

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.

   June 30, 2021

59.

   BQH   

BlackRock New York Municipal Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

60.

   BSE   

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust

   June 30, 2021

61.

   BNY   

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust

   June 30, 2021

62.

   BFY   

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II

   June 30, 2021

63.

   BCX   

BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust

   June 30, 2021

64.

   BST   

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust

   June 30, 2021

 

A-3


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE

65.

   BUI   

BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust

   June 30, 2021

66.

   BHV   

BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust

   June 30, 2021

67.

   BSD   

The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust

   June 30, 2021

68.

   BGIO   

BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunity Trust

   June 30, 2021

69.

     

BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust

   June 30, 2021

70.

     

BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II

   June 30, 2021

71.

     

BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund

   June 30, 2021

72.

   BSTZ   

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II

   June 30, 2021

73.

   BMEZ   

BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II

   June 30, 2021

 

A-4

Exhibit (6)(d)

Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDMENT NO. 2 (this “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement dated December 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”) is made as of this 18th day of September, 2020, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management company;

WHEREAS, each Fund that is currently party to the Agreement is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland or a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (the “New Fund”) is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Funds desire to amend and restate Schedule A to the Agreement to reflect the addition of the New Fund as a party to the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

  1.

Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.

 

  2.

 

  (a)

Except as expressly amended and provided herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Amendment with respect to the New Fund and the terms of the Agreement, this Amendment shall control.

 

  (b)

This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be signed by their respective officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON
SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

  Name:   Neal J. Andrews
  Title:   Chief Financial Officer
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

  Name:   Neal J. Andrews
  Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement]


AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A

Closed-End Fund Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of September 18, 2020)

 

    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
1.    BBN    BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
2.    BFZ    BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
3.    BHK    BlackRock Core Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
4.    HYT    BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
5.    BTZ    BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust    June 30, 2022
6.    DSU    BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
7.    BGR    BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust    June 30, 2022
8.    CII    BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
9.    BDJ    BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
10.    EGF    BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
11.    FRA    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
12.    BGT    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust    June 30, 2022
13.    BFO    BlackRock Florida Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2022
14.    BOE    BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
15.    BME    BlackRock Health Sciences Trust    June 30, 2022
16.    BKT    BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2022
17.    BGY    BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
18.    BKN    BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2022
19.    BLW    BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust    June 30, 2022

 

A-1


    

TICKER

  

FUND

  

EXPIRATION
DATE

20.    BTA    BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust    June 30, 2022
21.    BZM    BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
22.    MHE    BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust    June 30, 2022
23.    BIT    BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust    June 30, 2022
24.    MUI    BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
25.    MUA    BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
26.    BKK    BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2022
27.    BBK    BlackRock Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
28.    BAF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
29.    BBF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust    June 30, 2022
30.    BYM    BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
31.    BFK    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
32.    BLE    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022
33.    BTT    BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust    June 30, 2022
34.    MEN    BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
35.    MUC    BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
36.    MUH    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
37.    MHD    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
38.    MFL    BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
39.    MUJ    BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
40.    MHN    BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
41.    MUE    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022

 

A-2


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
42.    MUS    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
43.    MVT    BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
44.    MVF    BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
45.    MZA    BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
46.    MYC    BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
47.    MCA    BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
48.    MYD    BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
49.    MYF    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund    June 30, 2022
50.    MFT    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
51.    MIY    BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
52.    MYJ    BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
53.    MYN    BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
54.    MPA    BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
55.    MQT    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
56.    MYI    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    June 30, 2022
57.    MQY    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
58.    BLJ    BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
59.    BNJ    BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
60.    BQH    BlackRock New York Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
61.    BSE    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
62.    BNY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
63.    BFY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022

 

A-3


    

TICKER

  

FUND

  

EXPIRATION
DATE

64.    BCX    BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust    June 30, 2022
65.    BST    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust    June 30, 2022
66.    BUI    BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
67.    BHV    BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
68.    BSD    The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust    June 30, 2022
69.    BGIO    BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
70.       BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
71.       BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II    June 30, 2022
72.       BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund    June 30, 2022
73.    BSTZ    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II    June 30, 2022
74.    BMEZ    BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II    June 30, 2022
75.    BCAT    BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust    June 30, 2022

 

A-4

Exhibit (6)(e)

Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDMENT NO. 3 (this “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement dated December 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”) is made as of this [●] day of [●], 2021, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management company;

WHEREAS, each Fund that is currently party to the Agreement is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland or a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, BlackRock Private Investments Fund (the “New Fund”) is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Funds desire to amend and restate Schedule A to the Agreement to reflect the addition of the New Fund as a party to the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.    Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.

2.

 

  (a)

Except as expressly amended and provided herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Amendment with respect to the New Fund and the terms of the Agreement, this Amendment shall control.

 

  (b)

This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be signed by their respective officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

                                          

  Name:
  Title:
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement]


AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A

Closed-End Fund Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of [            ], 2021)

 

    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
1.    BBN    BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
2.    BFZ    BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
3.    BHK    BlackRock Core Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
4.    HYT    BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
5.    BTZ    BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust    June 30, 2022
6.    DSU    BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
7.    BGR    BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust    June 30, 2022
8.    CII    BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
9.    BDJ    BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
10.    EGF    BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
11.    FRA    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
12.    BGT    BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust    June 30, 2022
13.    BFO    BlackRock Florida Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2022
14.    BOE    BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
15.    BME    BlackRock Health Sciences Trust    June 30, 2022
16.    BKT    BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2022
17.    BGY    BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust    June 30, 2022
18.    BKN    BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2022
19.    BLW    BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust    June 30, 2022

 

A-1


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
20.    BTA    BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust    June 30, 2022
21.    BZM    BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
22.    MHE    BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust    June 30, 2022
23.    BIT    BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust    June 30, 2022
24.    MUI    BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
25.    MNE    BlackRock Muni New York Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
26.    MUA    BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
27.    BKK    BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust    June 30, 2022
28.    BBK    BlackRock Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
29.    BAF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
30.    BBF    BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust    June 30, 2022
31.    BYM    BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
32.    BFK    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
33.    BLE    BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022
34.    BTT    BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust    June 30, 2022
35.    MEN    BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
36.    MUC    BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
37.    MUH    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
38.    MHD    BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
39.    MFL    BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
40.    MUJ    BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
41.    MHN    BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022

 

A-2


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
42.    MUE    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
43.    MUS    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
44.    MVT    BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
45.    MVF    BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
46.    MZA    BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
47.    MYC    BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
48.    MCA    BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
49.    MYD    BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
50.    MYF    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund    June 30, 2022
51.    MFT    BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
52.    MIY    BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
53.    MYJ    BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
54.    MYN    BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
55.    MPA    BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
56.    MQT    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
57.    MYI    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    June 30, 2022
58.    MQY    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
59.    BLJ    BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
60.    BNJ    BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
61.    BQH    BlackRock New York Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
62.    BSE    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
63.    BNY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022

 

A-3


    

TICKER

  

FUND

   EXPIRATION
DATE
64.    BFY    BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022
65.    BCX    BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust    June 30, 2022
66.    BST    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust    June 30, 2022
67.    BUI    BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
68.    BHV    BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
69.    BSD    The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust    June 30, 2022
70.    BGIO    BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
71.       BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
72.       BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II    June 30, 2022
73.       BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund    June 30, 2022
74.    BSTZ    BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II    June 30, 2022
75.    BMEZ    BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II    June 30, 2022
76.    BCAT    BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust    June 30, 2022
77.    BPIF    BlackRock Private Investments Fund    June 30, 2023

 

A-4

Exhibit (6)(f)

Amendment No. 4 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDMENT NO. 4 (this “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement dated December 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”) is made as of this 24th day of March, 2021, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management company;

WHEREAS, each Fund that is currently party to the Agreement is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland or a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, BlackRock Innovation and Growth Trust is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement;

WHEREAS, BlackRock Hedge Fund Guided Portfolio Solution is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Funds desire to amend and restate Schedule A to the Agreement to reflect the addition of BlackRock Innovation and Growth Trust and BlackRock Hedge Fund Guided Portfolio Solution (together, the “New Funds”) as parties to the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.    Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.

2.    

 

  (a)

Except as expressly amended and provided herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Amendment with respect to the New Funds and the terms of the Agreement, this Amendment shall control.

 

  (b)

This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be signed by their respective officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

/s/ Trent Walker

Name:   Trent Walker
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Trent Walker

Name:   Trent Walker
Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 4 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement]


AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A

Closed-End Fund Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of March 24, 2021)

 

1.   BBN        BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust      June 30, 2022  
2.   BFZ        BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust      June 30, 2022  
3.   BHK        BlackRock Core Bond Trust      June 30, 2022  
4.   HYT        BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
5.   BTZ        BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust      June 30, 2022  
6.   DSU        BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
7.   BGR        BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust      June 30, 2022  
8.   CII        BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
9.   BDJ        BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust      June 30, 2022  
10.   EGF        BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
11.   FRA        BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
12.   BGT        BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust      June 30, 2022  
13.   BOE        BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust      June 30, 2022  
14.   BME        BlackRock Health Sciences Trust      June 30, 2022  
15.   BKT        BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
16.   BGY        BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust      June 30, 2022  
17.   BKN        BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.      June 30, 2022  
18.   BLW        BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust      June 30, 2022  
19.   BTA        BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust      June 30, 2022  
20.   BZM        BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust      June 30, 2022  

 

A-1


21.   MHE        BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust    June 30, 2022
22.   BIT        BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust    June 30, 2022
23.   MUI        BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
24.   MUA        BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
25.   BBF        BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust    June 30, 2022
26.   BYM        BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
27.   BFK        BlackRock Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
28.   BLE        BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022
29.   BTT        BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust    June 30, 2022
30.   MEN        BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
31.   MUC        BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
32.   MHD        BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
33.   MFL        BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
34.   MUJ        BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
35.   MHN        BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
36.   MUE        BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
37.   MVT        BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
38.   MVF        BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
39.   MZA        BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
40.   MYC        BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
41.   MCA        BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
42.   MYD        BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
43.   MYF        BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund    June 30, 2022

 

A-2


44.   MFT        BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
45.   MIY        BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
46.   MYJ        BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
47.   MYN        BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
48.   MPA        BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund    June 30, 2022
49.   MQT        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2022
50.   MYI        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    June 30, 2022
51.   MQY        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2022
52.   BLJ        BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
53.   BNJ        BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
54.   BSE        BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2022
55.   BNY        BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2022
56.   BFY        BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2022
57.   BCX        BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust    June 30, 2022
58.   BST        BlackRock Science and Technology Trust    June 30, 2022
59.   BUI        BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
60.   BHV        BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2022
61.   BSD        The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust    June 30, 2022
62.   BGIO        BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
63.          BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2022
64.          BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II    June 30, 2022
65.          BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund    June 30, 2022
66.   BSTZ        BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II    June 30, 2022

 

A-3


67.   BMEZ        BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II    June 30, 2022
68.   BCAT        BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust    June 30, 2022
69.   BPIF        BlackRock Private Investments Fund    June 30, 2023
70.   BIGZ        BlackRock Innovation and Growth Trust    June 30, 2023
71.          BlackRock Hedge Fund Guided Portfolio Solution    June 30, 2023

 

A-4

Exhibit (6)(g)

Amendment No. 5 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

This AMENDMENT NO. 5 (this “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement dated December 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”) is made as of this [●] day of [●], 2021, by and among BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) and each investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management company;

WHEREAS, each Fund that is currently party to the Agreement is organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware, a business trust under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland or a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland;

WHEREAS, BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Trust (the “New Fund”) is a newly organized statutory trust under the laws of the State of Maryland and desires to be added as a party to the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Funds desire to amend and restate Schedule A to the Agreement to reflect the addition of the New Fund as a party to the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.     Schedule A to the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Schedule A attached hereto.

2.

 

  (a)

Except as expressly amended and provided herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Amendment with respect to the New Fund and the terms of the Agreement, this Amendment shall control.

 

  (b)

This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be signed by their respective officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

EACH OF THE FUNDS LISTED ON SCHEDULE A ATTACHED HERETO
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 5 to Amended and Restated Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement]


AMENDED AND RESTATED SCHEDULE A

Closed-End Fund Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement

(Dated as of [            ], 2021)

 

1.    BGIO        BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunity Trust    June 30, 2023
2.    BFZ        BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2023
3.    BCAT        BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust    June 30, 2023
4.    BHK        BlackRock Core Bond Trust    June 30, 2023
5.    HYT        BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
6.    BTZ        BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust    June 30, 2023
7.    CREDX        BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund    June 30, 2023
8.    DSU        BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
9.    BGR        BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust    June 30, 2023
10.    CII        BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
11.    BDJ        BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust    June 30, 2023
12.    BOE        BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust    June 30, 2023
13.    EGF        BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
14.    BGY        BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust    June 30, 2023
15.    ECAT        BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Trust    June 30, 2023
16.    FRA        BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
17.    BGT        BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust    June 30, 2023
18.    BME        BlackRock Health Sciences Trust    June 30, 2023
19.    BMEZ        BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II    June 30, 2023
20.    GPS        BlackRock Hedge Fund Guided Portfolio Solution    June 30, 2023

 

A-1


21.    BKT        BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2023
22.    BIGZ        BlackRock Innovation and Growth Trust    June 30, 2023
23.    BKN        BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.    June 30, 2023
24.    BLW        BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust    June 30, 2023
25.    BTA        BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust    June 30, 2023
26.    BIT        BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust    June 30, 2023
27.    MSO        BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2023
28.    MSO II        BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II    June 30, 2023
29.    MUI        BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
30.    MUA        BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
31.    BTT        BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust    June 30, 2023
32.    BYM        BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust    June 30, 2023
33.    BFK        BlackRock Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2023
34.    BLE        BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II    June 30, 2023
35.    MUC        BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
36.    MHD        BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
37.    MFL        BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund    June 30, 2023
38.    MUJ        BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
39.    MHN        BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
40.    MUE        BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2023
41.    MVT        BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2023
42.    MVF        BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
43.    MYC        BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023

 

A-2


44.    MCA        BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
45.    MYD        BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
46.    MIY        BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
47.    MYJ        BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
48.    MYN        BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
49.    MPA        BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund    June 30, 2023
50.    MQT        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.    June 30, 2023
51.    MYI        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    June 30, 2023
52.    MQY        BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.    June 30, 2023
53.    BNY        BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust    June 30, 2023
54.    BPIF        BlackRock Private Investments Fund    June 30, 2023
55.    BCX        BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust    June 30, 2023
56.    BST        BlackRock Science and Technology Trust    June 30, 2023
57.    BSTZ        BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II    June 30, 2023
58.    BBN        BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2023
59.    BUI        BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust    June 30, 2023
60.    BHV        BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust    June 30, 2023

 

A-3

Exhibit (8)

THE BLACKROCK FUND COMPLEX

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

(Effective as of January 1, 2019)

The purpose of the BlackRock Fund Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide eligible trustees of Participating Funds the opportunity to defer the receipt of all or a portion of the amounts payable to them as compensation for services rendered as members of the Board of the respective funds. The terms and conditions applicable to Deferred Compensation that is not Grandfathered Deferred Compensation shall be governed by the terms of Appendix A attached hereto.

1.    DEFINITIONS

1.1    Definitions. Unless a different meaning is plainly implied by the context, the following terms as used in the Plan shall have the following meanings:

The term “Administrator” shall mean BlackRock Advisors, LLC, in its capacity as the administrator of the Plan on behalf of the Participating Funds; provided, that, BlackRock Advisors, LLC may hire consultants or other third parties to provide administrative services in connection with the Plan.

The term “Advisor” shall mean BlackRock Advisors, LLC and its affiliates.

The term “Board” shall mean the Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of each respective Participating Fund.

The term “Deferral Share Account” shall mean a book entry account maintained to reflect the number and value of shares of Eligible Investments that the Administrator determines could have been purchased with an Eligible Trustee’s Deferred Compensation as provided in this Plan and any earnings thereon.

The term “Eligible Investment” shall mean a fund managed by the Advisor and designated by the Participating Funds from time to time as an investment medium in which such Trustee’s Deferred Compensation shall be deemed to be invested.

The term “Eligible Trustee” shall mean a member of the Board who is not an “interested person” of a Participating Fund or the Adviser, as such term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

The term “Exchange” shall mean the principal stock exchange on which common shares of an Eligible Investment that is a closed-end fund trade.

The term “Fair Market Value” shall mean, with respect to a date, on a per share basis, (a) for an Eligible Investment that is a listed closed-end fund, the closing price of such Eligible Investment, as reported on the consolidated tape of the Exchange on such date or, if the Exchange is closed on such date, the next succeeding date on which it is open and (b) for an Eligible Investment that is an open-end fund, the net asset value as determined at the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) or, if the NYSE is closed, the next succeeding date on which it is open.

The term “Grandfather Deferred Compensation” shall mean all Deferred Compensation amounts which were earned and vested under the Plan as of December 31, 2004. For the avoidance of doubt, neither this amendment and restatement nor any prior amendments or restatements to the Plan are intended to constitute a “material modification” with respect to any amount of Grandfathered Deferred Compensation for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

The term “Participating Funds” shall mean those registered management investment companies for which the Advisor serves or will serve in the future as investment manager, whether existing at the time of adoption of the Plan


or established at a later date, designated by each respective Board as a fund from which compensation may be deferred by an Eligible Trustee. Participating Funds shall be listed on Schedule A to the Plan from time to time, provided that failure to list a Participating Fund on Schedule A shall not affect its status as a Participating Fund.

The term “Valuation Date” shall mean the last business day of each calendar quarter and any other day upon which the Participating Fund makes valuations of the Deferral Share Accounts.

1.2     Trustees and Directors. Where appearing in the Plan, “Trustee” shall also refer to “Director” and “Board of Trustees” shall also refer to “Board of Directors.”

1.3     Separate Plan for each Participating Fund. The Plan is drafted, and shall be construed, as a separate Plan between each Eligible Trustee and each Participating Fund.

2.    DEFERRALS

2.1    Deferral Elections.

(a) An Eligible Trustee that elects to participate in the Plan (a “ Participant”) may defer receipt of up to 50% of all annual compensation (including fees for attending meetings) earned by such Eligible Trustee for serving as a member of the Board or as a member of any committee (or subcommittee of such committee) of the Board of which such Eligible Trustee from time to time may be a member (the “Deferred Compensation”). Expenses of attending meetings of the Board, committees of the Board or subcommittees of such committees or other reimbursable expenses may not be deferred.

(b) Deferred Compensation shall be withheld from each payment of compensation by the Participating Fund to the Participant based upon the percentage amount elected by the Participant under Section 2.3 hereof and pursuant to the Participant’s Election Form.

2.2    Manner of Election.

(a) An Eligible Trustee shall elect to participate in the Plan and defer compensation by completing, signing and filing with the Participating Funds an election to defer in such written form as may be prescribed (the “Election”). The Election shall include:

(i) The percentage of compensation to be deferred;

(ii) The method of payment of Deferred Compensation (i.e., in a lump sum or the number of installments);

(iii) The time or times of payment of the Deferred Compensation; and

(iv) Any beneficiary(ies) designated by the Participant pursuant to Section 3.2 of the Plan.

(b) Each Participant’s receipt of compensation shall be deferred until the first to occur of any of the following events:

(i) The date which such Participant ceases to be a Trustee of the Participating Fund;

(ii) A date selected by such Participant as specified on the Participant’s Election;

(iii) A date on which some future event occurs which is not within the Participant’s control, as specified on the Participant’s Election;

(iv) Upon the death of the Participant;

(v) In the sole discretion of the Participating Fund, upon disability or financial hardship of the Participant;

(vi) The effective date of the sale or liquidation of the Participating Fund or to comply with applicable law; or

(vii) Upon termination of the Plan in accordance with Section 4.5 hereof.

 

- 2 -


2.3    Period of Deferrals.

(a) Any Election by an Eligible Trustee pursuant to the Plan shall be irrevocable from and after the date on which such Election is filed with the Participating Fund and shall be effective to defer compensation of an Eligible Trustee as follows:

(i) As to any Eligible Trustee in office on the original effective date of the Plan (prior to any amendments or restatements) who files an Election no later than thirty (30) days after such effective date, such Election shall be effective to defer any compensation which is earned by the Eligible Trustee after the date of the filing of the Election, or such effective date of the Plan, if later;

(ii) As to any individual who becomes an Eligible Trustee after the original effective date of the Plan and who files an Election within thirty (30) days of becoming an Eligible Trustee, such Election shall be effective to defer any compensation which is earned by the Eligible Trustee after the date of the filing of the Election, or the effective date of the Plan, if later;

(iii) As to any other Eligible Trustee, the Election shall be effective to defer any compensation that is earned from and after the first day of the calendar year next succeeding the calendar year in which the Election is filed; and

(iv) Any Elections in effect on the date this Plan is amended and restated shall remain in effect so that a Participant need not execute new a Election.

(b) A Participant may revoke such Participant’s Election at any time by filing a written notice of termination with the Participating Fund. Any compensation earned by the Participant after receipt of the notice by the Participating Fund shall be paid currently and no longer deferred as provided in the Plan.

(c) A Participant who has filed a notice to terminate deferral of compensation may thereafter again file a new Election pursuant to Section 2.2(a) hereof effective for any calendar year subsequent to the calendar year in which the new Election is filed.

2.4    Valuation of Deferral Share Account.

(a) Deferred Compensation will be deferred on the date it otherwise would have been paid to a Participant (the “Deferral Date”). Participating Funds from which Compensation will be deferred will establish a Deferral Share Account for each Participant that will be credited with all or a portion of the Participant’s Deferred Compensation from time to time in accordance with this Plan. The specific Participating Funds that maintain Deferral Share Accounts will be determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion. The amount initially credited to a Participant’s Deferral Share Account in connection with each Deferred Compensation amount shall be determined by reference to the number of whole shares of Eligible Investments that the Deferred Compensation could have purchased at the Fair Market Value per share of such Eligible Investments on a date on or about the Deferral Date (less any brokerage fees payable upon the acquisition of shares of such Eligible Investment in the open market). Deferred Compensation shall be credited to the Deferral Share Account as soon as reasonably practicable after the Deferral Date, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion. Deferred Compensation not credited to the Deferral Share Account on or about the Deferral Date (e.g., because the remaining amount is not sufficient to purchase an additional whole share of Eligible Investments or for any other reason) shall be credited to the Deferral Share Account as soon as reasonably practicable, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion (i.e., as soon as such amount, when taken together with other uncredited amounts, is sufficient to purchase a whole share of an Eligible Investment).

(b) On each Valuation Date, each Deferral Share Account will be credited or debited with the amount of gain or loss that would have been recognized had the Deferral Share Account been invested in the Eligible Investments. If applicable, each Deferral Share Account will be credited with the Fair Market Value of shares that would have been acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributed as if the amount of Deferred Compensation represented by such Deferral Share Account had been invested and reinvested in shares of the Eligible Investments. Each Participating Fund shall, from time to time, further adjust the Participant’s Deferral Share Account to reflect the value which would have been earned as if the amount of Deferred Compensation credited to such Deferral Share Account had been invested and reinvested in shares of the Eligible Investments, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion in accordance with this Plan.

 

- 3 -


(c) The Deferral Share Account shall be debited to reflect any distributions as of the date such distributions are made in accordance with Section 3 of the Plan.

2.5    Investment of Deferral Share Account.

(a) The Participating Funds shall from time to time designate one or more funds eligible for investment. A Participant’s deferred amounts shall be allocated among the Eligible Investments in accordance with the allocation percentages set forth on Schedule B to the Plan. If, as the result of the requirement that notional purchases of Eligible Investments be made in whole shares as set forth in Section 2.4 or for any other reason, not all of a Participant’s Deferred Compensation has been credited to the Deferral Share Account, the cash balance of such Deferred Compensation shall be held until the next Valuation Date on which the Administrator determines, in its sole discretion, that it is reasonably practicable to make a notional purchase (debiting the cash balance of the Participant’s Deferred Compensation) of one or more Eligible Investments.

(b) The Participating Funds may, from time to time, remove any fund from or add any fund to the list of Eligible Investments or amend the applicable allocation percentages set forth on Schedule B to the Plan. If the Participating Funds discontinue an Eligible Investment, the Administrator will redirect amounts deferred in the discontinued Eligible Investment to other Eligible Investments currently in effect.

3.    DISTRIBUTIONS FROM DEFERRAL SHARE ACCOUNT

3.1 Distribution Election.

The aggregate value of a Participant’s Deferral Share Account and any Deferred Compensation held in cash and not yet credited to a Participant’s Deferral Share Account will be paid in a lump sum or in ten (10) or fewer annual installments, as specified in the Participant’s Election (or Elections). Distributions will be made as of the first business day of January of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Participant ceases being a Trustee or on such other dates as the Participant may specify in such Election (or Elections), which shall not be earlier than six (6) months following the Election.

(a) If a Participant elects installment payments, the unpaid balance in the Participant’s Deferral Share Account shall continue to accrue earnings and dividend equivalents (as applicable), computed in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.4, and shall be prorated and paid over the installment period. The amount of the first payment shall be a fraction of the then Fair Market Value of such Participant’s Deferral Share Account, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator of which is the total number of installments; provided that cash not yet credited to a Participant’s Deferral Share Account, if any, will be added to such amount as a part of the first payment. The amount of each subsequent payment shall be a fraction of the then Fair Market Value of the Participant’s Deferral Share Account remaining after the prior payment, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the total number of installments elected minus the number of installments previously paid.

(b) All payments shall be in cash; provided, however, if a lump sum payment is elected, the Participant may elect to receive payment in full and fractional shares of the Eligible Investments at Fair Market Value at the time of payment of the amounts credited to the Participant’s Deferral Share Account; provided, further, that any Deferred Compensation held in cash will be distributed in cash. Any such election shall be filed in writing by the Participant with the Participating Fund at least ten (10) business days prior to the date which such payment is to be made.

(c) A Participant may at any time, and from time to time, change any distribution election applicable to such Participant’s Deferral Share Account, provided that no election to change the timing of any distribution shall be effective unless it is made in writing and received by the Participating Fund at least six (6) months prior to the earlier of (i) the time at which the Participant ceases to be a Trustee or (ii) the time such distribution shall commence.

3.2    Death Prior to Complete Distribution. In the event of a Participant’s death prior to distribution of all amounts in such Participant’s Deferral Share Account, notwithstanding any Election made by the Participant and notwithstanding any other provision set forth herein, the value of such Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred

 

- 4 -


Compensation held in cash shall be paid in a lump sum in accordance with the provisions of the Plan as soon as reasonably possible to the Participant’s designated beneficiary(ies) (the “Beneficiary”) or, if such Beneficiary(ies) does not survive the Participant or no beneficiary is designated, to such Participant’s estate. Any Beneficiary(ies) so designated by a Participant may be changed at any time by notice in writing from such Participant to the Participating Fund. All payments under this Section 3.2 shall otherwise be paid in accordance with Section 3.1 hereof.

3.3    Payment in Discretion of Participating Funds.

Amounts deferred hereunder, based on the then adjusted value of the Participant’s Deferral Share Account as of the Valuation Date next following plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash, may become payable to the Participant in the discretion of the Participating Fund:

(a) Disability. If the Participating Fund finds on the basis of medical evidence satisfactory to it that the Participant is prevented from engaging in any suitable gainful employment or occupation and that such disability will be permanent and continuous during the remainder of such Participant’s life, the Participating Fund shall distribute the amounts in the Participant’s Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash in a lump sum or in the number of installments previously selected by the Participant.

(b) Financial Hardship. If the Participant requests and if the Participant provides evidence of financial hardship, the Participating Fund may, in its sole and absolute discretion, permit a distribution of all or a portion of the Participant’s Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash prior to the date on which payments would have commenced under Section 3.1.

3.4    Acceleration of Payments.

(a) In the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of a Participating Fund or the distribution of all or substantially all of a Participating Fund’s assets and property to its shareholders (for this purpose a sale, conveyance or transfer of a Participating Fund’s assets to a trust, partnership, association or another corporation in exchange for cash, shares or other securities with the transfer being made subject to, or with the assumption by the transferee of, the liabilities of such Participating Fund shall not be deemed a termination of such Participating Fund or such a distribution), the entire unpaid balance of the Participant’s Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash of such Participating Fund shall be paid in a lump sum as of the effective date thereof.

(b) The Participating Funds are empowered to accelerate the payment of deferred amounts to all Participants and Beneficiaries in the event that there is a change in law which would have the effect of adversely affecting such persons’ rights and benefits under the Plan if acceleration did not occur.

4.    MISCELLANEOUS

4.1    Statements of Account.

The Participating Funds will furnish each Participant with a statement setting forth the value of such Participant’s Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash as of the end of each calendar year and all credits and debits of such Deferral Share Account or to any Deferred Compensation held in cash during such year. Such statements will be furnished no later than sixty (60) days after the end of each calendar year.

4.2    Rights in Deferral Share Account.

Credits to the Deferral Share Accounts or to any Deferred Compensation held in cash shall (i) remain part of the general assets of the Participating Funds, (ii) at all times be the sole and absolute property of the Participating Funds and (iii) in no event be deemed to constitute a fund, trust or collateral security for the payment of the Deferred Compensation to which Participants are entitled. The right of the Participant or any Beneficiary or estate to receive future payment of Deferred Compensation under the provisions of the Plan shall be an unsecured claim against the general assets of the Participating Funds, if any, available at the time of payment. A Participating Fund shall not reserve or set aside funds for the payment of its obligations hereunder by any form of trust, escrow, or similar arrangement. The arrangement described in this Plan shall be “unfunded” for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for purposes of the Employee Retirement Security Income Act of 1974, as amended.

 

- 5 -


4.3    Non-Assignability.

The rights and benefits of Participants under the Plan and any other person or persons to whom payments may be made pursuant to the Plan shall not be subject to alienation, assignment, pledge, transfer or other disposition, except as otherwise provided by law.

4.4    Interpretation and Administration.

The Participating Funds shall have the general authority to interpret, construe and implement provisions of the Plan and to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the Plan as shall be from time to time, deemed advisable. Any determination by the Participating Funds shall be final and conclusive.

4.5    Amendment and Termination.

The Participating Funds may in their sole discretion amend or terminate the Plan at any time. No amendment or termination shall adversely affect any then existing deferred amounts or rights under the Plan. Upon termination of the Plan, the remaining balance of the Participant’s Deferral Share Account plus any Deferred Compensation held in cash shall be paid to the Participant (or to a beneficiary, as the case may be), in a lump sum as soon as practicable but no more than thirty (30) days following termination of the Plan.

4.6    Incapacity.

If the Participating Funds shall receive satisfactory evidence that the Participant or any Beneficiary entitled to receive any benefit under the Plan is, at the time when such benefit becomes payable, a minor, or is physically or mentally incompetent to receive such benefit and to give a valid release therefor, and that another person or an institution is then maintaining or has custody of the Participant or Beneficiary and that no guardian, committee or other representative of the estate of the Participant or Beneficiary shall have been duly appointed, the Participating Funds may make payment of such benefit otherwise payable to the Participant or Beneficiary to such other person or institution and the release of such other person or institution shall be a valid and complete discharge for the payment of such benefit.

4.7    Payments Due Missing Persons.

The Participating Funds shall make a reasonable effort to locate all persons entitled to benefits under the Plan. However, notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, if, after a period of five (5) years from the date such benefit shall be due, any such persons entitled to benefits have not been located, their rights under the Plan shall stand suspended. Before this provision becomes operative, the Participating Funds shall send a certified letter to all such persons to their last known address advising them that their benefits under the Plan shall be suspended. Any such suspended amounts shall be held by the Participating Funds for a period of three (3) additional years (or a total of eight (8) years from the time the benefits first become payable) and thereafter, if unclaimed, such amounts shall be forfeited, subject to applicable laws in the jurisdiction in which the respective Participating Fund is organized.

4.8    Agents.

The Participating Funds may employ agents and provide for such clerical, legal, actuarial, accounting, advisory or other services as they deem necessary to perform their duties under the Plan. The Participating Funds shall bear the cost of such services and all other expenses incurred in connection with the administration of the Plan.

 

- 6 -


4.9    Governing Law.

All matters concerning the validity, construction and administration of the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the state in which the respective Participating Fund is organized.

4.10    Non-Guarantee of Status.

Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed as a contract or guarantee of the right of the Participant to be, or remain as, a Trustee of any of the Participating Funds or to receive any, or any particular rate of, compensation from any of the Participating Funds.

4.11    Counsel.

The Participating Funds may consult with legal counsel with respect to the meaning or construction of the Plan, their obligations or duties hereunder or with respect to any action or proceeding or any question of law, and they shall be fully protected with respect to any action taken or omitted by them in good faith pursuant to the advice of legal counsel.

4.12    Entire Plan.

The Plan contains the entire understanding between the Participating Funds and the Participant with respect to the payment of non-qualified elective deferred compensation by the Participating Funds to the Participant.

4.13    Non-liability of Administrator and Participating Funds.

Interpretations of, and determinations (including factual determinations) related to, the Plan made by the Administrator or Participating Funds in good faith, including any determinations of the amounts of the Deferral Share Accounts, shall be conclusive and binding upon all parties; and the Administrator, the Participating Funds and their officers and Trustees shall not incur any liability to the Participant for any such interpretation or determination so made or for any other action taken by it in connection with the Plan in good faith.

4.14    Successors and Assigns.

The Plan shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the Participating Funds and their successors and assigns and to the Participants and their heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives.

4.15    Severability.

In the event any one or more provisions of the Plan are held to be invalid or unenforceable, such illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof and such other provisions shall remain in full force and effect unaffected by such invalidity or unenforceability.

4.16    Rule 16b-3 Compliance.

It is the intention of the Participating Funds that all transactions under the Plan be exempt from liability imposed by Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Therefore, if any transaction under the Plan is found not to be in compliance with Section 16(b), the provision of the Plan governing such transaction shall be deemed amended so that the transaction does so comply and is so exempt, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Participating Fund, and in all events the Plan shall be construed in favor of its meeting the requirements of an exemption.

 

- 7 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Participating Fund has caused this Plan to be executed by one of its duly authorized officers, as of this      day of              2018, to be effective as of January 1, 2019.

 

By:  

                                          

Name:  
Title:  

 

Witness:  

                                          

Name:  
Title:  

 

- 8 -


SCHEDULE A

BLACKROCK FUND COMPLEX

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

PARTICIPATING FUNDS

Each registered management investment company advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC and governed by the Board is a Participating Fund except as set forth below:

None

 

- 9 -


SCHEDULE B

(Effective as of January 1, 2019)

ELIGIBLE INVESTMENTS

Equities (20% of Total; 10% to Each Eligible Investment)

 

1.

BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust (NYSE: BDJ)

 

2.

BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE: CII)

Fixed Income (80% of Total; 16% to Each Eligible Investment)

 

1.

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust (NYSE: BTZ)

 

2.

BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (NYSE: BLW)

 

3.

BlackRock Total Return Fund, a series of BlackRock Bond Fund, Inc.

 

4.

BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio, a series of BlackRock Funds V

 

5.

BlackRock High Yield Bond Portfolio, a series of BlackRock Funds V

 

- 10 -


BLACKROCK FUND COMPLEX

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Deferral Election Form

This Deferral Election Form applies to any amounts deferred for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019.

☐ The undersigned hereby elects to participate in the BlackRock Fund Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan (“Plan”) in accordance with the elections made in this Deferral Election Form (“Form”). I understand that the percentage of my compensation set forth below will be deferred under the Plan and “invested” in the funds that are Eligible Investments (as defined in the Plan) in accordance with the allocation percentages set forth on Schedule B to the Plan.

☐ I do not wish to participate in the Plan. (If you checked this box, please stop here.)

 

1.

Initial Enrollment in Deferred Compensation Plan

 

  a.

Amount Deferred

I hereby elect to defer up to    % (not more than 50%) of the annual compensation I earn as a Director/Trustee of the Participating Funds (as defined in the Plan) in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019.

 

  b.

Time of Payment

I hereby elect for amounts deferred pursuant to this Form, in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019, to be paid as follows:

☐ On the last business day in January of the calendar year following the calendar year in which I cease to be a Director/Trustee; or

☐ On the following other date:

 

  c.

Number of Payments

I hereby elect to receive payment for amounts deferred pursuant to this Form, in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019:

☐ Entire amount in a lump sum; or

☐ In    annual installments (not to exceed 10).

 

  d.

Designation of Beneficiary

I hereby:

☐ Designate the beneficiaries reflected in Appendix A hereto; or

☐ I do not wish to designate any beneficiary.

***

I hereby relinquish and release any and all rights to receive payment of the deferred amounts except in accordance with the Plan. I hereby direct and authorize the Administrator (as defined in the Plan) to make payments of deferral amounts as it deems necessary or desirable to facilitate administration of the Plan; provided, that such payments shall be made in accordance with the Plan and the foregoing elections.

 

- 11 -


Executed this     day of             , 2018.

 

 

Print Name

 

Director’s/Trustee’s Signature

Received and accepted by each of the Eligible Investments (as defined in the Plan):

 

By:  

 

Date:  

 

 

- 12 -


BLACKROCK FUND COMPLEX

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Deferral Election Form

This Deferral Election Form applies to any amounts deferred for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019.

☐ The undersigned hereby elects to participate in the BlackRock Fund Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan (“Plan”) in accordance with the elections made in this Deferral Election Form (“Form”). I understand that the percentage of my compensation set forth below will be deferred under the Plan and “invested” in the funds that are Eligible Investments (as defined in the Plan) in accordance with the allocation percentages set forth on Schedule B to the Plan.

☐ I do not wish to participate in the Plan. (If you checked this box, please stop here.)

 

1.

Continuation of Past Elections

A copy of my Deferral Election Form from last year is attached hereto and noted below. With respect to the boxes checked below, I would like to continue with the same elections from the prior year.

☐ Amount Deferred (X%)

☐ Time of Payment (January of the calendar year following the calendar year in which I cease to be a Trustee)

☐ Number of Payments (Lump Sum Payment or Installment Payments)

☐ Designation of Beneficiary:

Primary:

Secondary:

(For any category not checked above, please complete the applicable portion of this Form below to reflect your new elections.)

 

2.

Change Elections

 

  a.

Amount Deferred

I hereby elect to defer up to    % (not more than 50%) of the annual compensation I earn as a Director/Trustee of the Participating Funds (as defined in the Plan) in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019.

 

 

 

  b.

Time of Payment

I hereby elect for amounts deferred pursuant to this Form, in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019, to be paid as follows:

☐ On the last business day in January of the calendar year following the calendar year in which I cease to be a Director/Trustee; or

☐ On the following other date:

 

  c.

Number of Payments

I hereby elect to receive payment for amounts deferred pursuant to this Form, in respect of the calendar year beginning January 1, 2019:

☐ Entire amount in a lump sum; or

 

- 13 -


☐ In      annual installments (not to exceed 10).

 

  d.

Designation of Beneficiary

I hereby:

☐ Designate the beneficiaries reflected in Appendix A hereto; or

☐ I do not wish to designate any beneficiary.

***

I hereby relinquish and release any and all rights to receive payment of the deferred amounts except in accordance with the Plan. I hereby direct and authorize the Administrator (as defined in the Plan) to make payments of deferral amounts as it deems necessary or desirable to facilitate administration of the Plan; provided, that such payments shall be made in accordance with the Plan and the foregoing elections.

Executed this     day of             , 2018.

 

 

Print Name

 

Director’s/Trustee’s Signature

 

- 14 -


Received and accepted by each of the Eligible Investments (as defined in the Plan):

 

By:  

 

Date:  

 

 

- 15 -


BLACKROCK FUND COMPLEX

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Designation of Beneficiary

The undersigned hereby designates the person or persons named below as the beneficiary(ies) of any benefits which may become due according to the terms and conditions of the BlackRock Fund Complex Third Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) in the event of my death.

☐ To my Estate: or

☐ To the following beneficiaries:

 

Primary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

      (Name, address and relationship) if living, or if not living at my death, to

Secondary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

      (Name, address and relationship) if living, or if not living at my death, to my Estate.

I hereby revoke all prior beneficiary designation(s) made under the terms of the Plan by execution of this form.

Executed this    day of             ,        .

 

 

Trustee’s Signature

 

- 16 -

Exhibit (9)

MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

Between

Each BlackRock Entity Listed in Appendix A

And

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Dated as of December 31, 2018


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.

 

DEFINITIONS

     3  

2.

 

EMPLOYMENT OF CUSTODIAN

     4  

3.

 

ACTIVITIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY HELD IN THE UNITED STATES

     5  

4.

 

PROVISIONS RELATING TO RULES 17F-5 AND 17F-7

     6  

5.

 

ACTIVITIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY HELD OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

     8  

6.

 

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

     10  

7.

 

TAX SERVICES

     12  

8.

 

PAYMENT FOR SALES OR REDEMPTIONS OF PORTFOLIO INTERESTS

     13  

9.

 

PROPER INSTRUCTIONS

     13  

10.

 

ACTIONS PERMITTED WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY

     14  

11.

 

[RESERVED]

     14  

12.

 

RECORDS

     14  

13.

 

FUND’S INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS; REPORTS

     14  

14.

 

CUSTODIAN’S STANDARD OF CARE; EXCULPATION

     14  

15.

 

COMPENSATION AND INDEMNIFICATION OF CUSTODIAN; SECURITY INTEREST

     16  

16.

 

EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION

     17  

17.

 

SUCCESSOR CUSTODIAN

     18  

18.

 

REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM

     19  

19.

 

LOAN SERVICES ADDENDUM

     19  

20.

 

GENERAL

     19  

 

- 2 -


MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made as of December 31, 2018 (this Agreement), between each BlackRock entity identified on Appendix A and each BlackRock entity which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof (in each case, a Fund), including, if applicable, each series of the Fund identified on Appendix A and each series which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company (the Custodian).

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, each Fund desires for the Custodian to provide certain custodial services relating to securities and other assets of the Fund; and

WHEREAS, the Custodian is willing to provide the services upon the terms contained in this Agreement;

SECTION 1.     DEFINITIONS. In addition to terms defined in Section 4.1 (Rule 17f-5 and Rule 17f-7 related definitions) or elsewhere in this Agreement, (a) terms defined in the UCC have the same meanings herein as therein and (b) the following other terms have the following meanings for purposes of this Agreement:

1940 Actmeans the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time.

Boardmeans, in relation to a Fund, the board of directors, trustees or other governing body of the Fund.

Client Publicationsmeans the general client publications of State Street Bank and Trust Company available from time to time to clients and their investment advisers.

Deposit Account Agreementmeans the Deposit Account Agreement and Disclosure, as may be amended from time to time, issued by the Custodian and available on the Custodian’s internet customer portal, “my.statestreet.com”.

Domestic securitiesmeans securities held within the United States.

Foreign securitiesmeans securities primarily held outside of the United States.

Held outside of the United Statesmeans not held within the United States.

Held within the United Statesmeans (a) in relation to a security or other financial asset, the security or other financial asset (i) is a certificated security registered in the name of the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee or is endorsed to the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee or in blank and the security certificate is located within the United States, (ii) is an uncertificated security or other financial asset registered in the name of the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee at an office located in the United States, or (iii) has given rise to a security entitlement of which the Custodian or its sub-custodian, agent or nominee is the entitlement holder against a U.S. Securities System or another securities intermediary for which the securities intermediary’s jurisdiction is within the United States, and (b) in relation to cash, the cash is maintained in a deposit account denominated in U.S. dollars with the banking department of the Custodian or with another bank or trust company’s office located in the United States.

Investment Advisormeans, in relation to a Portfolio, the investment manager or investment advisor of the Portfolio.

On book currencymeans (a) U.S. dollars or (b) a foreign currency that, when credited to a deposit account of a customer maintained in the banking department of the Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian, the Custodian maintains on its books as an amount owing as a liability by the Custodian to the customer.

 

- 3 -


Portfoliomeans (a) in relation to a Fund that is a series organization, a series of the Fund and (b) in relation to a Fund that is not a series organization, the Fund itself.

Portfolio Interestsmeans beneficial interests in a Portfolio.

Proper Instructionsmeans instructions in accordance with Section 9 received by the Custodian from a Fund, the Fund’s Investment Advisor, or an individual or organization duly authorized by the Fund or the Investment Advisor. The term includes standing instructions.

SECmeans the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Series organizationmeans an organization that, pursuant to the statute under which the organization is organized, has the following characteristics: (a) the organic record of the organization provides for creation by the organization of one or more series (however denominated) with respect to specified property of the organization, and provides for records to be maintained for each series that identify the property of or associated with the series, (b) debt incurred or existing with respect to the activities of, or property of or associated with a particular series is enforceable against the property of or associated with the series only, and not against the property of or associated with the organization or of other series of the organization, and (c) debt incurred or existing with respect to the activities or property of the organization is enforceable against the property of the organization only, and not against the property of or associated with any series of the organization.

UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York as in effect from time to time.

Underlying Portfolios” means a group of investment companies as defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the 1940 Act.

Underlying Shares” means shares or other securities, issued by a U.S. issuer, of Underlying Portfolios and other registered “investment companies” (as defined in Section 3(a)(1) of the 1940 Act), whether or not in the same “group of investment companies” (as defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the 1940 Act).

Underlying Transfer Agent” means State Street Bank and Trust Company or such other organization which may from time to time be appointed by the Fund to act as a transfer agent for the Underlying Portfolios and with respect to which the Custodian is provided with Proper Instructions.

U.S. Securities System” means a securities depository or book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or a “clearing corporation” as defined in Section 8-102 of the UCC.

SECTION 2.     EMPLOYMENT OF CUSTODIAN.

SECTION 2.1     GENERAL. Each Fund hereby employs the Custodian as a custodian of (a) securities and cash of each of the Portfolios and (b) other assets of each of the Portfolios that the Custodian agrees to treat as financial assets. Each Fund, on behalf of each of its Portfolios, agrees to deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Custodian (i) all securities and cash of each Portfolio, (ii) all other assets of each Portfolio that the Fund desires the Custodian, and the Custodian is willing, to treat as a financial asset and (iii) all cash and other proceeds of the securities and financial assets held in custody under this Agreement. The holding of confirmation statements that identify Underlying Shares as being recorded in the Custodian’s name on behalf of the Portfolios will be custody for purposes of this Section 2.1. This Agreement does not require the Custodian to accept or treat any asset that is not a security or cash as a financial asset.

SECTION 2.2     SUB-CUSTODIANS. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall on behalf of a Fund appoint one or more banks, trust companies or other entities located in the United States and designated in the Proper Instructions to act as a sub-custodian for the purposes of effecting such transactions as may be designated by the Fund in the Proper Instructions. The Custodian may place and maintain each Fund’s foreign securities with foreign banking institution sub-custodians employed by the Custodian or foreign securities depositories, all in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 4 and 5. An entity acting in the capacity of Underlying Transfer Agent is not an agent or sub-custodian of the Custodian for purposes of this Agreement.

 

- 4 -


SECTION 2.3     RELATIONSHIP. With respect to securities and other financial assets, the Custodian is a securities intermediary and the Portfolio is the entitlement holder. With respect to cash maintained in a deposit account and denominated in an “on book” currency, the Custodian is a bank and the Portfolio is the bank’s customer. If cash is maintained in a deposit account with a bank other than the Custodian and the cash is denominated in an “on book” currency, the Custodian is that bank’s customer. The Custodian agrees to treat the claim to the cash as a financial asset for the benefit of the Portfolio. The Custodian does not otherwise agree to treat cash as financial asset. The duties of the Custodian as securities intermediary and bank set forth in the UCC are varied by the terms of this Agreement to the extent that the duties may be varied by agreement under the UCC.

SECTION 3.     ACTIVITIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY HELD IN THE UNITED STATES.

SECTION 3.1     HOLDING SECURITIES. The Custodian may deposit and maintain securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio in a U.S. Securities System in compliance with the conditions of Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions on behalf of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of the Portfolio and into which account or accounts may be transferred cash or securities and other financial assets, including securities and financial assets maintained in a U.S. Securities System. The Custodian shall hold and physically segregate for the account of each Portfolio all securities and other financial assets held by the Custodian in the United States, including all domestic securities of the Portfolio, other than (a) securities or other financial assets maintained in a U.S. Securities System and (b) Underlying Shares maintained pursuant to Section 3.6 in an account of an Underlying Transfer Agent. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion appoint any other bank or trust company, qualified under the 1940 Act to act as a custodian in the United States, as the Custodian’s agent to carry out such of the provisions of this Section as the Custodian may from time to time direct. The appointment of any agent shall not relieve the Custodian of any of its duties hereunder and the Custodian shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of its agents hereunder as if performed by the Custodian hereunder. The Custodian may at any time or times in its discretion remove a bank or trust company as the Custodian’s agent.

SECTION 3.2     REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES. Domestic securities or other financial assets held by the Custodian and that are not bearer securities shall be registered in the name of the applicable Portfolio or in the name of any nominee of a Fund on behalf of the Portfolio or of any nominee of the Custodian, or in the name or nominee name of any agent or any sub-custodian permitted hereby. All securities accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement shall be in “street name” or other good delivery form. However, if a Fund directs the Custodian to maintain securities or other financial assets in “street name,” the Custodian shall utilize reasonable efforts only to timely collect income due the Fund on the securities and other financial assets and to notify the Fund of relevant issuer actions including, without limitation, pendency of calls, maturities, tender or exchange offers.

SECTION 3.3     BANK ACCOUNTS. The Custodian shall open and maintain upon the terms of the Deposit Account Agreement a separate deposit account or accounts in the United States in the name of each Portfolio, subject only to draft or order by the Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Custodian shall credit to the deposit account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by the Custodian from or for the account of the Portfolio, other than cash maintained by the Portfolio in a deposit account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under the 1940 Act. Funds held by the Custodian for a Portfolio may be deposited by the Custodian to its credit as Custodian in the banking department of the Custodian or in such other banks or trust companies as it may in its discretion deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that every such bank or trust company shall be qualified to act as a custodian under the 1940 Act. The funds shall be deposited by the Custodian in its capacity as Custodian and shall be withdrawable by the Custodian only in that capacity.

SECTION 3.4     COLLECTION OF INCOME. Subject to the domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States being registered as provided in Section 3.2, the Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to the securities and other financial assets and to which a Portfolio shall be entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business. The Custodian shall collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to bearer domestic securities if, on the date of payment by the issuer, the securities are held by the Custodian or its agent. The Custodian shall present for payment all income items requiring presentation as and when they become due and shall collect interest when due on securities and other financial assets held hereunder. The Custodian shall credit income to the Portfolio as such income is received or in accordance with the Custodian’s then current payable date income schedule. Any credit to the Portfolio in advance of receipt may be reversed when the Custodian determines that payment will not occur in due course, and the Portfolio may be charged at the Custodian’s applicable rate for time credited.

 

- 5 -


SECTION 3.5     DELIVERY OUT. The Custodian shall release and deliver out domestic securities and other financial assets of a Portfolio held in a U.S. Securities System, or in an account at the Underlying Transfer Agent, only upon receipt of, and in accordance with, Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, specifying the domestic securities or financial assets held in the United States to be delivered out and the person or persons to whom delivery is to be made. The Custodian shall pay out cash of a Portfolio upon receipt of, and in accordance with, Proper Instructions on behalf of the applicable Portfolio, specifying the amount of the payment and the person or persons to whom the payment is to be made.

SECTION 3.6     DEPOSIT OF FUND ASSETS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRANSFER AGENT. Underlying Shares of a Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, shall be deposited and held in an account or accounts maintained with an Underlying Transfer Agent. The Custodian’s only responsibilities with respect to the Underlying Shares shall be limited to the following:

 

  1)

Upon receipt of a confirmation or statement from an Underlying Transfer Agent that the Underlying Transfer Agent is holding or maintaining Underlying Shares in the name of the Custodian (or a nominee of the Custodian) for the benefit of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall identify by book-entry that the Underlying Shares are being held by it as custodian for the benefit of the Portfolio.

 

  2)

Upon receipt of Proper Instructions to purchase Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall pay out cash of the Portfolio as so directed to purchase the Underlying Shares and record the payment from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records.

 

  3)

Upon receipt of Proper Instructions for the sale or redemption of Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall transfer the Underlying Shares as so directed to sell or redeem the Underlying Shares, record the transfer from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records and, upon the Custodian’s receipt of the proceeds of the sale or redemption, record the receipt of the proceeds for the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records.

SECTION 3.7     PROXIES. The Custodian shall cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States of a Portfolio, if the securities or other financial assets are registered otherwise than in the name of the Portfolio or a nominee of the Portfolio, all proxies, without indication of the manner in which the proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to the securities or other financial assets.

SECTION 3.8     COMMUNICATIONS. Subject to the domestic securities or other financial assets held in the United States being registered as provided in Section 3.2, the Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund for each Portfolio all written information received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities and other financial assets being held for the Portfolio. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund all written information received by the Custodian from issuers of the securities and other financial assets whose tender or exchange is sought and from the party or its agent making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the applicable Fund for each Portfolio all written information received by the Custodian regarding any class action or other collective litigation relating to Portfolio securities or other financial assets issued in the United States and then held, or previously held, during the relevant class-action period during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian for the account of the Fund for the Portfolio, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. The Custodian does not support class-action participation by a Fund beyond such forwarding of written information received by the Custodian, except as may otherwise be mutually agreed to in writing between the Custodian and a Fund.

SECTION 4.    PROVISIONS RELATING TO RULES 17F-5 AND 17F-7.

SECTION 4.1.     DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:

Country Risk” means all factors reasonably related to the systemic risk of holding Foreign Assets in a particular country. The factors include but are not limited to risks arising from the country’s political environment, economic

 

- 6 -


and financial infrastructure (including any Eligible Securities Depository operating in the country); prevailing or developing custody, tax and settlement practices; nationalization, expropriation or other government actions; currency restrictions, devaluations or fluctuations; market conditions affecting the orderly execution of securities transactions or the value of assets; the regulation of the banking and securities industries, including changes in market rules; and laws and regulations applicable to the safekeeping and recovery of Foreign Assets held in custody in that country.

Covered Foreign Country” means a country listed on Schedule A, which list of countries may be amended from time to time at the request of any Fund and with the agreement of the Foreign Custody Manager.

Eligible Foreign Custodian” has the meaning set forth in Section (a)(1) of Rule 17f-5.

Eligible Securities Depository” has the meaning set forth in section (b)(1) of Rule 17f-7.

Foreign Assets” means, in relation to a Portfolio, any of the Portfolio’s securities or other investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States, and any cash and cash equivalents that are reasonably necessary to effect transactions of the Portfolio in those investments.

Foreign Custody Manager” has the meaning set forth in section (a)(3) of Rule 17f-5.

Foreign Securities System” means an Eligible Securities Depository listed on Schedule B.

Rule 17f-5” means Rule 17f-5 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

Rule 17f-7” means Rule 17f-7 promulgated under the 1940 Act.

SECTION 4.2.     THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER.

4.2.1     DELEGATION. Each Fund, by resolution adopted by its Board, has delegated to the Custodian, subject to Section (b) of Rule 17f-5, the responsibilities set forth in this Section 4.2 with respect to Foreign Assets of the Portfolios held outside the United States. The Custodian hereby accepts such delegation (the Custodian, in such delegated capacity, the Foreign Custody Manager). By giving at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Fund, the Foreign Custody Manager may withdraw its acceptance of the delegated responsibilities generally or with respect to a Covered Foreign Country designated in the notice. Following the withdrawal, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Fund generally or, as the case may be, with respect to the Covered Foreign Country so designated.

4.2.2     EXERCISE OF CARE AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. The Foreign Custody Manager shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of the Foreign Assets would exercise in performing the delegated responsibilities.

4.2.3     FOREIGN CUSTODY ARRANGEMENTS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall be responsible for performing the delegated responsibilities only with respect to Covered Foreign Countries. The Foreign Custody Manager shall list on Schedule A for a Covered Foreign Country each Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager to maintain the Foreign Assets of the Portfolios with respect to the Covered Foreign Country. The list of Eligible Foreign Custodians may be amended by the Foreign Custody Manager from time to time upon notice to the Funds in the sole discretion of the Foreign Custody Manager. This Agreement constitutes a Proper Instruction by a Fund, on behalf of each applicable Portfolio, to open an account, and to place and maintain Foreign Assets, for the Portfolio in each applicable Covered Foreign Country. The Fund, on behalf of the Portfolios, shall satisfy the account opening requirements for the Covered Foreign Country, and the delegation with respect to the Portfolio for the Covered Foreign Country will not be considered to have been accepted by the Custodian until that satisfaction. If the Foreign Custody Manager receives from the Fund Proper Instructions directing the Foreign Custody Manager to close the account, the delegation shall be considered withdrawn, and the Custodian shall immediately cease to be the Foreign Custody Manager with respect to the Portfolio for the Covered Foreign Country.

 

- 7 -


4.2.4     SCOPE OF DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES: Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.2, the Foreign Custody Manager may place and maintain Foreign Assets in the care of an Eligible Foreign Custodian selected by the Foreign Custody Manager in each applicable Covered Foreign Country. The Foreign Custody Manager shall determine that (a) the Foreign Assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Foreign Assets will be held by the Eligible Foreign Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1) and (b) the contract between the Foreign Custody Manager and the Eligible Foreign Custodian governing the foreign custody arrangements will satisfy the requirements of Rule 17f-5(c)(2). The Foreign Custody Manager shall establish a system to monitor (i) the appropriateness of maintaining the Foreign Assets with the Eligible Foreign Custodian and (ii) the performance of the contract governing the custody arrangements. The liability of the Foreign Custody Manager with respect to the acts or omissions of an Eligible Foreign Custodian is addressed in Section 14.4. If the Foreign Custody Manager determines that the custody arrangements with an Eligible Foreign Custodian are no longer appropriate, the Foreign Custody Manager shall so notify the Fund.

4.2.5    REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Foreign Custody Manager shall (a) report the withdrawal of Foreign Assets from an Eligible Foreign Custodian and the placement of Foreign Assets with another Eligible Foreign Custodian by making available to the Fund an amended Schedule A at the end of the calendar quarter in which the action has occurred, and (b) after the occurrence of any other material change in the foreign custody arrangements of the Portfolios described in this Section 4.2, make a written report to the Board containing a notification of the change.

4.2.6    REPRESENTATIONS. The Foreign Custody Manager represents to each Fund that it is a U.S. Bank as defined in Section (a)(7) of Rule 17f-5. Each Fund represents to the Custodian that its Board has (a) determined that it is reasonable for the Board to rely on the Custodian to perform the responsibilities delegated pursuant to this Agreement to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager of the Portfolios and (b) considered and determined to accept such Country Risk as is incurred by placing and maintaining the Foreign Assets of each Portfolio in each Covered Foreign Country.

4.2.7    TERMINATION BY A PORTFOLIO OF THE CUSTODIAN AS FOREIGN CUSTODY MANAGER. By giving at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Custodian, a Fund, on behalf of a Portfolio, may terminate the delegation to the Custodian as the Foreign Custody Manager for the Portfolio. Following the termination, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility in its capacity as Foreign Custody Manager to the Portfolio.

SECTION 4.3    MONITORING OF ELIGIBLE SECURITIES DEPOSITORIES. The Custodian shall (a) provide the Fund or its Investment Advisor with an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with the Eligible Securities Depositories set forth on Schedule B in accordance with Section (a)(1)(i)(A) of Rule 17f-7 and (b) monitor such risks on a continuing basis and promptly notify the Fund or its Investment Advisor of any material change in such risks, in accordance with Section (a)(1)(i)(B) of Rule 17f-7.

SECTION 5.    ACTIVITIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY HELD OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

SECTION 5.1.    HOLDING SECURITIES. Foreign securities and other financial assets held outside of the United States shall be maintained in a Foreign Securities System in a Covered Foreign Country through arrangements implemented by the Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian, as applicable, in the Covered Foreign Country. The Custodian shall identify on its books as belonging to the Portfolios the foreign securities and other financial assets held by each Eligible Foreign Custodian or Foreign Securities System, and shall provide or make available information to a Portfolio and such other persons as a Portfolio may designate with respect to the registration status of each Fund’s securities and a record of securities held by each Portfolio and such Portfolio’s respective interest therein. The Custodian may hold foreign securities and other financial assets for all of its customers, including the Portfolios, with any Eligible Foreign Custodian in an account that is identified as the Custodian’s account for the benefit of its customers; provided however, that (a) the records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio maintained in the account shall identify those securities and other financial assets as belonging to the Portfolio and (b) to the extent permitted and customary in the market in which the account is maintained, the Custodian shall require that securities and other financial assets so held by the Eligible Foreign Custodian be held separately from any assets of the Eligible Foreign Custodian or of other customers of the Eligible Foreign Custodian.

 

- 8 -


SECTION 5.2.    REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN SECURITIES. Foreign securities and other financial assets held outside of the United States maintained in the custody of an Eligible Foreign Custodian and that are not bearer securities shall be registered in the name of the applicable Portfolio or in the name of the Custodian or in the name of any Eligible Foreign Custodian or in the name of any nominee of any of the foregoing. Each Fund on behalf of a Portfolio agrees to hold any such nominee harmless from any liability as a holder of record of the foreign securities or other financial assets. The Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian reserves the right not to accept securities or other financial assets on behalf of a Portfolio under the terms of this Agreement unless the form of the securities or other financial assets and the manner in which they are delivered are in accordance with local market practice.

SECTION 5.3.    INDEMNIFICATION BY ELIGIBLE FOREIGN CUSTODIANS. Each contract pursuant to which the Custodian employs an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall, to the extent possible, require the Eligible Foreign Custodian to indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian from and against any loss, cost or expense arising out of or in connection with the Eligible Foreign Custodian’s performance of its obligations. At a Fund’s election, a Portfolio shall be entitled to be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against an Eligible Foreign Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, cost or expense if and to the extent that the Portfolio has not been made whole for the loss, cost or expense. In no event shall the Custodian be obligated to bring suit in its own name or to allow suit to be brought in its name with respect to an Eligible Foreign Custodian.

SECTION 5.4    BANK ACCOUNTS.

5.4.1    GENERAL. The Custodian shall identify on its books as for the account of the applicable Portfolio the amount of cash (including cash denominated in foreign currencies) deposited with the Custodian. The Custodian shall maintain cash deposits in on book currencies on its balance sheet. The Custodian shall be liable for such balances. If the Custodian is unable to maintain, or market practice does not facilitate the maintenance for the Portfolio of a cash balance in a currency as an on book currency, a deposit account shall be opened and maintained by the Custodian outside the United States on behalf of the Portfolio with an Eligible Foreign Custodian. The Custodian shall not maintain such cash deposit on its balance sheet. The Eligible Foreign Custodian will be liable for such balance directly to the Portfolio. All deposit accounts referred to in this Section shall be subject only to draft or order by the Custodian or, if applicable, the Eligible Foreign Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Cash maintained in a deposit account and denominated in an “on book” currency will be maintained under and subject to the laws of the State of New York. The Custodian will not have any deposit liability for deposits in any currency that is not an “on book” currency.

5.4.2    NON-U.S. BRANCH AND NON-U.S. DOLLAR DEPOSITS. In accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Custodian shall not be required to repay any deposit made at a non-U.S. branch of the Custodian or any deposit made with the Custodian and denominated in a non-U.S. dollar currency, if repayment of the deposit or the use of assets denominated in the non-U.S. dollar currency is prevented, prohibited or otherwise blocked due to (a) an act of war, insurrection or civil strife; (b) any action by a non-U.S. government or instrumentality or authority asserting governmental, military or police power of any kind, whether such authority be recognized as a de facto or a de jure government, or by any entity, political or revolutionary movement or otherwise that usurps, supervenes or otherwise materially impairs the normal operation of civil authority; or (c) the closure of a non-U.S. branch in order to prevent, in the reasonable judgment of the Custodian, harm to the employees or property of the Custodian.

SECTION 5.5.    COLLECTION OF INCOME. The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to the Foreign Assets held hereunder to which a Portfolio shall be entitled. If extraordinary measures are required to collect the income or payment, the Fund and the Custodian shall consult as to such measures and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures. The Custodian shall credit income to the applicable Portfolio as such income is received or in accordance with the Custodian’s then current payable date income schedule. Any credit to the Portfolio in advance of receipt may be reversed when the Custodian determines that payment will not occur in due course, and the Portfolio may be charged at the Custodian’s applicable rate for time credited. Income on securities or other financial assets loaned other than from the Custodian’s securities lending program shall be credited as received.

 

- 9 -


SECTION 5.6.    TRANSACTIONS IN FOREIGN CUSTODY ACCOUNT.

5.6.1    DELIVERY OUT. The Custodian or an Eligible Foreign Custodian shall release and deliver foreign securities or other financial assets held outside of the United States owned by a Portfolio and held by the Custodian or such Eligible Foreign Custodian, or in a Foreign Securities System account, only upon receipt of, and in accordance with, Proper Instructions, specifying the foreign securities to be delivered and the person or persons to whom delivery is to be made. The Custodian shall pay out, or direct the respective Eligible Foreign Custodian or the respective Foreign Securities System to pay out, cash of a Portfolio only upon receipt of, and in accordance with, Proper Instructions specifying the amount of the payment and the person or persons to payment is to be made.

5.6.2    MARKET CONDITIONS. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, settlement and payment for Foreign Assets received for the account of the Portfolios and delivery of Foreign Assets maintained for the account of the Portfolios may be effected in accordance with the customary established securities trading or processing practices and procedures in the country or market in which the transaction occurs, including, without limitation, delivering Foreign Assets to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent for such purchaser or dealer) with the expectation of receiving later payment for the Foreign Assets from such purchaser or dealer.

5.6.3    SETTLEMENT PRACTICES. The Custodian shall provide to the Fund or its Investment Advisor the information with respect to custody and settlement practices in countries in which the Custodian employs an Eligible Foreign Custodian described on Schedule C at the time or times set forth on the Schedule. The Custodian may revise Schedule C from time to time, but no revision shall result in a Board being provided with substantively less information than had been previously provided on Schedule C.

SECTION 5.7    SHAREHOLDER OR BONDHOLDER RIGHTS. The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder and bondholder rights, including delivery to the Fund of any proxies, proxy soliciting materials and all applicable notices, with respect to foreign securities and other financial assets held outside the United States, subject always to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where the securities or other financial assets are issued. The Custodian may utilize Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. or another proxy service firm of recognized standing as its delegate to provide proxy services for the exercise of shareholder and bondholder rights. Local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of a Fund to exercise shareholder and bondholder rights.

SECTION 5.8.    COMMUNICATIONS. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund written information with respect to materials received by the Custodian through Eligible Foreign Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities and other financial asset assets being held outside the United States for the account of a Portfolio. The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the applicable Fund written information with respect to materials so received by the Custodian from issuers of foreign securities whose tender or exchange is sought or from the party or its agent making the tender or exchange offer. The Custodian shall also transmit promptly to the Fund all written information received by the Custodian through Eligible Foreign Custodians from issuers of the foreign securities or other financial assets issued outside of the United States and being held for the account of the Portfolio regarding any class action or other collective litigation relating to the Portfolio’s foreign securities or other financial assets issued outside the United States and then held, or previously held, during the relevant class-action period during the term of this Agreement by the Custodian via an Eligible Foreign Custodian for the account of the Fund for the Portfolio, including, but not limited to, opt-out notices and proof-of-claim forms. The Custodian does not support class-action participation by a Fund beyond such forwarding of written information received by the Custodian, except as may otherwise be mutually agreed to in writing between the Custodian and a Fund.

SECTION 6.    FOREIGN EXCHANGE.

SECTION 6.1.    GENERALLY. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which for purposes of this section may also include security trade advices, the Custodian shall facilitate the processing and settlement of foreign exchange transactions. Such foreign exchange transactions do not constitute part of the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement.

 

- 10 -


SECTION 6.2.     FUND ELECTIONS. Each Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) may elect to enter into and execute foreign exchange transactions with third parties that are not affiliated with the Custodian, with State Street Global Markets, which is the foreign exchange division of State Street Bank and Trust Company and its affiliated companies (“SSGM”), or with a sub-custodian. Where the Fund or its Investment Advisor gives Proper Instructions for the execution of a foreign exchange transaction using an indirect foreign exchange service described in the Client Publications, the Fund (or its Investment Advisor) instructs the Custodian, on behalf of the Fund, to direct the execution of such foreign exchange transaction to SSGM or, when the relevant currency is not traded by SSGM, to the applicable sub-custodian. The Custodian shall not have any agency (except as contemplated in preceding sentence), trust or fiduciary obligation to the Fund, its Investment Advisor or any other person in connection with the execution of any foreign exchange transaction. The Custodian shall have no responsibility under this Agreement for the selection of the counterparty to, or the method of execution of, any foreign exchange transaction entered into by the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) or the reasonableness of the execution rate on any such transaction.

SECTION 6.3.     FUND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Each Fund acknowledges that in connection with all foreign exchange transactions entered into by the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf) with SSGM or any sub-custodian, SSGM and each such sub-custodian:

 

(i)

shall be acting in a principal capacity and not as broker, agent or fiduciary to the Fund or its Investment Advisor;

 

(ii)

shall seek to profit from such foreign exchange transactions, and are entitled to retain and not disclose any such profit to the Fund or its Investment Advisor; and

 

(iii)

shall enter into such foreign exchange transactions pursuant to the terms and conditions, including pricing or pricing methodology, (a) agreed with the Fund or its Investment Advisor from time to time or (b) in the case of an indirect foreign exchange service, (i) as established by SSGM and set forth in the Client Publications with respect to the particular foreign exchange execution services selected by the Fund or the Investment Advisor or (ii) as established by the sub-custodian from time to time.

SECTION 6.4.     TRANSACTIONS BY STATE STREET. The Custodian or its affiliates, including SSGM, may trade based upon information that is not available to the Fund (or its Investment Advisor acting on its behalf), and may enter into transactions for its own account or the account of clients in the same or opposite direction to the transactions entered into with the Fund (or its Investment Advisor), and shall have no obligation, under this Agreement, to share such information with or consider the interests of their respective counterparties, including, where applicable, the Fund or the Investment Advisor.

SECTION 6A.    CONTRACTUAL SETTLEMENT SERVICES (PURCHASE/SALES).

SECTION 6A.1     GENERAL. The Custodian shall, in accordance with the terms set out in this Section 6A, debit or credit the appropriate deposit account of each Portfolio on a contractual settlement basis in connection with the purchase of securities or other financial assets for the Portfolio or the receipt of the proceeds of the sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets.

SECTION 6A.2     PROVISION OF SERVICES. The services described in Section 6A.1 (the “Contractual Settlement Services”) shall be provided for the securities and other financial assets and in such markets as the Custodian may advise from time to time. The Custodian may terminate or suspend any part of the provision of the Contractual Settlement Services at its sole discretion immediately upon notice to the applicable Fund on behalf of each Portfolio, including, without limitation, in the event of force majeure events affecting settlement, any disorder in markets, or other changed external business circumstances affecting the markets or the Fund.

SECTION 6A.3     PURCHASE CONSIDERATION. The consideration payable in connection with a purchase transaction shall be debited from the appropriate deposit account of the Portfolio as of the time and date that funds would ordinarily be required to settle the transaction in the applicable market in accordance with prevailing standards for transactions by institutions. The Custodian shall promptly recredit the amount at the time that the Portfolio or the Fund notifies the Custodian by Proper Instruction that the transaction has been canceled.

 

- 11 -


SECTION 6A.4     SALES AND REDEMPTIONS. A provisional credit of an amount equal to the net sale price for a sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets shall be made to the account of the Portfolio as if the amount had been received as of the close of business on the date on which good funds would ordinarily be immediately available in the applicable market in accordance with prevailing standards for transactions by institutions. The provisional credit will be made conditional upon the Custodian having received Proper Instructions with respect to, or reasonable notice of, the transaction, as applicable; and the Custodian or its agent having possession of the securities of other financial assets (excluding financial assets subject to any third party lending arrangement entered into by a Portfolio) associated with the transaction in good deliverable form and not being aware of any facts which would lead the Custodian or its agent to believe that the transaction will not settle in the time period ordinarily applicable to such transactions in the applicable market.

SECTION 6A.5.     REVERSALS OF PROVISIONAL CREDITS OR DEBITS. The Custodian shall have the right to reverse any provisional credit or debit given in connection with the Contractual Settlement Services at any time when the Custodian believes, in its reasonable judgment, that such transaction will not settle in accordance with its terms or amounts due pursuant thereto, will not be collectable or where the Custodian has not been provided Proper Instructions with respect thereto, as applicable. The Portfolio shall be responsible for any costs or liabilities resulting from such reversal. Upon such reversal, a sum equal to the credited or debited amount shall become immediately payable by the Portfolio to the Custodian and may be debited from any deposit or other account held for benefit of the Portfolio.

SECTION 7.     TAX SERVICES.

SECTION 7.1     FUND INFORMATION. Each Fund will provide documentary evidence of its tax domicile, organizational specifics and other documentation and information as may be required by the Custodian from time to time for tax purposes, including, without limitation, information relating to any special ruling or treatment to which the Fund may be entitled that is not applicable to the general nationality and category of person to which the Fund belongs under general laws and treaty obligations and documentation and information required in relation to countries where the Fund engages or proposes to engage in investment activity or where Portfolio assets are or will be held. The provision of such documentation and information shall be deemed to be a Proper Instruction, upon which the Custodian shall be entitled to rely and act. In giving such documentation and information, the Fund represents and warrants that it is true and correct in all material respects and that it will promptly provide the Custodian with all necessary corrections or updates upon becoming aware of any changes or inaccuracies in the documentation or information supplied.

SECTION 7.2     TAX RESPONSIBILITY. The Fund shall be liable for all taxes (including Taxes, as defined below) relating to its investment activity, including with respect to any cash or securities held by the Custodian on behalf of the Fund or any transactions related thereto. Subject to compliance by the Fund with its obligations under Section 7.1, the Custodian shall withhold (or cause to be withheld) the amount of any Tax which is required to be withheld under applicable law in connection with the collection on behalf of the Fund pursuant to this Agreement of any dividend, interest income or other distribution with respect to any security and the proceeds or income from the sale or other transfer of any security held by the Custodian. If any Taxes become payable with respect to any prior payment made to the Fund by the Custodian or otherwise, the Custodian may apply any credit balance in the Fund’s deposit account to the extent necessary to satisfy such Tax obligation. The Fund shall remain liable for any tax deficiency. The Custodian is not liable for any tax obligations relating to the Portfolio or the Fund, other than those Tax services as set out specifically in this Section 7. The Fund agrees that the Custodian is not, and shall not be deemed to be, providing tax advice or tax counsel. The capitalized terms “Tax” or “Taxes” means any withholding or capital gains tax, stamp duty, levy, impost, charge, assessment, deduction or related liability, including any addition to tax, penalty or interest imposed on or in respect of (i) cash or securities, (ii) the transactions effected under this Agreement, or (iii) the Fund.

SECTION 7.3     TAX RELIEF. The Custodian will provide tax relief services in relation to designated markets as may be specified from time to time in the Client Publications. Subject to the preceding sentence and compliance by the Fund with its obligations under Section 7.1, the Custodian will apply for a reduction of withholding tax and refund of any tax paid or tax credits which apply in each applicable market in respect of income payments on securities for the benefit of the Fund. The Custodian shall provide information on reduction at source and tax reclaim processing in its Tax Entitlement Service Overview made available to the Fund on the Custodian’s customer portal,

 

- 12 -


“my.statestreet.com.” The Custodian shall maintain tax entitlement accruals for possible tax benefits available in markets of investment and monitor tax entitlements and tax reclaim accruals based on existing situations in markets of investment with respect to the Fund’s entitlements. The Custodian shall facilitate communications to the Fund’s local tax consultants and Eligible Foreign Custodians with respect to reporting, payment and filing requirements regarding capital gains processing. Unless otherwise informed by the Fund, the Custodian shall be entitled to categorize a Fund in the relevant tax category according to its nationality, particulars of its organization and other relevant details supplied by the Fund.

SECTION 8.     PAYMENTS FOR SALES OR REDEMPTIONS OF PORTFOLIO INTERESTS.

SECTION 8.1     PAYMENT FOR PORTFOLIO INTERESTS ISSUED. The Custodian shall receive from the distributor of Portfolio Interests of a Fund or from the Fund’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) and deposit into the account of the Portfolio such payments as are received for Portfolio Interests issued or sold from time to time by the Fund. The Custodian will provide timely notification to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio and the Transfer Agent of any receipt of the payments by the Custodian.

SECTION 8.2     PAYMENT FOR PORTFOLIO INTERESTS REDEEMED. Upon receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent, the Custodian shall set aside funds of a Portfolio to the extent available for payment to holders of Portfolio Interests who have delivered to the Transfer Agent a request for redemption of their Portfolio Interests. The Custodian is authorized upon receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent to wire funds to or through a commercial bank designated by the redeeming interest holders. If the Custodian furnishes a check to a holder in payment for the redemption of the holder’s Portfolio Interests and the check is drawn on the Custodian, the Custodian shall honor the check so long as the check is presented to the Custodian in accordance with the Deposit Account Agreement and such procedures and controls as are mutually agreed upon from time to time between the Fund and the Custodian.

SECTION 9.     PROPER INSTRUCTIONS.

SECTION 9.1     FORM AND SECURITY PROCEDURES. Proper Instructions may be in writing signed by the authorized individual or individuals or may be in a tested communication or in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro-mechanical or electronic devices or may be by such other means and utilizing such intermediary systems and utilities as may be agreed to from time to time by the Custodian and the individual or organization giving the instruction, provided that the Fund has followed any security procedures agreed to from time to time by the applicable Fund and the Custodian. The Custodian may agree to accept oral instructions, and in such case oral instructions will be considered Proper Instructions. The Fund shall cause all oral instructions to be confirmed in writing, but the Fund’s failure to do so shall not affect the Custodian’s authority to rely on the oral instructions.

Section 9.2     RELIANCE ON OFFICERS CERTIFICATE. Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and from time to time thereafter, as appropriate, each Fund shall deliver to the Custodian an officer’s certificate setting forth the names, titles, signatures and scope of authority of all individuals authorized to give Proper Instructions or any other notice, request, direction, instruction, certificate or instrument on behalf of the Fund. The certificate may be accepted and conclusively relied upon by the Custodian and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of a similar certificate to the contrary and the Custodian has had a reasonable time to act thereon.

Section 9.3     UNTIMELY PROPER INSTRUCTIONS. If the Custodian is not provided with reasonable time to execute a Proper Instruction (including any Proper Instruction not to execute, or any other modification to, a prior Proper Instruction), the Custodian will use good faith efforts to execute the Proper Instruction but will not be responsible or liable if the Custodian’s efforts are not successful (including any inability to change any actions that the Custodian had taken pursuant to the prior Proper Instruction). The inclusion of a statement of purpose or intent (or any similar notation) in a Proper Instruction shall not impose any additional obligations on the Custodian or condition or qualify its authority to effect the Proper Instruction. The Custodian will not assume a duty to ensure that the stated purpose or intent is fulfilled and will have no responsibility or liability when it follows the Proper Instruction without regard to such purpose or intent.

 

- 13 -


SECTION 10.     ACTIONS PERMITTED WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY.

The Custodian may in its discretion, without express authority from the applicable Fund on behalf of each Portfolio:

 

  1)

Make payments to itself or others for normal and routine expenses to facilitate the settlement of securities transactions that are customary in the markets in which the Fund is trading and relating to the Custodian’s duties under this Agreement; provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio;

 

  2)

Surrender securities or other financial assets in temporary form for securities or other financial assets in definitive form;

 

  3)

Endorse for collection, in the name of the Portfolio, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and

 

  4)

In general, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio except as otherwise directed by the applicable Board.

SECTION 11.     RESERVED.

SECTION 12.     RECORDS.

The Custodian shall with respect to each Portfolio create and maintain all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement in such manner as will meet the obligations of each Fund under the 1940 Act, with particular attention to Section 31 thereof and Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 thereunder. All such records shall be the property of the Fund and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Fund and employees and agents of the SEC. The Custodian shall, at the Fund’s request, supply the Fund with a tabulation of securities owned by each Portfolio and held by the Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Fund and for such compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Fund and the Custodian, include certificate numbers in such tabulations. In the event that the Custodian is requested or authorized by a Fund, or required by subpoena, administrative order, court order or other legal process, applicable law or regulation, or required in connection with any investigation, examination or inspection of the Fund by state or federal regulatory agencies, to produce the records of the Fund or the Custodian’s personnel as witnesses, the Fund agrees to pay the Custodian for the Custodian’s reasonable time and expenses, as well as the reasonable fees and expenses of the Custodian’s counsel, incurred in responding to such request, order or requirement. The Custodian shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide notice to the applicable Fund promptly after receipt of any request for records by an entity other than such Fund. Upon request, the Custodian shall provide the applicable Fund with an update on the fees and expenses incurred in responding to any such requests for records.

SECTION 13.    FUNDS INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS; REPORTS.

SECTION 13.1     OPINIONS. The Custodian shall take all reasonable action, as a Fund with respect to a Portfolio may from time to time request, to obtain from year to year favorable opinions from the Fund’s independent accountants with respect to its activities hereunder in connection with the preparation of the Fund’s Form N-1A or Form N-2, as applicable, and other annual reports to the SEC and with respect to any other requirements thereof.

SECTION 13.2     REPORTS. Upon reasonable request of a Fund, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with a copy of the Custodian’s Service Organizational Control (SOC) 1 reports prepared in accordance with the requirements of AT section 801, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization (formerly Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16). The Custodian shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Fund with such reports as the Fund may reasonably request or otherwise reasonably require to fulfill its duties under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act or similar legal and regulatory requirements.

SECTION 14.    CUSTODIANS STANDARD OF CARE; EXCULPATION.

14.1     STANDARD OF CARE. In carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, the Custodian shall act (i) with reasonable care and diligence and in good faith, (ii) without negligence, fraud, willful misconduct, willful omission or bad faith, and at least at the same standard of care as the Custodian provides for itself and its affiliates (“Affiliates”) with respect to similar services, and (iii) with the level of skill and care which would be expected from

 

- 14 -


a reasonably skilled and experienced professional provider of services similar to the services provided under this Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Agreement, including any exculpatory language, the Custodian shall have no liability for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss or damage resulting from the performance or nonperformance of its duties hereunder unless and to the extent the Custodian fails to exercise such standard of care. Upon the occurrence of any event that causes or that the Custodian believes or a Portfolio reasonably believes will imminently cause any loss, damage or expense to any Portfolio, the Custodian (i) shall take and (ii) shall take all reasonable steps to cause any applicable sub-custodian to take all commercially reasonable steps (to the extent consistent with the Custodian’s obligations pursuant to Rules 17f-5 and 17f-7, as applicable) to mitigate the effects of such event and to avoid continuing harm to a Portfolio.

14.2     RELIANCE ON PROPER INSTRUCTIONS. The Custodian shall be entitled conclusively to rely and act upon Proper Instructions until the Custodian has received notice of any change from the Fund and has had a reasonable time to act thereon. The Custodian may act on a Proper Instruction if it reasonably believes that it contains sufficient information and may refrain from acting on any Proper Instructions until such time that it has determined, in its sole discretion, that is has received any required clarification or authentication of Proper Instructions. The Custodian may rely upon and shall be protected in acting upon any Proper Instruction or any other instruction, notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument or paper reasonably believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been properly executed by or on behalf of the applicable Fund.

14.3     OTHER RELIANCE. The Custodian is authorized and instructed to rely upon the information that the Custodian receives from the Fund or any third party on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian shall have no responsibility to review, confirm or otherwise assume any duty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any information supplied to it by or on behalf of any Fund. The Custodian shall have no liability in respect of any loss, cost or expense incurred or sustained by the Fund arising from the performance of the Custodian’s duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Fund by any individual or organization, other than the Custodian, prior to the Custodian’s appointment as custodian hereunder. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon reasonable advice of reputable counsel (who may be counsel for the Fund) on all matters and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted in good faith pursuant to the advice; provided, however, that with respect to the reliance on such reasonable advice and the performance of any action or omission of any action upon such advice, the Custodian shall be required to conform to the standard of care set forth above. The Custodian and the applicable Funds shall mutually agree as to which entity will bear the cost of such advice of counsel.

14.4     LIABILITY FOR FOREIGN CUSTODIANS AND U.S. SUB-CUSTODIANS. The Custodian shall be liable for the acts or omissions of an Eligible Foreign Custodian and of any domestic sub-custodian selection by the Custodian to the same extent as if the action or omission were performed by the Custodian itself, taking into account the facts and circumstances and the established local market practices and laws prevailing in the particular jurisdiction in which the Fund elects to invest. If a Fund directs the Custodian to appoint a specific domestic sub-custodian, the Custodian shall, with respect to such domestic sub-custodian, be responsible only for losses arising from its own failure to meet the standard of care set forth in Section 14.1.

14.5     INSOLVENCY AND COUNTRY RISK. The Custodian shall in no event be liable for (a) the insolvency of any Eligible Foreign Custodian or U.S. sub-custodian, (b) the insolvency of any depositary bank maintaining in a deposit account cash denominated in any currency other than an “on book” currency, or (c) any loss, cost or expense incurred or sustained by a Fund or Portfolio resulting from or caused by Country Risk.

14.6     FORCE MAJEURE AND THIRD PARTY ACTIONS. The Custodian shall be without responsibility or liability to any Fund or Portfolio for: (a) events or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian, including, without limitation, the interruption, suspension or restriction of trading on or the closure of any currency or securities market or system, power or other mechanical or technological failures or interruptions, computer viruses or communications disruptions, work stoppages, natural disasters, acts of war, revolution, riots or terrorism or other similar force majeure events or acts; (b) errors by any Fund, its Investment Advisor or any other duly authorized person in their instructions to the Custodian; (c) the insolvency of or acts or omissions by a U.S. Securities System, Foreign Securities System, Underlying Transfer Agent or a domestic sub-custodian designated by a Fund pursuant to Section 2.2; (d) the failure of any Fund, its Investment Advisor, Portfolio or any duly authorized individual or organization to adhere to the Custodian’s operational policies and procedures; (e) any delay or failure of any broker,

 

- 15 -


agent, securities intermediary or other intermediary, central bank or other commercially prevalent payment or clearing system to deliver to the Custodian’s sub-custodian or agent securities or other financial assets purchased or in the remittance or payment made in connection with securities or other financial assets sold; (f) any delay or failure of any organization in charge of registering or transferring securities or other financial assets in the name of the Custodian, any Fund, any Portfolio, the Custodian’s sub-custodians, nominees or agents including non-receipt of bonus, dividends and rights and other accretions or benefits; (g) delays or inability to perform its duties due to any disorder in market infrastructure with respect to any particular security, other financial asset, U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System; and (h) the effect of any provision of any law or regulation or order of the United States of America, or any state thereof, or any other country, or political subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction.

14.7    INDIRECT/SPECIAL/CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Notwithstanding any other provision set forth herein, in no event shall the Custodian be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, lost profits) with respect to the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, regardless of whether either party has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

14.8     DELIVERY OF PROPERTY. The Custodian shall not be responsible for any securities or other assets of a Portfolio which are not received by the Custodian or which are delivered out in accordance with Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any securities or other assets or evidence of title thereto received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.

14.9     NO INVESTMENT ADVICE. The Custodian has no responsibility to monitor or oversee the investment activity undertaken by a Fund or its Investment Advisor or by a Portfolio. The Custodian has no duty to ensure or to inquire whether an Investment Advisor complies with any investment objectives or restrictions agreed upon between a Fund and the Investment Advisor or whether the Investment Advisor complies with its legal obligations under applicable securities laws or other laws, including laws intended to protect the interests of investors. The Custodian shall neither assess nor take any responsibility or liability for the suitability or appropriateness of the investments made by a Fund or a Portfolio or on its behalf.

14.10     COMMUNICATIONS. Subject to Section 14.1, the Custodian shall not be liable for any untimely exercise of any tender, exchange or other right or power in connection with securities or other financial assets of a Portfolio at any time held by the Custodian unless (a) the Custodian or the Eligible Foreign Custodian is in actual possession of such securities or other financial assets, (b) the Custodian receives Proper Instructions with regard to the exercise of the right or power, and (c) both of the conditions referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) have been satisfied at least three business days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take action to exercise the right or power.

14.11     LOANED SECURITIES. Income due to each Portfolio on securities or other financial assets loaned shall be the responsibility of the applicable Fund. The Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection with loaned securities or other financial assets, other than to provide the Fund with such information or data as may be necessary to assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the Custodian of the income to which the Portfolio is entitled, except as may otherwise be mutually agreed to in writing between the Custodian and a Fund.

14.12     TRADE COUNTERPARTIES. A Fund’s receipt of securities or other financial assets from a counterparty in connection with any of its purchase transactions and its receipt of cash from a counterparty in connection with any sale or redemption of securities or other financial assets will be at the Fund’s sole risk, and the Custodian shall not be obligated to make demands on the Fund’s behalf if the Fund’s counterparty defaults. If a Fund’s counterparty fails to deliver securities, other financial assets or cash, the Custodian will, as its sole responsibility, notify the Fund’s Investment Advisor of the failure within a reasonable time after the Custodian became aware of the failure.

SECTION 15.    COMPENSATION AND INDEMNIFICATION OF CUSTODIAN; SECURITY INTEREST.

SECTION. 15.1     COMPENSATION. The Custodian shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as agreed upon from time to time between each Fund on behalf of each applicable Portfolio and the Custodian.

 

- 16 -


SECTION 15.2     INDEMNIFICATION. Each Portfolio severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify the Custodian and to hold the Custodian harmless from and against any loss, cost or expense sustained or incurred by the Custodian in acting or omitting to act under or in respect of this Agreement in a manner consistent with the standard of care set forth in Section 14.1, including, without limitation, (a) the Custodian’s compliance with Proper Instructions and (b) in connection with the provision of services to a Fund pursuant to Section 7, any obligations, including taxes, withholding and reporting requirements, claims for exemption and refund, additions for late payment, interest, penalties and other expenses, that may be assessed against the Fund, the Portfolio or the Custodian as custodian of the assets of the Fund or the Portfolio. If a Fund on behalf of a Portfolio instructs the Custodian to take any action with respect to securities or other financial assets, and the action involves the payment of money or may, in the opinion of the Custodian, result in the Custodian or its nominee assigned to the Fund or the Portfolio being liable therefor, the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio, as a prerequisite to the Custodian taking the action, shall provide to the Custodian at the Custodian’s request such further indemnification in an amount and form satisfactory to the Custodian.

SECTION 15.3     SECURITY INTEREST. Each Fund hereby grants to the Custodian, to secure the payment and performance of the Fund’s obligations under this Agreement, whether contingent or otherwise, a security interest in and right of recoupment and setoff against all cash and all securities and other financial assets at any time held for the account of a Portfolio by or through the Custodian. The obligations include, without limitation, the Fund’s obligations to reimburse the Custodian if the Custodian or any of its Affiliates, subsidiaries or agents advances cash or securities or other financial assets to the Fund for any purpose (including but not limited to settlements of securities or other financial assets, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement), or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except such as may arise from its or its nominee’s own negligence, as well as the Fund’s obligation to compensate the Custodian pursuant to Section 15.1 or indemnify the Custodian pursuant to Section 15.2. Should the Fund fail to reimburse or otherwise pay the Custodian any obligation under this Agreement promptly, the Custodian shall have the rights and remedies of a secured party under this Agreement, the UCC and other applicable law, including the right to utilize available cash and to sell or otherwise dispose of the Portfolio’s assets to the extent necessary to obtain payment or reimbursement. The Custodian may at any time decline to follow Proper Instructions to deliver out cash, securities or other financial assets if the Custodian determines in its reasonable discretion that, after giving effect to the Proper Instructions, the cash, securities or other financial assets remaining will not have sufficient value fully to secure the Fund’s payment or reimbursement obligations, whether contingent or otherwise.

SECTION 16.     EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION.

SECTION 16.1     TERM. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for an initial term of one (1) year from the effective date (the “Initial Term”). After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one (1) year terms. Following the Initial Term, this Agreement may be terminated by any Fund or Portfolio upon no less than ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Custodian, or by the Custodian upon no less than 180 days’ prior written notice to the applicable Fund or Portfolio.

SECTION 16.2     TERMINATION. Either party may terminate this Agreement as to a Fund or a Portfolio: (a) in the event of the other party’s material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the other party has either failed to cure, or failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable to the non-breaching party, within 60 days’ written notice being given by the non-breaching party of the breach, or (b) in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the other party, the commencement by or against the other party of a bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding, or upon the happening of a like event to the other party at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction.

SECTION 16.3     PAYMENTS OWING TO THE CUSTODIAN. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 16.1 or 16.2 with respect to any Fund or Portfolio, the applicable Fund shall pay to the Custodian any compensation then due and shall reimburse the Custodian for its other fees, expenses and charges. In the event of: (a) any Fund’s termination of this Agreement with respect to such Fund or a Portfolio of the Fund in any manner other than as set forth in Section 16.1 or 16.2 or (b) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Custodian is not retained to continue providing services hereunder to a Fund or Portfolio (or its respective successor), the applicable Fund shall pay to the Custodian any compensation due through the end of the then-current

 

- 17 -


term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by the Custodian with respect to the Fund or Portfolio) and shall reimburse the Custodian for its other fees, expenses and charges. Upon receipt of such payment and reimbursement, the Custodian will deliver the Fund’s or Portfolio’s cash and its securities and other financial assets as set forth in Section 17.

SECTION 16.4     EXCLUSIONS. No full term payment will be required pursuant to clause (b) of Section 16.3 in the event of any transaction consisting of (a) the liquidation or dissolution of a Fund or a Portfolio and distribution of the Fund’s or Portfolio’s assets as a result of the Board’s determination in its reasonable business judgment that the Fund or Portfolio is no longer viable or that the liquidation is in the best interest of the Fund or such Portfolio, (b) a merger of a Fund or Portfolio into, or the consolidation of a Fund or Portfolio with, another organization or series, or (c) the sale by a Fund or Portfolio of all or substantially all of its assets to another organization or series and, in the case of a transaction referred to in the foregoing clause (b) or (c) the applicable Funds provide 90 days’ prior written notice in advance of the closing date of any such transactions.

SECTION 16.5     EFFECT OF TERMINATION. Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund or Portfolio shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Fund or Portfolio. Following termination with respect to a Fund or Portfolio, the Custodian shall have no further responsibility to forward information under Section 3.8 or 5.8. The provisions of Sections 7, 14, 15 and 17 of this Agreement shall survive termination of this Agreement.

SECTION 17.     SUCCESSOR CUSTODIAN.

SECTION 17.1     SUCCESSOR APPOINTED. If a successor custodian shall be appointed for a Portfolio by its Board, the Custodian shall, upon termination of this Agreement and receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver to the successor custodian at the office of the Custodian, duly endorsed and in the form for transfer, all cash and all securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio then held by the Custodian hereunder and shall transfer to an account of the successor custodian all of the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio held in a U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent.

SECTION 17.2     NO SUCCESSOR APPOINTED. If no such successor custodian shall be appointed, the Custodian shall, in like manner, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, deliver at the office of the Custodian and transfer the cash and the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio in accordance with the Proper Instructions.

SECTION 17.3     NO SUCCESSOR APPOINTED AND NO PROPER INSTRUCTIONS. If no successor custodian has been appointed and no Proper Instructions have been delivered to the Custodian on or before the termination of this Agreement, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company, which is a “bank” as defined in the 1940 Act, doing business in Boston, Massachusetts, or New York, New York, of its own selection, all cash and all securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio then held by the Custodian hereunder, and to transfer to an account of the bank or trust company all of the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio held in any U.S. Securities System or Foreign Securities System or at the Underlying Transfer Agent. The transfer will be on such terms as are contained in this Agreement or as the Custodian may otherwise reasonably negotiate with the bank or trust company. Any compensation payable to the bank or trust company, and any cost or expense incurred by the Custodian, in connection with the transfer shall be for the account of the Portfolio.

SECTION 17.4     REMAINING PROPERTY. If any cash or any securities or other financial assets of the Portfolio held by the Custodian hereunder remain held by the Custodian after the termination of this Agreement owing to the failure of the applicable Fund to provide Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall be entitled to fair compensation for its services during such period as the Custodian holds the cash or the securities or other financial assets (the existing agreed-to compensation at the time of termination shall be one indicator of what is considered fair compensation). The provisions of this Agreement relating to the duties, exculpation and indemnification of the Custodian shall apply in favor of the Custodian during such period.

SECTION 17.5     RESERVES. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 17, the Custodian may retain cash or securities or other financial assets of the Fund or Portfolio as a reserve reasonably established by the Custodian to secure the payment or performance of any obligations of the Fund or Portfolio secured by a security interest or right of recoupment or setoff in favor of the Custodian.

 

- 18 -


SECTION 18.     REMOTE ACCESS SERVICES ADDENDUM. The Custodian and each Fund agree to be bound by the terms of the Remote Access Services Addendum hereto.

SECTION 19.     LOAN SERVICES ADDENDUM. If a Fund directs the Custodian in writing to perform loan services, the Custodian and the Fund will be bound by the terms of the Loan Services Addendum attached hereto. The Fund shall reimburse Custodian for its fees and expenses related thereto as agreed upon from time to time in writing by the Fund and the Custodian.

SECTION 20.     GENERAL.

SECTION 20.1     GOVERNING LAW. Any and all matters in dispute between the parties hereto, whether arising from or relating to this Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any conflict of laws rules.

SECTION 20.2    [RESERVED]

SECTION 20.3    PRIOR AGREEMENTS; AMENDMENTS. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements between each Fund on behalf of each of the Fund’s Portfolios and the Custodian relating to the custody of the Fund’s assets. This Agreement may be amended at any time in writing by mutual agreement of the parties hereto.

SECTION 20.4    ASSIGNMENT; DELEGATION. This Agreement may not be assigned by (a) any Fund without the written consent of the Custodian or (b) the Custodian without the written consent of each applicable Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Custodian may assign this Agreement to a successor of all or a substantial portion of its business, or to an Affiliate of the Custodian upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Fund. The Custodian shall retain the right to employ its Affiliates to provide or assist it in the provision of any part of the services described herein or the discharge of any other obligations or duties under this Agreement without the consent or approval of any Fund. The Custodian may employ other agents, subcontractors, consultants and other third parties (each a “Delegate”) to provide the services stated herein to the Funds upon the prior written consent of the Funds. Except as otherwise provided below, the Custodian shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of any such Delegate or Affiliate so employed as if the Custodian had committed such acts and omissions itself. The Custodian shall be responsible for the compensation of its Delegates and Affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the term Delegate include sub-custodians, Eligible Foreign Custodians, U.S. Securities Systems and Foreign Securities Systems, consultants, authorized data sources, suppliers of Custodian’s third party technology, providers of market infrastructure, and other non-affiliated entities that provide similar assistance to the Custodian in its performance of its duties under this Agreement, and the Custodian shall have no liability for their acts or omissions except as otherwise expressly provided elsewhere in this Agreement. The liability of the Custodian for the acts and omissions of sub-custodians, Eligible Foreign Custodians, U.S. Securities Systems and Foreign Securities Systems shall be as set forth in Section 14 above.

SECTION 20.5     INTERPRETIVE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Custodian and each Fund on behalf of each of the Portfolios, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable laws or regulations or any provision of a Fund’s organic record and Prospectus. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be an amendment of this Agreement.

SECTION 20.6     ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND PORTFOLIOS.

20.6.1     ADDITIONAL FUNDS. If any management investment company in addition to those listed on Appendix A desires the Custodian to render services as custodian under the terms of this Agreement, the management investment company shall so notify the Custodian in writing. If the Custodian agrees in writing to provide the services, the management investment company shall become a Fund hereunder and be bound by all terms and conditions and provisions hereof including, without limitation, the representations and warranties set forth in Section 20.7 below.

20.6.2     ADDITIONAL PORTFOLIOS. If any Fund establishes a series in addition to the Portfolios set forth on Appendix A with respect to which the Fund desires the Custodian to render services as custodian under the terms of this Agreement, the Fund shall so notify the Custodian in writing. If the Custodian agrees in writing to provide the services, the series shall become a Portfolio hereunder.

 

- 19 -


SECTION 20.7    THE PARTIES; REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. All references in this Agreement to the “Fund” are to each of the management investment companies listed on Appendix A, and each management investment company made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 20.6 above, individually, as if this Agreement were between the individual Fund and the Custodian. In the case of a series organization, all references in this Agreement to the “Portfolio” are to the individual series of the series organization on behalf of the individual series. Any reference in this Agreement to “the parties” shall mean the Custodian and such other individual Fund as to which the matter pertains.

20.7.1     FUND REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Each Fund hereby represents and warrants that (a) it is duly organized and validly existing in good standing in its jurisdiction of organization; (b) it has the requisite power and authority under applicable law and its organic record to enter into and perform this Agreement; (c) all requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement; (d) no legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would materially impair the Fund’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and (e) its entering into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Fund or any law or regulation applicable to it.

20.7.2     CUSTODIAN REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Custodian hereby represents and warrants that (a) it is a trust company, duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (b) it has the requisite power and authority to carry on its business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (c) all requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement; (d) no legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would materially impair the Custodian’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; (e) its entering into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Custodian or any law or regulation applicable to it; and (f) it has and will maintain at least the minimum qualifications required by Section 17(f)(1) of the 1940 Act to act as custodian of the portfolio securities of each Portfolio.

SECTION 20.8     NOTICES. Any notice, instruction or other communication required to be given hereunder will, unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, be in writing and may be sent by hand, or by facsimile transmission, or overnight delivery by any recognized delivery service, to the parties at the following addresses or such other addresses as may be notified by any party from time to time.

 

To any Fund:    c/o BLACKROCK FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
   100 Bellevue Parkway
   Wilmington, DE 19809-3700
   Attention: Neal Andrews
   Telephone: 302-797-6179
To the Custodian:    STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
   100 Summer Street
   Boston, MA 02110
   Attention: Anthony Ostler
   Telephone: 617-664-9797

with a copy to:

  
  

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

Legal Division – Global Services Americas

One Lincoln Street

   Boston, MA 02110
   Attention: Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel

 

- 20 -


SECTION 20.9    COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received in electronically transmitted form.

SECTION 20.10    SEVERABILITY; NO WAIVER. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired. The failure of a party hereto to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion or the failure of a party hereto to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any the term, right or remedy or a waiver of any other rights or remedies, and no single or partial exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement shall prevent any further exercise of the right or remedy or the exercise of any other right or remedy.

SECTION 20.11    CONFIDENTIALITY. All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) regarding the Disclosing Party’s business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 20.12 below, all confidential information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Party’s other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its Affiliates, including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, (c) that is disclosed to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, (d) that is disclosed as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Custodian or its Affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement), or (e) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

SECTION 20.12    USE OF DATA.

(a)    In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Custodian (which term for purposes of this Section 20.12 includes each of its Affiliates) may collect and store information regarding the Funds or Portfolios (“Fund Information”) and share such Fund Information with its Affiliates, agents, delegates and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between a Fund and the Custodian or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out the internal management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance.

(b)    Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 20.12 shall limit the confidentiality and data- protection obligations of the Custodian and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Custodian shall cause any Affiliate, agent or service provider to which it has disclosed Data pursuant to this Section 20.12 to comply at all times with confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement.

SECTION 20.13    DATA PRIVACY. The Custodian will implement and maintain a written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of the Funds’ shareholders, employees, directors and officers that the Custodian receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder. The term, “personal information”, as used in this

 

- 21 -


Section, means (a) an individual’s name (first initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (i) Social Security number, (ii) driver’s license number, (iii) state identification card number, (iv) debit or credit card number, (v) financial account number or (vi) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a person’s account, or (b) any combination of any of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individual’s account. The term does not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

SECTION 20.14    LIMITATION ON LIABILITY OF TRUSTEES. Notice is hereby given that this Agreement is not executed on behalf of any directors or trustees of any Fund as individuals, and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding on any of the directors, trustees, officers, shareholders or partners of any Fund individually, but are binding only upon the property of each Fund or Portfolio. In relation to each Fund which is a business trust, this Agreement is executed and made by the Trustees of the Fund not individually, but as trustees under the Declarations of Trust of the Fund and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any of such Trustees or upon any of the shareholders of the Fund individually, but bind only the trust estate of the Fund. The Custodian agrees that no shareholder, director, trustee, officer or partner of any Fund may be held personally liable or responsible for any obligations of any Fund arising out of this Agreement.

SECTION 20.15    REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS. This Agreement and all schedules, addenda, exhibits, appendices, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. Any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

SECTION 20.16    REGULATION GG. Each Fund represents and warrants that it does not engage in an “Internet gambling business,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(r) of Federal Reserve Regulation GG (12 CFR 233) and covenants that it shall not engage in an Internet gambling business. In accordance with Regulation GG, each Fund is hereby notified that “restricted transactions,” as such term is defined in Section 233.2(y) of Regulation GG, are prohibited in any dealings with the Custodian pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise between or among any party hereto.

SECTION 20.17    SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS ELECTION. SEC Rule 14b-2 requires banks that hold securities, as that term is used in federal securities laws, for the account of customers to respond to requests by issuers of securities for the names, addresses and holdings of beneficial owners of securities of that issuer held by the bank unless the beneficial owner has expressly objected to disclosure of this information. In order to comply with the rule, as may be applicable, the Custodian needs each Fund to indicate whether it authorizes the Custodian to provide such Fund’s name, address, and share position to requesting companies whose securities the Fund owns. If a Fund tells the Custodian “no,” the Custodian will not provide this information to requesting companies. If a Fund tells the Custodian “yes” or does not check either “yes” or “no” below, the Custodian is required by the rule, as applicable, to treat the Fund as consenting to disclosure of this information for all securities owned by the Fund or any funds or accounts established by the Fund. For a Fund’s protection, the Rule, as applicable, prohibits the requesting company from using the Fund’s name and address for any purpose other than corporate communications. Please indicate below whether the Fund consents or objects by checking one of the alternatives below.

YES ☐     The Custodian is authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.

NO ☒     The Custodian is not authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions.

[Remainder of the page intentionally left blank]

 

- 22 -


SIGNATURE PAGE

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized representative under seal as of the date first above-written.

 

EACH OF ENTITIES
SET FORTH ON APPENDIX A HERETO
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

Name:   Neal J. Andrews
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Andrew Erickson

Name:   Andrew Erickson
Title:   Executive Vice President

 

- 23 -


APPENDIX A

TO

MASTER CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

 

- 24 -

Exhibit (13)(a)

Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement

Among

Each of the BlackRock Closed-End Investment Companies

Listed Herein on Appendix A

and

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

and

Computershare Inc.


Table of Contents

 

Section 1.

 

Certain Definitions

     3  

Section 2.

 

Appointment of Agent

     5  

Section 3.

 

Standard Services

     6  

Section 4.

 

Fees and Expenses

     7  

Section 5.

 

Representations and Warranties of Transfer Agent

     8  

Section 6.

 

Representations and Warranties of Customer

     8  

Section 7.

 

Indemnification/Limitation of Liability

     9  

Section 8.

 

Service Fee Credits; Service Levels

     11  

Section 9.

 

Damages

     11  

Section 10.

 

Responsibilities of the Transfer Agent

     11  

Section 11.

 

Covenants of the Customer and Transfer Agent

     12  

Section 12.

 

Addition of New Funds

     13  

Section 13.

 

Audit and Site Visits

     13  

Section 14.

 

Confidentiality

     14  

Section 15.

 

Privacy

     16  

Section 16.

 

Term and Termination

     16  

Section 17.

 

Assignment

     18  

Section 18.

 

Unaffiliated Third Parties

     19  

Section 19.

 

Disaster Recovery

     19  

Section 20.

 

Miscellaneous

     20  

Appendix A — Fund List

Appendix B — Form of CFTC Compliance Letter

Appendix C — Form of New Fund Confirmation Letter

 

- 2 -


AMENDED AND RESTATED TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of July 13, 2020, by and among each of the BlackRock closed-end investment companies listed on Appendix A, as amended from time to time, having a principal office and place of business at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809 (each a “Customer” or a “Fund”), Computershare Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its fully owned subsidiary Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered trust company (“Trust Company”), both doing business at 150 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 (collectively the “Transfer Agent” or “Computershare”).

WHEREAS, Customer, Computershare, and Trust Company entered into that certain Transfer Agency and Service Agreement effective January 1, 2015 (“Old Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Customer desires to confirm the appointment of Trust Company as its sole transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for the Shares, and administrator of dividend reinvestment plans, and Computershare Inc. as processor of all payments received or made by Customer under this Agreement;

WHEREAS, Trust Company and Computershare Inc. will each continue to separately provide specified services covered by this Agreement and, in addition, Trust Company may continue to arrange for Computershare Inc. to act on behalf of Trust Company in providing certain of its services covered by this Agreement;

WHEREAS, Trust Company and Computershare Inc. desire to confirm their acceptance of such respective appointments and continue to perform the services related to such appointments; and

WHEREAS, Customer and Transfer Agent hereby agree to amend and restate the Old Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors or Trustees, as applicable, of each Customer has approved the appointment of the Transfer Agent and the form of this Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree to the statements made in the preceding paragraphs and as follows:

Section 1. Certain Definitions.

1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

1940 Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Account” or “Accounts” means the account of each Shareholder which account shall hold any full or fractional Shares held by such Shareholder, outstanding funds or reportable tax information.

 

- 3 -


Additional Services” means any and all services which are not Services, but performed by Transfer Agent upon request of a Customer.

Agreement” means this agreement and any and all appendices, exhibits or Schedules and any and all amendments or modifications, which may from time to time be executed.

Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees, as the case may be, of each Customer.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means any dividend reinvestment plan, direct stock purchase plan, or other investment programs administered by the Trust Company for Customer, the services for which are as set forth in the Service Schedule.

Effective Date” means the date first stated above.

Electronic Transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, which creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

Fee Letter” means the fee letter attached to the Side Agreement as Schedule 1, as may be amended from time to time.

Initial Term” means the term commencing on the Effective Date and continuing for a period of one (1) year from such date.

KPI Document” means the KPI document describing the agreed to service levels attached to the Side Agreement as Schedule 3, as may be amended from time to time.

Schedule” or “Schedules” means each schedule attached hereto, separately or collectively as the context requires, as the same may be amended from time to time.

SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Laws” means the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act as applicable to the Transfer Agent.

Service Schedule” means the service schedule attached to the Side Agreement as Schedule 2.

Services” means any and all services as further described herein and in the Service Schedule or the Schedules.

Share” means common units of beneficial interest or common stock, as the case may be, of each Customer authorized by the Customer’s respective Declaration of Trust or Articles of Incorporation, as the case may be.

 

- 4 -


Side Agreement” means the Side Agreement for Transfer Agency Services between the Customer and Transfer Agent dated as of July 13, 2020.

Shareholder” means the holder of record of one or more Shares.

U.S.” means the states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and any territory or commonwealth of the United States of America with a formal local government substantially equivalent to a state government. Each will be referred to as a “State”.

Section 2. Appointment of Agent.

 

2.1

Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Trust Company to serve as sole transfer agent and registrar for the Shares, Shareholder servicing agent to the Fund and administrator of the Dividend Reinvestment Plans in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof and appoints Computershare Inc. as the service provider to the Trust Company and as processor of all payments received or made by or on behalf of Customer under this Agreement, and the Trust Company and Computershare Inc. accept such respective appointments and agree in connection with such appointments to furnish the Services expressly set forth in this Agreement. Computershare represents that it is currently registered with the SEC as a transfer agent and will remain so registered during the effectiveness of this Agreement.

 

2.2

Documents. In connection with the appointment of the Trust Company as the transfer agent and registrar for a Customer, the Customer will provide or has previously provided the following documents to the Transfer Agent:

 

  (a)

Copies of Registration Statements and amendments thereto, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for initial public offerings; and

 

  (b)

Specimens of the Signatures of the officers of the Customer authorized to sign written instructions and requests.

 

2.3

Records. The books and records pertaining to the Customer required by Securities Laws and the 1940 Act which are in the possession or under the control of Computershare shall be the property of the Customer. Agent will prepare and maintain such books and records as required by Securities Laws, or as otherwise mutually agreed by the parties, subject to additional fees. Such books and records shall, to the extent practicable, be maintained separately for each Fund. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund, copies of any such books and records shall be provided by Computershare to an Authorized Person, and may be subject to a reasonable fee to be agreed upon by the parties. Transfer Agent may adopt as part of its records all lists of Shareholders, records of the Customer’s Shares, books, documents and records which have been employed by any former agent of the Customer for the maintenance of the ledgers for the Customer’s Shares, provided such ledger is certified by an officer of Customer or the prior transfer agent to be true, authentic and complete.

 

2.4

Shares. The Customer shall, if applicable, inform Transfer Agent as to (i) the existence or termination of any restrictions on the transfer of Shares and in the application to or removal from any book entry interest of stock of any legend restricting the transfer of such Shares or the substitution for such book entry interest of a book entry interest without such legend, (ii) any authorized but unissued Shares reserved for specific purposes, (iii) any outstanding shares which are exchangeable for Shares and the basis for exchange, (iv) reserved Shares subject to option and the details of such reservation and (v) special instructions regarding dividends and information of foreign holders.

 

- 5 -


2.5

Customer ’s Agent. Transfer Agent represents that it is engaged in an independent business and will perform its obligations under this Agreement as an agent of the Customer.

 

2.6

Certificates. No physical certificates will be issued while this Agreement is in effect. All Shares issued while this Agreement is in effect shall be represented by book entry notations only.

Section 3. Standard Services.

 

3.1

Services. Computershare shall perform the Services set forth in the Service Schedule.

 

3.2

Information Security and Data Protection. Computershare shall comply with the provisions of Schedules 9 and 10 of the Side Agreement.

 

3.3

Reports and Information. Computershare shall provide the Funds with the reports specified in Schedule 6 of the Side Agreement within the periods of time prescribed in Schedule 6 of the Side Agreement and at no additional cost to the Funds.

 

3.4

Internet Services. Transfer Agent shall make available to Customer and Shareholders, through its web sites, including but not limited to www.computershare.com (collectively, “Web Site”), online access to certain Account and Shareholder information and certain transaction capabilities (“Internet Services”), subject to Transfer Agent’s security procedures and the terms and conditions set forth herein and on the Web Site. Transfer Agent provides Internet Services on an “as available” basis as set forth in Schedule 2 of the Side Agreement, and hereby specifically disclaims any and all representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding such Internet Services, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and implied warranties arising from course of dealing or course of performance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Transfer Agent shall ensure that content as posted to Web Site by Transfer Agent is an accurate and complete reflection of information contained in Transfer Agent’s records database.

 

3.5

Proprietary Information. Customer agrees that the databases, programs, screen and report formats, interactive design techniques, Internet Services, software (including methods or concepts used therein, source code, object code, or related technical information) and documentation manuals furnished to Customer by Transfer Agent as part of the Services are under the control and ownership of Transfer Agent or a third party (including its affiliates) and constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively, “Proprietary Information”). In no event shall Proprietary Information be deemed Shareholder data. Customer agrees that Proprietary Information is of substantial value to Transfer Agent or other third party and will treat all Proprietary Information as confidential in accordance with Section 14 of this Agreement. Customer shall take reasonable efforts to advise its relevant employees and agents of its obligations pursuant to this Section 3.5. Subject to this Section 3.5, Transfer Agent grants to Customer a nonexclusive, nontransferable, royalty free license to use any Proprietary Information solely for the internal business purposes of Customer. Any rights to the Proprietary Information not expressly licensed hereunder are reserved by Transfer Agent.

 

3.6

Third Party Content. Transfer Agent may provide real-time or delayed quotations and other market information and messages (“Market Data”), which Market Data is provided to Transfer Agent by certain third parties who may assert a proprietary interest in Market Data disseminated by them but do not guarantee the timeliness, sequence, accuracy or completeness thereof. Customer agrees and acknowledges that Transfer Agent shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage arising from or occasioned by any inaccuracy, error, delay in, omission of, or interruption in any Market Data or the transmission thereof.

 

- 6 -


3.7

Compliance with Laws. The Customer agrees the Transfer Agent is obligated to and the Transfer Agent agrees to comply with all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations, codes, order and government rules in the performance of its duties under this Agreement.

Section 4. Fees and Expenses.

 

4.1

Fee Letters. As compensation for Services rendered by Computershare during the term of this Agreement, the Fund will pay to Computershare such fees and charges and reimburse Computershare for such expenses, as set forth in the Fee Letter or as may otherwise be agreed to from time to time in writing by the Fund and Computershare.

 

4.2

Adjustments. Notwithstanding Section 4.1 above, fees may be changed from time to time as agreed upon in writing between the Transfer Agent and the Customer.

 

4.3

Invoices. The Customer agrees to pay all fees and reimbursable expenses within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the respective billing notice, except for any fees or expenses that are subject to good faith dispute. In the event of such a dispute, the Customer may only withhold that portion of the fee or expense subject to the good faith dispute. The Customer shall notify the Transfer Agent within forty-five (45) days following the receipt of each billing notice if the Customer is disputing any amounts in good faith. If the Customer does not provide such notice of dispute within the required time, the billing notice will be deemed accepted by the Customer. The Customer shall settle such disputed amounts within a reasonable time following the day on which the parties agree on the amount to be paid by payment of the agreed amount. If no agreement is reached, then such disputed amounts shall be settled as may be required by law or legal process.

 

4.4

Late Payments.

(a) If any undisputed amount in an invoice of the Transfer Agent (for fees or reimbursable expenses) is not paid when due, the Customer shall pay the Transfer Agent interest thereon (from the due date to the date of payment) at a per annum rate equal to one percent (1.0%) plus the Prime Rate (that is, the base rate on corporate loans posted by large domestic Transfer Agents) published by The Wall Street Journal (or, in the event such rate is not so published, a reasonably equivalent published rate selected by Customer on the first day of publication during the month when such amount was due. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, such interest rate shall be no greater than permitted under applicable provisions of Massachusetts law.

(b) The failure by Customer to pay an invoice within 45 days after written and telephonic notice to Customer that payment is overdue or the failure by the Customer to timely pay two consecutive invoices shall constitute a material breach pursuant to Section 16.3(a) below. Transfer Agent will provide notice by writing and telephone forty-five (45) days after payment is past due. The Transfer Agent may terminate this Agreement for such material breach immediately and shall not be obligated to provide the Customer with 30 days to cure such breach.

 

4.5

Taxes. Fund is responsible for all taxes, levies, duties, and assessments levied on Services purchased under this Agreement (collectively, “Transaction Taxes”). Computershare Inc. is responsible for collecting and remitting Transaction Taxes in all jurisdictions in which Computershare Inc. is registered to collect such Transaction Taxes. Computershare Inc. shall invoice Fund for such Transaction Taxes that Computershare Inc. is obligated to collect upon the

 

- 7 -


  furnishing of Services. Fund shall pay such Transaction Taxes according to the terms in Section 7.3. Computershare Inc. shall timely remit to the appropriate governmental authorities all such Transaction Taxes that Computershare Inc. collects from Customer. To the extent that Fund provides Computershare Inc. with valid exemption certificates, direct pay permits, or other documentation that exempts Computershare Inc. from collecting Transaction Taxes from Fund, invoices issued for Services provided after Computershare Inc.’s receipt of such certificates, permits, or other documentation will not reflect exempted Transaction Taxes. Computershare Inc. is solely responsible for the payment of all personal property taxes, franchise taxes, corporate excise or privilege taxes, property or license taxes, taxes relating to Computershare Inc.’s personnel, and taxes based on Computershare Inc.’s net income or gross revenues relating to Services.

Section 5. Representations and Warranties of Transfer Agent.

 

5.1

Governance. Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is a federally chartered limited purpose national bank duly organized under the laws of the U.S. and Computershare Inc. is a corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and they have full corporate power, authority and legal right to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Computershare has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and constitutes the legal valid and binding obligation of Computershare enforceable against Computershare in accordance with its terms.

 

5.2

Compliance. The execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement by Computershare will not violate, conflict with or result in the breach of any material term, condition or provision of, or require the consent of any other party to, (i) any existing law, ordinance, or governmental rule or regulation to which Computershare is subject, (ii) any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or award of any court, arbitrator or governmental or governmental or regulatory official, body or authority which is applicable to Computershare, (iii) the incorporation documents or by-laws of, or any material agreement to which Computershare is a party.

 

5.3

Facilities. The Transfer Agent has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement.

 

5.4

Insurance. The Transfer Agent shall procure and maintain in effect all insurance coverages required by law, and further, shall procure and maintain the policies of insurance (regardless of whether such insurance is required by law) covering claims and liabilities arising from this Agreement as identified in Schedule 8 of the Side Agreement.

Section 6. Representations and Warranties of Customer.

 

6.1

Each Customer severally and not jointly represents and warrants to the Transfer Agent that:

 

  (a)

Organization. It is a corporation or Trust duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization;

 

  (b)

Governance. It is empowered under applicable laws and by its charter documents to enter into and perform this Agreement. All corporate proceedings required by said charter documents and applicable law have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by each Customer has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or trust action and constitutes the legal valid and binding obligation of each Customer enforceable against each Customer in accordance with its terms;

 

- 8 -


  (c)

A registration statement under the 1933 Act has been filed and is currently effective, or will be effective prior to the sale of any Shares, and will remain so effective, and all appropriate state securities law filings have been made with respect to all the Shares of each Customer outstanding or being offered for sale except for any Shares which are offered in a transaction or series of transactions which are exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and state securities laws; information to the contrary will result in immediate notification to the Transfer Agent.

Section 7. Indemnification/Limitation of Liability.

 

7.1

Standard of Care. The Transfer Agent shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to use its best efforts within reasonable time limits to insure the accuracy of all Services performed under this Agreement, but assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for loss or damage unless said loss or damage is caused by its negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct or that of its employees as set forth or breach of any representation or warranty of the Transfer Agent hereunder and subject to the limitations set forth hereunder in Section 7.4 below.

 

7.2

Customer Indemnity. The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for, and the Customer shall indemnify and hold the Transfer Agent harmless from and against, any and all claims, losses, damages, costs, charges, payments, expenses, liability and, court costs, fees and expenses of attorneys, expert witnesses, and other professionals reasonably acceptable to Customer arising out of or attributable to:

 

  (a)

All actions of the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided such actions are taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct;

 

  (b)

The Customer’s bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct or the material breach of any representation or warranty of the Customer hereunder;

 

  (c)

The reliance or use by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors of information, records and documents which (i) are received by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors and furnished to it by or on behalf of the Customer, and (ii) have been prepared and /or maintained by the Customer or any other person or firm on behalf of the Customer;

 

  (d)

The reliance or use by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors of any paper or document reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons including Shareholders;

 

  (e)

The reliance on, or the carrying out by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors of any instructions or requests of the Customer’s representatives, provided such actions are taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct; and

 

  (f)

The offer or sale of Shares in violation of any federal or state securities laws requiring that such shares be registered or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal or state agency with respect to the offer or sale of such Shares.

 

7.3

Instructions. From time to time, the Customer may provide Transfer Agent with instructions concerning the Services. In addition, at any time the Transfer Agent may apply to any officer of the Customer for instruction, and may consult with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to Customer with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by

 

- 9 -


  the Transfer Agent under this Agreement, and Transfer Agent and its agents and subcontractors shall not be liable and shall be indemnified by the Customer for taking action or omitting to take action by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon the advice or opinion of such counsel provided that when the action is taken it is performed in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct. The Transfer Agent, its agents and subcontractors shall be protected and indemnified in acting upon any paper or document reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors by telephone, in person, machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or similar means authorized by the Customer or the Fund, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Customer. The Transfer Agent, its agents and subcontractors shall also be protected and indemnified in recognizing stock certificates which are reasonably believed to bear the proper manual or facsimile signatures of officers of the Customer, and the proper countersignature of any former transfer agent or former registrar, or of a co-transfer agent or co-registrar.

 

7.4

Transfer Agent Indemnification/Limitation of Liability. Transfer Agent shall be responsible for and shall indemnify and hold the Customer harmless from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, costs, charges, payments, expenses, liability, court costs, and reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys, expert witnesses, and other professionals, arising out of or attributable to Transfer Agent’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, or which arise out of Transfer Agent’s bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct or which arise out of the breach of any representation or warranty of Transfer Agent hereunder, for which Transfer Agent is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Any liability of the Transfer Agent shall be limited as set forth in Schedule 11 of the Side Agreement.

 

7.5

Events Beyond Reasonable Control. Neither party nor its affiliates shall be liable for any loss (including loss caused by delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data) or breach hereunder occurring directly or indirectly by reason of any event or circumstance, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable, which despite the taking of commercially reasonable measures is beyond its reasonable control, including without limitation: natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and wildfires; epidemics; action or inaction of civil or military authority; war, terrorism, riots or insurrection; criminal acts; job action by organized labor; interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities, transportation, computer or communications capabilities; non-performance by third parties (other than subcontractors of Transfer Agent for duties or obligations described herein, except to the extent that such non-performance would be an Event Beyond Reasonable Control of Transfer Agent if Transfer Agent was itself the non-performing party and the event(s) referenced above had affected Transfer Agent); or functions or malfunctions of the internet, firewalls, encryption systems or security devices caused by any of the foregoing (all and any of the foregoing being an “Event Beyond Reasonable Control”). Upon the occurrence of an Event Beyond Reasonable Control, the affected party shall be excused from any non-performance caused by the Event Beyond Reasonable Control for so long such affected party continues to use commercially reasonable efforts to attempt to perform the obligation so impacted.

 

7.6

Notice. In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section 7 shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which one party may be required to indemnify the other, the party seeking indemnification shall promptly notify the other party of such assertion, and shall keep the other party advised with respect to all developments concerning such claim. The indemnifying

 

- 10 -


  party shall have the option to participate with the indemnified party in the defense of such claim or to defend against said claim in its own name or the name of the indemnified party. The indemnified party shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnifying party may be required to indemnify it except with the indemnifying party’s prior written consent.

Section 8. Service Fee Credits; Service Levels.

 

8.1

The KPI Document sets forth provisions applicable to the determination and assessment of “Service Fee Credits”, as such term is defined in the KPI Document. Service Fee Credits shall not be an exclusive remedy for any loss incurred as a result of breach conduct (which may be claimable as damages pursuant to the terms of this Agreement), but are intended to be a form of recompense to the Fund for failure by the Transfer Agent to deliver the Services in a proper, timely and consistent manner, in view of the key significance that the service levels have to the Fund. The application of Service Fee Credits shall be without prejudice to any rights of the Fund under this Agreement including the right of the Fund to terminate this Agreement pursuant to the terms of the Agreement or to claim damages from Transfer Agent, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, as a result of any matter constituting breach conduct that contributes to circumstances that cause Service Fee Credits that accrue to the Customer.

 

8.2

The Services provided by Computershare to the Fund shall be provided in accordance with the terms of the KPI Document, as relevant. The KPI Document is subject to change, as agreed in writing between the parties.

Section 9. Damages.

 

9.1

NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THE AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY, ITS AFFILIATES OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR SUBCONTRACTORS BE LIABLE UNDER ANY THEORY OF TORT, CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY FOR LOST PROFITS, FOR EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHICH ARE NOT DIRECT DAMAGES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORESEEABLE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY ENTITY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, ALL AND EACH OF WHICH DAMAGES IS HEREBY EXCLUDED BY AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES. FOR PURPOSES OF CLARIFICATION: NO OTHER PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE INTERPRETED TO CONDITION, LIMIT, MODIFY, NULLIFY OR OTHERWISE PREVAIL IN WHOLE OR IN PART OVER THIS SECTION 9

Section 10. Responsibilities of the Transfer Agent.

 

10.1

The Transfer Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Customer, by its acceptance hereof, shall be bound:

 

  (a)

Whenever in the performance of its duties hereunder the Transfer Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President,

 

- 11 -


  any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant treasurer, the Secretary any Assistant Secretary or Chief Financial Officer of the Customer and delivered to the Transfer Agent. Such certificate shall be full authorization to the Transfer Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate provided the action taken is without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

 

  (b)

The Customer agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Transfer Agent for the carrying out, or performing by the Transfer Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

  (c)

Transfer Agent, any of its affiliates or subsidiaries, and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Transfer Agent may buy, sell or deal in the securities of the Customer or become pecuniary interested in any transaction in which the Customer may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Customer or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not appointed as agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Transfer Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Customer or for any other legal entity.

 

  (d)

No provision of this Agreement shall require the Transfer Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it shall believe in good faith that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

Section 11. Covenants of the Customer and Transfer Agent.

 

11.1

Customer Corporate Authority. The Customer has previously furnished or shall furnish to the Transfer Agent the following:

 

  (a)

A copy of the Articles of incorporation and By-Laws of the Customer;

 

  (b)

Copies of all material amendments to its Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws made after the date of this Agreement, promptly after such amendments are made; and

 

  (c)

A certificate of the Customer as to the Shares authorized, issued and outstanding, as well as a description of all reserves of unissued shares relating to the exercise of options, warrants or a conversion of debentures or otherwise.

 

11.2

Transfer Agent Facilities. The Transfer Agent hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities and procedures consistent with industry standards for the safekeeping of check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if any, and for the preparation, use, and recordkeeping of such forms and devices.

 

11.3

Notification. Customer shall notify the Transfer Agent as soon as possible in advance of any stock split, stock dividend or any similar event which may affect the Shares and any bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium or other proceeding regarding Customer affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement to the contrary, the Transfer Agent will have no obligation to perform any Services under the Agreement subsequent to the commencement of any bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium or other proceeding regarding Customer affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights unless the Transfer Agent receives assurance satisfactory to it that it will receive full payment for such services. Further, Customer may not assume the Agreement after the filing of a bankruptcy petition without the Transfer Agent’s written consent.

 

- 12 -


11.4

Summary of Policies and Procedures. Transfer Agent shall upon request provide Customer with a summary of any of its policies and procedures relating to Services or this Agreement and provide prompt summary e-mail notification of material changes to such policies and procedures

Section 12. Addition or Deletion of a Fund.

 

12.1

The parties shall cooperate to update Appendix A (e.g., add or remove a Fund) within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter to reflect the addition or deletion of any Fund receiving Services pursuant to this Agreement.

 

12.2

The parties agree that Appendix A may be amended for purposes of Section 12.1 and otherwise without an executed written amendment if (a) any member of the BlackRock Relationship Team (as identified in Schedule 4 of the Side Agreement) delivers by email to the Transfer Agent Senior Customer Service Officer or a Transfer Agent Customer Service Officer (all as identified in Schedule 4 of the Side Agreement) (i) a copy of an amended and restated Appendix A, dated as of the date such amended and restated Appendix A is intended to be effective, and (ii) to the extent a Fund is being added, a letter substantially in the format stated in Appendix C signed by an authorized officer of such Fund confirming the addition of such Fund as a party to the Agreement, and (b) the Transfer Agent Senior Customer Service Officer or a Transfer Agent Customer Service Officer, as the case may be, receiving the email message and attachment(s) acknowledges in a responding email that the amended and restated Appendix A has been received.

 

12.3

The parties agree that Funds listed on Appendix A, as it may be amended from time to time, automatically agree to be bound by the terms of the Side Agreement.

 

12.4

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Transfer Agent determines and advises the Customer that additions or revisions to the SCRIP System are necessary in order to accommodate any such new fund the Customer shall be deemed to have submitted a request for an amendment to the Agreement.

Section 13. Audits and Site Visits.

 

13.1

Subject to the further provisions of this Section 13, a reasonable number of representatives of the Customer together, if applicable, with auditors associated with a firm of certified independent public accountants (“Auditor Firms”) may, during normal weekday business hours, upon giving the Transfer Agent at least twenty (20) days advance notice, no more frequently than once per year (unless required by Customer’s regulators or in response to a previously-identified deficiency, in which event the additional audit will only relate to such deficiency), except that, at mutually agreed dates, and subject to the Transfer Agent’s reasonable security, privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures inspect the Transfer Agent premises principally utilized to perform the Services and related operations, and (ii) examine on-site any books and records required to be maintained by the Transfer Agent in connection with the performance of the Services and the written procedures utilized by the Transfer Agent in performing the Services, solely to determine the Transfer Agent’s compliance with this Agreement.

 

13.2

During the annual site visit by the BlackRock Relationship Team at mutually agreed dates, and subject to the Transfer Agent’s reasonable security, privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures the Customer may, subject to the further provisions of this Section 13, (i) inspect the Transfer Agent premises principally utilized to perform the Services and related operations, and

 

- 13 -


(ii) request the Transfer Agent provide system and transaction processing demonstrations, and (iii) make available employees with knowledge about the Services performed to conduct discussions with the Customer and answer reasonable questions of the Customer about such subjects.

 

13.3

Subject to the further provisions of this Section 13, and Transfer Agent’s reasonable security, privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures. Transfer Agent will give regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the Customer, upon reasonable advance written notice and during normal weekday business hours, the ability to (i) inspect the Transfer Agent premises principally utilized to perform the Services and related operations, and (ii) examine on-site any books and records required to be maintained by the Transfer Agent in connection with the performance of the Services.

 

13.4

Transfer Agent shall not be required in connection with any site visits under this Section 13 to engage in any conduct that would significantly interfere with or disrupt the normal business operations of the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent may, in its sole discretion, prohibit the Customer, personnel of Auditor Firms, and regulators of the Customer from entering certain areas of its facilities for security reasons, in which case the Transfer Agent will provide the Customer with alternative access to the books and records, information or personnel in such restricted area, to the extent reasonably possible. Audits shall not include penetration testing. Any audit under this Section 13 includes the right to inspect the books and records of the Transfer Agent on-site at Transfer Agent’s office, but not the right to copy any records. The Customer will provide the Transfer Agent with a written scope of work including a mutually agreed level of detail, at least 10 business days in advance of commencement of any audit. Personnel of Auditor Firms or regulators of the Customer, who in the sole judgment of the Transfer Agent will have access to customer, confidential, proprietary or other privileged information of the Transfer Agent, must prior to the site visit if so requested by the Transfer Agent execute confidentiality agreements containing terms reasonably satisfactory to the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent shall not under any circumstances be obligated to divulge any information that is prohibited by law or by a confidentiality agreement with a third party.

 

13.5

The Customer will compensate the Transfer Agent for all out of pocket expenses incurred in connection with any audit under this Section 13, and will also compensate the Transfer Agent, in accordance with the Transfer Agent’s fee schedule in effect at the time of such audit, for the time of each of the Transfer Agent’s employees required to assist with such audit; provided, however, that in no event shall the Customer be charged for the time incurred by the Transfer Agent’s Relationship Management employees required to assist with such audit.

Section 14. Confidentiality.

 

14.1

Each party shall keep the Confidential Information (as defined in below) of the other party in confidence and will not use or disclose or allow access to or use of such Confidential Information except as set forth in Section 14.4 below. Each party acknowledges that the Confidential Information of the disclosing party will remain the sole property of such party. In complying with the first sentence of this Section 14.1, each party will use at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than a commercially reasonable degree of care.

 

14.2

Subject to Sections 14.3 and 14.4 below, “Confidential Information” means (i) except to the extent disclosure may be required by the Securities Laws or the 1940 Act, the terms and

 

- 14 -


  conditions (but not the existence of) this Agreement, all compensation agreements, arrangements and understandings (including waivers) respecting this Agreement, disputes pertaining to the Agreement, and information about a party’s exercise of rights hereunder, performance of obligations hereunder or other conduct of a party in connection with the Agreement, in whatever form, and (ii) information and data of, owned by or about a disclosing party or its affiliates, customers, or subcontractors that may be provided to the other party or become known to the other party in the course of the relationship established by this Agreement, regardless of form or content, including but not limited to (A) competitively sensitive material, and not generally known to the public, including, but not limited to, studies, plans, reports, surveys, summaries, documentation and analyses, regardless of form, information about product plans, marketing strategies, finances, operations, customer relationships, customer profiles, customer lists, sales estimates, business plans, and internal performance results relating to the past, present or future business activities of the Fund or Computershare, their respective subsidiaries and Affiliates and the customers, clients and suppliers of any of them; (B) scientific, technical or technological information, a design, process, procedure, formula, or improvement that is commercially valuable and secret in the sense that its confidentiality affords the Fund or Computershare a competitive advantage over its competitors; (C) a confidential or proprietary concept, Proprietary Information, documentation, report, data, specification, computer software, source code, object code, flow chart, database, invention, know how, trade secret, whether or not patentable or copyrightable; (D) information related to security, disaster recovery, business continuity and any other operational plans, procedures, practices and protocols, and (E) anything designated as confidential.

 

14.3

Information or data that would otherwise constitute Confidential Information under Section 14.2 shall not constitute Confidential Information to the extent it:

 

  (a)

is already known to the receiving party at the time it is obtained;

 

  (b)

is or becomes publicly known or available through no wrongful act of the receiving party;

 

  (c)

is rightfully received from a third party who, to the receiving party’s knowledge, is not under a duty of confidentiality;

 

  (d)

is released by the protected party to a third party without restriction; or

 

  (e)

has been or is independently developed or obtained by the receiving party without reference to the Confidential Information provided by the protected party.

 

14.4

Confidential Information of a disclosing party may be used or disclosed by the receiving party in the circumstances set forth below but except for such permitted use or disclosure shall remain Confidential Information subject to all applicable terms of this Agreement:

 

  (a)

in connection with activities contemplated by this Agreement;

 

  (b)

as required by law or regulation or pursuant to a court order, subpoena, order or request of a governmental or regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency, or binding discovery request in pending litigation (provided that, other than for requests to the Transfer Agent for Shareholder records pursuant to standard subpoenas from state or federal government authorities (e.g., divorce and criminal actions) the receiving party will provide the other party written notice of such requirement or request, to the extent such notice is permitted, and subject to proper jurisdiction, if applicable);

 

- 15 -


  (c)

in connection with inquiries, examinations, audits or other reviews by a governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency, audits by independent auditors or requests for advice or opinions from counsel;

 

  (d)

the information or data is relevant and material to any claim or cause of action between the parties or the defense of any claim or cause of action asserted against the receiving party; or

 

  (e)

as otherwise agreed in writing between the parties.

 

14.5

Subject to the exceptions in Section 14.4, each party agrees not to publicly disseminate Confidential Information of the other party or mutual Confidential Information.

 

14.6

Notwithstanding Section 20.8 (Survival) of this Agreement, the provisions of this Section 14 shall survive termination of this Agreement for a period of three (3) years after such termination.

Section 15. Privacy.

 

15.1

Computershare agrees to implement and maintain appropriate security measures to protect “personal information”, as that term is defined in 201 CMR 17.00: Standards For The Protection Of Personal Information Of Residents Of The Commonwealth (“Massachusetts Privacy Regulation”), consistent with the Massachusetts Privacy Regulation and any applicable federal regulations. Computershare shall treat non-public personal information of Shareholders as confidential, and shall not disclose such information except in connection with carrying out the Services set forth in this Agreement, as required by law or regulation, or as allowed in this Agreement.

Section 16. Term and Termination.

 

16.1

Term. This Agreement shall be effective from the Effective Date and shall remain in full force and effect and continue through to the end of the Initial Term and shall, upon the expiration thereof, be automatically renewed thereafter for successive one (1) year terms, unless terminated pursuant to Section 16.

 

16.2

Termination for Convenience. Either party may terminate this Agreement by providing a written notice of termination to the other party, specifying the date this Agreement will terminate as follows: (a) if terminated by Customer, at least 90 days and not more than 365 days in advance of the termination date so specified in the notice, or (b) if terminated by Computershare, at least 180 days and not more than 365 days in advance of the termination date so specified in the notice.

 

16.3

Termination for Cause. Without prejudice to its other rights under this Agreement, a party (the “Terminating Party”) shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement if:

 

  (a)

the other party commits a material breach of the Agreement which is capable of being remedied but, following receipt of written notice of such material breach from the Terminating Party, the breaching party does not remedy the material breach within 90 days of receiving such notice (or within such other period as the Customer and the Transfer Agent may agree upon following receipt of such notice). In such case, the Terminating Party may terminate this Agreement by providing a written notice of termination to the breaching party, specifying the date as of which this Agreement will terminate, which may be any date, including the date such written notice is provided, however, the failure by the Customer to pay an invoiced Fee which is subject to a good faith dispute shall not constitute a material breach of the Agreement;

 

- 16 -


  (b)

a party commits a material breach of the Agreement which is not capable of being remedied. In such case, the Terminating Party may terminate this Agreement by providing a written notice of termination to the breaching party, specifying the date as of which this Agreement will terminate, which may be any date 90 days from the date such written notice is provided;

 

  (c)

In the case of Transfer Agent assigning this Agreement pursuant to Section 17.1, Customer may terminate this Agreement. Customer must exercise its right to terminate pursuant to this Section 16.3(c) within 60 days from the date Customer receives notice of such assignment and must provide the Transfer Agent with not less than ninety (90) days prior written notice of termination.

 

  (d)

a party ceases to maintain a regulatory license, registration, permission or authorization that, in the case of the Transfer Agent materially impairs its ability to provide the Services or any material portion thereof or in the case of the Customer, materially alters its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or

 

  (e)

the other party becomes the subject of a significant action (such as an enforcement action or investigation) by a regulatory authority with jurisdiction over that party that materially impacts, in the case of the Transfer Agent, its ability to provide Services and, in the case of the Customer, its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

16.4

Regulatory Necessity. In the event the Customer, is required by the written directive an applicable provincial or federal regulatory or self-regulatory organization with jurisdiction over the Customer (the “Issuing Regulator”) to terminate this Agreement or to cease to receive or procure one or more Services from the Transfer Agent or to cease to carry on the business for the purpose of which it requires the Services due to any circumstance relating specifically to the Transfer Agent (a “Termination Directive”), the Customer shall provide the Transfer Agent with a copy of the Termination Directive as promptly as permitted by such Termination Directive, if permitted, and thereafter be entitled to terminate the Agreement or impacted Services in accordance with the requirements of the Termination Directive.

 

16.5

Termination by the Customer. The Customer may terminate this Agreement by providing a written notice of termination to the Transfer Agent, specifying the date as of which this Agreement will terminate, which may be any date, including the date such written notice is provided, provided the circumstances described below giving rise to the termination right are continuing at the time of the Transfer Agent’s receipt of such written notice, if as a result of an Event Beyond Reasonable Control:

 

  (a)

The Transfer Agent is prevented from performing the whole or substantially the whole of the Services, or of any key elements of the Services, for a continuous period in excess of 60 days; or

 

  (b)

The Transfer Agent is prevented from performing the whole or substantially the whole of the Services, or of any key elements of the Services for a continuous period in excess of 14 days and during that period it has not used all commercially reasonable efforts to: find a solution by which its obligations under this Agreement may be performed despite the continuance of the Event Beyond Reasonable Control; or attempt to perform the impacted obligations, including by implementing its business continuity and disaster recovery plan.

 

- 17 -


16.6

Insolvency.

 

  (a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Customer or the Transfer Agent may in their or its sole discretion terminate this Agreement immediately by sending notice thereof to the other party upon the happening of any of the following to such other party:

 

  (i)

such party commences as debtor any case or proceeding under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or there is commenced against such party any such case or proceeding;

 

  (ii)

such party commences as debtor any case or proceeding seeking the appointment of a receiver, conservator, trustee, custodian or similar official for such party or any substantial part of its property or there is commenced against such party any such case or proceeding;

 

  (iii)

such party makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or

 

  (iv)

such party states in any medium, written, electronic or otherwise, any public communication or in any other public manner its inability to pay debts as they come due.

 

  (b)

Each of the Customer, and the Transfer Agent may exercise its termination right under Section 16 at any time after the occurrence of any of the foregoing events notwithstanding that such event may cease to be continuing prior to such exercise, and any delay in exercising this right shall not be construed as a waiver or other extinguishment of that right. Any exercise by the Customer or the Transfer Agent of its termination right under Section 16 shall be without any prejudice to any other remedies or rights available to such party and shall not be subject to any fee or penalty, whether monetary or equitable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, notice of termination under this Section 16 shall be considered given and effective when given, not when received.

 

16.7

Each party will notify the other party promptly of any occurrence of the circumstances specified in Sections 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, and 16.6. No failure or delay by a party to give any such notice will prejudice or limit the rights of the other party to terminate this Agreement (whether arising out of, in connection with or relating to this Agreement or otherwise).

 

16.8

Records. Upon receipt of written notice of termination, the parties will use commercially practicable efforts to effect an orderly termination of this Agreement. Subject to the provisions in Schedule 7 of the Side Agreement, the Transfer Agent will deliver promptly to the Customer electronically or in other media, in Computershare’s industry standard format, all stockholder and other records, files and data supplied to or compiled by the Transfer Agent on behalf of the Customer, subject to applicable law and Transfer Agent’s records management policy.

Section 17. Assignment.

 

17.1

Affiliates. Upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to Customer, the Transfer Agent may, without further consent of the Customer assign its right and obligations hereunto to any affiliated and registered transfer agent under Rule 17Ac2-1 promulgated under the 1934 Act. The Transfer Agent will not assign its rights and obligations to any other person without the Customer’s prior written consent.

 

17.2

Sub-contractors. The Transfer Agent may, without further consent of the Customer, subcontract with (a) any affiliates, or (b) unaffiliated subcontractors such services as may be required from

 

- 18 -


  time to time (e.g., lost shareholder searches, escheatment, telephone and mailing services); provided, however, that the Transfer Agent shall be as fully responsible to the Customer for the acts and omissions of any subcontractor as it is for its own acts and omissions.

Section 18. Unaffiliated Third Parties.

 

18.1

Nothing herein shall impose any duty upon the Transfer Agent in connection with or make the Transfer Agent liable for the actions or omissions to act of unaffiliated third parties such as, by way of example and not limitation, airborne services, the U.S. mails and telecommunication companies, provided, if the Transfer Agent selected such company, the Transfer Agent shall have exercised due care in selecting the same.

Section 19. Disaster Recovery.

 

19.1

Computershare shall maintain or arrange with third parties for back-up facilities (“Back-Up Facilities”) to the primary operations and data centers used by Computershare to provide the Services (“Primary Facilities”). The Back-Up Facilities will be capable of providing the Services in the event an incident to the Primary Facilities significantly interrupts the delivery of a significant Service. In the event of equipment failures, Computershare shall, at no additional expense to the Fund, take reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions, including using the Back-Up Facilities where appropriate.

 

19.2

Computershare shall develop and maintain a business continuity plan containing disaster recovery procedures for its data centers and operations facilities (“Business Continuity Plan”). Computershare will provide business continuity and disaster recovery services in accordance with its Business Continuity Plan. Computershare’s Business Continuity Plan will at a minimum contain:

 

  (a)

Crisis management procedures for command and control during a disaster;

 

  (b)

Emergency notification process;

 

  (c)

Activation procedures including assignment of the authority to activate;

 

  (d)

Recovery process;

 

  (e)

Procedures and accommodations for the recovery of systems, applications and networks; and

 

  (f)

Identification of external service providers required for recovery, including but not limited to, disaster recovery service providers, equipment maintenance, transportation, salvage and building maintenance.

 

19.3

Annually, or upon the Fund’s reasonable request, Computershare will certify that its Business Continuity Plan complies with the provisions of this Section 19 and Schedule 5 of the Side Agreement.

 

19.4

Attached to the Side Agreement as Schedule 5 is an executive summary of the Business Continuity Plan as the Business Continuity Plan was constituted on the Effective Date which sets forth in reasonable detail the characteristics of the Business Continuity Plan. Computershare shall annually provide the Fund with an executive summary in written form of the Business Continuity Plan, updated as necessary to incorporate into the executive summary, as of the date provided, summaries of any changes to the Business Continuity Plan since the Effective Date, or the date of the last executive summary of the Business Continuity Plan provided to the Fund, as the case may be.

 

- 19 -


Section 20. Miscellaneous.

20.1 Notices.

All notices or other communications required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing, including by Electronic Transmission, and shall be deemed given when (i) delivered in person, by overnight delivery through a commercial courier service, or by registered or certified mail or (ii) delivered by electronic mail directed to the electronic mail address set out in this Section 20. Notices shall be addressed to each party at its address set forth below, or such other address as the recipient may have specified by earlier notice to the sender.

If to the Customer:

c/o BlackRock Advisors, LLC

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, Delaware 19809

Attn: TA Oversight

E-mail: Matthew.luongo@blackrock.com

If to the Transfer Agent:

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

150 Royall Street

Canton, MA 02021

Attn: Client Services

Email:Jennifer.bridges@computershare.com;

Jeffrey.Almeida@computershare.com; Angela.Dray@computershare.com

The Transfer Agent and the Customer may, by notice to the other, designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

20.2 Successors.

All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Customer or the Transfer Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

20.3 Amendments.

This Agreement may be amended or modified by a written amendment executed by both parties hereto and, to the extent required by Customer, authorized or approved by a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Customer, subject to the provisions of Section 12.

 

- 20 -


20.4 Severability.

If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provision, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.

20.5 Governing Law.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

20.6 Descriptive Headings.

Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

20.7 Third Party Beneficiaries.

The provisions of this Agreement are intended to benefit only the Transfer Agent, the Customer and their respective permitted successors and assigns. No rights shall be granted to any other person by virtue of this Agreement, and there are no third party beneficiaries hereof.

20.8 Survival.

All provisions regarding indemnification, warranty, liability and limits thereon, and confidentiality and protection of proprietary rights and trade secrets shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

20.9 Merger of Agreement.

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written.

20.10 Priorities.

In the event of any conflict, discrepancy, or ambiguity between the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and any schedules or attachments hereto, the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement shall take precedence.

20.11 Counterparts.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. A signature to this Agreement transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed by one of its officers thereunto duly authorized, all as of the date first written above.

 

- 21 -


Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and

Computershare Inc.

 

On Behalf of Both Entities:     On Behalf of the BlackRock Closed-End
      Investment Companies Listed on Appendix A:
By:  

                                          

    By:  

                                          

Name:   Jennifer Warren     Name:   Neal J. Andrews
Title:   CEO Issuer Services, North America     Title:   Chief Financial Officer
Date:       Date:  

 

- 22 -

Exhibit (13)(b)

ADMINISTRATION AND FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICES AGREEMENT

Between

Each BlackRock Management Investment Company Listed in Schedule A

And

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Dated as of December 31, 2018


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.

 

APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR

     4  

2.

 

DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS

     4  

3.

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR

     5  

4.

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE FUNDS

     5  

5.

 

ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

     6  

6.

 

COMPENSATION OF ADMINISTRATOR; EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT; FUND EXPENSES

     6  

7.

 

INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE

     6  

8.

 

STANDARD OF CARE; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

     7  

9.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY

     8  

10.

 

USE OF DATA

     8  

11.

 

COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS; RECORDS

     9  

12.

 

SERVICES NOT EXCLUSIVE

     9  

13.

 

EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION

     9  

14.

 

DELEGATION

     10  

15.

 

INTERPRETIVE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

     10  

16.

 

NOTICES

     11  

17.

 

AMENDMENT

     11  

18.

 

ASSIGNMENT

     11  

19.

 

SUCCESSORS

     11  

20.

 

DATA PROTECTION

     11  

21.

 

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

     12  

22.

 

WAIVER

     12  

23.

 

SEVERABILITY

     12  

24.

 

GOVERNING LAW

     12  

25.

 

REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

     12  

26.

 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF TRUSTEES

     12  

27.

 

COUNTERPARTS

     12  

 

- 2 -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

SCHEDULE A    LISTING OF FUNDS AND PORTFOLIOS
SCHEDULE B    LIST OF SERVICES
SCHEDULE B1    FUND ADMINISTRATION TREASURY SERVICES
SCHEDULE B2    FUND ADMINISTRATION TAX SERVICES
SCHEDULE B5    FUND ADMINISTRATION MONEY MARKET FUND SERVICES
SCHEDULE B6    FUND ADMINISTRATION FORM N-PORT AND FORM N-CEN SUPPORT SERVICES
SCHEDULE B7    FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICES

 

- 3 -


ADMINISTRATION AND FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICES AGREEMENT

This Administration and Fund Accounting Services Agreement (“Agreement”) dated and effective as of December 31, 2018, is by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company (the “Administrator”), and each management investment company identified on Schedule A hereto, together with each management investment company which becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”).

WHEREAS, each Fund is, unless otherwise noted, an open-end or closed-end, management investment company, and may be currently comprised of different series (each, a “Portfolio” and collectively, the “Portfolios”), and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by means of a registration statement (“Registration Statement”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and in most instances, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”); and

WHEREAS, each Fund desires to retain the Administrator to furnish certain administrative services to the Funds, and the Administrator is willing to furnish such services, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.

APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR

Each Fund hereby appoints the Administrator to act as administrator to such Fund for purposes of providing certain administrative services for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services stated herein.

Certain Funds currently consist of the Portfolios as listed in Schedule A to this Agreement. In the event that a Fund establishes one or more additional Portfolio(s) with respect to which it wishes to retain the Administrator to act as administrator hereunder, the Fund shall notify the Administrator in writing. Upon written acceptance by the Administrator, such Portfolio(s) shall become subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as the existing Portfolios, except to the extent that such provisions (including those relating to compensation and expenses payable) may be modified with respect to such Portfolio in writing by the Fund and the Administrator at the time of the addition of such Portfolio.

 

2.

DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS

Each Fund has or will promptly deliver, or make available electronically, to the Administrator copies of each of the following documents and all future amendments and supplements, if any:

 

  a.

The Fund’s Charter Documents (“Governing Documents”);

 

  b.

The Fund’s currently effective Registration Statement under the 1933 Act (if applicable) and the 1940 Act and each Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relating to the Portfolio(s) and all amendments and supplements thereto as in effect from time to time;

 

  c.

Copies of the resolutions of the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund (the “Board”) certified by such Fund’s Secretary authorizing (1) the Fund to enter into this Agreement and (2) certain individuals on behalf of the Fund to (a) give instructions to the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement and (b) sign checks and pay expenses;

 

  d.

A copy of the investment advisory agreement between each Fund, on behalf of itself or each Portfolio, and its investment adviser; and

 

  e.

Such other certificates, documents or opinions which the Administrator may, in its reasonable discretion, deem necessary or appropriate in the proper performance of its duties.

 

- 4 -


3.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR

The Administrator represents and warrants to the Funds that:

 

  a.

It is a Massachusetts trust company, duly organized and existing under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

 

  b.

It has the requisite power and authority to carry on its business in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

 

  c.

All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

  d.

No legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would have a material effect on the Administrator’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement; and

 

  e.

Its entrance into this Agreement shall not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Administrator or any law or regulation applicable to it.

 

4.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE FUNDS

Each Fund represents and warrants to the Administrator that:

 

  a.

It is a corporation, business trust or statutory trust, as the case may be, duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of formation;

 

  b.

It has the requisite power and authority under applicable laws and by its Governing Documents to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

  c.

All requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement;

 

  d.

A Registration Statement has been filed and, with respect to Funds that are open-end management investment companies, will be effective and remain effective during the term of this Agreement. Each Fund also warrants to the Administrator that as of the effective date of this Agreement, all necessary filings under the securities laws of the states in which the Fund offers or sells its shares have been made;

 

  e.

No legal or administrative proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would have a material effect on a Fund’s ability to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

 

  f.

Its entrance into this Agreement will not cause a material breach or be in material conflict with any other agreement or obligation of the Funds or any law or regulation applicable to it; and

 

  g.

Where information provided by the Funds or the Funds’ shareholders includes information about an identifiable individual (“Personal Information”), each Fund represents and warrants that it has obtained all consents and approvals, as required by all applicable laws, regulations, by-laws and ordinances that regulate the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information, necessary to disclose such Personal Information to the Administrator, and as required for the Administrator to use and disclose such Personal Information in connection with the performance of the services hereunder. Each Fund acknowledges that the Administrator may perform any of the services, and may use and disclose Personal Information outside of the jurisdiction in which it was initially collected by the Funds, including the United States, solely in connection with the performance of the services set out in this Agreement and that information relating to the Funds, including Personal Information may be accessed by national security authorities, law enforcement and courts. The Administrator shall be kept indemnified by and be without liability to the Funds for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon this representation and warranty, including without limitation, any liability or costs in connection with claims or complaints for failure to comply with any applicable law that regulates the collection, processing, use or disclosure of Personal Information.

 

- 5 -


5.

ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

The Administrator shall provide the services as listed on Schedule B, subject to the authorization and direction of the Funds and, in each case where appropriate, the review and comment by the Funds’ independent accountants and legal counsel and in accordance with procedures which may be established from time to time between the Funds and the Administrator.

The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Funds that are mutually agreed to in writing by the parties from time to time, for which the Funds will pay such fees as may be mutually agreed upon in writing, including the Administrator’s reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. The provision of such services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, unless otherwise modified in writing.

The Administrator shall provide the office facilities and the personnel determined by it to perform the services contemplated herein.

 

6.

COMPENSATION OF ADMINISTRATOR; EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT; FUND EXPENSES

The Administrator shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its services and expenses, as agreed upon from time to time in writing between the Funds on behalf of each applicable Portfolio and the Administrator.

The Funds agree to promptly reimburse, or cause to be reimbursed, the Administrator for any equipment and supplies specially ordered by or for the Funds through the Administrator and for any other reasonable expenses not contemplated by this Agreement that the Administrator may incur on the Funds’ behalf at the Funds’ request or with the Funds’ consent.

Each Fund will bear all expenses that are incurred in its operation and not specifically assumed by the Administrator. For the avoidance of doubt, Fund expenses not assumed by the Administrator include, but are not limited to: organizational expenses; cost of services of independent accountants and outside legal and tax counsel (including such counsel’s review of the Registration Statement, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q or Form N-PORT (as applicable), Form N-PX, Form N-MFP, Form N-SAR or Form N-CEN (as applicable), proxy materials, federal and state tax qualification as a regulated investment company and other notices, registrations, reports, filings and materials prepared by the Administrator under this Agreement, as applicable); cost of any services contracted for by the Funds directly from parties other than the Administrator; cost of trading operations and brokerage fees, commissions and transfer taxes in connection with the purchase and sale of securities for the Funds; investment advisory fees; taxes, insurance premiums and other fees and expenses applicable to its operation; costs incidental to any meetings of shareholders including, but not limited to, legal and accounting fees, proxy filing fees and the costs of preparation (e.g., typesetting, XBRL-tagging, page changes and all other print vendor and EDGAR charges, collectively referred to herein as “Preparation”), printing, distribution and mailing of any proxy materials; costs incidental to Board meetings, including fees and expenses of Board members; the salary and expenses of any officer, director/trustee or employee of the Funds; costs of Preparation, printing, distribution and mailing, as applicable, of the Funds’ Registration Statements and any amendments and supplements thereto; printing, distribution and mailing of shareholder reports; cost of Preparation and filing of the Funds’ tax returns, Form N-1A, Form N-2, Form N-CSR, Form N-Q or Form N-PORT (as applicable), Form N-PX, Form N-MFP and Form N-SAR or Form N-CEN (as applicable), and all notices, registrations and amendments associated with applicable federal and state tax and securities laws; all applicable registration fees and filing fees required under federal and state securities laws; the cost of fidelity bond and D&O/E&O liability insurance; and the cost of independent pricing services used in computing the Portfolio(s)’ net asset value.

 

7.

INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE

At any time, the Administrator may apply to any officer of the Funds or his or her designee for instructions or the independent accountants for the Funds, with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Administrator under this Agreement. The Administrator shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon reasonable advice of reputable counsel (who may be counsel for the Funds) on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted in good faith pursuant to such advice; provided, however, that with respect to the reliance of such reasonable advice and performance of any action or omission of any action upon such advice, the Administrator shall be required to conform to the standard of care set forth in Section 8. The Administrator and the applicable Funds shall mutually agree as to which entity will bear the cost of such advice of counsel.

 

- 6 -


Subject to the standard of care set forth in Section 8, the Administrator shall not be liable, and shall be indemnified by the Funds, for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in reliance upon any such instructions or advice or upon any paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons. The Administrator shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person until receipt of written notice thereof from the Fund(s). The Administrator shall provide written confirmation of receipt of such notice promptly after receipt.

Pursuant to other agreements (the “Other State Street Agreements”) now or at any time in effect between a Fund (or its investment manager or investment advisor, on its behalf) and the Administrator or its affiliates (“Affiliates”) in any capacity other than as the Administrator hereunder (in such other capacities, the “Bank”), the Bank may be in possession of certain information and data relating to a Fund and/or a Portfolio that is necessary to provide the Services, including the Services described in Schedule B6. The Funds hereby acknowledge and agree that this Section 7 of the Agreement serves as its consent and instruction for itself and on behalf of each Fund/Portfolio under and pursuant to such Other State Street Agreements for the Bank to provide or otherwise make available (including via platforms such as my.statestreet.com) to the Administrator, Funds and Portfolios information such as net asset values and information relating to the net assets of the Funds/Portfolios, holdings and liquidity reports, market value and other information and data related to the Funds/Portfolios that is necessary to provide the Services and subject to Section 9 hereof.

 

8.

STANDARD OF CARE; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

In carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, the Administrator shall act (i) with reasonable care and diligence and in good faith, (ii) without negligence, fraud, willful misconduct, willful omission or bad faith, and at least at the same standard of care as the Administrator provides for itself and its Affiliates with respect to similar services, and (iii) with the level of skill and care which would be expected from a reasonably skilled and experienced professional provider of services similar to the services provided under this Agreement. The Administrator shall have no liability for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss or damage resulting from the performance or nonperformance of its duties hereunder unless and to the extent that the Administrator fails to exercise such standard of care. The Administrator shall be responsible for the performance only of such duties as are set forth in this Agreement and, except as otherwise provided under Section 14, shall have no responsibility for the actions or activities of any other party, including other service providers. The Administrator shall have no liability in respect of any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Funds insofar as such loss, damage or expense arises from the performance of the Administrator’s duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Funds by entities other than the Administrator prior to the Administrator’s appointment as administrator for the Funds. The Administrator shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including lost profits, of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) under any provision of this Agreement or for any such damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder, each of which is hereby excluded by agreement of the parties regardless of whether such damages were foreseeable or whether either party or any entity had been advised of the possibility of such damages. Except as may otherwise be agreed to by the parties, the Administrator’s cumulative liability for each calendar year (a “Liability Period”) with respect to the Funds under this Agreement regardless of the form of action or legal theory shall be limited to its total annual compensation earned and fees payable hereunder during the preceding Compensation Period, as defined herein, for any liability or loss suffered by the Funds including, but not limited to, any liability relating to qualification of the Funds as a regulated investment company or any liability relating to the Funds’ compliance with any federal or state tax or securities statute, regulation or ruling during such Liability Period. “Compensation Period” shall mean the calendar year ending immediately prior to each Liability Period in which the event(s) giving rise to the Administrator’s liability for that period have occurred.

Neither party shall be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption.

 

- 7 -


Each Fund severally and not jointly shall indemnify and hold the Administrator and its directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from all loss, cost, damage and expense, including reasonable fees and expenses for counsel, incurred by the Administrator resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit in connection with the Administrator’s acceptance of this Agreement, any action or omission by it in the performance of its duties hereunder, or as a result of acting upon any instructions reasonably believed by it to have been duly authorized by the Funds or upon reasonable reliance on information or records given or made by the Funds or its investment adviser, provided that this indemnification shall not apply to actions or omissions of the Administrator, its agents, delegates, officers or employees in cases of its or their own negligence, fraud, willful misconduct, willful omission or bad faith.

The limitation of liability and indemnification contained herein shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

9.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) regarding the Disclosing Party’s business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 10 below, all confidential information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents, delegates or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Party’s other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its affiliates, including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, or (c) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Receiving Party shall be permitted to disclose any confidential information provided under this Agreement by the Disclosing Party (i) to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process or (ii) as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Administrator or its Affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement), provided that the Receiving Party take reasonable steps to otherwise maintain the confidential nature of such information.

 

10.

USE OF DATA

(a)    In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Administrator (which term for purposes of this Section 10 includes each of its Affiliates) may collect and store information regarding the Funds or Portfolios (“Fund Information”) and share such Fund Information with its Affiliates, agents, delegates and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between the Funds and the Administrator or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out the internal management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance.

(b)    Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 10 shall limit the confidentiality and data-protection obligations of the Administrator and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Administrator shall cause any Affiliate, agent, delegate or service provider to which it has disclosed Data pursuant to this Section 10 to comply at all times with confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement.

 

- 8 -


11.

COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS; RECORDS

Each Fund assumes full responsibility for complying with all securities, tax, commodities and other laws, rules and regulations applicable to it.

In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the 1940 Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Funds shall at all times remain the property of the Funds, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request except as otherwise provided in Section 13. The Administrator further agrees that all records that it maintains for the Funds pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records may be surrendered in either written or machine-readable form, at the option of the Administrator. In the event that the Administrator is requested or authorized by the Funds, or required by subpoena, administrative order, court order or other legal process, applicable law or regulation, or required in connection with any investigation, examination or inspection of the Funds by state or federal regulatory agencies, to produce the records of the Funds or the Administrator’s personnel as witnesses or deponents, the Funds agrees to pay the Administrator for the Administrator’s reasonable time and expenses, as well as the reasonable fees and expenses of the Administrator’s counsel incurred in such production. The Administrator shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide notice to the applicable Fund promptly after receipt of any request for records by an entity other than such Fund. Upon request, the Administrator shall provide the applicable Fund with an update on the fees and expenses incurred in responding to any such requests for records.

 

12.

SERVICES NOT EXCLUSIVE

The services of the Administrator are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Administrator shall be free to render similar services to others. The Administrator shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or authorized by the Funds from time to time, have no authority to act or represent the Funds in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Funds.

 

13.

EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION

 

  (a)

Term. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for an initial term ending one (1) year from the effective date (the “Initial Term”). After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one (1) year terms. Following the Initial Term, this Agreement may be terminated by any Fund or Portfolio upon no less than ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Administrator, or by the Administrator upon no less than 180 days’ prior written notice to the applicable Fund or Portfolio.

 

  (b)

Termination. During the Initial Term and thereafter, either party may terminate this Agreement: (i) in the event of the other party’s material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the other party has either failed to cure or failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable, in each case within 60 days’ written notice of such breach, or (ii) in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the other party or upon the happening of a like event to the other party at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction.

 

- 9 -


  (c)

Payments Owing to the Administrator. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 13(a) or 13(b) with respect to the Funds or any Portfolio, the Funds or applicable Portfolio shall pay Administrator its compensation due as of the date of such termination and shall reimburse Administrator for its costs, expenses and disbursements. In the event of: (i) the Funds’ termination of this Agreement with respect to the Funds or their Portfolio(s) in any manner other than as set forth in Section 13(a) and 13(b) or (ii) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Administrator is not retained to continue providing services hereunder to the Funds or a Portfolio (or its respective successor), the Fund or applicable Portfolio shall pay the Administrator any compensation due through the end of the then-current term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by the Administrator with respect to the Fund or Portfolio) and shall reimburse the Administrator for its costs, expenses and disbursements. Upon receipt of such payment and reimbursement, the Administrator will deliver the Funds’ or such Portfolio’s records as set forth herein.

 

  (d)

Exclusions. For the avoidance of doubt, no full term payment will be required pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 13(c) in the event of any transaction such as (i) the liquidation or dissolution of the Funds or a Portfolio and distribution of the Funds’ or such Portfolio’s assets as a result of the Board’s determination in its reasonable business judgment that the Funds or such Portfolio is no longer viable or that the liquidation is in the best interest of the Funds or such Portfolio, (ii) a merger of the Funds or a Portfolio into, or the consolidation of the Funds or a Portfolio with, another entity, or (iii) the sale by the Funds or a Portfolio of all, or substantially all, of the Funds’ or Portfolio’s assets to another entity, in each of (ii) and (iii) where the applicable Funds provide ninety (90) days’ prior written notice in advance of the closing date of any such transactions.

 

  (e)

Effect of Termination. Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Portfolio shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to the Funds or any other Portfolio.

 

14.

DELEGATION

The Administrator shall retain the right to employ its Affiliates to provide or assist it in the provision of any part of the services stated herein or the discharge of any other obligations or duties under this Agreement without the consent or approval of any Fund. The Administrator may employ other agents, subcontractors, consultants and other third parties (each a “Delegate”) to provide the services stated herein to the Funds upon the prior written consent of the Funds. The Administrator shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of any such Delegate or Affiliate so employed as if the Administrator had committed such acts and omissions itself. The Administrator shall be responsible for the compensation of its Delegates and Affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the term Delegate include consultants, authorized data sources, suppliers of Administrator’s third party technology, providers of market infrastructure, and other non-affiliated entities that provide similar assistance to the Administrator in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, and the Administrator shall have no liability for their acts or omissions except as otherwise expressly provided elsewhere in this Agreement.

 

15.

INTERPRETIVE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Administrator and the Funds on behalf of each of the Portfolios, may from time to time agree on such provisions interpretive of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. Any such interpretive or additional provisions shall be in a writing signed by all parties, provided that no such interpretive or additional provisions shall contravene any applicable laws or regulations or any provision of the Funds’ Governing Documents. No interpretive or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of the Agreement.

 

- 10 -


16.

NOTICES

Any notice, instruction or other instrument required to be given hereunder will be in writing and may be sent by hand, or by facsimile transmission, or overnight delivery by any recognized delivery service, to the parties at the following address or such other address as may be notified by any party from time to time:

If to the Funds:

C/O BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, DE 19809-3700

Attention: Neal Andrews

Telephone: 302-797-6179

If to the Administrator:

100 Summer Street

Boston, MA 02110

Attention: Anthony Ostler

Telephone: 617-664-9797

with a copy to:

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

Legal Division – Global Services Americas

One Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02111

Attention: Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel

 

17.

AMENDMENT

This Agreement may be amended at any time in writing by mutual agreement of the parties hereto.

 

18.

ASSIGNMENT

This Agreement may not be assigned by (a) the Funds without the written consent of the Administrator or (b) the Administrator without the written consent of the Funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may assign this Agreement to a successor of all or a substantial portion of its business or to an Affiliate of the Administrator upon ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Fund.

 

19.

SUCCESSORS

This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the Funds and the Administrator and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

20.

DATA PROTECTION

The Administrator shall implement and maintain a comprehensive written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of each Fund’s shareholders, employees, directors and/or officers that the Administrator receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder. For these purposes, “personal information” shall mean (i) an individual’s name (first initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (a) social security number, (b) driver’s license number, (c) state identification card number, (d) debit or credit card number, (e) financial account number or (f) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a person’s account or (ii) any combination of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individual’s account. Notwithstanding the foregoing “personal information” shall not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

 

- 11 -


21.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous representations, warranties or commitments regarding the services to be performed hereunder whether oral or in writing.

 

22.

WAIVER

The failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver nor shall it deprive such party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any term of this Agreement or the failure of a party hereto to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any such term, right or remedy or a waiver of any other rights or remedies, and no single or partial exercise of any right or remedy under this Agreement shall prevent any further exercise of the right or remedy or the exercise or any other right or remedy. Any waiver must be in writing signed by the waiving party.

 

23.

SEVERABILITY

If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

24.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflicts of laws rules.

 

25.

REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, xerographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.

 

26.

LIMITATION ON LIABILITY OF TRUSTEES

In relation to each Fund which is a business trust, this Agreement is executed and made by the Trustees of the Fund not individually, but as trustees under the Declarations of Trust of the Fund and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any of such Trustees or upon any of the shareholders of the Fund individually, but bind only the trust estate of the Fund.

 

27.

COUNTERPARTS

This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Counterparts may be executed in either original or electronically transmitted form (e.g., faxes or emailed portable document format (PDF) form), and the parties hereby adopt as original any signatures received via electronically transmitted form.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

 

- 12 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the date first written above.

 

EACH MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY
IDENTIFIED ON SCHEDULE A HERETO
By:  

/s/ Neal J. Andrews

Name:   Neal J. Andrews
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Andrew Erickson

Name:   Andrew Erickson
Title:   Executive Vice President

 

- 13 -

Exhibit (13)(c)

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

SECURITIES LENDING AGENCY AGREEMENT

This Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement, dated as of January 1, 2021, between each investment company, severally and not jointly, identified on Schedule A, as such schedule may be amended from time to time (each a “Client”), acting on behalf of itself or the funds listed on Schedule A hereto and any future series of a Client (each, a “Fund”), by and through BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”), not in its individual capacity but as agent and investment advisor, and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (the “Lending Agent”), a Delaware limited liability company.

WHEREAS, each Client is registered as an open-end management investment company or closed end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS, the Lending Agent acts as the agent for each Client and its corresponding Funds, as applicable, for the purpose of lending securities pursuant to a Sixth Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agency Agreement dated January 1, 2020;

WHEREAS, the parties to this Agreement desire to amend and restate such agreement on the terms set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, the Directors or Trustees, as the case may be, of each Client have authorized each Client and its corresponding Funds, as applicable, to lend securities to Approved Borrowers (as defined below); and

WHEREAS, the Directors or Trustees, as the case may be, of each Client have approved the appointment of the Lending Agent as each Client’s securities lending agent and coordinator of each Client’s securities lending program, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Appointment. The Client, on behalf of its Funds, as applicable, appoints BlackRock Investment Management, LLC as its lending agent to perform the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Agreement in its capacity as Lending Agent, and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC accepts such appointment. The Lending Agent will act solely as a directed agent of the Client hereunder, and the Lending Agent shall have no duties or responsibilities in respect of securities lending transactions except those expressly set forth in this Agreement.

2. Authorizations. The Client authorizes the Lending Agent to act as agent as set forth in this Section.

 

  2.1

Lending of Available Securities. The Client authorizes the Lending Agent to lend, on the Client’s behalf, those securities (“Available Securities”) which are held in accounts maintained under the supervision of the Client’s custodian (the “Custodian”) or any sub-custodian (each a “Custody Account”), other than


  securities which the Client’s investment advisor (the “Advisor”), on behalf of the Client, specifically notifies the Lending Agent are not available for lending. With respect to the Clients identified on Schedule A as Closed-End Funds, except as otherwise agreed by the Client and the Advisor, the Lending Agent shall lend Available Securities only when the “lending spread” with respect to such Available Securities is equal to or greater than 300 basis points, determined at the time such loan is entered into (“Threshold Lending Securities”). For purposes of this Agreement, “lending spread” shall mean the difference between the rebate rate (interest rate) owed to the Approved Borrower and the risk free rate (typically Fed Funds Target). The Client warrants to the Lending Agent that it will give appropriate instructions to the Advisor and the Custodian sufficient to permit the Lending Agent to arrange and settle loan transactions on the Client’s behalf as contemplated by this Agreement.

 

  2.2

Lending to Approved Borrowers. The Client authorizes the lending of Available Securities to any one or more of the institutions approved by the Client, the Client’s Board of Directors/Trustees and/or the Client’s Advisor, in accordance with the Funds’ Guidelines and Procedures for Lending of Securities (“Securities Lending Guidelines”) (each, an “Approved Borrower”). The Client’s Advisor, on behalf of the Client, may request that the Lending Agent change the Approved Borrowers by delivering an updated list to the Lending Agent, provided that the Advisor shall report to the Board of Directors/Trustees at its next quarterly meeting any addition or removal of an Approved Borrower to or from the “approved list” made by the Advisor since the Board of Directors/Trustees prior quarterly meeting.

 

  2.3

Securities Loan Agreement. The Lending Agent is authorized to execute securities loan agreements (each an “SLA”) as the Client’s agent on a disclosed basis with Approved Borrowers. The SLA will be in substantially a form or forms set forth in Schedule B hereto, as such form or forms may be materially amended from time to time with prior written approval of the Client. The Client specifically approves such form of agreement and agrees, upon request of the Lending Agent, to cause the Advisor to promptly furnish to the Lending Agent the Client’s financial statements or other documents or information reasonably requested by the Lending Agent in order to enable the Lending Agent to satisfy reasonable credit and legal requests by Approved Borrowers in connection with any SLA or loan transaction.

 

  2.4

Lending under Approved Terms. All loans arranged by the Lending Agent on behalf of a Client shall comply with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) guidelines for securities lending, any applicable SEC exemptive orders, no-action positions taken by the staff of the SEC with respect to securities lending transactions, and the investment restrictions and/or guidelines for the Client, all of which shall be provided to the Lending Agent by the Client or the Advisor, and shall be subject to the terms of an SLA substantially similar to Schedule B. The Client may, at the request of the Lending Agent, approve changes to the approved terms by delivering an amended Schedule B to the

 

- 2 -


  Lending Agent. The Lending Agent shall negotiate on behalf of the Client with each Approved Borrower all terms of a securities loan, including the amounts or fees to be received or paid pursuant to the applicable SLA. The Lending Agent may prepare a transactional confirmation in respect of each loan effected pursuant to an SLA, setting forth the securities borrowed and the material terms of the loan, and may transmit such confirmation to the Approved Borrower in accordance with such SLA. The Client understands and agrees that the identity of the Client will be disclosed by the Lending Agent to the Approved Borrower in accordance with the SLA.

 

  2.5

Authorizations by Client. The Client authorizes and empowers the Lending Agent to execute in the Client’s name all agreements and documents as may be necessary or appropriate in the Lending Agent’s judgment to carry out the purposes of this Agreement. It is understood and agreed that the Lending Agent is authorized to supply any information regarding the Client that is required by an SLA or under applicable law, subject to Section 10.1 hereof.

3. Loan of Securities. During the term of any securities loan, the Client shall permit the loaned securities to be transferred, pursuant to an SLA, into the name of an Approved Borrower.

 

  3.1

Limits on Return of Loaned Securities. The Client acknowledges that, under the applicable SLA, Approved Borrowers will not be required to return loaned securities immediately upon receipt of notice from the Lending Agent terminating the applicable loan, but instead will be required to return such loaned securities within the earlier of (i) such period of time following such notice which is the standard settlement period for trades of the loaned securities entered into on the date of such notice in the principal market therefor, or from the giving of such notice or (ii) the third business day following such notice.

 

  3.2

Recall of Loaned Securities. Upon receiving a notice from the Advisor that Available Securities which have been lent to an Approved Borrower should no longer be considered Available Securities (whether because of the sale of such securities or otherwise), the Lending Agent shall notify promptly thereafter the Approved Borrower which has borrowed such securities that the loan of such securities is terminated and that such securities are to be returned within the time specified by the applicable SLA, provided that the Lending Agent may alternatively determine that it is in the best interests of another lending client of the Lending Agent to renew and restate such loan transaction on behalf, and in the name, of such other lending client and cause to be delivered to the Client an equivalent amount of such security from the assets of such other lending client (in which event such renewal and restatement of the loan shall constitute separate transactions between each lending client of the Lending Agent and the borrower and shall not be construed as a transaction between such lending clients).

 

  3.3

Notification of Sales of Loaned Securities. The Client acknowledges its obligation to the Lending Agent, as applicable, to cause and require the Advisor to provide notification of any sale of securities which are out on loan by the close of business, in the principal market therefor, on the trade date of such sale.

 

- 3 -


  3.4

Termination. The Lending Agent is authorized in its discretion to terminate any securities loan entered into with an Approved Borrower without prior notice to the Client, subject to the conditions of the relevant SLA. The Advisor, on behalf of a Client, may instruct the Lending Agent to terminate any loan on any date, subject to the conditions of the relevant SLA. The Lending Agent agrees to comply with any such instruction.

 

  3.5

Lending Agent Subject to Supervision of Advisor. The Lending Agent shall at all times be subject to the supervision of the Advisor.

 

  3.6

Compliance with Securities Lending Guidelines. The Lending Agent hereby acknowledges receipt of the current Securities Lending Guidelines. The Client shall promptly notify the Lending Agent of any changes to the Securities Lending Guidelines. The Lending Agent acknowledges and agrees that it shall only lend Securities on behalf of the Client and its Funds in accordance with the conditions of the Securities Lending Guidelines applicable to the Lending Agent.

4. Loan Collateral. For each loan of securities, the Approved Borrower shall pledge at all times during the term of the loan collateral in the form of one or more of the following items: (a) cash in U.S. dollars or foreign currency (“Cash Collateral”), or (b) securities issued or fully guaranteed by the United States government or any agencies or instrumentalities thereof or such other collateral as may be then permitted by applicable law, regulation and/or interpretation, and the Securities Lending Guidelines (“Non-Cash Collateral” and, collectively with Cash Collateral, “Collateral”) in the aggregate having a market value (as determined by the Lending Agent pursuant to the applicable SLA) at least equal to the market value of the loaned securities (as determined by the Lending Agent pursuant to the applicable SLA).

 

  4.1

Receipt of Collateral. At the commencement of any loan, the Lending Agent shall instruct the Approved Borrower to transfer to the Lending Agent the required Collateral. Collateral will be received from an Approved Borrower prior to or simultaneous with delivery of the securities loaned. If the Approved Borrower does not provide Collateral to the Lending Agent, as previously agreed, then the Lending Agent will cancel the corresponding loan instruction prior to delivery.

 

  4.2

Holding and Administration of Collateral.

 

  (a)

Cash Collateral. All Cash Collateral shall be received, held and administered by the Lending Agent for the benefit of the Client in the applicable account maintained for the Lending Agent. The Lending Agent is hereby authorized and directed, without obtaining any further approval from the Client or the Advisor, to invest and reinvest all Cash Collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Guidelines (“Permitted Investments”).

 

- 4 -


  (b)

Non-Cash Collateral. All Non-Cash Collateral shall be received, held and administered by the Lending Agent for the benefit of the Client in the applicable account established for the purpose of holding Non-Cash Collateral.

 

  (c)

Perfection. The Lending Agent acknowledges that it has control of the Cash Collateral and the security entitlements relating to the Non-Cash Collateral on behalf of the Fund. The Fund has a perfected security interest in the Cash Collateral pursuant to UCC Section 9-104(a)(5) and the security entitlements relating to the Non-Cash Collateral pursuant to UCC Section 8-106(d)(3). “UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York; provided, however, that, at any time, if by reason of mandatory provisions of law any or all of the perfection or priority of the Lending Agent’s security interest in any item or portion of the Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, the term “UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect, at such time, in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions relating to such perfection or priority and for purposes of definitions relating to such provisions.

 

  4.3

Maintenance of Collateral Margin. In respect of loans of securities entered into on behalf of the Client, the Lending Agent will value on a daily basis under policies consistent with the valuation policies of the Client, in accordance with the applicable SLA, the loaned securities and all Collateral and, where applicable, the Lending Agent shall, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable SLA, request the Approved Borrower to deliver sufficient additional Collateral to the Client by 12:00 noon on the next business day to satisfy the applicable margin requirement. If, as a result of marking-to-market, Collateral is required to be returned to the Approved Borrower under the SLA, the Lending Agent will return such Collateral to the Approved Borrower.

 

  4.4

Substitution of Collateral. To the extent the Client’s Board of Directors/Trustees permits the use of Non-Cash Collateral, the Client acknowledges and agrees that, pursuant to any SLA, the Lending Agent may permit an Approved Borrower to substitute Collateral of any type specified in Section 4 hereof during the term of any loan so long as the required margin in respect of such loan continues to be satisfied at the time of such substitution.

 

  4.5

Return of Collateral. Upon termination of the loan, the Lending Agent shall instruct the Approved Borrower to return the loaned securities to the applicable Custody Account. The Lending Agent will instruct any custodian or sub-custodian of the Client to accept such return delivery of loaned securities. The Lending Agent shall monitor the return of loaned securities. Once the Lending Agent has confirmed settlement of the return of the loaned securities, the Lending Agent shall effect, on behalf of the Client, the redemption of any Permitted Investment, if applicable, and effect the return of Collateral due the Approved Borrower in accordance with the Approved Borrower’s transfer instructions with respect thereto, without obtaining any further approval from the Client.

 

- 5 -


5. Investment of Cash Collateral. Pursuant to the SLA, the Client shall have the right to invest Cash Collateral received in respect of any loan, subject to an obligation, upon the termination of the loan, to return to the Approved Borrower the amount of cash initially pledged (as adjusted for any interim marks-to-market).

 

  5.1

Cash Collateral Investment Direction. The Client authorizes and directs the Lending Agent, subject to oversight by the Advisor, to cause to be invested, on the Client’s behalf and at the Client’s sole risk, all Cash Collateral by effecting purchases and sales and/or subscriptions and redemptions of such Collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Guidelines. The Lending Agent shall, where applicable, send timely instructions to the transfer agent of the Permitted Investment with respect to any cash transfers required to be completed in conjunction with any subscription or redemption in a Permitted Investment, and cause the Advisor and the Custodian to be notified of such investment. To facilitate the Lending Agent’s ability to effect investments of Cash Collateral authorized by this Agreement, the Client appoints the Lending Agent as its true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and revocation, in its name, place and stead to take action in the Client’s name to the extent necessary or desirable to fulfill the purposes of this Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) to establish trading accounts in a Client’s name, (ii) to execute and deliver such contracts and other documents on a Client’s behalf as the Lending Agent, in its discretion, deems necessary or desirable to establish such trading accounts or otherwise to effect investments on the Client’s behalf that are authorized by this Agreement, and (iii) to act, in the Lending Agent’s discretion, in the Client’s name to enforce the Client’s rights and remedies under such contracts or documents.

 

  5.2

Cash Collateral Investment Risk. Any investment of Cash Collateral shall be at the sole risk of the Client. Any income or gains and losses from investing and reinvesting any Cash Collateral delivered by an Approved Borrower pursuant to an SLA shall be at the Client’s risk, and the Client agrees that to the extent any such losses reduce the amount of cash below the amount required to be returned to the Approved Borrower upon the termination of any loan (including any Cash Collateral Fee as defined in the SLA), the Client will, on demand of the Lending Agent, immediately pay or cause to be paid to such Approved Borrower an equivalent amount in cash.

6. Borrower Default. In the event of default by a Borrower with respect to any loan entered into pursuant to an SLA, the Lending Agent will take such actions as agent for the Client as are set forth in the applicable SLA. In addition, the following provisions shall apply.

 

  6.1

Replacement of Loaned Securities. If the Lending Agent declares an event of default pursuant to the SLA with a Borrower (a “Default Event”), then the Lending Agent shall use the Collateral or the proceeds of the liquidation of

 

- 6 -


  Collateral to purchase for the affected Client’s account, for settlement in the normal course, replacement securities of the same issue, type, class and series as that of the loaned securities (“Buy-In”). The Lending Agent shall purchase an amount of replacement securities having a value equal to the value of the securities on loan for which a Default Event has been declared. If the cost of fully replacing the loaned securities is greater than the value of the Collateral (or liquidated damages calculated under Section 6.2), the Lending Agent shall be responsible for using its funds, at its expense, to satisfy the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to any diminution in the value of the Collateral due to reinvestment risk that is borne by the Client pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement. For purposes of this Section, value of the Collateral shall be calculated as follows:

 

  6.1.1

Value of Cash Collateral. In the case of loans collateralized solely by Cash Collateral, the value of the Collateral shall be the market value of such Cash Collateral.

 

  6.1.2

Value of Securities Collateral. In the case of loans collateralized solely by securities Collateral, the value of the Collateral shall be the market value of such Collateral.

 

  6.1.3

Valuation Date. The value of the Collateral shall be determined on the date of the Buy-In (or the payment made pursuant to Section 6.2 below).

 

  6.1.4

Market Value. Market value shall be determined by the Lending Agent, where applicable, based upon the valuation policies adopted by the Client’s Board of Directors/Trustees.

 

  6.1.5

Multiple Forms of Collateral. Where a loan is collateralized by more than one type of Collateral, the aggregate market value of Collateral securing such loan (for the purpose of computing the indemnity) shall be the sum of the market values for each relevant type of Collateral.

 

  6.2

Impossibility of Replacement/Liquidated Damages. If the Lending Agent determines that a Buy-In is commercially impracticable (for any reason other than price), the Lending Agent shall, in lieu of effecting a Buy-In, pay to the affected Client an amount equal to the market value of the loaned securities determined at the close of business on the date of the Default Event to be reduced by any shortfall diminution in the value of the Collateral due to reinvestment risk that is borne by the Client pursuant to Section 5.

 

  6.3

Replacement of Distributions. In addition to making the purchases or payments required above, the Lending Agent shall pay from the proceeds of Collateral to the Client the value of all distributions on the Loaned Securities, the record dates for which occur before the date that the Lending Agent executes a Buy-In or makes the payments to the Client required pursuant to Section 6.2 and that have not otherwise been credited to the Client’s applicable account. For purposes of

 

- 7 -


  this Section, the value of such distributions shall be calculated net of taxes, expenses or other deductions that would normally accrue to such distributions. The Lending Agent shall use Collateral or the proceeds of such Collateral to the extent available to make such payments of distributions.

 

  6.4

Collateral not in Possession or Control of the Lending Agent. If, on the date of the Default Event, by reason of the Client’s request or actions, the Lending Agent is not in possession or control of the Collateral allocated to the defaulted Loan, the Client shall promptly cause such Collateral to be transferred to the Lending Agent for application against the cost of any Buy-In. In such event, the replacement provisions of this Section 6 shall not apply, and the compensation of the Client shall be limited to the value of the Collateral on the date that Buy-In or replacement payment may be affected.

 

  6.5

Subrogation and Assignment of Rights in Collateral. In the event that the Lending Agent is required to perform or make any payment under this Section, the Client agrees that, to the extent of such performance or payment, the Lending Agent shall be subrogated to the Client, and the Client shall assign, and be deemed to have assigned, to the Lending Agent all of such Client’s rights in, to and against the Borrower in respect of the related loan, any Collateral pledged by such Borrower in respect of such loan and all proceeds of such Collateral to the extent permitted by applicable law. In the event that the Client receives or is credited with any payment, benefit or value from or on behalf of the Borrower in respect of rights to which the Lending Agent is subrogated as provided herein, the Client shall promptly remit or pay to the Lending Agent the same (or, where applicable, its United States dollar equivalent).

7. Income, Corporate Actions and Substitute Payments. Income, corporate actions and Substitute Payments (as defined in Sections 7.1 and 7.2) shall be dealt with as provided in this Section 7.

 

  7.1

Income and Related Payments to Borrower. Payments to an Approved Borrower shall be made in accordance with the terms of the applicable SLA.

 

  7.2

Income and Related Payments to Client. The Lending Agent shall instruct each Approved Borrower which is a party to an SLA to remit any payment in-lieu-of the interest or other distribution on loaned securities (“Loan Substitute Payment”) for the account of the Client. The Lending Agent shall also instruct each Approved Borrower which is a party to an SLA to remit any other fees payable on loaned securities to the Lending Agent for the account of the Client, and the Lending Agent shall receive, hold and administer the same for the account of the Client.

 

  7.3

Corporate Actions and Proxy Rights. The Client acknowledges that, with respect to securities which are out on loan over the applicable record date for such action, unless otherwise agreed hereto, it will not be entitled to participate in any dividend reinvestment program or vote any proxies; provided, however, that the Client may recall such securities upon sufficient notice to exercise proxy rights. Corporate actions will otherwise be processed in accordance with the SLA.

 

- 8 -


8. Reports and Statements. The Lending Agent shall furnish the Client with the reports and statements set forth in the Securities Lending Guidelines or as otherwise agreed from time to time.

9. SIPC Coverage. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT OF 1970 (“SIPA”) OR THE DODD-FRANK ACT OF 2010 (“DFA”) MAY NOT PROTECT THE FUND WITH RESPECT TO THE SECURITIES LOAN TRANSACTION AND THAT, THEREFORE, THE COLLATERAL DELIVERED BY AN APPROVED BORROWER TO THE FUND MAY CONSTITUTE THE ONLY SOURCE OF SATISFACTION OF THE OBLIGATION OF THE APPROVED BORROWER IN THE EVENT THE APPROVED BORROWER (OR ITS AGENT) FAILS TO RETURN THE SECURITIES. THE LENDING AGENT SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES INCURRED OR LIABILITIES WHICH ARISE SOLELY DUE TO THE APPLICATION OF SIPA OR DFA TO THE SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

10. Client Information. The Client covenants and agrees to promptly furnish to the Lending Agent any information regarding the Client which is necessary to effect transactions on behalf of the Client, including, but not limited to, any limitations imposed pursuant to any applicable law, regulation, authority, charter, by-law, statute or other instrument. The Lending Agent agrees to comply with such restrictions and limitations.

 

  10.1

The Lending Agent may not disclose or supply any information regarding the Client or Fund unless required by any law or governmental regulation now or hereafter in effect or requested to do so by the Client; provided that the Lending Agent may disclose or supply information regarding the Client and/or Fund and any transactions authorized by this Agreement as necessary in the sole discretion of the Lending Agent in order to facilitate, effect or continue any securities loans hereunder or to assist in the analysis of the performance of the securities lending program.

11. Tax Treatment. The Client acknowledges that the tax treatment of Substitute Payments may differ from the tax treatment of the interest or dividend to which such payment relates and that the Client has made its own determination as to the tax treatment of any securities loan transactions undertaken pursuant to this Agreement and of any dividends, distributions, remuneration or other funds received hereunder. The Client also acknowledges that, to the extent that either the Client or the Approved Borrower is a non-U.S. resident, the Lending Agent may be required to withhold tax on amounts payable to or by the Client pursuant to a securities loan and may at any time claim from the Client any shortfall in the amount so withheld.

12. Responsibility of the Lending Agent. Except as otherwise set forth herein, and subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Lending Agent shall not be liable with respect to any losses incurred by the Client in connection with this securities lending program or under

 

- 9 -


any provision hereof, except to the extent that such losses result from the Lending Agent’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Lending Agent shall not be liable for losses, costs, expenses or liabilities caused by or resulting from the acts or omissions of the Client or of any agent or third party custodian of the Client. The Lending Agent shall not be responsible for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages, whether or not the Lending Agent has been apprised of the likelihood of such damages.

 

  13.

Standard of Care: Indemnification.

 

  13.1

Subject to Section 6, the Client shall indemnify and hold harmless the Lending Agent (which, for purposes of this paragraph shall include its respective officers, directors, partners, managers, employees and agents) from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs or expenses, including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel (each, a “Loss”) incurred, suffered or sustained by the Lending Agent, which arise from the Lending Agent’s actions or failure to act, in either case taken in good faith in performance of this Agreement, except to the extent that such claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs or expenses were caused by the willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the Lending Agent, provided that the Client’s indemnification obligation with respect to the acts or omissions of the Lending Agent shall not exceed the indemnification provided by such Lending Agent to the Client. This indemnity shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the resignation or removal of the Lending Agent as agent.

 

  13.2

The Lending Agent shall indemnify and hold harmless the Client and each Fund, its Board of Directors/Trustees and the Advisor (which for purposes of this paragraph shall include its officers, directors, partners, managers, employees and agents) and any other investment advisor for the Clients and Funds from any and all Losses to the extent that any such Loss arises out of the material breach of this Agreement by or the willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the Lending Agent, its officers, directors or employees in connection with the securities lending activities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that the Lending Agent’s indemnification obligation with respect to the acts or omissions of its subcustodians shall not exceed the indemnification provided by the applicable subcustodian to the Lending Agent. This indemnity shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the resignation or removal of the Lending Agent.

 

  13.3

Representations and Warranties. Each party represents and warrants to the other that (i) it has due authority to enter into and perform this Agreement and any transactions contemplated thereby; (ii) the execution and performance of this Agreement and any transaction contemplated thereby has been duly authorized by all necessary action, corporate or otherwise, and does not violate any law, regulation, charter, by-law or other instrument, restriction or provision applicable to it; and (iii) this Agreement constitutes such party’s legal, valid and binding obligation enforceable in accordance with its terms. In addition, the Client

 

- 10 -


  represents that: (a) any loan authorized hereunder and the performance of this Agreement in respect of such loan is authorized by the prospectus and other constitutive documents of the Client (including any limits as to the aggregate amount of authorized lending under such documents); and (b) as to any securities lent at any time and from time to time on behalf of the Client, the Client shall be the owner thereof with clear title thereto and no lien, charge or encumbrance upon such securities shall exist.

 

  13.4

Non-Exclusivity of Agency Service and Similar Matters. The Client acknowledges that the Lending Agent, acting on behalf of other lending clients, may effect transactions with or for the same Approved Borrowers to which loans of securities may be made hereunder, which transactions may give rise to potential conflict of interest situations. Lending opportunities among Approved Borrowers shall be allocated at the discretion of the Lending Agent in an equitable manner.

14. Force Majeure. The Lending Agent shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of, or caused directly or indirectly by, circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, transportation, computer (hardware or software) or communications service; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation. Without limiting the foregoing, but subject to Section 6, the Lending Agent shall not be responsible for economic, political or investment risks incurred through the Client’s participation in this securities lending program.

15. Reliance on Client Communications. The Lending Agent shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any certification, notice or other communication (including by facsimile or email) reasonably believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed or sent by or on behalf of an approved person of the party sending such certification, notice or other communication. The Lending Agent reserves the right to notify the Client of any restrictions (self-imposed or otherwise) concerning its activities worldwide. The Lending Agent and the Client shall each have the right to consult with counsel with respect to their respective rights and duties hereunder and shall not be liable for actions taken or not taken in reliance on such advice.

16. Compensation. In connection with the lending of Available Securities, a Fund shall pay to the Lending Agent a percentage (the “Lending Agent Fee Percentage”) of the net amount earned from securities lending activities, consisting of income earned on the investment and reinvestment of Cash Collateral plus any Securities Loan Fees otherwise paid by the Authorized Borrowers. For purposes of this Agreement, “Securities Loan Fees” shall mean the amount payable by an Authorized Borrower to the Lending Agent, as agent to the Fund, pursuant to the applicable SLA in connection with the loan of Available Securities, if any, collateralized by collateral other than Cash Collateral. The net amount to be paid to the Lending Agent shall be computed after deducting (a) any applicable rebate due to the Authorized Borrowers under the applicable SLA and (b) Cash Management Costs. “Cash Management Costs” shall mean the expenses incurred in connection with the management and investment of a Fund’s Cash

 

- 11 -


Collateral in accordance with Section 5 of this Agreement, including any fees payable to the Lending Agent, the Advisor or any other affiliate of the Lending Agent as a result of the investment of Cash Collateral in any joint account, fund or similar vehicle. The Lending Agent, upon mutual agreement with the Client, may determine to cap the Cash Management Costs. Any such cap on the Cash Management Costs shall be set forth in Appendix A, Appendix B or Appendix C hereto, as applicable, as each such Appendix may be amended from time to time. The Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be such percentage as may from time to time be agreed upon by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Client and the Lending Agent and shall be set forth in writing. The Lending Agent Fee Percentage for each Fund is set forth in Appendix A, Appendix B or Appendix C hereto, as applicable, as each such Appendix may be amended from time to time. The Client authorizes and directs the Lending Agent to deduct amounts equal to such compensation from the Custody Account and to retain such amounts as compensation. The Lending Agent shall notify the Client, on or about the l0th (tenth) day of each month, of the amount of fees due the Lending Agent hereunder and, promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Client shall effect the requisite payment to the Lending Agent in immediately available funds of U.S. dollars. The Lending Agent shall be responsible for all transaction fees and all other operational costs relating to securities lending activities, other than Cash Management Costs as described above and extraordinary expenses (e.g., litigation and indemnification expenses), each to be borne by the respective Fund.

17. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time upon mutual written agreement of the Lending Agent and the Client or upon sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that the indemnification obligations in Section 13 shall survive any such termination.

18. Action on Termination. It is agreed that (a) upon receipt of notice of termination, no further loans shall be made hereunder by the Lending Agent and (b) the Lending Agent shall, as promptly as possible after termination of this Agreement, terminate any and all outstanding loans but continue to administer to any outstanding loans as necessary to effect their termination and remit and deliver to the Custody Account all securities, earnings and other items due to the Client. The provisions hereof shall continue in full force and effect in all other respects until all loans have been terminated and all obligations satisfied as herein provided. Both parties shall take all commercially reasonable steps to cooperate to provide a smooth transition in the event of a termination.

19. Notices. All notices, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and delivered or transmitted (as the case may be) by registered mail, facsimile, email, courier, or be effected by telephone promptly confirmed in writing and delivered or transmitted as aforesaid, to the intended recipient as provided below. Notices shall be effective upon receipt.

 

  19.1

Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to the Lending Agent, shall be sufficiently given if addressed to BlackRock Investment Management, LLC and received by it at its offices at 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, Attention: Securities Lending Department, with a copy to BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Attention: Securities Lending Department, or at such other place as the Lending Agent may from time to time designate in writing.

 

- 12 -


  19.2

Any notice or other instrument in writing, authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to the Client shall be sufficiently given if addressed to the Client and received by it at: Mutual Fund Administration, c/o BlackRock Advisors, LLC, 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, with a copy to: Legal Department, or at such other place as the Client may from time to time designate in writing.

20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without reference to conflict of law provisions thereof. The parties hereto hereby irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of (and waive dispute of venue in) the courts of the State of New York and the federal courts located in New York City in the Borough of Manhattan.

21. Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any other agreement between the parties hereto concerning loans of securities owned by the Client. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement together with any other written agreements between the parties entered into in connection with this Agreement contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and supersede all previous oral or written negotiations, commitments and understandings related thereto.

22. Assignment. This Agreement shall not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of the other party.

23. Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings provided in the SLA.

24. Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any respect, without the written agreement of both parties.

25. Waiver. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, without the written agreement of both parties. No waiver by one party of any obligation of the other hereunder shall be considered a waiver of any other obligation of such party. The failure of a party to this Agreement to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Agreement.

26. Remedies. All remedies hereunder shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

27. Severability. In the event any provision of this Agreement is adjudicated to be void, illegal, invalid, or unenforceable, the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby, and each of such remaining terms and provisions shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless a party demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that the invalidated provision was an essential economic term of the Agreement.

 

- 13 -


28. Further Assurances. Each party hereto shall execute and deliver such other documents or agreements as may be necessary or desirable for the implementation of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

29. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which taken together shall be deemed one and the same instrument.

30. Headings. The headings of sections herein are included solely for convenience and shall have no effect on the meaning of this Agreement.

31. Separate Agreement. Execution of this Agreement by more than one Client or on behalf of itself and more than one Fund shall not create any contractual or other obligation between or among such Clients or Funds, and this Agreement shall constitute a separate agreement between the Lending Agent and each Client on behalf of itself and each respective Fund. Every reference to Client or Fund shall be construed to be a reference solely to the particular Client or Fund that is a party to the relevant transaction. Each of the parties agrees that under no circumstances shall any rights, obligations, remedies or liabilities of a particular Client or Fund, or with respect to transactions to which a particular Client or Fund is a party, be deemed to constitute rights, obligations, remedies or liabilities applicable to any other Client or Fund or to transactions to which other Clients or Funds are parties, and the Lending Agent shall have no right to set off claims of any Client or Fund against property or liabilities of any other Client or Fund. All transactions are entered into in reliance on the fact that this Agreement constitutes a separate agreement between the Lending Agent and the Client or Fund.

32. Additional Parties. The Lending Agent agrees that additional Clients may be added as parties to this Agreement from time to time upon written notice to the Lending Agent and upon written consent of the Lending Agent to the addition of any such additional Client.

33. Business Trust. With respect to a Client which is a business trust, the Lending Agent acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement is executed by such Client on behalf of the trustees of such Client as trustees and not individually; and no trustee, shareholder, officer, employee or agent of such business trust shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their property (other than the applicable trust property) for the satisfaction of the Client’s obligations under this Agreement, and such obligations are binding only upon the applicable trust property held by such trustee.

34. Series Trusts. The parties acknowledge that the Client is an investment company, whose assets may be allocated to two or more series. In such case, the Lending Agent agrees to seek satisfaction of all obligations of such Client hereunder solely out of the assets of the series on whose behalf the Transaction(s) giving to the obligations was entered into. If the Client establishes two or more series, the Client shall so indicate on Schedule A or otherwise give notice thereof and identify such series, and from such time the liability of such series shall be limited as set forth above, as though and to the same extent as if such series was a separate and distinct Client hereunder.

 

- 14 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and behalf as of the day and year first set forth above.

 

BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC,
on behalf of each investment company
indicated on Schedule A
By:  

                                                              

  Name:
  Title:
BLACKROCK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC,
as Lending Agent
By:  

                                          

  Name:
  Title:

 

- 15 -


Schedule A: Clients and Funds

Fixed-Income Complex Closed-End Funds

BlackRock 2022 Global Income Opportunity Trust

BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust

BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust

BlackRock Core Bond Trust

BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust

BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Energy and Resources Trust

BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust

BlackRock Enhanced Global Dividend Trust

BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust

BlackRock Florida Municipal 2020 Term Trust

BlackRock Health Sciences Trust

BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II

BlackRock Income Trust, Inc.

BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc.

BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust

BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trust

BlackRock Maryland Municipal Bond Trust

BlackRock Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Trust

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust

BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust

BlackRock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II

BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniAssets Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust

BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust

BlackRock Municipal Bond Trust

BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Quality Trust

BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust

BlackRock Municipal Income Quality Trust

BlackRock Municipal Income Trust

BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II

BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund

 

Schedule A-1


BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniVest Fund II, Inc.

BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund

BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund

BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund, Inc.

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Quality Trust

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust

BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II

BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust II

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust

BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust

BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond Trust The

BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust

Multi-Asset Complex Open-End Funds – Group A

BlackRock Advantage Global Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Advantage U.S. Total Market Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Asian Dragon Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Basic Value Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Emerging Markets Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund

BlackRock EuroFund

BlackRock Financial Institutions Series Trust

BlackRock Summit Cash Reserves Fund

BlackRock FundsSM

BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund

BlackRock Advantage ESG Emerging Markets Equity Fund

 

Schedule A-2


BlackRock Advantage ESG International Equity Fund

BlackRock Advantage ESG U.S. Equity Fund

BlackRock Advantage International Fund

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Growth Fund

BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund

BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund

BlackRock China A Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Commodity Strategies Fund

BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund

BlackRock Defensive Advantage International Fund

BlackRock Defensive Advantage U.S. Fund

BlackRock Energy Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Exchange Portfolio

BlackRock Global Impact Fund

BlackRock Global Long/Short Equity Fund

BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio

BlackRock High Equity Income Fund

BlackRock International Dividend Fund

BlackRock International Impact Fund

BlackRock Liquid Environmentally Aware Fund

BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio

BlackRock Real Estate Securities Fund

BlackRock Short Obligations Fund

BlackRock Tactical Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Technology Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Total Emerging Markets Fund

BlackRock Total Factor Fund

BlackRock U.S. Impact Fund

BlackRock Wealth Liquid Environmentally Aware Fund

BlackRock Funds II

BlackRock 20/80 Target Allocation Fund

BlackRock 40/60 Target Allocation Fund

BlackRock 60/40 Target Allocation Fund

BlackRock 80/20 Target Allocation Fund

BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio

BlackRock Global Dividend Portfolio

BlackRock Managed Income Fund

BlackRock Multi-Asset Income Portfolio

BlackRock Retirement Income 2030 Fund

BlackRock Retirement Income 2040 Fund

BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Large Cap Series Funds, Inc.

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core Fund

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Value Fund

BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund

 

Schedule A-3


BlackRock Latin America Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Liquidity Funds

California Money Fund

Federal Trust Fund

FedFund

MuniCash

MuniFund

New York Money Fund

TempCash

TempFund

T-Fund

Treasury Trust Fund

BlackRock Long-Horizon Equity Fund

BlackRock Mid Cap Dividend Series, Inc.

BlackRock Mid Cap Dividend Fund

BlackRock Natural Resources Trust

BlackRock Series Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core Portfolio

BlackRock Balanced Capital Portfolio

BlackRock Capital Appreciation Portfolio

BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio

BlackRock Government Money Market Portfolio

BlackRock Series, Inc.

BlackRock International Fund

BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc.

BlackRock 60/40 Target Allocation ETF V.I. Fund

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core V.I. Fund

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Value V.I. Fund

BlackRock Advantage U.S. Total Market V.I. Fund

BlackRock Basic Value V.I. Fund

BlackRock Capital Appreciation V.I. Fund

BlackRock Equity Dividend V.I. Fund

BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund

BlackRock Government Money Market V.I. Fund

BlackRock International Index V.I. Fund

BlackRock International V.I. Fund

BlackRock Large Cap Focus Growth V.I. Fund

BlackRock Managed Volatility V.I. Fund

BlackRock S&P 500 Index V.I. Fund

BlackRock Small Cap Index V.I. Fund

Managed Account Series

BlackRock GA Disciplined Volatility Equity Fund

BlackRock GA Dynamic Equity Fund

Master Advantage U.S. Total Market LLC

Master Focus Growth LLC

 

Schedule A-4


Master Large Cap Series LLC

Master Advantage Large Cap Core Portfolio

Master Advantage Large Cap Value Portfolio

Ready Assets Government Liquidity Fund

Fixed-Income Complex Open-End Funds – Group B

BlackRock Allocation Target Shares

BATS: Series A Portfolio

BATS: Series C Portfolio

BATS: Series E Portfolio

BATS: Series M Portfolio

BATS: Series P Portfolio

BATS: Series S Portfolio

BlackRock Bond Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Total Return Fund

BlackRock California Municipal Series Trust

BlackRock California Municipal Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Funds IV

BlackRock Global Long/Short Credit Fund

BlackRock Systematic ESG Bond Fund

BlackRock Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund

BlackRock Funds V

BlackRock Core Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Emerging Markets Bond Fund

BlackRock Emerging Markets Flexible Dynamic Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio

BlackRock GNMA Portfolio

BlackRock High Yield Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Income Fund

BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Low Duration Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio

BlackRock U.S. Government Bond Portfolio

BlackRock Multi-State Municipal Series Trust

BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund

BlackRock New York Municipal Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund

BlackRock Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.

BlackRock High Yield Municipal Fund

BlackRock National Municipal Fund

BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund

BlackRock Municipal Series Trust

BlackRock Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund

BlackRock Series Fund II, Inc.

BlackRock High Yield Portfolio

BlackRock U.S. Government Bond Portfolio

 

Schedule A-5


BlackRock Strategic Global Bond Fund, Inc.

BlackRock Variable Series Funds II, Inc.

BlackRock High Yield V.I. Fund

BlackRock Total Return V.I. Fund

BlackRock U.S. Government Bond V.I. Fund

Managed Account Series II

BlackRock U.S. Mortgage Portfolio

Master Bond LLC

Master Total Return Portfolio

 

Schedule A-6


Schedule B: Forms of Securities Loan Agreement

Schedule B-1


Appendix A

Closed-End Funds: Threshold Lending Program

 

1.

For the Funds in the Fixed-Income Complex identified on Schedule A as Fixed-Income Complex Closed-End Funds (collectively, the “Closed-End Funds”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%). The “Fixed-Income Complex” refers to all of the Funds currently or in the future overseen by a board of directors/trustees consisting of the same individuals (or a subset thereof) who comprise the members of the boards of directors/trustees of the Closed-End Funds, the Fixed-Income Complex Open-End Funds – Group B (the “Group B Funds”) listed on Schedule A and the funds listed on Appendix D hereto.

 

2.

Notwithstanding paragraph 1 above, if at any point during a calendar year, the aggregate gross revenues earned by the funds in the Fixed-Income Complex prior to payment of compensation to the applicable lending agent exceed $3,150,000 (the “Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be reduced to fifteen percent (15%) in allocating net income after the gross revenues for the calendar year equal the Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint. The adjusted allocation shall become effective on incremental gross income starting on the next business day after the Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint is reached.

 

3.

The Client and the Lending Agent agree and acknowledge that no advisory fee is payable with respect to management and investment of a Fund’s Cash Collateral in any joint account, fund or similar vehicle. The Lending Agent has agreed to cap the Cash Management Costs in respect of the investment of Cash Collateral in Money Market Series on an annualized basis at 0.04% of the daily net asset value of Money Market Series. The cap on the Cash Management Costs may be raised or reduced upon mutual agreement between the Lending Agent and the Client. In the event that a Fund directly or indirectly bears any Cash Management Costs, as computed at least monthly by the Lending Agent or its designee, in excess of such cap, then such excess shall, without limitation, be deemed a transaction fee or other operational cost for which the Lending Agent shall be responsible.

 

App. A-2


Appendix B

Group A Funds: Full Program

 

1.

For the Funds in the Multi-Asset Complex identified on Schedule A as Multi-Asset Complex Open-End Funds – Group A (the “Group A Funds”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be as set forth below:

 

  a.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “U.S. Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is twenty-three percent (23%).

 

  b.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as an “International Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

 

  c.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “Fund of Funds” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

 

  d.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “Fixed Income Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

The “Multi-Asset Complex” refers to all of the Funds currently or in the future overseen by a board of directors/trustees consisting of the same individuals who comprise the members of the boards of directors/trustees of the Group A Funds listed on Schedule A and the funds listed on Appendix E hereto.

 

2.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any point during a calendar year, the aggregate gross revenues earned by the funds in the Multi-Asset Complex prior to payment of compensation to the applicable lending agent exceed $29,780,000 (the “Multi-Asset Complex Breakpoint”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be reduced as follows in allocating net income after the gross revenues for the calendar year equal the Multi-Asset Complex Breakpoint:

 

  a.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “U.S. Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be nineteen percent (19%).

 

  b.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as an “International Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

 

  c.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “Fund of Funds” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

 

App. B-1


  d.

With respect to a Group A Fund that is identified as a “Fixed Income Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

The adjusted allocation shall become effective on incremental gross income starting on the next business day after the Multi-Asset Complex Breakpoint is reached.

 

3.

The Client and the Lending Agent agree and acknowledge that no advisory fee is payable with respect to management and investment of a Group A Fund’s Cash Collateral in any joint account, fund or similar vehicle. The Lending Agent has agreed to cap the Cash Management Costs in respect of the investment of Cash Collateral in Money Market Series on an annualized basis at 0.04% of the daily net asset value of Money Market Series. The cap on the Cash Management Costs may be raised or reduced upon mutual agreement between the Lending Agent and the Client. In the event that a Group A Fund directly or indirectly bears any Cash Management Costs, as computed at least monthly by the Lending Agent or its designee, in excess of such cap, then such excess shall, without limitation, be deemed a transaction fee or other operational cost for which the Lending Agent shall be responsible.

 

4.

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, if the fee calculated pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Appendix B would result in an effective fee split for a Group A Fund of less than seventy percent (70%) of the sum of such Group A Fund’s securities lending income (after deducting the rebate to the Approved Borrowers) and Cash Management Costs for any day (the “Group A Funds Effective Fee Split Floor”), then the Lending Agent’s fees for such day shall be reduced to the extent necessary to provide such Group A Fund with the Group A Funds Effective Fee Split Floor.

 

App. B-2


Appendix C

Group B Funds: Full Program

 

1.

For the Funds in the Fixed-Income Complex identified on Schedule A as Fixed-Income Complex Open-End Funds – Group B (the “Group B Funds”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be as set forth below:

 

  a.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “U.S. Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is twenty-three percent (23%).

 

  b.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as an “International Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

 

  c.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “Fund of Funds” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

 

  d.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “Fixed Income Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage is eighteen percent (18%).

The “Fixed-Income Complex” refers to all of the Funds currently or in the future overseen by a board of directors/trustees consisting of the same individuals (or a subset thereof) who comprise the members of the boards of directors/trustees of the Closed-End Funds, the Group B Funds listed on Schedule A, and the funds listed on Appendix D hereto.

 

2.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any point during a calendar year, the aggregate gross revenues earned by the funds in the Fixed-Income Complex prior to payment of compensation to the applicable lending agent exceed $3,150,000 (the “Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint”), the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be reduced as follows in allocating net income after the gross revenues for the calendar year equal the Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint:

 

  a.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “U.S. Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be nineteen percent (19%).

 

  b.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as an “International Equity Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

 

  c.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “Fund of Funds” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

 

Appendix C-1


d.

With respect to a Group B Fund that is identified as a “Fixed Income Fund” in accordance with a methodology agreed to between the Lending Agent and the Client, the Lending Agent Fee Percentage shall be fifteen percent (15%).

The adjusted allocation shall become effective on incremental gross income starting on the next business day after the Fixed-Income Complex Breakpoint is reached.

 

3.

The Client and the Lending Agent agree and acknowledge that no advisory fee is payable with respect to management and investment of a Group B Fund’s Cash Collateral in any joint account, fund or similar vehicle. The Lending Agent has agreed to cap the Cash Management Costs in respect of the investment of Cash Collateral in Money Market Series on an annualized basis at 0.04% of the daily net asset value of Money Market Series. The cap on the Cash Management Costs may be raised or reduced upon mutual agreement between the Lending Agent and the Client. In the event that a Group B Fund directly or indirectly bears any Cash Management Costs, as computed at least monthly by the Lending Agent or its designee, in excess of such cap, then such excess shall, without limitation, be deemed a transaction fee or other operational cost for which the Lending Agent shall be responsible.

 

4.

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, if the fee calculated pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Appendix C would result in an effective fee split for a Group B Fund of less than seventy percent (70%) of the sum of such Group B Fund’s securities lending income (after deducting the rebate to the Approved Borrowers) and Cash Management Costs for any day (the “Group B Funds Effective Fee Split Floor”), then the Lending Agent’s fees for such day shall be reduced to the extent necessary to provide such Group B Fund with the Group B Funds Effective Fee Split Floor.

 

Appendix C-2


Appendix D

Fixed-Income Complex Open-End Funds*

BlackRock Funds VI

BlackRock CoreAlpha Bond Fund

Master Investment Portfolio II

CoreAlpha Bond Master Portfolio

 

*

Funds have alternative securities lending agency arrangement.

 

App. D


Appendix E

Multi-Asset Complex Open-End Funds*

BlackRock ETF Trust

BlackRock Future Health ETF**

BlackRock Future Innovators ETF**

BlackRock Future Tech ETF**

BlackRock U.S. Equity Factor Rotation ETF**

BlackRock FundsSM

iShares Developed Real Estate Index Fund

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE Index Fund

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA Index Fund

iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Intl Index Fund

iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor USA Index Fund

iShares Municipal Bond Index Fund

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Index Fund

iShares Russell Small/Mid-Cap Index Fund

iShares Short-Term TIPS Bond Index Fund

iShares Total U.S. Stock Market Index Fund

BlackRock Funds III

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic Retirement Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2025 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2030 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2035 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2040 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2045 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2050 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2055 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2060 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Dynamic 2065 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index Retirement Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2025 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2030 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2035 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2040 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2045 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2050 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2055 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2060 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® ESG Index 2065 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index Retirement Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2025 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2030 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2035 Fund

 

App. E-1


BlackRock LifePath® Index 2040 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2045 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2050 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2055 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2060 Fund

BlackRock LifePath® Index 2065 Fund

iShares MSCI Total International Index Fund

iShares Russell 1000 Large-Cap Index Fund

iShares S&P 500 Index Fund

iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund

BlackRock Index Funds, Inc.

iShares MSCI EAFE International Index Fund

iShares Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index Fund

Master Investment Portfolio

Diversified Equity Master Portfolio

International Tilts Master Portfolio

Large Cap Index Master Portfolio

Money Market Master Portfolio

S&P 500 Index Master Portfolio

Total International ex U.S. Index Master Portfolio

Treasury Money Market Master Portfolio

U.S. Total Bond Index Master Portfolio

Quantitative Master Series LLC

Master Small Cap Index Series

 

*

Funds have alternative securities lending agency arrangement.

**

Fund is an exchange-traded fund

 

App. E-2

Exhibit (16)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned, Michael J. Castellano, Richard E. Cavanagh, Cynthia L. Egan, Frank J. Fabozzi, Lorenzo A. Flores, Stayce D. Harris, J. Phillip Holloman, R. Glenn Hubbard, W. Carl Kester, Catherine A. Lynch, Karen P. Robards, Robert W. Fairbairn and John M. Perlowski, Directors of each of BlackRock Muni Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc. (“MUI”), BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. (“MUC”) and BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (“MUJ” and collectively with MUI and MUC, the “Funds”), hereby authorize John M. Perlowski, Trent Walker, Jay M. Fife, Jennifer McGovern and Janey Ahn, or any of them, as attorney-in-fact, to sign on his or her behalf in the capacities indicated (and not in such person’s personal individual capacity for personal financial or estate planning), the Registration Statement on Form N-14 for each Fund or any amendment thereto (including any pre-effective or post-effective amendments) for or on behalf of each Fund and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.

(Remainder of page intentionally left blank)


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Power of Attorney as of the 30th day of September, 2021.

 

Signature

  

Title

/s/ Michael J. Castellano

Michael J. Castellano

   Director

/s/ Richard E. Cavanagh

Richard E. Cavanagh

   Director

/s/ Cynthia L. Egan

Cynthia L. Egan

   Director

/s/ Frank J. Fabozzi

Frank J. Fabozzi

   Director

/s/ Lorenzo A. Flores

Lorenzo A. Flores

   Director

/s/ Stayce D. Harris

Stayce D. Harris

   Director

/s/ J. Phillip Holloman

J. Phillip Holloman

   Director

/s/ R. Glenn Hubbard

R. Glenn Hubbard

   Director

/s/ W. Carl Kester

W. Carl Kester

   Director

/s/ Catherine A. Lynch

Catherine A. Lynch

   Director

/s/ Karen P. Robards

Karen P. Robards

   Director

/s/ Robert W. Fairbairn

Robert W. Fairbairn

   Director

/s/ John M. Perlowski

John M. Perlowski

   Director

[Signature Page to Power of Attorney for Registration Statements on Form N-14]