BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions About DSU

What does DSU invest in?

The BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. is a closed-end mutual fund, established by BlackRock, Inc., that focuses on fixed-income investments. Managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC, the fund primarily allocates capital within U.S. fixed income markets. Its core strategy involves building a diverse portfolio of corporate debt instruments, including corporate loans. These holdings typically consist of securities rated in the lower categories by established services (BBB or below by S&P's, or Baa or below by Moody's), or unrated debt instruments deemed by the investment adviser to possess comparable quality. Formed on March 27, 1998, and domiciled in the United States, it was formerly known as Debt Strategies Fund Inc.

What is the expense ratio of DSU?

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) charges an expense ratio of 1.72%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations.

What is DSU's dividend yield?

DSU's trailing-twelve-month yield is 13.79%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price.

What is the duration of DSU?

Effective duration measures DSU's sensitivity to interest-rate changes: a duration of 6 means a 1% rate move shifts NAV by roughly 6% in the opposite direction. DSU's current duration is published on the fund's factsheet on the issuer's website.

What is the credit quality of DSU?

DSU's credit quality breakdown (the share of holdings rated AAA through CCC and below) is published on the fund's factsheet. Higher-quality (investment-grade) funds yield less but carry less default risk than high-yield / junk bond funds.

What is the yield to maturity of DSU?

Yield to maturity (YTM) is the total return you'd earn from DSU if every bond in the portfolio is held to maturity at the current price. DSU's YTM is published on the fund's factsheet on the issuer's website. It differs from the trailing-12-month yield because YTM reflects current bond prices rather than historical income paid.