# BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSCX): Mutual Fund Facts & Distributions > Markdown mirror of https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx for AI agents. Same live data as the HTML page, regenerated on the same refresh cycle. Not investment advice. - Issuer: BlackRock · Asset class: Equity - Strategy: Actively Managed · Inception: 2000-10-16 This fund commits a minimum of 80% of its total capital to equity investments, primarily common stocks, issued by companies active in the health sciences and related industries. This scope includes, but is not limited to, businesses specializing in medical equipment and supplies, healthcare provision and services, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. A substantial portion of its portfolio, exceeding 25% of its assets, will be concentrated within these health sciences or associated sectors. Furthermore, the fund has the discretion to invest in companies based in non-U.S. countries. ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Price | $49.86 | | Expense Ratio | 1.90% | | AUM (All Share Classes) | $6.44B | | NAV | $49.63 | | Holdings Count | 132 | | Distribution Yield (TTM) | 18.69% | | Annual Distribution (TTM) | $9.32 /share | | Distribution Frequency | Semi-Annual | | 52-Week Range | $45.14 – $54.27 | | Beta | 0.49 | ## Latest Distribution - Amount: $6.4645 /share - Ex-date: 2026-07-22 - Pay date: 2026-07-23 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does SHSCX invest in? This fund commits a minimum of 80% of its total capital to equity investments, primarily common stocks, issued by companies active in the health sciences and related industries. This scope includes, but is not limited to, businesses specializing in medical equipment and supplies, healthcare provision and services, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. A substantial portion of its portfolio, exceeding 25% of its assets, will be concentrated within these health sciences or associated sectors. Furthermore, the fund has the discretion to invest in companies based in non-U.S. countries. ### What is the expense ratio of SHSCX? BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSCX) charges an expense ratio of 1.90%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations. ### How big is SHSCX? BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSCX) is one share class of a fund that manages $6.44B across all of its share classes (BHSRX, SHISX, SHSAX, SHSKX, SHSSX report the same total). Our data does not carry the assets of this share class alone. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation. ### Is SHSCX actively managed or an index fund? SHSCX is actively managed: the manager selects holdings rather than tracking an index. Active funds typically charge higher expense ratios than index funds (SHSCX's is 1.90%) in exchange for the discretion to over- or under-weight positions. ### When was SHSCX launched? BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSCX) launched in October 2000 and is managed by BlackRock. ### How has SHSCX performed? SHSCX's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon. ### Does SHSCX pay a dividend? BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSCX) currently distributes little or no income. Trailing-twelve-month yield is 18.69%. Investors looking for income should consider income-focused alternatives. See the Peers tab. ### How often does SHSCX pay dividends? BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio pays dividends Semi-Annual. Each ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date is listed in the dividend history table on this page. ### What is SHSCX's dividend yield? SHSCX's trailing-twelve-month yield is 18.69%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price. ### When is SHSCX's next ex-dividend date? The most recently announced ex-dividend date for SHSCX was 2026-07-22. The next ex-date typically follows Semi-Annual; once announced it appears at the top of the dividend history table on this page. ### How much will SHSCX's expense ratio cost me over 30 years? On a $10,000 investment compounding at 7% gross return, a 1.90% expense ratio quietly compounds against your balance every year. The Fee Compounding Forecast card above projects the dollar drag for any holding period and assumption you pick. The typical result for a 1.0% expense ratio on a 30-year hold is roughly 25% of the final balance lost to fees. ### How does SHSCX charge its expense ratio? The expense ratio is deducted in tiny daily slices from SHSCX's net asset value (NAV). You never see a bill. The price quoted on every exchange is already net of fees. There's no "fee day" to avoid; the cost is continuous and built into the trading price. ### Why does SHSCX cost more than a fund like VOO? SHSCX is actively managed (current expense ratio 1.90%). Active funds charge more than passive index trackers in exchange for the manager's discretion to over- or under-weight positions. The Cost Verdict card above tells you whether SHSCX's fee is competitive for the active-management cohort. ### Are there cheaper alternatives to SHSCX? The Lower-Fee Alternatives card above lists mutual funds following the same investment strategy as SHSCX (1.90%) but at a lower expense ratio. Each row shows the fee gap, the peer's AUM as a liquidity sanity-check, and a direct link to that fund's analysis page. Cheaper price doesn't automatically mean better. Verify the peer holds what you actually want. ## More on Dividend Data - Overview (HTML): https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx - Distribution history: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx/dividend - Holdings & diversification: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx/diversification - Fees & cheaper alternatives: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx/expenses - Peer comparison: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/shscx/peers Data sourced from primary filings and market data providers; see https://www.dividenddata.com/methodology.