NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlackRock Advisors, LLC today announced the redemption of a portion of the issued and outstanding auction rate preferred shares (“ARPS”) by BlackRock Municipal 2018 Term Trust (NYSE:BPK) and BlackRock Municipal 2020 Term Trust (NYSE:BKK) (collectively, the “Funds”).
The partial redemptions announced today, which total approximately $16.45 million in ARPS, will be conducted at a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, together with accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to the redemption date, if applicable. When taken together with previously announced redemptions of ARPS by BlackRock closed-end funds, these redemptions total approximately $9.49 billion across BlackRock taxable and tax-exempt closed-end funds (approximately 96.6% of the total ARPS outstanding as of February 2008).
The Depository Trust Company (DTC), the holder of record for the ARPS, determines by random lottery how the partial redemption will be allocated among each participant broker-dealer account that holds ARPS and each participant broker-dealer determines how to allocate each partial redemption among its respective ARPS holders.
Please see redemption details for each Fund’s respective series of ARPS below.
BPK:
| Series | CUSIP | Redemption Date | Total Shares | Aggregate Principal | |||||
| to be | Amount to be | ||||||||
| Redeemed | Redeemed | ||||||||
| R-7 | 09248C304 | May 24, 2013 | 206 | $5,150,000 | |||||
| W-7 | 09248C205 | May 23, 2013 | 206 | $5,150,000 | |||||
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(Represents 10.7% of BPK’s ARPS currently outstanding) |
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BKK:
| Series | CUSIP | Redemption Date | Total Shares | Aggregate Principal | |||||
| to be | Amount to be | ||||||||
| Redeemed | Redeemed | ||||||||
| F-7 | 09249X406 | May 28, 2013 | 82 | $2,050,000 | |||||
| M-7 | 09249X208 | May 28, 2013 | 82 | $2,050,000 | |||||
| W-7 | 09249X307 | May 23, 2013 | 82 | $2,050,000 | |||||
|
(Represents 3.8% of BKK’s ARPS currently outstanding) |
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BlackRock will continue to keep market participants and shareholders informed of its closed-end funds’ progress to redeem ARPS via press releases and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com.
About BlackRock
BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At March 31, 2013, BlackRock’s AUM was $3.936 trillion. BlackRock offers products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients’ needs, including active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes. Products are offered in a variety of structures including 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 March 31, 2013, the firm has approximately 10,600 employees in 30 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or the Funds may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Funds or BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions.
BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.
With respect to the Funds, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Funds or in a Fund’s net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of a Fund and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to a Fund or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions.
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of a Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com, and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Funds. The information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press release.