Certain BlackRock Closed-End Funds Announce Estimated Sources of Distributions

NEW YORK--()--Today, BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (NYSE:EGF) and BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BKT) (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) announced their estimated sources of distributions.

Today, EGF paid the following distributions per share:

             
Fund     Pay Date     Per Share
EGF     January 9, 2019     $0.041000
       

EGF has adopted a managed distribution plan (a “Plan”) and employs an option over-write policy to support a level distribution of income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The fixed amount distributed per share is subject to change at the discretion of EGF’s Board. Under the Plan, EGF will distribute all available investment income to its shareholders, consistent with its investment objective and as required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended the (“Code”). If sufficient investment income is not available on a monthly basis, EGF will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its shareholders in order to maintain a level distribution.

EGF’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of January 9, 2019 and for its fiscal year 2018 are as follows:

Estimated Allocations as of January 9, 2019
Fund     Distribution    

Net Investment
Income

   

Net Realized
Short-Term Gains

   

Net Realized
Long-Term Gains

    Return of Capital
EGF1     $0.041000     $0.017082 (42%)     $0 (0%)     $0 (0%)     $0.023918 (58%)
                   
Estimated Allocations for Fiscal Year 2018
Fund     Distribution    

Net Investment
Income

   

Net Realized
Short-Term Gains

   

Net Realized Long-
Term Gains

   

Return of Capital

EGF1     $0.492000     $0.324496 (66%)     $0 (0%)     $0 (0%)     $0.167504 (34%)
                   

1 EGF estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of a shareholder’s investment is paid back to the shareholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect EGF’s investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce EGF’s net asset value per share.

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates and are being provided to you pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon EGF’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. EGF will send its shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will illustrate how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information:
Fund    

Average annual total
return (in relation to
NAV) for the 5-year
period ending on
11/30/2018

   

Annualized current
distribution rate
expressed as a
percentage of NAV as
of 11/30/2018

   

Cumulative total return
(in relation to NAV) for
the fiscal year through
11/30/2018

   

Cumulative fiscal
year distributions
as a percentage
of NAV as of
11/30/2018

EGF     1.71%     3.66%     (0.28)%     3.66%
               

No conclusions should be drawn about EGF’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s distributions or from the terms of the Plan.

Today, BKT paid the following distributions per share:

             
Fund     Pay Date     Per Share
BKT     January 9, 2019     $0.034400
       

BKT has adopted a Plan whereby beginning August 2018 the Fund will make fixed monthly distributions to common stockholders and will distribute all available investment income to its stockholders, consistent with its investment objective and as required by the Code. The fixed amount distributed per share is subject to change at the discretion of BKT’s Board. If sufficient investment income is not available on a monthly basis, the Fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its stockholders in order to maintain a level distribution. The Fund is currently not relying on any exemptive relief from Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act. The Fund expects that distributions under the Plan will exceed current income and capital gains and therefore will likely include a return of capital. BKT may make additional distributions from time to time, including additional capital gain distributions at the end of the taxable year, if required to meet requirements imposed by the Code and/or the 1940 Act.

BKT’s estimated sources of the distributions paid as of January 9, 2019 and for its current fiscal year is as follows:

Estimated Allocations as of January 9, 2019
Fund     Distribution    

Net Investment
Income

   

Net Realized
Short-Term Gains

   

Net Realized Long-
Term Gains

    Return of Capital
BKT2     $0.034400     $0.013121 (38%)     $0 (0%)     $0 (0%)     $0.021279 (62%)
                   
Estimated Allocations for the Fiscal Year through January 9, 2019
Fund     Distribution    

Net Investment
Income

   

Net Realized
Short-Term Gains

   

Net Realized Long-
Term Gains

    Return of Capital
BKT2     $0.172000     $0.100232 (58%)     $0 (0%)     $0 (0%)     $0.071768 (42%)
                   

2 BKT estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains in the current fiscal year; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of a stockholder’s investment is paid back to the stockholder. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect BKT’s investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will reduce BKT’s net asset value per share.

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates and are being provided to you pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon BKT’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. BKT will send its stockholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will illustrate how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes

   
Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information:
Fund    

Average annual total
return (in relation to
NAV) for the 5-year
period ending on
11/30/2018

   

Annualized current
distribution rate
expressed as a
percentage of NAV as
of 11/30/2018

   

Cumulative total return
(in relation to NAV) for
the fiscal year through
11/30/2018

   

Cumulative fiscal
year distributions
as a percentage
of NAV as of
11/30/2018

BKT     2.39%     6.62%     (0.69)%     2.76%
           

No conclusions should be drawn about the BKT’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s distributions or from the terms of the Fund’s Plan.

The amount distributed per share under a Plan is subject to change at the discretion of the applicable Fund’s Board. Each Plan will be subject to ongoing review by the Board to determine whether the Plan should be continued, modified or terminated. The Board may amend the terms of a Plan or suspend or terminate a Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund’s shareholders if it deems such actions to be in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders. The amendment or termination of a Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares.

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Availability of Fund Updates

BlackRock will update performance 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. This reference to BlackRock’s website is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or a Fund may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to a Fund’s 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 the Funds 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.

Contacts

BlackRock Closed-End Funds
1-800-882-0052

Contacts

BlackRock Closed-End Funds
1-800-882-0052