BIGZ, BMEZ, BSTZ, BCAT, and ECAT Repurchased over $137 Million of Shares in 2023

BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) released today share repurchase activity for certain BlackRock-advised closed-end funds (the “Funds”) during the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The Funds have authorized open market share repurchase programs (the “Repurchase Programs”) pursuant to which each Fund may repurchase, through November 30, 2023, up to 5% of its outstanding common shares in open market transactions. The Repurchase Programs seek to enhance shareholder value by purchasing Fund shares trading at a discount from their net asset value (“NAV”) per share, which could result in incremental accretion to a Fund’s NAV. Below is a summary of share repurchase activity over this past quarter and since the inception of each Fund’s Repurchase Program:

• BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (“BIGZ”), BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (“BMEZ”), BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (“BSTZ”), BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (“BCAT”) and BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (“ECAT”) have repurchased over $137 million in shares in 2023, leading to over $27 million in NAV accretion.
• BIGZ, BSTZ, BMEZ, BCAT, and ECAT have repurchased approximately $447 million in shares, leading to over $85 million in NAV accretion since their Repurchase Programs’ respective inceptions.
• Since the initial Repurchase Program inception in 2016, BlackRock has repurchased over $1.1 billion in shares across the closed-end fund (“CEF”) complex, leading to over $184 million in NAV accretion.

Below is a summary of share repurchase activity over this past quarter and since the inception of each Fund’s Repurchase Program:

Municipal CEFs

Summary of share repurchase activity during the most recent calendar quarter ended September 30, 2023:

Summary of share repurchase activity since Repurchase Program inception as of September 30, 2023:

Equity CEFs

Summary of share repurchase activity during the most recent calendar quarter ended September 30, 2023:

Summary of share repurchase activity since Repurchase Program inception as of September 30, 2023:

Multi-Asset CEFs

Summary of share repurchase activity during the most recent calendar quarter ended September 30, 2023:

Summary of share repurchase activity since Repurchase Program inception as of September 30, 2023:

Fixed Income CEFs

Summary of share repurchase activity during the most recent calendar quarter ended September 30, 2023:

No Repurchase this quarter.

Summary of share repurchase activity since Repurchase Program inception as of September 30, 2023:

The amount and timing of any repurchases under each Fund’s Repurchase Program will be determined either at the discretion of the Fund’s management or pursuant to predetermined parameters and instructions subject to market conditions. There is no assurance that any Fund will repurchase shares in any particular amounts. A Fund’s repurchase activity will be disclosed in its shareholder report for the relevant fiscal period. Any repurchases made under any Repurchase Program will be made on a national securities exchange at the prevailing market price, subject to exchange requirements and certain volume and timing limitations and other regulations under federal securities laws.

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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, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to a Fund or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities, health epidemics and/or pandemics 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.

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