Ways to Purchase Microsoft at an 8% Discount (Featuring a 7.7% Dividend)
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 01 2025
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Should l Buy BST?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Misconceptions about CEFs: Many investors misunderstand closed-end funds (CEFs), particularly regarding their fees and yields, which can lead them to miss out on significant dividends compared to ETFs like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).
CEF Fees Explained: While CEFs have higher average management fees (around 2.9%), these fees are taken from the fund's portfolio before dividends are distributed, meaning investors receive the full yield reported, which can be substantially higher than that of index funds.
Performance Comparison: CEFs like the BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST) and Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund (STK) have outperformed the S&P 500 index, even after accounting for their fees, highlighting their potential for higher returns.
Investment Strategy: Investors can benefit from a "CEF rotation" strategy, buying CEFs when they are undervalued and selling when they are overvalued, while also enjoying high yields and diversification across various asset classes.
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Analyst Views on BST
About BST
BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (the Trust) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Trust's investment objective is to provide income and total return through a combination of current income, current gains and long-term capital appreciation. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of United States (U.S.) and non-U.S. science and technology companies in any market capitalization range. The Trust seeks to pursue this goal primarily by investing in a portfolio of equity securities and also by employing a strategy of writing (selling) call and put options. The Trust invests in various industries, including software, semiconductors and semiconductor equipment, information technology (IT) services, financial services, broadline retail, entertainment, and diversified consumer services. The Trust's investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
BlackRock Closed-End Funds Distribution Announcement
- Distribution Frequency Change: Certain BlackRock closed-end funds have announced a shift from monthly to quarterly distributions to enhance visibility on future payouts, thereby boosting investor confidence and optimizing liquidity.
- Distribution Amount Overview: For instance, the BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust (BTT) has a monthly distribution of $0.046400, indicating stable cash flow that is expected to attract more investors seeking reliable income.
- Managed Distribution Plan: The BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (BCAT) and BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (ECAT) have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure a monthly distribution rate of 20% of each fund's 12-month rolling average net asset value, maintaining investor yield expectations.
- Tax Compliance Notices: All funds have sent Section 19 notices to shareholders to comply with the Investment Company Act of 1940, enhancing transparency and assisting investors in understanding the sources and tax characteristics of distributions.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2026 Distribution Plans
- Distribution Amounts Announced: BlackRock's various funds announced distributions for February 27, 2026, with BCX distributing $0.0697 per share and BME distributing $0.2621 per share, indicating the company's ongoing cash flow and profitability.
- Managed Distribution Plan: All funds have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure stable monthly distributions, with BCAT and ECAT's distributions based on 20% of their 12-month rolling average net asset value, reflecting the company's robust capital management strategy.
- Transparent Sources of Income: The sources of distributions for each fund include net income, short-term, and long-term capital gains, with BCX's distribution being 100% return of capital, showcasing its adaptability in the current market environment.
- Increased Investor Confidence: The distribution plans and transparent income sources of BlackRock funds are expected to enhance investor confidence, promote capital inflows, and further support the company's long-term growth strategy.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2026 Distribution Plans
- Distribution Amounts Announced: BlackRock's various funds announced per-share distributions for January 30, 2026, with BCX at $0.0697 and BME at $0.2621, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to stable income distribution.
- Managed Distribution Plan: All funds have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure monthly distributions of income, capital gains, or return of capital, aimed at providing investors with consistent cash flow and enhancing investor confidence.
- Transparent Sources of Income: As of January 30, 2026, the sources of distributions for each fund include net income and return of capital, with 76% of BCX's distribution coming from capital return, indicating a diverse income structure.
- Long-term Investment Strategy: The distribution plans of BlackRock funds are expected to exceed current income and capital gains, potentially including return of capital, demonstrating the company's strategic flexibility in managing market volatility and maintaining investor returns.
See More
BLACKROCK CLOSED-END FUNDS DISCLOSE ESTIMATED DISTRIBUTION SOURCES
BlackRock Closes End Funds: BlackRock has announced the closure of certain end funds, indicating a strategic shift in their investment approach.
Estimated Sources of Distributions: The announcement includes details on the estimated sources of distributions for the affected funds, providing transparency to investors.
See More
BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Delivers 408.5% Total Return Over a Decade, Outperforming Market
- Significant Performance: BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST) has seen its market price rise by 130.4% over the past decade, while its total return stands at an impressive 408.5%, showcasing its strong earning potential and investment appeal.
- Return Analysis: An investor who put $10,000 into BST in 2016 would have earned a profit of $40,850, significantly exceeding average market returns, indicating the fund's potential in high-yield investments.
- Dividend Impact: BST's total return outperforms the S&P 500 index, highlighting its advantages in dividend reinvestment and underscoring the importance of comprehensive assessments for high-yield closed-end funds (CEFs).
- Future Investment Opportunities: As 2026 approaches, investors can leverage funds like BST to achieve a continuous cash flow with yields up to 9.3% through monthly payments, further enhancing their portfolio's earning capacity.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2025 Distributions, BCX to Pay $0.0697 per Share
- Distribution Plan Announcement: BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust (BCX) plans to distribute $0.0697 per share on December 31, 2025, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to stable income distribution aimed at attracting more investor interest in its funds.
- Transparent Income Sources: The distribution for BCX will include $0.037414 from net income and $0.032286 from return of capital, indicating effective management of investment returns and capital returns, which enhances investor confidence.
- Diverse Distribution Strategy: Other BlackRock funds such as BDJ and BGR will also pay distributions of $0.174930 and $0.097300 respectively, reflecting the company's flexibility in adjusting distribution strategies across different market conditions to maintain investor appeal.
- Long-Term Earnings Outlook: BlackRock funds expect distributions for the fiscal year 2025 to exceed net income, potentially including return of capital, a strategy that not only helps maintain distribution stability but may also impact the funds' net asset values, showcasing the company's ability to respond to future market fluctuations.
See More
BlackRock Closed-End Funds Distribution Announcement
- Distribution Frequency Change: Certain BlackRock closed-end funds have announced a shift from monthly to quarterly distributions to enhance visibility on future payouts, thereby boosting investor confidence and optimizing liquidity.
- Distribution Amount Overview: For instance, the BlackRock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust (BTT) has a monthly distribution of $0.046400, indicating stable cash flow that is expected to attract more investors seeking reliable income.
- Managed Distribution Plan: The BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (BCAT) and BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (ECAT) have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure a monthly distribution rate of 20% of each fund's 12-month rolling average net asset value, maintaining investor yield expectations.
- Tax Compliance Notices: All funds have sent Section 19 notices to shareholders to comply with the Investment Company Act of 1940, enhancing transparency and assisting investors in understanding the sources and tax characteristics of distributions.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2026 Distribution Plans
- Distribution Amounts Announced: BlackRock's various funds announced distributions for February 27, 2026, with BCX distributing $0.0697 per share and BME distributing $0.2621 per share, indicating the company's ongoing cash flow and profitability.
- Managed Distribution Plan: All funds have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure stable monthly distributions, with BCAT and ECAT's distributions based on 20% of their 12-month rolling average net asset value, reflecting the company's robust capital management strategy.
- Transparent Sources of Income: The sources of distributions for each fund include net income, short-term, and long-term capital gains, with BCX's distribution being 100% return of capital, showcasing its adaptability in the current market environment.
- Increased Investor Confidence: The distribution plans and transparent income sources of BlackRock funds are expected to enhance investor confidence, promote capital inflows, and further support the company's long-term growth strategy.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2026 Distribution Plans
- Distribution Amounts Announced: BlackRock's various funds announced per-share distributions for January 30, 2026, with BCX at $0.0697 and BME at $0.2621, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to stable income distribution.
- Managed Distribution Plan: All funds have adopted a managed distribution plan to ensure monthly distributions of income, capital gains, or return of capital, aimed at providing investors with consistent cash flow and enhancing investor confidence.
- Transparent Sources of Income: As of January 30, 2026, the sources of distributions for each fund include net income and return of capital, with 76% of BCX's distribution coming from capital return, indicating a diverse income structure.
- Long-term Investment Strategy: The distribution plans of BlackRock funds are expected to exceed current income and capital gains, potentially including return of capital, demonstrating the company's strategic flexibility in managing market volatility and maintaining investor returns.
See More
BLACKROCK CLOSED-END FUNDS DISCLOSE ESTIMATED DISTRIBUTION SOURCES
BlackRock Closes End Funds: BlackRock has announced the closure of certain end funds, indicating a strategic shift in their investment approach.
Estimated Sources of Distributions: The announcement includes details on the estimated sources of distributions for the affected funds, providing transparency to investors.
See More
BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Delivers 408.5% Total Return Over a Decade, Outperforming Market
- Significant Performance: BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST) has seen its market price rise by 130.4% over the past decade, while its total return stands at an impressive 408.5%, showcasing its strong earning potential and investment appeal.
- Return Analysis: An investor who put $10,000 into BST in 2016 would have earned a profit of $40,850, significantly exceeding average market returns, indicating the fund's potential in high-yield investments.
- Dividend Impact: BST's total return outperforms the S&P 500 index, highlighting its advantages in dividend reinvestment and underscoring the importance of comprehensive assessments for high-yield closed-end funds (CEFs).
- Future Investment Opportunities: As 2026 approaches, investors can leverage funds like BST to achieve a continuous cash flow with yields up to 9.3% through monthly payments, further enhancing their portfolio's earning capacity.
See More
BlackRock Funds Announce 2025 Distributions, BCX to Pay $0.0697 per Share
- Distribution Plan Announcement: BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust (BCX) plans to distribute $0.0697 per share on December 31, 2025, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to stable income distribution aimed at attracting more investor interest in its funds.
- Transparent Income Sources: The distribution for BCX will include $0.037414 from net income and $0.032286 from return of capital, indicating effective management of investment returns and capital returns, which enhances investor confidence.
- Diverse Distribution Strategy: Other BlackRock funds such as BDJ and BGR will also pay distributions of $0.174930 and $0.097300 respectively, reflecting the company's flexibility in adjusting distribution strategies across different market conditions to maintain investor appeal.
- Long-Term Earnings Outlook: BlackRock funds expect distributions for the fiscal year 2025 to exceed net income, potentially including return of capital, a strategy that not only helps maintain distribution stability but may also impact the funds' net asset values, showcasing the company's ability to respond to future market fluctuations.
See More
