N-CSR 1 d847601dncsr.htm BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD QUALITY FUND III, INC. BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-06540

Name of Fund:  BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

Fund Address:  100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809

Name and address of agent for service: John M. Perlowski, Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock MuniYield

Quality Fund III, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800) 882-0052, Option 4

Date of fiscal year end: 07/31/2020

Date of reporting period: 07/31/2020


Item 1 – Report to Stockholders


 

LOGO   JULY 31, 2020

 

  

2020 Annual Report

 

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of each Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from BlackRock or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you hold accounts directly with BlackRock, you can call Computershare at (800) 699-1236 to request that you continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you hold accounts through a financial intermediary, you can follow the instructions included with this disclosure, if applicable, or contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. Please note that not all financial intermediaries may offer this service. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC or its affiliates, or all funds held with your financial intermediary, as applicable.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive electronic delivery of shareholder reports and other communications by contacting your financial intermediary, if you hold accounts through a financial intermediary. Please note that not all financial intermediaries may offer this service.

 

Not FDIC Insured • May Lose Value • No Bank Guarantee


Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

July 31, 2020

 

     Total Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative
Distributions by Character
    Percentage of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative
Distributions by Character
 
     Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
Short Term
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
Long Term
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Common
Share
    Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
Short Term
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
Long Term
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Common
Share
 

MUE

  $ 0.541000     $     $     $     $ 0.541000       100     0     0     0     100

MYI

    0.534188                         0.534188       100       0       0       0       100  

Section 19(a) notices for the Funds, as applicable, are available on the BlackRock website at blackrock.com.

 

 

2  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The last 12 months have been a time of sudden change in global financial markets, as a long period of growth and positive returns was interrupted in early 2020 by the emergence and spread of the coronavirus. For the first half of the reporting period, U.S. equities and bonds both delivered impressive returns, despite fears and doubts about the economy that were ultimately laid to rest with unprecedented monetary stimulus and a sluggish yet resolute performance from the U.S. economy. But as the threat from the coronavirus (or “COVID-19”) became more apparent throughout February and March 2020, countries around the world took economically disruptive countermeasures, causing a global recession and a sharp fall in equity prices. While markets have since recovered most of these losses as countries around the world adapt to life with the virus, lingering uncertainty about the depth and duration of the pandemic and an uptick in global infection rates tempered optimism late in the reporting period.

Returns for most securities were robust for the first half of the reporting period, as investors began to realize that the U.S. economy was maintaining the modest yet steady growth that had characterized this economic cycle. However, once stay-at-home orders and closures of non-essential businesses became widespread, many workers were laid off and unemployment claims spiked. The subsequent rapid decline in equity prices was followed by a slow recovery, and some economic indicators began to improve. U.S. large-capitalization stocks, which are often considered more resilient than smaller companies during market turbulence, advanced significantly. International equities from developed economies ended the 12-month reporting period with negative performance, while emerging market stocks posted a positive return.

The performance of different types of fixed-income securities diverged substantially due to a reduced investor appetite for risk. Treasuries benefited from the risk-off environment, and posted healthy returns, as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield (which is inversely related to bond prices) fell to an all-time low. Investment-grade corporate bonds also delivered solid returns, while high-yield corporate returns were more modest due to credit concerns.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) reduced interest rates three times in 2019, to support slowing economic growth. After the coronavirus outbreak, the Fed instituted two emergency rate cuts, pushing short-term interest rates close to zero. To stabilize credit markets, the Fed also implemented a new bond-buying program, as did several other central banks around the world, including the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan.

Looking ahead, while coronavirus-related disruptions have clearly hindered worldwide economic growth, we believe that the global expansion is likely to continue once the outbreak subsides. Several risks remain, however, including a potential resurgence of the coronavirus amid loosened restrictions, policy fatigue among governments already deep into deficit spending, and structural damage to the financial system from lengthy economic interruptions.

Overall, we favor a moderately positive stance toward risk, and in particular toward credit given the extraordinary central bank measures taken in recent months. This support extends beyond investment-grade corporates and into high-yield, leading to attractive opportunities throughout the credit market. We believe that both U.S. Treasuries and sustainable investments can help provide portfolio resilience, and the disruption created by the coronavirus appears to be accelerating the shift toward sustainable investments. We remain neutral on equities overall while favoring European stocks, which are poised for cyclical upside as re-openings continue.

In this environment, our view is that investors need to think globally, extend their scope across a broad array of asset classes, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit blackrock.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC

 

Total Returns as of July 31, 2020
     6-month   12-month

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

  2.42%   11.96%

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

  (7.61)   (4.59)

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

  (7.34)   (1.67)

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

  3.08   6.55

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

  0.48   1.46

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

  9.92   15.55

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

  5.69   10.12

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(S&P Municipal Bond Index)

  1.75   4.89

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

  0.62   4.07
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
 

 

 

3    THIS PAGE IS NOT PART OF YOUR FUND REPORT


Table of Contents

 

      Page  

Section 19(a) Notice

     2  

The Markets in Review

     3  

Annual Report:

  

Municipal Market Overview

     5  

The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging

     6  

Derivative Financial Instruments

     6  

Fund Summaries

     7  

Financial Statements:

  

Schedules of Investments

     15  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     40  

Statements of Operations

     41  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     42  

Statements of Cash Flows

     44  

Financial Highlights

     45  

Notes to Financial Statements

     49  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     59  

Disclosure of Investment Advisory Agreements

     60  

Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks

     64  

Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan

     76  

Director and Officer Information

     77  

Additional Information

     80  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     82  

 

 

4       


Municipal Market Overview  For the Reporting Period Ended July 31, 2020

 

Municipal Market Conditions

Municipal bonds posted positive total returns during the period amid increased volatility created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the period, consistently strong performance was driven by a favorable technical backdrop. However, as the economy shut down to stem the spread of COVID-19, the municipal market experienced volatility that was worse than during the height of the global financial crisis. Performance plummeted -10.87% during a two-week period in March 2020, before rebounding on valuation-based buying (For comparison, the -11.86% correction in 2008 spanned more than a month). As federal authorities stepped in to provide stimulus, passing the CARES Act and creating the Municipal Lending Facility, the market stabilized. Strong performance returned late in the period alongside the re-opening of the economy.

 

Similarly, strong technical support during most of the period temporarily waned as COVID-19 fears spurred risk-off sentiment and a streak of 60-consecutive weeks of inflows turned to record outflows. During the 12 months ended July 31, 2020, municipal bond funds experienced net inflows totaling $39 billion, drawn down by nearly $46 billion in outflows during the months of March and April (based on data from the Investment Company Institute). For the same 12-month period, new  

 

S&P Municipal Bond Index

Total Returns as of July 31, 2020

  6 months: 1.75%

12 months: 4.89%

 

 

issuance was robust at $449 billion but slowed during the height of the pandemic as market liquidity became constrained amid the flight to quality. Taxable issuance was elevated as issuers increasingly advance refunded tax-exempt debt in the taxable municipal market for cost savings.

A Closer Look at Yields

 

LOGO

From July 31, 2019 to July 31, 2020, yields on AAA-rated 30-year municipal bonds decreased by 87 basis points (“bps”) from 2.24% to 1.37%, while ten-year rates decreased by 87 bps from 1.52% to 0.65% and five-year rates decreased by 88 bps from 1.11% to 0.23% (as measured by Thomson Municipal Market Data). As a result, the municipal yield curve bull steepened over the 12-month period with the spread between two-and 30-year maturities steepening by 7 bps, lagging the 45 bps of steepening experienced in the U.S. Treasury curve.

During the same period, tax-exempt municipal bonds significantly underperformed U.S. Treasuries across the yield curve. Relative valuations, which had been stretched since the passage of tax reform, reset to attractive levels not seen since 2008. This resulted in increased participation from crossover investors in a market that has mainly been driven by retail.

Financial Conditions of Municipal Issuers

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented shock to the system impacting nearly every sector in the municipal market. Luckily, most states and municipalities were in excellent fiscal health before the crisis and the federal government has provided an incredible amount of support. BlackRock expects ongoing stability in high-quality states as well as school districts and local governments given that property taxes have proven resilient in past economic downturns. Essential public services such as power, water, and sewer are protected segments. State housing authority bonds, flagship universities, and strong national and regional health systems are well positioned to absorb the impact of the economic shock. However, some segments are facing daunting financial challenges and federal support may be insufficient, requiring issuers to draw down reserves and/or borrow to meet financial obligations. Critical providers (safety net hospitals, mass transit, airports) with limited resources will require funding from the states and broader municipalities they serve. BlackRock anticipates that a small subset of the market, mainly non-rated stand-alone projects, will experience significant credit deterioration. Assuming the worst case, a prolonged recession would likely mean a spate of defaults, primarily in non-rated credits, and the migration of the muni market’s overall credit quality from double-A to a still-strong single-A rating. As a result, BlackRock advocates careful credit selection and anticipates increased credit dispersion as the market navigates near-term uncertainty.

The opinions expressed are those of BlackRock as of July 31, 2020 and are subject to change at any time due to changes in market or economic conditions. The comments should not be construed as a recommendation of any individual holdings or market sectors. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Bond values fluctuate in price so the value of your investment can go down depending on market conditions. Fixed income risks include interest-rate and credit risk. Typically, when interest rates rise, there is a corresponding decline in bond values. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the bond issuer will not be able to make principal and interest payments. There may be less information on the financial condition of municipal issuers than for public corporations. The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. Some investors may be subject to Alternative Minimum Tax (“AMT”). Capital gains distributions, if any, are taxable.

The S&P Municipal Bond Index, a broad, market value-weighted index, seeks to measure the performance of the U.S. municipal bond market. All bonds in the index are exempt from U.S. federal income taxes or subject to the AMT. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

 

 

MUNICIPAL MARKET OVERVIEW

  5


The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging

 

The Funds may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the distribution rate on, and net asset value (“NAV”) of, their common shares (“Common Shares”). However, there is no guarantee that these objectives can be achieved in all interest rate environments.

In general, the concept of leveraging is based on the premise that the financing cost of leverage, which is based on short-term interest rates, is normally lower than the income earned by a Fund on its longer-term portfolio investments purchased with the proceeds from leverage. To the extent that the total assets of each Fund (including the assets obtained from leverage) are invested in higher-yielding portfolio investments, each Fund’s shareholders benefit from the incremental net income. The interest earned on securities purchased with the proceeds from leverage (after paying the leverage costs) is paid to shareholders in the form of dividends, and the value of these portfolio holdings (less the leverage liability) is reflected in the per share NAV.

To illustrate these concepts, assume a Fund’s Common Shares capitalization is $100 million and it utilizes leverage for an additional $30 million, creating a total value of $130 million available for investment in longer-term income securities. If prevailing short-term interest rates are 3% and longer-term interest rates are 6%, the yield curve has a strongly positive slope. In this case, a Fund’s financing costs on the $30 million of proceeds obtained from leverage are based on the lower short-term interest rates. At the same time, the securities purchased by a Fund with the proceeds from leverage earn income based on longer-term interest rates. In this case, a Fund’s financing cost of leverage is significantly lower than the income earned on a Fund’s longer-term investments acquired from such leverage proceeds, and therefore the holders of Common Shares (“Common Shareholders”) are the beneficiaries of the incremental net income.

However, in order to benefit Common Shareholders, the return on assets purchased with leverage proceeds must exceed the ongoing costs associated with the leverage. If interest and other costs of leverage exceed the Fund’s return on assets purchased with leverage proceeds, income to shareholders is lower than if the Fund had not used leverage. Furthermore, the value of the Funds’ portfolio investments generally varies inversely with the direction of long-term interest rates, although other factors can influence the value of portfolio investments. In contrast, the value of each Fund’s obligations under its respective leverage arrangement generally does not fluctuate in relation to interest rates. As a result, changes in interest rates can influence the Funds’ NAVs positively or negatively. Changes in the future direction of interest rates are very difficult to predict accurately, and there is no assurance that the Fund’s intended leveraging strategy will be successful.

The use of leverage also generally causes greater changes in each Fund’s NAV, market price and dividend rates than comparable portfolios without leverage. In a declining market, leverage is likely to cause a greater decline in the NAV and market price of a Fund’s Common Shares than if the Fund were not leveraged. In addition, each Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times or at distressed values in order to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to the use of leverage or as required by the terms of leverage instruments, which may cause the Fund to incur losses. The use of leverage may limit a Fund’s ability to invest in certain types of securities or use certain types of hedging strategies. Each Fund incurs expenses in connection with the use of leverage, all of which are borne by Common Shareholders and may reduce income to the Common Shares. Moreover, to the extent the calculation of each Fund’s investment advisory fees includes assets purchased with the proceeds of leverage, the investment advisory fees payable to the Funds’ investment adviser will be higher than if the Funds did not use leverage.

To obtain leverage, each Fund has issued Variable Rate Demand Preferred Shares (“VRDP Shares”) or Variable Rate Muni Term Preferred Shares (“VMTP Shares”) (collectively, “Preferred Shares”) and/or leveraged its assets through the use of tender option bond trusts (“TOB Trusts”) as described in the Notes to Financial Statements.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), each Fund is permitted to issue debt up to 33 1/3% of its total managed assets or equity securities (e.g., Preferred Shares) up to 50% of its total managed assets. A Fund may voluntarily elect to limit its leverage to less than the maximum amount permitted under the 1940 Act. In addition, a Fund may also be subject to certain asset coverage, leverage or portfolio composition requirements imposed by the Preferred Shares’ governing instruments or by agencies rating the Preferred Shares, which may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

If a Fund segregates or designates on its books and records cash or liquid assets having a value not less than the value of a Fund’s obligations under the TOB Trust (including accrued interest), then the TOB Trust is not considered a senior security and is not subject to the foregoing limitations and requirements imposed by the 1940 Act.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Funds may invest in various derivative financial instruments. These instruments are used to obtain exposure to a security, commodity, index, market, and/or other assets without owning or taking physical custody of securities, commodities and/or other referenced assets or to manage market, equity, credit, interest rate, foreign currency exchange rate, commodity and/or other risks. Derivative financial instruments may give rise to a form of economic leverage and involve risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of a derivative financial instrument and the underlying asset, possible default of the counterparty to the transaction or illiquidity of the instrument. The Funds’ successful use of a derivative financial instrument depends on the investment adviser’s ability to predict pertinent market movements accurately, which cannot be assured. The use of these instruments may result in losses greater than if they had not been used, may limit the amount of appreciation a Fund can realize on an investment and/or may result in lower distributions paid to shareholders. The Funds’ investments in these instruments, if any, are discussed in detail in the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

6  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.

 

Fund Overview

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.’s (MUE) (the “Fund”) investment objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in long-term, investment grade municipal obligations exempt from U.S. federal income taxes (except that the interest may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax). The municipal obligations in which the Fund primarily invests are either rated investment grade quality, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations with remaining maturities of one year or more at the time of investment. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest directly in securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives.

No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

Fund Information

 

Symbol on New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”)

  MUE

Initial Offering Date

  February 26, 1999

Yield on Closing Market Price as of July 31, 2020 ($13.12)(a)

  4.62%

Tax Equivalent Yield(b)

  7.80%

Current Monthly Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.0505

Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.6060

Leverage as of July 31, 2020(d)

  38%

 

  (a)

Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 
  (b)

Tax equivalent yield assumes the maximum marginal U.S. federal tax rate of 40.80%, which includes the 3.8% Medicare tax. Actual tax rates will vary based on income, exemptions and deductions. Lower taxes will result in lower tax equivalent yields.

 
  (c) 

The distribution rate is not constant and is subject to change.

 
  (d) 

Represents VMTP Shares and TOB Trusts as a percentage of total managed assets, which is the total assets of the Fund, including any assets attributable to VMTP Shares and TOB Trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities. Does not reflect derivatives or other instruments that may give rise to economic leverage. For a discussion of leveraging techniques utilized by the Fund, please see The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging and Derivative Financial Instruments on page 6.

 

Performance

Returns for the 12 months ended July 31, 2020 were as follows:

 

    Returns Based On  
     Market Price      NAV  

MUE(a)(b)

    8.08      6.25

Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds (Leveraged)(c)

    3.68        4.99  

 

  (a) 

All returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

 
  (b) 

The Fund’s discount to NAV narrowed during the period, which accounts for the difference between performance based on market price and performance based on NAV.

 
  (c) 

Average return. Returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at NAV on the ex-dividend date as calculated by Lipper.

 

Performance results may include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The following discussion relates to the Fund’s absolute performance based on NAV:

Municipal bonds performed well from the beginning of the reporting period until February 2020 due to accommodative Fed policy and favorable supply-and-demand trends in the market. This supportive backdrop changed abruptly in March once the spread of COVID-19 led to travel restrictions, business closures and stay-at-home orders, leading to significant, broad-based weakness across the financial markets. Tax-exempt issues were hard hit in the sell-off, as investors withdrew cash from municipal bond funds and low market liquidity inhibited efficient pricing. Municipal bonds recovered in the April-July interval due to aggressive stimulus from the Fed and U.S. Congress, allowing the category to finish in positive territory for the full period.

The Fund’s positions in bonds with maturities of 20 years and above contributed to performance. Long-term bonds benefited from their higher interest rate sensitivity given that yields fell significantly. (Prices rise as yields fall.) At the sector level, transportation and tax-backed issues made the largest contribution to performance. In the latter group, a position in Puerto Rico securities was a key driver of returns. Revenue sectors such as health care and utilities also outperformed. The Fund’s use of leverage, which augmented income and amplified the effect of rising prices, was an additional contributor.

The Fund sought to manage interest rate risk using U.S. Treasury futures. Since U.S. Treasury yields fell, as prices rose, this strategy detracted from performance. Reinvestment risk continued to be a headwind since the proceeds from bonds that matured or were called needed to be reinvested at lower yields compared to bonds that were issued when yields were higher.

The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.

 

 

FUND SUMMARY

  7


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020 (continued)    BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.

 

Market Price and Net Asset Value Per Share Summary

 

      07/31/20      07/31/19      Change      High      Low  

Market Price

   $ 13.12      $ 12.67        3.55    $ 13.25      $ 9.52  

Net Asset Value

     14.17        13.92        1.80        14.53        11.80  

Market Price and Net Asset Value History For the Past Five Years

 

LOGO

Overview of the Fund’s Total Investments *

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   07/31/20     07/31/19  

Transportation

    36     40

County/City/Special District/School District

    16       17  

State

    12       10  

Utilities

    12       11  

Health

    12       11  

Education

    6       7  

Tobacco

    3       2  

Housing

    2       2  

Corporate

    1        

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

CALL/MATURITY SCHEDULE (c)

 

Calendar Year Ended December 31,

       

2020

    1

2021

    15  

2022

    5  

2023

    21  

2024

    4  

 

  (c) 

Scheduled maturity dates and/or bonds that are subject to potential calls by issuers over the next five years.

 
  *

Excludes short-term securities.

 

CREDIT QUALITY ALLOCATION (a)

 

Credit Rating   07/31/20     07/31/19  

AAA/Aaa

    3     1

AA/Aa

    40       46  

A

    34       38  

BBB/Baa

    11       10  

BB/Ba

    1        

N/R(b)

    11       5  

 

  (a) 

For financial reporting purposes, credit quality ratings shown above reflect the highest rating assigned by either S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) if ratings differ. These rating agencies are independent, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations and are widely used. Investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. Below investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BB/Ba or lower. Investments designated N/R are not rated by either rating agency. Unrated investments do not necessarily indicate low credit quality. Credit quality ratings are subject to change.

 
  (b) 

The investment adviser evaluates the credit quality of not-rated investments based upon certain factors including, but not limited to, credit ratings for similar investments and financial analysis of sectors and individual investments. Using this approach, the investment adviser has deemed certain of these unrated securities as investment grade quality. As of July 31, 2020 the market value of unrated securities deemed by the investment adviser to be investment grade represents 4% of the Fund’s total investments.

 
 

 

 

8  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020    BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.

 

Fund Overview

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.’s (MCA) (the “Fund”) investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal and California income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations exempt from U.S. federal income taxes (except that the interest may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax) and California income taxes. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in long-term municipal obligations that are investment grade quality, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest directly in securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives.

No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

Fund Information

 

Symbol on NYSE

  MCA

Initial Offering Date

  October 30, 1992

Yield on Closing Market Price as of July 31, 2020 ($14.74)(a)

  4.31%

Tax Equivalent Yield(b)

  9.39%

Current Monthly Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.0530

Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.6360

Leverage as of July 31, 2020(d)

  40%

 

  (a) 

Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 
  (b) 

Tax equivalent yield assumes the maximum marginal U.S. federal and state tax rate of 54.10%, which includes the 3.8% Medicare tax. Actual tax rates will vary based on income, exemptions and deductions. Lower taxes will result in lower tax equivalent yields.

 
  (c) 

The distribution rate is not constant and is subject to change.

 
  (d) 

Represents VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts as a percentage of total managed assets, which is the total assets of the Fund, including any assets attributable to VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities. Does not reflect derivatives or other instruments that may give rise to economic leverage. For a discussion of leveraging techniques utilized by the Fund, please see The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging and Derivative Financial Instruments on page 6.

 

Performance

Returns for the 12 months ended July 31, 2020 were as follows:

 

    Returns Based On  
     Market Price      NAV  

MCA(a)(b)

    7.35      5.98

Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds(c)

    4.19        6.17  

 

  (a) 

All returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

 
  (b) 

The Fund’s discount to NAV narrowed during the period, which accounts for the difference between performance based on market price and performance based on NAV.

 
  (c) 

Average return. Returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at NAV on the ex-dividend date as calculated by Lipper.

 

Performance results may include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The following discussion relates to the Fund’s absolute performance based on NAV:

Municipal bonds performed well from the beginning of the reporting period until February 2020 due to accommodative Fed policy and favorable supply-and-demand trends in the market. This supportive backdrop changed abruptly in March once the spread of COVID-19 led to travel restrictions, business closures and stay-at-home orders, leading to significant, broad-based weakness across the financial markets. Tax-exempt issues were hard hit in the sell-off, as investors withdrew cash from municipal bond funds and low market liquidity inhibited efficient pricing. Municipal bonds recovered in the April-July interval due to aggressive stimulus from the Fed and U.S. Congress, allowing the category to finish in positive territory for the full period.

California municipal bonds outperformed the national market due to strong demand from both retail and institutional investors. The high tax regime for state residents, together with the anticipation of potential higher taxes nationally to finance growing deficits, helped make California munis an attractive investment vehicle. Despite concerns about COVID-19, California’s diverse economic base gave investors confidence that the state’s debt service remained safely covered.

Positions in long-duration securities, especially those with maturities of 20 years and above, made the largest contributions given that rates fell during the period. (Duration is a measure of interest rate sensitivity; prices rise as yields fall.) The Fund’s use of leverage contributed to results by enhancing income and amplifying the effect of rising prices. A large allocation to AA rated securities was a further plus. At the sector level, holdings in transportation, school district, health care and local tax-backed issues were key contributors.

The Fund sought to manage interest rate risk using U.S. Treasury futures. Given that U.S. Treasury yields fell, as prices rose, this strategy detracted from performance. Positions in lower-duration, more defensive bonds — such as pre-refunded securities — aided absolute returns but did not keep pace with the broader market.

The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.

 

 

FUND SUMMARY

  9


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020 (continued)    BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.

 

Market Price and Net Asset Value Per Share Summary

 

     07/31/20     07/31/19      Change      High      Low  

Market Price

  $ 14.74     $ 14.29        3.15    $ 14.92      $ 10.27  

Net Asset Value

    16.08       15.79        1.84        16.51        13.29  

Market Price and Net Asset Value History For the Past Five Years

 

LOGO

Overview of the Fund’s Total Investments *

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   07/31/20     07/31/19  

County/City/Special District/School District

    34     36

Transportation

    17       18  

Health

    16       18  

Utilities

    12       14  

Education

    10       9  

State

    4       2  

Tobacco

    3       1  

Housing

    3       1  

Corporate

    1       1  

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

CALL/MATURITY SCHEDULE (d)

 

Calendar Year Ended December 31,

       

2020

    1

2021

    10  

2022

    4  

2023

    6  

2024

    7  

 

  (d)

Scheduled maturity dates and/or bonds that are subject to potential calls by issuers over the next five years.

 
  *

Excludes short-term securities.

 

CREDIT QUALITY ALLOCATION (a)

 

Credit Rating   07/31/20     07/31/19  

AAA/Aaa

    6     4

AA/Aa

    61       74  

A

    19       14  

BBB/Baa

    3       3  

BB/Ba

    1        

B

    (b)       

N/R(c)

    10       5  

 

  (a) 

For financial reporting purposes, credit quality ratings shown above reflect the highest rating assigned by either S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s if ratings differ. These rating agencies are independent, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations and are widely used. Investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. Below investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BB/Ba or lower. Investments designated N/R are not rated by either rating agency. Unrated investments do not necessarily indicate low credit quality. Credit quality ratings are subject to change.

 
  (b) 

Represents less than 1%.

 
  (c) 

The investment adviser evaluates the credit quality of not-rated investments based upon certain factors including, but not limited to, credit ratings for similar investments and financial analysis of sectors and individual investments. Using this approach, the investment adviser has deemed certain of these unrated securities as investment grade quality. As of July 31, 2020 the market value of unrated securities deemed by the investment adviser to be investment grade represents less than 1% of the Fund’s total investments.

 
 

 

 

10  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020    BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.

 

Fund Overview

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.’s (MYN) (the “Fund”) investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and New York State and New York City personal income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations exempt from U.S. federal income taxes (except that the interest may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax) and New York State and New York City personal income taxes. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in long-term municipal obligations that are investment grade quality, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest directly in securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives.

No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

Fund Information

 

Symbol on NYSE

  MYN

Initial Offering Date

  February 28, 1992

Yield on Closing Market Price as of July 31, 2020 ($13.26)(a)

  4.21%

Tax Equivalent Yield(b)

  8.36%

Current Monthly Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.0465

Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.5580

Leverage as of July 31, 2020(d)

  38%

 

  (a) 

Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 
  (b) 

Tax equivalent yield assumes the maximum marginal U.S. federal and state tax rate of 49.62%, which includes the 3.8% Medicare tax. Actual tax rates will vary based on income, exemptions and deductions. Lower taxes will result in lower tax equivalent yields.

 
  (c) 

The distribution rate is not constant and is subject to change.

 
  (d) 

Represents VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts as a percentage of total managed assets, which is the total assets of the Fund, including any assets attributable to VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities. Does not reflect derivatives or other instruments that may give rise to economic leverage. For a discussion of leveraging techniques utilized by the Fund, please see The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging and Derivative Financial Instruments on page 6.

 

Performance

Returns for the 12 months ended July 31, 2020 were as follows:

 

    Returns Based On  
     Market Price      NAV  

MYN(a)(b)

    4.65      5.11

Lipper New York Municipal Debt Funds(c) .

    2.54        4.01  

 

  (a) 

All returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

 
  (b) 

The Fund’s discount to NAV widened during the period, which accounts for the difference between performance based on market price and performance based on NAV.

 
  (c) 

Average return. Returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at NAV on the ex-dividend date as calculated by Lipper.

 

Performance results may include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The following discussion relates to the Fund’s absolute performance based on NAV:

Municipal bonds performed well from the beginning of the reporting period until February 2020 due to accommodative Fed policy and favorable supply-and-demand trends in the market. This supportive backdrop changed abruptly in March once the spread of COVID-19 led to travel restrictions, business closures and stay-at-home orders, leading to significant, broad-based weakness across the financial markets. Tax-exempt issues were hard hit in the sell-off, as investors withdrew cash from municipal bond funds and low market liquidity inhibited efficient pricing. Municipal bonds recovered in the April-July interval due to aggressive stimulus from the Fed and U.S. Congress, allowing the category to finish in positive territory for the full period.

New York municipal bonds meaningfully underperformed the national market. New York City issues were a large drag on returns given that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic was particularly acute in major cities. Securities across most sectors were negatively affected by shuttered businesses, the lack of tourism, the disappearance of commuters and lower tax revenue.

In this environment, positions in sectors and securities that experienced the smallest impact from COVID-19 — including water/sewer, public power, and housing — were generally the leading contributors. Similarly, positions in higher-quality securities generally performed well due to their relative strength in the March 2020 sell-off.

The Fund sought to manage interest rate risk using U.S. Treasury futures. Since U.S. Treasury yields fell, as prices rose, this strategy detracted from performance. Certain individual holdings in sectors most affected by COVID-19, such as transportation and tax-backed securities, also dampened results.

The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.

 

 

FUND SUMMARY

  11


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020 (continued)    BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.

 

Market Price and Net Asset Value Per Share Summary

 

     07/31/20     07/31/19      Change      High      Low  

Market Price

  $ 13.26     $ 13.19        0.53    $ 13.61      $ 9.92  

Net Asset Value

    14.52       14.38        0.97        14.98        12.36  

Market Price and Net Asset Value History For the Past Five Years

 

LOGO

Overview of the Fund’s Total Investments *

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   07/31/20     07/31/19  

Transportation

    25     25

County/City/Special District/School District

    18       17  

Education

    14       16  

Utilities

    14       13  

State

    13       13  

Housing

    7       7  

Health

    5       5  

Corporate

    2       2  

Tobacco

    2       2  

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

CALL/MATURITY SCHEDULE (c)

 

Calendar Year Ended December 31,

       

2020

    5

2021

    17  

2022

    6  

2023

    11  

2024

    10  

 

  (c) 

Scheduled maturity dates and/or bonds that are subject to potential calls by issuers over the next five years.

 
  *

Excludes short-term securities.

 

CREDIT QUALITY ALLOCATION (a)

 

Credit Rating   07/31/20     07/31/19  

AAA/Aaa

    12     11

AA/Aa

    57       58  

A

    19       24  

BBB/Baa

    5       5  

BB/Ba

    1        

N/R(b)

    6       2  

 

  (a) 

For financial reporting purposes, credit quality ratings shown above reflect the highest rating assigned by either S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s if ratings differ. These rating agencies are independent, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations and are widely used. Investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. Below investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BB/Ba or lower. Investments designated N/R are not rated by either rating agency. Unrated investments do not necessarily indicate low credit quality. Credit quality ratings are subject to change.

 
  (b)

The investment adviser evaluates the credit quality of not-rated investments based upon certain factors including, but not limited to, credit ratings for similar investments and financial analysis of sectors and individual investments. Using this approach, the investment adviser has deemed certain of these unrated securities as investment grade quality. As of July 31, 2020 and July 31, 2019, the market value of unrated securities deemed by the investment adviser to be investment grade each represents 1% of the Fund’s total investments.

 
 

 

 

12  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

 

Fund Overview

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.’s (MYI) (the “Fund”) investment objective is to provide shareholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations exempt from U.S. federal income taxes (except that the interest may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in long-term municipal obligations that are investment grade quality, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of investment. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, or are considered by the Fund’s investment adviser to be of comparable quality, at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest directly in securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives.

No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

Fund Information

 

Symbol on NYSE

  MYI

Initial Offering Date

  March 27, 1992

Yield on Closing Market Price as of July 31, 2020 ($13.55)(a)

  3.94%

Tax Equivalent Yield(b)

  6.66%

Current Monthly Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.0445

Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share(c)

  $0.5340

Leverage as of July 31, 2020(d)

  37%

 

  (a) 

Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 
  (b) 

Tax equivalent yield assumes the maximum marginal U.S. federal tax rate of 40.80%, which includes the 3.8% Medicare tax. Actual tax rates will vary based on income, exemptions and deductions. Lower taxes will result in lower tax equivalent yields.

 
  (c) 

The distribution rate is not constant and is subject to change.

 
  (d) 

Represents VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts as a percentage of total managed assets, which is the total assets of the Fund, including any assets attributable to VRDP Shares and TOB Trusts, minus the sum of accrued liabilities. Does not reflect derivatives or other instruments that may give rise to economic leverage. For a discussion of leveraging techniques utilized by the Fund, please see The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging and Derivative Financial Instruments on page 6.

 

Performance

Returns for the 12 months ended July 31, 2020 were as follows:

 

    Returns Based On  
     Market Price      NAV  

MYI(a)(b)

    4.92      5.61

Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds (Leveraged)(c)

    3.68        4.99  

 

  (a) 

All returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

 
  (b) 

The Fund’s discount to NAV widened during the period, which accounts for the difference between performance based on market price and performance based on NAV.

 
  (c) 

Average return. Returns reflect reinvestment of dividends and/or distributions at NAV on the ex-dividend date as calculated by Lipper.

 

Performance results may include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The following discussion relates to the Fund’s absolute performance based on NAV:

Municipal bonds performed well from the beginning of the reporting period until February 2020 due to accommodative Fed policy and favorable supply-and-demand trends in the market. This supportive backdrop changed abruptly in March once the spread of COVID-19 led to travel restrictions, business closures and stay-at-home orders, leading to significant, broad-based weakness across the financial markets. Tax-exempt issues were hard hit in the sell-off, as investors withdrew cash from municipal bond funds and low market liquidity inhibited efficient pricing. Municipal bonds recovered in the April-July interval due to aggressive stimulus from the Fed and U.S. Congress, allowing the category to finish in positive territory for the full period.

The Fund’s use of leverage contributed to performance by enhancing income and amplifying the effect of rising prices. Holdings in the bonds on the longer end of the yield curve (ten years and above) were positive, as this area experienced the strongest price appreciation. An allocation to higher-quality securities, which held up relatively well in the sell-off, further boosted performance. The Fund gained an additional benefit from its holdings in Puerto Rico Sales Tax securities.

The Fund sought to manage interest rate risk using U.S. Treasury futures. Since U.S. Treasury yields fell, as prices rose, this strategy detracted from performance. An overweight position in the underperforming transportation and state tax-backed sectors also detracted, as did security selection in the transportation, state tax-backed and local tax-backed sectors. Holdings in lower-rated issues further weighed on results.

The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.

 

 

FUND SUMMARY

  13


Fund Summary  as of July 31, 2020 (continued)    BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

 

Market Price and Net Asset Value Per Share Summary

 

     07/31/20     07/31/19      Change      High      Low  

Market Price

  $ 13.55     $ 13.44        0.82    $ 14.50      $ 9.65  

Net Asset Value

    15.03       14.81        1.49        15.76        12.35  

Market Price and Net Asset Value History For the Past Five Years

 

LOGO

Overview of the Fund’s Total Investments *

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   07/31/20     07/31/19  

Transportation

    30     31

State

    20       19  

Health

    15       15  

County/City/Special District/School District

    13       14  

Utilities

    10       11  

Education

    6       6  

Tobacco

    4       2  

Corporate

    2       2  

Housing

    (a)       

 

  (a) 

Represents less than 1%.

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

CALL/MATURITY SCHEDULE (d)

 

Calendar Year Ended December 31,

       

2020(a)

   

2021

    8  

2022

    5  

2023

    8  

2024

    9  

 

  (d) 

Scheduled maturity dates and/or bonds that are subject to potential calls by issuers over the next five years.

 
  *

Excludes short-term securities.

 

CREDIT QUALITY ALLOCATION (b)

 

Credit Rating   07/31/20     07/31/19  

AAA/Aaa

    6     3

AA/Aa

    42       45  

A

    27       29  

BBB/Baa

    14       17  

BB/Ba

    1        

N/R(c)

    10       6  

 

  (b) 

For financial reporting purposes, credit quality ratings shown above reflect the highest rating assigned by either S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s if ratings differ. These rating agencies are independent, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations and are widely used. Investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. Below investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BB/Ba or lower. Investments designated N/R are not rated by either rating agency. Unrated investments do not necessarily indicate low credit quality. Credit quality ratings are subject to change.

 
  (c) 

The investment adviser evaluates the credit quality of not-rated investments based upon certain factors including, but not limited to, credit ratings for similar investments and financial analysis of sectors and individual investments. Using this approach, the investment adviser has deemed certain of these unrated securities as investment grade quality. As of July 31, 2020 and July 31, 2019, the market value of unrated securities deemed by the investment adviser to be investment grade each represents 1% of the Fund’ total investments.

 
 

 

 

14  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  

Municipal Bonds — 123.7%

 

Alabama — 0.3%  

City of Selma IDB, RB, Gulf Opportunity Zone, International Paper Co. Project, Series A, 5.38%, 12/01/35

  $ 940     $ 989,397  
   

 

 

 
Arizona — 2.8%  

Arizona IDA, RB:

   

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/39(a)

    465       482,954  

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/49(a)

    525       539,915  

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/54(a)

    405       415,627  

Odyssey Preparatory Academy Project,
4.38%, 07/01/39(a)

    550       572,473  

S/F Housing, NCCU Properties LLC-North Carolina Central University Project, Series A (BAM), 4.00%, 06/01/44

    730       820,009  

City of Phoenix Civic Improvement Corp., ARB, Junior Lien Airport Revenue Bonds, Series B, AMT, 3.25%, 07/01/49

    1,135       1,194,247  

County of Maricopa Arizona IDA, Refunding RB, Legacy Traditional Schools Project(a):

   

5.00%, 07/01/39

    195       211,869  

5.00%, 07/01/54

    450       478,058  

County of Pima IDA, RB, American Leadership Academy Project, 5.00%, 06/15/47(a)

    800       795,408  

Salt Verde Financial Corp., RB, Senior, 5.00%, 12/01/37

    2,450       3,409,102  
   

 

 

 
    8,919,662  
Arkansas — 0.4%  

Arkansas Development Finance Authority, RB, Big River Steel Project, AMT, 4.50%, 09/01/49(a)

    1,370       1,386,262  
   

 

 

 
California — 15.9%  

California Municipal Finance Authority, ARB, Senior Lien, Linxs APM Project, AMT, 5.00%, 12/31/43

    1,400       1,627,416  

City & County of San Francisco California International Airports Commission, Refunding ARB, AMT, Series A:

   

2nd, 5.50%, 05/01/28

    1,800       2,025,522  

2nd, 5.25%, 05/01/33

    1,410       1,569,809  

5.00%, 05/01/44

    1,860       2,093,914  

City of San Jose California International Airport, Refunding ARB, Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport SJC, Series A-1, AMT, 5.50%, 03/01/30

    4,045       4,148,512  

County of Riverside Public Financing Authority, RB, Capital Facilities Project, 5.25%, 11/01/40

    4,500       5,441,580  

Emery Unified School District, GO, Election of 2010, Series A (AGM), 5.50%, 08/01/21(b)

    1,875       1,972,819  

Golden State Tobacco Securitization Corp., Refunding RB:

   

Series A-1, 5.00%, 06/01/47

    1,555       1,589,505  

Series A-2, 5.00%, 06/01/47

    435       444,653  

Kern Community College District, GO, Safety, Repair & Improvement, Series C,
5.50%, 11/01/23(b)

    2,445       2,863,560  

Redondo Beach Unified School District, GO, Election of 2008, Series E, 5.50%, 08/01/21(b)

    2,670       2,811,964  

Regents of the University of California Medical Center Pooled Revenue, Refunding RB, Series J:

   

5.25%, 05/15/23(b)

    5,905       6,733,530  

5.25%, 05/15/38

    1,675       1,877,876  

State of California Public Works Board, LRB:

   

5.50%, 11/01/30

    5,000       5,790,350  

5.50%, 11/01/31

    3,130       3,620,972  

State of California Public Works Board, RB:

   

Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Series F, 5.25%, 09/01/33

    1,260       1,436,387  

Various Capital Projects, Series I, 5.50%, 11/01/33

    3,000       3,464,670  
    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
California (continued)  

Washington Township Health Care District, GO, Election of 2004, Series B, 5.50%, 08/01/40

  $ 940     $ 1,066,646  
   

 

 

 
    50,579,685  
Colorado — 2.1%  

City & County of Denver Colorado Airport System Revenue, ARB, Series A, AMT:

   

5.50%, 11/15/28

    1,500       1,710,495  

5.50%, 11/15/30

    565       642,557  

5.50%, 11/15/31

    675       766,753  

Colorado Educational & Cultural Facilities Authority, RB, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, 5.00%, 03/01/50(a)

    790       765,818  

Colorado Educational & Cultural Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy Project, 5.00%, 10/01/59(a)

    1,050       1,073,772  

Haskins Station Metropolitan District, GO, Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/49

    925       893,874  

STC Metropolitan District No. 2, GO, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/38

    715       732,539  
   

 

 

 
    6,585,808  
Connecticut — 1.0%  

State of Connecticut, GO, Series A, 5.00%, 04/15/38

    1,690       2,103,357  

State of Connecticut Health & Educational Facility Authority, Refunding RB, Sacred Heart University Issue, Series I-1, 5.00%, 07/01/42

    1,015       1,199,324  
   

 

 

 
    3,302,681  
Delaware — 0.5%  

State of Delaware Health Facilities Authority, RB, Beebe Medical Center Project, 5.00%, 06/01/43

    1,400       1,640,982  
   

 

 

 
Florida — 18.1%  

Central Florida Expressway Authority, Refunding RB, Senior Lien, 5.00%, 07/01/48

    4,730       5,824,333  

County of Broward Florida Airport System Revenue, ARB, Series A, AMT:

   

5.13%, 10/01/23(b)

    5,665       6,511,747  

5.00%, 10/01/45

    1,440       1,648,310  

County of Hillsborough Florida Aviation Authority, Refunding ARB, Tampa International Airport, Series A, AMT, 5.50%, 10/01/29

    2,995       3,390,699  

County of Lee Florida Airport Revenue, Refunding ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.38%, 10/01/32

    2,500       2,603,375  

County of Lee Florida HFA, RB, S/F Housing, Multi-County Program, Series A-2, AMT (Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac), 6.00%, 09/01/40

    120       121,630  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Aviation Revenue, Refunding ARB, Series A, AMT,
5.00%, 10/01/22(b)

    10,155       11,172,226  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Water & Sewer System Revenue, Refunding RB, Water & Sewer System, Series B, 5.25%, 10/01/23(b)

    3,130       3,631,770  

County of Miami-Dade Seaport Department, RB, Seaport Department:

   

Series A, 5.38%, 10/01/33

    1,765       1,989,049  

Series A, 5.50%, 10/01/42

    3,000       3,351,420  

Series B, AMT, 6.25%, 10/01/38

    800       912,328  

Series B, AMT, 6.00%, 10/01/42

    1,060       1,204,913  

County of Palm Beach Health Facilities Authority, RB, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc., Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/42

    230       270,027  

County of Palm Beach Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Baptist Health South Florida Obligated Group, 4.00%, 08/15/49

    2,065       2,297,478  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  15


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Florida (continued)  

Finley Woods Community Development District, Special Assessment Bonds:

   

4.00%, 05/01/40

  $ 265     $ 267,009  

4.20%, 05/01/50

    450       457,038  

Florida Development Finance Corp., RB, Waste Pro USA, Inc. Project, AMT(a):

   

5.00%, 05/01/29

    470       501,800  

5.00%, 08/01/29(c)

    190       193,143  

Florida Development Finance Corp., Refunding RB, Renaissance Charter School Inc. Project, Series C, 5.00%, 09/15/50(a)

    260       276,003  

Osceola Chain Lakes Community Development District, Special Assessment Bonds:

   

4.00%, 05/01/40

    670       681,256  

4.00%, 05/01/50

    640       645,760  

Reedy Creek Florida Improvement District, GO, Series A, 5.25%, 06/01/23(b)

    1,805       2,064,451  

Southern Groves Community Development District No. 5, Refunding, Special Assessment Bonds, 4.00%, 05/01/43

    380       381,649  

Tohopekaliga Water Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.25%, 10/01/21(b)

    6,965       7,374,821  
   

 

 

 
    57,772,235  
Georgia — 1.3%  

County of Fulton Development Authority, RB, Georgia Institute of Technology, 4.00%, 06/15/49

    815       943,248  

Main Street Natural Gas, Inc., RB, Series A,
5.00%, 05/15/49

    950       1,410,085  

Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, RB, Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Project, 5.00%, 01/01/48

    1,420       1,703,461  
   

 

 

 
    4,056,794  
Hawaii — 1.7%  

State of Hawaii Airports System Revenue, ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/45

    2,805       3,192,062  

State of Hawaii Airports System Revenue, COP, AMT:

   

5.25%, 08/01/25

    740       825,463  

5.25%, 08/01/26

    1,205       1,342,141  
   

 

 

 
    5,359,666  
Illinois — 13.1%  

City of Chicago Illinois Midway International Airport, Refunding GARB, 2nd Lien, Series A, AMT:

   

5.00%, 01/01/41

    1,140       1,245,963  

5.50%, 01/01/28

    1,000       1,101,450  

5.50%, 01/01/29

    1,500       1,649,520  

5.38%, 01/01/33

    2,000       2,179,540  

City of Chicago Illinois O’Hare International Airport, GARB:

   

3rd Lien, Series A, 5.75%, 01/01/21(b)

    1,000       1,022,860  

3rd Lien, Series A, 5.75%, 01/01/39

    320       325,926  

3rd Lien, Series C, 6.50%, 01/01/21(b)

    6,340       6,506,361  

Senior Lien, Series D, AMT, 5.00%, 01/01/42

    735       853,710  

City of Chicago Illinois Transit Authority, RB, Sales Tax Receipts:

   

5.25%, 12/01/36

    2,940       3,088,793  

5.25%, 12/01/40

    1,500       1,571,790  

City of Chicago Illinois Wastewater Transmission Revenue, RB, 2nd Lien, 5.00%, 01/01/42

    2,985       3,119,803  

County of Cook Illinois Community College District No. 508, GO, City College of Chicago:

   

5.25%, 12/01/30

    1,270       1,394,409  

5.50%, 12/01/38

    1,205       1,323,982  

5.25%, 12/01/43

    2,960       3,168,591  

Illinois Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Presence Health Network, Series C, 5.00%, 02/15/41

    975       1,170,010  
    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Illinois (continued)  

Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, RB, McCormick Place Expansion Project Bonds,
Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/57

  $ 1,090     $ 1,167,161  

Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, Refunding RB, McCormick Place Expansion Project, 4.00%, 06/15/50

    1,050       1,049,559  

Railsplitter Tobacco Settlement Authority, RB(b):

   

5.50%, 06/01/21

    2,350       2,453,588  

6.00%, 06/01/21

    670       702,294  

State of Illinois, GO:

   

5.25%, 02/01/31

    1,495       1,629,072  

5.25%, 02/01/32

    2,320       2,526,318  

5.50%, 07/01/33

    1,000       1,081,310  

5.50%, 07/01/38

    700       753,907  

Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, Refunding RB, Prairie Crossing Charter School, 5.00%, 01/01/45(a)

    715       737,558  
   

 

 

 
    41,823,475  
Indiana — 0.2%  

State of Indiana Finance Authority, RB, Private Activity Bond, Ohio River Bridges, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/40

    460       493,713  
   

 

 

 
Iowa — 0.6%  

State of Iowa Finance Authority, RB, Lifespace Communities, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/48

    1,950       2,030,418  
   

 

 

 
Louisiana — 0.9%  

Lake Charles Louisiana Harbor & Terminal District, RB, Series B, AMT (AGM), 5.50%, 01/01/29

    2,225       2,566,805  

Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities & Community Development Authority, RB, Westlake Chemical Corp., Series A-2, 6.50%, 11/01/35

    360       364,129  
   

 

 

 
    2,930,934  
Maryland — 3.3%  

County of Howard Maryland Housing Commission, RB, M/F Housing, Woodfield Oxford Square Apartments, 5.00%, 12/01/42

    2,450       2,988,216  

Maryland Health & Higher Educational Facilities Authority, RB, UPMC Issue, Series B, 4.00%, 04/15/45

    1,360       1,559,281  

Maryland Stadium Authority, RB, Construction and Revitalization Program, 5.00%, 05/01/34

    4,780       5,924,953  
   

 

 

 
    10,472,450  
Massachusetts — 0.8%  

Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, RB, Emerson College Issue, Series A:

   

5.25%, 01/01/42

    940       1,067,511  

5.00%, 01/01/47

    420       471,929  

Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, Refunding RB, Emerson College, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    745       848,391  
   

 

 

 
    2,387,831  
Michigan — 1.4%  

Hudsonville Michigan Public Schools, GO, School Building & Site (Q-SBLF), 5.25%, 05/01/21(b)

    3,420       3,549,926  

Michigan Strategic Fund, RB, I-75 Improvement Projects, AMT, 5.00%, 06/30/48

    895       1,000,878  
   

 

 

 
    4,550,804  
Minnesota — 0.3%  

County of St. Paul Minnesota Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Refunding RB, Fairview Health Services, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/43

    985       1,085,766  
   

 

 

 
Mississippi — 2.4%  

Mississippi Development Bank, RB, Jackson Water & Sewer System Project (AGM), 6.88%, 12/01/40

    2,225       2,627,592  
 

 

 

16  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Mississippi (continued)  

State of Mississippi, RB, Series A:

   

5.00%, 10/15/37

  $ 565     $ 672,525  

4.00%, 10/15/38

    2,815       3,098,611  

State of Mississippi University Educational Building Corp., Refunding RB, Mississippi State University Improvement Project, 5.25%, 08/01/23(b)

    1,000       1,150,850  
   

 

 

 
    7,549,578  
Montana — 0.1%  

Montana Board of Housing, RB, S/F Housing, Series B-2:

   

3.50%, 12/01/42

    170       181,608  

3.60%, 12/01/47

    260       279,866  
   

 

 

 
    461,474  
Nevada — 3.6%  

City of Carson City Nevada, Refunding RB, Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare Project, 5.00%, 09/01/42

    1,130       1,330,100  

City of Las Vegas NV Special Improvement District No 814, Special Assessment Bonds, Summerlin Villages 21 & 24A:

   

4.00%, 06/01/39

    120       121,097  

4.00%, 06/01/44

    335       334,839  

City of Reno Nevada, Refunding RB, Series A-1 (AGM):

   

4.00%, 06/01/43

    2,690       3,038,113  

4.00%, 06/01/46

    2,910       3,271,102  

County of Clark Nevada, GO, Stadium Improvement, Series A:

   

5.00%, 06/01/36

    2,065       2,611,069  

5.00%, 06/01/37

    500       629,440  
   

 

 

 
    11,335,760  
New Jersey — 8.3%  

New Jersey EDA, RB:

   

Goethals Bridge Replacement Project, AMT, 5.38%, 01/01/43

    1,940       2,137,531  

Private Activity Bond, Goethals Bridge Replacement Project, AMT (AGM), 5.00%, 01/01/31

    1,355       1,512,153  

School Facilities Construction, 5.00%, 06/15/34

    635       762,533  

School Facilities Construction, 5.00%, 06/15/36

    810       965,658  

State Government Buildings Project, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/47

    2,500       2,818,350  

New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, Refunding RB, S/F Housing, Series BB, AMT, 3.80%, 10/01/32

    2,285       2,488,685  

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, RB:

   

Transportation Program Bonds, Series S,
5.25%, 06/15/43

    2,980       3,503,199  

Series BB, 4.00%, 06/15/50

    1,775       1,876,068  

Transportation System, Series AA, 5.50%, 06/15/39

    3,040       3,319,619  

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, Refunding RB, Transportation System, Series A, 5.00%, 12/15/32

    2,735       3,249,836  

Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp., Refunding RB:

   

Series A, 5.25%, 06/01/46

    2,355       2,781,938  

Sub-Series B, 5.00%, 06/01/46

    870       978,759  
   

 

 

 
      26,394,329  
New Mexico — 0.1%  

City of Santa Fe New Mexico, RB, EL Castillo Retirement Residences Project, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/49

    170       170,032  
   

 

 

 
New York — 5.3%  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, RB:

   

Series A, 5.25%, 11/15/21(b)

    8,500       9,057,983  

Series A-1, 5.25%, 11/15/39

    1,550       1,652,935  

New York City Water & Sewer System, RB, 2nd General Resolution:

   

5.38%, 12/15/20(b)

    1,470       1,498,150  

5.38%, 06/15/43

    750       763,133  
    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
New York (continued)  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB, 3 World Trade Center Project, Class 1, 5.00%, 11/15/44(a)

  $ 960     $ 1,020,355  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Refunding ARB, Consolidated, 166th Series, 5.25%, 07/15/36

    2,000       2,040,780  

TSASC, Inc., Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/41

    895       1,009,113  
   

 

 

 
      17,042,449  
North Carolina — 0.1%  

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RB, University of North Carolina Hospital at Chapel Hills, 5.00%, 02/01/49

    270       431,198  
   

 

 

 
Ohio — 3.1%  

Buckeye Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Senior, Class 2, Series B-2, 5.00%, 06/01/55

    4,100       4,519,553  

State of Ohio, Refunding RB, Series A, 4.00%, 01/15/50

    2,275       2,557,874  

State of Ohio Turnpike & Infrastructure Commission, RB, Junior Lien, Infrastructure Projects, Series A-1, 5.25%, 02/15/31

    2,500       2,802,150  
   

 

 

 
      9,879,577  
Oregon — 0.4%  

State of Oregon Health & Science University, RB, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/42

    1,100       1,346,400  
   

 

 

 
Pennsylvania — 8.2%  

Altoona Area School District, GO, (BAM), 5.00%, 12/01/36

    185       221,373  

County of Delaware Springfield School District, GO:

   

5.00%, 03/01/40

    1,485       1,843,063  

5.00%, 03/01/43

    1,100       1,352,890  

County of Lehigh Pennsylvania, Refunding RB, Lehigh Valley Health Network. Series A, 4.00%, 07/01/49

    740       833,233  

County of Montgomery Higher Education & Health Authority, Refunding RB, Thomas Jefferson University, Series A, 5.00%, 09/01/48

    1,690       2,005,709  

County of Westmoreland Pennsylvania Municipal Authority, Refunding RB, (BAM), 5.00%, 08/15/36

    2,215       2,738,537  

Geisinger Health System Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 4.00%, 04/01/50

    890       1,026,312  

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, RB, S/F Housing, Series 125B, 3.65%, 10/01/42

    3,000       3,252,990  

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, RB:

   

Sub-Series B-1, 5.25%, 06/01/47

    2,300       2,706,479  

Subordinate, Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/44

    3,620       4,412,961  

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Refunding RB, 2nd Series, Subordinate, Special Motor License Fund, 5.00%, 12/01/41

    2,490       3,025,599  

Township of Bristol Pennsylvania School District, GO, 5.25%, 06/01/37

    2,500       2,789,800  
   

 

 

 
      26,208,946  
Puerto Rico — 4.3%  

Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. Sales Tax Revenue, RB, Restructured:

   

CAB, Series A-1, 0.00%, 07/01/46(d)

    4,757       1,386,523  

Series A-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    3,882       4,121,907  

Series A-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    5,266       5,671,587  

Series A-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    1,279       1,330,301  

Series A-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    264       281,147  

Series B-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    407       432,319  

Series B-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    394       419,110  
   

 

 

 
      13,642,894  
South Carolina — 5.4%  

County of Charleston South Carolina, ARB, Special Sources, 5.25%, 12/01/38

    3,760       4,326,331  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  17


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
South Carolina (continued)  

County of Charleston South Carolina Airport District, ARB, Series A, AMT:

   

6.00%, 07/01/38

  $ 2,940     $ 3,318,701  

5.50%, 07/01/41

    2,500       2,778,250  

South Carolina Jobs EDA, RB, Hilton Head Christian Academy, 5.00%, 01/01/55(a)

    825       728,690  

State of South Carolina Jobs EDA, Refunding RB, Prisma Health Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/43

    1,360       1,558,302  

State of South Carolina Ports Authority, ARB, (AMT), 5.25%, 07/01/25(b)

    1,870       2,317,659  

State of South Carolina Public Service Authority, RB, Series E, 5.50%, 12/01/53

    1,000       1,123,080  

State of South Carolina Public Service Authority, Refunding RB, Series C, 5.00%, 12/01/46

    1,000       1,133,700  
   

 

 

 
      17,284,713  
Tennessee — 1.1%  

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, ARB, Series B, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/40

    3,000       3,449,670  
   

 

 

 
Texas — 7.4%  

City of Beaumont Texas, GO, Certificates of Obligation, 5.25%, 03/01/37

    2,345       2,617,489  

City of Houston Texas Airport System Revenue, Refunding ARB, United Airlines, Inc. Terminal Improvement Projects, Series B-2 (AMT), 5.00%, 07/15/27

    225       236,792  

City of Houston Texas Airport System Revenue, Refunding RB:

   

Special Facilities, Continental Airlines, Inc., Series A, AMT, 6.63%, 07/15/38

    395       403,042  

Sub-Series D, 5.00%, 07/01/37

    2,010       2,486,350  

United Airlines, Inc. Terminal E Project, AMT, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/27

    220       231,638  

City of Texas Industrial Development Corp., RB, NRG Energy, Inc. Project, 4.13%, 12/01/45

    255       265,190  

County of Tarrant Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Christus Health, Series B, 5.00%, 07/01/35

    2,500       3,141,475  

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, ARB, Joint Improvement, Series H, AMT, 5.00%, 11/01/21(b)

    1,810       1,905,061  

Lower Colorado River Authority, Refunding RB, 5.50%, 05/15/33

    2,155       2,432,349  

New Hope Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Cumberland Academy Project, Series C,
5.00%, 08/15/50(a)

    440       450,582  

North Texas Tollway Authority, RB, Special Projects, Series A, 5.50%, 09/01/21(b)

    5,480       5,793,073  

North Texas Tollway Authority, Refunding RB, 1st Tier, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/48

    1,775       2,154,903  

Red River Education Finance Corp., RB, Texas Christian University Project, 5.25%, 03/15/23(b)

    1,070       1,212,834  

Texas Private Activity Bond Surface Transportation Corp., RB, Segment 3C Project, AMT, 5.00%, 06/30/58

    360       420,181  
   

 

 

 
      23,750,959  
Utah — 0.2%  

Utah Charter School Finance Authority, RB, Wallace Stegner Academy Project, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/49(a)

    170       175,617  

Utah Charter School Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Renaissance Academy Project, 5.00%, 06/15/40(a)

    325       345,098  
   

 

 

 
      520,715  
Vermont — 1.0%  

University of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Refunding RB, 5.00%, 10/01/43

    2,535       3,066,792  
   

 

 

 
    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Virginia — 1.7%  

City of Lexington Virginia IDA, RB, Washington & Lee University, 5.00%, 01/01/22(b)

  $ 945     $ 1,009,666  

Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, RB, Transform 66 P3 Project, AMT, 5.00%, 12/31/52

    4,000       4,503,440  
   

 

 

 
      5,513,106  
Washington — 4.7%  

City of Seattle Washington Municipal Light & Power Revenue, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.25%, 02/01/21(b)

    2,400       2,460,912  

Port of Seattle Washington, ARB, AMT:

   

Intermediate Lien, Series C, 5.00%, 05/01/37

    2,485       2,956,330  

Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/43

    660       769,870  

State of Washington, COP, Series B:

   

5.00%, 07/01/36

    1,000       1,272,200  

5.00%, 07/01/38

    1,155       1,462,542  

State of Washington, GO:

   

Series C, 5.00%, 02/01/36

    3,000       3,849,780  

Various Purposes, Series B, 5.25%, 02/01/21(b)

    1,865       1,912,334  

State of Washington Housing Finance Commission, RB, Transforming Age Project, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/55(a)

    475       464,331  
   

 

 

 
      15,148,299  
Wisconsin — 1.4%  

Public Finance Authority, RB:

   

Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc. Obligated Group, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/37

    175       193,855  

Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc. Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/41

    330       388,080  

Founders of Academy Las Vegas, 5.00%, 07/01/55(e)

    305       313,821  

Public Finance Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Penick Village Obligation Group,
5.00%, 09/01/49(a)

    285       258,036  

Evergreens Obligated Group, 5.00%, 11/15/49

    570       594,829  

Wisconsin Health & Educational Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Milwaukee Regional Medical Center Thermal Service, 5.00%, 04/01/44

    2,065       2,564,647  
   

 

 

 
      4,313,268  
Wyoming — 0.2%  

State of Wyoming Municipal Power Agency, Inc., Refunding RB, Series A (BAM), 5.00%, 01/01/42

    570       691,997  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds — 123.7%
(Cost — $361,250,059)

 

    394,570,719  
   

 

 

 

Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond
Trusts(f) — 34.9%

 

California — 2.8%        

Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, Refunding, Consolidated Capital Assessment District No. 2 Bonds, 5.00%, 10/01/47

    7,499       9,071,318  
   

 

 

 
Colorado — 1.8%  

City & County of Denver Colorado Airport System Revenue, Refunding ARB, Sub-System, Series A, AMT, 5.25%, 12/01/43(g)

    3,262       4,011,701  

Colorado Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Commonspirit Health, Series A,
4.00%, 08/01/49(g)

    1,710       1,868,773  
   

 

 

 
      5,880,474  
Connecticut — 1.1%  

State of Connecticut Health & Educational Facility Authority, Refunding RB, Trinity Health Credit Group,
5.00%, 12/01/45

    3,061       3,537,863  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

18  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Illinois — 3.2%  

City of Chicago Illinois Waterworks Revenue, Refunding RB, 2017 2nd Lien, Water Revenue Project (AGM), 5.25%, 11/01/33

  $ 760     $ 761,831  

State of Illinois Toll Highway Authority, RB:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    1,980       2,311,453  

Series B, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    6,148       7,219,485  
   

 

 

 
      10,292,769  
Louisiana — 3.3%  

City of Shreveport Louisiana Water & Sewer Revenue, RB, Junior Lien, Series B (AGM):

   

4.00%, 12/01/44

    3,015       3,477,691  

4.00%, 12/01/49

    6,057       6,986,549  
   

 

 

 
      10,464,240  
Maryland — 4.8%  

City of Baltimore Maryland, RB, Wastewater Project, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/46

    2,499       3,000,948  

Maryland Stadium Authority, RB, Construction and Revitalization Program, 5.00%, 05/01/47

    9,817       12,346,169  
   

 

 

 
      15,347,117  
Michigan — 2.5%  

Michigan Finance Authority, RB, McLaren Health Care(g):

   

Series A, 4.00%, 02/15/44

    3,332       3,812,698  

Multi Model-, 4.00%, 02/15/47

    3,728       4,264,835  
   

 

 

 
      8,077,533  
New Jersey — 0.5%  

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, RB, Transportation System, Series B, 5.25%, 06/15/36(g)

    1,500       1,543,646  
   

 

 

 
New York — 6.0%  

New York City Water & Sewer System, Refunding RB, Series FF, 5.00%, 06/15/45

    5,958       6,427,331  

New York Liberty Development Corp., ARB, 1 World Trade Center Port Authority Consolidated Bonds,
5.25%, 12/15/43

    7,515       7,941,254  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB, 4 World Trade Center Project, 5.75%, 11/15/51(g)

    4,400       4,682,647  
   

 

 

 
      19,051,232  
Pennsylvania — 6.0%  

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, GO, 1st Series, 4.00%, 03/01/38(g)

    3,600       4,204,044  

County of Lehigh Pennsylvania, Refunding RB, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Series A, 4.00%, 07/01/49(g)

    4,997       5,626,569  

County of Northampton General Purpose Authority, Refunding RB, Lafayette College, 4.00%, 11/01/38(g)

    5,927       6,834,292  

County of Westmoreland Pennsylvania Municipal Authority, Refunding RB, (BAM), 5.00%, 08/15/38

    1,963       2,315,780  
   

 

 

 
      18,980,685  
    
Security
  Par
(000)
    Value  
Texas — 1.5%  

County of Tarrant Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Baylor Health Care System Project, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/38

  $ 4,296     $ 4,748,193  
   

 

 

 
Virginia — 1.4%  

County of Fairfax Virginia EDA, RB, Metrorail Parking System Project, 5.00%, 04/01/47(g)

    3,720       4,477,132  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond
Trusts — 34.9%
(Cost — $102,635,920)

 

    111,472,202  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 158.6%
(Cost — $463,885,979)

 

    506,042,921  
   

 

 

 
     Shares         
Short-Term Securities — 0.6%  

BlackRock Liquidity Funds, MuniCash,
Institutional Class, 0.04%(h)(i)

    1,917,897       1,918,281  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.6%
(Cost — $1,918,281)

 

    1,918,281  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 159.2%
(Cost — $465,804,260)

 

    507,961,202  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.0%

 

    3,157,167  

Liability for TOB Trust Certificates, Including Interest Expense and Fees Payable — (19.1)%

 

    (61,033,026

VMTP Shares, at Liquidation Value — (41.1)%

 

    (131,000,000
   

 

 

 

Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares — 100.0%

 

  $ 319,085,343  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

U.S. Government securities held in escrow, are used to pay interest on this security as well as to retire the bond in full at the date indicated, typically at a premium to par.

(c) 

Variable or floating rate security, which interest rate adjusts periodically based on changes in current interest rates and prepayments on the underlying pool of assets. Rate shown is the rate in effect as of period end.

(d) 

Zero-coupon bond.

(e) 

When-issued security.

(f) 

Represent bonds transferred to a TOB Trust in exchange of cash and residual certificates received by the Fund. These bonds serve as collateral in a secured borrowing. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(g)

All or a portion of the security is subject to a recourse agreement. The aggregate maximum potential amount the Fund could ultimately be required to pay under the agreements, which expire between December 15, 2020 to August 1, 2027, is $21,127,907. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(h) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 
(i) 

Investments in issuers considered to be an affiliate/affiliates of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2020 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Shares
Held at
07/31/19
     Shares
Purchased
    

Shares

Sold

     Shares
Held at
07/31/20
     Value at
07/31/20
    
Income
     Net
Realized
Gain (Loss)
 (a)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

BlackRock Liquidity Funds, MuniCash, Institutional Class

     10,454,186               (8,536,289 )(b)       1,917,897      $ 1,918,281      $ 14,816      $ 972      $ (750
              

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Includes net capital gain distributions, if applicable.

 
  (b) 

Represents net shares purchased (sold).

 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  19


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations were as follows:

 

     

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from:

 

              

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ (4,344,637    $      $ (4,344,637
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on:                                     

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ 217,008      $      $ 217,008  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments:

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — short

   $ 12,462,873  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments. For information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of investments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following tables summarize the Fund’s investments categorized in the disclosure hierarchy:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets:

 

Investments:

 

Long-Term Investments

   $        $ 506,042,921        $             —        $ 506,042,921  

Short-Term Securities

     1,918,281                            1,918,281  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 1,918,281        $ 506,042,921        $        $ 507,961,202  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

The breakdown of the Fund’s investments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, such assets and/or liabilities are categorized within the disclosure hierarchy as follows:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Liabilities:

 

TOB Trust Certificates

   $             —        $ (60,975,897      $             —        $ (60,975,897

VMTP Shares at Liquidation Value

              (131,000,000                 (131,000,000
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $        $ (191,975,897      $        $ (191,975,897
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

20  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  

Municipal Bonds — 87.7%

 

California — 83.2%  
Corporate — 1.3%            

California Pollution Control Financing Authority, RB, San Jose Water Company Project, AMT, 4.75%, 11/01/46

  $ 4,000     $ 4,613,040  

City of Chula Vista California, Refunding RB, San Diego Gas & Electric, Series A, 5.88%, 02/15/34

    2,435       2,443,084  
   

 

 

 
    7,056,124  
County/City/Special District/School District — 30.6%  

Chaffey Joint Union High School District, GO, CAB, Election of 2012, Series C(a):

   

0.00%, 08/01/32

    250       184,990  

0.00%, 08/01/33

    500       351,520  

0.00%, 08/01/34

    505       338,224  

0.00%, 08/01/35

    545       347,536  

0.00%, 08/01/36

    500       303,745  

0.00%, 08/01/37

    650       376,499  

0.00%, 08/01/38

    630       347,716  

0.00%, 08/01/39

    750       395,235  

0.00%, 08/01/40

    1,850       932,455  

0.00%, 08/01/41

    305       146,964  

0.00%, 02/01/42

    350       164,783  

Chino Valley Unified School District, GO, Series B, 4.00%, 08/01/45

    640       772,646  

City & County of San Francisco California, COP, Port Facilities Project, Series C, AMT, 5.25%, 03/01/32

    1,050       1,170,561  

County of Riverside Redevelopment Successor Agency, Refunding, Tax Allocation Bonds, Series A, 4.00%, 10/01/37

    6,000       6,486,840  

City of Sacramento California Transient Occupancy Tax Revenue, RB, Convention Center Complex, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/48

    3,750       4,238,212  

County of San Joaquin California Transportation Authority, Refunding RB, Limited Tax, Measure K, Series A, 6.00%, 03/01/21(b)

    2,530       2,613,920  

El Monte City School District California, GO, Los Angeles Country, California Series B, 5.50%, 08/01/46

    4,265       5,371,298  

Fowler Unified School District, GO, Election of 2016, Series A (BAM), 5.25%, 08/01/46

    3,700       4,619,080  

Garden Grove Unified School District, GO, Election of 2010, Series C, 5.25%, 08/01/23(b)

    2,725       3,140,481  

Gavilan Joint Community College District, GO, Election of 2004, Series D(b):

   

5.50%, 08/01/21

    2,165       2,280,113  

5.75%, 08/01/21

    8,400       8,867,460  

Glendale Community College District, GO,
Series B(a):

   

CAB, 0.00%, 08/01/44

    3,315       1,668,506  

CAB, 0.00%, 02/01/45

    3,475       1,716,824  

CAB, 0.00%, 08/01/43

    1,875       978,469  

Grossmont California Healthcare District, GO, Election of 2006, Series B, 6.13%, 07/15/21(b)

    2,000       2,111,500  

Grossmont California Union High School District, GO, Election of 2008, Series C, 5.50%, 08/01/21(b)

    1,880       1,978,080  

Hayward Unified School District, GO, Series A (BAM), 4.00%, 08/01/48

    2,000       2,317,020  

Kern Community College District, GO, Safety Repair & Improvements, Series C, 5.25%, 11/01/23(b)

    5,715       6,647,174  

Menifee Union School District, GO, Series B (BAM), 4.00%, 08/01/43

    5,370       6,180,172  

Mount San Antonio Community College District, GO, Refunding, Election of 2008, Series A, 5.00%, 08/01/23(b)

    4,500       5,152,545  

Ohlone Community College District, GO, Election of 2010, Series A, 5.25%, 08/01/21(b)

    8,140       8,552,698  

Perris Union High School District California, COP, Refunding, School Financing Project (BAM), 4.00%, 10/01/43

    10,000       11,676,600  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
County/City/Special District/School District (continued)  

Perris Union High School District California, GO, Election of 2012, Series B (BAM), 5.25%, 09/01/39

  $ 2,715     $ 3,283,521  

Riverside County Public Financing Authority, Tax Allocation Bonds, Series A (BAM), 4.00%, 10/01/40

    5,455       6,191,698  

RNR School Financing Authority, Special Tax Bonds, Community Facilities District No. 92-1, Series A (BAM):

   

5.00%, 09/01/37

    1,500       1,816,455  

5.00%, 09/01/41

    3,000       3,615,930  

San Jose Financing Authority, Civic Center Project, LRB, Convention Center Expansion & Renovation Project:

   

5.75%, 05/01/36

    2,570       2,579,278  

5.75%, 05/01/42

    4,500       4,665,735  

San Jose Financing Authority, Refunding LRB, Series A:

   

5.00%, 06/01/32

    3,375       3,801,836  

5.00%, 06/01/39

    5,800       6,481,964  

San Leandro Unified School District, GO, Election of 2010, Series A, 5.75%, 08/01/41

    3,000       3,149,070  

Santa Clara Unified School District, GO, Election of 2018, 4.00%, 07/01/48

    5,000       5,668,100  

State of California, GO, Various Purpose, 4.00%, 04/01/49

    5,550       6,625,812  

Transbay Joint Powers Authority, Tax Allocation Bonds:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/49

    2,500       3,130,850  

Series B, 5.00%, 10/01/35

    300       354,942  

Series B, 5.00%, 10/01/38

    600       704,106  

Walnut Valley Unified School District, GO, Election of 2007, Series B, 5.75%, 08/01/21(b)

    7,680       8,107,392  

Washington Township Health Care District, GO, Election of 2004, Series B, 5.50%, 08/01/38

    1,625       1,843,855  

West Contra Costa California Unified School District, GO:

   

Election of 2010, Series A (AGM), 5.25%, 08/01/21(b)

    6,140       6,451,298  

Election of 2010, Series B, 5.50%, 08/01/39

    3,000       3,418,740  

Election of 2012, Series A, 5.50%, 08/01/39

    2,500       2,848,950  

West Contra Costa Unified School District, GO, Series F, 4.00%, 08/01/49

    2,000       2,391,520  
   

 

 

 
    169,560,918  
Education — 6.7%            

California Educational Facilities Authority, RB, University of San Francisco, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/53

    10,000       11,935,600  

California Municipal Finance Authority, RB:

   

Emerson College, 6.00%, 01/01/22(b)

    2,750       2,976,902  

John Adams Academy, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/39(c)

    245       257,328  

John Adams Academy, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/49(c)

    410       422,595  

John Adams Academy, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/57(c)

    810       830,906  

Urban Discovery Academy Project, Series A, 5.50%, 08/01/34(c)

    250       265,045  

California Municipal Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Master’s University:

   

5.00%, 08/01/39

    645       685,093  

5.00%, 08/01/48

    305       319,692  

California School Finance Authority, RB(c):

   

Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/36

    755       845,457  

Arts in Action Charter Schools, 5.00%, 06/01/40

    305       323,358  

Kipp Socal Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/49

    500       578,820  

Arts in Action Charter Schools, 5.00%, 06/01/50

    475       495,240  

Arts in Action Charter Schools, 5.00%, 06/01/59

    760       788,865  

Real Journey Academies, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/58

    2,385       2,402,625  

Teach Public Schools, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/58

    1,230       1,251,599  

California School Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Aspire Public Schools - Obligated Group, 5.00%, 08/01/46(c)

    1,250       1,369,950  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, RB, University of California, Irvine East Campus, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/37

    4,000       4,446,600  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  21


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Education (continued)            

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, Refunding RB, CHF-Irvine LLC, 5.00%, 05/15/40

  $ 2,250     $ 2,448,563  

University of California, RB, Series AM, 5.25%, 05/15/36

    3,680       4,338,573  
   

 

 

 
    36,982,811  
Health — 7.5%            

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, RB, Children’s Hospital, Series A, 5.25%, 11/01/41

    10,000       10,543,300  

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Adventist Health System West, Series A:

   

4.00%, 03/01/39

    985       1,098,413  

4.00%, 03/01/43

    1,400       1,479,744  

California Municipal Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Series A:

   

Community Medical Centers, 5.00%, 02/01/42

    4,000       4,646,600  

5.00%, 11/01/39(c)

    215       229,517  

5.00%, 11/01/49(c)

    245       257,458  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, RB:

   

Emanate Health, Series A, 3.00%, 04/01/50

    4,125       4,248,956  

Green Bond, Marin General Hospital, 4.00%, 08/01/45

    2,500       2,625,475  

Huntington Memorial Hospital Project, 4.00%, 07/01/48

    1,780       1,957,021  

Methodist Hospital of Southern California,
4.25%, 01/01/43

    3,450       3,731,969  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Front Porch Communities and Services,
4.00%, 04/01/42

    2,595       2,760,327  

Front Porch Communities and Services,
4.00%, 04/01/47

    1,320       1,393,986  

John Muir Health, Series A, 4.00%, 12/01/57

    3,250       3,402,815  

Trinity Health Credit Group Composite Issue, 5.00%, 12/01/21(b)

    2,860       3,044,184  
   

 

 

 
    41,419,765  
Housing — 4.2%            

California Community Housing Agency, RB, M/F Housing, Annadel Apartments, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/49(c)

    3,310       3,677,509  

California Housing Finance, RB, M/F Housing:

   

Series 2-A, 4.00%, 03/20/33

    4,069       4,448,579  

Series A, 4.25%, 01/15/35(d)

    1,362       1,552,136  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, Special Assessment Bonds, S/F Housing:

   

5.00%, 09/02/40

    345       395,360  

4.00%, 09/02/50

    275       283,082  

5.00%, 09/02/50

    275       306,185  

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program,
5.00%,09/02/39

    465       540,195  

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program, Series C, 5.00%, 09/02/39

    435       505,344  

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program,
5.00%, 09/02/44

    535       604,341  

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program,
5.00%, 09/02/49

    775       858,684  

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program , Series C, 5.00%, 09/02/49

    225       249,295  

Freddie Mac Multifamily Maryland Certificates, RB, M/F Housing, Pass-Through, Class A, 3.35%, 11/25/33

    8,516       9,862,383  
   

 

 

 
    23,283,093  
State — 0.9%            

State of California, GO, Various Purposes, 6.00%, 03/01/33

    1,845       1,852,398  

State of California Public Works Board, RB, Various Capital Projects, Series I, 5.50%, 11/01/33

    2,575       2,973,842  
   

 

 

 
    4,826,240  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Tobacco — 5.2%            

County of California Tobacco Securitization Agency, Refunding RB:

   

CABS-Subordinate, Series B-2, 0.00%, 06/01/55(a)

  $ 4,100     $ 712,334  

Senior, Series A, 4.00%, 06/01/49

    400       449,928  

Golden State Tobacco Securitization Corp., Refunding RB, Series A-1:

   

5.00%, 06/01/33

    2,175       2,691,715  

5.00%, 06/01/35

    3,215       3,786,981  

5.00%, 06/01/47

    11,750       12,010,732  

Tobacco Securitization Authority of Northern California, Refunding RB, Asset-Backed Bonds, Series A-1, 5.50%, 06/01/45

    1,235       1,235,037  

Tobacco Securitization Authority of Southern California, Refunding RB, Tobacco Asset Securitization Corporation:

   

San Diego Country, 0.00%, 06/01/54 (a)

    11,850       2,014,381  

San Diego Country Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/48

    4,500       5,452,605  

5.00%, 06/01/48

    575       669,484  
   

 

 

 
    29,023,197  
Transportation — 19.6%            

Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, Refunding RB, 2nd Subordinate Lien, Series B, 5.00%, 10/01/35

    1,500       1,740,765  

Bay Area Toll Authority, Refunding RB, Subordinate, Series S-8, 3.00%, 04/01/54

    13,180       14,272,490  

California Municipal Finance Authority, ARB, Senior Lien, Linxs APM Project, AMT:

   

5.00%, 12/31/43

    6,500       7,555,860  

4.00%, 12/31/47

    7,500       8,017,350  

(AGM), 4.00%, 12/31/47

    2,845       3,097,949  

City & County of San Francisco California Airports Commission, Refunding ARB, AMT, Series A:

   

2nd, 5.25%, 05/01/33

    1,900       2,115,346  

5.00%, 05/01/40

    3,785       4,290,222  

5.00%, 05/01/44

    6,000       7,352,700  

5.00%, 05/01/44

    2,660       2,994,522  

5.00%, 05/01/49

    3,500       4,261,040  

City & County of San Francisco California Airports Commission, Refunding RB, AMT, San Francisco International Airport, Series D, 5.00%, 05/01/43

    7,715       9,283,074  

City of Los Angeles California Department of Airports, ARB:

   

AMT, Subordinate, Series C, 5.00%, 05/15/38

    3,215       3,915,131  

Los Angeles International Airport, Sub-Series B, 5.00%, 05/15/40

    2,500       2,507,150  

Series D, AMT, 5.00%, 05/15/35

    2,000       2,344,560  

Series D, AMT, 5.00%, 05/15/36

    1,500       1,755,570  

City of San Jose California, Refunding ARB, Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport SJC, AMT:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 03/01/41

    3,075       3,633,850  

Series A, 5.00%, 03/01/47

    6,770       7,918,395  

Series A-1, 6.25%, 03/01/34

    1,400       1,440,810  

County of Sacramento California Airport System Revenue, Refunding ARB:

   

Airport System Subordinate Revenue, Senior Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/41

    2,500       2,948,300  

Sub-Series B, 5.00%, 07/01/41

    1,750       2,004,327  

County of San Bernardino California Transportation Authority, RB, Limited Tax Bonds, Series A, 5.25%, 03/01/40

    4,500       5,208,390  

County of San Diego Regional Airport Authority, ARB, Subordinate, Series B, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/47

    6,000       7,060,560  

Port of Los Angeles Harbor Department, Refunding RB, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 08/01/44

    200       227,094  
 

 

 

22  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Transportation (continued)            

San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Refunding RB, Subordinate Revenue Bonds, AMT:

   

5.00%, 07/01/37

  $ 350     $ 448,917  

5.00%, 07/01/38

    350       447,395  

5.00%, 07/01/39

    500       636,930  

5.00%, 07/01/40

    700       888,867  
   

 

 

 
    108,367,564  
Utilities — 7.2%            

Anaheim Public Financing Authority, RB, Electric System Distribution Facilities, Series A, 5.38%, 04/01/21(b)

    5,000       5,172,500  

City of Los Angeles California Department of Water & Power, Refunding RB, Water System, Series A, 5.25%, 07/01/39

    8,000       8,158,000  

City of San Francisco California Public Utilities Commission Water Revenue, RB,
Sub-Series A (WSIP), 5.00%, 11/01/21(b)

    7,200       7,634,592  

City of San Francisco California Public Utilities Commission Water Revenue, Refunding RB, Series A,
5.00%, 11/01/36

    2,335       2,817,248  

Dublin-San Ramon Services District Water Revenue, Refunding RB, 6.00%, 02/01/21(b)

    3,800       3,909,630  

El Dorado Irrigation District, Refunding RB, Series A (AGM), 5.25%, 03/01/24(b)

    5,000       5,903,650  

San Diego Public Facilities Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Subordinated, Series A, 5.25%, 08/01/47

    5,000       6,332,050  
   

 

 

 
    39,927,670  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds in California

 

    460,447,382  
   

 

 

 

Puerto Rico — 4.5%

   
State — 4.5%            

Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. Sales Tax Revenue, RB, Restructured:

   

CAB, Series A-1, 0.00%, 07/01/46(a)

    9,402       2,740,401  

Series A-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    713       757,063  

Series A-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    1,051       1,131,948  

Series A-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    1,393       1,448,873  

Series A-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    136       144,833  

Series B-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    735       780,724  

Series B-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    8,899       9,596,148  

Series B-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    7,022       7,295,366  

Series B-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    713       758,440  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds in Puerto Rico

 

    24,653,796  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds — 87.7%
(Cost — $449,114,779)

 

    485,101,178  
   

 

 

 

Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond
Trusts (e) — 76.9%

 

California — 76.9%

   
County/City/Special District/School District — 25.7%  

California Municipal Finance Authority, RB, Orange County Civic Center Infrastructure, 5.00%, 06/01/48

    9,500       12,007,525  

County of Riverside California Public Financing Authority, RB, Capital Facilities Project, 5.25%, 11/01/45

    10,000       11,982,198  

County of San Luis California Obispo Community College District, GO, Refunding, Election of 2014, Series A, 4.00%, 08/01/40

    6,585       7,499,522  

County of San Mateo California Community College District, GO, Election of 2014, Series A, 5.00%, 09/01/45

    17,615       21,140,462  

Fremont Union High School District, GO, Refunding, Series A, 4.00%, 08/01/46

    4,996       5,791,112  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
County/City/Special District/School District (continued)  

Los Angeles California Unified School District, GO, Election of 2008, Series B-1, 5.25%, 07/01/42(f)

  $ 7,075     $ 9,029,044  

Los Angeles County Facilities Inc., RB, Vermont Corridor County Administration Building, Series A,
5.00%, 12/01/51(f)

    11,420       14,055,278  

Los Rios Community College District, GO, Election of 2008, Series A, 5.00%, 08/01/35

    11,000       11,000,000  

Palomar Community College District, GO, Election of 2006, Series C, 5.00%, 08/01/44

    15,140       18,225,532  

Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, Refunding, Consolidated Capital Assessment District No. 2, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/43

    10,005       12,265,930  

West Valley-Mission Community College District, GO, Election of 2012, Series B, 4.00%, 08/01/40

    17,000       19,314,550  
   

 

 

 
    142,311,153  
Education — 9.3%            

University of California, RB, Series AM, 5.25%, 05/15/44

    9,210       10,755,438  

State of California University, Refunding RB,

   

Series A, 5.00%, 11/01/43

    13,002       15,650,674  

Series I, 5.00%, 05/15/40

    21,105       25,142,169  
   

 

 

 
    51,548,281  
Health — 18.8%            

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Kaiser Permanent,
Sub-Series A-2, 4.00%, 11/01/44

    13,280       15,086,345  

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, RB:

   

Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, 5.00%, 11/15/56

    6,000       7,184,580  

Sutter Health, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/42

    7,500       8,525,175  

Sutter Health, Series A, 5.00%, 08/15/52

    10,000       11,082,000  

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital,
Series B,
5.00%, 08/15/55

    4,500       5,276,430  

Providence St. Joseph Health, Series A,
4.00%, 10/01/47

    6,018       6,661,749  

Sutter Health, Series A, 5.00%, 08/15/43

    24,940       29,048,117  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, RB, Kaiser Permanente, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/42

    19,860       21,199,557  
   

 

 

 
    104,063,953  
State — 1.8%            

State of California, GO, Refunding, Various Purpose, 5.25%, 10/01/39

    3,000       3,713,760  

State of California, GO, Various Purpose,
4.00%, 03/01/50(f)

    5,000       6,087,050  
   

 

 

 
    9,800,810  
Transportation — 9.5%            

Bay Area Toll Authority, Refunding RB, San Francisco Bay Area Toll Bridge(f):

   

4.00%, 04/01/42

    11,250       12,956,736  

4.00%, 04/01/49

    6,555       7,472,372  

City of Los Angeles California Department of Airports, ARB, AMT:

   

Los Angeles International Airport, Series B, 5.00%, 05/15/46

    5,000       5,856,550  

Series D, 5.00%, 05/15/41

    13,311       15,463,931  

City of Los Angeles California Department of Airports, RB, AMT:

   

Los Angeles International Airport, Series B, 5.00%, 05/15/41

    3,645       4,298,885  

Senior Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/40

    5,500       6,397,875  
   

 

 

 
    52,446,349  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  23


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Utilities — 11.8%            

Anaheim Public Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Anaheim Convention Center Expansion Project, Series A:

   

5.00%, 05/01/39

  $ 6,000     $ 6,692,040  

5.00%, 05/01/46

    13,500       14,808,555  

Beaumont Public Improvement Authority, RB, Series A (AGM), 5.00%, 09/01/49

    6,000       7,114,980  

City of Los Angeles California Wastewater System Revenue, RB, Green Bonds,
Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/44

    6,290       7,540,704  

City of Sacramento California Water Revenue, RB, 5.25%, 09/01/47

    14,825       18,817,216  

Los Angeles Department of Water, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/46

    8,413       10,112,226  
   

 

 

 
    65,085,721  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option
Bond Trusts — 76.9%
(Cost — $388,716,893)

 

    425,256,267  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 164.6%
(Cost — $837,831,672)

 

    910,357,445  
   

 

 

 
     Shares         
Short-Term Securities — 0.0%  

BlackRock Liquidity Funds California Money Fund, Institutional Class, 0.02%(g)(h)

    209,653       209,674  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.0%
(Cost — $209,674)

 

    209,674  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 164.6%
(Cost — $838,041,346)

 

    910,567,119  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.4%

 

    8,334,642  

Liability for TOB Trust Certificates, Including Interest Expense and Fees Payable — (36.0)%

 

    (199,424,406

VRDP Shares, at Liquidation Value, Net of Deferred
Offering Costs — (30.0)%

 

    (166,214,330
   

 

 

 

Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares — 100.0%

 

  $ 553,263,025  
   

 

 

 

    

    

(a) 

Zero-coupon bond.

(b) 

U.S. Government securities held in escrow, are used to pay interest on this security as well as to retire the bond in full at the date indicated, typically at a premium to par.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Variable or floating rate security, which interest rate adjusts periodically based on changes in current interest rates and prepayments on the underlying pool of assets. Rate shown is the rate in effect as of period end.

(e) 

Represent bonds transferred to a TOB Trust in exchange of cash and residual certificates received by the Fund. These bonds serve as collateral in a secured borrowing. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(f) 

All or a portion of the security is subject to a recourse agreement. The aggregate maximum potential amount the Fund could ultimately be required to pay under the agreements, which expire between April 1, 2025 to March 1, 2028, is $29,423,078. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 
(h) 

Investments in issuers considered to be an affiliate/affiliates of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2020 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer   Shares
Held at
07/31/19
     Shares
Purchased
     Shares
Sold
     Shares
Held at
07/31/20
     Value at
07/31/20
     Income      Net Realized
Gain  (Loss)
 (a)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

BlackRock Liquidity Funds California Money Fund, Institutional Class

    12,443,051               (12,233,398 )(b)       209,653      $ 209,674      $ 27,137      $ 1,771      $  
          

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Includes net capital gain distributions, if applicable.

 
  (b) 

Represents net shares purchased (sold).

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

 

 

24  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows :

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from:

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ (9,193,156    $      $ (9,193,156
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on:

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ 662,710      $      $ 662,710  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ (a) 

Average notional value of contracts — short

   $ 25,819,852  

 

  (a) 

Derivative not held at any quarter-end. The risk exposure table serves as an indicator of activity during the period.

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments. For information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of investments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following tables summarize the Fund’s categorized in the disclosure hierarchy:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets:

                 

Investments:

                 

Long-Term Investments

   $        $ 910,357,445        $         —        $ 910,357,445  

Short-Term Securities

     209,674                            209,674  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 209,674        $ 910,357,445        $        $ 910,567,119  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

The breakdown of the Fund’s investments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, such assets and/or liabilities are categorized within the disclosure hierarchy as follows:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Liabilities:

                 

TOB Trust Certificates

   $         —        $ (199,050,164      $        $ (199,050,164

VRDP Shares at Liquidation Value

              (166,500,000                 (166,500,000
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $         —        $ (365,550,164      $         —        $ (365,550,164
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  25


Schedule of Investments

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Municipal Bonds — 125.4%            

New York — 120.9%

   
Corporate — 3.1%            

City of New York Industrial Development Agency, Refunding RB, Transportation Infrastructure Properties LLC, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/28

  $ 930     $ 998,578  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB, Goldman Sachs Headquarters, 5.25%, 10/01/35

    12,070       16,997,216  
   

 

 

 
    17,995,794  
County/City/Special District/School District — 26.1%  

City of New York, GO:

   

Series A-1, 5.00%, 08/01/21(a)

    1,950       2,044,361  

Sub-Series A-1, 5.00%, 08/01/33

    2,100       2,373,609  

Sub-Series D-1, 5.00%, 10/01/21(a)

    2,750       2,905,375  

Sub-Series D-1, 5.00%, 10/01/33

    5,600       5,892,488  

Sub-Series D-1, Fiscal 2014, 5.00%, 08/01/31

    1,300       1,472,393  

City of New York, GO, Refunding:

   

Fiscal 2012, Series I, 5.00%, 08/01/32

    490       533,782  

Fiscal 2014, Series E, 5.00%, 08/01/32

    2,040       2,308,036  

Series E, 5.50%, 08/01/25

    5,435       6,275,468  

City of New York Convention Center Development Corp., RB, CAB, Sub Lien, Hotel Unit Fee, Series B (AGM), 0.00%, 11/15/56(b)

    7,825       2,399,223  

City of New York Convention Center Development Corp., Refunding RB, Hotel Unit Fee Secured:

   

5.00%, 11/15/40

    7,370       8,100,588  

5.00%, 11/15/45

    13,995       15,372,808  

City of New York Industrial Development Agency, RB, PILOT:

   

(AMBAC), 5.00%, 01/01/39

    1,750       1,751,785  

CAB, Yankee Stadium Project, Series A (AGC), 0.00%, 03/01/39(b)

    5,000       3,052,900  

CAB, Yankee Stadium Project, Series A (AGC), 0.00%, 03/01/43(b)

    4,330       2,286,153  

Queens Baseball Stadium (AGC), 6.38%, 01/01/39

    1,000       1,003,540  

Queens Baseball Stadium (AMBAC), 5.00%, 01/01/36

    6,400       6,406,784  

Yankee Stadium Project (NPFGC), 5.00%, 03/01/36

    2,250       2,254,792  

Yankee Stadium Project (NPFGC), 5.00%, 03/01/46

    9,675       9,683,127  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured, RB:

   

Fiscal 2014, Sub-Series A-1, 5.00%, 11/01/38

    1,000       1,132,210  

Fiscal 2014, Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 11/01/36

    1,690       1,950,260  

Fiscal 2016, Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 11/01/38

    4,000       4,796,360  

Future Tax Secured Subordinate Bonds, SubSeries A-1, 5.00%, 08/01/40

    1,025       1,288,323  

Future Tax Secured, Sub-Series A-3, 4.00%, 08/01/43

    3,320       3,772,881  

Future Tax Secured, Sub-Series E-1, 5.00%, 02/01/43

    975       1,182,899  

Series A-2, 5.00%, 08/01/38

    4,105       5,096,809  

Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 11/01/35

    2,510       2,900,405  

County of Nassau New York, GO:

   

General Improvement Bonds, Series B (AGM), 5.00%, 07/01/45

    2,185       2,693,012  

Series A, 5.00%, 01/15/31

    1,770       2,162,303  

Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corp., Refunding RB, Series A:

   

5.00%, 02/15/39

    800       962,584  

5.00%, 02/15/42

    6,225       7,433,148  

4.00%, 02/15/44

    2,685       2,986,982  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Dedicated Tax Fund, Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 11/15/31

    3,465       3,863,614  

Green Bond, Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 11/15/51

    2,815       3,235,702  

Green Bonds, Climate Bond Certified, Sub-Series B-2, 4.00%, 11/15/34

    3,000       3,377,370  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
County/City/Special District/School District (continued)  

New York Convention Center Development Corp., RB, Hotel Unit Fee Secured, Series B(b):

   

0.00%, 11/15/42

  $ 2,640     $ 1,255,241  

0.00%, 11/15/47

    6,740       2,590,586  

0.00%, 11/15/48

    3,550       1,293,088  

CAB, Sub Lien, 0.00%, 11/15/32

    685       480,075  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB:

   

3 World Trade Center Project, Class 1, 5.00%, 11/15/44(c)

    6,110       6,494,136  

4 World Trade Center Project, 5.00%, 11/15/31

    2,570       2,706,904  

4 World Trade Center Project, 5.00%, 11/15/44

    2,000       2,102,320  

4 World Trade Center Project, 5.75%, 11/15/51

    3,000       3,192,540  

7 World Trade Center Project, Class 1, 4.00%, 09/15/35

    1,090       1,151,792  

7 World Trade Center Project, Class 2, 5.00%, 09/15/43

    3,725       3,949,133  
   

 

 

 
    150,167,889  
Education — 20.6%            

Albany Capital Resource Corp., Refunding RB, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Series A:

   

5.00%, 12/01/31

    250       281,913  

5.00%, 12/01/32

    100       112,240  

4.00%, 12/01/34

    110       115,396  

Buffalo & Erie County Industrial Land Development Corp., Refunding RB, Buffalo State College Foundation Housing Corp. Project, Series A, 5.38%, 04/01/21(a)

    1,040       1,076,005  

Build NYC Resource Corp., Refunding RB:

   

City University Queens College, Series A,
5.00%, 06/01/43

    525       605,666  

Manhattan College Project, 4.00%, 08/01/42

    975       1,055,126  

City of New York Trust for Cultural Resources, Refunding RB, Series A:

   

American Museum of Natural History,
5.00%, 07/01/37

    2,265       2,641,330  

American Museum of Natural History,
5.00%, 07/01/41

    825       957,784  

Wildlife Conservation Society, 5.00%, 08/01/42

    750       824,543  

City of Troy New York Capital Resource Corp., Refunding RB, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Project, Series A, 5.13%, 09/01/40

    5,740       5,756,531  

Counties of Buffalo & Erie New York Industrial Development Agency, RB, City School District of Buffalo Project, Series A:

   

5.25%, 05/01/31

    2,305       2,384,430  

5.25%, 05/01/32

    1,000       1,034,230  

Counties of Buffalo & Erie New York Industrial Development Agency, Refunding RB, City School District of Buffalo Project:

   

5.00%, 05/01/28

    750       912,150  

Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/29

    4,060       4,935,052  

County of Dutchess New York Local Development Corp., RB, Marist College Project:

   

5.00%, 07/01/43

    685       832,453  

5.00%, 07/01/48

    1,030       1,246,980  

County of Dutchess New York Local Development Corp., Refunding RB, Vassar College Project:

   

5.00%, 07/01/42

    1,180       1,430,667  

4.00%, 07/01/46

    2,235       2,501,323  

County of Madison New York Capital Resource Corp., RB, Colgate University Project, Series B:

   

5.00%, 07/01/40

    815       957,755  

5.00%, 07/01/43

    2,940       3,446,444  

County of Monroe New York Industrial Development Corp., RB, University of Rochester Project,
Series B, 4.50%, 07/01/21(a)

    3,885       4,039,623  
 

 

 

26  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Education (continued)            

County of Monroe New York Industrial Development Corp., Refunding RB, University of Rochester Project:

   

4.00%, 07/01/50(d)

  $ 1,245     $ 1,460,049  

Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/23(a)

    1,440       1,643,515  

Series A, 4.00%, 07/01/39

    500       556,610  

County of Onondaga New York, RB, Syracuse University Project, 5.00%, 12/01/21(a)

    2,340       2,491,188  

County of St. Lawrence New York Industrial Development Agency, RB, Clarkson University Project,
5.38%, 09/01/41

    500       517,940  

County of Tompkins New York Development Corp., RB, Ithaca College Project (AGM)(a):

   

5.25%, 01/01/21

    860       878,043  

5.50%, 01/01/21

    500       511,120  

County of Tompkins New York Industrial Development Agency, RB, Civic Facility Cornell University Project, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/37

    675       675,182  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB:

   

Convent of the Sacred Heart (AGM), 5.75%, 05/01/21(a)

    2,075       2,161,673  

Fordham University, Series A,
5.00%, 07/01/21(a)

    325       339,261  

Fordham University, Series A,
5.50%, 07/01/21(a)

    1,550       1,625,051  

General Purpose, Series A,
5.00%, 02/15/23(a)

    5,500       6,176,940  

New York University, Series 1 (AMBAC),
5.50%, 07/01/40

    4,580       7,018,621  

New York University, Series B, 5.00%, 07/01/22(a)

    3,840       4,196,966  

State University Dormitory Facilities, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/21(a)

    1,500       1,566,495  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Barnard College, Series A, 4.00%, 07/01/37

    240       267,293  

Barnard College, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/43

    2,520       2,951,726  

Bidding Group Bond, Series B, 4.00%, 02/15/46

    2,835       3,200,687  

Fordham University, 5.00%, 07/01/44

    2,130       2,441,406  

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/35

    1,380       1,581,728  

New York University, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/22(a)

    8,730       9,541,541  

Series B, 5.00%, 02/15/37

    2,130       2,646,056  

St. John’s University, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/37

    2,240       2,548,851  

State University Dormitory Facilities, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/22(a)

    1,490       1,628,510  

State University Dormitory Facilities, Series A, 5.25%, 07/01/23(a)

    12,930       14,851,139  

State University Dormitory Facilities, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/46

    2,490       2,935,660  

State University of New York Dormitory Facilities, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/38

    1,475       1,767,788  

Town of Hempstead New York Local Development Corp., Refunding RB, Hofstra University Project,
5.00%, 07/01/47

    1,645       1,965,413  

Troy Capital Resource Corp., Refunding RB, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Project, 4.00%, 09/01/40

    985       1,102,845  
   

 

 

 
    118,396,938  
Health — 7.6%            

City of New York Health & Hospital Corp., Refunding RB, Health System, Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/30

    2,200       2,207,238  

County of Dutchess New York Local Development Corp., RB, Health Quest Systems, Inc., Series B, 4.00%, 07/01/41

    2,760       2,938,406  

County of Monroe New York Industrial Development Corp., RB, Rochester General Hospital Project:

   

4.00%, 12/01/41

    800       884,472  

5.00%, 12/01/46

    1,280       1,499,878  

Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/32

    830       904,185  

Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/37

    350       380,006  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Health (continued)            

County of Monroe New York Industrial Development Corp., Refunding RB, Unity Hospital of Rochester Project (FHA), 5.50%, 08/15/40

  $ 5,650     $ 5,785,996  

County of Oneida New York Local Development Corp., Refunding RB, Mohawk Valley Health System Project (AGM), 3.00%, 12/01/44

    2,775       2,948,771  

County of Suffolk New York EDC, RB, Catholic Health Services, Series C, 5.00%, 07/01/32

    625       716,119  

County of Westchester New York Healthcare Corp., Refunding RB, Senior Lien, Remarketing, Series A,
5.00%, 11/01/30

    1,790       1,848,050  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Obligated Group:

   

Series C, 4.25%, 05/01/39

    1,000       1,051,400  

Series D, 4.25%, 05/01/39

    300       315,420  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Catholic Health System Obligation, 4.00%, 07/01/45

    815       876,475  

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Series 1, 5.00%, 07/01/42

    2,625       3,242,951  

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/21(a)

    4,000       4,144,880  

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Obligated Group, Series A, 5.25%, 05/01/21(a)

    9,220       9,571,005  

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/32

    3,525       4,136,270  
   

 

 

 
    43,451,522  
Housing — 7.5%            

City of New York Housing Development Corp., RB, M/F:

   

Housing, Fund Grant Program, New York City Housing Authority Program, Series B1, 5.25%, 07/01/32

    6,865       7,783,468  

Housing, Fund Grant Program, New York City Housing Authority Program, Series B1, 5.00%, 07/01/33

    1,675       1,892,917  

Housing, Sustainable Neighborhood Bonds, 3.95%, 11/01/36

    550       599,418  

Housing, Sustainable Neighborhood Bonds, 4.05%, 11/01/41

    550       599,704  

Series G-1, 3.90%, 05/01/45

    550       575,432  

City of New York Housing Development Corp., Refunding RB, M/F:

   

Housing, 8 Spruce Street, Series 2014, Class F, 4.50%, 02/15/48

    1,230       1,286,002  

Housing, Series D-1-B, 4.20%, 11/01/40

    550       588,830  

Housing, Sustainable Neighborhood,
Series B-1-A, 3.65%, 11/01/49

    1,245       1,330,345  

Housing, Sustainable Neighborhood,
Series B-1-A, 3.75%, 11/01/54

    1,725       1,853,012  

Sustainable Neighborhood Bonds, Series A, 4.00%, 11/01/43

    790       860,982  

State of New York HFA, RB:

   

M/F Affordable Housing, Green Bond, Climate Bond Certified, Series D (SONYMA), 3.80%, 11/01/49

    2,050       2,261,970  

M/F Affordable Housing, Series B (Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac), 4.00%, 11/01/42

    1,045       1,152,844  

M/F Affordable Housing, Series E (SONYMA), 3.80%, 11/01/49

    1,130       1,244,695  

M/F Housing, Climate Bond Certified, Series P, 3.15%, 11/01/54

    1,315       1,387,720  

M/F Housing, Green Bonds, Series H, 4.15%, 11/01/43

    1,650       1,859,154  

M/F Housing, Green Bonds, Series H, 4.20%, 11/01/48

    1,095       1,230,517  

M/F Housing, St. Philip’s Housing, Series A, AMT, 4.65%, 11/15/38

    1,500       1,501,875  

State of New York Mortgage Agency, Refunding RB:

   

S/F Housing, Series 190, 3.80%, 10/01/40

    3,470       3,691,525  

S/F Housing, Series 194, AMT, 3.80%, 04/01/28

    3,780       4,124,849  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  27


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Housing (continued)            

S/F Housing, Series 213, 4.20%, 10/01/43

  $ 2,305     $ 2,638,902  

S/F Housing, Series 225, 2.45%, 10/01/45

    500       512,710  

Series 218, AMT, 3.60%, 04/01/33

    1,095       1,208,343  

Series 218, AMT, 3.85%, 04/01/38

    395       437,636  

Yonkers Industrial Development Corp., RB, Monastery Manor Associates LP Project,
Series A, AMT (SONYMA), 5.25%, 04/01/37

    2,445       2,452,164  
   

 

 

 
    43,075,014  
State — 11.7%            

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Building Aid Revenue, BARB, Series S-3:

   

Fiscal 2015, Series S-1, 5.00%, 07/15/37

    2,000       2,325,860  

5.25%, 07/15/36

    1,910       2,422,720  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Building Aid Revenue, Refunding RB, , 4.00%, 07/15/38

    6,070       7,021,837  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured, RB, Future Tax Secured, Sub-Series F-1, 5.00%, 05/01/42

    7,175       8,784,855  

Sales Tax Asset Receivable Corp., Refunding RB, Fiscal 2015, Series A, 4.00%, 10/15/32

    3,835       4,347,011  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB:

   

Bid Group 3, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/39

    1,610       2,009,763  

General Purpose, Series B, 5.00%, 03/15/37

    1,000       1,069,150  

Group B, State Sales Tax, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/39

    2,280       2,793,342  

Group C, Sales Tax, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/41

    8,550       10,424,929  

Group C, State Sales Tax, Series A, 4.00%, 03/15/45

    3,900       4,411,212  

Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/42

    3,000       3,612,150  

Series B, 5.00%, 03/15/37

    2,000       2,388,060  

State Personal Income Tax, Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/23(a)

    1,000       1,123,080  

Unrefunded, Series B, 5.00%, 03/15/42

    7,500       7,993,575  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, Refunding RB, Group 3, Series E, 5.00%, 03/15/41

    3,335       4,191,095  

State of New York Urban Development Corp., RB, State Personal Income Tax, Series C, 5.00%, 03/15/32

    2,000       2,230,260  
   

 

 

 
    67,148,899  
Tobacco — 2.5%            

Chautauqua Tobacco Asset Securitization Corp., Refunding RB:

   

5.00%, 06/01/48

    820       784,683  

Asset-Backed, 4.75%, 06/01/39

    2,190       2,130,410  

Counties of New York Tobacco Trust VI, Refunding RB, Tobacco Settlement Pass-Through:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/41

    655       756,741  

Series A-2B, 5.00%, 06/01/45

    2,460       2,510,110  

Series A-2B, 5.00%, 06/01/51

    800       815,216  

County of Niagara New York Tobacco Asset Securitization Corp., Refunding RB, Asset-Backed:

   

5.25%, 05/15/34

    1,650       1,729,612  

5.25%, 05/15/40

    2,250       2,329,155  

TSASC, Inc., Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/35

    310       357,694  

Westchester Tobacco Asset Securitization Corp., Refunding RB, Tobacco Settlement Bonds, Sub-Series C, 4.00%, 06/01/42

    3,200       3,227,744  
   

 

 

 
    14,641,365  
Transportation — 26.0%            

Buffalo & Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, RB:

   

5.00%, 01/01/47

    1,545       1,804,977  

Toll Bridge System, 5.00%, 01/01/42

    1,250       1,476,462  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, RB:

   

Green Bonds, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/42

    3,500       4,100,005  

Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/21(a)

    1,000       1,062,450  

Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/23(a)

    1,000       1,135,160  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Transportation (continued)            

Series A-1, 5.25%, 11/15/23(a)

  $ 5,405     $ 6,306,986  

Series D, 5.25%, 11/15/21(a)

    765       815,222  

Series E, 5.00%, 11/15/38

    7,785       8,195,347  

Series H, 5.00%, 11/15/22(a)

    930       1,033,221  

Series H, 5.00%, 11/15/31

    760       799,269  

Sub-Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/23(a)

    3,250       3,765,775  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Green Bond, Climate Bond Certified,
Sub-Series A-3 (AGM), 4.00%, 11/15/46

    1,035       1,145,797  

Green Bonds, Series C-1, 4.75%, 11/15/45

    1,795       2,005,966  

Series C-1, 5.00%, 11/15/56

    2,350       2,589,841  

Series D, 5.25%, 11/15/21(a)

    2,685       2,861,270  

Transportation Revenue, 5.00%, 11/15/41

    4,000       4,158,560  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Hudson Rail Yards Trust Obligations, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/56

    5,655       6,312,563  

New York Liberty Development Corp., RB, World Trade Center Port Authority Consolidated, 5.25%, 12/15/43

    3,500       3,698,625  

New York Transportation Development Corp., ARB, LaGuardia Airport Terminal B Redevelopment Project, Series A, AMT:

   

5.00%, 07/01/41

    2,155       2,338,886  

5.00%, 07/01/46

    1,735       1,880,237  

5.25%, 01/01/50

    10,730       11,731,753  

(AGM), 4.00%, 07/01/41

    1,575       1,660,680  

Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Refunding ARB, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, AMT:

   

5.00%, 04/01/34

    125       151,540  

5.00%, 04/01/35

    110       132,492  

5.00%, 04/01/36

    120       143,786  

5.00%, 04/01/37

    140       167,205  

5.00%, 04/01/38

    70       83,374  

5.00%, 04/01/39

    95       112,845  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, ARB:

   

Consolidated, 163rd Series, 5.00%, 07/15/35

    2,500       2,505,550  

Consolidated, 169th Series, 5.00%, 10/15/41

    1,000       1,045,110  

Consolidated, 183rd Series, 4.00%, 06/15/44

    1,500       1,621,410  

Consolidated, 220th Series, AMT, 4.00%, 11/01/59

    5,895       6,557,480  

Consolidated, 221st Series, AMT, 4.00%, 07/15/60

    2,800       3,137,596  

JFK International Air Terminal LLC, Special Project, Series 6, AMT (NPFGC), 5.75%, 12/01/22

    5,165       5,178,739  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Refunding ARB:

   

178th Series, AMT, 5.00%, 12/01/33

    1,140       1,280,072  

179th Series, 5.00%, 12/01/38

    1,390       1,572,215  

195th Series, AMT, 5.00%, 04/01/36

    1,500       1,795,605  

Consolidated, 177th Series, AMT, 4.00%, 01/15/43

    735       771,272  

Consolidated, 178th Series, AMT, 5.00%, 12/01/43

    750       837,255  

Consolidated,186th Series, AMT, 5.00%, 10/15/44

    1,000       1,121,730  

Series G, JFK International Air Terminal (NPFGC), 5.75%, 12/01/25

    3,500       3,538,255  

State of New York Thruway Authority, RB, Junior Lien, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/41

    2,110       2,478,511  

State of New York Thruway Authority, Refunding RB:

   

General, Series I, 5.00%, 01/01/22(a)

    7,475       7,988,276  

General, Series J, 5.00%, 01/01/41

    6,275       7,084,036  

General, Series K, 5.00%, 01/01/29

    2,225       2,625,033  

General, Series K, 5.00%, 01/01/31

    1,500       1,765,365  

Series L, 5.00%, 01/01/34

    840       1,054,872  

Series L, 5.00%, 01/01/35

    970       1,212,869  

Subordinate, Series B, 4.00%, 01/01/53

    985       1,127,520  

Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, RB:

   

MTA Bridges and Tunnels, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/54

    1,150       1,345,592  

Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/40

    1,010       1,198,517  

Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/45

    1,500       1,767,330  
 

 

 

28  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Transportation (continued)            

Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, Refunding RB:

   

General, CAB, Series B, 0.00%, 11/15/32(b)

  $ 9,700     $ 7,692,876  

General, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/38

    1,000       1,090,180  

General, Series A, 5.25%, 11/15/45

    1,460       1,727,414  

General, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/50

    4,500       5,216,760  

MTA Bridge and Tunnels, Series C, 5.00%, 11/15/37

    1,050       1,330,224  
   

 

 

 
    149,337,958  
Utilities — 15.8%            

City of New York Municipal Water & Sewer System, RB, Water & Sewer System, 2nd General Resolution, Fiscal 2017, Series DD, 5.25%, 06/15/47

    4,140       5,146,475  

City of New York Municipal Water & Sewer System, Refunding RB, Water & Sewer System, 2nd General Resolution, Fiscal 2015, Series HH, 5.00%, 06/15/39

    3,000       3,593,760  

City of New York Water & Sewer System, RB:

   

2nd General Resolution Revenue Bonds,
3.00%, 06/15/50

    970       1,029,442  

Series DD-1, 4.00%, 06/15/49

    1,365       1,591,030  

City of New York Water & Sewer System, Refunding RB, Series EE, 5.00%, 06/15/40

    5,170       6,514,614  

County of Western Nassau New York Water Authority, RB, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/40

    1,185       1,398,063  

Long Island Power Authority, RB:

   

5.00%, 09/01/37

    3,825       4,786,796  

5.00%, 09/01/35

    2,000       2,513,940  

General, 5.00%, 09/01/47

    1,075       1,292,096  

General, Electric Systems, 5.00%, 09/01/36

    975       1,199,611  

General, Electric Systems, 5.00%, 09/01/42

    335       406,435  

General, Electric Systems, Series A (AGM),
5.00%, 05/01/21(a)

    3,775       3,910,334  

Long Island Power Authority, Refunding RB, Electric System, Series B:

   

5.00%, 09/01/41

    590       704,525  

5.00%, 09/01/46

    825       980,876  

State of New York Environmental Facilities Corp., RB, Series B:

   

Green Bonds, 5.00%, 03/15/45

    5,145       6,111,694  

Revolving Funds, Green Bonds, 5.00%, 09/15/40

    1,195       1,424,201  

Subordinated SRF Bonds, 5.00%, 06/15/48

    1,345       1,695,386  

State of New York Environmental Facilities Corp., Refunding RB:

   

Revolving Funds, New York City Municipal Water, Series B, 5.00%, 06/15/36

    2,100       2,182,992  

Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/40

    4,275       5,149,237  

Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/45

    18,920       22,655,565  

State of New York Power Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/38

    4,920       5,200,883  

Utility Debt Securitization Authority, Refunding RB, Restructuring, Series TE, 5.00%, 12/15/41

    9,960       11,306,990  
   

 

 

 
    90,794,945  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds in New York

 

    695,010,324  
   

 

 

 

Guam — 0.1%

   
Utilities — 0.1%            

Guam Government Waterworks Authority, RB, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/50

    630       771,164  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds in Guam

 

    771,164  
   

 

 

 

Puerto Rico — 4.4%

   
State — 4.4%            

Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. Sales Tax Revenue, RB, Restructured:

   

CAB, Series A-1, 0.00%, 07/01/46(b)

    10,522       3,066,847  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
State (continued)            

Series A-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

  $ 724     $ 768,743  

Series A-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    1,042       1,122,255  

Series A-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    1,378       1,433,271  

Series A-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    123       130,989  

Series B-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    746       792,409  

Series B-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    9,024       9,730,940  

Series B-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    7,120       7,397,182  

Series B-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    722       768,013  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds in Puerto Rico

 

    25,210,649  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds — 125.4%
(Cost — $659,438,047)

 

    720,992,137  
   

 

 

 

Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond
Trusts — 35.7%(e)

 

New York — 35.7%

   
County/City/Special District/School District — 4.8%  

City of New York, GO, Sub-Series I-1, 5.00%, 03/01/36

    3,500       4,027,135  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured, RB, Future Tax Secured:

   

Sub-Series D-1, 5.00%, 11/01/38

    4,125       4,342,924  

Sub-Series F-1, 5.00%, 05/01/38

    4,123       5,097,770  

Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corp., RB, Senior-Fiscal 2012(f):

   

5.75%, 02/15/21(a)

    6,030       6,198,762  

5.75%, 02/15/47

    3,709       3,813,290  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB, 7 World Trade Center Project, Class 1, 5.00%, 09/15/40

    3,645       3,904,925  
   

 

 

 
    27,384,806  
Education — 1.3%            

City of New York Trust for Cultural Resources, Refunding RB, Wildlife Conservation Society, Series A, 5.00%, 08/01/33

    1,981       2,196,203  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB, State University Dormitory Facilities, New York University, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/21(a)

    5,198       5,428,183  
   

 

 

 
    7,624,386  
Housing — 3.9%            

City of New York Housing Development Corp., RB, M/F Housing:

   

Series C-1-A, 4.00%, 11/01/53

    2,733       2,951,406  

Sustainable Neighborhood Bonds, Series B1-A, 3.85%, 05/01/58

    2,625       2,836,470  

City of New York Housing Development Corp., Refunding RB, Sustainable Neighborhood Bonds, Series A, 4.25%, 11/01/43

    4,370       4,859,615  

State of New York HFA, RB, M/F Affordable Housing, Green Bond, Climate Bond Certified, Series I, 4.05%, 11/01/48

    5,457       6,078,252  

State of New York HFA, Refunding RB, Series C (SONYMA, Fannie Mae), 3.85%, 11/01/39

    2,413       2,712,402  

State of New York Mortgage Agency, Refunding RB, S/F Housing, Series 192, 3.80%, 10/01/31

    2,471       2,719,775  
   

 

 

 
    22,157,920  
State — 4.9%            

Sales Tax Asset Receivable Corp., Refunding RB, Fiscal 2015, Series A:

   

5.00%, 10/15/31

    7,995       9,460,643  

4.00%, 10/15/32

    8,000       9,068,080  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB:

   

Bid Group 2, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/32

    2,000       2,558,160  

General Purpose, Series C, 5.00%, 03/15/41

    1,650       1,692,917  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  29


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
State (continued)            

State of New York Dormitory Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/40(f)

  $ 3,550     $ 4,447,146  

State of New York Urban Development Corp., Refunding RB, State Personal Income Tax, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/45

    1,001       1,182,057  
   

 

 

 
    28,409,003  
Transportation — 14.1%            

New York Liberty Development Corp., ARB, 1 World Trade Center Port Authority Consolidated Bonds,
5.25%, 12/15/43

    17,999       19,020,966  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Refunding ARB:

   

Consolidated, Series 169th, 5.00%, 10/15/25

    7,990       8,413,874  

Consolidated, Series 169th, AMT, 5.00%, 10/15/26

    6,000       6,317,100  

Consolidated, Series 210th, 5.00%, 09/01/48

    4,760       5,830,096  

Series194th, 5.25%, 10/15/55

    3,900       4,603,443  

State of New York Thruway Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Subordinate, Series B, 4.00%, 01/01/45(f)

    5,953       6,853,248  

Transportation, Personal Income Tax,
Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/31

    3,940       4,141,728  

Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, Refunding RB:

   

General, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/46

    15,000       17,795,700  

MTA Bridges & Tunnels, Series C-2, 5.00%, 11/15/42

    6,675       8,195,365  
   

 

 

 
    81,171,520  
Utilities — 6.7%            

City of New York Municipal Water & Sewer System, Refunding RB, 2nd General Resolution:

   

Fiscal 2018, 5.00%, 06/15/38(f)

    1,391       1,749,005  

Water & Sewer System, Fiscal 2011, Series HH, 5.00%, 06/15/32

    9,900       10,304,415  

Water & Sewer System, Fiscal 2012, Series BB, 5.00%, 06/15/44

    3,991       4,224,874  

State of New York Power Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/60

    6,557       7,788,583  

Utility Debt Securitization Authority, Refunding RB, Restructuring:

   

Bonds, Series TE, 5.00%, 12/15/41

    5,998       6,809,386  

Series A, 5.00%, 12/15/35

    3,500       4,278,365  

Series B, 4.00%, 12/15/35

    2,980       3,445,685  
   

 

 

 
    38,600,313  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option
Bond Trusts — 35.7%
(Cost — $191,784,393)

 

    205,347,948  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 161.1%
(Cost — $851,222,440)

 

    926,340,085  
   

 

 

 
    

    

Shares

    Value  
Short-Term Securities — 0.5%            

BlackRock Liquidity Funds New York Money Fund Portfolio, 0.01%(g)(h)

    2,482,742     $ 2,482,990  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.5%
(Cost — $2,482,990)

 

    2,482,990  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 161.6%
(Cost — $853,705,430)

 

    928,823,075  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.7%

 

    4,620,156  

Liability for TOB Trust Certificates, Including Interest Expense and Fees Payable — (19.3)%

 

    (111,203,226

VRDP Shares, at Liquidation Value, Net of Deferred
Offering Costs — (43.0)%

 

    (247,384,262
   

 

 

 

Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares — 100.0%

 

  $ 574,855,743  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

U.S. Government securities held in escrow, are used to pay interest on this security as well as to retire the bond in full at the date indicated, typically at a premium to par.

(b) 

Zero-coupon bond.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

When-issued security.

(e) 

Represent bonds transferred to a TOB Trust in exchange of cash and residual certificates received by the Fund. These bonds serve as collateral in a secured borrowing. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(f) 

All or a portion of the security is subject to a recourse agreement. The aggregate maximum potential amount the Fund could ultimately be required to pay under the agreements, which expire between June 15, 2025 to February 15, 2047 is $12,422,082. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 
(h) 

Investments in issuers considered to be an affiliate/affiliates of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2020 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Shares
Held at
07/31/19
     Shares
Purchased
     Shares
Sold
     Shares
Held at
07/31/20
     Value at
07/31/20
     Income      Net
Realized
Gain (Loss) (a)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

BlackRock Liquidity Funds New York Money Fund Portfolio

     2,369,681        113,061 (b)              2,482,742      $ 2,482,990      $ 10,205      $ (15    $  
              

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Includes net capital gain distributions, if applicable.

 
  (b) 

Represents net shares purchased (sold).

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment advisor. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.

 

 

30  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from:

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ (5,705,007    $      $ (5,705,007
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on:                                                 

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ 220,617      $      $ 220,617  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ (a) 

Average notional value of contracts — sold

     18,691,605  

 

  (a) 

Derivative not held at any quarter-end. The risk exposure table serves as an indicator of activity during the period.

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments. For information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of investments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following tables summarize the Fund’s investments categorized in the disclosure hierarchy:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets:

 

Investments:

 

Long-Term Investments

   $        $ 926,340,085        $             —        $ 926,340,085  

Short-Term Securities

     2,482,990                            2,482,990  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 2,482,990        $ 926,340,085        $        $ 928,823,075  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

The breakdown of the Fund’s investments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, such assets and/or liabilities are categorized within the disclosure hierarchy as follows:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Liabilities:

 

TOB Trust Certificates

   $             —        $ (111,088,684      $             —        $ (111,088,684

VRDP Shares at Liquidation Value

              (247,700,000                 (247,700,000
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $        $ (358,788,684      $        $ (358,788,684
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  31


Schedule of Investments  

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  

Municipal Bonds — 113.7%

 

Alabama — 0.6%  

County of Tuscaloosa Board of Education, RB, Special Tax School Warrants, 5.00%, 02/01/43

  $ 2,485     $ 3,024,966  

Homewood Educational Building Authority, Refunding RB, Educational Facilities, Samford University, Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/47

    2,835       3,304,844  
   

 

 

 
      6,329,810  
Alaska — 0.3%  

Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority, RB, Providence Health Services, Series A, 5.50%, 10/01/41

    2,690       2,824,473  
   

 

 

 
Arizona — 1.3%  

Arizona IDA, RB(a):

   

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/39

    1,480       1,537,143  

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/49

    1,675       1,722,587  

Leman Academy of Excellence-East Tucson And Central Tucson Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/54

    1,290       1,323,850  

Odyssey Preparatory Academy Project, 4.38%, 07/01/39

    810       843,097  

Odyssey Preparatory Academy Project, 5.00%, 07/01/54

    945       999,715  

County of Maricopa Arizona IDA, Refunding RB, Legacy Traditional Schools Project(a):

   

5.00%, 07/01/39

    630       684,501  

5.00%, 07/01/54

    1,420       1,508,537  

County of Maricopa Industrial Development Authority, Refunding RB, HonorHealth, Series A, 5.00%, 09/01/42

    435       528,242  

County of Pima Arizona IDA, Refunding RB, American Leadership Academy Project, 5.00%, 06/15/52(a)

    1,620       1,591,650  

County of Pima IDA, RB, American Leadership Academy Project, 5.00%, 06/15/47(a)

    2,545       2,530,392  
   

 

 

 
      13,269,714  
Arkansas — 0.4%  

Arkansas Development Finance Authority, RB, Big River Steel Project, AMT, 4.50%, 09/01/49(a)

    4,350       4,401,635  
   

 

 

 
California — 9.2%  

California Health Facilities Financing Authority, Refunding RB, St. Joseph Health System, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/37

    2,965       3,321,512  

California Statewide Communities Development Authority, RB, Kaiser Permanente, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/42

    4,030       4,301,823  

City of San Jose California, Refunding ARB, Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport SJC, AMT:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 03/01/36

    1,160       1,385,666  

Series A, 5.00%, 03/01/37

    1,275       1,520,055  

Series A-1, 5.75%, 03/01/34

    2,300       2,360,467  

County of San Joaquin California Transportation Authority, Refunding RB, Limited Tax, Measure K, Series A, 6.00%, 03/01/21(b)

    1,830       1,890,701  

Golden State Tobacco Securitization Corp., Refunding RB:

   

Series A-1, 5.00%, 06/01/47

    4,910       5,018,953  

Series A-2, 5.00%, 06/01/47

    1,340       1,369,735  

Grossmont California Union High School District, GO, CAB, Election of 2004, 0.00%, 08/01/31(c)

    5,110       4,425,362  

Long Beach Unified School District, GO, CAB, Election of 2008, Series B, 0.00%, 08/01/34(c)

    5,000       4,008,600  

Mount San Antonio Community College District, GO, Refunding, CAB, Election of 2008, Series A, 6.25%, 08/01/43(d)

    3,975       4,446,276  

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, GO, Refunding, CAB, Election of 2002, Series E (AGC), 0.00%, 08/01/38(c)

    7,620       4,817,745  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
California (continued)  

Poway Unified School District, GO, Refunding, CAB, School Facilities Improvement, Election of 2008, Series B(c):

   

0.00%, 08/01/35

  $ 7,820     $ 5,998,878  

0.00%, 08/01/36

    10,000       7,441,400  

Rio Hondo Community College District California, GO, CAB, Election of 2004, Series C(c):

   

0.00%, 08/01/37

    8,000       5,841,920  

0.00%, 08/01/38

    12,940       9,166,437  

San Diego California Unified School District, GO, Election of 2008, Series G(b)(c):

   

0.00%, 01/01/34

    1,860       1,046,827  

0.00%, 01/01/35

    1,970       1,044,159  

0.00%, 01/01/36

    2,960       1,477,602  

0.00%, 01/01/37

    1,975       928,843  

San Diego California Unified School District, GO, Refunding, CAB, Series R-1, 0.00%, 07/01/31(c)

    3,485       3,030,939  

San Marcos Unified School District, GO, Election of 2010,

   

Series A ,5.00%, 08/01/21(b)

    3,400       3,563,948  

State of California, GO, Refunding, Various Purposes:

   

5.00%, 09/01/41

    2,700       2,829,411  

5.00%, 10/01/41

    2,555       2,686,685  

State of California, GO, Series 2007-2 (NPFGC), 5.50%, 04/01/30

    10       10,035  

State of California Public Works Board, LRB, Various Capital Projects, Series I, 5.00%, 11/01/38

    5,040       5,708,808  

Walnut Valley Unified School District, GO, CAB, Election of 2007, Series B, 0.00%, 08/01/36(c)

    6,545       4,519,977  
   

 

 

 
      94,162,764  
Colorado — 2.5%  

Colorado Educational & Cultural Facilities Authority, RB, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, 5.00%, 03/01/50(a)

    2,530       2,452,557  

Colorado Educational & Cultural Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy Project, 5.00%, 10/01/59(a)

    3,365       3,441,184  

Colorado Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Commonspirit Health, Series A-2, 5.00%, 08/01/44

    7,500       9,176,925  

Denver Convention Center Hotel Authority, Refunding RB, 5.00%, 12/01/36

    1,500       1,603,125  

Regional Transportation District, COP, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/39

    5,655       6,285,532  

STC Metropolitan District No. 2, GO, Refunding, Series A,

   

5.00%, 12/01/38

    1,285       1,316,521  

5.00%, 12/01/49

    1,000       1,010,930  
   

 

 

 
      25,286,774  
Connecticut — 0.3%  

Connecticut State Health & Educational Facilities Authority, RB, Mary Wade Home Issue, Series A-1, 5.00%, 10/01/54(a)

    715       712,705  

State of Connecticut Special Tax Revenue, RB, Special Tax Obligation Bonds, Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/37

    2,000       2,587,280  
   

 

 

 
      3,299,985  
Florida — 9.7%  

City of Jacksonville Florida, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.25%, 10/01/42

    4,000       4,864,840  

City Of South Miami Health Facilities Authority, Inc., Refunding RB, Baptist Health South Florida Obligated Group, 5.00%, 08/15/42

    2,965       3,481,266  

City of Tampa Florida, RB, Cabs, Series A(c):

   

0.00%, 09/01/39

    1,100       573,859  

0.00%, 09/01/40

    1,000       497,400  

0.00%, 09/01/41

    1,280       614,221  

0.00%, 09/01/42

    1,150       527,171  

0.00%, 09/01/45

    2,000       797,560  
 

 

 

32  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Florida (continued)  

County of Brevard Florida Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Health First, Inc. Project, 5.00%, 04/01/39

  $ 4,535     $ 5,059,019  

County of Broward Florida Airport System Revenue, ARB, AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/42

    3,000       3,560,550  

County of Broward Florida Airport System Revenue, RB, Series A , AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/40

    3,000       3,462,120  

County of Lee Florida, Refunding ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.63%, 10/01/26

    2,600       2,720,198  

County of Lee Florida Airport Revenue, Refunding ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.38%, 10/01/32

    3,440       3,582,244  

County of Miami-Dade, RB, Seaport Department, Series A, 6.00%, 10/01/38

    5,695       6,498,280  

County of Miami-Dade Florida, RB, Seaport Department, Series B, AMT, 6.00%, 10/01/30

    1,820       2,077,494  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Aviation, Refunding ARB, AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/34

    530       598,259  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Educational Facilities Authority, RB, University of Miami, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/40

    14,360       16,404,290  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Project, 5.00%, 08/01/42

    1,675       1,977,069  

County of Miami-Dade Florida, Aviation, Refunding RB, Series B, AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/40

    6,500       7,662,525  

County of Miami-Dade Seaport Department, RB, Seaport Department, Series B, AMT:

   

6.25%, 10/01/38

    1,165       1,328,578  

6.00%, 10/01/42

    1,865       2,119,964  

County of Orange Florida Health Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Presbyterian Retirement Communities Project:

   

5.00%, 08/01/41

    1,550       1,695,343  

5.00%, 08/01/47

    4,590       4,974,137  

County of Palm Beach Florida Solid Waste Authority, Refunding RB, Series B:

   

5.00%, 10/01/21(b)

    50       52,812  

5.00%, 10/01/31

    3,050       3,204,696  

Florida Development Finance Corp., RB, Waste Pro USA, Inc. Project, AMT(a):

   

5.00%, 05/01/29

    1,500       1,601,490  

5.00%, 08/01/29(e)

    595       604,841  

Florida Development Finance Corp., Refunding RB, Renaissance Charter School Inc. Project, Series C, 5.00%, 09/15/50(a)

    820       870,471  

Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, ARB, Priority Sub-Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/42

    4,760       5,623,940  

LT Ranch Community Development District, Special Assessment Bonds:

   

4.00%, 05/01/40

    1,415       1,435,914  

4.00%, 05/01/50

    2,000       2,014,000  

Parker Road Community Development District, Special Assessment Bonds:

   

3.88%, 05/01/40

    900       904,221  

4.10%, 05/01/50

    1,000       1,015,030  

Town of Davie Florida, Refunding RB, Nova Southeastern University Project, 5.00%, 04/01/37

    4,630       5,437,750  

Westside Community Development District, Refunding, Special Assessment Bonds(a):

   

4.10%, 05/01/37

    640       658,656  

4.13%, 05/01/38

    630       647,791  
   

 

 

 
      99,147,999  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Georgia — 0.5%  

County of Gainesville Georgia & Hall Hospital Authority, Refunding RB, Northeast Georgia Health System, Inc. Project, Series A (GTD), 5.50%, 08/15/54

  $ 1,405     $ 1,652,168  

Main Street Natural Gas, Inc., RB, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/43

    1,105       1,321,480  

Private Colleges & Universities Authority, RB, Savannah College of Art & Design:

   

5.00%, 04/01/33

    395       446,006  

5.00%, 04/01/44

    1,775       1,975,664  
   

 

 

 
      5,395,318  
Hawaii — 1.2%  

State of Hawaii Airports System Revenue, ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/43

    2,385       2,868,297  

State of Hawaii Department of Budget & Finance, Refunding RB, Hawaiian Electric Co., Inc. AMT, 4.00%, 03/01/37

    5,275       5,736,193  

State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, COP, AMT:

   

5.00%, 08/01/27

    2,000       2,210,980  

5.00%, 08/01/28

    1,775       1,959,653  
   

 

 

 
      12,775,123  
Illinois — 12.6%  

Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Refunding RB, O’Hare International Airport, Senior Lien AMT, Series B, 5.00%, 01/01/31

    2,425       2,553,671  

City of Chicago Illinois Midway International Airport, Refunding ARB, 2nd Lien, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 01/01/34

    3,035       3,370,671  

City of Chicago Illinois O’Hare International Airport, GARB:

   

3rd Lien, Series A, 5.75%, 01/01/21(b)

    7,555       7,727,707  

3rd Lien, Series A, 5.75%, 01/01/39

    1,445       1,471,761  

Senior Lien, Series D, 5.25%, 01/01/42

    8,285       9,935,869  

Senior Lien, Series D, AMT, 5.00%, 01/01/42

    2,865       3,327,726  

City of Chicago Illinois Transit Authority, RB, Sales Tax Receipts, 5.25%, 12/01/36

    1,620       1,701,988  

County of Cook Illinois Community College District No. 508, GO, City College of Chicago, 5.13%, 12/01/38

    3,250       3,513,217  

County of Cook Illinois Forest Preserve District, GO, Refunding, Limited Tax Project, Series B, 5.00%, 12/15/37

    615       662,503  

Illinois Finance Authority, RB, Carle Foundation, Series A, 5.75%, 08/15/34

    8,700       9,103,854  

Illinois Finance Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Northshore University Heal, 4.00%, 08/15/40

    1,770       2,056,386  

Silver Cross Hospital & Medical Centers, Series C, 5.00%, 08/15/44

    985       1,118,202  

Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, RB, CAB, McCormick Place Expansion Project, Series A (NPFGC)(c):

   

0.00%, 12/15/33

    20,000       12,801,000  

0.00%, 12/15/34

    41,880       25,679,560  

Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, Refunding RB, CAB, McCormick Place Expansion Project, Series B (AGM), 0.00%, 06/15/44(c)

    9,430       4,245,292  

Railsplitter Tobacco Settlement Authority, RB, 6.00%, 06/01/21(b)

    1,700       1,781,940  

State of Illinois, GO:

   

5.25%, 07/01/29

    3,160       3,405,911  

5.00%, 05/01/32

    7,500       8,116,500  

5.25%, 02/01/33

    5,860       6,370,992  

5.50%, 07/01/33

    2,235       2,416,728  

5.25%, 02/01/34

    5,360       5,810,883  

5.50%, 07/01/38

    1,200       1,292,412  

State of Illinois Toll Highway Authority, RB, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/42

    8,540       10,401,635  
   

 

 

 
      128,866,408  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  33


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Indiana — 0.7%  

Indiana Finance Authority, RB, Series A:

   

CWA Authority Project, 1st Lien, 5.25%, 10/01/38

  $ 2,900     $ 3,050,829  

Private Activity Bond, Ohio River Bridges East End Crossing Project, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/44

    1,400       1,492,064  

State of Indiana Finance Authority, RB, Private Activity Bond, Ohio River Bridges, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/40

    2,425       2,602,728  
   

 

 

 
      7,145,621  
Kentucky — 2.0%  

City of Kentucky Public Energy Authority, RB, Gas Supply, Series C-1, 4.00%, 12/01/49(e)

    10,125       11,527,211  

Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, RB, Catholic Health Initiatives, Series A, 5.38%, 01/01/23(b)

    1,000       1,125,120  

Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority, RB, Downtown Crossing Project, Convertible CAB, 1st Tier, Series C, 6.00%, 07/01/39(d)

    8,225       8,040,925  
   

 

 

 
      20,693,256  
Louisiana — 1.9%  

City of New Orleans Louisiana Aviation Board, ARB, Series B, AMT, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    4,825       5,418,716  

Jefferson Sales Tax District, RB, Series B (AGM):

   

5.00%, 12/01/34

    670       824,294  

5.00%, 12/01/35

    895       1,096,545  

5.00%, 12/01/36

    805       983,050  

5.00%, 12/01/37

    1,005       1,222,462  

Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities & Community Development Authority, RB:

   

East Baton Rouge Sewerage Commission Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 02/01/24(b)

    8,155       9,261,552  

Westlake Chemical Corp., Series A-2, 6.50%, 11/01/35

    1,170       1,183,420  
   

 

 

 
      19,990,039  
Massachusetts — 1.3%  

Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, RB, Emerson College Issue, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/47

    5,950       6,685,658  

Massachusetts HFA, Refunding RB, Series A, AMT, 4.45%, 12/01/42

    2,160       2,292,883  

Massachusetts School Building Authority, RB, Dedicated Sales Tax, Senior Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/43

    3,495       3,898,917  
   

 

 

 
      12,877,458  
Michigan — 4.7%  

Michigan Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Trinity Health Credit Group(b):

   

Hospital;, 5.00%, 12/01/21

    16,040       17,073,136  

5.00%, 12/01/21

    60       63,869  

Michigan State University, Refunding RB, Board of Trustees, Series B, 4.00%, 02/15/39

    2,125       2,490,883  

Michigan Strategic Fund, RB, AMT:

   

1-75 Improvement Project (AGM), 4.25%, 12/31/38

    2,000       2,258,200  

I-75 Improvement Project, 5.00%, 12/31/43

    9,940       11,167,988  

Royal Oak Hospital Finance Authority Michigan, Refunding RB, Beaumont Health Credit Group, Series D, 5.00%, 09/01/39

    1,330       1,504,589  

State of Michigan Building Authority, Refunding RB, Facilities Program:

   

Series I-A, 5.38%, 10/15/36

    2,075       2,193,939  

Series I-A, 5.38%, 10/15/41

    1,900       2,005,260  

Series II-A (AGM), 5.25%, 10/15/36

    8,040       8,450,603  

Western Michigan University, Refunding RB, General, University and College Improvements (AGM), 5.00%, 11/15/39

    1,080       1,213,337  
   

 

 

 
      48,421,804  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Nebraska — 0.7%  

Central Plains Nebraska Energy Project, RB, Gas Project No. 3, 5.25%, 09/01/37

  $ 6,825     $ 7,430,173  
   

 

 

 
Nevada — 0.7%            

City of Las Vegas NV Special Improvement District No 814, Special Assessment Bonds, Summerlin Villages 21 & 24A:

   

4.00%, 06/01/39

    380       383,473  

4.00%, 06/01/44

    1,065       1,064,489  

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, RB, Series B, 5.00%, 07/01/43

    5,000       5,776,600  
   

 

 

 
      7,224,562  
New Jersey — 11.4%  

New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Refunding RB, School Facilities Construction:

   

Series N-1 (AMBAC), 5.50%, 09/01/24

    6,325       7,339,846  

Series N-1 (NPFGC), 5.50%, 09/01/28

    1,685       2,023,736  

New Jersey EDA, RB:

   

Goethals Bridge Replacement Project, AMT, Private Activity Bond, 5.13%, 01/01/34

    1,930       2,130,469  

Goethals Bridge Replacement Project, AMT, 5.38%, 01/01/43

    4,920       5,420,954  

School Facilities Construction Bonds, Series DDD, 5.00%, 06/15/42

    590       664,039  

Series WW, 5.25%, 06/15/25(b)

    55       68,209  

Series WW, 5.25%, 06/15/33

    445       505,133  

Series WW, 5.00%, 06/15/34

    570       636,918  

Series WW, 5.00%, 06/15/36

    2,635       2,930,041  

Series WW, 5.25%, 06/15/40

    970       1,083,500  

New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, RB, Senior Bonds, Series B, AMT, 3.50%, 12/01/39

    4,255       4,331,803  

New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, Refunding RB, AMT:

   

Series 1, 5.50%, 12/01/25

    480       503,131  

Series 1, 5.50%, 12/01/26

    690       723,120  

Series 1, 5.75%, 12/01/28

    75       78,792  

Series 1, 5.88%, 12/01/33

    6,895       7,274,777  

Series B, 3.25%, 12/01/39

    7,670       7,727,525  

New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, Refunding RB, M/F Housing, Series 2, AMT, 4.35%, 11/01/33

    2,645       2,805,234  

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, RB:

   

CAB, Transportation System, Series A, 0.00%, 12/15/35(c)

    10,000       6,011,100  

CAB, Transportation System, Series C (AGC) (AMBAC), 0.00%, 12/15/25(c)

    8,550       7,516,048  

Federal Highway Reimbursement Revenue Notes, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/28

    4,205       4,919,640  

Federal Highway Reimbursement Revenue Notes, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/29

    2,145       2,500,856  

Transportation Program, Series AA, 5.25%, 06/15/33

    4,150       4,535,742  

Transportation Program, Series AA, 5.00%, 06/15/38

    3,990       4,356,761  

Transportation System, Series A, 5.50%, 06/15/21(b)

    2,980       3,117,587  

Transportation System, Series A (NPFGC), 5.75%, 06/15/25

    4,000       4,739,800  

Transportation System, Series AA, 5.50%, 06/15/39

    5,625       6,142,387  

Transportation System, Series B, 5.00%, 06/15/21(b)

    2,575       2,682,995  

Transportation System, Series B, 5.50%, 06/15/31

    1,000       1,034,150  

Transportation System, Series D, 5.00%, 06/15/32

    1,825       2,041,555  

Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp., Refunding RB:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/46

    4,000       4,649,280  

Series A, 5.25%, 06/01/46

    11,035       13,035,535  

Sub-Series B, 5.00%, 06/01/46

    2,675       3,009,402  
   

 

 

 
      116,540,065  
 

 

 

34  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
New Mexico — 0.2%  

City of Santa Fe New Mexico, RB, EL Castillo Retirement Residences Project, Series A, 5.00%, 05/15/49

  $ 540     $ 540,102  

New Mexico Hospital Equipment Loan Council, Refunding RB, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, 5.00%, 08/01/44

    1,040       1,210,581  
   

 

 

 
      1,750,683  
New York — 7.8%  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Future Tax Secured, Series B, 5.00%, 11/01/32

    4,150       4,560,145  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured, RB, Future Tax Secured:

   

Subordinate Bond, Series C-3, 5.00%, 05/01/41

    5,000       6,245,450  

Sub-Series E-1, 5.00%, 02/01/39

    6,440       7,881,208  

Sub-Series F-1, 5.00%, 05/01/39

    3,360       4,138,915  

City of New York Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured Revenue, RB, Future Tax Secured Subordinate Bonds, Series C, 4.00%, 05/01/45

    6,500       7,748,455  

Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corp., RB, Senior, Fiscal 2012:

   

5.75%, 02/15/21(b)

    1,190       1,225,343  

5.75%, 02/15/47

    730       748,498  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Refunding RB, Green Bonds, Series A-1, 5.25%, 11/15/57

    4,000       4,476,880  

New York Liberty Development Corp., Refunding RB, 3 World Trade Center Project, Class 1, 5.00%, 11/15/44(a)

    3,055       3,247,068  

New York State Dormitory Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/45

    5,000       6,183,950  

New York State Urban Development Corp., RB, State Personal Income Tax, 5.00%, 03/15/44

    2,500       3,237,325  

New York Transportation Development Corp., ARB, LaGuardia Airport Terminal B Redevelopment Project, Series A, AMT, 5.25%, 01/01/50

    8,300       9,074,888  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, ARB, Consolidate Bonds, AMT:

   

Series-218, 5.00%, 11/01/44

    2,500       3,073,575  

Series-221, 4.00%, 07/15/40

    3,000       3,485,160  

State of New York Power Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/45

    4,550       5,511,369  

State of New York Urban Development Corp., RB, State Personal Income Tax, General Purpose, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/43

    7,500       9,313,950  
   

 

 

 
      80,152,179  
Ohio — 4.3%  

American Municipal Power, Inc., RB, Combined Hydroelectric Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/41

    4,000       4,780,360  

American Municipal Power, Inc., Refunding RB, Combined Hydroelectric Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/38

    2,375       2,852,328  

Buckeye Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Senior, Class 2, Series B-2, 5.00%, 06/01/55

    13,125       14,468,081  

County of Lucas Ohio, Refunding RB, Promedica Healthcare, Series A, 6.50%, 11/15/21(b)

    3,000       3,243,960  

County of Montgomery Ohio, RB, Catholic Health Initiatives, Series D-2, 5.45%, 11/13/23(b)

    11,135       13,028,173  

State of Ohio Turnpike Commission, RB, Junior Lien, Infrastructure Projects, Series A-1:

   

5.25%, 02/15/32

    1,950       2,183,610  

5.25%, 02/15/33

    2,730       3,054,433  
   

 

 

 
      43,610,945  
Oregon — 0.2%  

County of Clackamas Community College District, GO, Convertible Deferred Interest Bonds, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/39

    395       486,261  

County of Clackamas Oregon Community College District, GO, Convertible Deferred Interest Bonds, Series A, 5.00%, 06/15/40

    420       514,643  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Oregon (continued)  

County of Clackamas Oregon School District No. 12 North Clackamas, GO, CAB, Series A, 0.00%, 06/15/38(c)

  $ 2,800     $ 1,511,020  
   

 

 

 
      2,511,924  
Pennsylvania — 7.7%  

Commonwealth Financing Authority, RB:

   

Series B, 5.00%, 06/01/22(b)

    3,305       3,597,459  

Tobacco Master Settlement Payment, 5.00%, 06/01/34

    2,180       2,701,434  

Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, RB, Pennsylvania Rapid Bridge Replacement:

   

5.00%, 12/31/34

    7,115       7,882,210  

5.00%, 12/31/38

    6,850       7,518,697  

The Project, 5.00%, 06/30/42

    8,805       9,622,280  

Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, Refunding RB, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/42

    5,000       5,607,100  

Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Thomas Jefferson University, Series A,
5.25%, 09/01/50

    8,075       9,090,189  

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, RB:

   

Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/38

    1,775       2,079,324  

Series A-1, 5.00%, 12/01/41

    2,320       2,782,608  

Series B, 5.00%, 12/01/40

    4,920       5,865,575  

Series C, 5.50%, 12/01/23(b)

    1,565       1,842,052  

Sub-Series B-1, 5.00%, 06/01/42

    7,330       8,588,488  

Subordinate, Series A, 5.00%, 12/01/44

    5,000       6,095,250  

Subordinate, Special Motor License Fund,
6.00%, 12/01/20(b)

    2,575       2,624,028  

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Refunding RB, Series A-1, 5.00%, 12/01/40

    2,165       2,557,796  
   

 

 

 
      78,454,490  
Puerto Rico — 4.2%  

Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. Sales Tax Revenue, RB, Restructured:

   

CAB, Series A-1, 0.00%, 07/01/46(c)

    13,457       3,922,312  

Series A-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    1,334       1,416,441  

Series A-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    2,007       2,161,579  

Series A-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    2,372       2,467,141  

Series A-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    214       227,899  

Series B-1, 4.75%, 07/01/53

    1,302       1,382,997  

Series B-1, 5.00%, 07/01/58

    15,757       16,991,403  

Series B-2, 4.33%, 07/01/40

    12,433       12,917,017  

Series B-2, 4.78%, 07/01/58

    1,261       1,341,364  
   

 

 

 
      42,828,153  
Rhode Island — 1.1%  

Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp., Refunding RB, Series B:

   

4.50%, 06/01/45

    3,000       3,170,700  

5.00%, 06/01/50

    7,465       8,069,068  
   

 

 

 
      11,239,768  
South Carolina — 6.0%  

South Carolina Jobs EDA, Refunding RB, Palmetto Health, Series A (AGM), 6.50%, 08/01/21(b)

    3,600       3,831,624  

South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority, RB:

   

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, 5.00%, 04/01/44

    285       307,774  

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, 4.00%, 04/01/49

    270       263,542  

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, 5.00%, 04/01/49

    765       821,480  

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, 4.00%, 04/01/54

    580       560,895  

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, 5.00%, 04/01/54

    1,385       1,483,335  

Hilton Head Christian Academy, 5.00%, 01/01/40(a)

    2,630       2,470,385  
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  35


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
South Carolina (continued)  

McLeod Health Obligated Group, 5.00%, 11/01/43

  $ 5,000     $ 6,172,200  

South Carolina Ports Authority, ARB, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/38

    3,380       4,064,450  

State of South Carolina Ports Authority, ARB, (AMT), 5.25%, 07/01/25(b)

    6,530       8,093,217  

State of South Carolina Public Service Authority, RB:

   

Santee Cooper, Series A, 5.50%, 12/01/54

    11,450       12,971,362  

Series E, 5.50%, 12/01/53

    4,525       5,081,937  

State of South Carolina Public Service Authority, Refunding RB, Series B:

   

Santee Cooper, 5.00%, 12/01/38

    5,870       6,528,966  

(AGM), 5.00%, 12/01/56

    7,155       8,659,553  
   

 

 

 
      61,310,720  
Tennessee — 0.5%  

County of Nashville & Davidson Metropolitan Government Health & Educational Facilities Board, Refunding RB, Lipscomb University Project, Series A, 5.25%, 10/01/58

    4,665       5,447,834  
   

 

 

 
Texas — 12.0%  

Central Texas Turnpike System, Refunding RB, Central Texas Turnpike System, 1st Tier, Series A, 5.00%, 08/15/22(b)

    11,345       12,461,121  

City of Houston Texas Airport System Revenue, Refunding ARB, United Airlines, Inc. Terminal Improvement Projects, Series B-2 (AMT), 5.00%, 07/15/27

    710       747,211  

City of Houston Texas Airport System Revenue, Refunding RB, Series A, AMT:

   

Special Facilities, Continental Airlines, Inc., 6.63%, 07/15/38

    1,295       1,321,366  

United Airlines, Inc. Terminal E Project,
5.00%, 07/01/27

    690       726,501  

City of San Antonio Texas Electric & Gas Revenue, Refunding RB, 5.00%, 02/01/42

    7,450       9,209,839  

City of San Antonio Texas Electric & Gas Revenue, RB, Junior Lien, 5.00%, 02/01/38

    1,450       1,601,917  

City of Texas Industrial Development Corp., RB, NRG Energy, Inc. Project, 4.13%, 12/01/45

    820       852,767  

County of Midland Texas Fresh Water Supply District No. 1, RB, CAB, City of Midland Project, Series A,
0.00%, 09/15/36(c)

    5,810       3,321,809  

County of Tarrant Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Christus Health, Series B, 5.00%, 07/01/34

    5,000       6,313,150  

County of Tarrant Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., Refunding RB, Cook Children’s Medical Center, 5.25%, 12/01/39

    2,095       2,377,909  

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, ARB, Joint Improvement, Series D, AMT, 5.00%, 11/01/21(b)

    10,980       11,500,342  

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Refunding ARB,
Series F, 5.25%, 11/01/33

    2,745       3,130,700  

Grand Parkway Transportation Corp., RB, Subordinate Tier Toll Revenue Bonds, TELA Supported, Series A, 5.00%, 10/01/43

    7,940       9,898,639  

Leander ISD, GO, Refunding, CAB, Series D (PSF-GTD), 0.00%, 08/15/38(c)

    9,685       4,757,950  

New Hope Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Cumberland Academy Project, Series C,
5.00%, 08/15/50(a)

    1,385       1,418,309  

North Texas Tollway Authority, Refunding RB:

   

1st Tier-Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/39

    9,080       11,170,398  

2nd Tier-Series B, 5.00%, 01/01/43

    12,355       14,719,994  

Series B, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    1,710       1,870,808  

San Antonio Public Facilities Corp., Refunding RB, Convention Center Refinancing & Expansion Project, CAB(c):

   

0.00%, 09/15/35

    680       355,076  

0.00%, 09/15/36

    12,195       5,997,867  

0.00%, 09/15/37

    8,730       4,044,260  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
Texas (continued)  

Texas Municipal Gas Acquisition & Supply Corp. III, RB, Natural Gas Utility Improvements:

   

5.00%, 12/15/31

  $ 1,665     $ 1,760,721  

5.00%, 12/15/32

    3,930       4,140,727  

Texas Private Activity Bond Surface Transportation Corp., RB, Senior Lien, AMT, Blueridge Transportation Group, 5.00%, 12/31/45

    3,630       3,849,905  

Texas Water Development Board, RB, State Water Implementation Fund, Series B, 4.00%, 10/15/43

    4,315       5,176,662  
   

 

 

 
      122,725,948  
Utah — 1.2%  

Salt Lake City Corp. Airport Revenue, ARB, Series A, AMT:

   

5.00%, 07/01/37

    3,475       4,253,991  

5.00%, 07/01/42

    3,490       4,140,501  

5.00%, 07/01/43

    3,190       3,851,191  

Utah Charter School Finance Authority, RB, Wallace Stegner Academy Project, Series A(a):

   

5.00%, 06/15/39

    190       199,504  

5.00%, 06/15/49

    380       392,555  
   

 

 

 
      12,837,742  
Vermont — 0.4%  

Vermont Student Assistance Corp., RB, Series A, AMT, 3.38%, 06/15/36

    4,125       4,194,836  
   

 

 

 
Washington — 3.9%  

Port of Seattle Washington, ARB, AMT, Series A, 5.00%, 05/01/38

    20,000       23,700,800  

Port of Seattle Washington, RB, Intermediate Lien, Series C, AMT, 5.00%, 04/01/40

    2,830       3,199,456  

State of Washington Housing Finance Commission, RB, Transforming Age Project, Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/55(a)

    1,520       1,485,861  

Washington Health Care Facilities Authority, RB, MultiCare Health System, Remarketing, Series B, 5.00%, 08/15/44

    1,000       1,072,430  

Washington Health Care Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Multicare Health System, Series B, 4.00%, 08/15/41

    9,000       10,191,780  
   

 

 

 
      39,650,327  
Wisconsin — 2.2%  

Public Finance Authority, RB, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc. Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/41

    450       529,200  

Public Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Penick Village Obligation Group(a):

   

5.00%, 09/01/39

    100       94,993  

5.00%, 09/01/49

    145       131,281  

5.00%, 09/01/54

    660       586,285  

Wisconsin Health & Educational Facilities Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Ascension Health Credit Group, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/36

    4,815       5,795,719  

Ascension Health Credit Group, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/39

    5,000       5,976,600  

Milwaukee Regional Medical Center Thermal Service, 5.00%, 04/01/44

    7,350       9,128,406  
   

 

 

 
      22,242,484  
   

 

 

 

Total Municipal Bonds — 113.7%
(Cost — $1,042,880,629)

 

    1,165,041,014  
   

 

 

 

Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond Trusts- 42.2%(f)

 

Arizona — 1.0%

 

City of Phoenix Civic Improvement Corp., Refunding RB, Senior Lien, AMT, 5.00%, 07/01/43

    8,500       10,175,350  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

36  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
California — 3.0%  

City & County of San Francisco California Airports Commission, Refunding ARB, AMT, Series E, 5.00%, 05/01/45

  $ 14,215     $ 17,414,646  

Los Angeles California Unified School District, GO, Election of 2008, Series B-1, 5.25%, 07/01/42(g)

    7,074       9,028,296  

State of California, GO, Refunding, Various Purpose, 5.25%, 10/01/39

    3,000       3,713,760  
   

 

 

 
      30,156,702  
Colorado — 0.7%  

City & County of Denver Colorado Airport System Revenue, Refunding ARB, Sub-System, Series A, AMT, 5.25%, 12/01/43(g)

    5,833       7,174,299  
   

 

 

 
Connecticut — 0.4%  

State of Connecticut Health & Educational Facility Authority, Refunding RB, Trinity Health Credit Group,
5.00%, 12/01/45

    3,932       4,543,726  
   

 

 

 
Florida — 3.6%  

City of Miami Beach Florida, RB, 5.00%, 09/01/45

    8,760       9,660,177  

City of Miami Beach Florida Stormwater Revenue, Refunding RB, 5.00%, 09/01/41

    10,000       12,444,696  

County of Miami-Dade Florida Transit System, Refunding RB, Sales Tax, 5.00%, 07/01/42

    4,840       5,173,670  

County of Pinellas Florida School Board, COP, Master Lease Program, Series A, 5.00%, 07/01/41

    7,880       9,566,556  
   

 

 

 
      36,845,099  
Illinois — 5.6%  

State of Illinois Finance Authority, Refunding RB, Ascension Health, Senior Credit, Series C, 5.00%, 02/15/41

    10,000       12,000,097  

State of Illinois Toll Highway Authority, RB:

   

Senior, Series C, 5.00%, 01/01/36

    10,000       11,621,698  

Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/44

    12,000       15,046,440  

Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/38

    5,836       6,368,981  

Series A, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    7,621       8,895,591  

Series B, 5.00%, 01/01/40

    2,939       3,451,266  
   

 

 

 
      57,384,073  
Kansas — 1.7%  

County of Wyandotte Kansas Unified School District, GO, Series A, 5.50%, 09/01/26(b)

    13,470       17,612,968  
   

 

 

 
Massachusetts — 3.0%  

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, GO, Series A, 5.00%, 03/01/46

    4,204       4,813,292  

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, GOL, Consolidated Loan, Series E, 5.25%, 09/01/43

    20,000       25,816,400  
   

 

 

 
      30,629,692  
Michigan — 2.1%  

Michigan Finance Authority, RB, Beaumont Health Credit Group, Series A, 5.00%, 11/01/44

    5,591       6,491,776  

State of Michigan Building Authority, Refunding RB, Series I:

   

Facilities Program, 5.00%, 10/15/45

    2,410       2,902,773  

5.00%, 04/15/38

    10,000       12,050,999  
   

 

 

 
      21,445,548  
Nevada — 2.3%  

County of Clark Nevada, GO, Stadium Improvement, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/43

    9,730       12,050,992  

Las Vegas Valley Water District Nevada, GO, Refunding, Water Improvement, Series A, 5.00%, 06/01/46

    9,840       11,730,461  
   

 

 

 
      23,781,453  
Security   Par
(000)
    Value  
New Jersey — 2.0%  

County of Hudson New Jersey Improvement Authority, RB, Hudson County Vocational-Technical Schools Project, 5.25%, 05/01/51

  $ 2,320     $ 2,773,142  

Garden State Preservation Trust, RB, Election of 2005,
Series A (AGM), 5.75%, 11/01/28

    10,000       12,779,900  

New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, RB, Transportation System, Series B, 5.25%, 06/15/36(g)

    4,961       5,104,324  
   

 

 

 
      20,657,366  
New York — 6.5%  

City of New York Water & Sewer System, Refunding RB:

   

2nd General Resolution, Fiscal 2013, Series CC, 5.00%, 06/15/47

    15,521       17,485,538  

Series DD, 5.00%, 06/15/35

    4,740       5,549,545  

Metropolitan Transportation Authority, RB, Transportation, Sub-Series D-1, 5.25%, 11/15/44

    9,850       10,758,367  

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Refunding ARB, Consolidated, 198th Series, 5.25%, 11/15/56

    6,402       7,769,347  

State of New York Dormitory Authority, RB, Group B, State Sales Tax, Series A, 5.00%, 03/15/39

    7,622       9,337,670  

State of New York Urban Development Corp., RB, Personal Income Tax, General Purpose, Series A-1,
5.00%, 03/15/43

    14,280       15,756,695  
   

 

 

 
      66,657,162  
Pennsylvania — 1.9%  

County of Westmoreland Pennsylvania Municipal Authority, Refunding RB, (BAM), 5.00%, 08/15/42

    2,560       3,007,949  

Geisinger Authority Pennsylvania, Refunding RB, Geisinger Health System, Series A, 4.00%, 06/01/41

    15,000       16,218,600  
   

 

 

 
      19,226,549  
Texas — 3.4%  

Aldine Independent School District, GO, Refunding(PSF-GTD), 5.00%, 02/15/42

    9,701       12,059,384  

County of Tarrant Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., RB, Baylor Health Care System Project, Series A, 5.00%, 11/15/38

    1,798       1,987,616  

County of Tarrant Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corp., Refunding RB, Texas Health Resources System, Series A, 5.00%, 02/15/41

    9,840       11,843,030  

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, ARB, Series H, AMT, 5.00%, 11/01/21(b)(g)

    8,868       9,333,625  
   

 

 

 
      35,223,655  
Virginia — 1.5%  

Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, RB, Transportation Fund, Senior Lien, Series A, 5.50%, 07/01/57

    11,740       14,795,804  
   

 

 

 
Washington — 1.8%  

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Refunding ARB, Series A, AMT, 5.00%, 10/01/30

    6,880       7,491,150  

Washington Health Care Facilities Authority, Refunding RB, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Series B, 5.00%, 10/01/38

    8,205       10,718,356  
   

 

 

 
      18,209,506  
Wisconsin — 1.7%  

Wisconsin Health & Educational Facilities Authority, Refunding RB:

   

Ascension Health Credit Group, 5.00%, 11/15/39

    12,650       15,120,798  

Froedtert & Community Health, Inc., Obligated Group, Series A, 5.00%, 04/01/42

    2,490       2,702,123  
   

 

 

 
      17,822,921  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  37


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security          Value  

Total Municipal Bonds Transferred to Tender Option Bond Trusts — 42.2%
(Cost — $397,440,829)

    $ 432,341,873  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 155.9%
(Cost — $1,440,321,458)

      1,597,382,887  
   

 

 

 
     Shares         
Short-Term Securities — 0.4%  

BlackRock Liquidity Funds, MuniCash,
Institutional Class, 0.04%(h)(i)

    3,683,617       3,684,353  
   

 

 

 
Security          Value  

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost — $3,683,248)

    $ 3,684,353  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 156.3%
(Cost — $1,444,004,706)

      1,601,067,240  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.3%

      13,723,568  

Liability for TOB Trust Certificates, Including Interest Expense and Fees Payable — (22.9)%

      (234,292,047

VRDP Shares, at Liquidation Value, Net of Deferred Offering Costs — (34.7)%

      (355,983,296
   

 

 

 

Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares — 100.0%

    $ 1,024,515,465  
 

 

 

 
 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

U.S. Government securities held in escrow, are used to pay interest on this security as well as to retire the bond in full at the date indicated, typically at a premium to par.

(c) 

Zero-coupon bond.

(d) 

Step-up bond that pays an initial coupon rate for the first period and then a higher coupon rate for the following periods. Rate as of period end.

(e) 

Variable or floating rate security, which interest rate adjusts periodically based on changes in current interest rates and prepayments on the underlying pool of assets. Rate shown is the rate in effect as of period end.

(f) 

Represent bonds transferred to a TOB Trust in exchange of cash and residual certificates received by the Fund. These bonds serve as collateral in a secured borrowing. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(g) 

All or a portion of the security is subject to a recourse agreement. The aggregate maximum potential amount the Fund could ultimately be required to pay under the agreements, which expire between December 15, 2020 to June 1, 2026, is $17,976,088. See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(h) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(i) 

Investments in issuers considered to be an affiliate/affiliates of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2020 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer   Shares
Held at
07/31/19
    Shares
Purchased
    Shares
Sold
    Shares
Held at
07/31/20
    Value at
07/31/20
    Income     Net
Realized
Gain (Loss) (a)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

BlackRock Liquidity Funds, MuniCash, Institutional Class

    8,294,999             (4,611,382 )(b)      3,683,617     $ 3,684,353     $ 95,779     $ 11,444     $ 1,104  
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Includes net capital gain distributions, if applicable.

 
  (b) 

Represents net shares purchased (sold).

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from:

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ (17,021,584    $      $ (17,021,584
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on:

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $      $      $ 1,116,024      $      $ 1,116,024  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ (a) 

Average notional value of contracts — short

   $ 58,025,559  

 

  (a) 

Derivative not held at any quarter-end. The risk exposure table serves as an indicator of activity during the period.

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2020

  

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments. For information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of investments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following tables summarize the Fund’s investments categorized in the disclosure hierarchy:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets:

                 

Investments:

                 

Long-Term Investments

   $        $ 1,597,382,887        $             —        $ 1,597,382,887  

Short-Term Securities

     3,684,353                            3,684,353  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 3,684,353        $ 1,597,382,887        $        $ 1,601,067,240  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

The breakdown of the Fund’s investments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, such assets and/or liabilities are categorized within the disclosure hierarchy as follows:

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Liabilities:

                 

TOB Trust Certificates

   $             —        $ (233,968,445      $             —        $ (233,968,445

VRDP Shares at Liquidation Value

              (356,400,000                 (356,400,000
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $        $ (590,368,445      $        $ (590,368,445
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENTS

  39


Statements of Assets and Liabilities

July 31, 2020

 

     MUE      MCA      MYN      MYI  

ASSETS

          

Investments at value — unaffiliated(a)

  $ 506,042,921      $ 910,357,445      $ 926,340,085      $ 1,597,382,887  

Investments at value — affiliated(b)

    1,918,281        209,674        2,482,990        3,684,353  

Receivables:

          

Investments sold

                         3,237,794  

Dividends — affiliated

    75        18        26        236  

Interest — unaffiliated

    4,952,877        11,027,760        8,743,751        14,973,574  

Prepaid expenses

    34,404        110,125        239,300        303,559  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

    512,948,558        921,705,022        937,806,152        1,619,582,403  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

ACCRUED LIABILITIES

 

Bank overdraft

           97,567                

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    313,195               1,445,868         

Income dividend distributions — Common Shares

    1,137,298        1,823,503        1,840,776        3,032,705  

Interest expense and fees

    57,129        374,242        114,542        323,602  

Investment advisory fees

    224,482        385,229        392,552        674,745  

Directors’ and Officer’s fees

    2,134        294,603        309,482        535,253  

Other accrued expenses

    153,080        202,359        374,243        548,892  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total accrued liabilities

    1,887,318        3,177,503        4,477,463        5,115,197  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

OTHER LIABILITIES

 

TOB Trust Certificates

    60,975,897        199,050,164        111,088,684        233,968,445  

VRDP Shares, at liquidation value of $100,000 per share, net of deferred offering costs(c)(d)

           166,214,330        247,384,262        355,983,296  

VMTP Shares, at liquidation value of $100,000 per share(c)(d)

    131,000,000                       
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total other liabilities

    191,975,897        365,264,494        358,472,946        589,951,741  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    193,863,215        368,441,997        362,950,409        595,066,938  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

  $ 319,085,343      $ 553,263,025      $ 574,855,743      $ 1,024,515,465  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital(e)(f)

  $ 290,717,417      $ 492,998,898      $ 523,145,396      $ 885,336,205  

Accumulated earnings

    28,367,926        60,264,127        51,710,347        139,179,260  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders

  $ 319,085,343      $ 553,263,025      $ 574,855,743      $ 1,024,515,465  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, per Common Share

  $ 14.17      $ 16.08      $ 14.52      $ 15.03  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(a) Investments at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 463,885,979      $ 837,831,672      $ 851,222,440      $ 1,440,321,458  

(b) Investments at cost — affiliated

  $ 1,918,281      $ 209,674      $ 2,482,990      $ 3,683,248  

(c) Preferred Shares outstanding, par value $0.10 per share

    1,310        1,665        2,477        3,564  

(d) Preferred Shares authorized

    9,490        12,665        14,637        26,364  

(e) Common Shares outstanding, par value $0.10 per share

    22,520,759        34,405,717        39,586,584        68,150,681  

(f)  Common Shares authorized

    199,990,510        199,987,335        199,985,363        199,973,636  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

40  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


 

Statements of Operations

Year Ended July 31, 2020

 

     MUE     MCA     MYN     MYI  

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — affiliated

  $ 14,816     $ 27,137     $ 10,205     $ 95,779  

Interest — unaffiliated

    19,635,742       32,106,048       33,727,334       58,861,995  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    19,650,558       32,133,185       33,737,539       58,957,774  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    2,762,942       4,520,894       4,606,657       7,977,968  

Professional

    85,701       111,849       114,009       160,557  

Accounting services

    85,286       125,755       127,603       179,949  

Rating agency

    47,209       47,209       47,209       47,209  

Transfer agent

    36,118       34,031       38,304       68,748  

Custodian

    29,119       14,707       16,227       17,054  

Directors and Officer

    21,600       41,035       42,796       75,823  

Registration

    8,919       12,584       14,479       24,884  

Printing and postage

    7,285       7,076       7,573       11,354  

Liquidity fees

          1,206,423       1,675,810       2,405,626  

Remarketing fees on Preferred Shares

          69,771       148,540       213,725  

Miscellaneous

    12,856       17,484       16,543       22,078  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs

    3,097,035       6,208,818       6,855,750       11,204,975  

Interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs(a)

    3,343,212       5,237,124       4,762,609       8,329,453  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    6,440,247       11,445,942       11,618,359       19,534,428  

Less fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager

    (132,529     (1,955     (717     (9,506
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed

    6,307,718       11,443,987       11,617,642       19,524,922  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    13,342,840       20,689,198       22,119,897       39,432,852  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    55,391       403,075       714,746       8,110,845  

Investments — affiliated

    972       1,771       (15     11,444  

Futures contracts

    (4,344,637     (9,193,156     (5,705,007     (17,021,584
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (4,288,274     (8,788,310     (4,990,276     (8,899,295
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    8,592,122       16,999,388       8,909,289       19,895,180  

Investments — affiliated

    (750                 1,104  

Futures contracts

    217,008       662,710       220,617       1,116,024  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    8,808,380       17,662,098       9,129,906       21,012,308  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    4,520,106       8,873,788       4,139,630       12,113,013  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 17,862,946     $ 29,562,986     $ 26,259,527     $ 51,545,865  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Related to TOB Trusts, VMTP Shares and/or VRDP Shares.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  41


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    MUE           MCA  
    Year Ended July 31,           Year Ended July 31,  
     2020     2019            2020     2019  

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

         

OPERATIONS

         

Net investment income

  $ 13,342,840     $ 12,835,636       $ 20,689,198     $ 20,674,671  

Net realized loss

    (4,288,274     (1,561,544       (8,788,310     (4,156,163

Net change in unrealized appreciation

    8,808,380       10,445,013         17,662,098       23,828,711  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders resulting from operations

    17,862,946       21,719,105         29,562,986       40,347,219  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS(a)

         

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to Common shareholders

    (12,183,730     (13,580,018       (19,485,918     (22,693,220
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

         

Total increase in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders

    5,679,216       8,139,087         10,077,068       17,653,999  

Beginning of year

    313,406,127       305,267,040         543,185,957       525,531,958  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

  $ 319,085,343     $ 313,406,127       $ 553,263,025     $ 543,185,957  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements

 

 

42  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Statements of Changes in Net Assets  (continued)

 

    MYN           MYI  
    Year Ended July 31,           Year Ended July 31,  
     2020     2019            2020     2019  

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

         

OPERATIONS

         

Net investment income

  $ 22,119,897     $ 20,693,092       $ 39,432,852     $ 39,797,871  

Net realized loss

    (4,990,276     (6,485,882       (8,899,295     (8,077,784

Net change in unrealized appreciation

    9,129,906       31,329,127         21,012,308       65,747,119  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders resulting from operations

    26,259,527       45,536,337         51,545,865       97,467,206  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS(a)

         

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to Common shareholders

    (20,505,850     (20,206,180       (36,405,276     (40,902,538
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS

         

Total increase in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders

    5,753,677       25,330,157         15,140,589       56,564,668  

Beginning of year

    569,102,066       543,771,909         1,009,374,876       952,810,208  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

  $ 574,855,743     $ 569,102,066       $ 1,024,515,465     $ 1,009,374,876  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements

 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  43


Statements of Cash Flows

Year Ended July 31, 2020

 

     MUE     MCA     MYN     MYI  

CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) OPERATING ACTIVITIES

       

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 17,862,946     $ 29,562,986     $ 26,259,527     $ 51,545,865  

Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:

       

Proceeds from sales of long-term investments

    88,486,736       206,833,767       101,117,110       313,996,027  

Purchases of long-term investments

    (99,887,983     (215,502,039     (109,397,861     (297,933,729

Net proceeds from sales (purchases) of short-term securities

    8,538,218       12,237,637       (113,324     4,624,853  

Amortization of premium and accretion of discount on investments and other fees

    2,892,116       6,283,328       5,443,584       4,461,934  

Net realized gain on investments

    (56,363     (404,846     (714,731     (8,122,289

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

    (8,591,372     (16,999,388     (8,909,289     (19,896,284

(Increase) Decrease in Assets:

       

Receivables:

       

Dividends — affiliated

    10,418       10,253       4,505       8,778  

Interest — unaffiliated

    217,158       1,184,960       173,064       579,398  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    3,000       5,433       5,188       7,875  

Prepaid expenses

    (1,695     (10,089     (148,318     (206,681

Increase (Decrease) in Liabilities:

       

Payables:

       

Investment advisory fees

    873       (330     3,389       (7,047

Interest expense and fees

    (135,313     (673,462     (289,975     (720,017

Directors’ and Officer’s fees

    126       (4,591     (5,095     (6,605

Variation margin on futures contracts

    (89,406     (190,984     (152,969     (379,750

Other accrued expenses

    (19,551     (122,879     (163,064     (231,802
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

    9,229,908       22,209,756       13,111,741       47,720,526  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES

       

Cash dividends paid to Common Shareholders

    (12,037,345     (19,245,078     (20,347,504     (36,405,276

Repayments of TOB Trust Certificates

    (2,963,802     (27,470,038     (8,990,312     (45,636,140

Repayments of Loan for TOB Trust Certificates

    (1,009,473     (20,479,997     (2,417,898     (19,358,849

Proceeds from TOB Trust Certificates

    5,481,470       23,818,597       15,705,863       33,133,841  

Proceeds from Loan for TOB Trust Certificates

    1,009,473       20,479,997       2,417,898       19,358,849  

Increase in bank overdraft

          97,567              

Amortization of deferred offering costs

          14,446       15,518       20,324  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used for financing activities

    (9,519,677     (22,784,506     (13,616,435     (48,887,251
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH

       

Net decrease in restricted and unrestricted cash

    (289,769     (574,750     (504,694     (1,166,725

Restricted and unrestricted cash at beginning of year

    289,769       574,750       504,694       1,166,725  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Restricted and unrestricted cash at end of year

  $     $     $     $  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION

       

Cash paid during the year for interest expense

  $ 3,478,525     $ 5,896,140     $ 5,037,066     $ 9,029,146  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

RECONCILIATION OF RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED CASH AT THE BEGINNING OF YEAR TO THE STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

       

Cash

  $ 18,969     $ 37,000     $ 33,344     $ 75,125  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    270,800       537,750       471,350       1,091,600  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 289,769     $ 574,750     $ 504,694     $ 1,166,725  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements

 

 

44  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    MUE  
    Year Ended July 31,  
     2020      2019      2018      2017      2016  

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 13.92      $ 13.55      $ 14.19      $ 15.08      $ 14.48  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    0.59        0.57        0.69        0.75        0.78  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    0.20        0.40        (0.61      (0.87      0.63  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    0.79        0.97        0.08        (0.12      1.41  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions to Common Shareholders from net investment income(b)

    (0.54      (0.60      (0.72      (0.77      (0.81
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 14.17      $ 13.92      $ 13.55      $ 14.19      $ 15.08  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Market price, end of year

  $ 13.12      $ 12.67      $ 12.36      $ 14.17      $ 14.94  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return Applicable to Common Shareholders(c)

 

Based on net asset value

    6.25      7.96      0.87      (0.50 )%       10.33
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Based on market price

    8.08      7.72      (7.85 )%       0.29      20.55
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders

 

Total expenses

    2.07      2.48      2.24      1.96      1.56
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed

    2.03      2.45      2.20      1.92      1.55
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed and excluding interest expense and fees(d)

    0.95      0.95      0.95      0.95      0.95
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income to Common Shareholders

    4.29      4.23      4.96      5.21      5.32
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

 

Net assets applicable to Common Shareholders, end of year (000)

  $ 319,085      $ 313,406      $ 305,267      $ 319,413      $ 339,493  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

VMTP Shares outstanding at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year (000)

  $ 131,000      $ 131,000      $ 131,000      $ 131,000      $ 131,000  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Asset coverage per VMTP Shares at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year

  $ 343,577      $ 339,241      $ 333,028      $ 343,826      $ 359,155  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Borrowings outstanding, end of year (000)

  $ 60,976      $ 58,458      $ 48,546      $ 62,841      $ 57,549  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    18      26      21      19      15
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average Common Shares outstanding.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

Total returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or less than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns. Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

(d)

Interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs related to TOB Trusts and/or VMTP Shares. See Note 4 and Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

  45


Financial Highlights  (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    MCA  
    Year Ended July 31,  
     2020     2019      2018      2017      2016  

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 15.79     $ 15.27      $ 15.73      $ 16.77      $ 16.11  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    0.60       0.60        0.67        0.73        0.81  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    0.26       0.58        (0.45      (0.94      0.70  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    0.86       1.18        0.22        (0.21      1.51  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions to Common Shareholders(b)

 

From net investment income

    (0.57     (0.62      (0.68      (0.78      (0.85

From net realized gain

          (0.04             (0.05       
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total distributions

    (0.57     (0.66      (0.68      (0.83      (0.85
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 16.08     $ 15.79      $ 15.27      $ 15.73      $ 16.77  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Market price, end of year

  $ 14.74     $ 14.29      $ 13.30      $ 15.18      $ 16.75  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return Applicable to Common Shareholders(c)

 

Based on net asset value

    5.98     8.64      1.86      (0.92 )%       9.84
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Based on market price

    7.35     12.87      (8.07 )%       (4.26 )%       20.15
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders

 

Total expenses

    2.12     2.62      2.22      1.91      1.46
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed

    2.12     2.62      2.22      1.91      1.46
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed and excluding interest expense and fees, and amortization of offering costs(d)

    1.15 %(e)      0.97      0.93      0.92      0.89
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income to Common Shareholders

    3.83     3.96      4.33      4.64      4.94
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

 

Net assets applicable to Common Shareholders, end of year (000)

  $ 553,263     $ 543,186      $ 525,532      $ 541,303      $ 576,764  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

VRDP Shares outstanding at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year (000)

  $ 166,500     $ 166,500      $ 166,500      $ 166,500      $ 166,500  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Asset coverage per VRDP Shares at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year

  $ 432,290     $ 426,238      $ 415,635      $ 425,107      $ 446,404  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Borrowings outstanding, end of year (000)

  $ 199,050     $ 202,702      $ 214,550      $ 195,488      $ 176,433  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    21     27      25      37      23
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average Common Shares outstanding.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

Total returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or less than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns. Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

(d) 

Interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs related to TOB Trusts and/or VRDP Shares. See Note 4 and Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(e) 

The total expense ratio after fees waived and excluding interest expense, fees, amortization of offering costs, liquidity and remarketing fees was 0.91%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

46  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Financial Highlights  (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    MYN  
    Year Ended July 31,  
     2020     2019      2018      2017      2016  

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 14.38     $ 13.74      $ 14.25      $ 15.07      $ 14.16  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    0.56       0.52        0.58        0.64        0.70  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    0.10       0.63        (0.50      (0.81      0.94  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    0.66       1.15        0.08        (0.17      1.64  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions to Common Shareholders from net investment income(b)

    (0.52     (0.51      (0.59      (0.65      (0.73
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 14.52     $ 14.38      $ 13.74      $ 14.25      $ 15.07  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Market price, end of year

  $ 13.26     $ 13.19      $ 11.89      $ 13.26      $ 14.40  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return Applicable to Common Shareholders(c)

 

Based on net asset value

    5.11     9.15      1.07      (0.69 )%       12.19
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Based on market price

    4.65     15.69      (6.00 )%       (3.29 )%       15.60
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders

 

Total expenses

    2.05     2.45      2.19      1.93      1.51
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed

    2.05     2.45      2.19      1.93      1.50
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed and excluding interest expense and fees, and amortization of offering costs(d)

    1.21 %(e)      1.08      0.91      0.92      0.89
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income to Common Shareholders

    3.91     3.80      4.11      4.52      4.79
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

 

Net assets applicable to Common Shareholders, end of year (000)

  $ 574,856     $ 569,102      $ 543,772      $ 564,202      $ 596,528  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

VRDP Shares outstanding at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year (000)

  $ 247,700     $ 247,700      $ 247,700      $ 247,700      $ 247,700  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Asset coverage per VRDP Shares at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year

  $ 332,077     $ 329,755      $ 319,528      $ 327,776      $ 340,827  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Borrowings outstanding, end of year (000)

  $ 111,089     $ 104,473      $ 113,020      $ 113,374      $ 112,712  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    11     19      14      13      15
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average Common Shares outstanding.

(b)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

Total returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or less than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns. Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

(d) 

Interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs related to TOBs and/or VRDP Shares. See Note 4 and Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(e) 

The total expense ratio after fees waived and excluding interest expense, fees, amortization of offering costs, liquidity and remarketing fees was 0.89%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

  47


Financial Highlights  (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    MYI  
    Year Ended July 31,  
     2020     2019      2018      2017      2016  

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 14.81     $ 13.98      $ 14.48      $ 15.49      $ 14.79  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    0.58       0.58        0.68        0.77        0.84  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    0.17       0.85        (0.44      (0.96      0.74  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    0.75       1.43        0.24        (0.19      1.58  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions to Common Shareholders from net investment income(b)

    (0.53     (0.60      (0.74      (0.82      (0.88
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 15.03     $ 14.81      $ 13.98      $ 14.48      $ 15.49  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Market price, end of year

  $ 13.55     $ 13.44      $ 12.46      $ 14.66      $ 15.63  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return Applicable to Common Shareholders(c)

 

Based on net asset value

    5.61     11.11      2.02      (1.02 )%       11.08
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Based on market price

    4.92     13.13      (10.18 )%       (0.69 )%       18.07
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders

 

Total expenses

    1.95     2.40      2.11      1.85      1.45
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed

    1.95     2.40      2.11      1.84      1.45
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed and excluding interest expense and fees, and amortization of offering costs(d)

    1.12 %(e)      1.03      0.89      0.89      0.88
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income to Common Shareholders

    3.93     4.16      4.79      5.30      5.60
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

 

Net assets applicable to Common Shareholders, end of year (000)

  $ 1,024,515     $ 1,009,375      $ 952,810      $ 985,594      $ 1,053,232  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

VRDP Shares outstanding at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year (000)

  $ 356,400     $ 356,400      $ 356,400      $ 356,400      $ 356,400  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Asset coverage per VRDP Shares at $100,000 liquidation value, end of year

  $ 387,462     $ 383,214      $ 367,343      $ 376,541      $ 395,520  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Borrowings outstanding, end of year (000)

  $ 233,968     $ 246,471      $ 261,702      $ 252,930      $ 261,803  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    18     23      22      16      10
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average Common Shares outstanding.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

Total returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or less than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns. Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions at actual reinvestment prices.

(d)

Interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs related to TOB Trusts and/or VRDP Shares. See Note 4 and Note 10 of the Notes to Financial Statements for details.

(e) 

The total expense ratio after fees waived and excluding interest expense, fees, amortization of offering costs, liquidity and remarketing fees was 0.86%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

48  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Notes to Financial Statements

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

The following are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as closed-end management investment companies and are referred to herein collectively as the “Funds”, or individually as a “Fund”:

 

Fund Name   Herein Referred To As    Organized    Diversification
Classification

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc.

  MUE    Maryland    Diversified

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc.

  MCA    Maryland    Diversified

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc.

  MYN    Maryland    Non-diversified

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

  MYI    Maryland    Diversified

The Boards of Directors of the Funds are collectively referred to throughout this report as the “Board,” and the directors thereof are collectively referred to throughout this report as “Directors”. The Funds determine and make available for publication the net asset values (“NAVs”) of their Common Shares on a daily basis.

The Funds, together with certain other registered investment companies advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager”) or its affiliates, are included in a complex of non-index fixed-income mutual funds and all BlackRock-advised closed-end funds referred to as the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined on the identified cost basis. Dividend income and non-cash dividend income, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized on an accrual basis.

Segregation and Collateralization: In cases where a Fund enters into certain investments (e.g., futures contracts) or certain borrowings (e.g., TOB Trust transactions) that would be treated as “senior securities” for 1940 Act purposes, a Fund may segregate or designate on its books and records cash or liquid assets having a market value at least equal to the amount of its future obligations under such investments or borrowings. Doing so allows the investment or borrowings to be excluded from treatment as a “senior security.” Furthermore, if required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments or obligations.

Distributions: Distributions from net investment income are declared monthly and paid monthly. Distributions of capital gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and made at least annually. The character and timing of distributions are determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP.

Distributions to Preferred Shareholders are accrued and determined as described in Note 10.

Deferred Compensation Plan: Under the Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) approved by each Fund’s Board, the directors who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, as defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Directors”), may defer a portion of their annual complex-wide compensation. Deferred amounts earn an approximate return as though equivalent dollar amounts had been invested in common shares of certain funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex selected by the Independent Directors. This has the same economic effect for the Independent Directors as if the Independent Directors had invested the deferred amounts directly in certain funds in the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex.

The Plan is not funded and obligations thereunder represent general unsecured claims against the general assets of each Fund, as applicable. Deferred compensation liabilities are included in the Directors’ and Officer’s fees payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities and will remain as a liability of the Funds until such amounts are distributed in accordance with the Plan.

Recent Accounting Standards: The Funds have adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update 2017-08 to amend the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. Under the new standard, the Funds have changed the amortization period for the premium on certain purchased callable debt securities with non-contingent call features to the earliest call date. In accordance with the transition provisions of the standard, the Funds applied the amendments on a modified retrospective basis beginning with the fiscal period ended July 31, 2020. The adjusted cost basis of securities at July 31, 2019 are as follows:

 

MUE

  $ 469,565,220  

MCA

    873,754,269  

MYN

    851,324,340  

MYI

    1,471,904,487  

This change in accounting policy has been made to comply with the newly issued accounting standard and had no impact on accumulated earnings (loss) or the net asset value of the Funds.

 

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  49


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)   

 

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, a Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. A Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against a Fund, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

Other: Expenses directly related to a Fund are charged to that Fund. Other operating expenses shared by several funds, including other funds managed by the Manager, are prorated among those funds on the basis of relative net assets or other appropriate methods.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: The Funds’ investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time). U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price the Funds would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Funds determine the fair values of their financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under policies approved by the Board. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with a policy approved by the Board as reflecting fair value. The BlackRock Global Valuation Methodologies Committee (the “Global Valuation Committee”) is the committee formed by management to develop global pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Municipal investments (including commitments to purchase such investments on a “when-issued” basis) are valued on the basis of prices provided by dealers or pricing services. In determining the value of a particular investment, pricing services may use certain information with respect to transactions in such investments, quotations from dealers, pricing matrixes, market transactions in comparable investments and information with respect to various relationships between investments.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds are valued at NAV each business day.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

If events (e.g., a company announcement, market volatility or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investments, or in the event that the application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Global Valuation Committee, or its delegate, in accordance with a policy approved by the Board as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Global Valuation Committee will include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Global Valuation Committee, or its delegate, seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Global Valuation Committee, or its delegate, deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement. The pricing of all Fair Valued Investments is subsequently reported to the Board or a committee thereof on a quarterly basis.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments and derivative financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial statement purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market–corroborated inputs)

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available (including the Global Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments and derivative financial instruments

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Global Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds. There may not be a secondary market, and/or there are a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for investments and derivative financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the investments and derivative financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Zero-Coupon Bonds: Zero-coupon bonds are normally issued at a significant discount from face value and do not provide for periodic interest payments. These bonds may experience greater volatility in market value than other debt obligations of similar maturity which provide for regular interest payments.

Forward Commitments, When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities: Certain Funds may purchase securities on a when-issued basis and may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. Settlement of such transactions normally occurs within a month or more after the purchase or sale commitment is made. A fund

 

 

50  

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

may purchase securities under such conditions with the intention of actually acquiring them, but may enter into a separate agreement to sell the securities before the settlement date. Since the value of securities purchased may fluctuate prior to settlement, a fund may be required to pay more at settlement than the security is worth. In addition, a fund is not entitled to any of the interest earned prior to settlement. When purchasing a security on a delayed delivery basis, a fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations. In the event of default by the counterparty, a fund’s maximum amount of loss is the unrealized appreciation of unsettled when-issued transactions.

Municipal Bonds Transferred to TOB Trusts: Certain Funds leverage their assets through the use of “TOB Trust” transactions. The funds transfer municipal bonds into a special purpose trust (a “TOB Trust”). A TOB Trust issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (“TOB Trust Certificates”), which are sold to third party investors, and residual inverse floating rate interests (“TOB Residuals”), which are issued to the participating funds that contributed the municipal bonds to the TOB Trust. The TOB Trust Certificates have interest rates that reset weekly and their holders have the option to tender such certificates to the TOB Trust for redemption at par and any accrued interest at each reset date. The TOB Residuals held by a fund provide the fund with the right to cause the holders of a proportional share of the TOB Trust Certificates to tender their certificates to the TOB Trust at par plus accrued interest. The funds may withdraw a corresponding share of the municipal bonds from the TOB Trust. Other funds managed by the investment adviser may also contribute municipal bonds to a TOB Trust into which a fund has contributed bonds. If multiple BlackRock-advised funds participate in the same TOB Trust, the economic rights and obligations under the TOB Residuals will be shared among the funds ratably in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust.

TOB Trusts are supported by a liquidity facility provided by a third party bank or other financial institution (the “Liquidity Provider”) that allows the holders of the TOB Trust Certificates to tender their certificates in exchange for payment of par plus accrued interest on any business day. The tendered TOB Trust Certificates are remarketed by a Remarketing Agent. In the event of a failed remarketing, the TOB Trust may draw upon a loan from the Liquidity Provider to purchase the tendered TOB Trust Certificates. Any loans made by the Liquidity Provider will be secured by the purchased TOB Trust Certificates held by the TOB Trust and will be subject to an increased interest rate based on number of days the loan is outstanding.

The TOB Trust may be collapsed without the consent of a fund, upon the occurrence of a termination event as defined in the TOB Trust agreement. Upon the occurrence of a termination event, a TOB Trust would be liquidated with the proceeds applied first to any accrued fees owed to the trustee of the TOB Trust, the Remarketing Agent and the Liquidity Provider. Upon certain termination events, TOB Trust Certificates holders will be paid before the TOB Residuals holders (i.e., the Funds) whereas in other termination events, TOB Trust Certificates holders and TOB Residuals holders will be paid pro rata.

While a fund’s investment policies and restrictions expressly permit investments in inverse floating rate securities, such as TOB Residuals, they restrict the ability of a fund to borrow money for purposes of making investments. MCA’s, MYN’s and MYI’s management believes that a fund’s restrictions on borrowings do not apply to the funds’ TOB Trust transactions. Each fund’s transfer of the municipal bonds to a TOB Trust is considered a secured borrowing for financial reporting purposes. The cash received by the TOB Trust from the sale of the TOB Trust Certificates, less certain transaction expenses, is paid to a fund. A fund typically invests the cash received in additional municipal bonds.

Accounting for TOB Trusts: The municipal bonds deposited into a TOB Trust are presented in a fund’s Schedule of Investments and the TOB Trust Certificates are shown in Other Liabilities in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Any loans drawn by the TOB Trust pursuant to the liquidity facility to purchase tendered TOB Trust Certificates are shown as Loan for TOB Trust Certificates. The carrying amount of a fund’s payable to the holder of the TOB Trust Certificates, as reported in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as TOB Trust Certificates, approximates its fair value.

Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts, from the underlying municipal bonds is recorded by a fund on an accrual basis. Interest expense incurred on the TOB Trust transaction and other expenses related to remarketing, administration, trustee, liquidity and other services to a TOB Trust are shown as interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs in the Statements of Operations. Fees paid upon creation of the TOB Trust are recorded as debt issuance costs and are amortized to interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs in the Statements of Operations to the expected maturity of the TOB Trust. In connection with the restructurings of the TOB Trusts to non-bank sponsored TOB Trusts, a fund incurred non-recurring, legal and restructuring fees, which are recorded as interest expense, fees and amortization of deferred offering costs in the Statements of Operations.

 

     Interest Expense      Liquidity Fees      Other Expenses      Total  

MUE

  $ 671,527      $ 233,821      $ 95,913      $ 1,001,261  

MCA

    2,142,464        886,032        280,902        3,309,398  

MYN

    1,178,612        448,278        145,233        1,772,123  

MYI

    2,639,546        1,021,272        313,178        3,973,996  

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the following table is a summary of each Fund’s TOB Trusts:

 

    

Underlying

Municipal Bonds

Transferred to

TOB Trusts  (a)

    

Liability for

TOB Trust

Certificates (b)

    

Range of

Interest Rates
on TOB Trust
Certificates at
Period End

    

Average
TOB Trust

Certificates

Outstanding

     Daily Weighted
Average Rate
of Interest and
Other Expenses
on TOB Trusts
 

MUE

  $ 111,472,202      $ 60,975,897        0.18% — 0.37%      $ 60,277,778        1.66

MCA

    425,256,267        199,050,164        0.15-0.28        196,806,569        1.68  

MYN

    205,347,948        111,088,684        0.17-0.31        107,645,676        1.64  

MYI

    432,341,873        233,968,445        0.18-0.71        235,078,962        1.68  

 

  (a) 

The municipal bonds transferred to a TOB Trust are generally high grade municipal bonds. In certain cases, when municipal bonds transferred are lower grade municipal bonds, the TOB Trust transaction may include a credit enhancement feature that provides for the timely payment of principal and interest on the bonds to the TOB Trust by a credit

 

 

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  51


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

  enhancement provider in the event of default of the municipal bond. The TOB Trust would be responsible for the payment of the credit enhancement fee and the funds, as TOB Residuals holders, would be responsible for reimbursement of any payments of principal and interest made by the credit enhancement provider. The maximum potential amounts owed by the funds, for such reimbursements, as applicable, are included in the maximum potential amounts disclosed for recourse TOB Trusts.  
  (b)

TOB Trusts may be structured on a non-recourse or recourse basis. When a Fund invests in TOB Trusts on a non-recourse basis, the Liquidity Provider may be required to make a payment under the liquidity facility to allow the TOB Trust to repurchase TOB Trust Certificates. The Liquidity Provider will be reimbursed from the liquidation of bonds held in the TOB Trust. If a fund invests in a TOB Trust on a recourse basis, a fund enters into a reimbursement agreement with the Liquidity Provider where a fund is required to reimburse the Liquidity Provider for any shortfall between the amount paid by the Liquidity Provider and proceeds received from liquidation of municipal bonds held in the TOB Trust (the “Liquidation Shortfall”). As a result, if a fund invests in a recourse TOB Trust, a fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to any Liquidation Shortfall. If multiple funds participate in any such TOB Trust, these losses will be shared ratably, including the maximum potential amounts owed by a fund at July 31, 2020, in proportion to their participation in the TOB Trust. The recourse TOB Trusts are identified in the Schedules of Investments including the maximum potential amounts owed by a fund at July 31, 2020.

 

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the following table is a summary of each Fund’s Loan for TOB Trust Certificates:

 

    

Loans

Outstanding

at Period End

    

Range of

Interest Rates

on Loans at

Period End

    

Average

Loans

Outstanding

    

Daily Weighted

Average Rate

of Interest and

Other Expenses

on Loans

 

MUE

  $           $ 5,516        0.71

MCA

                  388,306        0.71  

MYN

                  13,213        0.71  

MYI

                  1,068,750        0.71  

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Funds engage in various portfolio investment strategies using derivative contracts both to increase the returns of the Funds and/or to manage their exposure to certain risks such as credit risk, equity risk, interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange rate risk, commodity price risk or other risks (e.g., inflation risk). Derivative financial instruments categorized by risk exposure are included in the Schedules of Investments. These contracts may be transacted on an exchange or over-the-counter (“OTC”).

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedules of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory: Each Fund, entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Manager, the Funds’ investment adviser and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”), to provide investment advisory and administrative services. The Manager is responsible for the management of each Fund’s portfolio and provides the personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operations of each Fund.

For such services, each Fund pays the Manager a monthly fee at an annual rate equal to the following percentages of the average daily value of each Fund’s net assets.

 

     MUE     MCA     MYN     MYI  

Investment advisory fees

    0.55     0.50     0.50     0.50

For purposes of calculating these fees, “net assets” mean the total assets of the Fund minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by TOB Trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). It is understood that the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock (other than accumulated dividends) and TOB Trusts is not considered a liability in determining a Fund’s NAV.

Expense Waivers: With respect to each Fund, the Manager contractually agreed to waive its investment advisory fees by the amount of investment advisory fees each Fund pays to the Manager indirectly through its investment in affiliated money market funds (the “affiliated money market fund waiver”) through June 30, 2022. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the Independent Directors, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of

 

 

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2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

a Fund. Prior to December 1, 2019, this waiver was voluntary. These amounts are included in fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager in the Statements of Operations. For the year ended July 31, 2020, the amounts waived were as follows:

 

     MUE      MCA      MYN      MYI  

Amounts waived

  $ 1,371      $ 1,955      $ 717      $ 9,506  

The Manager contractually agreed to waive its investment advisory fee with respect to any portion of each Fund’s assets invested in affiliated equity and fixed-income mutual funds and affiliated exchange-traded funds that have a contractual management fee through June 30, 2022. The agreement can be renewed for annual periods thereafter, and may be terminated on 90 days’ notice, each subject to approval by a majority of the Funds’ Independent Directors. For the year ended July 31, 2020, there were no fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager pursuant to this arrangement.

The Manager, for the MUE, voluntarily agreed to waive its investment advisory fee on the proceeds of the Preferred Shares and TOB Trusts that exceed 35% of total assets minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (which does not include liabilities represented by TOB Trusts and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). The voluntary waiver may be reduced or discontinued at any time without notice. This amount is included in fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager in the Statements of Operations. For the year ended July 31, 2020, the waiver was $131,158.

Directors and Officers: Certain directors and/or officers of the Funds are directors and/or officers of BlackRock or its affiliates. The Funds reimburse the Manager for a portion of the compensation paid to the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer, which is included in Directors and Officer in the Statements of Operations.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the year ended July 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, were as follows:

 

     MUE      MCA      MYN      MYI  

Purchases

  $ 96,099,747      $ 189,236,963      $ 108,113,729      $ 290,058,389  

Sales

    88,486,736        206,833,767        101,117,110        316,993,672  

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Each Fund files U.S. federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The statute of limitations on each Fund’s U.S. federal tax returns generally remains open for each of the four years ended July 31, 2020. The statutes of limitations on each Fund’s state and local tax returns may remain open for an additional year depending upon the jurisdiction.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of July 31, 2020, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

U.S. GAAP requires that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. As of period end, the following permanent difference attributable to non-deductible expenses was reclassified to the following accounts:

 

     MCA     MYN     MYI  

Paid-in capital

  $ (16,577   $ (15,810   $ (20,324

Accumulated earnings (loss)

    16,577       15,810       20,324  

The tax character of distributions paid was as follows:

 

     MUE      MCA      MYN      MYI  

Tax-exempt income(a)
7/31/2020

  $ 14,519,627      $ 21,383,909      $ 23,471,804      $ 40,722,928  

7/31/2019

    16,988,037        25,043,586        25,283,678        48,226,498  

Ordinary income(b)
7/31/2020

    6,054        15,289        9,014        17,481  

7/31/2019

    2,835        7,303        21,088        15,897  

Long-term capital gains
7/31/2020

                          

7/31/2019

           1,653,281                
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total
7/31/2020

  $ 14,525,681      $ 21,399,198      $ 23,480,818      $ 40,740,409  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

7/31/2019

  $ 16,990,872      $ 26,704,170      $ 25,304,766      $ 48,242,395  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

The Funds designate these amounts paid during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2020, as exempt-interest dividends.

 
  (b) 

Ordinary income consists primarily of taxable income recognized from market discount. Additionally, all ordinary income distributions are comprised of interest related dividends for non-US residents and are eligible for exemption from US withholding tax for nonresident aliens and foreign corporations.

 

 

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  53


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

As of period end, the tax components of accumulated earnings (loss) were as follows:

 

     MUE     MCA     MYN     MYI  

Undistributed tax-exempt income

  $ 634,689     $ 1,092,873     $ 2,384,494     $ 1,789,017  

Undistributed ordinary income

    14,548       1,119       1,453       2,311  

Non-expiring capital loss carryforwards(a)

    (13,862,712     (12,976,810     (25,600,046     (18,540,607

Net unrealized gains (losses)(b)

    41,581,401       72,146,945       74,924,446       155,928,539  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 28,367,926     $ 60,264,127     $ 51,710,347     $ 139,179,260  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Amounts available to offset future realized capital gains.

 
  (b) 

The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized gains was attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, amortization methods of premiums and discounts on fixed income securities, the treatment of residual interests in tender option bond trusts and the deferral of compensation to Directors.

 

As of July 31, 2020, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation for investments based on cost for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

     MUE     MCA     MYN     MYI  

Tax cost

  $ 405,403,904     $ 639,077,932     $ 742,503,063     $ 1,210,640,195  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

  $ 42,154,789     $ 73,052,697     $ 75,767,973     $ 158,786,483  

Gross unrealized depreciation

    (573,388     (613,675     (536,645     (2,327,882
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

  $ 41,581,401     $ 72,439,022     $ 75,231,328     $ 156,458,601  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

9.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

Many municipalities insure repayment of their bonds, which may reduce the potential for loss due to credit risk. The market value of these bonds may fluctuate for other reasons, including market perception of the value of such insurance, and there is no guarantee that the insurer will meet its obligation.

Inventories of municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, which would lessen their ability to make a market in these securities. Such a reduction in market making capacity could potentially decrease a Fund’s ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result, a Fund may sell a security at a lower price, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative impact on performance. If a Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds, those sales could further reduce the bonds’ prices and impact performance.

In the normal course of business, certain Funds invest in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject each Fund to various risks, including among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate and price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments.

Each Fund may be exposed to prepayment risk, which is the risk that borrowers may exercise their option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled during periods of declining interest rates, which would force each Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities. Each Fund may also be exposed to reinvestment risk, which is the risk that income from each Fund’s portfolio will decline if each Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called fixed-income securities at market interest rates that are below each Fund portfolio’s current earnings rate.

The Funds may hold a significant amount of bonds subject to calls by the issuers at defined dates and prices. When bonds are called by issuers and the Funds reinvest the proceeds received, such investments may be in securities with lower yields than the bonds originally held, and correspondingly, could adversely impact the yield and total return performance of a Fund.

A Fund structures and “sponsors” the TOB Trusts in which it holds TOB Residuals and has certain duties and responsibilities, which may give rise to certain additional risks including, but not limited to, compliance, securities law and operational risks.

Should short-term interest rates rise, the Funds’ investments in the TOB Trusts may adversely affect the Funds’ net investment income and dividends to Common Shareholders. Also, fluctuations in the market value of municipal bonds deposited into the TOB Trust may adversely affect the Funds’ NAVs per share.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and various federal banking and housing agencies have adopted credit risk retention rules for securitizations (the “Risk Retention Rules”). The Risk Retention Rules would require the sponsor of a TOB Trust to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of the underlying assets supporting the TOB Trust’s municipal bonds. The Risk Retention Rules may adversely affect the Funds’ ability to engage in TOB Trust transactions or increase the costs of such transactions in certain circumstances.

TOB Trusts constitute an important component of the municipal bond market. Any modifications or changes to rules governing TOB Trusts may adversely impact the municipal market and the Funds, including through reduced demand for and liquidity of municipal bonds and increased financing costs for municipal issuers. The ultimate impact of any potential modifications on the TOB Trust market and the overall municipal market is not yet certain.

 

 

54  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

Each Fund may invest without limitation in illiquid or less liquid investments or investments in which no secondary market is readily available or which are otherwise illiquid, including private placement securities. A Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such investments if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise funds to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of investments, thereby adversely affecting a Fund’s net asset value and ability to make dividend distributions. Privately issued debt securities are often of below investment grade quality, frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as investing in below investment grade public debt securities.

An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic and has resulted in closing borders, quarantines, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this pandemic, and other global health crises that may arise in the future, could affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the market in general in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. This pandemic may result in substantial market volatility and may adversely impact the prices and liquidity of a fund’s investments. The duration of this pandemic and its effects cannot be determined with certainty.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that the Manager believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a Fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Concentration Risk: MCA and MYN invest a substantial amount of their assets in issuers located in a single state or limited number of states. This may subject each Fund to the risk that economic, political or social issues impacting a particular state or group of states could have an adverse and disproportionate impact on the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Funds’ respective portfolios. Investment percentages in specific states or U.S. territories are presented in the Schedules of Investments.

As of period end, MUE, MYN and MYI invested a significant portion of their assets in securities in the transportation sector. MCA invested a significant portion of its assets in securities in the county, city, special district and school district sector. Changes in economic conditions affecting such sectors would have a greater impact on the Funds and could affect the value, income and/or liquidity of positions in such securities.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in fixed-income securities and/or use derivatives tied to the fixed-income markets. Changes in market interest rates or economic conditions may affect the value and/or liquidity of such investments. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. The Funds may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates.

LIBOR Transition Risk: The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a phase out of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) by the end of 2021, and it is expected that LIBOR will cease to be published after that time. The Funds may be exposed to financial instruments tied to LIBOR to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value. The transition process away from LIBOR might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for, and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against, instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR. The ultimate effect of the LIBOR transition process on the Funds is uncertain.

 

10.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Each Fund is authorized to issue 200 million shares, all of which were initially classified as Common Shares. The par value for each Fund’s Common Shares is $0.10. The par value for each Fund’s Preferred Shares outstanding is $0.10. The Board is authorized, however, to reclassify any unissued Common Shares to Preferred Shares without the approval of Common Shareholders.

Common Shares

For the years ended July 31, 2020 and July 31, 2019, shares issued and outstanding remained constant for all Funds.

Each Fund participates in an open market share repurchase program (the “Repurchase Program”). From December 1, 2018 through November 30, 2019, each Fund may repurchase up to 5% of its outstanding common shares under the Repurchase Program, based on common shares outstanding as of the close of business on November 30, 2018, subject to certain conditions. From December 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020, each Fund may repurchase up to 5% of its outstanding common shares under the Repurchase Program, based on common shares outstanding as of the close of business on November 30, 2019, subject to certain conditions. There is no assurance that the Funds will purchase shares in any particular amounts. For the year ended July 31, 2020, the Funds did not repurchase any shares.

 

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  55


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

Preferred Shares

A Fund’s Preferred Shares rank prior to its Common Shares as to the payment of dividends by the Fund and distribution of assets upon dissolution or liquidation of the Fund. The 1940 Act prohibits the declaration of any dividend on Common Shares or the repurchase of Common Shares if the Fund fails to maintain asset coverage of at least 200% of the liquidation preference of the Fund’s outstanding Preferred Shares. In addition, pursuant to the Preferred Shares’ governing instruments, a Fund is restricted from declaring and paying dividends on classes of shares ranking junior to or on parity with its Preferred Shares or repurchasing such shares if the Fund fails to declare and pay dividends on the Preferred Shares, redeem any Preferred Shares required to be redeemed under the Preferred Shares’ governing instruments or comply with the basic maintenance amount requirement of the ratings agencies rating the Preferred Shares.

Holders of Preferred Shares have voting rights equal to the voting rights of holders of Common Shares (one vote per share) and vote together with holders of Common Shares (one vote per share) as a single class on certain matters. Holders of Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, are also entitled to (i) elect two members of the Board, (ii) elect the full Board if dividends on the Preferred Shares are not paid for a period of two years and (iii) a separate class vote to amend the Preferred Share governing documents. In addition, the 1940 Act requires the approval of the holders of a majority of any outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, to (a) adopt any plan of reorganization that would adversely affect the Preferred Shares, (b) change a Fund’s sub-classification as a closed-end investment company or change its fundamental investment restrictions or (c) change its business so as to cease to be an investment company.

VRDP Shares

MCA, MYN and MYI (for purposes of this section, a “VRDP Fund”), have issued Series W-7 VRDP Shares, $100,000 liquidation preference per share, in one or more privately negotiated offerings to qualified institutional buyers as defined pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The VRDP Shares include a liquidity feature and may be subject to a special rate period. As of period end, the VRDP Shares outstanding were as follows:

 

     Issue
Date
   Shares
Issued
     Aggregate
Principal
     Maturity
Date
 

MCA

  4/21/11      1,665      $ 166,500,000        5/01/41  

MYN

  4/21/11      2,477        247,700,000        5/01/41  

MYI

  5/19/11      3,564        356,400,000        6/01/41  

Redemption Terms: A VRDP Fund is required to redeem its VRDP Shares on the maturity date, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased. Six months prior to the maturity date, a VRDP Fund is required to begin to segregate liquid assets with the Fund’s custodian to fund the redemption. In addition, a VRDP Fund is required to redeem certain of its outstanding VRDP Shares if it fails to comply with certain asset coverage, basic maintenance amount or leverage requirements.

Subject to certain conditions, the VRDP Shares may also be redeemed, in whole or in part, at any time at the option of a VRDP Fund. The redemption price per VRDP Share is equal to the liquidation preference per share plus any outstanding unpaid dividends.

Liquidity Feature: VRDP Shares are subject to a fee agreement between the VRDP Fund and the liquidity provider that requires a per annum liquidity fee and, in some cases, an upfront or initial commitment fee, payable to the liquidity provider. These fees, if applicable, are shown as liquidity fees in the Statements of Operations. As of period end, the fee agreement is set to expire, unless renewed or terminated in advance, as follows:

 

     MCA      MYN      MYI  

Expiration Date

    07/02/2021        07/09/2021        07/09/2021  

The VRDP Shares are also subject to a purchase agreement in connection with the liquidity feature. In the event a purchase agreement is not renewed or is terminated in advance, and the VRDP Shares do not become subject to a purchase agreement with an alternate liquidity provider, the VRDP Shares will be subject to mandatory purchase by the liquidity provider prior to the termination of the purchase agreement. In the event of such mandatory purchase, a VRDP Fund is required to redeem the VRDP Shares six months after the purchase date. Immediately after such mandatory purchase, the VRDP Fund is required to begin to segregate liquid assets with its custodian to fund the redemption. There is no assurance that a VRDP Fund will replace such redeemed VRDP Shares with any other preferred shares or other form of leverage.

Remarketing: A VRDP Fund may incur remarketing fees on the aggregate principal amount of all its VRDP Shares, which, if any, are included in remarketing fees on Preferred Shares in the Statements of Operations. During any special rate period (as described below), a VRDP Fund may incur nominal or no remarketing fees.

Ratings: As of period end, the VRDP Shares were assigned the following assigned ratings:

 

    

Moody’s

Long-term

Rating

    

Fitch

Long-term

Rating

    

Fitch

Short-term

Rating

    

S&P Global Ratings’

Short-term Rating

 

MCA

    Aa2        AAA        F1+        A-1+  

MYN

    Aa2        AAA        F1+        A-1+  

MYI

    Aa1        AAA        F1+        A-1+  

Any short-term ratings on VRDP Shares are directly related to the short-term ratings of the liquidity provider for such VRDP Shares. Changes in the credit quality of the liquidity provider could cause a change in the short-term credit ratings of the VRDP Shares as rated by Moody’s, Fitch and S&P Global Ratings. The liquidity provider may be terminated prior to the scheduled termination date if the liquidity provider fails to maintain short-term debt ratings in one of the two highest rating categories.

 

 

56  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

Dividends: Dividends on the VRDP Shares are payable monthly at a variable rate set weekly by the remarketing agent. Such dividend rates are generally based upon a spread over a base rate and cannot exceed a maximum rate. A change in the short-term credit rating of the liquidity provider or the VRDP Shares may adversely affect the dividend rate paid on such shares, although the dividend rate paid on the VRDP Shares is not directly based upon either short-term rating. In the event of a failed remarketing, the dividend rate of the VRDP Shares will be reset to a maximum rate. The maximum rate is determined based on, among other things, the long-term preferred share rating assigned to the VRDP Shares and the length of time that the VRDP Shares fail to be remarketed.

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the annualized dividend rate for the VRDP Shares were as follows:

 

     MCA     MYN     MYI  

Rate

    1.15     1.20     1.22%  

For the year ended July 31, 2020, VRDP Shares issued and outstanding of each VRDP Fund remained constant.

VMTP Shares

MUE (for purposes of this section, a “VMTP Fund”) has issued Series W-7 VMTP Shares, $100,000 liquidation preference per share, in one or more privately negotiated offerings to qualified institutional buyers as defined pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The VMTP Shares are subject to certain restrictions on transfer, and a VMTP Fund may also be required to register its VMTP Shares for sale under the Securities Act under certain circumstances. As of period end, the VMTP Shares outstanding and assigned long-term ratings were as follows:

 

    

Issue

Date

    

Shares

Issued

    

Aggregate

Principal

    

Term

Redemption

Date

    

Moody’s

Rating

    

Fitch

Rating

 

MUE

    12/16/11        1,310      $ 131,000,000        07/02/21        Aa1        AAA  

Redemption Terms: A VMTP Fund is required to redeem its VMTP Shares on the term redemption date, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased or unless extended. There is no assurance that a term will be extended further or that any VMTP Shares will be replaced with any other preferred shares or other form of leverage upon the redemption or repurchase of the VMTP Shares. Six months prior to the term redemption date, a VMTP Fund is required to begin to segregate liquid assets with its custodian to fund the redemption. In addition, a VMTP Fund is required to redeem certain of its outstanding VMTP Shares if it fails to comply with certain asset coverage, basic maintenance amount or leverage requirements.

Subject to certain conditions, VMTP Shares may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at any time at the option of the VMTP Fund. The redemption price per VMTP Share is equal to the liquidation preference per share plus any outstanding unpaid dividends.

Dividends: Dividends on the VMTP Shares are declared daily and payable monthly at a variable rate set weekly at a fixed rate spread to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) Municipal Swap Index or to a percentage of the one-month LIBOR rate, as set forth in the VMTP Shares governing instrument. The fixed spread is determined based on the long-term preferred share rating assigned to the VMTP Shares by the ratings agencies then rating the VMTP Shares.

The dividend rate on VMTP Shares is subject to a step-up spread if the VMTP Fund fails to comply with certain provisions, including, among other things, the timely payment of dividends, redemptions or gross-up payments, and complying with certain asset coverage and leverage requirements.

For the year ended July 31, 2020, the average annualized dividend rate for the VMTP Shares was 1.79%.

Offering Costs: The Funds incurred costs in connection with the issuance of VRDP and VMTP Shares, which were recorded as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the related debt liability and will be amortized over the life of the VRDP and VMTP Shares with the exception of any upfront fees paid by a VRDP Fund to the liquidity provider which, if any, were amortized over the life of the liquidity agreement. Amortization of these costs is included in interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs in the Statements of Operations.

Financial Reporting: The VRDP and VMTP Shares are considered debt of the issuer; therefore, the liquidation preference, which approximates fair value of the VRDP and VMTP Shares, is recorded as a liability in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities net of deferred offering costs. Unpaid dividends are included in interest expense and fees payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, and the dividends accrued and paid on the VRDP and VMTP Shares are included as a component of interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs in the Statements of Operations. The VRDP and VMTP Shares are treated as equity for tax purposes. Dividends paid to holders of the VRDP and VMTP Shares are generally classified as tax-exempt income for tax-reporting purposes. Dividends and amortization of deferred offering costs on VRDP and VMTP Shares are included in interest expense, fees and amortization of offering costs in the Statements of Operations:

 

     Dividends
Accrued
    

Deferred Offering Costs

Amortization

 

MUE

  $ 2,341,951      $  

MCA

    1,913,280        14,446  

MYN

    2,974,968        15,518  

MYI

    4,335,133        20,324  

 

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  57


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

11.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management’s evaluation of the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds’ financial statements was completed through the date the financial statements were issued and the following items were noted:

The Funds declared and paid distributions to Common Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders as follows:

 

     Dividend Per
Common Share
           Preferred Shares (c)  
     Paid  (a)      Declared  (b)            Shares      Series      Declared  

MUE

  $ 0.050500      $ 0.050500         VMTP        W-7      $ 113,243  

MCA

    0.053000        0.053000         VRDP        W-7        21,017  

MYN

    0.046500        0.046500         VRDP        W-7        35,192  

MYI

    0.044500        0.044500               VRDP        W-7        56,284  

 

  (a) 

Net investment income dividend paid on September 1, 2020 to Common Shareholders of record on August 14, 2020.

 
  (b) 

Net investment income dividend declared on September 1, 2020, payable to Common Shareholders of record on September 15, 2020.

 
  (c) 

Dividends declared for period August 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020.

 

 

 

58  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc., BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc., BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc., and BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.:

Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities of BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc., BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc., BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc., and BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (the “Funds”), including the schedules of investments, as of July 31, 2020, the related statements of operations and cash flows for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Funds as of July 31, 2020, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Funds’ financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Funds in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Funds are not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of their internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of July 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

September 22, 2020

We have served as the auditor of one or more BlackRock investment companies since 1992.

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

  59


Disclosure of Investment Advisory Agreements

 

The Boards of Directors (collectively, the “Board,” the members of which are referred to as “Board Members”) of BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (“MUE”), BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (“MCA”), BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (“MYN”) and BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (“MYI” and together with MUE, MCA and MYN, the “Funds” and each, a “Fund”) met on April 16, 2020 (the “April Meeting”) and May 20-21, 2020 (the “May Meeting”) to consider the approval of the investment advisory agreements (the “Advisory Agreements” or the “Agreements”) between each Fund and BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager” or “BlackRock”), each Fund’s investment advisor.

Activities and Composition of the Board

On the date of the May Meeting, the Board consisted of ten individuals, eight of whom were not “interested persons” of each Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (the “Independent Board Members”). The Board Members are responsible for the oversight of the operations of each Fund and perform the various duties imposed on the directors of investment companies by the 1940 Act. The Independent Board Members have retained independent legal counsel to assist them in connection with their duties. The Co-Chairs of the Board are Independent Board Members. The Board has established five standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Governance and Nominating Committee, a Compliance Committee, a Performance Oversight Committee and an Executive Committee, each of which is chaired by an Independent Board Member and composed of Independent Board Members (except for the Executive Committee, which also has one interested Board Member).

The Agreements

Consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Board considers the continuation of the Agreements on an annual basis. The Board has four quarterly meetings per year, each typically extending for two days, and additional in-person and telephonic meetings throughout the year, as needed. While the Board also has a fifth one-day meeting to consider specific information surrounding the renewal of the Agreements, the Board’s consideration entails a year-long deliberative process whereby the Board and its committees assess BlackRock’s services to each Fund. In particular, the Board assessed, among other things, the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to each Fund by BlackRock, BlackRock’s personnel and affiliates, including (as applicable): investment management services; accounting oversight; administrative and shareholder services; oversight of each Fund’s service providers; risk management and oversight; and legal, regulatory and compliance services. Throughout the year, including during the contract renewal process, the Independent Board Members were advised by independent legal counsel, and met with independent legal counsel in various executive sessions outside of the presence of BlackRock’s management.

During the year, the Board, acting directly and through its committees, considers information that is relevant to its annual consideration of the renewal of the Agreements, including the services and support provided by BlackRock to each Fund and its shareholders. BlackRock also furnished additional information to the Board in response to specific questions from the Board. This additional information is discussed further in the section titled “Board Considerations in Approving the Agreements.” Among the matters the Board considered were: (a) investment performance for one-year, three-year, five-year, and/or since inception periods, as applicable, against peer funds, applicable benchmarks, and other performance metrics, as applicable, as well as BlackRock senior management’s and portfolio managers’ analyses of the reasons for any outperformance or underperformance relative to its peers, benchmarks, and other performance metrics, as applicable; (b) leverage management, as applicable; (c) fees, including advisory, administration, if applicable, and other amounts paid to BlackRock and its affiliates by each Fund for services; (d) Fund operating expenses and how BlackRock allocates expenses to each Fund; (e) the resources devoted to risk oversight of, and compliance reports relating to, implementation of each Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, and meeting regulatory requirements; (f) BlackRock’s and each Fund’s adherence to applicable compliance policies and procedures; (g) the nature, character and scope of non-investment management services provided by BlackRock and its affiliates and the estimated cost of such services; (h) BlackRock’s and other service providers’ internal controls and risk and compliance oversight mechanisms; (i) BlackRock’s implementation of the proxy voting policies approved by the Board; (j) execution quality of portfolio transactions; (k) BlackRock’s implementation of each Fund’s valuation and liquidity procedures; (l) an analysis of management fees for products with similar investment mandates across the open-end fund, closed-end fund, sub-advised mutual fund, collective investment trust and institutional separate account product channels, as applicable, and the similarities and differences between these products and the services provided as compared to each Fund; (m) BlackRock’s compensation methodology for its investment professionals and the incentives and accountability it creates, along with investment professionals’ investments in the fund(s) they manage; (n) periodic updates on BlackRock’s business; and (o) each Fund’s market discount/premium compared to peer funds.

Board Considerations in Approving the Agreements

The Approval Process: Prior to the April Meeting, the Board requested and received materials specifically relating to the Agreements. The Independent Board Members are continuously engaged in a process with their independent legal counsel and BlackRock to review the nature and scope of the information provided to the Board to better assist its deliberations. The materials provided in connection with the April Meeting included, among other things: (a) information independently compiled and prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), based on Lipper classifications, regarding each Fund’s fees and expenses as compared with a peer group of funds as determined by Broadridge (“Expense Peers”) and the investment performance of each Fund as compared with a peer group of funds (“Performance Peers”); (b) information on the composition of the Expense Peers and Performance Peers and a description of Broadridge’s methodology; (c) information on the estimated profits realized by BlackRock and its affiliates pursuant to the Agreements and a discussion of fall-out benefits to BlackRock and its affiliates; (d) a general analysis provided by BlackRock concerning investment management fees received in connection with other types of investment products, such as institutional accounts, sub-advised mutual funds, closed-end funds, and open-end funds, under similar investment mandates, as applicable; (e) a review of non-management fees; (f) the existence, impact and sharing of potential economies of scale, if any, with each Fund; (g) a summary of aggregate amounts paid by each Fund to BlackRock; and (h) various additional information requested by the Board as appropriate regarding BlackRock’s and each Fund’s operations.

At the April Meeting, the Board reviewed materials relating to its consideration of the Agreements. As a result of the discussions that occurred during the April Meeting, and as a culmination of the Board’s year-long deliberative process, the Board presented BlackRock with questions and requests for additional information. BlackRock responded to these questions and requests with additional written information in advance of the May Meeting. Topics covered included: (a) the methodology for measuring estimated fund profitability; (b) fund expenses and potential fee waivers; (c) differences in services provided and management fees between closed-end funds and other product channels; and (d) BlackRock’s option overwrite strategy.

 

 

60  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Disclosure of Investment Advisory Agreements  (continued)

 

At the May Meeting, the Board concluded its assessment of, among other things: (a) the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by BlackRock; (b) the investment performance of each Fund as compared to its Performance Peers and to other metrics, as applicable; (c) the advisory fee and the estimated cost of the services and estimated profits realized by BlackRock and its affiliates from their relationship with each Fund; (d) each Fund’s fees and expenses compared to its Expense Peers; (e) the existence and sharing of potential economies of scale; (f) any fall-out benefits to BlackRock and its affiliates as a result of BlackRock’s relationship with each Fund; and (g) other factors deemed relevant by the Board Members.

The Board also considered other matters it deemed important to the approval process, such as other payments made to BlackRock or its affiliates relating to securities lending and cash management, and BlackRock’s services related to the valuation and pricing of Fund portfolio holdings. The Board noted the willingness of BlackRock’s personnel to engage in open, candid discussions with the Board. The Board did not identify any particular information as determinative, and each Board Member may have attributed different weights to the various items considered.

A. Nature, Extent and Quality of the Services Provided by BlackRock: The Board, including the Independent Board Members, reviewed the nature, extent and quality of services provided by BlackRock, including the investment advisory services, and the resulting performance of each Fund. Throughout the year, the Board compared Fund performance to the performance of a comparable group of closed-end funds, relevant benchmarks, and performance metrics, as applicable. The Board met with BlackRock’s senior management personnel responsible for investment activities, including the senior investment officers. The Board also reviewed the materials provided by each Fund’s portfolio management team discussing each Fund’s performance, investment strategies and outlook.

The Board considered, among other factors, with respect to BlackRock: the number, education and experience of investment personnel generally and each Fund’s portfolio management team; research capabilities; investments by portfolio managers in the funds they manage; portfolio trading capabilities; use of technology; commitment to compliance; credit analysis capabilities; risk analysis and oversight capabilities; and the approach to training and retaining portfolio managers and other research, advisory and management personnel. The Board also considered BlackRock’s overall risk management program, including the continued efforts of BlackRock and its affiliates to address cybersecurity risks and the role of BlackRock’s Risk & Quantitative Analysis Group. The Board engaged in a review of BlackRock’s compensation structure with respect to each Fund’s portfolio management team and BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain high-quality talent and create performance incentives.

In addition to investment advisory services, the Board considered the nature and quality of the administrative and other non-investment advisory services provided to each Fund. BlackRock and its affiliates provide each Fund with certain administrative, shareholder and other services (in addition to any such services provided to each Fund by third-parties) and officers and other personnel as are necessary for the operations of each Fund. In particular, BlackRock and its affiliates provide each Fund with administrative services including, among others: (i) responsibility for disclosure documents, such as the prospectus and the statement of additional information in connection with the initial public offering and periodic shareholder reports; (ii) preparing communications with analysts to support secondary market trading of each Fund; (iii) oversight of daily accounting and pricing; (iv) responsibility for periodic filings with regulators and stock exchanges; (v) overseeing and coordinating the activities of third-party service providers including, among others, each Fund’s custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, and auditor; (vi) organizing Board meetings and preparing the materials for such Board meetings; (vii) providing legal and compliance support; (viii) furnishing analytical and other support to assist the Board in its consideration of strategic issues such as the merger, consolidation or repurposing of certain closed-end funds; and (ix) performing or managing administrative functions necessary for the operation of each Fund, such as tax reporting, expense management, fulfilling regulatory filing requirements, and shareholder call center and other services. The Board reviewed the structure and duties of BlackRock’s fund administration, shareholder services, and legal & compliance departments and considered BlackRock’s policies and procedures for assuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

B. The Investment Performance of each Fund and BlackRock: The Board, including the Independent Board Members, also reviewed and considered the performance history of each Fund. In preparation for the April Meeting, the Board was provided with reports independently prepared by Broadridge, which included an analysis of each Fund’s performance as of December 31, 2019, as compared to its Performance Peers. The performance information is based on net asset value (NAV), and utilizes Lipper data. Lipper’s methodology calculates a fund’s total return assuming distributions are reinvested on the ex-date at a fund’s ex-date NAV. Broadridge ranks funds in quartiles, ranging from first to fourth, where first is the most desirable quartile position and fourth is the least desirable. In connection with its review, the Board received and reviewed information regarding the investment performance of each Fund as compared to its Performance Peers and a custom peer group of funds as defined by BlackRock (“Customized Peer Group”) and a composite measuring a blend of total return and yield (“Composite”). The Board and its Performance Oversight Committee regularly review and meet with Fund management to discuss the performance of each Fund throughout the year.

In evaluating performance, the Board focused particular attention on funds with less favorable performance records. The Board also noted that while it found the data provided by Broadridge generally useful, it recognized the limitations of such data, including in particular, that notable differences may exist between a fund and its Performance Peers (for example, the investment objectives and strategies). Further, the Board recognized that the performance data reflects a snapshot of a period as of a particular date and that selecting a different performance period could produce significantly different results. The Board also acknowledged that long-term performance could be impacted by even one period of significant outperformance or underperformance, and that a single investment theme could have the ability to disproportionately affect long-term performance.

The Board noted that for each of the one-, three- and five-year periods reported, MUE ranked in the fourth quartile against its Customized Peer Group Composite. The Board noted that BlackRock believes that the Customized Peer Group Composite is an appropriate performance metric for MUE, and that BlackRock has explained its rationale for this belief to the Board. The Board and BlackRock reviewed MUE’s underperformance relative to its Customized Peer Group Composite during the applicable periods.

The Board noted that for each of the one-, three- and five-year periods reported, MCA ranked in the second quartile against its Customized Peer Group Composite. The Board noted that BlackRock believes that the Customized Peer Group Composite is an appropriate performance metric for MCA, and that BlackRock has explained its rationale for this belief to the Board.

The Board noted that for the one-, three- and five-year periods reported, MYI ranked in the third, first and first quartiles, respectively, against its Customized Peer Group Composite. The Board noted that BlackRock believes that the Customized Peer Group Composite is an appropriate performance metric for MYI, and that BlackRock has

 

 

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Disclosure of Investment Advisory Agreements  (continued)

 

explained its rationale for this belief to the Board. The Board and BlackRock reviewed MYI’s underperformance relative to its Customized Peer Group Composite during the applicable period.

The Board noted that for each of the one-, three- and five-year periods reported, MYN ranked in the second quartile against its Customized Peer Group Composite. The Board noted that BlackRock believes that the Customized Peer Group Composite is an appropriate performance metric for MYN, and that BlackRock has explained its rationale for this belief to the Board.

C. Consideration of the Advisory/Management Fees and the Estimated Cost of the Services and Estimated Profits Realized by BlackRock and its Affiliates from their Relationship with each Fund: The Board, including the Independent Board Members, reviewed each Fund’s contractual management fee rate compared with those of its Expense Peers. The contractual management fee rate represents a combination of the advisory fee and any administrative fees, before taking into account any reimbursements or fee waivers. The Board also compared each Fund’s total expense ratio, as well as its actual management fee rate as a percentage of managed assets, which is the total assets of each Fund (including any assets attributable to money borrowed for investment purposes) minus the sum of each Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than money borrowed for investment purposes) to those of its Expense Peers. The total expense ratio represents a fund’s total net operating expenses, excluding any investment related expenses. The total expense ratio gives effect to any expense reimbursements or fee waivers, and the actual management fee rate gives effect to any management fee reimbursements or waivers. The Board considered the services provided and the fees charged by BlackRock and its affiliates to other types of clients with similar investment mandates, as applicable, including institutional accounts and sub-advised mutual funds (including mutual funds sponsored by third parties).

The Board received and reviewed statements relating to BlackRock’s financial condition. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s profitability methodology and was also provided with an estimated profitability analysis that detailed the revenues earned and the expenses incurred by BlackRock for services provided to each Fund. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s estimated profitability with respect to each Fund and other funds the Board currently oversees for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to available aggregate estimated profitability data provided for the prior two years. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s estimated profitability with respect to certain other U.S. fund complexes managed by the Manager and/or its affiliates. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s assumptions and methodology of allocating expenses in the estimated profitability analysis, noting the inherent limitations in allocating costs among various advisory products. The Board recognized that profitability may be affected by numerous factors including, among other things, fee waivers and expense reimbursements by the Manager, the types of funds managed, precision of expense allocations and business mix. The Board thus recognized that calculating and comparing profitability at the individual fund level is difficult.

The Board noted that, in general, individual fund or product line profitability of other advisors is not publicly available. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s overall operating margin, in general, compared to that of certain other publicly traded asset management firms. The Board considered the differences between BlackRock and these other firms, including the contribution of technology at BlackRock, BlackRock’s expense management, and the relative product mix.

The Board considered whether BlackRock has the financial resources necessary to attract and retain high quality investment management personnel to perform its obligations under the Agreements and to continue to provide the high quality of services that is expected by the Board. The Board further considered factors including but not limited to BlackRock’s commitment of time, assumption of risk, and liability profile in servicing each Fund, including in contrast to what is required of BlackRock with respect to other products with similar investment mandates across the open-end fund, closed-end fund, sub-advised mutual fund, collective investment trust, and institutional separate account product channels, as applicable.

The Board noted that MUE’s contractual management fee rate ranked in the first quartile, and that the actual management fee rate and total expense ratio each ranked in the first quartile, relative to the Expense Peers.

The Board noted that MCA’s contractual management fee rate ranked in the first quartile, and that the actual management fee rate and total expense ratio each ranked in the first quartile, relative to the Expense Peers.

The Board noted that MYI’s contractual management fee rate ranked in the first quartile, and that the actual management fee rate and total expense ratio ranked in the first and third quartiles, respectively, relative to the Expense Peers.

The Board noted that MYN’s contractual management fee rate ranked in the first quartile, and that the actual management fee rate and total expense ratio each ranked in the first quartile, relative to the Expense Peers.

D. Economies of Scale: The Board, including the Independent Board Members, considered the extent to which economies of scale might be realized as the assets of each Fund increase. The Board also considered the extent to which each Fund benefits from such economies of scale in a variety of ways, and whether there should be changes in the advisory fee rate or breakpoint structure in order to enable each Fund to more fully participate in these economies of scale. The Board considered each Fund’s asset levels and whether the current fee was appropriate.

Based on the Board’s review and consideration of the issue, the Board concluded that most closed-end funds do not have fund level breakpoints because closed-end funds generally do not experience substantial growth after the initial public offering. Closed-end funds are typically priced at scale at a fund’s inception.

E. Other Factors Deemed Relevant by the Board Members: The Board, including the Independent Board Members, also took into account other ancillary or “fall-out” benefits that BlackRock or its affiliates may derive from BlackRock’s respective relationships with each Fund, both tangible and intangible, such as BlackRock’s ability to leverage its investment professionals who manage other portfolios and its risk management personnel, an increase in BlackRock’s profile in the investment advisory community, and the engagement of BlackRock’s affiliates as service providers to each Fund, including for administrative, securities lending and cash management services. The Board also considered BlackRock’s overall operations and its efforts to expand the scale of, and improve the quality of, its operations. The Board also noted that, subject to applicable law, BlackRock may use and benefit from third-party research obtained by soft dollars generated by certain registered fund transactions to assist in managing all or a number of its other client accounts.

In connection with its consideration of the Agreements, the Board also received information regarding BlackRock’s brokerage and soft dollar practices. The Board received reports from BlackRock which included information on brokerage commissions and trade execution practices throughout the year.

 

 

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The Board noted the competitive nature of the closed-end fund marketplace, and that shareholders are able to sell their Fund shares in the secondary market if they believe that each Fund’s fees and expenses are too high or if they are dissatisfied with the performance of each Fund.

The Board also considered the various notable initiatives and projects BlackRock performed in connection with its closed-end fund product line. These initiatives included developing equity shelf programs; efforts to eliminate product overlap with fund mergers; ongoing services to manage leverage that has become increasingly complex; periodic evaluation of share repurchases and other support initiatives for certain BlackRock funds; and continued communication efforts with shareholders, fund analysts and financial advisers. With respect to the latter, the Independent Board Members noted BlackRock’s continued commitment to supporting the secondary market for the common shares of its closed-end funds through a comprehensive secondary market communication program designed to raise investor and analyst awareness and understanding of closed-end funds. BlackRock’s support services included, among other things: sponsoring and participating in conferences; communicating with closed-end fund analysts covering the BlackRock funds throughout the year; providing marketing and product updates for the closed-end funds; and maintaining and enhancing its closed-end fund website.

Conclusion

The Board, including the Independent Board Members, unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements between the Manager and each Fund for a one-year term ending June 30, 2021. Based upon its evaluation of all of the aforementioned factors in their totality, as well as other information, the Board, including the Independent Board Members, was satisfied that the terms of the Agreements were fair and reasonable and in the best interest of each Fund and its shareholders. In arriving at its decision to approve the Agreements, the Board did not identify any single factor or group of factors as all-important or controlling, but considered all factors together, and different Board Members may have attributed different weights to the various factors considered. The Independent Board Members were also assisted by the advice of independent legal counsel in making this determination.

 

 

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Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks

 

Recent Changes

The following information is a summary of certain changes since July 31, 2019. This information may not reflect all of the changes that have occurred since you purchased the relevant Fund.

Effective March 24, 2020, MCA may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements may generate taxable income for the Fund and may increase the amount of ordinary income distributions paid to shareholders. See “Risk Factors — Reverse Repurchase Agreements” below for a discussion of the risks associated with the use of reverse repurchase agreements to which MCA is now subject.

Except as noted above, during each Fund’s most recent fiscal year, there were no material changes in the Fund’s investment objectives or policies that have not been approved by shareholders or in the principal risk factors associated with investment in the Fund.

Investment Objectives and Policies

BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II, Inc. (MUE)

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide stockholders with current income exempt from federal income taxes. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be realized. The Fund’s investment objective may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding common shares and the outstanding preferred shares, including the variable rate muni term preferred shares (“VMTP Shares”), voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares, including the VMTP Shares, voting as a separate class. A majority of the outstanding means (1) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares, whichever is less.

The Fund’s investment policies provide that it will invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term, investment grade municipal obligations, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from federal income taxes (except that the interest may be subject to the alternative minimum tax). The Fund’s investment policies provide that, at all times, except during temporary defensive periods, it will invest at least 80% of its total assets in a portfolio of obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, paying interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from federal income taxes (“Municipal Bonds”). The Fund’s investment policies provide that, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in Municipal Bonds with remaining maturities of one year or more at the time of investment.

The investment grade Municipal Bonds in which the Fund will primarily invest are those Municipal Bonds that are rated at the date of purchase in the four highest rating categories of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or, if unrated, are considered to be of comparable quality by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager”). In the case of short term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG-1 through MIG-3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. In the case of tax exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody’s and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG-3 and Prime-3 for Moody’s and BBB and F-3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Manager takes into account the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the financial institution that provided such credit enhancement. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Manager, to other obligations in which the Fund may invest.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, which are securities rated at the time of purchase Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch, or securities determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

The foregoing credit quality policies apply only at the time a security is purchased, and the Fund is not required to dispose of a security if a rating agency downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue. In determining whether to retain or sell a security that a rating agency has downgraded, the Manager may consider such factors as the Manager’s assessment of the credit quality of the issuer of the security, the price at which the security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to the security by other rating agencies. In the event that the Fund disposes of a portfolio security subsequent to its being downgraded, the Fund may experience a greater risk of loss than if such security had been sold prior to such downgrade.

The Fund may also purchase Municipal Bonds that are additionally secured by insurance, bank credit agreements or escrow accounts. The credit quality of companies which provide these credit enhancements will affect the value of those securities. Although the insurance feature reduces certain financial risks, the premiums for insurance and the higher market price paid for insured obligations may reduce the Fund’s income. The insurance feature does not guarantee the market value of the insured obligations or the net asset value of the common shares. The Fund may purchase insured bonds and may purchase insurance for bonds in its portfolio.

The Fund may invest in certain tax exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (or industrial development bonds, under pre-1986 law) (“PABs”) (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the Fund to an alternative minimum tax. The percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in PABs will vary from time to time. The Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its portfolio that may be invested in Municipal Bonds subject to the federal alternative minimum tax provisions of federal tax law, and the Fund expects that a portion of the income it produces will be includable in alternative minimum taxable income.

The average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Manager. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include long-term, intermediate-term and short-term Municipal Bonds.

 

 

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The Fund’s stated expectation is that it will invest in Municipal Bonds that, in the Manager’s opinion, are underrated or undervalued. Underrated Municipal Bonds are those whose ratings do not, in the opinion of the Manager, reflect their true higher creditworthiness. Undervalued Municipal Bonds are bonds that, in the opinion of the Manager, are worth more than the value assigned to them in the marketplace. The Manager may at times believe that bonds associated with a particular municipal market sector (for example, but not limited to electric utilities), or issued by a particular municipal issuer, are undervalued. The Manager may purchase those bonds for the Fund’s portfolio because they represent a market sector or issuer that the Manager considers undervalued, even if the value of those particular bonds appears to be consistent with the value of similar bonds. Municipal Bonds of particular types (for example, but not limited to hospital bonds, industrial revenue bonds or bonds issued by a particular municipal issuer) may be undervalued because there is a temporary excess of supply in that market sector, or because of a general decline in the market price of Municipal Bonds of the market sector for reasons that do not apply to the particular Municipal Bonds that are considered undervalued. The Fund’s investment in underrated or undervalued Municipal Bonds will be based on the Manager’s belief that their yield is higher than that available on bonds bearing equivalent levels of interest rate risk, credit risk and other forms of risk, and that their prices will ultimately rise, relative to the market, to reflect their true value. Any capital appreciation realized by the Fund will generally result in capital gain distributions subject to federal capital gains taxation.

The Fund ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment income not exempt from federal income tax. From time to time, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains.

Federal tax legislation has limited the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a federal income tax exemption. As a result, this legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of Municipal Bonds for investment by the Fund.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities, financial indices and futures contracts. These derivative transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio resulting from trends in the debt securities markets and changes in interest rates, to protect the Fund’s unrealized gains in the value of its portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes, to establish a position in the securities markets as a temporary substitute for purchasing particular securities and to enhance income or gain.

Leverage. The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and net asset value of its common shares. However, this objective cannot be achieved in all interest rate environments. The Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of VMTP Shares and residual interest municipal tender option bonds (“TOB Residuals”), which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Fund will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions.

The Fund is authorized to borrow money in amounts of up to 5% of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowings; provided, however, that the Fund is authorized to borrow moneys in amounts of up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowings to finance the repurchase of its own common stock pursuant to tender offers or otherwise to redeem or repurchase shares of preferred stock.

Other Investment Policies. For temporary periods or to provide liquidity, the Fund has the authority to invest as much as 20% of its total assets in tax-exempt and taxable money market obligations with a maturity of one year or less (such short-term obligations being referred to herein as “Temporary Investments”). In addition, the Fund reserves the right as a defensive measure to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments, when, in the opinion of the Advisors, prevailing market or financial conditions warrant. Taxable money market obligations will yield taxable income. The tax exempt money market securities may include municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, municipal bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year, variable rate demand notes and participations therein. The taxable money market securities in which the Fund may invest as Temporary Investments consist of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, domestic bank or savings institution certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper and repurchase agreements. These Temporary Investments must have a stated maturity not in excess of one year from the date of purchase. The Fund may not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank or a savings institution unless the bank or institution is organized and operating in the United States, has total assets of at least one billion dollars. To the extent the Fund invests in Temporary Investments, the Fund may not at such times be in a position to achieve its investment objective of tax-exempt income.

Short-term taxable fixed-income investments include, without limitation, the following: (i) U.S. Government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association, (iii) repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities, and (iv) commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations.

Short-term tax-exempt fixed income securities are securities that are exempt from regular federal income tax and mature within three years or less from the date of issuance. Short-term tax-exempt fixed income securities include, without limitation, the following: (i) Bond Anticipation Notes (“BANs”), which are usually general obligations of state and local governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds, (ii) Tax Anticipation Notes (“TANs”), which are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. (iii) Revenue Anticipation Notes (“RANs”), which are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the notes, (iv) Construction Loan Notes, which are issued to provide construction financing for specific projects, (v) Bank Notes, which are notes issued by local government bodies and agencies to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings, and (vi) Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (“municipal paper’”), which represents very short-term unsecured, negotiable promissory notes, issued by states, municipalities and their agencies.

The Fund may invest in variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”). The Fund may invest in all types of tax exempt instruments currently outstanding or to be issued in the future which satisfy its short term maturity and quality standards.

The Fund’s investment policies provide that the Temporary Investments and VRDOs in which the Fund may invest will be in the following rating categories at the time of purchase: MIG-1/VMIG-1 through MIG-3/VMIG-3 for notes and VRDOs and Prime-1 through Prime-3 for commercial paper (as determined by Moody’s), SP-1 through

 

 

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Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

SP-2 for notes and A-1 through A-3 for VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by S&P), or F-1 through F-3 for notes, VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by Fitch). Temporary Investments, if not rated, must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments for defensive purposes, when, in the judgment of the Manager, market conditions warrant.

The Fund may invest in restricted and illiquid securities.

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements as temporary investments.

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions which meet the creditworthiness standards established by the Board of Directors of the Fund.

BlackRock MuniYield California Quality Fund, Inc. (MCA)

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide stockholders with as high a level of current income exempt from U.S. federal and California income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, as a fundamental policy, at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of California, its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and by other qualifying issuers, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and exempt from California income taxes (“California Municipal Bonds”). The Fund also may invest in municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, but is not excludable from gross income for California income tax purposes (“Municipal Bonds”). Unless otherwise noted, the term “Municipal Bonds” also includes California Municipal Bonds. The Fund may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. In general, the Fund does not intend for its investments to earn a large amount of interest income that is (i) includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes or (ii) not exempt from California income taxes. From time to time, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains.

The Fund’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in California Municipal Bonds are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)). There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be realized.

The Fund may invest in certain tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (or industrial development bonds, under pre-1986 law) (“PABs”) (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the Fund to an alternative minimum tax. The percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in PABs will vary from time to time.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term Municipal Bonds that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, which are obligations rated at the time of purchase within the four highest-quality ratings as determined by either Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB). In the case of short-term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG 1 through MIG 3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG 3 and Prime-3 for Moody’s; and BBB and F3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager”) takes into account the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the financial institution that provided such credit enhancement. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Manager, to other obligations in which the Fund may invest. Insurance is expected to protect the Fund against losses caused by a bond issuer’s failure to make interest or principal payments. However, insurance does not protect the Fund or its stockholders against losses caused by declines in a bond’s market value. If a bond’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the bond could drop. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Manager, to other obligations in which the Fund may invest.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, which are securities rated at the time of purchase Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch, or securities determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

All percentage and ratings limitations on securities in which the Fund may invest apply at the time of making an investment and shall not be considered violated as a result of subsequent market movements or if an investment rating is subsequently downgraded to a rating that would have precluded the Fund’s initial investment in such security. In the event that the Fund disposes of a portfolio security subsequent to its being downgraded, the Fund may experience a greater risk of loss than if such security had been sold prior to such downgrade.

The average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Manager. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include long-term, intermediate-term and short-term Municipal Bonds.

The net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment company, such as the Fund, which invests primarily in fixed income securities, changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to decline. Prices of longer term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, such as the Fund.

 

 

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2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

For temporary periods or to provide liquidity, the Fund has the authority to invest as much as 20% of its total assets in tax-exempt and taxable money market obligations with a maturity of one year or less (such short-term obligations being referred to herein as “Temporary Investments”). In addition, the Fund reserves the right as a defensive measure to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments, when, in the opinion of the Manager, prevailing market or financial conditions warrant. Taxable money market obligations will yield taxable income. The Fund also may invest in variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”) and VRDOs in the form of participation interests (“Participating VRDOs”) in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution. The Fund’s hedging strategies are not fundamental policies and may be modified by the Board of Directors of the Fund without the approval of the Fund’s stockholders. The Fund is also authorized to invest in indexed and inverse floating rate obligations for hedging purposes and to seek to enhance return.

The Fund may invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if the Fund receives an opinion of counsel to the issuer that such securities pay interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes and, if applicable, exempt from California income taxes (“Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities”). Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates, partnership interests or other instruments evidencing interest in one or more long-term Municipal Bonds. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities also may include securities issued by other investment companies that invest in Municipal Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by the Fund’s investment restrictions and applicable law. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities are subject to the same risks associated with an investment in Municipal Bonds as well as many of the risks associated with investments in derivatives. If the Internal Revenue Service were to issue any adverse ruling or take an adverse position with respect to the taxation on these types of securities, there is a risk that the interest paid on such securities would be deemed taxable at the federal level.

The Fund ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment income not exempt from federal income tax. From time to time, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains.

Federal tax legislation may limit the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a federal income tax-exemption. As a result, current legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of Municipal Bonds for investment by the Fund.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These derivative transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions.

Leverage. The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and net asset value of its common shares. However, this objective cannot be achieved in all interest rate environments. The Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of variable rate demand preferred shares (“VRDP Shares”) and residual interest municipal tender option bonds (“TOB Residuals”), which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Fund will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions.

The Fund may enter into derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them.

The Fund may also borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Fund securities. Certain short-term borrowings (such as for cash management purposes) are not subject to the 1940 Act’s limitations on leverage if (i) repaid within 60 days, and (ii) not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

Other Investment Policies. The Fund may invest in short-term tax-exempt and taxable securities subject to the limitations set forth above. The tax-exempt money market securities may include municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, Municipal Bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year, variable rate demand notes and participations therein. The taxable money market securities in which the Fund may invest as Temporary Investments consist of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, domestic bank or savings institution certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short-term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper and repurchase agreements. These Temporary Investments must have a stated maturity not in excess of one year from the date of purchase. The Fund may not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank or a savings institution unless the bank or institution is organized and operating in the United States, has total assets of at least one billion dollars and is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), except that up to 10% of total assets may be invested in certificates of deposit of smaller institutions if such certificates are fully insured by the FDIC.

Short-term taxable fixed-income investments include, without limitation, the following: (i) U.S. Government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association, (iii) repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities, and (iv) commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Short-term tax-exempt fixed income securities are securities that are exempt from regular federal income tax and mature within three years or less from the date of issuance. Short-term tax-exempt fixed income securities include, without limitation, the following: (i) Bond Anticipation Notes (“BANs”), which are usually general obligations of state and local governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds, (ii) Tax Anticipation Notes (“TANs”), which are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. (iii) Revenue Anticipation Notes (“RANs”), which are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the notes, (iv) Construction Loan Notes, which are issued to provide construction financing for specific projects, (v) Bank Notes, which are notes issued by local government bodies and agencies to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings, and (vi) Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (“municipal paper’”), which represents very short-term unsecured, negotiable promissory notes, issued by states, municipalities and their agencies.

The Fund may invest in VRDOs and Participating VRDOs. The Fund may invest in all types of tax-exempt instruments currently outstanding or to be issued in the future which satisfy its short-term maturity and quality standards. It is contemplated that the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its assets in Participating VRDOs.

 

 

FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS

  67


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

The Temporary Investments, VRDOs and Participating VRDOs in which the Fund may invest will be in the following rating categories at the time of purchase: MIG-1/VMIG-1 through MIG-3/VMIG-3 for notes and VRDOs and Prime-1 through Prime-3 for commercial paper (as determined by Moody’s), SP-1 through SP-2 for notes and A-1 through A-3 for VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by S&P), or F-1 through F-3 for notes, VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by Fitch). Temporary Investments, if not rated, must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments for defensive purposes, when, in the judgment of the Manager, market conditions warrant.

In order to seek to hedge the value of the Fund against interest rate fluctuations, to hedge against increases in the Fund’s costs associated with the dividend payments on any preferred shares, or to seek to increase the Fund’s return, the Fund may enter into interest rate swap transactions such as Municipal Market Data AAA Cash Curve swaps (“MMD swaps,” also known as MMD rate locks) or Bond Market Association Municipal Swap Index swaps (“BMA swaps”).

The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements for hedging purposes or to seek to increase its return.

The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a member bank of the Federal Reserve System or a primary dealer or an affiliate thereof, in U.S. Government securities.

BlackRock MuniYield New York Quality Fund, Inc. (MYN)

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide stockholders with as high a level of current income exempt from federal income taxes and New York State and New York City personal income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, as a fundamental policy, at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of New York, its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and by other qualifying instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and exempt from New York State and New York City personal income taxes (“New York Municipal Bonds”). The Fund also may invest in municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, which pay interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, but is not exempt from New York State and New York City personal income taxes (“Municipal Bonds”). Unless otherwise noted, the term “Municipal Bonds” also includes New York Municipal Bonds. The Fund may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. In general, the Fund does not intend for its investments to earn a large amount of interest income that is (i) includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes or (ii) not exempt from New York State and New York City personal income taxes. The Fund’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in New York Municipal Bonds are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)). There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be realized.

The Fund may invest in certain tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (or industrial development bonds, under pre-1986 law) (“PABs”) (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the Fund to an alternative minimum tax. The percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in PABs will vary from time to time.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term Municipal Bonds that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, which are obligations rated at the time of purchase within the four highest-quality ratings as determined by either Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or are considered by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager”) to be of comparable quality. In the case of short-term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG 1 through MIG 3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG 3 and Prime-3 for Moody’s; and BBB and F3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Manager takes into account the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the financial institution that provided such credit enhancement. Insurance is expected to protect the Fund against losses caused by a bond issuer’s failure to make interest or principal payments. However, insurance does not protect the Fund or its stockholders against losses caused by declines in a bond’s market value. If a bond’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the bond could drop. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Manager, to other obligations in which the Fund may invest.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, which are securities rated at the time of purchase Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch, or securities determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

All percentage and ratings limitations on securities in which the Fund may invest apply at the time of making an investment and shall not be considered violated as a result of subsequent market movements or if an investment rating is subsequently downgraded to a rating that would have precluded the Fund’s initial investment in such security. In the event that the Fund disposes of a portfolio security subsequent to its being downgraded, the Fund may experience a greater risk of loss than if such security had been sold prior to such downgrade.

The average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Manager. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include both long-term and intermediate-term municipal bonds.

 

 

68  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

The net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment company, such as the Fund, which invests primarily in fixed income securities, changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to decline. Prices of longer term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, such as the Fund.

For temporary periods or to provide liquidity, the Fund has the authority to invest as much as 20% of its total assets in tax-exempt and taxable money market obligations with a maturity of one year or less (such short-term obligations being referred to herein as “Temporary Investments”). In addition, the Fund reserves the right as a defensive measure to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments, when, in the opinion of the Manager, prevailing market or financial conditions warrant. Taxable money market obligations will yield taxable income. The Fund also may invest in variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”) and VRDOs in the form of participation interests (“Participating VRDOs”) in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution. The Fund’s hedging strategies are not fundamental policies and may be modified by the Board of Directors of the Fund without the approval of the Fund’s stockholders. The Fund is also authorized to invest in indexed and inverse floating rate obligations for hedging purposes and to seek to enhance return.

The Fund may invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if the Fund receives an opinion of counsel to the issuer that such securities pay interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes and, if applicable, exempt from New York State and New York City personal income taxes (“Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities”). Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates, partnership interests or other instruments evidencing interest in one or more long-term Municipal Bonds. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities also may include securities issued by other investment companies that invest in Municipal Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by the Fund’s investment restrictions and applicable law. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities are subject to the same risks associated with an investment in Municipal Bonds as well as many of the risks associated with investments in derivatives. If the Internal Revenue Service were to issue any adverse ruling or take an adverse position with respect to the taxation on these types of securities, there is a risk that the interest paid on such securities would be deemed taxable at the federal level.

The Fund ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment income not exempt from federal income tax. From time to time, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains.

Federal tax legislation may limit the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a federal income tax-exemption. As a result, current legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of Municipal Bonds for investment by the Fund.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These derivative transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions.

Leverage. The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and net asset value of its common shares. However, this objective cannot be achieved in all interest rate environments. The Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of variable rate demand preferred shares (“VRDP Shares”) and residual interest municipal tender option bonds (“TOB Residuals”), which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Fund will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions. The Fund may enter into “dollar roll” transactions.

The Fund may enter into derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them.

The Fund may leverage its portfolio by entering into one or more credit facilities.

The Fund may also borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Fund securities. Certain short-term borrowings (such as for cash management purposes) are not subject to the 1940 Act’s limitations on leverage if (i) repaid within 60 days, and (ii) not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

Other Investment Policies. The Fund may invest in short-term tax-exempt and taxable securities subject to the limitations set forth above. The tax-exempt money market securities may include municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, Municipal Bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year, variable rate demand notes and participations therein. Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes and grant anticipation notes. Anticipation notes are sold as interim financing in anticipation of tax collection, bond sales, government grants or revenue receipts. Municipal commercial paper refers to short-term unsecured promissory notes generally issued to finance short-term credit needs. The taxable money market securities in which the Fund may invest as Temporary Investments consist of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, domestic bank or savings institution certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short-term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper and repurchase agreements. These Temporary Investments must have a stated maturity not in excess of one year from the date of purchase. The Fund may not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank or a savings institution unless the bank or institution is organized and operating in the United States, has total assets of at least one billion dollars and is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), except that up to 10% of total assets may be invested in certificates of deposit of smaller institutions if such certificates are fully insured by the FDIC.

The Fund may invest in VRDOs and Participating VRDOs. The Fund may invest in all types of tax-exempt instruments currently outstanding or to be issued in the future which satisfy its short-term maturity and quality standards. It is contemplated that the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its assets in Participating VRDOs.

The Temporary Investments, VRDOs and Participating VRDOs in which the Fund may invest will be in the following rating categories at the time of purchase: MIG-1/VMIG-1 through MIG-3/VMIG-3 for notes and VRDOs and Prime-1 through Prime-3 for commercial paper (as determined by Moody’s), SP-1 through SP-2 for notes and A-1 through A-3 for VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by S&P), or F-1 through F-3 for notes, VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by Fitch).

 

 

FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS

  69


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

Temporary Investments, if not rated, must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments for defensive purposes, when, in the judgment of the Manager, market conditions warrant.

The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements for hedging purposes or to seek to increase its return.

The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a member bank of the Federal Reserve System or a primary dealer or an affiliate thereof, in U.S. Government securities.

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (MYI)

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide stockholders with as high a level of current income exempt from federal income taxes as is consistent with its investment policies and prudent investment management. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a portfolio of municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, each of which pays interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) (“Municipal Bonds”). The Fund may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. The Fund’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of an aggregate of the Fund’s net assets (including proceeds from the issuance of any preferred stock) and the proceeds of any borrowings for investment purposes, in Municipal Bonds are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)). There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be realized.

The Fund may invest in certain tax-exempt securities classified as “private activity bonds” (or industrial development bonds, under pre-1986 law) (“PABs”) (in general, bonds that benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the Fund to an alternative minimum tax. The percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in PABs will vary from time to time. The Fund also will not invest more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of each investment) in Municipal Bonds whose issuers are located in the same state.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects to invest primarily in a portfolio of long-term Municipal Bonds that are commonly referred to as “investment grade” securities, which are obligations rated at the time of purchase within the four highest-quality ratings as determined by either Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (currently Aaa, Aa, A and Baa), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) (currently AAA, AA, A and BBB) or are considered by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the “Manager”) to be of comparable quality. In the case of short-term notes, the investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-2 for S&P, MIG 1 through MIG 3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3 for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody’s and F1+ through F3 for Fitch. Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-2 and A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG 3 and Prime-3 for Moody’s; and BBB and F3 for Fitch), while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing within the rating categories set forth above. In assessing the quality of Municipal Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Manager takes into account the nature of any letters of credit or similar credit enhancement to which particular Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the financial institution that provided such credit enhancement. Insurance is expected to protect the Fund against losses caused by a bond issuer’s failure to make interest or principal payments. However, insurance does not protect the Fund or its stockholders against losses caused by declines in a bond’s market value. If a bond’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the bond could drop. If unrated, such securities will possess creditworthiness comparable, in the opinion of the Manager, to other obligations in which the Fund may invest.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in securities that are rated below investment grade, which are securities rated at the time of purchase Ba or below by Moody’s, BB or below by S&P or Fitch, or securities determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality. Below investment grade quality is regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Such securities commonly are referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

All percentage and ratings limitations on securities in which the Fund may invest apply at the time of making an investment and shall not be considered violated as a result of subsequent market movements or if an investment rating is subsequently downgraded to a rating that would have precluded the Fund’s initial investment in such security. In the event that the Fund disposes of a portfolio security subsequent to its being downgraded, the Fund may experience a greater risk of loss than if such security had been sold prior to such downgrade.

The average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio securities varies from time to time based upon an assessment of economic and market conditions by the Manager. The Fund’s portfolio at any given time may include both long-term and intermediate-term municipal bonds.

The net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment company, such as the Fund, which invests primarily in fixed income securities, changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed income portfolio can be expected to decline. Prices of longer term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, such as the Fund.

For temporary periods or to provide liquidity, the Fund has the authority to invest as much as 20% of its total assets in tax-exempt and taxable money market obligations with a maturity of one year or less (such short-term obligations being referred to herein as “Temporary Investments”). In addition, the Fund reserves the right as a defensive measure to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments, when, in the opinion of the Manager, prevailing market or financial conditions warrant. Taxable money market obligations will yield taxable income. The Fund also may invest in variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”) and VRDOs in the form of participation interests (“Participating VRDOs”) in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution. The Fund’s hedging strategies are not fundamental policies and may be modified by the Board of Directors of the Fund without the approval of the Fund’s stockholders. The Fund is also authorized to invest in indexed and inverse floating rate obligations for hedging purposes and to seek to enhance return.

 

 

 

70  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

The Fund may invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if the Fund receives an opinion of counsel to the issuer that such securities pay interest that is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (“Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities”). Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates, partnership interests or other instruments evidencing interest in one or more long-term Municipal Bonds. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities also may include securities issued by other investment companies that invest in Municipal Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by the Fund’s investment restrictions and applicable law. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities are subject to the same risks associated with an investment in Municipal Bonds as well as many of the risks associated with investments in derivatives. If the Internal Revenue Service were to issue any adverse ruling or take an adverse position with respect to the taxation on these types of securities, there is a risk that the interest paid on such securities would be deemed taxable at the federal level.

The Fund ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment income not exempt from federal income tax. From time to time, the Fund may realize taxable capital gains.

Federal tax legislation may limit the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a federal income tax-exemption. As a result, current legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of Municipal Bonds for investment by the Fund.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, enter into various interest rate transactions and swap contracts (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps) and may purchase and sell exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities and swap contracts, financial indices and futures contracts and use other derivative instruments or management techniques. These derivative transactions may be used for duration management and other risk management purposes, subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions.

Leverage. The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and net asset value of its common shares. However, this objective cannot be achieved in all interest rate environments. The Fund currently leverages its assets through the use of variable rate demand preferred shares (“VRDP Shares”) and residual interest municipal tender option bonds (“TOB Residuals”), which are derivative interests in municipal bonds. The TOB Residuals in which the Fund will invest pay interest or income that, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer of such TOB Residuals, is exempt from regular U.S. federal income tax.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the Fund’s investment restrictions. The Fund may enter into “dollar roll” transactions.

The Fund may enter into derivative transactions that have economic leverage embedded in them.

The Fund may leverage its portfolio by entering into one or more credit facilities.

The Fund may also borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including the payment of dividends and the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of Fund securities. Certain short-term borrowings (such as for cash management purposes) are not subject to the 1940 Act’s limitations on leverage if (i) repaid within 60 days, and (ii) not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

Other Investment Policies. The Fund may invest in short-term tax-exempt and taxable securities subject to the limitations set forth above. The tax-exempt money market securities may include municipal notes, municipal commercial paper, Municipal Bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year, variable rate demand notes and participations therein. Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes and grant anticipation notes. Anticipation notes are sold as interim financing in anticipation of tax collection, bond sales, government grants or revenue receipts. Municipal commercial paper refers to short-term unsecured promissory notes generally issued to finance short-term credit needs. The taxable money market securities in which the Fund may invest as Temporary Investments consist of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, domestic bank or savings institution certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short-term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper and repurchase agreements. These Temporary Investments must have a stated maturity not in excess of one year from the date of purchase. The Fund may not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank or a savings institution unless the bank or institution is organized and operating in the United States, has total assets of at least one billion dollars and is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), except that up to 10% of total assets may be invested in certificates of deposit of smaller institutions if such certificates are fully insured by the FDIC.

The Fund may invest in VRDOs and Participating VRDOs. The Fund may invest in all types of tax-exempt instruments currently outstanding or to be issued in the future which satisfy its short-term maturity and quality standards. It is contemplated that the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its assets in Participating VRDOs.

The Temporary Investments, VRDOs and Participating VRDOs in which the Fund may invest will be in the following rating categories at the time of purchase: MIG 1/VMIG 1 through MIG 3/VMIG 3 for notes and VRDOs and Prime-1 through Prime-3 for commercial paper (as determined by Moody’s), SP-1 through SP-2 for notes and A-1 through A-3 for VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by S&P), or F1 through F3 for notes, VRDOs and commercial paper (as determined by Fitch). Temporary Investments, if not rated, must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Manager. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to invest temporarily a greater portion of its assets in Temporary Investments for defensive purposes, when, in the judgment of the Manager, market conditions warrant.

The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements for hedging purposes or to seek to increase its return.

The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a member bank of the Federal Reserve System or a primary dealer or an affiliate thereof, in U.S. Government securities.

Risk Factors

This section contains a discussion of the general risks of investing in each Fund. The net asset value and market price of, and dividends paid on, the common shares will fluctuate with and be affected by, among other things, the risks more fully described below. As with any fund, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective or that the Fund’s performance will be positive for any period of time. Each risk noted below is applicable to each Fund unless the specific Fund or Funds are noted in a parenthetical.

 

 

FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS

  71


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

Non-Diversification Risk (MYN) — The Fund is a non-diversified fund. Because the Fund may invest in securities of a smaller number of issuers, it may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer than a fund that invests more widely.

Investment and Market Discount Risk — An investment in the Fund’s common shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire amount that you invest. As with any stock, the price of the Fund’s common shares will fluctuate with market conditions and other factors. If shares are sold, the price received may be more or less than the original investment. Common shares are designed for long-term investors and the Fund should not be treated as a trading vehicle. Shares of closed-end management investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value could decrease as a result of its investment activities. At any point in time an investment in the Fund’s common shares may be worth less than the original amount invested, even after taking into account distributions paid by the Fund. During periods in which the Fund may use leverage, the Fund’s investment, market discount and certain other risks will be magnified.

Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve interest rate risk, credit risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, among other things.

Interest Rate Risk — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.

The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates. For example, if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being equal, the value of the Fund’s investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for those securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund management.

To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate debt securities.

These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in value when interest rates change.

A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value and could hurt the Fund’s performance.

Credit Risk — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.

Extension Risk — When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these obligations to fall.

Prepayment Risk — When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.

Municipal Securities Risks — Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. These risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risks — Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.

Revenue Bonds Risks — These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.

Private Activity Bonds Risks — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its faith, credit and taxing power for repayment. The Fund’s investments may consist of private activity bonds that may subject certain shareholders to an alternative minimum tax.

Moral Obligation Bonds Risks — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.

Municipal Notes Risks — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.

Municipal Lease Obligations Risks — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

Tax-Exempt Status Risk — The Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal bonds and payments under derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the bases for those tax opinions, which may ultimately be determined to be incorrect and subject the Fund and its shareholders to substantial tax liabilities.

 

 

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Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

State Specific Risk (MCA and MYN) — The Fund invests primarily in municipal bonds issued by or on behalf of its designated state. As a result, the Fund is more exposed to risks affecting issuers of its designated state’s municipal securities than is a fund that invests more widely. Fund management does not believe that the current economic conditions will adversely affect the Fund’s ability to invest in high quality state municipal securities in its designated state.

Taxability Risk — The Fund intends to minimize the payment of taxable income to shareholders by investing in tax-exempt or municipal securities in reliance at the time of purchase on an opinion of bond counsel to the issuer that the interest paid on those securities will be excludable from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such securities, however, may be determined to pay, or have paid, taxable income subsequent to the Fund’s acquisition of the securities. In that event, the Internal Revenue Service may demand that the Fund pay U.S. federal income taxes on the affected interest income, and, if the Fund agrees to do so, the Fund’s yield could be adversely affected. In addition, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Fund as “exempt interest dividends” could be adversely affected, subjecting the Fund’s shareholders to increased U.S. federal income tax liabilities. Federal tax legislation may limit the types and volume of bonds the interest on which qualifies for a federal income tax-exemption. As a result, current legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect the availability of Municipal Bonds for investment by the Fund. In addition, future laws, regulations, rulings or court decisions may cause interest on municipal securities to be subject, directly or indirectly, to U.S. federal income taxation or interest on state municipal securities to be subject to state or local income taxation, or the value of state municipal securities to be subject to state or local intangible personal property tax, or may otherwise prevent the Fund from realizing the full current benefit of the tax-exempt status of such securities. Any such change could also affect the market price of such securities, and thus the value of an investment in the Fund.

Insurance Risk — Insurance guarantees that interest payments on a municipal security will be made on time and that the principal will be repaid when the security matures. However, insurance does not protect against losses caused by declines in a municipal security’s value. The Fund cannot be certain that any insurance company will make the payments it guarantees. If a municipal security’s insurer fails to fulfill its obligations or loses its credit rating, the value of the security could drop.

Junk Bonds Risk — Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, junk bonds are high risk investments that are considered speculative and may cause income and principal losses for the Fund.

Zero Coupon Securities Risk — While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will not meet its obligation. If this occurs, the Fund may lose both the investment opportunity for the assets it set aside to pay for the security and any gain in the security’s price.

Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk — Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s return on these securities will be subject to risk with respect to the value of the particular index. These securities are subject to leverage risk and correlation risk. Certain indexed and inverse securities have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates or index levels than other securities, and the Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk — Certain securities in which the Fund may invest, including securities issued by certain U.S. Government agencies and U.S. Government sponsored enterprises, are not guaranteed by the U.S. Government or supported by the full faith and credit of the United States.

Variable Rate Demand Obligations Risks — Variable rate demand obligations are floating rate securities that combine an interest in a long term municipal bond with a right to demand payment before maturity from a bank or other financial institution. If the bank or financial institution is unable to pay, the Fund may lose money.

Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money.

Leverage Risk — The Fund uses leverage for investment purposes through the issuance of VMTP Shares or VRDP Shares, as applicable. The Fund also utilizes leverage for investment purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, derivative instruments with leverage embedded in then, such as TOB Residuals, and, if applicable, dollar rolls. The Fund’s use of leverage may increase or decrease from time to time in its discretion and the Trust may, in the future, determine not to use leverage.

The use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased common share net investment income dividends, but also creates risks for the holders of common shares. The Fund cannot assure you that the use of leverage will result in a higher yield on the common shares. Any leveraging strategy the Trust employs may not be successful.

Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders, including:

 

   

the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value, market price and dividend rate of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage;

 

   

the risk that fluctuations in interest rates or dividend rates on any leverage that the Trust must pay will reduce the return to the common shareholders;

 

 

 

FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS

  73


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

   

the effect of leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the common shares than if the Trust were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares;

 

   

leverage may increase operating costs, which may reduce total return.

Any decline in the net asset value of the Fund’s investments will be borne entirely by the holders of common shares. Therefore, if the market value of the Fund’s portfolio declines, leverage will result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of common shares than if the Fund were not leveraged. This greater net asset value decrease will also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for the common shares.

Tender Option Bonds Risk — The Fund’s participation in tender option bond transactions may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Investments in tender option bond transactions expose the Fund to counterparty risk and leverage risk. An investment in a tender option bond transaction typically will involve greater risk than an investment in a municipal fixed rate security, including the risk of loss of principal. Distributions on TOB Residuals will bear an inverse relationship to short-term municipal security interest rates. Distributions on TOB Residuals paid to the Fund will be reduced or, in the extreme, eliminated as short-term municipal interest rates rise and will increase when short-term municipal interest rates fall. TOB Residuals generally will underperform the market for fixed rate municipal securities in a rising interest rate environment. The Fund may invest special purpose trusts formed for the purpose of holding municipal bonds contributed by one or more funds (“TOB Trusts”) on either a non-recourse or recourse basis. If the Fund invests in a TOB Trust on a recourse basis, it could suffer losses in excess of the value of its TOB Residuals.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense.

Dollar Rolls Risk (MYN and MYI) — Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the Fund is committed to buy may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold. These transactions may involve leverage.

Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may invest without limitation in illiquid or less liquid investments or investments in which no secondary market is readily available or which are otherwise illiquid, including private placement securities. The Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such investments if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of investments, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s net asset value and ability to make dividend distributions. The financial markets in general, and certain segments of the mortgage-related securities markets in particular, have in recent years experienced periods of extreme secondary market supply and demand imbalance, resulting in a loss of liquidity during which market prices were suddenly and substantially below traditional measures of intrinsic value. During such periods, some investments could be sold only at arbitrary prices and with substantial losses. Periods of such market dislocation may occur again at any time. Privately issued debt securities are often of below investment grade quality, frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as investing in below investment grade public debt securities.

Investment Companies and ETFs Risk (MCA, MYN and MYI) — Subject to the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act or as otherwise limited by the SEC, the Fund may acquire shares in other investment companies and in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), some of which may be affiliated investment companies. The market value of the shares of other investment companies and ETFs may differ from their net asset value. As an investor in investment companies and ETFs, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees, while continuing to pay its own advisory and administration fees and other expenses (to the extent not offset by the Manager through waivers). As a result, shareholders will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies and ETFs (to the extent not offset by the Manager through waivers).

The securities of other investment companies and ETFs in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of other investment companies and ETFs that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of shares of the Fund) will be diminished.

As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.

Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:

Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets.

Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Market and Illiquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately.

Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them.

Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences.

 

 

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2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks  (continued)

 

Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments.

Regulatory Risk — Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives are subject to margin requirements and swap dealers are required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Specifically, regulations are now in effect that require swap dealers to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid instruments and subject to a required haircut) in connection with trading of OTC swaps with the Fund. Shares of investment companies (other than certain money market funds) may not be posted as collateral under these regulations. Requirements for posting of initial margin in connection with OTC swaps will be phased-in through at least 2021. In addition, regulations adopted by global prudential regulators that are now in effect require certain bank-regulated counterparties and certain of their affiliates to include in certain financial contracts, including many derivatives contracts, terms that delay or restrict the rights of counterparties, such as the Fund, to terminate such contracts, foreclose upon collateral, exercise other default rights or restrict transfers of credit support in the event that the counterparty and/or its affiliates are subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings. The implementation of these requirements with respect to derivatives, as well as regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of other derivatives, may increase the costs and risks to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund.

In November 2019, the SEC proposed new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. If adopted as proposed, new Rule 18f-4 would impose limits on the amount of derivatives a fund could enter into, eliminate the asset segregation framework currently used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, treat derivatives as senior securities so that a failure to comply with the proposed limits would result in a statutory violation and require funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.

Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. The value of a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues like pandemics or epidemics, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money.

A recent outbreak of an infectious coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic that has resulted in numerous disruptions in the market and has had significant economic impact leaving general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this coronavirus, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the market in general ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.

 

 

FUND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS

  75


Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan

 

Pursuant to each Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Reinvestment Plan”), Common Shareholders are automatically enrolled to have all distributions of dividends and capital gains and other distributions reinvested by Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (the “Reinvestment Plan Agent”) in the respective Fund’s Common Shares pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan. Shareholders who do not participate in the Reinvestment Plan will receive all distributions in cash paid by check and mailed directly to the shareholders of record (or if the shares are held in street name or other nominee name, then to the nominee) by the Reinvestment Plan Agent, which serves as agent for the shareholders in administering the Reinvestment Plan.

After the Funds declare a dividend or determine to make a capital gain or other distribution, the Reinvestment Plan Agent will acquire shares for the participants’ accounts, depending upon the following circumstances, either (i) through receipt of unissued but authorized shares from the Funds (“newly issued shares”) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding shares on the open market or on the Fund’s primary exchange (“open-market purchases”). If, on the dividend payment date, the net asset value per share (“NAV”) is equal to or less than the market price per share plus estimated brokerage commissions (such condition often referred to as a “market premium”), the Reinvestment Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in newly issued shares acquired on behalf of the participants. The number of newly issued shares to be credited to each participant’s account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the dividend by the NAV on the date the shares are issued. However, if the NAV is less than 95% of the market price on the dividend payment date, the dollar amount of the dividend will be divided by 95% of the market price on the dividend payment date. If, on the dividend payment date, the NAV is greater than the market price per share plus estimated brokerage commissions (such condition often referred to as a “market discount”), the Reinvestment Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in shares acquired on behalf of the participants in open-market purchases. If the Reinvestment Plan Agent is unable to invest the full dividend amount in open-market purchases, or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the purchase period, the Reinvestment Plan Agent will invest any un-invested portion in newly issued shares. Investments in newly issued shares made in this manner would be made pursuant to the same process described above and the date of issue for such newly issued shares will substitute for the dividend payment date.

You may elect not to participate in the Reinvestment Plan and to receive all dividends in cash by contacting the Reinvestment Plan Agent, at the address set forth below.

Participation in the Reinvestment Plan is completely voluntary and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by notice if received and processed by the Reinvestment Plan Agent prior to the dividend record date. Additionally, the Reinvestment Plan Agent seeks to process notices received after the record date but prior to the payable date and such notices often will become effective by the payable date. Where late notices are not processed by the applicable payable date, such termination or resumption will be effective with respect to any subsequently declared dividend or other distribution.

The Reinvestment Plan Agent’s fees for the handling of the reinvestment of distributions will be paid by each Fund. However, each participant will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the Reinvestment Plan Agent’s open market purchases in connection with the reinvestment of all distributions. The automatic reinvestment of all distributions will not relieve participants of any U.S. federal, state or local income tax that may be payable on such dividends or distributions.

Each Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Reinvestment Plan. There is no direct service charge to participants in the Reinvestment Plan; however, each Fund reserves the right to amend the Reinvestment Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Participants in MUE, MCA and MYI that request a sale of shares are subject to a $2.50 sales fee and a $0.15 per share sold brokerage commission fee. Participants in MYN that request a sale of shares are subject to a $0.02 per share sold brokerage commission. All correspondence concerning the Reinvestment Plan should be directed to Computershare Trust Company, N.A. through the internet at http://www.computershare.com/blackrock, or in writing to Computershare, P.O. Box 505000, Louisville, KY 40233, Telephone: (800) 699-1236. Overnight correspondence should be directed to the Reinvestment Plan Agent at Computershare, 462 South 4th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, KY 40202.

 

 

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2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Director and Officer Information

 

Independent Directors (a)
         
Name
Year of Birth
 (b)
   Position(s) Held
(Length of Service)
 (c)
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years    Number of BlackRock-Advised
Registered Investment Companies
(“RICs”)  Consisting of Investment
Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen
 (d)
   Public Company and
Other Investment Company
Directorships Held During
Past Five Years

Richard E. Cavanagh

1946

  

Co-Chair of the Board and Director

(Since 2007)

   Director, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America since 1998; Board Chair, Volunteers of America (a not-for-profit organization) from 2015 to 2018 (board member since 2009); Director, Arch Chemicals (chemical and allied products) from 1999 to 2011; Trustee, Educational Testing Service from 1997 to 2009 and Chairman thereof from 2005 to 2009; Senior Advisor, The Fremont Group since 2008 and Director thereof since 1996; Faculty Member/Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard University since 2007 and Executive Dean from 1987 to 1995; President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board, Inc. (global business research organization) from 1995 to 2007.    86 RICs consisting of 110 Portfolios    None

Karen P. Robards

1950

  

Co-Chair of the Board and Director

(Since 2007)

   Principal of Robards & Company, LLC (consulting and private investing) since 1987; Co-founder and Director of the Cooke Center for Learning and Development (a not-for-profit organization) since 1987; Director of Enable Injections, LLC (medical devices) since 2019; Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley from 1976 to 1987.    86 RICs consisting of 110 Portfolios    Greenhill & Co., Inc.; AtriCure, Inc. (medical devices) from 2000 until 2017

Michael J. Castellano

1946

  

Director

(Since 2011)

   Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Group LLC from 2001 to 2011; Chief Financial Officer of Lazard Ltd from 2004 to 2011; Director, Support Our Aging Religious (non-profit) from 2009 to June 2015 and since 2017; Director, National Advisory Board of Church Management at Villanova University since 2010; Trustee, Domestic Church Media Foundation since 2012; Director, CircleBlack Inc. (financial technology company) since 2015.    86 RICs consisting of 110 Portfolios    None

Cynthia L. Egan

1955

  

Director

(Since 2016)

   Advisor, U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2014 to 2015; President, Retirement Plan Services, for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. from 2007 to 2012; executive positions within Fidelity Investments from 1989 to 2007.    86 RICs consisting of 110 Portfolios    Unum (insurance); The Hanover Insurance Group (insurance); Envestnet (investment platform) from 2013 until 2016

Frank J. Fabozzi (d)

1948

  

Director

(Since 2007)

   Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management since 1986; Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School (France) since 2011; Visiting Professor, Princeton University for the 2013 to 2014 academic year and Spring 2017 semester; Professor in the Practice of Finance, Yale University School of Management from 1994 to 2011 and currently a Teaching Fellow in Yale’s Executive Programs; Board Member, BlackRock Equity-Liquidity Funds from 2014 to 2016; affiliated professor Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 2008 to 2011; Visiting Professor, Rutgers University for the Spring 2019 semester; Visiting Professor, New York University for the 2019 academic year.    87 RICs consisting of 111 Portfolios    None

R. Glenn Hubbard

1958

  

Director

(Since 2007)

   Dean, Columbia Business School from 2004 to 2019; Faculty member, Columbia Business School since 1988.    86 RICs consisting of 110 Portfolios    ADP (data and information services); Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (insurance); KKR Financial Corporation (finance) from 2004 until 2014

 

 

DIRECTOR AND OFFICER INFORMATION

  77


Director and Officer Information  (continued)

 

Independent Directors (a) (continued)
         
Name
Year of Birth
 (b)
   Position(s) Held
(Length of Service)
 (c)
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years    Number of BlackRock-Advised
Registered Investment Companies
(“RICs”)  Consisting of Investment
Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen
 (d)
   Public Company and
Other Investment Company
Directorships Held During
Past Five Years

W. Carl Kester (d)

1951

  

Director

(Since 2007)

   George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School since 2008; Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs from 2006 to 2010; Chairman of the Finance Unit, from 2005 to 2006; Senior Associate Dean and Chairman of the MBA Program from 1999 to 2005; Member of the faculty of Harvard Business School since 1981.    87 RICs consisting of 111 Portfolios    None

Catherine A. Lynch (d)

1961

  

Director

(Since 2016)

   Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and various other positions, National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust from 2003 to 2016; Associate Vice President for Treasury Management, The George Washington University from 1999 to 2003; Assistant Treasurer, Episcopal Church of America from 1995 to 1999.    87 RICs consisting of 111 Portfolios    None
     Interested Directors (a)(e)          
         
Name
Year of Birth
 (b)
   Position(s) Held
(Length of Service)
 (c)
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years    Number of BlackRock-Advised
Registered Investment Companies
(“RICs”)  Consisting of Investment
Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen
 (d)
   Public Company and Other
Investment Company
Directorships Held During
Past Five Years

Robert Fairbairn

1965

  

Director

(Since 2018)

   Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019; Member of BlackRock’s Global Executive and Global Operating Committees; Co-Chair of BlackRock’s Human Capital Committee; Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2010 to 2019; oversaw BlackRock’s Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group from 2012 to 2019; Member of the Board of Managers of BlackRock Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2018; Global Head of BlackRock’s Retail and iShares® businesses from 2012 to 2016.    122 RICs consisting of 265 Portfolios    None

John M. Perlowski (d)

1964

  

Director (Since 2015); President and Chief Executive Officer

(Since 2010)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009; Head of BlackRock Global Accounting and Product Services since 2009; Advisory Director of Family Resource Network (charitable foundation) since 2009.    123 RICs consisting of 266 Portfolios    None

(a) The address of each Director is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10055.

(b) Each Independent Director holds office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal as provided by the Fund’s by-laws or charter or statute, or until December 31 of the year in which he or she turns 75. Directors who are “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act serve until their successor is duly elected and qualifies or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal as provided by the Fund’s by-laws or statute, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. The Board may determine to extend the terms of Independent Directors on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate.

(c) Following the combination of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (“MLIM”) and BlackRock, Inc. in September 2006, the various legacy MLIM and legacy BlackRock fund boards were realigned and consolidated into three new fund boards in 2007. Certain Independent Directors first became members of the boards of other legacy MLIM or legacy BlackRock funds as follows: Richard E. Cavanagh, 1994; Frank J. Fabozzi, 1988; R. Glenn Hubbard, 2004; W. Carl Kester, 1995; and Karen P. Robards, 1998.

(d) Dr. Fabozzi, Dr. Kester, Ms. Lynch and Mr. Perlowski are also trustees of the BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund.

(e) Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are both “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act 1940 Act, of the Fund based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are also board members of the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.

 

 

78  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Director and Officer Information  (continued)

 

Officers Who Are Not Directors (a)
     
Name
Year of Birth
 (b)
   Position(s) Held
(Length of Service)
   Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years

Jonathan Diorio

1980

  

Vice President

(Since 2015)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2015; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2011 to 2015.

Neal J. Andrews

1966

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Since 2007)

   Chief Financial Officer of the iShares® exchange traded funds from 2019 to 2020; Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006.

Jay M. Fife

1970

  

Treasurer

(Since 2007)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007.

Charles Park

1967

   Chief Compliance Officer (Since 2014)    Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for certain BlackRock-advised Funds from 2014 to 2015; Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex and the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex since 2014; Principal of and Chief Compliance Officer for iShares® Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC since 2012 and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for the BFA-advised iShares® exchange traded funds since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for BlackRock Asset Management International Inc. since 2012.

Janey Ahn

1975

  

Secretary

(Since 2012)

   Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2018; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2017.

(a) The address of each Officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10055.

(b) Officers of the Fund serve at the pleasure of the Board.

Investment Adviser

BlackRock Advisors, LLC

Wilmington, DE 19809

Accounting Agent and Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Boston, MA 02111

Transfer Agent

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Canton, MA 02021

VRDP Tender and Paying Agent and VMTP Redemption and Paying Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon

New York, NY 10286

VRDP Liquidity Provider

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

New York, NY 10019

VRDP Remarketing Agent

TD Securities (USA) LLC

New York, NY 10019

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Boston, MA 02116

Legal Counsel

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

New York, NY 10019

Address of the Funds

100 Bellevue Parkway

Wilmington, DE 19809

 

 

 

DIRECTOR AND OFFICER INFORMATION

  79


Additional Information

 

Proxy Results

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders was held on July 27, 2020 for shareholders of record on May 29, 2020, to elect director nominees for each Fund. There were no broker non-votes with regard to any of the Funds.

Shareholders elected the Directors as follows:

 

  

 

  Michael J. Castellano      Richard E. Cavanagh      Cynthia L. Egan  
     Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld  

MUE

    18,289,395        2,282,531        18,741,348        1,830,578        18,909,060        1,662,866  

MCA

    26,880,455        2,732,486        26,848,651        2,764,290        26,984,115        2,628,826  

MYI

    48,521,361        14,131,865        52,714,963        9,938,263        53,150,181        9,503,045  

MYN

    30,186,621        5,749,089        30,180,444        5,755,266        30,446,464        5,489,246  
                
  

 

  Robert Fairbairn      R. Glenn Hubbard      Catherine A. Lynch  
     Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld  

MUE

    18,867,397        1,704,529        18,696,242        1,875,684        18,311,940        2,259,986  

MCA

    26,849,643        2,763,298        26,879,072        2,733,869        26,985,322        2,627,619  

MYI

    52,857,822        9,795,404        52,925,897        9,727,329        48,622,752        14,030,474  

MYN

    30,627,648        5,308,062        30,436,507        5,499,203        30,574,850        5,360,860  
                
  

 

  John M. Perlowski      Karen P. Robards      Frank J. Fabozzi (a)  
     Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld      Votes For      Votes Withheld  

MUE

    18,869,409        1,702,517        18,287,967        2,283,959        1,310        0  

MCA

    26,900,558        2,712,383        26,968,766        2,644,175        1,665        0  

MYI

    52,969,270        9,683,956        48,598,628        14,054,598        3,564        0  

MYN

    30,675,340        5,260,370        30,062,284        5,873,426        2,477        0  
                
  

 

                                  W. Carl Kester (a)  
                                     Votes For      Votes Withheld  

MUE

                1,310        0  

MCA

                1,665        0  

MYI

                3,564        0  

MYN

                                        2,477        0  

 

  (a) 

Voted on by holders of preferred shares only.

 

Fund Certification

The Funds are listed for trading on the NYSE and have filed with the NYSE their annual chief executive officer certification regarding compliance with the NYSE’s listing standards. The Funds filed with the SEC the certification of its chief executive officer and chief financial officer required by section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Dividend Policy

Each Fund’s dividend policy is to distribute all or a portion of its net investment income to its shareholders on a monthly basis. In order to provide shareholders with a more stable level of distributions, the Funds may at times pay out less than the entire amount of net investment income earned in any particular month/quarter and may at times in any particular month/quarter pay out such accumulated but undistributed income in addition to net investment income earned in that month/quarter. As a result, the distributions paid by the Funds for any particular month/quarter may be more or less than the amount of net investment income earned by the Funds during such month/quarter. The Funds’ current accumulated but undistributed net investment income, if any, is disclosed as accumulated earnings (loss) in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, which comprises part of the financial information included in this report.

General Information

The Funds do not make available copies of their Statements of Additional Information because the Funds’ shares are not continuously offered, which means that the Statement of Additional Information of each Fund has not been updated after completion of the respective Fund’s offerings and the information contained in each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information may have become outdated.

Except if noted otherwise herein, there were no changes to the Funds’ charters or by-laws that would delay or prevent a change of control of the Funds that were not approved by the shareholders. Except if noted otherwise herein, there have been no changes in the persons who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolios.

In accordance with Section 23(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, each Fund may from time to time purchase shares of its common stock in the open market or in private transactions.

 

 

80  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


Additional Information  (continued)

 

Quarterly performance, semi-annual and annual reports, current net asset value and other information regarding the Funds may be found on BlackRock’s website, which can be accessed at blackrock.com. Any reference to BlackRock’s website in this report 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 report.

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications of quarterly statements, annual and semi-annual shareholder reports by enrolling in the electronic delivery program. Electronic copies of shareholder reports are available on BlackRock’s website.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts with Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages:

Please contact your financial advisor. Please note that not all investment advisers, banks or brokerages may offer this service.

Householding

The Funds will mail only one copy of shareholder documents, annual and semi-annual reports and proxy statements, to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is commonly called “householding” and is intended to reduce expenses and eliminate duplicate mailings of shareholder documents. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please call the Funds at (800) 882-0052.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available upon request and without charge (1) by calling (800) 882-0052; (2) at blackrock.com; and (3) on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

Availability of Proxy Voting Record

Information about how the Funds voted proxies relating to securities held in the Funds’ portfolios during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available upon request and without charge (1) at blackrock.com or by calling (800) 882-0052; and (2) on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

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 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 report.

BlackRock Privacy Principles

BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and former fund investors and individual clients (collectively, “Clients”) and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain cases we share such information with select parties.

If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with those specific laws, rules or regulations.

BlackRock obtains or verifies personal non-public information from and about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information we receive from you or, if applicable, your financial intermediary, on applications, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our websites.

BlackRock does not sell or disclose to non-affiliated third parties any non-public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client accounts. These non-affiliated third parties are required to protect the confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its intended purpose.

We may share information with our affiliates to service your account or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts access to non-public personal information about its Clients to those BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to protect the non-public personal information of its Clients, including procedures relating to the proper storage and disposal of such information.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  81


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviations
AGC    Assured Guarantee Corp.
AGM    Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.
AMBAC    American Municipal Bond Assurance Corp.
AMT    Alternative Minimum Tax (subject to)
ARB    Airport Revenue Bonds
BAM    Build America Mutual Assurance Co.
BARB    Building Aid Revenue Bonds
CAB    Capital Appreciation Bonds
COP    Certificates of Participation
EDA    Economic Development Authority
EDC    Economic Development Corp.
FHA    Federal Housing Administration
GARB    General Airport Revenue Bonds
GO    General Obligation Bonds
GOL    General Obligation Ltd
GTD    Guaranteed
HFA    Housing Finance Agency
IDA    Industrial Development Authority
IDB    Industrial Development Board
ISD    Independent School District
LRB    Lease Revenue Bonds
M/F    Multi-Family
NPFGC    National Public Finance Guarantee Corp.
PILOT    Payment in Lieu of Taxes
PSF-GTD    Permanent School Fund Guaranteed
Q-SBLF    Qualified School Bond Loan Fund
RB    Revenue Bonds
S/F    Single-Family
SONYMA    State of New York Mortgage Agency
SRF    State Revolving Fund

 

 

82  

2020 BLACKROCK ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS


 

Want to know more?

blackrock.com    |    800 882-0052

This report is intended for current holders. It is not a prospectus. Past performance results shown in this report should not be considered a representation of future performance. The Funds have leveraged their Common Shares, which creates risks for Common Shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of the Common Shares, and the risk that fluctuations in short-term interest rates may reduce the Common Shares’ yield. Statements and other information herein are as dated and are subject to change.

MHMYINS4-7/20-AR

 

 

LOGO    LOGO


Item 2 –

Code of Ethics – The registrant (or the “Fund”) has adopted a code of ethics, as of the end of the period covered by this report, applicable to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. During the period covered by this report, the code of ethics was amended to update certain information and to make other non-material changes. During the period covered by this report, there have been no waivers granted under the code of ethics. The registrant undertakes to provide a copy of the code of ethics to any person upon request, without charge, who calls 1-800-882-0052, option 4.

 

Item 3 –

Audit Committee Financial Expert – The registrant’s board of directors (the “board of directors”), has determined that (i) the registrant has the following audit committee financial experts serving on its audit committee and (ii) each audit committee financial expert is independent:

Michael Castellano

Frank J. Fabozzi

Catherine A. Lynch

Karen P. Robards

The registrant’s board of directors has determined that Karen P. Robards qualifies as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to Item 3(c)(4) of Form N-CSR.

Ms. Robards has a thorough understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements and internal control over financial reporting as well as audit committee functions. Ms. Robards has been President of Robards & Company, a financial advisory firm, since 1987. Ms. Robards was formerly an investment banker for more than 10 years where she was responsible for evaluating and assessing the performance of companies based on their financial results. Ms. Robards has over 30 years of experience analyzing financial statements. She also is a member of the audit committee of one publicly held company and a non-profit organization.

Under applicable securities laws, a person determined to be an audit committee financial expert will not be deemed an “expert” for any purpose, including without limitation for the purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated or identified as an audit committee financial expert. The designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations, or liabilities greater than the duties, obligations, and liabilities imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification. The designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not affect the duties, obligations, or liability of any other member of the audit committee or board of directors.

 

Item 4 –

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The following table presents fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”) in each of the last two fiscal years for the services rendered to the Fund:

 

2


         
     (a) Audit Fees   (b) Audit-Related Fees1   (c) Tax Fees2   (d) All Other Fees
Entity Name   Current
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Previous
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Current
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Previous
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Current
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Previous
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Current
  Fiscal Year    
End
  Previous
  Fiscal Year    
End
BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.   $36,720   $39,474   $0   $0   $28,800   $29,700   $0   $0

The following table presents fees billed by D&T that were required to be approved by the registrant’s audit committee (the “Committee”) for services that relate directly to the operations or financial reporting of the Fund and that are rendered on behalf of BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“Investment Adviser” or “BlackRock”) and entities controlling, controlled by, or under common control with BlackRock (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser) that provide ongoing services to the Fund (“Affiliated Service Providers”):

 

      Current Fiscal Year End    Previous Fiscal Year End

(b) Audit-Related Fees1

   $0    $0

(c) Tax Fees2

   $0    $0

(d) All Other Fees3

   $1,984,000    $2,050,500

1 The nature of the services includes assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements not included in Audit Fees, including accounting consultations, agreed-upon procedure reports, attestation reports, comfort letters, out-of-pocket expenses and internal control reviews not required by regulators.

2 The nature of the services includes tax compliance and/or tax preparation, including services relating to the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income tax returns, regulated investment company qualification reviews, taxable income and tax distribution calculations.

3 Non-audit fees of $1,984,000 and $2,050,500 for the current fiscal year and previous fiscal year, respectively, were paid to the Fund’s principal accountant in their entirety by BlackRock, in connection with services provided to the Affiliated Service Providers of the Fund and of certain other funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates for a service organization review and an accounting research tool subscription. These amounts represent aggregate fees paid by BlackRock and were not allocated on a per fund basis.

(e)(1) Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures:

The Committee has adopted policies and procedures with regard to the pre-approval of services. Audit, audit-related and tax compliance services provided to the registrant on an annual basis require specific pre-approval by the Committee. The Committee also must approve other non-audit services provided to the registrant and those non-audit services provided to the Investment Adviser and Affiliated Service Providers that relate directly to the operations and the financial reporting of the registrant. Certain of these non-audit services that the Committee believes are (a) consistent with the SEC’s auditor independence rules and (b) routine and recurring services that will not impair the independence of the independent accountants may be approved by the Committee without consideration on a specific case-by-case basis (“general pre-approval”). The term of any general pre-approval is 12 months from the date of the pre-approval, unless the Committee provides for a different period. Tax or other non-audit services provided to the registrant which have a direct impact on the operations or financial reporting of the registrant will only be deemed pre-approved provided that any individual project does not exceed $10,000 attributable to the registrant or $50,000 per project. For this purpose, multiple projects will be aggregated to determine if they exceed the previously mentioned cost levels.

Any proposed services exceeding the pre-approved cost levels will require specific pre-approval by the Committee, as will any other services not subject to general pre-approval (e.g., unanticipated but permissible services). The Committee is informed of each service approved

 

3


subject to general pre-approval at the next regularly scheduled in-person board meeting. At this meeting, an analysis of such services is presented to the Committee for ratification. The Committee may delegate to the Committee Chairman the authority to approve the provision of and fees for any specific engagement of permitted non-audit services, including services exceeding pre-approved cost levels.

(e)(2) None of the services described in each of Items 4(b) through (d) were approved by the Committee pursuant to the de minimis exception in paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) Not Applicable

(g) The aggregate non-audit fees, defined as the sum of the fees shown under “Audit-Related Fees,” “Tax Fees” and “All Other Fees,” paid to the accountant for services rendered by the accountant to the registrant, the Investment Adviser and the Affiliated Service Providers were:

 

     Entity Name   

Current Fiscal Year  

End

  

Previous Fiscal Year  

End

    
   BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.    $28,800    $29,700

Additionally, the amounts billed by D&T in connection with services provided to the Affiliated Service Providers of the Fund and of other funds sponsored or advised by BlackRock or its affiliates during the current and previous fiscal years for a service organization review and an accounting research tool subscription were:

 

Current Fiscal

Year End

  

Previous Fiscal

Year End

$1,984,000

   $2,050,500

These amounts represent aggregate fees paid by BlackRock and were not allocated on a per fund basis.

(h) The Committee has considered and determined that the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Investment Adviser, and the Affiliated Service Providers that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

 

Item 5 –

Audit Committee of Listed Registrant

 

  (a)

The following individuals are members of the registrant’s separately designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)):

Michael Castellano

Frank J. Fabozzi

Catherine A. Lynch

Karen P. Robards

 

4


  (b)

Not Applicable

 

Item 6 –

Investments

(a) The registrant’s Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Stockholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.

(b) Not Applicable due to no such divestments during the semi-annual period covered since the previous Form N-CSR filing.

 

Item 7 –

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies – The board of directors has delegated the voting of proxies for the Fund’s portfolio securities to the Investment Adviser pursuant to the Investment Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines. Under these guidelines, the Investment Adviser will vote proxies related to Fund securities in the best interests of the Fund and its stockholders. From time to time, a vote may present a conflict between the interests of the Fund’s stockholders, on the one hand, and those of the Investment Adviser, or any affiliated person of the Fund or the Investment Adviser, on the other. In such event, provided that the Investment Adviser’s Equity Investment Policy Oversight Committee, or a sub-committee thereof (the “Oversight Committee”) is aware of the real or potential conflict or material non-routine matter and if the Oversight Committee does not reasonably believe it is able to follow its general voting guidelines (or if the particular proxy matter is not addressed in the guidelines) and vote impartially, the Oversight Committee may retain an independent fiduciary to advise the Oversight Committee on how to vote or to cast votes on behalf of the Investment Adviser’s clients. If the Investment Adviser determines not to retain an independent fiduciary, or does not desire to follow the advice of such independent fiduciary, the Oversight Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy after consulting with the Investment Adviser’s Portfolio Management Group and/or the Investment Adviser’s Legal and Compliance Department and concluding that the vote cast is in its client’s best interest notwithstanding the conflict. A copy of the Fund’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are attached as Exhibit 99.PROXYPOL, a copy of the Fund’s Global Corporate Governance  & Engagement Principles are attached as Exhibit 99.GLOBAL.CORP.GOV and a copy of the Fund’s Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting Guidelines for U.S. Securities are attached as Exhibit 99.US.CORP.GOV. Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, (i) at www.blackrock.com and (ii) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Item 8 –

Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

(a)(1) As of the date of filing this Report:

The registrant is managed by a team of investment professionals comprised of Michael Kalinoski, CFA, Director at BlackRock, Walter O’Connor, CFA, Managing Director at BlackRock and Christian Romaglino, Director at BlackRock. Each is a member of BlackRock’s municipal tax-exempt management group. Each is jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the registrant’s portfolio, which includes setting the registrant’s overall investment strategy, overseeing the management of the registrant and/or selection of its investments. Messrs. Kalinoski, O’Connor and Romaglino have been members of the registrant’s portfolio management team since 2011, 2006 and 2017 respectively.

 

5


    

 

Portfolio Manager

 

  

 

Biography

 

   Michael Kalinoski, CFA    Director of BlackRock since 2006; Director of MLIM from 1999 to 2006.
   Walter O’Connor, CFA    Managing Director of BlackRock since 2006; Managing Director of MLIM from 2003 to 2006; Director of MLIM from 1998 to 2003.
   Christian Romaglino    Director of BlackRock since 2017, Portfolio Manager for the Municipal Mutual Fund Desk within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group since 2017; Portfolio Manager of Brown Brothers Harriman from 2007 to 2017.

(a)(2) As of July 31, 2020:

 

    

(ii) Number of Other Accounts Managed

and Assets by Account Type

 

(iii) Number of Other Accounts and

Assets for Which Advisory Fee is

Performance-Based

(i) Name of

Portfolio Manager

 

Other

Registered

      Investment      

Companies

 

    Other Pooled    

Investment

Vehicles

 

Other

Accounts 

 

Other

Registered

  Investment  

Companies

 

  Other Pooled  

Investment

Vehicles

 

Other

    Accounts    

Michael Kalinoski, CFA

  16   0   0   0   0   0
             
    $33.44 Billion   $0   $0   $0   $0   $0

Walter O’Connor, CFA

  29   0   0   0   0   0
             
   

 

$28.90 Billion

 

 

$0

 

 

$0

 

 

$0

 

 

$0

 

 

$0

Christian Romaglino

  12   0   0   0   0   0
             
    $5.04 Billion   $0   $0   $0   $0   $0

(iv) Portfolio Manager Potential Material Conflicts of Interest

BlackRock has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, Inc., its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, shareholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, Inc., or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, shareholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock, Inc.’s (or its affiliates’ or significant shareholders’)

 

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officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock, Inc. or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Certain portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for a fund.   It should also be noted that a portfolio manager may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Such portfolio managers may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts. Currently, the portfolio managers of this Fund are not entitled to receive a portion of incentive fees of other accounts.

As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties.  BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment.  To this end, BlackRock, Inc. has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.

(a)(3) As of July 31, 2020:

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

The discussion below describes the portfolio managers’ compensation as of July 31, 2020.

BlackRock’s financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock.

Base Compensation.   Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Discretionary Incentive Compensation.   Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager’s group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firm’s assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individual’s performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock.   In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured.   Among other things, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to each portfolio manager’s compensation based on the performance of the Funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks.  Performance of fixed income funds is measured on a

 

7


pre-tax and/or after-tax basis over various time periods including 1-, 3- and 5- year periods, as applicable. With respect to these portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts are: a combination of market-based indices (e.g., Standard & Poor’s Municipal Bond Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.

Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash, deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards, and/or deferred cash awards that notionally track the return of certain BlackRock investment products.

Portfolio managers receive their annual discretionary incentive compensation in the form of cash. Portfolio managers whose total compensation is above a specified threshold also receive deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards annually as part of their discretionary incentive compensation. Paying a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in the form of deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock’s ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. In some cases, additional deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock may be granted to certain key employees as part of a long-term incentive award to aid in retention, align interests with long-term shareholders and motivate performance. Deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that vest pursuant to the terms of the applicable plan and, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. The portfolio managers of this Fund have deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards.

For certain portfolio managers, a portion of the discretionary incentive compensation is also distributed in the form of deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage, which provides direct alignment of portfolio manager discretionary incentive compensation with investment product results. Deferred cash awards vest ratably over a number of years and, once vested, settle in the form of cash. Only portfolio managers who manage specified products and whose total compensation is above a specified threshold are eligible to participate in the deferred cash award program.

Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

Incentive Savings Plans — BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock, Inc. employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($285,000 for 2020). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock, Inc. contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock, Inc. common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the

 

8


purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. All of the eligible portfolio managers are eligible to participate in these plans.

(a)(4) Beneficial Ownership of Securities – As of July 31, 2020.

 

Portfolio Manager   Dollar Range of Equity Securities    
     of the Fund Beneficially Owned

Michael Kalinoski, CFA

  $1 - $10,000          

Walter O’Connor, CFA

  $1 - $10,000             

Christian Romaglino

  $10,001 - $50,000  

(b) Not Applicable

 

Item 9 –

Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers – Not Applicable due to no such purchases during the period covered by this report.

 

Item 10 –

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders – There have been no material changes to these procedures.

 

Item 11 –

Controls and Procedures

(a) – The registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(b) – There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 12 –

Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies –Not Applicable

 

Item 13 –

Exhibits attached hereto

(a)(1) – Code of Ethics – See Item 2

(a)(2) – Section 302 Certifications are attached

(a)(3) – Not Applicable

(a)(4) – Not Applicable

(b) – Section 906 Certifications are attached

 

9


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

 

By:       /s/ John M. Perlowski                            
  John M. Perlowski
  Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of
  BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

Date: October 2, 2020

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By:       /s/ John M. Perlowski                            
  John M. Perlowski
  Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of
  BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

Date: October 2, 2020

 

By:       /s/ Neal J. Andrews                                
  Neal J. Andrews
  Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of
  BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc.

Date: October 2, 2020

 

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