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2025-12-31 0000110055 bbcfi:InvestorACInstitutionalAndClassRMember bbcfi:MSCIAllCountryWorldIndexNetMember 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 iso4217:USD pure 0000110055 false 485BPOS 2026-05-31 0.1248 0.1531 0.0820 0.1424 -0.0341 0.2157 0.1512 0.1632 -0.1569 0.1659 -0.1541 0.1695 0.1280 0.1569 0.0853 0.1462 -0.0310 0.2198 0.1548 0.1667 N-1A BLACKROCK BALANCED FUND, INC. 2026-09-28 Fund Overview Key Facts About BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. Investment Objective <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The investment objective of BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. (the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) is to seek the highest total investment return </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">through a fully managed investment policy utilizing equity, debt (including money market) and convertible securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> Fees and Expenses of the Fund <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">0.00.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">You may pay other fees, such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">as brokerage commissions and other fees to your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock Advisors, LLC (</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">BlackRock</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">) and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">its affiliates) (each, a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">Financial Intermediary</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">), which are not reflected in the table and example below.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> You may</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> fund complex advised by BlackRock or its affiliates. More information about these and other discounts is available </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">from your Financial Intermediary and in the “Details About the Share Classes” and the “Intermediary-Defined Sales </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Charge Waiver Policies” sections on pages </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">35</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">A-1</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">, respectively, of the Fund’s prospectus and in the “Purchase of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Shares” section on page </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">II-97</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> of Part II of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the fund complex advised by BlackRock or its affiliates. 25000 Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 0.0525 0 0 0 0 0.0100 0 0 Annual Fund Operating Expenses(expenses that you pay each year as apercentage of the value of your investment) 0.0042 0.0042 0.0042 0.0042 0.0025 0.0100 0 0.0050 0.0012 0.0013 0.0013 0.0025 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0081 0.0157 0.0057 0.0119 -0.0001 -0.0001 -0.0001 -0.0001 0.0080 0.0156 0.0056 0.0118 A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 0.75% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at the time of purchase as part of an investment of $250,000 or more. June 30, 2028 The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information, which do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Example: <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> 602 769 950 1473 259 495 854 1662 57 182 317 713 120 377 653 1442 You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:  159 495 854 1662 Portfolio Turnover: <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">132</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">% of the average value of its portfolio.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> 1.32 Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund invests in a combination of equity securities, fixed-income securities and derivatives. The proportion the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">invests in each category at any given time depends on Fund management’s view of how attractive that category </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">appears relative to the others. The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its assets in equity securities and at least </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">25% of its assets in senior fixed income securities, such as U.S. government debt securities, corporate debt </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities, and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund primarily intends to invest in equity securities or other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">financial instruments that are components of, or have characteristics similar to, the securities included in the MSCI All </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Country World Index (the “ACWI”). The ACWI is a capitalization-weighted index from a broad range of industries chosen </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. In selecting equity investments, the Fund primarily uses </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">proprietary return forecast models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Equity securities include common stock and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">preferred stock. The Fund primarily seeks to buy common stock and may also invest in preferred stock. From time to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through “new issues” or initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may also purchase convertible securities. The Fund may invest in securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">limit, which can be U.S. dollar based or non-U.S. dollar based and may be currency hedged or unhedged. The Fund may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund will invest primarily using model-based asset allocation </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and security selection models. The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies or instrumentalities; mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies or instrumentalities, including U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities; commercial mortgage-backed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities; mortgage to-be-announced (“TBA”) securities; debt obligations of U.S. issuers, including corporate bonds; </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">municipal securities; asset-backed securities; and U.S.-registered dollar-denominated debt obligations of foreign </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers. The Fund may invest in bonds issued by companies located in countries other than the United States, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">including companies in emerging markets. These securities may have all types of interest rate payment and reset </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, floating rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment in kind and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">auction rate features. The Fund seeks to invest a substantial portion of its assets in U.S.-registered, dollar-denominated</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> bonds. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in securities rated below investment grade (“high </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">yield” or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in bonds of any maturity or duration.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may invest a significant portion of its fixed income holdings in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which are securities issued by entities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) and the </span></div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Federal National Mortgage Association that are backed by pools of mortgages. Most transactions in mortgage pass-through</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> securities occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage-backed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlement. The Fund expects to enter into such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">contracts on a regular basis.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps), </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">forward contracts and various other instruments, both to seek to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge (or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">in the securities markets. The Fund may also invest in indexed and inverse securities.</span></div> You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Equity Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Debt Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Credit Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Interest Rate Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during a period of low interest rates. For example, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">equal, the value of the Fund’s investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. (Duration is a measure of the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">price sensitivity of a debt security or portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates.) The magnitude </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for those </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">management.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">expected to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">debt securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the “full faith </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">value when interest rates change.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value and could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">hurt the Fund’s performance.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Extension Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">anticipated, causing the value of these obligations to fall.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Prepayment Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Foreign Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">oversight.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">payments position.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, may prohibit or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">impose substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">markets or certain industries in those countries, which may prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">currency, securities, derivatives or other assets.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">U.S. securities laws.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund’s claims to recover foreign withholding taxes may not be successful, and if the likelihood of recovery of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign withholding taxes materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign country, accruals in the Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Convertible Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest, principal or dividends when due, and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">underlying common stock, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Corporate Loans Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Commercial banks and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">(</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">SOFR</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) or the prime rates of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exposed to the adverse effects of shifts in market interest rates than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. In addition, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transactions in corporate loans may settle on a delayed basis. As a result, the proceeds from the sale of corporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">loans may not be readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund’s redemption obligations. To </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the extent the extended settlement process gives rise to short-term liquidity needs, the Fund may hold additional </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow from banks and other lenders.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Derivatives Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Leverage Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s gains and losses. Relatively small market </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position and can result in losses that greatly </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exceed the amount originally invested.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Market Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">other securities. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">derivatives positions to lose value.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Counterparty Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transaction will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its contractual obligation, and the related risks of having concentrated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exposure to such a counterparty.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Illiquidity Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">difficult for the Fund to value accurately.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Operational Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, including documentation </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Legal Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The risk of insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">enforceability of a contract.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Volatility and Correlation Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Valuation Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Valuation for derivatives may not be readily available in the market. Valuation may be more difficult </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">instruments or quote prices for them.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Hedging Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may result in certain adverse tax consequences.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Tax Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">realizes from its investments.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Emerging Markets Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging financial markets have far lower trading volumes and less </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">liquidity than developed markets.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">High Portfolio Turnover Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">High Yield Bonds Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">junk bonds are high risk investments that are considered speculative and may cause income and principal losses </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">for the Fund.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s return on these securities will be subject to risk with respect </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to the value of the particular index. These securities are subject to leverage risk and correlation risk. Certain </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">indexed and inverse securities have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates or index levels than other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities, and the Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Leverage Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to meet the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Company Act”), and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">magnified when the Fund uses leverage.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Market Risk and Selection Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. An investor could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">lose money over short periods due to fluctuation in the Fund’s net asset value in response to short-term market </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">movements and over longer periods during market downturns. Securities or other investments held by the Fund may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">underperform the markets, the relevant indices or benchmarks, or the securities selected by other funds with </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">similar investment objectives and investment strategies, or may otherwise fail to perform as intended. The value of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The success of the Fund’s activities could be affected by interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">economic uncertainty, changes in laws, tariffs and trade barriers, supply chain disruptions, economic sanctions, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">currency exchange controls, and local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, natural and </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and is subject to “Model Risk” as described below.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Recent policy initiatives undertaken by the U.S. government have the potential to impact international relations, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">trade agreements and the overall regulatory environment in ways that could create uncertainty and instability in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">domestic and global markets, and could adversely affect the investment performance of the Fund. In particular, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">actions taken by the U.S. government in respect of international trade relations could lead to trade wars, increased </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">costs for imported goods, disruptions in supply chains, reduced foreign investment, and instability in regions where </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the Fund invests.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mid Cap Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Model Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues, issues </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">related to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), and other technological issues). There is no </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Fund.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The information and data used in the models may be supplied by third parties. Inaccurate or incomplete data may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">limit the effectiveness of the models. In addition, some of the data that BlackRock uses may be historical data, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which may not accurately predict future market movement. There is a risk that the models will not be successful in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">selecting investments or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">its investment objective.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Money Market Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Mortgage- and asset-backed securities represent interests in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Mortgage- and asset-</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">backed securities are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">subject to risk of default on the underlying mortgage or asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">certain mortgage-backed securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Municipal Securities Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Budgetary constraints of local, state, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and federal governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal securities. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">These risks include:</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">General Obligation Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Revenue Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Private Activity Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Moral Obligation Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Municipal Notes Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. If there is a shortfall in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Municipal Lease Obligations Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Tax-Exempt Status Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal bonds </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and payments under derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the </span></div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bases for those tax opinions, which may ultimately be determined to be incorrect and subject the Fund and its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shareholders to substantial tax liabilities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“New Issues” Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Operational and Technology Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cybersecurity incidents, and the use of AI, which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers to lose value.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Preferred Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">larger companies.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sovereign Debt Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Sovereign debt instruments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">or other multilateral agencies.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Structured Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Because structured securities of the type in which the Fund may invest typically </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">index or reference obligation and will also be subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">payments only from the structured security, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">that sold the assets to be securitized. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">herein, structured securities carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: the possibility that distributions </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">decline in value or default; and the possibility that the structured securities are subordinate to other classes. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund is permitted to invest in a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Structured securities are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, reference </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bonds and stock indices, and changes in interest rates and impact of these factors may cause significant price </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuations. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may cause the interest rate on the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">structured security to be reduced to zero. Certain issuers of such structured securities may be deemed to be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“investment companies” as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, the Fund’s investment in such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities may be limited by certain investment restrictions contained in the Investment Company Act.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">U.S. Government Issuer Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">by law to do so.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">U.S. Government Mortgage-Related Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — There are a number of important differences among the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities that they issue. Mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Association (</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">GNMA</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Ginnie Mae</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA securities also are supported </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">by the right of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">related securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, as </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the case may be, and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States but are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> Performance Information <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> risks of investing in the Fund. Effective March 3, 2025, the Fund changed its name, investment process and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">investment strategies. Performance for the periods prior to March 3, 2025 shown below is based on the investment </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">process and investment strategies utilized by the Fund under the name “BlackRock Sustainable Balanced Fund, Inc.” </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Effective April 8, 2022, the Fund changed its name, investment process and investment strategies. Performance for </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the periods prior to April 8, 2022 shown below is based on the investment process and investment strategies utilized </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">by the Fund under the name “BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund, Inc.” The table compares the Fund’s performance to</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> that of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net), the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and a customized weighted</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> index comprised of the returns of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net) (60%) and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Bond Index (40%) (the</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> “</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Custom Benchmark</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">). The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Custom Benchmark</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategies. To the extent </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information for the Fund in the chart and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">table assumes reinvestment of the dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> were, returns would be less than those shown. However, the table includes all applicable fees and sales charges. If </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the Fund’s investment manager and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">periods, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. Updated information on the Fund’s performance, including its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">current net asset value, can be obtained by visiting www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">(800) 882-0052</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">.</span></div> The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net), the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and a customized weighted index comprised of the returns of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net) (60%) and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (40%) (the “Custom Benchmark”). The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Custom Benchmark are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategies. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they were, returns would be less than those shown. However, the table includes all applicable fees and sales charges. www.blackrock.com (800) 882-0052 Investor A Shares ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. As of 12/31 <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 15.44% (quarter ended </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">June 30, 2020) and the lowest return for a quarter was -13.04% (quarter ended March 31, 2020). The year-to-date return as of June 30, 2026 was 7.67%.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> highest return 0.1544 2020-06-30 lowest return -0.1304 2020-03-31 year-to-date return 2026-06-30 0.0767 For the periods ended 12/31/25Average Annual Total Returns 0.0925 0.0704 0.0891 0.0638 0.0488 0.0666 0.0622 0.0481 0.0637 0.1339 0.0736 0.0883 0.1557 0.0846 0.0979 0.1484 0.0777 0.0909 0.2234 0.1119 0.1172 0.0730 -0.0036 0.0201 0.1622 0.0657 0.0796 <div style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Investor A Shares only, and the after-tax returns for Investor C, Institutional and Class R Shares will vary.</span></div> After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Investor A Shares only, and the after-tax returns for Investor C, Institutional and Class R Shares will vary. Fund Overview Key Facts About BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. Investment Objective <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The investment objective of BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. (the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) is to seek the highest total investment return </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">through a fully managed investment policy utilizing equity, debt (including money market) and convertible securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> Fees and Expenses of the Fund <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Class K Shares of the Fund. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">0.00.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">You may pay other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to your financial professional or your selected securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock Advisors, LLC </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">(</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">BlackRock</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">) and its affiliates) (each, a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">Financial Intermediary</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">), which are not reflected in the table and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-weight: bold;">example below.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 0.0042 0 0.0006 0.0002 0.0050 -0.0001 0.0049 June 30, 2028 The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information, which do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Example: <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> 50 159 279 627 Portfolio Turnover: <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-top: 0.0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">132</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">% of the average value of its portfolio.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> 1.32 Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund invests in a combination of equity securities, fixed-income securities and derivatives. The proportion the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">invests in each category at any given time depends on Fund management’s view of how attractive that category </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">appears relative to the others. The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its assets in equity securities and at least </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">25% of its assets in senior fixed income securities, such as U.S. government debt securities, corporate debt </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities, and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund primarily intends to invest in equity securities or other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">financial instruments that are components of, or have characteristics similar to, the securities included in the MSCI All </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Country World Index (the “ACWI”). The ACWI is a capitalization-weighted index from a broad range of industries chosen </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. In selecting equity investments, the Fund primarily uses </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">proprietary return forecast models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Equity securities include common stock and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">preferred stock. The Fund primarily seeks to buy common stock and may also invest in preferred stock. From time to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through “new issues” or initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may also purchase convertible securities. The Fund may invest in securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">limit, which can be U.S. dollar based or non-U.S. dollar based and may be currency hedged or unhedged. The Fund may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund will invest primarily using model-based asset allocation </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and security selection models. The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies or instrumentalities; mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies or instrumentalities, including U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities; commercial mortgage-backed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities; mortgage to-be-announced (“TBA”) securities; debt obligations of U.S. issuers, including corporate bonds; </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">municipal securities; asset-backed securities; and U.S.-registered dollar-denominated debt obligations of foreign </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers. The Fund may invest in bonds issued by companies located in countries other than the United States, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">including companies in emerging markets. These securities may have all types of interest rate payment and reset </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, floating rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment in kind and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">auction rate features. The Fund seeks to invest a substantial portion of its assets in U.S.-registered, dollar-denominated</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> bonds. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in securities rated below investment grade (“high </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">yield” or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in bonds of any maturity or duration.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may invest a significant portion of its fixed income holdings in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which are securities issued by entities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) and the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Federal National Mortgage Association that are backed by pools of mortgages. Most transactions in mortgage pass-through</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> securities occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage-backed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlement. The Fund expects to enter into such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">contracts on a regular basis.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps), </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">forward contracts and various other instruments, both to seek to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge (or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">in the securities markets. The Fund may also invest in indexed and inverse securities.</span></div> You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Equity Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Debt Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Credit Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Interest Rate Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during a period of low interest rates. For example, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">equal, the value of the Fund’s investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. (Duration is a measure of the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">price sensitivity of a debt security or portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates.) The magnitude </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for those </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">management.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">expected to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">debt securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the “full faith </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">value when interest rates change.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value and could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">hurt the Fund’s performance.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Extension Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">anticipated, causing the value of these obligations to fall.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Prepayment Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Foreign Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">oversight.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">payments position.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, may prohibit or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">impose substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">markets or certain industries in those countries, which may prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">currency, securities, derivatives or other assets.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">U.S. securities laws.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 493.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund’s claims to recover foreign withholding taxes may not be successful, and if the likelihood of recovery of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign withholding taxes materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign country, accruals in the Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Convertible Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest, principal or dividends when due, and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">underlying common stock, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Corporate Loans Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Commercial banks and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">(</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">SOFR</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) or the prime rates of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exposed to the adverse effects of shifts in market interest rates than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. In addition, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transactions in corporate loans may settle on a delayed basis. As a result, the proceeds from the sale of corporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">loans may not be readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Fund’s redemption obligations. To </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the extent the extended settlement process gives rise to short-term liquidity needs, the Fund may hold additional </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow from banks and other lenders.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Derivatives Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Leverage Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s gains and losses. Relatively small market </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position and can result in losses that greatly </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exceed the amount originally invested.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Market Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">other securities. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">derivatives positions to lose value.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Counterparty Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transaction will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its contractual obligation, and the related risks of having concentrated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">exposure to such a counterparty.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Illiquidity Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">difficult for the Fund to value accurately.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Operational Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, including documentation </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Legal Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The risk of insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">enforceability of a contract.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Volatility and Correlation Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Valuation Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Valuation for derivatives may not be readily available in the market. Valuation may be more difficult </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">instruments or quote prices for them.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Hedging Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may result in certain adverse tax consequences.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Tax Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">realizes from its investments.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Emerging Markets Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging financial markets have far lower trading volumes and less </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">liquidity than developed markets.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">High Portfolio Turnover Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">High Yield Bonds Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">junk bonds are high risk investments that are considered speculative and may cause income and principal losses </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">for the Fund.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s return on these securities will be subject to risk with respect </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to the value of the particular index. These securities are subject to leverage risk and correlation risk. Certain </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">indexed and inverse securities have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates or index levels than other </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities, and the Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Leverage Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">to meet the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Company Act”), and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">magnified when the Fund uses leverage.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Market Risk and Selection Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. An investor could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">lose money over short periods due to fluctuation in the Fund’s net asset value in response to short-term market </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">movements and over longer periods during market downturns. Securities or other investments held by the Fund may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">underperform the markets, the relevant indices or benchmarks, or the securities selected by other funds with </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">similar investment objectives and investment strategies, or may otherwise fail to perform as intended. The value of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The success of the Fund’s activities could be affected by interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">economic uncertainty, changes in laws, tariffs and trade barriers, supply chain disruptions, economic sanctions, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">currency exchange controls, and local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, natural and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and is subject to “Model Risk” as described below.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Recent policy initiatives undertaken by the U.S. government have the potential to impact international relations, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">trade agreements and the overall regulatory environment in ways that could create uncertainty and instability in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">domestic and global markets, and could adversely affect the investment performance of the Fund. In particular, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">actions taken by the U.S. government in respect of international trade relations could lead to trade wars, increased </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">costs for imported goods, disruptions in supply chains, reduced foreign investment, and instability in regions where </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the Fund invests.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mid Cap Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Model Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues, issues </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">related to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), and other technological issues). There is no </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Fund.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The information and data used in the models may be supplied by third parties. Inaccurate or incomplete data may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">limit the effectiveness of the models. In addition, some of the data that BlackRock uses may be historical data, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">which may not accurately predict future market movement. There is a risk that the models will not be successful in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">selecting investments or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">its investment objective.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Money Market Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Mortgage- and asset-backed securities represent interests in </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Mortgage- and asset-</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">backed securities are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">subject to risk of default on the underlying mortgage or asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">certain mortgage-backed securities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Municipal Securities Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Budgetary constraints of local, state, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and federal governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal securities. </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">These risks include:</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">General Obligation Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Revenue Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Private Activity Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Moral Obligation Bonds Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Municipal Notes Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. If there is a shortfall in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Municipal Lease Obligations Risks</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">Tax-Exempt Status Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — The Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal bonds </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and payments under derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bases for those tax opinions, which may ultimately be determined to be incorrect and subject the Fund and its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shareholders to substantial tax liabilities.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“New Issues” Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Operational and Technology Risks </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">cybersecurity incidents, and the use of AI, which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">issuers to lose value.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Preferred Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">larger companies.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sovereign Debt Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Sovereign debt instruments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; margin-left: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">or other multilateral agencies.</span></div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Structured Securities Risk </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">— Because structured securities of the type in which the Fund may invest typically </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">index or reference obligation and will also be subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">payments only from the structured security, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">that sold the assets to be securitized. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">herein, structured securities carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: the possibility that distributions </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">decline in value or default; and the possibility that the structured securities are subordinate to other classes. The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Fund is permitted to invest in a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Structured securities are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, reference </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">bonds and stock indices, and changes in interest rates and impact of these factors may cause significant price </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">fluctuations. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may cause the interest rate on the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">structured security to be reduced to zero. Certain issuers of such structured securities may be deemed to be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“investment companies” as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, the Fund’s investment in such </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities may be limited by certain investment restrictions contained in the Investment Company Act.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">U.S. Government Issuer Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">by law to do so.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear: both; margin-top: 4.805pt; position: relative; width: 100%;"> <div style="float: left; line-height: 9.87pt; text-align: left; width: 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 8.37pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">◼</span></div> <div style="float: left; line-height: 10.80pt; margin-left: 4pt; text-align: left; width: 505.00pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">U.S. Government Mortgage-Related Securities Risk</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> — There are a number of important differences among the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">securities that they issue. Mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Association (</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">GNMA</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> or </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Ginnie Mae</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">) are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA securities also are supported </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">by the right of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">related securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, as </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the case may be, and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States but are </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury.</span></div> </div> <div style="clear: both; position: relative;"> </div> </div> Performance Information <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Class K Shares commenced operations on January 25, 2018. As a result, the returns </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shown below for Class K Shares prior to January 25, 2018 are those of the Fund’s Institutional Shares, which are not </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">offered in this prospectus. The performance of Class K Shares would be substantially similar to Institutional Shares </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">because Class K Shares and Institutional Shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities and performance </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">would differ only to the extent that Institutional Shares and Class K Shares have different expenses. The actual </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">returns of Class K Shares would have been higher than those of Institutional Shares because Class K Shares have </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">lower expenses than Institutional Shares.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Effective March 3, 2025, the Fund changed its name, investment process and investment strategies. Performance for </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">the periods prior to March 3, 2025 shown below is based on the investment process and investment strategies </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">utilized by the Fund under the name “BlackRock Sustainable Balanced Fund, Inc.” Effective April 8, 2022, the Fund </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">changed its name, investment process and investment strategies. Performance for the periods prior to April 8, 2022 </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">shown below is based on the investment process and investment strategies utilized by the Fund under the name </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">“BlackRock Balanced Capital Fund, Inc.” The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the MSCI All Country</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> World Index (Net), the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and a customized weighted index comprised of the</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> returns of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net) (60%) and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (40%) (the</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> “</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">Custom Benchmark</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">”</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">). The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Custom Benchmark are relevant to the Fund</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategies. To the extent that dividends and </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information for the Fund in the chart and table assumes </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">reinvestment of the dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after </span></div> <div style="line-height: 10.695pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">taxes) is not an indication of future results. The table includes all applicable fees. If the Fund’s investment manager </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the Fund’s returns would </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">have been lower. Updated information on the Fund’s performance, including its current net asset value, can be </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">obtained by visiting www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">(800) 882-0052</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">.</span></div> The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net), the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and a customized weighted index comprised of the returns of the MSCI All Country World Index (Net) (60%) and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (40%) (the “Custom Benchmark”). The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Custom Benchmark are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategies. As with all such investments, past performance (before and aftertaxes) is not an indication of future results. www.blackrock.com (800) 882-0052 Class K Shares ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS BlackRock Balanced Fund, Inc. As of 12/31 <div style="margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 15.52% (quarter ended </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">June 30, 2020) and the lowest return for a quarter was -12.99% (quarter ended March 31, 2020). The year-to-date return as of June 30, 2026 was 7.84%.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 1pt; line-height: 0.93pt;"> </span></div> highest return 0.1552 2020-06-30 lowest return -0.1299 2020-03-31 year-to-date return 2026-06-30 0.0784 For the periods ended 12/31/25Average Annual Total Returns 0.1569 0.0854 0.0984 0.1254 0.0625 0.0747 0.1008 0.0596 0.0710 0.2234 0.1119 0.1172 0.0730 -0.0036 0.0201 0.1622 0.0657 0.0796 <div style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;">After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt;"> tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.30pt; line-height: 10.695pt;"> </span></div> After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. For additional comparative performance information for the MSCI All Country World Index, please see the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 50, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2028. In addition, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2028. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested directors of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information, which do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 0.75% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at the time of purchase as part of an investment of $250,000 or more. Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. For additional comparative performance information for the MSCI All Country World Index, please see the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. There is no CDSC on Investor C Shares after one year. As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 38, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2028. In addition, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2028. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested directors of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent Annual Financial Statements and Additional Information, which do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.