BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE:DSU) Stock Short Interest Declines 43.3%

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (NYSE:DSU) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 491,752 shares, a drop of 43.3% from the September 15th total of 867,206 shares. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 388,253 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.3 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its holdings in BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund by 49.3% in the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 4,242 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Private Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $96,000. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $98,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $109,000. Finally, Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. increased its position in shares of BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. now owns 14,533 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares during the period. 24.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DSU traded down $0.04 on Thursday, hitting $8.68. 468,023 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 310,601. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $9.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.54. BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund has a one year low of $8.57 and a one year high of $10.40.

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.0987 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.7%.

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund Company Profile

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc is a closed-end investment company managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund seeks to provide investors with a high level of current income while preserving capital through an actively managed portfolio of debt investments.

The fund invests primarily in senior secured, floating-rate loans made to corporate borrowers. Its portfolio may also include other corporate debt securities, including high-yield bonds and related credit instruments. These investments generally focus on companies in the United States and may span multiple industries and sectors.

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund is part of BlackRock’s broader platform of closed-end funds and credit-oriented investment products.