BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust

BTZ

Market cap $1.01B

I maintain my Hold rating on BTZ due to inconsistent NAV growth, questionable dividend coverage, and a shrinking discount to NAV. BTZ offers a high 9% yield and diversified credit exposure, but heavy leverage and elevated rates increase risk and suppress share price. Dividend sustainability is a concern, as recent earnings have often failed to cover payouts, risking future distribution cuts if performance doesn't improve.

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust offers a high 9.4% yield and trades at a discount to NAV, making it attractive for income-focused, long-term investors. The fund's earnings and NAV growth have been inconsistent, raising concerns about the sustainability of current dividend payouts. BTZ's performance is highly sensitive to interest rates; future rate cuts could be a positive catalyst, but timing remains uncertain.

We upgrade BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust from 'Sell' to 'Hold' due to fair valuation amidst wider spreads and macro uncertainties. Recent violent price action and a significant discount to NAV have brought BTZ to a more balanced valuation. The macro outlook remains uncertain, with potential tariff reinstatements and slowing GDP growth, warranting a cautious 'Hold' rating for BTZ.

Recent market volatility has driven investors to safer assets like US Treasury debt and corporate bonds, with notable ETFs and funds showing positive returns. The BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust offers a 9.5% dividend yield, investing primarily in credit-related securities with a diversified portfolio and significant leverage. Bonds are expected to perform well in 2025, but BTZ is recommended for watchlist consideration pending a deeper discount to its long-term average.

BTZ, a fixed income CEF, has a high 34% leverage ratio and invests in U.S. IG and HY bonds. Current credit spreads are very tight, and a mean reversion is expected in 2025, potentially leading to a -10% drawdown. The fund's distribution is not fully covered, with only 67% from cash-flows, translating to an actual yield of 6.3%.

It's a party on Wall Street! While the suits fawn over the hot “Trump trade” stocks, we dividend investors are going to dumpster dive.

The BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust offers a high yield of 8.96%, appealing to income-seeking investors despite its limited inflation protection. The BTZ closed-end fund's substantial allocation to fixed-income securities makes it vulnerable in an inflationary environment, which favors equities and hard assets instead. Recent economic data suggests inflation may not be under control, potentially limiting the Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates further.

This analysis argues that BTZ, a BlackRock fixed income CEF, is not a good buy right now despite its attractive yield. The analysis highlights that current credit spreads are historically low, and when they widen (which is expected), it will negatively impact BTZ's price. A significant portion of BTZ's distribution comes from ROC, which essentially returns investors' own money and can erode the fund's NAV over time.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $BBN--Certain BlackRock closed-end funds (the “Funds”) announced distributions today as detailed below. Certain BlackRock Funds previously declared their June distributions on May 20, 2024 BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: ECAT), BlackRock Capital Allocation Term Trust (NYSE: BCAT), BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (NYSE: BMEZ), BlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (NYSE: BSTZ), and BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (NYSE: BIGZ) previous.

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust is a debt-focused closed-end fund that boasts a 9.23% current yield. The BTZ closed-end fund claims to invest in a combination of floating-rate and fixed-rate debt, but the portfolio is almost entirely in fixed-rate assets with floating-rate securities an afterthought. The BTZ fund substantially underperformed competing funds that are more flexible in the balance between floaters and fixed-rate bonds over the past three years.