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Share Name | Share Symbol | Market | Type |
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Blackrock Enhanced EQ Yld Fd | NYSE:EEF | NYSE | Ordinary Share |
Price Change | % Change | Share Price | High Price | Low Price | Open Price | Shares Traded | Last Trade | |
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0.00 | 0.00% | 0.00 | - |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-CSR CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES Investment Company Act file number 811-21722 Name of Fund: BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. (EEF) Fund Address: 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 Name and address of agent for service: Donald C. Burke, Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc., 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ, 08536. Mailing address: P.O. Box 9011, Princeton, NJ, 08543-9011 Registrants telephone number, including area code: (800) 882-0052, Option 4 Date of fiscal year end: 12/31/2007 Date of reporting period: 01/01/2007 12/31/2007 |
EQUITIES FIXED INCOME REAL ESTATE LIQUIDITY ALTERNATIVES BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS
Annual Report |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. (EEF)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. (ECV)
NOT FDIC INSURED
MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE |
Table of Contents | ||
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Page | ||
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A Letter to Shareholders | 3 | |
Annual Reports: | ||
Fund Summaries | 4 | |
Financial Statements: | ||
Schedules of Investments | 6 | |
Statements of Assets and Liabilities | 13 | |
Statements of Operations | 14 | |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | 15 | |
Financial Highlights | 17 | |
Notes to Financial Statements | 18 | |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 22 | |
Important Tax Information | 23 | |
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan | 24 | |
Officers and Directors | 25 | |
Additional Information | 28 |
2 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
A Letter to Shareholders |
Dear Shareholder
Financial markets endured heightened volatility during 2007, culminating in mixed results for some of the major benchmark indexes:
Total Returns as of December 31, 2007 | 6-month | 12-month | |||
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U.S. equities (S&P 500 Index) | 1.37% | + 5.49% | |||
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Small cap U.S. equities (Russell 2000 Index) | 7.53 | 1.57 | |||
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International equities (MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index) | +0.39 | +11.17 | |||
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Fixed income (Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) | +5.93 | + 6.97 | |||
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Tax-exempt fixed income (Lehman Brothers Municipal Bond Index) | +3.22 | + 3.36 | |||
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High yield bonds (Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Cap Index) | 0.67 | + 2.27 | |||
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
Subprime mortgage woes dominated headlines for much of 2007, spawning a widespread liquidity and credit crisis with ramifications across global markets. The Federal Reserve Board (the Fed) stepped in to inject liquidity into the markets and bolster investor confidence, cutting the federal funds rate by 0.50% in September, 0.25% in October and 0.25% in December, which brought the target short-term interest rate to 4.25% . In taking action, the central bankers, who had long deemed themselves inflation fighters, were seeking to stem the fallout from the credit crunch and forestall a wider economic unraveling.
Amid the volatility, equity markets displayed surprising resilience. Market fundamentals generally held firm, dividend payouts and share buybacks continued, and valuations remained attractive. To some extent, the credit turmoil dampened corporate merger-and-acquisition (M&A) activity, a key source of strength for equity markets, but 2007 remained a record year for global M&A nonetheless. As the returns indicate, the most recent six months were more trying, reflecting the slowing U.S. economy, a troubled housing market and a more difficult corporate earnings backdrop. Overall, large cap stocks outperformed small caps as investors grew increasingly risk averse. International markets fared better than their U.S. counterparts, benefiting from generally stronger economies.
In fixed income markets, mixed economic signals and subprime fallout resulted in a flight to quality. Investors shunned bonds associated with the housing and credit markets in favor of higher-quality Treasury issues. The yield on 10-year Treasury issues, which touched 5.30% in June (its highest level in five years), fell to 4.04% by year-end, while prices correspondingly rose. The tax-exempt bond market waffled amid the economic uncertainty and concerns around the credit worthiness of bond insurers, but set a new-issuance record in 2007. A drop in municipal bond prices created buying opportunities, and the heightened supply was generally well absorbed.
As you navigate the uncertainties inherent in the financial markets, we encourage you to start the year by reviewing your investment goals with your financial professional and making portfolio changes, as needed. For more reflection on 2007 and our 10 predictions for 2008, please ask your financial professional for a copy of Whats Ahead in 2008: An Investment Perspective, or view it online at www.blackrock.com/funds . As always, we thank you for entrusting BlackRock with your investment assets, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the new year and beyond.
Sincerely,
THIS PAGE NOT PART OF YOUR FUND REPORT
3
Fund Summary as of December 31, 2007 |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. |
Investment Objective |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. (EEF) primarily seeks to provide stockholders with current income and gains, with a secondary objective of providing capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying common stocks in an attempt to generate current income and by employing a strategy of writing (selling) call options on equity indexes in an attempt to generate gains from option premiums primarily on the S&P 500 Index.
Fund Information |
Symbol on New York Stock Exchange | EEF | |
Initital Offering Date | May 6, 2005 | |
Yield on Closing Market Price as of December 31, 2007** ($16.16) | 12.38% | |
Current Quarterly Distribution per share of Common Stock* | $ .50 | |
Current Annualized Distribution per share of Common Stock* | $2.00 | |
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* The distribution is not constant and is subject to change. A portion of the distribution may be deemed a tax return of capital or net realized | ||
gain at fiscal year end. | ||
** Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. | ||
Past performance does not guarantee future results. |
The table below summarizes the Funds market price and net asset value per share: | ||||||||||
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12/31/07 | 12/31/06 | Change | High | Low | ||||||
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Market Price | $16.16 | $19.86 | (18.63%) | $21.00 | $15.33 | |||||
Net Asset Value | $17.57 | $18.68 | (5.94%) | $19.35 | $17.16 | |||||
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The following chart shows the portfolio composition of the Funds long-term investments: | ||||
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Portfolio Composition | ||||
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Sector | 12/31/07 | 12/31/06 | ||
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Financials | 17% | 20% | ||
Information Technology | 17 | 14 | ||
Health Care | 13 | 14 | ||
Energy | 13 | 10 | ||
Industrials | 11 | 10 | ||
Consumer Staples | 10 | 9 | ||
Consumer Discretionary | 8 | 11 | ||
Telecommunication Services | 4 | 4 | ||
Materials | 4 | 5 | ||
Utilities | 3 | 3 | ||
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For Fund compliance purposes, the Funds sector classifications refer to any one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.
4 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Fund Summary as of December 31, 2007 |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. |
Investment Objective |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. (EVC) primarily seeks to provide stockholders with current income and gains, with a secondary objective of providing capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of dividend-paying common stocks in an attempt to generate current income and by employing a strategy of writing (selling) call options on equity indexes in an attempt to generate gains from option premiums primarily on the S&P 500 Index as well as the NASDAQ 100 Index.
Fund Information |
Symbol on New York Stock Exchange | ECV | |
Initital Offering Date | June 30, 2005 | |
Yield on Closing Market Price as of December 31, 2007** ($15.68) | 13.07% | |
Current Semi-Annual Distribution per share of Common Stock* | $1.025 | |
Current Annualized Distribution per share of Common Stock* | $2.05 | |
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* The distribution is not constant and is subject to change. A portion of the distribution may be deemed a tax return of capital or net realized | ||
gain at fiscal year end. | ||
** Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. | ||
Past performance does not guarantee future results. |
The table below summarizes the Funds market price and net asset value per share:
12/31/07 | 12/31/06 | Change | High | Low | ||||||
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Market Price | $15.68 | $19.52 | (19.67%) | $22.20 | $15.11 | |||||
Net Asset Value | $17.30 | $18.14 | (4.63%) | $19.36 | $16.97 | |||||
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The following chart shows the portfolio composition of the Funds long-term investments: | ||||||||||
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Portfolio Composition | ||||||||||
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Sector | 12/31/07 | 12/31/06 | ||||||||
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Information Technology | 28% | 25% | ||||||||
Financials | 14 | 13 | ||||||||
Health Care | 13 | 13 | ||||||||
Energy | 10 | 6 | ||||||||
Consumer Discretionary | 9 | 14 | ||||||||
Industrials | 9 | 10 | ||||||||
Consumer Staples | 8 | 7 | ||||||||
Telecommunication Services | 4 | 4 | ||||||||
Materials | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
Utilities | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
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For Fund compliance purposes, the Funds sector classifications refer to any one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sector sub-classifications for reporting ease.
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
5 |
Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2007
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
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Aerospace & Defense 1.6% | ||||
General Dynamics Corp. | 7,100 | $ 631,829 | ||
Honeywell International, Inc. | 9,400 | 578,758 | ||
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. | 4,000 | 423,760 | ||
Lockheed Martin Corp. | 19,600 | 2,063,096 | ||
Northrop Grumman Corp. | 29,700 | 2,335,608 | ||
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6,033,051 | ||||
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Air Freight & Logistics 1.1% | ||||
United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B | 59,600 | 4,214,912 | ||
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Auto Components 0.2% | ||||
Johnson Controls, Inc. | 16,800 | 605,472 | ||
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Automobiles 0.6% | ||||
General Motors Corp. | 91,500 | 2,277,435 | ||
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Beverages 2.3% | ||||
Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. | 21,800 | 1,141,012 | ||
The Coca-Cola Co. | 92,300 | 5,664,451 | ||
PepsiCo, Inc. | 25,600 | 1,943,040 | ||
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8,748,503 | ||||
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Biotechnology 1.6% | ||||
Amgen, Inc. (b) | 51,500 | 2,391,660 | ||
Biogen Idec, Inc. (b) | 11,600 | 660,272 | ||
Celgene Corp. (b) | 11,000 | 508,310 | ||
Genzyme Corp. (b) | 8,600 | 640,184 | ||
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (b) | 40,000 | 1,840,400 | ||
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6,040,826 | ||||
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Capital Markets 2.6% | ||||
American Capital Strategies Ltd. | 72,200 | 2,379,712 | ||
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | 20,700 | 4,451,535 | ||
Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. | 27,300 | 1,786,512 | ||
Morgan Stanley | 18,600 | 987,846 | ||
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9,605,605 | ||||
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Chemicals 1.6% | ||||
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. | 6,300 | 621,369 | ||
The Dow Chemical Co. | 48,300 | 1,903,986 | ||
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. | 47,600 | 2,098,684 | ||
PPG Industries, Inc. | 18,000 | 1,264,140 | ||
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5,888,179 | ||||
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Commercial Banks 3.4% | ||||
BB&T Corp. | 15,400 | 472,318 | ||
Comerica, Inc. | 17,700 | 770,481 | ||
KeyCorp | 11,100 | 260,295 | ||
National City Corp. | 16,300 | 268,298 | ||
Regions Financial Corp. | 124,900 | 2,953,885 | ||
U.S. Bancorp | 134,900 | 4,281,726 | ||
Wachovia Corp. | 54,200 | 2,061,226 | ||
Wells Fargo & Co. | 60,700 | 1,832,533 | ||
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12,900,762 | ||||
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Commercial Services & Supplies 0.1% | ||||
Monster Worldwide, Inc. (b) | 6,400 | 207,360 | ||
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Communications Equipment 3.1% | ||||
Ciena Corp. (b) | 15,971 | 544,771 | ||
Cisco Systems, Inc. (b) | 142,600 | 3,860,182 | ||
Corning, Inc. | 52,100 | 1,249,879 | ||
Motorola, Inc. | 132,500 | 2,125,300 | ||
QUALCOMM, Inc. | 103,300 | 4,064,855 | ||
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11,844,987 | ||||
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Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
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Computers & Peripherals 3.5% | ||||
Apple Computer, Inc. (b) | 26,400 | $ 5,229,312 | ||
Dell, Inc. (b) | 64,300 | 1,575,993 | ||
EMC Corp. | 61,600 | 1,141,448 | ||
Hewlett-Packard Co. | 43,400 | 2,190,832 | ||
International Business Machines Corp. | 19,100 | 2,064,710 | ||
SanDisk Corp. (b) | 33,600 | 1,114,512 | ||
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13,316,807 | ||||
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Consumer Finance 0.3% | ||||
American Express Co. | 11,500 | 598,230 | ||
Discover Financial Services LLC | 23,700 | 357,396 | ||
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955,626 | ||||
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Containers & Packaging 0.0% | ||||
Pactiv Corp. (b) | 1,500 | 39,945 | ||
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Diversified Financial Services 4.9% | ||||
Bank of America Corp. | 143,400 | 5,916,684 | ||
CME Group, Inc. | 3,949 | 2,709,014 | ||
Citigroup, Inc. | 198,800 | 5,852,672 | ||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 92,400 | 4,033,260 | ||
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18,511,630 | ||||
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Diversified Telecommunication Services 3.9% | ||||
AT&T Inc. | 174,590 | 7,255,960 | ||
Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd. (c) | 1 | 12 | ||
Citizens Communications Co. | 210,500 | 2,679,665 | ||
Embarq Corp. | 25,091 | 1,242,757 | ||
Verizon Communications, Inc. | 82,190 | 3,590,881 | ||
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14,769,275 | ||||
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Electric Utilities 1.4% | ||||
American Electric Power Co., Inc. | 11,300 | 526,128 | ||
Entergy Corp. | 5,600 | 669,312 | ||
Exelon Corp. | 19,100 | 1,559,324 | ||
FPL Group, Inc. | 25,300 | 1,714,834 | ||
FirstEnergy Corp. | 8,600 | 622,124 | ||
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5,091,722 | ||||
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Electrical Equipment 1.3% | ||||
Emerson Electric Co. | 51,200 | 2,900,992 | ||
Rockwell Automation, Inc. | 26,000 | 1,792,960 | ||
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4,693,952 | ||||
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Electronic Equipment & Instruments 0.3% | ||||
Tyco Electronics Ltd. | 29,925 | 1,111,115 | ||
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Energy Equipment & Services 2.8% | ||||
Baker Hughes, Inc. | 9,600 | 778,560 | ||
National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (b) | 39,600 | 2,909,016 | ||
Schlumberger Ltd. | 13,297 | 1,308,026 | ||
Smith International, Inc. | 41,100 | 3,035,235 | ||
Transocean, Inc. (b) | 16,930 | 2,423,530 | ||
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10,454,367 | ||||
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Food & Staples Retailing 1.8% | ||||
CVS/Caremark Corp. | 43,720 | 1,737,870 | ||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 67,900 | 3,227,287 | ||
Walgreen Co. | 38,800 | 1,477,504 | ||
Whole Foods Market, Inc. | 4,600 | 187,680 | ||
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6,630,341 | ||||
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6 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Schedule of Investments (continued)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
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Food Products 1.0% | ||||
ConAgra Foods, Inc. | 16,600 | $ 394,914 | ||
Kraft Foods, Inc. | 49,021 | 1,599,555 | ||
Sara Lee Corp. | 117,400 | 1,885,444 | ||
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3,879,913 | ||||
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Health Care Equipment & Supplies 1.3% | ||||
Baxter International, Inc. | 13,800 | 801,090 | ||
Becton Dickinson & Co. | 18,400 | 1,537,872 | ||
Boston Scientific Corp. (b) | 44,046 | 512,255 | ||
Covidien Ltd. | 29,925 | 1,325,378 | ||
Medtronic, Inc. | 3,600 | 180,972 | ||
Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (b) | 9,500 | 628,425 | ||
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4,985,992 | ||||
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Health Care Providers & Services 1.6% | ||||
Aetna, Inc. | 16,300 | 940,999 | ||
Express Scripts, Inc. (b) | 18,200 | 1,328,600 | ||
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (b) | 12,600 | 1,277,640 | ||
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 40,600 | 2,362,920 | ||
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5,910,159 | ||||
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Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 2.6% | ||||
Carnival Corp. | 35,500 | 1,579,395 | ||
McDonald's Corp. | 74,600 | 4,394,686 | ||
Starbucks Corp. (b) | 87,200 | 1,784,984 | ||
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. | 39,400 | 1,734,782 | ||
Wendy's International, Inc. | 7,300 | 188,632 | ||
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9,682,479 | ||||
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Household Durables 0.6% | ||||
Black & Decker Corp. | 1,900 | 132,335 | ||
Fortune Brands, Inc. | 22,700 | 1,642,572 | ||
Lennar Corp. Class A | 23,000 | 411,470 | ||
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2,186,377 | ||||
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Household Products 1.7% | ||||
The Procter & Gamble Co. | 88,742 | 6,515,438 | ||
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IT Services 0.6% | ||||
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | 40,300 | 1,794,559 | ||
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (b) | 12,800 | 434,432 | ||
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2,228,991 | ||||
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Industrial Conglomerates 4.7% | ||||
3M Co. | 38,500 | 3,246,320 | ||
General Electric Co. | 332,300 | 12,318,361 | ||
Textron, Inc. | 14,800 | 1,055,240 | ||
Tyco International Ltd. | 21,825 | 865,361 | ||
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17,485,282 | ||||
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Insurance 3.4% | ||||
The Allstate Corp. | 18,700 | 976,701 | ||
American International Group, Inc. | 40,700 | 2,372,810 | ||
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | 16,100 | 1,403,759 | ||
Lincoln National Corp. | 36,300 | 2,113,386 | ||
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. | 75,500 | 1,998,485 | ||
The Progressive Corp. | 62,000 | 1,187,920 | ||
The Travelers Cos., Inc. | 49,600 | 2,668,480 | ||
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12,721,541 | ||||
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Internet & Catalog Retail 0.5% | ||||
Amazon.com, Inc. (b) | 20,900 | 1,936,176 | ||
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Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
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Internet Software & Services 1.9% | ||||
eBay, Inc. (b) | 78,800 | $ 2,615,372 | ||
Google, Inc. Class A (b) | 5,930 | 4,100,476 | ||
Yahoo! Inc. (b) | 23,100 | 537,306 | ||
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7,253,154 | ||||
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Leisure Equipment & Products 0.4% | ||||
Eastman Kodak Co. | 64,000 | 1,399,680 | ||
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Life Sciences Tools & Services 0.2% | ||||
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (b) | 12,000 | 692,160 | ||
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Machinery 1.6% | ||||
Caterpillar, Inc. | 37,500 | 2,721,000 | ||
Cummins, Inc. | 14,800 | 1,885,076 | ||
Deere & Co. | 16,800 | 1,564,416 | ||
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6,170,492 | ||||
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Media 2.0% | ||||
CBS Corp. Class B | 79,650 | 2,170,463 | ||
Comcast Corp. Class A (b) | 103,200 | 1,884,432 | ||
The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (b) | 60,600 | 1,401,072 | ||
Viacom, Inc. Class B (b) | 34,650 | 1,521,828 | ||
Walt Disney Co. | 18,300 | 590,724 | ||
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7,568,519 | ||||
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Metals & Mining 1.4% | ||||
Alcoa, Inc. | 30,700 | 1,122,085 | ||
Allegheny Technologies, Inc. | 19,000 | 1,641,600 | ||
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. Class B | 24,800 | 2,540,512 | ||
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5,304,197 | ||||
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Multi-Utilities 1.7% | ||||
Ameren Corp. | 12,000 | 650,520 | ||
Consolidated Edison, Inc. | 32,400 | 1,582,740 | ||
Dominion Resources, Inc. | 16,400 | 778,180 | ||
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. | 34,200 | 3,359,808 | ||
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6,371,248 | ||||
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Multiline Retail 0.2% | ||||
Family Dollar Stores, Inc. | 8,500 | 163,455 | ||
Target Corp. | 9,700 | 485,000 | ||
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648,455 | ||||
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Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels 9.5% | ||||
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (e) | 30,400 | 1,996,976 | ||
Apache Corp. | 9,700 | 1,043,138 | ||
Chevron Corp. | 75,106 | 7,009,643 | ||
ConocoPhillips | 47,400 | 4,185,420 | ||
Devon Energy Corp. | 33,000 | 2,934,030 | ||
EOG Resources, Inc. | 17,200 | 1,535,100 | ||
Exxon Mobil Corp. | 132,700 | 12,432,663 | ||
Hess Corp. | 22,800 | 2,299,608 | ||
Marathon Oil Corp. | 3,900 | 237,354 | ||
Valero Energy Corp. | 15,600 | 1,092,468 | ||
XTO Energy, Inc. | 15,000 | 770,400 | ||
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35,536,800 | ||||
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Paper & Forest Products 0.7% | ||||
International Paper Co. | 52,500 | 1,699,950 | ||
MeadWestvaco Corp. | 14,200 | 444,460 | ||
Weyerhaeuser Co. | 8,000 | 589,920 | ||
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2,734,330 | ||||
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ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
7 |
Schedule of Investments (concluded)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
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Pharmaceuticals 7.2% | ||||
Abbott Laboratories (e) | 23,200 | $ 1,302,680 | ||
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 120,000 | 3,182,400 | ||
Eli Lilly & Co. | 54,300 | 2,899,077 | ||
Johnson & Johnson | 105,200 | 7,016,840 | ||
Merck & Co., Inc. | 85,800 | 4,985,838 | ||
Pfizer, Inc. | 313,100 | 7,116,763 | ||
Wyeth | 16,500 | 729,135 | ||
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27,232,733 | ||||
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||
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 0.8% | ||||
Equity Residential Properties | 8,200 | 299,054 | ||
Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc. | 60,500 | 2,785,420 | ||
|
||||
3,084,474 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 3.2% | ||||
Applied Materials, Inc. | 39,100 | 694,416 | ||
Intel Corp. | 136,300 | 3,633,758 | ||
Linear Technology Corp. | 39,400 | 1,254,102 | ||
Microchip Technology, Inc. | 54,400 | 1,709,248 | ||
National Semiconductor Corp. | 57,700 | 1,306,328 | ||
Nvidia Corp. (b) | 69,150 | 2,352,483 | ||
Texas Instruments, Inc. | 33,400 | 1,115,560 | ||
|
||||
12,065,895 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Software 3.8% | ||||
Autodesk, Inc. (b) | 41,500 | 2,065,040 | ||
Electronic Arts, Inc. (b) | 19,200 | 1,121,472 | ||
Microsoft Corp. | 238,500 | 8,490,600 | ||
Oracle Corp. (b) | 112,100 | 2,531,218 | ||
|
||||
14,208,330 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Specialty Retail 0.5% | ||||
Home Depot, Inc. | 64,800 | 1,745,712 | ||
|
|
|
||
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods 0.3% | ||||
Coach, Inc. (b) | 11,900 | 363,902 | ||
VF Corp. | 8,500 | 583,610 | ||
|
||||
947,512 | ||||
|
|
|
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance 0.6% | ||||
Fannie Mae | 28,300 | $ 1,131,434 | ||
Freddie Mac | 20,200 | 688,214 | ||
Washington Mutual, Inc. | 25,200 | 342,972 | ||
|
||||
2,162,620 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Tobacco 2.2% | ||||
Altria Group, Inc. | 76,300 | 5,766,754 | ||
Reynolds American, Inc. | 34,700 | 2,288,812 | ||
UST, Inc. | 4,100 | 224,680 | ||
|
||||
8,280,246 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Total Common Stocks | ||||
(Cost $343,155,879) 94.6% | 354,880,777 | |||
|
|
|
||
Beneficial | ||||
Short-Term Securities | Interest | |||
|
|
|
||
BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||
Money Market Series, 4.78% (a)(d) | $34,720,875 | 34,720,875 | ||
|
|
|
||
Total Short-Term Securities | ||||
(Cost $34,720,875) 9.2% | 34,720,875 | |||
|
|
|
||
Total Investments Before Options Written | ||||
(Cost $377,876,754*) 103.8% | 389,601,652 | |||
|
|
|
||
Number of | ||||
Options Written | Contracts | |||
|
|
|
||
Call Options Written (1.0%) | ||||
S&P 500 Index, expiring January 2008 | ||||
at $1,475 | 1,730 | (3,961,700) | ||
|
|
|
||
Total Options Written | ||||
(Premiums Received $5,561,868) (1.0%) | (3,961,700) | |||
|
|
|
||
Total Investments, Net of Options Written | ||||
(Cost $372,314,886) 102.8% | 385,639,952 | |||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (2.8%) | (10,505,847) | |||
|
||||
Net Assets 100.0% | $ 375,134,105 | |||
|
|
* The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments as of | ||||
December 31, 2007, as computed for federal income tax purposes, were | ||||
as follows: | ||||
Aggregate cost | $ 377,876,985 | |||
|
||||
Gross unrealized appreciation | $ 37,360,212 | |||
Gross unrealized depreciation | (25,635,545) | |||
|
|
|||
Net unrealized appreciation | $ 11,724,667 | |||
|
(a) Investments in companies considered to be an affiliate of the Fund, for purposes of | ||||
Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, were as follows: | ||||
|
||||
Net | Interest | |||
Affiliate | Activity | Income | ||
|
|
|
||
BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||
Cash Sweep Series | | $ 18,244 | ||
BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||
Money Market Series | $25,823,602 | $1,079,543 | ||
|
|
|
(b) Non-income producing security. (c) Depositary receipts.
(d) Represents the current yield as of December 31, 2007.
(e) Security held as collateral in connection with open financial futures contracts.
Financial futures contracts purchased as of December 31, 2007 were as follows:
Number of | Expiration | Face | Unrealized | |||||
Contracts | Issue | Date | Value | Depreciation | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
263 | S&P 500 Index | March 2008 | $19,544,162 | $(118,325) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
See Notes to Financial Statements.
8 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2007
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Aerospace & Defense 0.8% | ||||
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. | 3,900 | $ 413,166 | ||
Lockheed Martin Corp. | 700 | 73,682 | ||
Northrop Grumman Corp. | 20,600 | 1,619,984 | ||
Precision Castparts Corp. | 2,700 | 374,490 | ||
|
||||
2,481,322 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Air Freight & Logistics 0.9% | ||||
FedEx Corp. | 3,600 | 321,012 | ||
United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B | 34,900 | 2,468,128 | ||
|
||||
2,789,140 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Auto Components 0.1% | ||||
Johnson Controls, Inc. | 10,300 | 371,212 | ||
|
|
|
||
Automobiles 0.2% | ||||
Ford Motor Co. (b) | 23,900 | 160,847 | ||
General Motors Corp. | 11,800 | 293,702 | ||
Harley-Davidson, Inc. | 3,400 | 158,814 | ||
|
||||
613,363 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Beverages 1.4% | ||||
The Coca-Cola Co. | 46,300 | 2,841,431 | ||
PepsiCo, Inc. | 21,700 | 1,647,030 | ||
|
||||
4,488,461 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Biotechnology 3.2% | ||||
Amgen, Inc. (b) | 40,700 | 1,890,108 | ||
Celgene Corp. (b) | 30,000 | 1,386,300 | ||
Genzyme Corp. (b) | 32,900 | 2,449,076 | ||
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (b) | 86,600 | 3,984,466 | ||
|
||||
9,709,950 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Building Products 0.1% | ||||
Masco Corp. | 16,500 | 356,565 | ||
|
|
|
||
Capital Markets 2.1% | ||||
American Capital Strategies Ltd. | 7,500 | 247,200 | ||
The Charles Schwab Corp. | 16,500 | 421,575 | ||
Franklin Resources, Inc. | 2,800 | 320,404 | ||
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | 13,300 | 2,860,165 | ||
Legg Mason, Inc. | 22,900 | 1,675,135 | ||
Morgan Stanley | 14,000 | 743,540 | ||
|
||||
6,268,019 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Chemicals 1.2% | ||||
The Dow Chemical Co. | 43,500 | 1,714,770 | ||
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. | 26,500 | 1,168,385 | ||
Eastman Chemical Co. | 12,400 | 757,516 | ||
|
||||
3,640,671 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Commercial Banks 2.2% | ||||
BB&T Corp. | 23,300 | 714,611 | ||
Comerica, Inc. | 8,000 | 348,240 | ||
KeyCorp | 6,700 | 157,115 | ||
National City Corp. | 13,600 | 223,856 | ||
U.S. Bancorp | 69,300 | 2,199,582 | ||
Wachovia Corp. | 35,700 | 1,357,671 | ||
Wells Fargo & Co. | 57,100 | 1,723,849 | ||
|
||||
6,724,924 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Commercial Services & Supplies 0.6% | ||||
Pitney Bowes, Inc. | 28,700 | 1,091,748 | ||
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. | 19,500 | 735,930 | ||
|
||||
1,827,678 | ||||
|
|
|
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Communications Equipment 5.1% | ||||
Ciena Corp. (b) | 18,371 | $ 626,635 | ||
Cisco Systems, Inc. (b) | 185,600 | 5,024,192 | ||
Corning, Inc. | 48,900 | 1,173,111 | ||
Juniper Networks, Inc. (b) | 43,900 | 1,457,480 | ||
QUALCOMM, Inc. | 117,100 | 4,607,885 | ||
Research In Motion Ltd. (b) | 25,500 | 2,891,700 | ||
|
||||
15,781,003 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Computers & Peripherals 5.3% | ||||
Apple Computer, Inc. (b) | 65,600 | 12,994,048 | ||
EMC Corp. | 36,300 | 672,639 | ||
Hewlett-Packard Co. | 10,900 | 550,232 | ||
International Business Machines Corp. | 7,200 | 778,320 | ||
SanDisk Corp. (b) | 36,200 | 1,200,754 | ||
|
||||
16,195,993 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Construction & Engineering 0.5% | ||||
Fluor Corp. | 9,800 | 1,428,056 | ||
|
|
|
||
Consumer Finance 0.1% | ||||
Discover Financial Services LLC | 22,500 | 339,300 | ||
|
|
|
||
Containers & Packaging 0.0% | ||||
Temple-Inland, Inc. | 3,300 | 68,805 | ||
|
|
|
||
Distributors 0.3% | ||||
Genuine Parts Co. | 21,900 | 1,013,970 | ||
|
|
|
||
Diversified Financial Services 3.8% | ||||
Bank of America Corp. | 118,301 | 4,881,099 | ||
CME Group, Inc. | 900 | 617,400 | ||
Citigroup, Inc. | 141,500 | 4,165,760 | ||
Guaranty Financial Group, Inc. (b) | 1,100 | 17,600 | ||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 42,900 | 1,872,585 | ||
|
||||
11,554,444 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Diversified Telecommunication Services 3.2% | ||||
AT&T Inc. | 105,432 | 4,381,754 | ||
Citizens Communications Co. | 78,600 | 1,000,578 | ||
Embarq Corp. | 7,019 | 347,651 | ||
Verizon Communications, Inc. | 75,532 | 3,299,993 | ||
Windstream Corp. | 65,661 | 854,906 | ||
|
||||
9,884,882 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Electric Utilities 1.3% | ||||
Exelon Corp. | 11,500 | 938,860 | ||
Progress Energy, Inc. | 38,800 | 1,879,084 | ||
The Southern Co. | 32,700 | 1,267,125 | ||
|
||||
4,085,069 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Electrical Equipment 0.3% | ||||
Emerson Electric Co. | 17,300 | 980,218 | ||
|
|
|
||
Electronic Equipment & Instruments 0.1% | ||||
Tyco Electronics Ltd. | 8,475 | 314,677 | ||
|
|
|
||
Energy Equipment & Services 2.5% | ||||
Baker Hughes, Inc. | 6,300 | 510,930 | ||
National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (b) | 31,900 | 2,343,374 | ||
Schlumberger Ltd. | 3,103 | 305,242 | ||
Smith International, Inc. | 33,682 | 2,487,416 | ||
Transocean, Inc. (b) | 10,354 | 1,482,175 | ||
Weatherford International Ltd. (b) | 5,800 | 397,880 | ||
|
||||
7,527,017 | ||||
|
|
|
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
9 |
Schedule of Investments (continued)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Food & Staples Retailing 1.2% | ||||
CVS/Caremark Corp. | 25,600 | $ 1,017,600 | ||
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 42,000 | 1,996,260 | ||
Walgreen Co. | 17,200 | 654,976 | ||
|
||||
3,668,836 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Food Products 0.9% | ||||
Kraft Foods, Inc. | 49,427 | 1,612,803 | ||
Sara Lee Corp. | 77,300 | 1,241,438 | ||
|
||||
2,854,241 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Gas Utilities 0.2% | ||||
Spectra Energy Corp. | 24,700 | 637,754 | ||
|
|
|
||
Health Care Equipment & Supplies 0.5% | ||||
Baxter International, Inc. | 3,400 | 197,370 | ||
Boston Scientific Corp. (b) | 38,486 | 447,592 | ||
Covidien Ltd. | 8,475 | 375,358 | ||
Stryker Corp. | 5,900 | 440,848 | ||
|
||||
1,461,168 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Health Care Providers & Services 2.3% | ||||
Aetna, Inc. | 8,800 | 508,024 | ||
Cigna Corp. | 10,800 | 580,284 | ||
Express Scripts, Inc. (b) | 17,600 | 1,284,800 | ||
Humana, Inc. (b) | 14,600 | 1,099,526 | ||
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (b) | 5,500 | 557,700 | ||
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 32,700 | 1,903,140 | ||
WellPoint, Inc. (b) | 12,100 | 1,061,533 | ||
|
||||
6,995,007 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 2.2% | ||||
Carnival Corp. | 7,500 | 333,675 | ||
McDonald's Corp. | 46,700 | 2,751,097 | ||
Starbucks Corp. (b) | 103,000 | 2,108,410 | ||
Wynn Resorts Ltd. | 14,300 | 1,603,459 | ||
|
||||
6,796,641 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Household Durables 1.2% | ||||
D.R. Horton, Inc. | 8,300 | 109,311 | ||
Fortune Brands, Inc. | 24,900 | 1,801,764 | ||
Garmin Ltd. | 5,300 | 514,100 | ||
KB Home | 3,600 | 77,760 | ||
Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. | 49,600 | 1,283,648 | ||
|
||||
3,786,583 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Household Products 1.4% | ||||
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | 5,500 | 428,780 | ||
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | 5,200 | 360,568 | ||
The Procter & Gamble Co. | 46,800 | 3,436,056 | ||
|
||||
4,225,404 | ||||
|
|
|
||
IT Services 1.0% | ||||
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (b) | 36,200 | 1,228,628 | ||
Paychex, Inc. | 48,200 | 1,745,804 | ||
|
||||
2,974,432 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Industrial Conglomerates 3.5% | ||||
3M Co. | 26,000 | 2,192,320 | ||
General Electric Co. | 221,600 | 8,214,712 | ||
Textron, Inc. | 6,200 | 442,060 | ||
|
||||
10,849,092 | ||||
|
|
|
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Insurance 2.7% | ||||
The Allstate Corp. | 12,300 | $ 642,429 | ||
American International Group, Inc. | 18,600 | 1,084,380 | ||
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | 6,800 | 592,892 | ||
Lincoln National Corp. | 21,600 | 1,257,552 | ||
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. | 11,300 | 299,111 | ||
MetLife, Inc. | 14,600 | 899,652 | ||
Prudential Financial, Inc. | 7,900 | 735,016 | ||
Safeco Corp. | 14,800 | 824,064 | ||
The Travelers Cos., Inc. | 33,300 | 1,791,540 | ||
XL Capital Ltd. Class A | 4,700 | 236,457 | ||
|
||||
8,363,093 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Internet & Catalog Retail 0.4% | ||||
Amazon.com, Inc. (b) | 13,000 | 1,204,320 | ||
|
|
|
||
Internet Software & Services 3.9% | ||||
eBay, Inc. (b) | 108,307 | 3,594,709 | ||
Google, Inc. Class A (b)(e) | 9,500 | 6,569,060 | ||
Yahoo! Inc. (b) | 74,700 | 1,737,522 | ||
|
||||
11,901,291 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Life Sciences Tools & Services 0.5% | ||||
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (b) | 26,100 | 1,505,448 | ||
|
|
|
||
Machinery 1.3% | ||||
Caterpillar, Inc. | 18,200 | 1,320,592 | ||
Cummins, Inc. | 16,400 | 2,088,868 | ||
Danaher Corp. | 4,300 | 377,282 | ||
Joy Global, Inc. | 3,700 | 243,534 | ||
|
||||
4,030,276 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Media 3.0% | ||||
CBS Corp. Class B | 20,900 | 569,525 | ||
Comcast Corp. Class A (b) | 113,650 | 2,075,249 | ||
The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (b) | 44,700 | 1,033,464 | ||
Lamar Advertising Co. Class A | 43,544 | 2,093,160 | ||
The McGraw-Hill Cos., Inc. | 5,400 | 236,574 | ||
News Corp. Class A | 40,100 | 821,649 | ||
Viacom, Inc. Class B (b) | 29,400 | 1,291,248 | ||
Walt Disney Co. | 33,500 | 1,081,380 | ||
|
||||
9,202,249 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Metals & Mining 1.1% | ||||
Allegheny Technologies, Inc. | 6,400 | 552,960 | ||
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. Class B | 24,000 | 2,458,560 | ||
Newmont Mining Corp. | 1,700 | 83,011 | ||
Nucor Corp. | 6,000 | 355,320 | ||
|
||||
3,449,851 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Multi-Utilities 0.7% | ||||
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. | 15,700 | 1,542,368 | ||
TECO Energy, Inc. | 31,600 | 543,836 | ||
|
||||
2,086,204 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Multiline Retail 0.1% | ||||
Sears Holdings Corp. (b) | 3,500 | 357,175 | ||
|
|
|
||
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels 6.3% | ||||
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. | 9,200 | 604,348 | ||
Apache Corp. | 6,500 | 699,010 | ||
Chesapeake Energy Corp. | 23,000 | 901,600 | ||
Chevron Corp. | 49,200 | 4,591,836 | ||
ConocoPhillips | 29,521 | 2,606,704 |
10 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Schedule of Investments (continued)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (concluded) | ||||
Devon Energy Corp. | 10,200 | $ 906,882 | ||
EOG Resources, Inc. | 4,200 | 374,850 | ||
Exxon Mobil Corp. | 75,400 | 7,064,226 | ||
Marathon Oil Corp. | 2,300 | 139,978 | ||
Valero Energy Corp. | 10,800 | 756,324 | ||
XTO Energy, Inc. | 9,500 | 487,920 | ||
|
||||
19,133,678 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Paper & Forest Products 0.7% | ||||
International Paper Co. | 39,200 | 1,269,296 | ||
MeadWestvaco Corp. | 26,300 | 823,190 | ||
|
||||
2,092,486 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Pharmaceuticals 5.1% | ||||
Abbott Laboratories | 25,400 | 1,426,210 | ||
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 94,200 | 2,498,184 | ||
Eli Lilly & Co. | 18,000 | 961,020 | ||
Johnson & Johnson | 60,200 | 4,015,340 | ||
Merck & Co., Inc. | 37,000 | 2,150,070 | ||
Pfizer, Inc. | 202,300 | 4,598,279 | ||
|
||||
15,649,103 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 0.7% | ||||
Developers Diversified Realty Corp. | 7,900 | 302,491 | ||
Equity Residential Properties | 5,600 | 204,232 | ||
Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc. | 23,200 | 1,068,128 | ||
Simon Property Group, Inc. | 3,800 | 330,068 | ||
Vornado Realty Trust | 2,300 | 202,285 | ||
|
||||
2,107,204 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Real Estate Management & Development 0.0% | ||||
Forestar Real Estate Group, Inc. (b) | 1,100 | 25,949 | ||
|
|
|
||
Road & Rail 0.3% | ||||
Ryder System, Inc. | 19,100 | 897,891 | ||
|
|
|
||
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 3.6% | ||||
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (b) | 46,700 | 350,250 | ||
Analog Devices, Inc. | 41,000 | 1,299,700 | ||
Broadcom Corp. Class A (b) | 32,000 | 836,480 | ||
Intel Corp. | 123,640 | 3,296,243 | ||
Lam Research Corp. (b) | 33,400 | 1,443,882 | ||
Microchip Technology, Inc. | 38,200 | 1,200,244 | ||
Nvidia Corp. (b) | 78,600 | 2,673,972 | ||
|
||||
11,100,771 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Software 6.5% | ||||
Adobe Systems, Inc. (b) | 34,100 | 1,457,093 | ||
Autodesk, Inc. (b) | 50,300 | 2,502,928 | ||
Electronic Arts, Inc. (b) | 22,498 | 1,314,108 | ||
Intuit, Inc. (b) | 29,400 | 929,334 | ||
Microsoft Corp. | 283,800 | 10,103,280 | ||
Oracle Corp. (b) | 156,362 | 3,530,654 | ||
|
||||
19,837,397 | ||||
|
|
|
Shares | ||||
Common Stocks | Held | Value | ||
|
|
|
||
Specialty Retail 0.7% | ||||
Home Depot, Inc. | 74,100 | $ 1,996,254 | ||
Lowe's Cos., Inc. | 3,100 | 70,122 | ||
|
||||
2,066,376 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods 0.2% | ||||
Coach, Inc. (b) | 21,400 | 654,412 | ||
|
|
|
||
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance 1.1% | ||||
Fannie Mae | 63,200 | 2,526,736 | ||
Freddie Mac | 10,000 | 340,700 | ||
Washington Mutual, Inc. | 25,100 | 341,611 | ||
|
||||
3,209,047 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Tobacco 2.0% | ||||
Altria Group, Inc. | 34,500 | 2,607,510 | ||
Reynolds American, Inc. | 32,400 | 2,137,104 | ||
UST, Inc. | 23,500 | 1,287,800 | ||
|
||||
6,032,414 | ||||
|
|
|
||
Wireless Telecommunication Services 0.3% | ||||
Sprint Nextel Corp. | 67,497 | 886,236 | ||
|
|
|
||
Total Common Stocks | ||||
(Cost $269,120,434) 90.9% | 278,486,768 | |||
|
|
|
||
Beneficial | ||||
Short-Term Securities | Interest | |||
|
|
|
||
BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||
Money Market Series, 4.78% (a)(d) | $33,882,119 | 33,882,119 | ||
|
|
|
||
Total Short-Term Securities | ||||
(Cost $33,882,119) 11.1% | 33,882,119 | |||
|
|
|
||
Total Investments Before Options Written | ||||
(Cost $303,002,553*) 102.0% | 312,368,887 | |||
|
|
|
||
Number of | ||||
Options Written | Contracts | |||
|
|
|
||
Call Options Written | ||||
NASDAQ Index 100, expiring January 2008 | ||||
at $2,100 | 75 | (292,500) | ||
S&P 500 Index, expiring January 2008 | ||||
at $1,475 | 1,315 | (3,011,350) | ||
|
|
|
||
Total Options Written | ||||
(Premiums Received $4,560,235) (1.1%) | (3,303,850) | |||
|
|
|
||
Total Investments, Net of Options Written | ||||
(Cost $298,442,318) 100.9% | 309,065,037 | |||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (0.9%) | (2,894,019) | |||
|
||||
Net Assets 100.0% | $306,171,018 | |||
|
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
11 |
Schedule of Investments (concluded)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
* The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments as of | ||||
December 31, 2007, as computed for federal income tax purposes, were | ||||
as follows: | ||||
Aggregate cost | $ 303,012,835 | |||
|
||||
Gross unrealized appreciation | $ 30,003,567 | |||
Gross unrealized depreciation | (20,647,515) | |||
|
|
|||
Net unrealized appreciation | $ 9,356,052 | |||
|
(a) | Investments in companies considered to be an affiliate of the Fund, for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, were as follows: |
Net | Interest | |||
Affiliate | Activity | Income | ||
BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||
Money Market Series | $11,891,510 | $1,261,191 | ||
|
|
|
(b) Non-income producing security. (c) Depositary receipts.
(d) Represents the current yield as of 12/31/2007.
(e) Security held as collateral in connection with open financial futures contracts.
For Fund compliance purposes, the Funds industry classifications refer to any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. Industries are shown as a percent of net assets. These industry classifications are unaudited.
Financial futures contracts purchased on December 31, 2007 were as follows:
Number of | Expiration | Face | Unrealized | |||||
Contracts | Issue | Date | Value | Depreciation | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
325 | NASDAQ 100 Index | March 2008 | $13,717,862 | $ (36,987) | ||||
186 | S&P 500 Index | March 2008 | $13,866,231 | (127,806) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Total | $ (164,793) | |||||||
|
See Notes to Financial Statements.
12 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Statements of Assets and Liabilities | ||||
BlackRock | ||||
BlackRock | Enhanced | |||
Enhanced | Equity Yield | |||
Equity Yield | & Premium | |||
As of December 31, 2007 | Fund, Inc. | Fund, Inc. | ||
|
|
|
||
Assets | ||||
|
|
|
||
Investments in unaffiliated securities, at value* | $ 354,880,777 | $ 278,486,768 | ||
Investments in affiliated securities, at value** | 34,720,875 | 33,882,119 | ||
Receivable for securities sold | 1,522,464 | | ||
Dividends receivable | 694,473 | 349,132 | ||
Receivable for securities lending | 16,479 | | ||
Prepaid expenses | 18,380 | 15,477 | ||
|
|
|||
Total assets | 391,853,448 | 312,733,496 | ||
|
|
|
||
Liabilities | ||||
|
|
|
||
Options written, at value*** | 3,961,700 | 3,303,850 | ||
Bank overdraft | 9,979,265 | | ||
Dividends payable to shareholders | 2,217,219 | 2,710,292 | ||
Payable to investment advisor | 322,316 | 267,486 | ||
Payable for variation margin | 78,959 | 161,778 | ||
Payable for other affiliates | 3,379 | 2,797 | ||
Accrued expenses | 156,505 | 116,275 | ||
|
|
|||
Total liabilities | 16,719,343 | 6,562,478 | ||
|
|
|
||
Net Assets | ||||
|
|
|
||
Net Assets | $ 375,134,105 | $ 306,171,018 | ||
|
|
|
||
Capital | ||||
|
|
|
||
Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, 200,000,000 shares authorized | $ 2,134,804 | $ 1,769,705 | ||
Paid-in capital in excess of par | 361,274,634 | 296,334,101 | ||
Accumulated realized capital losses net | (1,482,074) | (2,390,714) | ||
Unrealized appreciation net | 13,206,741 | 10,457,926 | ||
|
|
|||
Net assets | $ 375,134,105 | $ 306,171,018 | ||
|
|
|||
Net asset value | $ 17.57 | $ 17.30 | ||
|
|
|||
Market price | $ 16.16 | $ 15.68 | ||
|
|
|||
* Identified cost for unaffiliated securities | $ 343,155,879 | $ 269,120,434 | ||
|
|
|||
** Identified cost for affiliated securities | $ 34,720,875 | $ 33,882,119 | ||
|
|
|||
*** Premiums received | $ 5,561,868 | $ 4,560,235 | ||
|
|
|||
Shares of Common Stock outstanding | 21,348,041 | 17,697,047 | ||
|
|
|||
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
13 |
Statements of Operations | ||||
BlackRock | ||||
BlackRock | Enhanced | |||
Enhanced | Equity Yield | |||
Equity Yield | & Premium | |||
For the Year Ended December 31, 2007 | Fund, Inc. | Fund, Inc. | ||
|
|
|
||
Investment Income | ||||
|
|
|
||
Dividends* | $ 9,260,195 | $ 5,962,765 | ||
Interest from affiliates | 1,079,543 | 1,261,191 | ||
Securities lending net | 18,244 | | ||
|
|
|||
Total income | 10,357,982 | 7,223,956 | ||
|
|
|
||
Expenses | ||||
|
|
|
||
Investment advisory fees | 3,958,902 | 3,257,277 | ||
Accounting services | 116,873 | 99,152 | ||
Repurchase offer | | 3,620 | ||
Professional fees | 66,521 | 59,167 | ||
Transfer agent fees | 26,673 | 23,578 | ||
Printing and shareholder reports | 34,616 | 28,654 | ||
Directors fees and expenses | 32,434 | 27,694 | ||
Custodian fees | 23,860 | 21,138 | ||
Listing fees | 9,436 | 9,436 | ||
Pricing fees | 1,066 | 1,236 | ||
Other | 29,630 | 38,008 | ||
|
|
|||
Total expenses | 4,300,011 | 3,568,960 | ||
|
|
|||
Investment income net | 6,057,971 | 3,654,996 | ||
|
|
|
||
Realized & Unrealized Gain (Loss) Net | ||||
|
|
|
||
Realized gain (loss) on: | ||||
Investments net | 12,767,824 | 19,584,199 | ||
Financial futures contracts net | 41,939 | 338,972 | ||
Options written net | (3,108,393) | (3,861,257) | ||
|
|
|||
Total realized gain net | 9,701,370 | 16,061,914 | ||
|
|
|||
Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on: | ||||
Investments net | 2,251,111 | 1,525,637 | ||
Financial futures contracts net | (74,369) | (82,143) | ||
Options written net | 714,223 | 40,328 | ||
|
|
|||
Total change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation net | 2,890,965 | 1,483,822 | ||
|
|
|||
Total realized and unrealized gain net | 12,592,335 | 17,545,736 | ||
|
|
|||
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations | $ 18,650,306 | $ 21,200,732 | ||
|
|
|||
* Including foreign withholding tax | $ 35,762 | $ 1,287 | ||
|
|
|||
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
14 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. | |||
For the | ||||
Year Ended December 31, | ||||
|
||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets: | 2007 | 2006 | ||
|
|
|
||
Operations | ||||
|
|
|
||
Investment income net | $ 6,057,971 | $ 5,607,522 | ||
Realized gain net | 9,701,370 | 24,411,719 | ||
Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation net | 2,890,965 | 19,395,869 | ||
|
|
|||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 18,650,306 | 49,415,110 | ||
|
|
|
||
Dividends & Distributions to Shareholders | ||||
|
|
|
||
Investment income net | (6,028,827) | (7,874,280) | ||
Realized gain net | (10,245,934) | (20,112,848) | ||
Tax return of capital | (26,237,858) | (17,448,419) | ||
|
|
|||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from dividends and distributions to shareholders | (42,512,619) | (45,435,547) | ||
|
|
|
||
Common Stock Transactions | ||||
|
|
|
||
Value of shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of dividends and distributions | 5,093,318 | 5,490,895 | ||
Net redemption of Common Stock resulting from a repurchase offer (including $5,575 and $51,348, respectively, of | ||||
repurchase fees) | (277,233) | (2,534,606) | ||
|
|
|||
Net increase in net assets resulting from Common Stock transactions | 4,816,085 | 2,956,289 | ||
|
|
|
||
Net Assets | ||||
|
|
|
||
Total increase (decrease) in net assets | (19,046,228) | 6,935,852 | ||
Beginning of year | 394,180,333 | 387,244,481 | ||
|
|
|||
End of year | $ 375,134,105 | $ 394,180,333 | ||
|
|
|||
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
15 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. | |||||
For the | ||||||
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|
|
|||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets: | 2007 | 2006 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Operations | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Investment income net | $ 3,654,996 | $ 4,820,526 | ||||
Realized gain net | 16,061,914 | 11,352,040 | ||||
Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation net | 1,483,822 | 17,470,806 | ||||
|
|
|
||||
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | 21,200,732 | 33,643,372 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Dividends & Distributions to Shareholders | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Investment income net | (3,654,996) | (4,856,281) | ||||
Realized gain net | (17,184,920) | (9,839,619) | ||||
Tax return of capital | (15,306,196) | (21,317,145) | ||||
|
|
|
||||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from dividends and distributions to shareholders | (36,146,112) | (36,013,045) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Common Stock Transactions | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Value of shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of dividends and distributions | 2,993,123 | 429,830 | ||||
Net redemption of Common Stock resulting from a repurchase offer (including $12,145 and $16,944, respectively, of | ||||||
repurchase fees) | (606,573) | (827,956) | ||||
|
|
|
||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from Common Stock transactions | 2,386,550 | (398,126) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Net Assets | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
Total decrease in net assets | (12,558,830) | (2,767,799) | ||||
Beginning of year | 318,729,848 | 321,497,647 | ||||
|
|
|
||||
End of year | $ 306,171,018 | $ 318,729,848 | ||||
|
|
|||||
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
16 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Financial Highlights | ||||||||||||||||
BlackRock | BlackRock | |||||||||||||||
Enhanced Equity | Enhanced Equity Yield | |||||||||||||||
Yield Fund, Inc. | & Premium Fund, Inc. | |||||||||||||||
For the | For the | |||||||||||||||
For the | Period May 6, | For the | Period June 30, | |||||||||||||
Year Ended | 2005 to | Year Ended | 2005 to | |||||||||||||
The following per share data and ratios | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | ||||||||||||
have been derived from information | ||||||||||||||||
provided in the financial statements. | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Per Share Operating Performance | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ 18.68 | $ 18.49 | $ 19.10 | $ 18.14 | $ 18.28 | $ 19.10 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Investment income net** | .29 | .27 | .23 | .21 | .27 | .19 | ||||||||||
Realized and unrealized gain net | .60 | 2.09 | .19 | 1.00 | 1.64 | .04 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total from investment operations | .89 | 2.36 | .42 | 1.21 | 1.91 | .23 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Less dividends and distributions: | ||||||||||||||||
Investment income net | (.28) | (.38) | (.13) | (.21) | (.28) | (.19) | ||||||||||
Realized gain net | (.48) | (.96) | (.87) | (.97) | (.56) | (.68) | ||||||||||
Tax return of capital | (1.24) | (.83) | | (.87) | (1.21) | (.16) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total dividends and distributions | (2.00) | (2.17) | (1.00) | (2.05) | (2.05) | (1.03) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Offering costs resulting from the issuance of Common Stock | | | (.03) | | | (.02) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ 17.57 | $ 18.68 | $ 18.49 | $ 17.30 | $ 18.14 | $ 18.28 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Market price per share, end of period | $ 16.16 | $ 19.86 | $ 17.23 | $ 15.68 | $ 19.52 | $ 16.82 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Total Investment Return*** | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Based on net asset value per share | 4.96% | 13.38% | 2.16% | 7.41% | 10.92% | 1.40% | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Based on market price per share | (9.20%) | 29.35% | (9.08%) | (9.53%) | 29.72% | (10.89%) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Expenses | 1.09% | 1.12% | 1.07%* | 1.10% | 1.11% | 1.08%* | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Investment income net | 1.53% | 1.44% | 1.86%* | 1.12% | 1.49% | 1.94%* | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Supplemental Data | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $375,134 | $394,180 | $387,244 | $306,171 | $318,730 | $321,498 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 46% | 49% | 35% | 59% | 68% | 34% | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Annualized.
** Based on average shares outstanding. *** Total investment returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or less than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns. Total investment returns exclude the effects of sales charges. Commencement of operations. Includes repurchase fees, which are less than $.01 per share. Aggregate total investment return. See Notes to Financial Statements. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
17 |
Notes to Financial Statements
1. Significant Accounting Policies:
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. (referred to as the Funds or individually as a Fund) are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as diversified, closed-end management investment companies. The Funds financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Funds determine and make available for publication the net asset value of their Common Stock on a daily basis. Each Funds Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EEF for BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and ECV for BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Funds.
Valuation of Investments : The Funds value most of their investments on the basis of last available bid price or current market quotations provided by dealers or pricing services selected under the supervision of each Funds Board of Directors (Directors or a Board). In determining the value of a particular investment, pricing services may use certain information with respect to transactions in such investments, quotations from dealers, market transactions in comparable investments, various relationships observed in the market between investments, and calculated yield measures based on valuation technology commonly employed in the market for such investments. Effective September 4, 2007, exchange-traded options are valued at the mean between the last bid and ask prices at the close of the options market in which the options trade and previously were valued at the last sales price as of the close of options trading on applicable exchanges. Options traded in the OTC market are valued at the last asked price (options written) and the last bid price (options purchased). Financial futures contracts are traded on exchanges and are valued at their last sale price. Short-term securities may be valued at amortized cost.
In the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment which is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, the investment will be valued by, under the direction of or in accordance with a method approved by the Board as reflecting fair value (Fair Value Assets). When determining the price for Fair Value Assets, the investment advisor and/or sub-advisor shall seek to determine the price that the Funds might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset in an arms-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the advisor and/or sub-advisor deems relevant. The pricing of all Fair Value Assets shall be subsequently reported to the Board or a committee thereof.
Derivative Financial Instruments: The Funds may engage in various portfolio investment strategies to increase the return of the Funds and to hedge, or protect, exposure to interest rate movements and movements in the securities markets. Losses may arise due to changes in the value of the contract due to an unfavorable change in the price of the underlying security or if the counter-party does not perform under the contract.
Options: The Funds may purchase and write call and put options. When the Funds write an option, an amount equal to the premium received by the Funds is reflected as an asset and an equivalent lia- bility. The amount of the liability is subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current market value of the option written. When a security is purchased or sold through an exercise of an option, the related premium paid (or received) is added to (or deducted from) the basis of the security acquired or deducted from (or added to) the proceeds of the security sold. When an option expires (or the Funds enter into a closing transaction), the Funds realize a gain or loss on the option to the extent of the premiums received or paid (or gain or loss to the extent the cost of the closing transaction exceeds the premium received or paid).
Financial Futures Contracts: The Funds may purchase or sell financial futures contracts and options on such financial futures contracts. Financial futures contracts are contracts for delayed delivery of secu- rities at a specific future date and at a specific price or yield. Upon entering into a contract, the Funds deposit and maintain as collateral such initial margin as required by the exchange on which the trans- action is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in value of the contract. Such receipts or payments are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Funds as unrealized gains or losses. When the contract is closed, the Funds record a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.
Segregation: In cases in which the 1940 Act, and the interpretive positions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) require that each Fund segregate assets in connection with certain investments (e.g., when-issued securities or swap agreements), each Fund will, consistent with certain interpretive letters issued by the SEC, designate on its books and records cash or other liquid securities having a market value at least equal to the amount that would otherwise be required to be physically segregated.
Income Taxes: It is the Funds policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment
18 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
companies and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
Effective June 29, 2007, the Funds implemented Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48). FIN 48 prescribes the minumum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity, including investment companies, before being measured and recognized in the financial statements. Management has evaluated the application of FIN 48 to the Funds, and has determined that the adoption of FIN 48 does not have a material impact on the Funds financial statements. The Funds file U.S. federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The statute of limitations on the Funds U.S. federal tax returns remains open for the years ended December 31, 2005 through December 31, 2006. The statute of limitations on the Funds state and local tax returns may remain open for an additional year depending upon the jurisdiction.
Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are entered into (the trade dates). Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on the identified cost basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds have determined the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis. The Funds amortize all premiums and discounts on debt securities.
Dividends and Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. If the total dividends and distributions made in any tax year exceeds net investment income and accumulated realized capital gains, a portion of the total distribution may be treated as a tax return of capital. For the year ended December 31, 2007, a portion of the dividends and distributions were characterized as a tax return of capital.
Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend securities to financial institutions that provide cash or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government as collateral, which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. The Fund typically receives the income on the loaned securities but does not receive the income on the collateral. Where the Fund receives cash collateral, it may invest such collateral and retain the amount earned on such investment, net of any amount rebated to the borrower. The Fund may receive a flat fee for their loans. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.
The Fund may pay reasonable lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. In the event that the borrower defaults on its obligation to return borrowed securities because of insolvency or for any other reason, the Fund could experience delays and costs in gaining access to the collateral. The Fund also could suffer a loss where the value of the collateral falls below the market value of the borrowed securities, in the event of borrower default or in the event of losses on investments made with cash collateral.
Bank Overdraft: BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. recorded a bank overdraft resulting from a timing difference of a reversal of an incorrect dividend distribution payment.
Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates and such differences may be material.
Other: Expenses that are directly related to a Fund are charged directly to that Fund. Other operating expenses are generally pro-rated to the Funds on the basis of relative net assets of all the BlackRock Closed-End Funds.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements: In September 2006, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (FAS 157), was issued and is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. FAS 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The impact on the Funds financial statement disclosures, if any, is currently being assessed.
In addition, in February 2007, FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (FAS 159), which is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of a fiscal year that begins on or before November 15, 2007, provided the entity also elects to apply the provisions of FAS 157. FAS 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value that are not currently required to be measured at fair value. FAS 159 also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate comparisons between entities that choose different measurement attributes for similar types of assets and liabilities. The impact on the Funds financial statement disclosures, if any, is currently being assessed.
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
19 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
Reclassifications: Accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting.
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
During the current year, $4,520 has been reclassified between accumulated distributions in excess of net investment income and paid in capital in excess of par and $24,624 has been reclassified between accumulated distributions in excess of net investment income and accumulated net realized capital losses as a result of permanent differences attributable to the tax characterization of income recognized from partnerships and non-deductible expenses. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share.
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
During the current year, $4,534 has been reclassified between paid in capital in excess of par and accumulated net realized capital losses as a result of permanent differences attributable to the sale of securities with a different basis for book and tax. This reclassification has no effect on net assets or net asset values per share.
2. Investment Advisory Agreement and Other Transactions with Affiliates:
Each Fund has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. to provide investment advice and administrative services. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (Merrill Lynch) and The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) are the principal owners of BlackRock, Inc.
The Advisor is responsible for the management of each Funds portfolio and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operations of each Fund. For such services, each Fund pays a fee on a monthly basis at an annual rate equal to 1.0% of the aggregate average daily value of each Funds net assets and the proceeds of any debt securities or borrowings used for leverage. In addition, the Advisor has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (BIM), an affiliate of the Advisor, under which the Advisor pays BIM for its sub-advisory services.
The Funds have received an exemptive order from the SEC permitting them to lend portfolio securities to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S), a wholly owned subsidiary of Merrill Lynch, or its affiliates. Pursuant to that order, each Fund has retained BIM, as the securities lending agent for a fee based on a share of the returns on investment of cash collateral. BIM may, on behalf of the Funds, invest cash collateral received by the Funds for such loans, among other things, in a private investment company managed by the Advisor or in registered money market funds advised by the Advisor or its affiliates. For the year ended December 31, 2007, BIM received $4,754 in securities lending agent fees from BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and none from BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield and Premium Fund, Inc.
In addition, MLPF&S received $14,127 and $16,900 in commissions on the execution of portfolio security transactions for the year ended December 31, 2007 for BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc., respectively.
For the year ended December 31, 2007, BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. reimbursed the Advisor $7,258 and $6,028, respectively for certain accounting services.
Certain officers and/or directors of the Funds are officers and/or directors of BlackRock, Inc. or its affiliates.
3. Investments:
Purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, for the year ended December 31, 2007 were as follows:
Total | Total | |||
Purchases | Sales | |||
|
|
|
||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield | ||||
Fund, Inc | $174,299,885 | $215,343,267 | ||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & | ||||
Premium Fund, Inc | $178,831,884 | $228,462,262 | ||
|
|
|
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Transactions in options written for the year ended December 31, 2007 were as follows:
Number of | Premiums | |||
Call Options Written | Contracts | Received | ||
|
|
|
||
Outstanding call options written, | ||||
beginning of year | 1,950 | $ 3,399,945 | ||
Options written | 33,027 | 62,725,312 | ||
Options closed | (30,587) | (53,597,380) | ||
Options expired | (2,660) | (6,966,009) | ||
|
|
|||
Outstanding call options written, | ||||
end of year | 1,730 | $ 5,561,868 | ||
|
|
|
||
Number of | Premiums | |||
Put Options Written | Contracts | Received | ||
|
|
|
||
Outstanding put options written, | ||||
beginning of year | | | ||
Options written | 220 | $ 115,929 | ||
Options closed | (220) | (115,929) | ||
|
|
|||
Outstanding put options written, | ||||
end of year | | $ | ||
|
|
20 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Notes to Financial Statements (concluded)
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
Transactions in options written for the year ended December 31, 2007 were as follows:
Number of | Premiums | |||
Call Options Written | Contracts | Received | ||
|
|
|
||
Outstanding call options written, | ||||
beginning of year | 1,520 | $ 2,997,557 | ||
Options written | 26,919 | 53,583,263 | ||
Options closed | (24,939) | (47,164,034) | ||
Options expired | (2,110) | (4,856,551) | ||
|
|
|||
Outstanding call options written, | ||||
end of year | 1,390 | $ 4,560,235 | ||
|
|
|
||
Number of | Premiums | |||
Put Options Written | Contracts | Received | ||
|
|
|
||
Outstanding put options written, | ||||
beginning of year | | | ||
Options written | 180 | $ 94,851 | ||
Options closed | (180) | (94,851) | ||
|
|
|||
Outstanding put options written, | ||||
end of year | | $ | ||
|
|
|||
4. Common Stock Transactions: |
Each Fund is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, all of which were initially classified as Common Stock. Each Funds Board is authorized, however, to reclassify any unissued shares of stock without approval of holders of Common Stock.
Common Stock
Each Fund will make offers to repurchase its shares at annual (approximately 12-month) intervals. The shares tendered in the repurchase offer will be subject to a repurchase fee retained by the Funds to compensate the Funds for expenses directly related to the repurchase offer.
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Shares issued and outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2007 increased by 266,355 from dividend and distribution reinvestments and decreased by 15,067 as a result of a repurchase offer. Shares issued and outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2006 increased by 298,957 from dividend and distribution reinvestments and decreased by 142,634 as a result of a repurchase offer.
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
Shares issued and outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2007 increased by 163,331 from dividend and distribution reinvestments and decreased by 33,736 as a result of a repurchase offer. Shares issued and outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2006 increased by 23,010 from dividend and distribution reinvestments and decreased by 45,794 as a result of a repurchase offer.
5. Distributions to Shareholders:
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 was as follows:
12/31/2007 | 12/31/2006 | |||
|
|
|
||
Distributions paid from: | ||||
Ordinary income | 8,757,113 | $15,202,420 | ||
Net long-term capital gains | 7,517,648 | 12,784,708 | ||
Tax return of capital | 26,237,858 | 17,448,419 | ||
|
|
|||
Total distributions | $ 42,512,619 | $45,435,547 | ||
|
|
As of December 31, 2007, the components of accumulated earnings on a tax basis were as follows:
Unrealized gains net | $ 11,724,667* | |
|
||
Total accumulated earnings net | $ 11,724,667 | |
|
* | The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized gains is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and the realization for tax purposes of unrealized gains (losses) on certain financial futures contracts. |
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.
The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 was as follows:
12/31/2007 | 12/31/2006 | |||
|
|
|
||
Distributions paid from: | ||||
Ordinary income | 11,664,049 | $ 5,591,107 | ||
Net long-term capital gains | 9,175,867 | 9,104,793 | ||
Tax return of capital | 15,306,196 | 21,317,145 | ||
|
|
|||
Total distributions | $ 36,146,112 | $36,013,045 | ||
|
|
As of December 31, 2007, the components of accumulated earnings on a
tax basis were as follows: |
Unrealized gains net | $ 8,067,212* | |
|
||
Total accumulated earnings net | $ 8,067,212 | |
|
* | The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized gains is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the tax deferral of losses on straddles and the realization for tax purposes of unrealized gains (losses) on certain financial futures contracts. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
21 |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Boards of Directors of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc.:
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. (the Funds), as of December 31, 2007, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for the respective periods then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Funds are not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, audits of their internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing opinions on the effectiveness of the respective Funds internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinions. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2007, by correspondence with the custodians and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial positions of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. as of December 31, 2007, the results of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and their financial highlights for the respective periods then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Deloitte & Touche
LLP
Princeton, New Jersey February 27, 2008 |
22 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Important Tax Information
The information set forth below is provided with respect to the distributions paid during the year-ended December 31, 2007:
Dividends | Short-Term | |||||||||||||||
Qualifying | Capital | |||||||||||||||
for the | Gain | |||||||||||||||
Non-Taxable | Long-Term | Qualifying | Dividends | Dividends | ||||||||||||
Ordinary | Return of | Capital | Dividend | Received | for | |||||||||||
Payable | Income Per | Capital | Gains | Income for | Deduction for | Non-U.S. | ||||||||||
Date | Share | Per Share | Per Share | Total | Individuals | Corporations | Residents | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. | 3/30/2007 | | $.308589 | $.191411 | $ .500000 | | | | ||||||||
6/29/2007 | $.027534 | $.308589 | $.163877 | $ .500000 | 100.00% | 98.08% | | |||||||||
9/28/2007 | $.191411 | $.308589 | | $ .500000 | 100.00% | 98.08% | 66.77% | |||||||||
12/31/2007 | $.191411 | $.308589 | | $ .500000 | 100.00% | 98.08% | | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & | ||||||||||||||||
Premium Fund, Inc. | 6/29/2007 | $.068638 | $.434040 | $.522322 | $1.025000 | 49.34% | 49.11% | 100.00% | ||||||||
12/31/2007 | $.590960 | $.434040 | | $1.025000 | 49.34% | 49.11% | 65.05% | |||||||||
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Expressed as a percentage of the ordinary income distributions paid. Each Fund hereby designates the amount indicated above or the maximum amount allowable by law.
Fundamental Periodic Repurchase Policy
The Boards of Directors approved a fundamental policy whereby the Funds have adopted an interval fund structure pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). As an interval fund, each Fund will make annual repurchase offers at net asset value (less repurchase fee not to exceed 2%) to all Fund shareholders. The percentage of outstanding shares that the Funds can repurchase in each offer will be established by the Funds Board of Directors shortly before the commencement of each offer, and will be between 5% and 25% of the Funds then outstanding shares.
Each Fund has adopted the following fundamental policy regarding periodic repurchases:
(a) | The Fund will make repurchase offers at periodic intervals pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act. |
(b) | The periodic interval between repurchase request deadlines will be approximately 12 months. |
(c) | The repurchase request deadline for each repurchase offer will be 14 days prior to the last Friday in June for BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and 14 days prior to the last Friday in September for BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc., provided that in the event that such day is not a business day, the repurchase request deadline will be the subsequent business day. |
(d) | The maximum number of days between a repurchase request deadline and the next repurchase pricing date will be 14 days; provided that if the 14 th day after a repurchase request deadline is not a business day, the repurchase pricing date shall be the next business day. |
Each Funds Board of Directors may place such conditions and limitations on a repurchase offer as may be permitted under Rule 23c-3. Repurchase offers may be suspended or postponed under certain circumstances, as provided in Rule 23c-3.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, each Fund conducted a repurchase offer for its shares pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act. These repurchase offers are summarized in the following table:
Number of | Amount of | Number of Shares | ||||
Repurchase Offers | Repurchase Offers | Tendered | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. | 1 | 1,061,620 | 15,067 | |||
|
|
|
|
|||
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. | 1 | 886,539 | 33,736 | |||
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|
|
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
23 |
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan
How the Plan Works The Funds offer a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the Plan) under which income and capital gains dividends paid by each Fund are automatically reinvested in additional shares of Common Stock of each Fund. The Plan is administered on behalf of the shareholders by The Bank of New York Mellon (the Plan Agent). Under the Plan, whenever the Funds declare a dividend, participants in the Plan will receive the equivalent in shares of Common Stock of each Fund. The Plan Agent will acquire the shares for the participants account either (i) through receipt of additional unissued but authorized shares of each Fund (newly issued shares) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding shares of Common Stock on the open market on the New York Stock Exchange or elsewhere. If, on the dividend payment date, each Funds net asset value per share is equal to or less than the market price per share plus estimated brokerage commissions (a condition often referred to as a market premium), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in newly issued shares. If the Funds net asset value per share is greater than the market price per share (a condition often referred to as a market discount), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount by purchasing on the open market additional shares. If the Plan Agent is unable to invest the full dividend amount in open market purchases, or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the purchase period, the Plan Agent will invest any uninvested portion in newly issued shares. The shares acquired are credited to each shareholders account. The amount credited is determined by dividing the dollar amount of the dividend by either (i) when the shares are newly issued, the net asset value per share on the date the shares are issued or (ii) when shares are purchased in the open market, the average purchase price per share.
Participation in the Plan Participation in the Plan is automatic, that is, a shareholder is automatically enrolled in the Plan when he or she purchases shares of Common Stock of the Funds unless the shareholder specifically elects not to participate in the Plan. Shareholders who elect not to participate will receive all dividend distributions in cash. Shareholders who do not wish to participate in the Plan must advise the Plan Agent in writing (at the address set forth below) that they elect not to participate in the Plan. Participation in the Plan is completely voluntary and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by writing to the Plan Agent.
Benefits of the Plan The Plan provides an easy, convenient way for shareholders to make additional, regular investments in the Funds. The Plan promotes a long-term strategy of investing at a lower cost. All shares acquired pursuant to the Plan receive voting rights. In addition, if the market price plus commissions of each Funds shares is above the net asset value, participants in the Plan will receive shares of the Funds for less than they could otherwise purchase them and with a cash value greater than the value of any cash distribution they would have received. However, there may not be enough shares available in the market to make distributions in shares at prices below the net asset value. Also, since each Fund does not redeem shares, the price on resale may be more or less than the net asset value.
Plan Fees There are no enrollment fees or brokerage fees for participating in the Plan. The Plan Agents service fees for handling the reinvestment of distributions are paid for by the Funds. However, brokerage commissions may be incurred when the Funds purchase shares on the open market and shareholders will pay a pro rata share of any such commissions.
Tax Implications The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve participants of any federal, state or local income tax that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such dividends. Therefore, income and capital gains may still be realized even though shareholders do not receive cash. Participation in the Plan generally will not affect the tax-exempt status of exempt interest dividends paid by the Funds. If, when the Funds shares are trading at a market premium, the Funds issue shares pursuant to the Plan that have a greater fair market value than the amount of cash reinvested, it is possible that all or a portion of the discount from the market value (which may not exceed 5% of the fair market value of each Funds shares) could be viewed as a taxable distribution. If the discount is viewed as a taxable distribution, it is also possible that the taxable character of this discount would be allocable to all the shareholders, including shareholders who do not participate in the Plan. Thus, shareholders who do not participate in the Plan might be required to report as ordinary income a portion of their distributions equal to their allocable share of the discount.
Contact Information All correspondence concerning the Plan, including any questions about the Plan, should be directed to the Plan Agent at The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286, Telephone: 800-432-8224.
24 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Officers and Directors | ||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||
BlackRock- | ||||||||||
Position(s) | Advised Funds | |||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Length of | and Portfolios | Public | ||||||
and Year of Birth | Funds | Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Overseen | Directorships | |||||
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|
|||||
Non-Interested Directors* | ||||||||||
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|
||||||
G. Nicholas Beckwith, III | Director | 2007 to | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arch Street Management, LLC | 111 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | since 2005; Chairman and CEO, Beckwith Blawnox Property LLC since | 108 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | 2005; Chairman and CEO, Beckwith Clearfield Property LLC since | |||||||||
1945 | 2005; Chairman and CEO, Beckwith Delmont Property LLC since | |||||||||
2005; Chairman and CEO, Beckwith Erie Property LLC since 2005; | ||||||||||
Chairman, Penn West Industrial Trucks LLC since 2005; Chairman, | ||||||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer, Beckwith Machinery Company | ||||||||||
from 1969 to 2005; Chairman of the Board of Directors, University | ||||||||||
of Pittsburgh Medical Center since 2002; Board of Directors, Shady | ||||||||||
Side Hospital Foundation since 1977; Beckwith Institute for Innovation | ||||||||||
In Patient Care since 1991; Member, Advisory Council on Biology and | ||||||||||
Medicine, Brown University since 2002; Trustee, Claude Worthington | ||||||||||
Benedum Foundation since 1977; Board of Trustees, Chatham College, | ||||||||||
University of Pittsburgh since 2003; Emeritus Trustee, Shady Side | ||||||||||
Academy since 1977. | ||||||||||
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Richard E. Cavanagh | Director | 2007 to | Trustee, Aircraft Finance Trust (AFT) since 1999; Director, The Guardian | 112 Funds | Arch Chemical | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and | present | Life Insurance Company of America since 1998; Chairman and | 109 Portfolios | (chemicals and | |||||
New York, NY 10022 | Chairman of | Trustee, Educational Testing Service (ETS) since 1997; Director, the | allied products) | |||||||
1946 | the Board of | Fremont Group since 1996; President and Chief Executive Officer of | ||||||||
Directors | The Conferences Board, Inc. (global business research) from 1995 | |||||||||
to 2007. | ||||||||||
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|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Kent Dixon | Director | 2007 to | Consultant/Investor since 1988. | 112 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and Member | present | 109 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | of the Audit | |||||||||
1937 | Committee | |||||||||
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|
|||||
Frank J. Fabozzi | Director | 2007 to | Consultant/Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management; Yale | 112 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and Member | present | University, School of Management, Professor in the Practice of | 109 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | of the Audit | Finance and Becton Fellow since 2006; Adjunct Professor of | ||||||||
1948 | Committee | Finance and Becton Fellow from 2005 to 2006; Professor in the | ||||||||
practice of Finance from 2003 to 2005; Adjunct Professor of | ||||||||||
Finance from 1994 to 2003; Author and Editor. | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Kathleen F. Feldstein | Director | 2007 to | President of Economic Studies, Inc. (a Belmont MA-based private | 112 Funds | The McClatchy | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | economic consulting firm) since 1987; Chair, Board of Trustees, | 109 Portfolios | Company | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | McLean Hospital since 2000; Member of the Board of Partners | |||||||||
1941 | Community Healthcare, Inc. since 2005; Member of the Board of | |||||||||
Partners HealthCare and Sherrill House since 1990; Trustee, Museum | ||||||||||
of Fine Arts, Boston since 1992 and a Member of the Visiting | ||||||||||
Committee to the Harvard University Art Museum since 2003; | ||||||||||
Trustee, The Committee for Economic Development (research | ||||||||||
organization of business leaders and educators) since 1990; | ||||||||||
Member of the Advisory Board to the International School of Business, | ||||||||||
Brandeis University since 2002. | ||||||||||
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|
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|
|||||
James T. Flynn | Director, | 2004 to | Chief Financial Officer of JP Morgan & Co., Inc. from 1990 to 1995 | 111 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and Member | present | and an employee of JP Morgan in various capacities from 1967 | 108 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | of the Audit | to 1995. | ||||||||
1939 | Committee | |||||||||
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Jerrold B. Harris | Director | 2007 to | President and Chief Executive Officer, VWR Scientific Products | 111 Funds | BlackRock Kelso | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | Corporation from 1989 to 1999; Trustee, Ursinus College (education) | 108 Portfolios | Capital Corp. | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | since 2000; Director, Troemner LLC (scientific equipment) since 2000. | |||||||||
1942 | ||||||||||
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||||||
*Directors serve until their resignation, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
25 |
Officers and Directors (continued) | ||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||
BlackRock- | ||||||||||
Position(s) | Advised Funds | |||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Length of | and Portfolios | Public | ||||||
and Year of Birth | Funds | Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Overseen | Directorships | |||||
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|||||
Non-Interested Directors* (concluded) | ||||||||||
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||||||
R. Glenn Hubbard | Director | 2007 to | Dean of Columbia Business School since 2004; Columbia faculty | 112 Funds | ADP (data and | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | member since 1988; Co-director of Columbia Business School's | 109 Portfolios | information services), | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Entrepreneurship Program 1997 to 2004; Visiting Professor at the | KKR Financial | ||||||||
1958 | John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the | Corporation, Duke | ||||||||
Harvard Business School since 1985, as well as the University of | Realty, Metropolitan | |||||||||
Chicago since 1994; Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury | Life Insurance | |||||||||
Department for Tax Policy from 1991 to 1993; Chairman of the U.S. | Company | |||||||||
Council of Economic Advisers under the President of the United States | ||||||||||
from 2001 to 2003. | ||||||||||
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W. Carl Kester | Director | 2004 to | Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Harvard Business School since | 111 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and Member | present | 2006; Mizuho Financial Group, Professor of Finance, Harvard Business | 108 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | of the Audit | School; Unit Head, Finance from 2005 to 2006; Senior Associate Dean | ||||||||
1951 | Committee | and Chairman of the MBA Program of Harvard Business School from | ||||||||
1999 to 2005, Member of the faculty of Harvard Business School since | ||||||||||
1981. Independent Consultant since 1978. | ||||||||||
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Karen P. Robards | Director | 2004 to | Partner of Robards & Company, LLC (financial advisory firm) since | 111 Funds | ArtiCure, Inc. | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and | present | 1987; Formerly an investment banker with Morgan Stanley for more | 108 Portfolios | (medical devices) | |||||
New York, NY 10022 | Chairperson | than ten years; Director of Enable Medical Corp. from 1996 to 2005; | Care Investment | |||||||
1950 | of the Audit | Director of AtriCure, Inc. (medical devices) since 2000; Director of | Trust, Inc. | |||||||
Committee | Care Investment Trust, Inc. (healthcare REIT) since 2007; Co-founder | (healthcare REIT) | ||||||||
and Director of the Cooke Center for Learning and Development | ||||||||||
(not-for-profit organization) since 1987. | ||||||||||
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Robert S. Salomon, Jr. | Director, | 2007 to | Principal of STI Management (investment adviser) from 1994 to 2005; | 111 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | and Member | present | Chairman and CEO of Salomon Brothers Asset Management Inc. from | 108 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | of the Audit | 1992 to 1995; Chairman of Salomon Brothers Equity Mutual Funds | ||||||||
1936 | Committee | from 1992 to 1995; regular columnist with Forbes Magazine from 1992 | ||||||||
to 2002; Director of Stock Research and U.S. Equity Strategist at | ||||||||||
Salomon Brothers Inc. from 1975 to 1991; Trustee, Commonfund from | ||||||||||
1980 to 2001. | ||||||||||
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||||||
*Directors serve until their resignation, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. | ||||||||||
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||||||||
Interested Directors* | ||||||||||
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|||||
Richard S. Davis | Director | 2007 to | Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. since 2005; Chief Executive Officer, | 184 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | State Street Research & Management Company from 2000 to 2005; | 289 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Chairman of the Board of Trustees, State Street Research mutual funds | |||||||||
1945 | ("SSR Funds") from 2000 to 2005; Senior Vice President, Metropolitan | |||||||||
Life Insurance Company from 1999 to 2000; Chairman SSR Realty from | ||||||||||
2000 to 2004. | ||||||||||
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Henry Gabbay | Director | 2007 to | Consultant, BlackRock since 2007; Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. | 183 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | from 1989 to 2007; Chief Administrative Officer, BlackRock Advisors, | 288 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | LLC from 1998 to 2007; President of BlackRock Funds and BlackRock | |||||||||
1947 | Bond Allocation Target Shares from 2005 to 2007; Treasurer of certain | |||||||||
closed-end funds in the Fund complex from 1989 to 2006. |
* | Messrs. Davis and Gabbay are both interested persons, as defined in the Investment Company Act, of the Fund based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Directors serve until their resignation, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. |
26 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Officers and Directors (concluded) | ||||||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||||||
BlackRock- | ||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Advised Funds | |||||||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Length of | and Portfolios | Public | ||||||||||
and Year of Birth | Funds | Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Overseen | Directorships | |||||||||
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Advisory Board Member | ||||||||||||||
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Roscoe S. Suddarth* | Member of | 2007 | President, Middle East Institute, from 1995 to 2001; Foreign Service | 111 Funds | None | |||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | the Advisory | Officer, United States Foreign Service, from 1961 to 1995 and | 108 Portfolios | |||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Board | Career Minister from 1989 to 1995; Deputy Inspector General, U.S. | ||||||||||||
1935 | Department of State, from 1991 to 1994; U.S. Ambassador to the | |||||||||||||
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 1987 to 1990. | ||||||||||||||
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* Roscoe Suddarth resigned from the Advisory Boards of the Funds, effective December 31, 2007. | ||||||||||||||
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Fund Officers* | ||||||||||||||
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Donald C. Burke | Fund | 2007 to | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Formerly Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | President | present | Managers, L (MLIM) and Fund Asset Management, L (FAM) in 2006; First Vice President thereof from | |||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | and Chief | 1997 to 2005; Treasurer thereof from 1999 to 2006 and Vice President thereof from 1990 to 1997. | ||||||||||||
1960 | Executive | |||||||||||||
Officer | ||||||||||||||
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Anne F. Ackerley | Vice | 2007 to | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2000 and First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mergers | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | President | present | and Acquisitions Group from 1997 to 2000; First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Public Finance | |||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Group thereof from 1995 to 1997; Formerly First Vice President of Emerging Markets Fixed Income Research | |||||||||||||
1962 | of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. from 1994 to 1995. | |||||||||||||
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Neal J. Andrews | Chief | 2007 to | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Formerly Senior Vice President and Line of Business Head | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | Financial | present | of Fund Accounting and Administration at PFPC Inc. from 1992 to 2006. | |||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Officer | |||||||||||||
1966 | ||||||||||||||
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Jay M. Fife | Treasurer | 2007 to | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007 and Director in 2006; Formerly Assistant Treasurer of the | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | MLIM/FAM advised funds from 2005 to 2006; Director of MLIM Fund Services Group from 2001 to 2006. | ||||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||||||
1970 | ||||||||||||||
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Brian P. Kindelan | Chief | 2007 to | Chief Compliance Officer of the Funds since 2007; Managing Director and Senior Counsel thereof since 2005; | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | Compliance | present | Director and Senior Counsel of BlackRock Advisors, Inc. from 2001 to 2004 and Vice President and Senior | |||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Officer | Counsel thereof from 1998 to 2000; Senior Counsel of The PNC Bank Corp. from 1995 to 1998. | ||||||||||||
1959 | ||||||||||||||
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Howard Surloff | Secretary | 2007 to | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. and General Counsel of U.S. Funds at BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Formerly | |||||||||||
40 East 52nd Street | present | General Counsel (U.S.) of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L from 1993 to 2006. | ||||||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||||||
1965 | ||||||||||||||
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* Officers of the Funds serve at the pleasure of the Boards of Directors. | ||||||||||||||
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Custodian | Transfer Agent | Accounting Agent | Independent Registered Public | Legal Counsel | ||||||||||
State Street Bank and | The Bank of New York Mellon | State Street Bank and | Accounting Firm | Skadden, Arps, Slate, | ||||||||||
Trust Company | New York, NY 10286 | Trust Company | Deloitte & Touche LLP | Meagher & Flom LLP | ||||||||||
Boston MA 02101 | Princeton, NJ 08540 | Princeton, NJ 08540 | New York, NY 10036 |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
27 |
Additional Information | ||
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Proxy Results | BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. | |
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During the six-month period ended December 31, 2007, the shareholders of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. voted on the following proposal, which was approved at an annual shareholders meeting on August 16, 2007. This proposal was part of the reorganization of the Funds Board of Directors which took effect on November 1, 2007. A description of the proposal and number of shares voted are as follows:
Shares Voted | Shares Withheld | |||||
For | From Voting | |||||
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To elect the Funds Directors: | G. Nicholas Beckwith, III | 18,839,692 | 305,449 | |||
Richard E. Cavanagh | 18,840,896 | 304,245 | ||||
Richard S. Davis | 18,839,381 | 305,760 | ||||
Kent Dixon | 18,838,060 | 307,081 | ||||
Frank J. Fabozzi | 18,839,857 | 305,284 | ||||
Kathleen F. Feldstein | 18,837,900 | 307,241 | ||||
James T. Flynn | 18,839,265 | 305,876 | ||||
Henry Gabbay | 18,839,136 | 306,005 | ||||
Jerrold B. Harris | 18,841,671 | 303,470 | ||||
R. Glenn Hubbard | 18,840,532 | 304,609 | ||||
W. Carl Kester | 18,841,462 | 303,679 | ||||
Karen . Robards | 18,840,817 | 304,324 | ||||
Robert S. Salomon, Jr. | 18,836,735 | 308,406 | ||||
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Proxy Results | Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. | |||||
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During the six-month period ended December 31, 2007, the shareholders of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield and Premium Fund, Inc. voted on the following proposal, which was approved at an annual shareholders meeting on August 16, 2007. This proposal was part of the reorganization of the Funds Board of Directors which took effect on November 1, 2007. A description of the proposal and number of shares voted are as follows:
Shares Voted | Shares Withheld | |||||
For | From Voting | |||||
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To elect the Funds Directors: | G. Nicholas Beckwith, III | 14,586,941 | 420,164 | |||
Richard E. Cavanagh | 14,585,583 | 421,522 | ||||
Richard S. Davis | 14,588,615 | 418,490 | ||||
Kent Dixon | 14,588,525 | 418,580 | ||||
Frank J. Fabozzi | 14,590,843 | 416,262 | ||||
Kathleen F. Feldstein | 14,584,813 | 422,292 | ||||
James T. Flynn | 14,589,215 | 417,890 | ||||
Henry Gabbay | 14,588,923 | 418,182 | ||||
Jerrold B. Harris | 14,587,993 | 419,112 | ||||
R. Glenn Hubbard | 14,584,241 | 422,864 | ||||
W. Carl Kester | 14,589,593 | 417,512 | ||||
Karen . Robards | 14,589,143 | 417,962 | ||||
Robert S. Salomon, Jr. | 14,589,393 | 417,712 | ||||
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28 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
Fund Certifications
In November 2007 Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. filed their Chief Executive Officer Certifications for the prior year with the New York Stock Exchange pur- suant to Section 303A.12(a) of the New York Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards. |
Each Funds Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
Certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 were filed with each Funds Form N-CSR and are available on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at http://www.sec.gov. |
Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments
The Funds file their complete schedules of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first and third quar- ters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Funds Forms N-Q are available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. The Funds Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room |
in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference
Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330. The Funds Forms N-Q may also be obtained upon request and without charge by calling (800) 441-7762. |
Electronic Delivery
Electronic copies of most financial reports are available on each Funds website. Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications of quarterly statements, annual and semi-annual reports and prospectuses by enrolling in the Funds electronic delivery program. |
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts with Investment Advisors, Banks or
Brokerages: Please contact your financial advisor. Please note that not all investment advisors, banks or brokerages may offer this service. |
General Information
The Fund does not make available copies of its Statements of Additional Information because the Funds shares are not continuously offered, which means that the Statement of Additional Information of the Fund has not been updated after completion of the Funds offering and the information contained in the Funds Statement of Additional Information may have become outdated. |
During the period, there were no material changes in the Funds invest-
ment objective or policies or to the Funds character or by-laws that were not approved by the shareholders or in the principal risk factors associated with investment in the Fund. There have been no changes in the persons who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day manage- ment of the Funds portfolio. |
ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
29 |
Additional Information (concluded)
BlackRock Privacy Principles BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and former fund investors and individual clients (collectively, Clients) and to safeguarding their nonpublic personal information. The following infor- mation is provided to help you understand what personal information BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain cases we share such information with select parties. If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with those specific laws, rules or regulations. BlackRock obtains or verifies personal nonpublic information from and about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information we receive from you or, if applicable, your financial intermediary, on appli- cations, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your trans- actions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our websites. |
BlackRock does not sell or disclose to nonaffiliated third parties any non-
public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client accounts. These nonaffiliated third parties are required to protect the confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its intended purpose. We may share information with our affiliates to service your account or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts access to nonpublic personal information about its Clients to those BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to protect the nonpublic personal information of its Clients, including pro- cedures relating to the proper storage and disposal of such information. |
30 ANNUAL REPORT |
DECEMBER 31, 2007 |
These reports, including the financial information herein, are
transmitted to shareholders of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. for their information. This is not a prospectus. Past performance results shown in these reports should not be considered a repre- sentation of future performance. Statements and other information herein are as dated and are subject to change. A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (800) 441-7762; (2) at www.blackrock.com; and (3) on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at http://www.sec.gov. Information about how the Funds voted proxies relating to securities held in the Funds portfolios during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available upon request and without charge (1) at www.blackrock.com or by calling (800) 441-7762 and (2) on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at http://www.sec.gov. BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield & Premium Fund, Inc. 100 Bellevue Parkway Wilmington, DE 19809 |
#EEYP-12/07 |
of the period covered by this report, applicable to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions. During the period covered by this report, there have been no amendments to or waivers granted under the code of ethics. A copy of the code of ethics is available without charge at www.blackrock.com. applicable (the board of directors) has determined that (i) the registrant has the following audit committee financial experts serving on its audit committee and (ii) each audit committee financial expert is independent: independent: David O. Beim (term ended effective November 1, 2007) W. Carl Kester James T. Flynn Karen P. Robards Robert S. Salomon, Jr. (term began effective November 1, 2007) Kent Dixon (term began effective November 1, 2007) Frank J. Fabozzi (term began effective November 1, 2007) The registrant's board of directors has determined that W. Carl Kester and Karen P. Robards qualify as financial experts pursuant to Item 3(c)(4) of Form N-CSR. Prof. Kester has a thorough understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements and internal control over financial reporting as well as audit committee functions. Prof. Kester has been involved in providing valuation and other financial consulting services to corporate clients since 1978. Prof. Kesters financial consulting services present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the registrants financial statements. Ms. Robards has a thorough understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements and internal control over financial reporting as well as audit committee functions. Ms. Robards has been President of Robards & Company, a financial advisory firm, since 1987. Ms. Robards was formerly an investment banker for more than 10 years where she was responsible for evaluating and assessing the performance of companies based on their financial results. Ms. Robards has over 30 years of experience analyzing financial statements. She also is a member of the audit committee of one publicly held company and a non-profit organization. Under applicable securities laws, a person determined to be an audit committee financial expert will not be deemed an expert for any purpose, including without limitation for the purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated or identified as an audit committee financial expert. The designation or identification as an audit committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations, or liabilities greater than the duties, obligations, and liabilities imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification. |
Item 4 Principal Accountant Fees and Services | ||||||||||||||||
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(a) Audit Fees | (b) Audit-Related Fees 1 | (c) Tax Fees 2 | (d) All Other Fees 3 | |||||||||||||
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Current | Previous | Current | Previous | Current | Previous | Current | Previous | |||||||||
Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | |||||||||
Entity Name | End | End | End | End | End | End | End | End | ||||||||
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BlackRock | ||||||||||||||||
Enhanced Equity | $32,500 | $32,500 | $0 | $0 | $6,100 | $6,000 | $1,042 | $0 | ||||||||
Yield Fund, Inc. | ||||||||||||||||
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1 The nature of the services include assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit of
financial statements not included in Audit Fees. 2 The nature of the services include tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. 3 The nature of the services include a review of compliance procedures and attestation thereto. (e)(1) Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures: The registrants audit committee (the Committee) has adopted policies and procedures with regard to the pre-approval of services. Audit, audit-related and tax compliance services provided to the registrant on an annual basis require specific pre- approval by the Committee. The Committee also must approve other non-audit services provided to the registrant and those non-audit services provided to the registrants affiliated service providers that relate directly to the operations and the financial reporting of the registrant. Certain of these non-audit services that the Committee believes are a) consistent with the SECs auditor independence rules and b) routine and recurring services that will not impair the independence of the independent accountants may be approved by the Committee without consideration on a specific case-by-case basis (general pre-approval). However, such services will only be deemed pre-approved provided that any individual project does not exceed $5,000 attributable to the registrant or $50,000 for all of the registrants the Committee oversees. Any proposed services exceeding the pre-approved cost levels will require specific pre-approval by the Committee, as will any other services not subject to general pre-approval (e.g., unanticipated but permissible services). The Committee is informed of each service approved subject to general pre-approval at the next regularly scheduled in-person board meeting. (e)(2) None of the services described in each of Items 4(b) through (d) were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. |
(f) Not Applicable | ||||
(g) Affiliates Aggregate Non-Audit Fees: | ||||
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Current Fiscal Year | Previous Fiscal Year | |||
Entity Name | End | End | ||
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BlackRock Enhanced Equity | $291,642 | $3,077,450 | ||
Yield Fund, Inc. | ||||
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(h) The registrants audit committee has considered and determined that the provision of
non-audit services that were rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any non-affiliated sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by the registrants investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal |
accountants independence.
Regulation S-X Rule 2-01(c)(7)(ii) $284,500, 0% registrants separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)): David O. Beim (term ended effective November 1, 2007) W. Carl Kester James T. Flynn Karen P. Robards Robert S. Salomon, Jr. (term began effective November 1, 2007) Kent Dixon (term began effective November 1, 2007) Frank J. Fabozzi (term began effective November 1, 2007) Item 6 Schedule of Investments The registrants Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Stockholders filed under Item 1 of this form. Investment Companies The registrant has delegated the voting of proxies relating to Fund portfolio securities to its investment adviser, BlackRock Advisors, LLC and its sub-adviser, as applicable. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the adviser and sub-adviser are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.PROXYPOL. |
Proxy Voting Policies and
Procedures For BlackRock Advisors, LLC And Its Affiliated SEC Registered Investment Advisers September 30, 2006 |
Table of Contents |
Page |
Introduction
Scope of Committee Responsibilities Special Circumstances Voting Guidelines Boards of Directors Auditors Compensation and Benefits Capital Structure Corporate Charter and By-Laws Corporate Meetings Investment Companies Environmental and Social Issues Notice to Clients |
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
These Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policy) for BlackRock Advisors, LLC and its affiliated U.S. registered investment advisers 1 (BlackRock) reflect our duty as a fiduciary under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act) to vote proxies in the best interests of our clients. BlackRock serves as the investment manager for investment companies, other commingled investment vehicles and/or separate accounts of institutional and other clients. The right to vote proxies for securities held in such accounts belongs to BlackRocks clients. Certain clients of BlackRock have retained the right to vote such proxies in general or in specific circumstances. 2 Other clients, however, have delegated to BlackRock the right to vote proxies for securities held in their accounts as part of BlackRocks authority to manage, acquire and dispose of account assets. When BlackRock votes proxies for a client that has delegated to BlackRock proxy voting authority, BlackRock acts as the clients agent. Under the Advisers Act, an investment adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients a duty of care and loyalty with respect to all services the adviser undertakes on the clients behalf, including proxy voting. BlackRock is therefore subject to a fiduciary duty to vote proxies in a manner BlackRock believes is consistent with the clients best interests, 3 whether or not the clients proxy voting is subject to the fiduciary standards of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). 4 When voting proxies for client accounts (including investment companies), BlackRocks primary objective is to make voting decisions solely in the best interests of clients and ERISA clients plan beneficiaries and participants. In fulfilling its obligations to clients, BlackRock will seek to act in a manner that it believes is most likely to enhance the economic value of the underlying securities held in client accounts. 5 It is imperative that BlackRock considers the interests of its clients, and not the interests of BlackRock, when voting proxies and that real (or 1 The Policy does not apply to BlackRock Asset Management U.K. Limited and BlackRock Investment Managers International Limited, which are U.S. registered investment advisers based in the United Kingdom. 2 In certain situations, a client may direct BlackRock to vote in accordance with the clients proxy voting policies. In these situations, BlackRock will seek to comply with such policies to the extent it would not be inconsistent with other BlackRock legal responsibilities. 3 Letter from Harvey L. Pitt, Chairman, SEC, to John P.M. Higgins, President, Ram Trust Services (February 12, 2002) (Section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act imposes a fiduciary responsibility to vote proxies fairly and in the best interests of clients); SEC Release No. IA-2106 (February 3, 2003). 4 DOL Interpretative Bulletin of Sections 402, 403 and 404 of ERISA at 29 C.F.R. 2509.94 -2 5 Other considerations, such as social, labor, environmental or other policies, may be of interest to particular clients. While BlackRock is cognizant of the importance of such considerations, when voting proxies it will generally take such matters into account only to the extent that they have a direct bearing on the economic value of the underlying securities. To the extent that a BlackRock client desires to pursue a particular social, labor, environmental or other agenda through the proxy votes made for its securities held through BlackRock as investment adviser, BlackRock encourages the client to consider retaining direct proxy voting authority or to appoint independently a special proxy voting fiduciary other than BlackRock. |
1
perceived) material conflicts that may arise between BlackRocks interest and those of
BlackRocks clients are properly addressed and resolved. Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-6 was adopted by the SEC in 2003 and requires, among other things, that an investment adviser that exercises voting authority over clients proxy voting adopt policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interests of clients, discloses to its clients information about those policies and procedures and also discloses to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser has voted their proxies. In light of such fiduciary duties, the requirements of Rule 206(4)-6, and given the complexity of the issues that may be raised in connection with proxy votes, BlackRock has adopted these policies and procedures. BlackRocks Equity Investment Policy Oversight Committee, or a sub-committee thereof (the Committee), addresses proxy voting issues on behalf of BlackRock and its clients. 6 The Committee is comprised of senior members of BlackRocks Portfolio Management Group and advised by BlackRocks Legal and Compliance Department. |
6
Subject to the Proxy Voting Policies of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Company FSB, the Committee
may
also function jointly as the Proxy Voting Committee for Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Company FSB trust accounts managed by personnel dually-employed by BlackRock. |
2
I.
Scope of Committee Responsibilities
The Committee shall have the responsibility for determining how to address proxy votes made on behalf of all BlackRock clients, except for clients who have retained the right to vote their own proxies, either generally or on any specific matter. In so doing, the Committee shall seek to ensure that proxy votes are made in the best interests of clients, and that proxy votes are determined in a manner free from unwarranted or inappropriate influences. The Committee shall also oversee the overall administration of proxy voting for BlackRock accounts. 7 The Committee shall establish BlackRocks proxy voting guidelines, with such advice, participation and research as the Committee deems appropriate from portfolio managers, proxy voting services or other knowledgeable interested parties. As it is anticipated that there will not necessarily be a right way to vote proxies on any given issue applicable to all facts and circumstances, the Committee shall also be responsible for determining how the proxy voting guidelines will be applied to specific proxy votes, in light of each issuers unique structure, management, strategic options and, in certain circumstances, probable economic and other anticipated consequences of alternative actions. In so doing, the Committee may determine to vote a particular proxy in a manner contrary to its generally stated guidelines. The Committee may determine that the subject matter of certain proxy issues are not suitable for general voting guidelines and requires a case-by-case determination, in which case the Committee may elect not to adopt a specific voting guideline applicable to such issues. BlackRock believes that certain proxy voting issues such as approval of mergers and other significant corporate transactions require investment analysis akin to investment decisions, and are therefore not suitable for general guidelines. The Committee may elect to adopt a common BlackRock position on certain proxy votes that are akin to investment decisions, or determine to permit portfolio managers to make individual decisions on how best to maximize economic value for the accounts for which they are responsible (similar to normal buy/sell investment decisions made by such portfolio managers). 8 While it is expected that BlackRock, as a fiduciary, will generally seek to vote proxies over which BlackRock exercises voting authority in a uniform manner for all BlackRock clients, the Committee, in conjunction with the portfolio manager of an account, may determine that the specific circumstances of such account require that such accounts proxies be voted differently due to such accounts investment objective or other factors that differentiate it from other accounts. In addition, on proxy votes that are akin 7 The Committee may delegate day-to-day administrative responsibilities to other BlackRock personnel and/or outside service providers, as appropriate. 8 The Committee will normally defer to portfolio managers on proxy votes that are akin to investment decisions except for proxy votes that involve a material conflict of interest, in which case it will determine, in its discretion, the appropriate voting process so as to address such conflict. |
3
to investment decisions, BlackRock believes portfolio managers may from time to time
legitimately reach differing but equally valid views, as fiduciaries for BlackRocks clients, on how best to maximize economic value in respect of a particular investment. The Committee will also be responsible for ensuring the maintenance of records of each proxy vote, as required by Advisers Act Rule 204-2. 9 All records will be maintained in accordance with applicable law. Except as may be required by applicable legal requirements, or as otherwise set forth herein, the Committees determinations and records shall be treated as proprietary, nonpublic and confidential. The Committee shall be assisted by other BlackRock personnel, as may be appropriate. In particular, the Committee has delegated to the BlackRock Operations Department responsibility for monitoring corporate actions and ensuring that proxy votes are submitted in a timely fashion. The Operations Department shall ensure that proxy voting issues are promptly brought to the Committees attention and that the Committees proxy voting decisions are appropriately disseminated and implemented. To assist BlackRock in voting proxies, the Committee may retain the services of a firm providing such services. BlackRock has currently retained Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) in that role. ISS is an independent adviser that specializes in providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy-related services to institutional investment managers, plan sponsors, custodians, consultants, and other institutional investors. The services provided to BlackRock may include, but are not limited to, in-depth research, voting recommendations (which the Committee is not obligated to follow), vote execution, and recordkeeping. |
9
The Committee may delegate the actual maintenance of such records to an outside service
provider.
Currently, the Committee has delegated the maintenance of such records to Institutional Shareholder Services. |
4
5
II.
Special Circumstances
Routine Consents . BlackRock may be asked from time to time to consent to an amendment to, or grant a waiver under, a loan agreement, partnership agreement, indenture or other governing document of a specific financial instrument held by BlackRock clients. BlackRock will generally treat such requests for consents not as proxies subject to these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures but as investment matters to be dealt with by the responsible BlackRock investment professionals would, provided that such consents (i) do not relate to the election of a board of directors or appointment of auditors of a public company, and (ii) either (A) would not otherwise materially affect the structure, management or control of a public company, or (B) relate to a company in which BlackRock clients hold only interests in bank loans or debt securities and are consistent with customary standards and practices for such instruments. Securities on Loan . Registered investment companies that are advised by BlackRock as well as certain of our advisory clients may participate in securities lending programs. Under most securities lending arrangements, securities on loan may not be voted by the lender (unless the loan is recalled). BlackRock believes that each client has the right to determine whether participating in a securities lending program enhances returns, to contract with the securities lending agent of its choice and to structure a securities lending program, through its lending agent, that balances any tension between loaning and voting securities in a matter that satisfies such client. If client has decided to participate in a securities lending program, BlackRock will therefore defer to the clients determination and not attempt to seek recalls solely for the purpose of voting routine proxies as this could impact the returns received from securities lending and make the client a less desirable lender in a marketplace. Where a client retains a lending agent that is unaffiliated with BlackRock, BlackRock will generally not seek to vote proxies relating to securities on loan because BlackRock does not have a contractual right to recall such loaned securities for the purpose of voting proxies. Where BlackRock or an affiliate acts as the lending agent, BlackRock will also generally not seek to recall loaned securities for proxy voting purposes, unless the portfolio manager responsible for the account or the Committee determines that voting the proxy is in the clients best interest and requests that the security be recalled. Voting Proxies for Non-US Companies . While the proxy voting process is well established in the United States, voting proxies of non-US companies frequently involves logistical issues which can affect BlackRocks ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. These issues include (but are not limited to): (i) untimely notice of shareholder meetings, (ii) restrictions on a foreigners ability to exercise votes, (iii) requirements to vote proxies in person, (iv) shareblocking (requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting), (v) potential difficulties in translating the proxy, and (vi) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions. |
6
As a consequence, BlackRock votes proxies of non-US companies only on a
best-efforts basis. In addition, the Committee may determine that it is generally in the best interests of BlackRock clients not to vote proxies of companies in certain countries if the Committee determines that the costs (including but not limited to opportunity costs associated with shareblocking constraints) associated with exercising a vote generally are expected to outweigh the benefit the client will derive by voting on the issuers proposal. If the Committee so determines in the case of a particular country, the Committee (upon advice from BlackRock portfolio managers) may override such determination with respect to a particular issuers shareholder meeting if the Committee believes the benefits of seeking to exercise a vote at such meeting outweighs the costs, in which case BlackRock will seek to vote on a best-efforts basis. |
Securities Sold After Record Date
. With respect to votes in connection with
securities held on a particular record date but sold from a client account prior to the holding of the related meeting, BlackRock may take no action on proposals to be voted on in such meeting. |
Conflicts of Interest. From time to time, BlackRock may be required to vote proxies in respect of an issuer that is an affiliate of BlackRock (a BlackRock Affiliate), or a money management or other client of BlackRock (a BlackRock Client). 10 In such event, provided that the Committee is aware of the real or potential conflict, the following procedures apply:
§ The Committee intends to adhere to the voting guidelines set forth herein for all proxy issues including matters involving BlackRock Affiliates and BlackRock Clients. The Committee may, in its discretion for the purposes of ensuring that an independent determination is reached, retain an independent fiduciary to advise the Committee on how to vote or to cast votes on behalf of BlackRocks clients; and
§ if the Committee determines not to retain an independent fiduciary, or does not desire to follow the advice of such independent fiduciary, the Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy after consulting with the BlackRock Legal and Compliance Department and concluding that the vote cast is in the clients best interest notwithstanding the conflict.
10
Such issuers may include investment companies for which BlackRock provides investment
advisory,
administrative and/or other services. |
7
III. Voting Guidelines
The Committee has determined that it is appropriate and in the best interests of BlackRocks clients to adopt the following voting guidelines, which represent the Committees usual voting position on certain recurring proxy issues that are not expected to involve unusual circumstances. With respect to any particular proxy issue, however, the Committee may elect to vote differently than a voting guideline if the Committee determines that doing so is, in the Committees judgment, in the best interest of its clients. The guidelines may be reviewed at any time upon the request of any Committee member and may be amended or deleted upon the vote of a majority of voting Committee members present at a Committee meeting for which there is a quorum.
8
A. Boards of Directors
These proposals concern those issues submitted to shareholders relating to the composition of the Board of Directors of companies other than investment companies. As a general matter, the Committee believes that a companys Board of Directors (rather than shareholders) is most likely to have access to important, nonpublic information regarding a companys business and prospects, and is therefore best-positioned to set corporate policy and oversee management. The Committee therefore believes that the foundation of good corporate governance is the election of qualified, independent corporate directors who are likely to diligently represent the interests of shareholders and oversee management of the corporation in a manner that will seek to maximize shareholder value over time. In individual cases, the Committee may look at a Director nominees history of representing shareholder interests as a director of other companies, or other factors to the extent the Committee deems relevant. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
# | ||||
VOTE and DESCRIPTION | ||||
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A.1 | FOR nominees for director of United States companies in | |||
uncontested elections, except for nominees who | ||||
§ | have missed at least two meetings and, as a result, | |||
attended less than 75% of meetings of the Board of | ||||
Directors and its committees the previous year, unless the | ||||
nominee missed the meeting(s) due to illness or company | ||||
business | ||||
§ | voted to implement or renew a dead-hand poison pill | |||
§ | ignored a shareholder proposal that was approved by | |||
either a majority of the shares outstanding in any year or | ||||
by the majority of votes cast for two consecutive years | ||||
§ | failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the | |||
shareholders have tendered their shares | ||||
§ | are corporate insiders who serve on the audit, | |||
compensation or nominating committees or on a full | ||||
Board that does not have such committees composed | ||||
exclusively of independent directors | ||||
§ | on a case-by-case basis, have served as directors of other | |||
companies with allegedly poor corporate governance | ||||
§ | sit on more than six boards of public companies | |||
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A.2 | FOR nominees for directors of non-U.S. companies in uncontested | |||
elections, except for nominees from whom the Committee | ||||
determines to withhold votes due to the nominees poor records of | ||||
representing shareholder interests, on a case-by-case basis | ||||
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A.3 | FOR proposals to declassify Boards of Directors, except where | |||
there exists a legitimate purpose for classifying boards | ||||
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A.4 | AGAINST proposals to classify Boards of Directors, except where | |||
there exists a legitimate purpose for classifying boards | ||||
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9
A.5 | AGAINST proposals supporting cumulative voting | |
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A.6 | FOR proposals eliminating cumulative voting | |
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A.7 | FOR proposals supporting confidential voting | |
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A.8 | FOR proposals seeking election of supervisory board members | |
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A.9 | AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking additional | |
representation of women and/or minorities generally (i.e., not | ||
specific individuals) to a Board of Directors | ||
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A.10 | AGAINST shareholder proposals for term limits for directors | |
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A.11 | FOR shareholder proposals to establish a mandatory retirement | |
age for directors who attain the age of 72 or older | ||
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A.12 | AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring directors to own a | |
minimum amount of company stock | ||
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A.13 | FOR proposals requiring a majority of independent directors on a | |
Board of Directors | ||
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A.14 | FOR proposals to allow a Board of Directors to delegate powers to | |
a committee or committees | ||
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A.15 | FOR proposals to require audit, compensation and/or nominating | |
committees of a Board of Directors to consist exclusively of | ||
independent directors | ||
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A.16 | AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking to prohibit a single | |
person from occupying the roles of chairman and chief executive | ||
officer | ||
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A.17 | FOR proposals to elect account inspectors | |
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A.18 | FOR proposals to fix the membership of a Board of Directors at a | |
specified size | ||
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A.19 | FOR proposals permitting shareholder ability to nominate | |
directors directly | ||
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A.20 | AGAINST proposals to eliminate shareholder ability to nominate | |
directors directly | ||
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A.21 | FOR proposals permitting shareholder ability to remove directors | |
directly | ||
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A.22 | AGAINST proposals to eliminate shareholder ability to remove | |
directors directly | ||
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10
B. Auditors
These proposals concern those issues submitted to shareholders related to the selection of auditors. As a general matter, the Committee believes that corporate auditors have a responsibility to represent the interests of shareholders and provide an independent view on the propriety of financial reporting decisions of corporate management. While the Committee will generally defer to a corporations choice of auditor, in individual cases, the Committee may look at an auditors history of representing shareholder interests as auditor of other companies, to the extent the Committee deems relevant. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
B.1 | FOR approval of independent auditors, except for | |||
§ | auditors that have a financial interest in, or material | |||
association with, the company they are auditing, and are | ||||
therefore believed by the Committee not to be independent | ||||
§ | auditors who have rendered an opinion to any company which | |||
in the Committees opinion is either not consistent with best | ||||
accounting practices or not indicative of the companys | ||||
financial situation | ||||
§ | on a case-by-case basis, auditors who in the Committees | |||
opinion provide a significant amount of non-audit services to | ||||
the company | ||||
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B.2 | FOR proposals seeking authorization to fix the remuneration of | |||
auditors | ||||
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B.3 | FOR approving internal statutory auditors | |||
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B.4 | FOR proposals for audit firm rotation, except for proposals that | |||
would require rotation after a period of less than 5 years | ||||
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11
C. Compensation and Benefits
These proposals concern those issues submitted to shareholders related to management compensation and employee benefits. As a general matter, the Committee favors disclosure of a companys compensation and benefit policies and opposes excessive compensation, but believes that compensation matters are normally best determined by a corporations board of directors, rather than shareholders. Proposals to micro-manage a companys compensation practices or to set arbitrary restrictions on compensation or benefits will therefore generally not be supported. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
C.1 | IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF ISS | |
on compensation plans if the ISS recommendation is based solely | ||
on whether or not the companys plan satisfies the allowable cap | ||
as calculated by ISS. If the recommendation of ISS is based on | ||
factors other than whether the plan satisfies the allowable cap the | ||
Committee will analyze the particular proposed plan. This policy | ||
applies to amendments of plans as well as to initial approvals. | ||
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C.2 | FOR proposals to eliminate retirement benefits for outside | |
directors | ||
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C.3 | AGAINST proposals to establish retirement benefits for outside | |
directors | ||
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C.4 | FOR proposals approving the remuneration of directors or of | |
supervisory board members | ||
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C.5 | AGAINST proposals to reprice stock options | |
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C.6 | FOR proposals to approve employee stock purchase plans that | |
apply to all employees. This policy applies to proposals to amend | ||
ESPPs if the plan as amended applies to all employees. | ||
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C.7 | FOR proposals to pay retirement bonuses to directors of Japanese | |
companies unless the directors have served less than three years | ||
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C.8 | AGAINST proposals seeking to pay outside directors only in stock | |
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C.9 | FOR proposals seeking further disclosure of executive pay or | |
requiring companies to report on their supplemental executive | ||
retirement benefits | ||
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C.10 | AGAINST proposals to ban all future stock or stock option grants | |
to executives | ||
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C.11 | AGAINST option plans or grants that apply to directors or | |
employees of related companies without adequate disclosure of | ||
the corporate relationship and justification of the option policy | ||
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C.12 | FOR proposals to exclude pension plan income in the calculation | |
of earnings used in determining executive bonuses/compensation | ||
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12
D. Capital Structure
These proposals relate to various requests, principally from management, for approval of amendments that would alter the capital structure of a company, such as an increase in authorized shares. As a general matter, the Committee will support requests that it believes enhance the rights of common shareholders and oppose requests that appear to be unreasonably dilutive. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
D.1 | AGAINST proposals seeking authorization to issue shares without | |
preemptive rights except for issuances up to 10% of a non-US | ||
companys total outstanding capital | ||
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D.2 | FOR management proposals seeking preemptive rights or seeking | |
authorization to issue shares with preemptive rights | ||
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D.3 | FOR management proposals approving share repurchase programs | |
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D.4 | FOR management proposals to split a companys stock | |
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D.5 | FOR management proposals to denominate or authorize | |
denomination of securities or other obligations or assets in Euros | ||
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D.6 | FOR proposals requiring a company to expense stock options | |
(unless the company has already publicly committed to do so by a | ||
certain date). | ||
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13
E. Corporate Charter and By-Laws
These proposals relate to various requests for approval of amendments to a corporations charter or by-laws, principally for the purpose of adopting or redeeming poison pills. As a general matter, the Committee opposes poison pill provisions. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
E.1 | AGAINST proposals seeking to adopt a poison pill | |
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E.2 | FOR proposals seeking to redeem a poison pill | |
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E.3 | FOR proposals seeking to have poison pills submitted to | |
shareholders for ratification | ||
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E.4 | FOR management proposals to change the companys name | |
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14
F. Corporate Meetings
These are routine proposals relating to various requests regarding the formalities of corporate meetings. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
F.1 | AGAINST proposals that seek authority to act on any other | |
business that may arise | ||
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F.2 | FOR proposals designating two shareholders to keep minutes of | |
the meeting | ||
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F.3 | FOR proposals concerning accepting or approving financial | |
statements and statutory reports | ||
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F.4 | FOR proposals approving the discharge of management and the | |
supervisory board | ||
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F.5 | FOR proposals approving the allocation of income and the | |
dividend | ||
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F.6 | FOR proposals seeking authorization to file required | |
documents/other formalities | ||
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F.7 | FOR proposals to authorize the corporate board to ratify and | |
execute approved resolutions | ||
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F.8 | FOR proposals appointing inspectors of elections | |
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F.9 | FOR proposals electing a chair of the meeting | |
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F.10 | FOR proposals to permit virtual shareholder meetings over the | |
Internet | ||
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F.11 | AGAINST proposals to require rotating sites for shareholder | |
meetings | ||
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15
G. Investment Companies
These proposals relate to proxy issues that are associated solely with holdings of shares of investment companies, including, but not limited to, investment companies for which BlackRock provides investment advisory, administrative and/or other services. As with other types of companies, the Committee believes that a funds Board of Directors (rather than its shareholders) is best-positioned to set fund policy and oversee management. However, the Committee opposes granting Boards of Directors authority over certain matters, such as changes to a funds investment objective, that the Investment Company Act of 1940 envisions will be approved directly by shareholders. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
G.1 | FOR nominees for director of mutual funds in uncontested | |
elections, except for nominees who | ||
§ have missed at least two meetings and, as a result, attended | ||
less than 75% of meetings of the Board of Directors and its | ||
committees the previous year, unless the nominee missed the | ||
meeting due to illness or fund business | ||
§ ignore a shareholder proposal that was approved by either a | ||
majority of the shares outstanding in any year or by the | ||
majority of votes cast for two consecutive years | ||
§ are interested directors who serve on the audit or nominating | ||
committees or on a full Board that does not have such | ||
committees composed exclusively of independent directors | ||
§ on a case-by-case basis, have served as directors of companies | ||
with allegedly poor corporate governance | ||
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G.2 | FOR the establishment of new series or classes of shares | |
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G.3 | AGAINST proposals to change a funds investment objective to | |
nonfundamental | ||
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G.4 | FOR proposals to establish a master-feeder structure or | |
authorizing the Board to approve a master-feeder structure without | ||
a further shareholder vote | ||
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G.5 | AGAINST a shareholder proposal for the establishment of a | |
director ownership requirement | ||
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G.6 | FOR classified boards of closed-end investment companies | |
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16
H. Environmental and Social Issues
These are shareholder proposals to limit corporate conduct in some manner that relates to the shareholders environmental or social concerns. The Committee generally believes that annual shareholder meetings are inappropriate forums for the discussion of larger social issues, and opposes shareholder resolutions micromanaging corporate conduct or requesting release of information that would not help a shareholder evaluate an investment in the corporation as an economic matter. While the Committee is generally supportive of proposals to require corporate disclosure of matters that seem relevant and material to the economic interests of shareholders, the Committee is generally not supportive of proposals to require disclosure of corporate matters for other purposes. The Committees general policy is to vote: |
H.1 | AGAINST proposals seeking to have companies adopt | |||
international codes of conduct | ||||
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H.2 | AGAINST proposals seeking to have companies provide non- | |||
required reports on: | ||||
§ | environmental liabilities; | |||
§ | bank lending policies; | |||
§ | corporate political contributions or activities; | |||
§ | alcohol advertising and efforts to discourage drinking by | |||
minors; | ||||
§ | costs and risk of doing business in any individual country; | |||
§ | involvement in nuclear defense systems | |||
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H.3 | AGAINST proposals requesting reports on Maquiladora | |||
operations or on CERES principles | ||||
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H.4 | AGAINST proposals seeking implementation of the CERES | |||
principles | ||||
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17
Notice to Clients
BlackRock will make records of any proxy vote it has made on behalf of a client available to such client upon request. 11 BlackRock will use its best efforts to treat proxy votes of clients as confidential, except as it may decide to best serve its clients interests or as may be necessary to effect such votes or as may be required by law. BlackRock encourage clients with an interest in particular proxy voting issues to make their views known to BlackRock, provided that, in the absence of specific written direction from a client on how to vote that clients proxies, BlackRock reserves the right to vote any proxy in a manner it deems in the best interests of its clients, as it determines in its sole discretion. These policies are as of the date indicated on the cover hereof. The Committee may subsequently amend these policies at any time, without notice. |
11
Such request may be made to the clients portfolio or relationship manager or addressed in
writing to
Secretary, BlackRock Equity Investment Policy Oversight Committee, Legal and Compliance Department, BlackRock Inc., 40 East 52 nd Street, New York, New York 10022. |
18
Information about how the Fund voted proxies relating to securities held in the Funds portfolio during the
most recent 12 month period ended June 30 is available without charge (1) at www.blackrock.com and (2) on the Commissions web site at http://www.sec.gov . Item 8 Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies as of December 31, 2007. (a)(1) BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc. is managed by Jonathan A. Clark, Managing Director at BlackRock and Debra L. Jelilian, Director at BlackRock. Each is a member of BlackRocks Quantitative Investments team. Mr. Clark and Ms. Jelilian are jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds portfolio and the selection of its investments. Mr. Clark and Ms. Jelilian have been the funds portfolio managers since 2005. Mr. Clark joined BlackRock in 2006. Prior to joining BlackRock, he was a Vice President of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (MLIM) from 1999 to 2006. At MLIM, he was a member of the Quantitative Investments team, responsible for managing arbitrage and derivative strategies for enhanced and structured portfolios. He also managed a commodities futures portfolio, and was a member of the Quantitative Investment Committee. Ms. Jelilian joined BlackRock in 2006. Prior to joining BlackRock, she was a Director MLIM from 1999 to 2006. At MLIM, she was a member of the Quantitative Investments team, responsible for the management of MLIM's equity index portfolios and leading MLIM's transition management efforts in the Americas. She was also a member of the Quantitative Investment Committee. (a)(2) As of December 31, 2007: |
(iii) Number of Other Accounts and | ||||||||||||
(ii) Number of Other Accounts Managed | Assets for Which Advisory Fee is | |||||||||||
and Assets by Account Type | Performance-Based | |||||||||||
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Other | Other | |||||||||||
(i) Name of | Registered | Other Pooled | Registered | Other Pooled | ||||||||
Portfolio | Investment | Investment | Other | Investment | Investment | Other | ||||||
Manager | Companies | Vehicles | Accounts | Companies | Vehicles | Accounts | ||||||
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Jonathan A. | ||||||||||||
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Clark | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
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$3,059,658,854 | $1,243,653,307 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||||||
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Debra L. | ||||||||||||
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Jelilian | 25 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
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$24,410,140,770 | $10,597,337,547 | $35,513,726,340 | $0 | $0 | $3,563,742,267 | |||||||
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(iv) Potential Material Conflicts of Interest
BlackRock has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, its affiliates and any officer, director, stockholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, or any of its affiliates, or any officer, director, stockholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. |
Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of
companies of which any of BlackRocks (or its affiliates) officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Each portfolio manager also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for the Fund. In this connection, it should be noted that Ms. Jelilian currently manages certain accounts that are subject to performance fees. In addition, certain portfolio managers may assist in managing certain hedge funds and may be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such funds and a portion of such incentive fees may be voluntarily or involuntarily deferred. Additional portfolio managers may in the future manage other such accounts or funds and may be entitled to receive incentive fees. As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted a policy that is intended to ensure that investment opportunities are allocated fairly and equitably among client accounts over time. This policy also seeks to achieve reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base. (a)(3) As of December 31, 2007: Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview BlackRocks financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock such as its Long-Term Retention and Incentive Plan. Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their seniority and/or their position with the firm. Senior portfolio managers who perform additional management functions within the portfolio management group or within BlackRock may receive additional compensation for serving in these other capacities. Discretionary Incentive Compensation Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio managers group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firms assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individuals seniority, role within the portfolio management team, teamwork and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock. In most cases, including for the portfolio managers of the Fund, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Fund or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. BlackRocks Chief Investment Officers determine the benchmarks against which to compare the performance of funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager and the period of time over which performance is evaluated. With respect to the portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund include the following: |
Portfolio Manager | Benchmarks Applicable to Each Manager | |
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Jonathan A. Clark | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., The S&P 500 ® | |
Index, MSCI World Index), certain customized indices and | ||
certain fund industry peer groups. | ||
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Debra L. Jelilian | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., The S&P 500 ® | |
Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer | ||
groups. | ||
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BlacBlackRocks Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to the portfolio
managers compensation based on the performance of the funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks noted above. Performance is measured on both a pre-tax basis over various time periods including 1, 3 and 5-year periods, as applicable. Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash and BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units which vest ratably over a number of years. The BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units, if properly vested, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Typically, the cash bonus, when combined with base salary, represents more than 60% of total compensation for the portfolio managers. Paying a portion of annual bonuses in stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year at risk based on the Companys ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. Other compensation benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following: Long-Term Retention and Incentive Plan (LTIP) The LTIP is a long-term incentive plan that seeks to reward certain key employees. Beginning in 2006, awards are granted under the LTIP in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that, if properly vested and subject to the attainment of certain performance goals, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Mr. Clark and Ms. Jelilian have each received awards under the LTIP. Deferred Compensation Program A portion of the compensation paid to each portfolio manager may be voluntarily deferred by the portfolio manager into an account that tracks the performance of certain of the firms investment products. Each portfolio manager is permitted to allocate his deferred amounts among various options, including to certain of the firms hedge funds and other unregistered products. Every portfolio manager is eligible to participate in the deferred compensation program. Incentive Savings Plans BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 6% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $4,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3% of eligible compensation, plus an additional contribution of 2% for any year in which BlackRock has positive net operating income. The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies managed by the firm. Company contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or absent, employee investment direction, are invested into a balanced portfolio. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares or a dollar value of $25,000. Each portfolio manager is eligible to participate in these plans. |
(a)(4)
Beneficial Ownership of Securities.
As of December 31, 2007, neither Mr. Clark nor Ms. Jelilian
beneficially owned any stock issued by the Fund. Purchasers |
Period | (a) Total | (b) Average | (c) Total Number of | (d) Maximum Number (or | ||||
Number of | Price Paid per | Shares Purchased as Part | Approx. Dollar Value) of | |||||
Shares | Share | of Publicly Announced | Shares that May Yet Be | |||||
Purchased | Plans or Programs | Purchased Under the Plans | ||||||
or Programs | ||||||||
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July 1-31, 2007 | 15,067 | $18.77 1 | 15,067 2 | 0 | ||||
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August 1-31, 2007 | ||||||||
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September 1-30, 2007 | ||||||||
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October 1-31, 2007 | ||||||||
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November 1-30, 2007 | ||||||||
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December 1-31, 2007 | ||||||||
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Total: | 15,067 | $18.77 1 | 15,067 2 | 0 | ||||
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1
Subject to a repurchase fee of up to 2% of the net asset value per share.
2 On May 10, 2007, the repurchase offer was announced to repurchase up to 5% of outstanding shares. The expiration date of the offer was June 15, 2007. The registrant may conduct annual repurchases for between 5% and 25% of its outstanding shares pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Item 10 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders The registrants Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees to the Board recommended by shareholders when a vacancy becomes available. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations which include biographical information and set forth the qualifications of the proposed nominee to the registrants Secretary. There have been no material changes to these procedures. 11(a) The registrants principal executive and principal financial officers or persons performing similar functions have concluded that the registrants disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 11(b) There were no changes in the registrants internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a- 3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting. Item 12 Exhibits attached hereto 12(a)(1) Code of Ethics See Item 2 12(a)(2) Certifications Attached hereto 12(a)(3) Not Applicable 12(b) Certifications Attached hereto |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
By: /s/ Donald C. Burke
Donald C. Burke
Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Date: February 21, 2008
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By: /s/ Donald C. Burke
Donald C. Burke
Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Date: February 21, 2008
By: /s/ Neal J. Andrews |
Neal J. Andrews
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Yield Fund, Inc.
Date: February 21, 2008 |
1 Year Enhanced EQ Yld Chart |
1 Month Enhanced EQ Yld Chart |
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