NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlackRock Advisors, LLC today announced the declaration of a special distribution for The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust (NYSE: BSD), BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund (NYSE: MFT), BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust (NYSE: BBF), and BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II (NYSE: BLE and collectively with BSD, MFT and BBF, the “Funds,” and each, a “Fund”) in connection with the reorganizations of BSD, MFT, and BBF into BLE, with BLE continuing (the “Combined Fund”) as the surviving Fund (the “Reorganizations”).

With respect to each of the Funds, the special distribution declared today represents undistributed net investment income earned through the effective date of the Reorganizations. In order to maintain status as a regulated investment company and to avoid the imposition of a corporate level income tax, each of BSD, MFT, and BBF are required to declare a distribution of all net investment income prior to the consummation of the Reorganizations as described below. Other than the special distribution announced today, BSD, MFT, and BBF will declare no further distributions prior to or following the Reorganizations. As this special distribution includes all net investment income earned by each Fund in earlier periods and not previously distributed, it is not indicative of the amount of the Combined Fund’s future monthly distributions.

BSD, MFT, and BBF are declaring a special distribution that will be payable on May 3, 2021. The ex-dividend date for the distribution is April 7, 2021 and the record date is April 8, 2021. Accordingly, persons who are holders of record of BSD, MFT, or BBF common shares on April 8, 2021 should expect to receive the distribution. The distribution payable to shareholders of BSD, MFT, or BBF will be paid in cash. Common shares of BSD, MFT, or BBF acquired after April 6^th, 2021 will not be entitled to the distribution.

BLE is declaring a special distribution that will be payable on May 3, 2021. The ex-dividend date for the distribution is April 7, 2021, and the record date is April 8, 2021. Accordingly, persons who are holders of record of BLE common shares on April 8, 2021 should expect to receive the distribution. Common shares of BLE acquired after April 6^th, 2021 will not be entitled to the distribution.

Common shares of BSD, MFT, or BBF acquired after April 6^th, 2021 will not be entitled to their respective special distributions and will not be eligible to receive a distribution until an initial distribution is declared on the Combined Fund after the closing of the Reorganizations. We expect that on May 3, 2021 the Combined Fund will declare its first monthly distribution payable on June 1, 2021.

It is currently expected that the Reorganizations will be completed by the open of business on the New York Stock Exchange on April 12, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. To facilitate the Merger, all shares of BSD, MFT, and BBF will cease trading on the NYSE as of market close on Friday, April 9, 2021. Each Reorganization, if completed, would occur based on the relative net asset values of the common shares of the applicable Funds. In addition, holders of Variable Rate Muni Term Preferred Shares (“VMTP Shares”) of each of BSD, MFT, and BBF would receive on a one-for-one basis VMTP Shares of BLE in an amount equal to the aggregate VMTP Share liquidation preference (including any accumulated and unpaid dividends) held by holders of BSD, MFT, and BBF VMTP Shares immediately prior to the Reorganizations.

Distribution details are as follows:

Declaration- 3/19/2021 Ex-Date- 4/7/2021 Record- 4/8/2021 Payable- 5/3/2021

Fund	Ticker	Per-Share Distribution
The BlackRock Strategic Municipal Trust	BSD	$0.0607690
BlackRock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund	MFT	$0.0940710
BlackRock Municipal Income Investment Trust	BBF	$0.0505000
BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II	BLE	$0.0638350

This communication is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of any of the BlackRock funds, including BLE, the surviving Fund in the Reorganizations.

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Availability of Fund Updates

BlackRock will update performance and certain other data for the BlackRock closed-end funds on a monthly basis on its website in the “Closed-end Funds” section of www.blackrock.com as well as certain other material information as necessary from time to time. Investors and others are advised to check the website for updated performance information and the release of other material information about the Funds. This reference to BlackRock’s website is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Funds and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRock’s website in this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, and other statements that BlackRock or the Funds may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Funds’ or BlackRock’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions.

BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

With respect to the Funds, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Funds or in the Funds’ net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of the Funds and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to the Funds or BlackRock, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities, health epidemics and/or pandemics and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or BlackRock; (9) BlackRock’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of BlackRock electing to provide support to its products from time to time; and (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions.

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Funds with the SEC are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on BlackRock’s website at www.blackrock.com, and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Funds. The information contained on BlackRock’s website is not a part of this press release.

BlackRock Announces Special Distributions Related to the Reorganization of Four Municipal Closed-End Funds