Financial Information

Should You Have Alternative Investments In Your Portfolio?

So you have discovered the merits of dumping your high-priced money manger and his ineffective mutual funds in favor of low-cost index funds allocated across stocks, bonds, and cash. [See top-ranked ETFs …
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Whitebox Advisors Launch Innovative Alternative Mutual Funds

MINNEAPOLIS , Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Whitebox Advisors, a $2+ billion investment advisor based in Minneapolis,� announced today the launch of two alternative mutual funds – Whitebox Tactical Opportunities …
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BlackRock Launches Three Mutual Funds Featuring Alternative Investment Strategies

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK – News) today announced the launch of three mutual
funds featuring alternative investment strategies available to the
firm’s U.S. retail and high net worth client base. The funds are
designed to provide individual investors with access to strategies that
offer non-correlated returns and diversification benefits with the goal
of minimizing portfolio volatility and preserving return objectives.

The three new mutual funds offered by the firm include:

• BlackRock Commodity Strategies Fund (BCSAX) is designed to
  provide investors with complete commodities exposure through
  commodities futures equities with exposure to natural resources. The
  Fund will be managed by a team of portfolio managers led by Evy Hambro
  and Robin Batchelor, joint Chief Investment Officers of the Natural
  Resources Equity Team and members of the Global Index Commodities Team.
• BlackRock Emerging Markets Long/Short Equity Fund (BLSAX) is
  fundamentally based and scientifically implemented and uses advanced
  techniques to identify mis-valuations across stocks and markets in a
  risk controlled manner. Jeff Shen, PhD, Head of Asia Pacific and
  Emerging Market Equity within BlackRock’s Scientific Active Equity
  Group, will be the lead portfolio manager of the Fund.
• BlackRock Global Long/Short Credit Fund (BGCAX) is an interest
  rate neutral, global long/short credit fund seeking to generate total
  returns from credit markets. Michael Phelps, head of European Credit,
  and Joshua Tarnow, member of the Corporate Credit Group within the
  firm’s Fundamental Fixed Income team, will co-manage the Fund.

“With the extreme market volatility of recent years, investors are
increasingly focused on portfolio construction and have embraced
alternative investments as a way to diversify their core holdings,” said
Frank Porcelli, Managing Director and Head of BlackRock’s U.S. Retail
Business which managed approximately $314 billion in client assets as of
June 30, 2011. “BlackRock is a preeminent provider of alternative
investment solutions globally and we are pleased to extend the firm�s
robust platform to our high net worth clients.”

BlackRock has been managing alternative investments on behalf of clients
for more than 15 years and in 2010 launched BlackRock Alternative
Investors (BAI) to coordinate the firm�€™s alternative investment efforts
globally. As of June 30, 2011, the firm managed $115 billion in
alternative investment assets including hedge funds, funds of hedge
funds, real estate and private equity.

“Particularly for investors who are nearing retirement, alternative
mutual funds can provide an added layer of portfolio diversification and
risk control through multiple market cycles,” added Porcelli. “The
addition of these funds allows BlackRock to meet the alternative
investment needs of a broader range of investors.”

The new funds will be available to the firm’s retail and high net worth
investors through financial intermediaries.

About BlackRock

BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and
advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At
June 30, 2011, BlackRock’s AUM was $3.659 trillion. BlackRock offers
products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients’ needs, including
active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes.
Products are offered in a variety of structures including separate
accounts, mutual funds, iShares® (exchange-traded funds), and other
pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management,
advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of
institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions®. Headquartered in
New York City, as of June 30, 2011, the firm has approximatelyʼn,700
employees in 26 countries and a major presence in key global markets,
including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the
Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the
Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.

The funds are actively managed and their characteristics will vary.
Stock and bond values fluctuate in price so the value of your investment
can go down depending on market conditions. International investing
involves risks, including risks related to foreign currency, limited
liquidity, less government regulation and the possibility of substantial
volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments.
These risks often are heightened for investments in emerging/developing
markets or smaller capital markets. Concentrating investments in natural
resources industries can be affected significantly by events relating to
those industries, such as variations in the commodities markets,
weather, disease, embargoes, international, political and economic
developments, the success of exploration projects, tax and other
government regulations and other factors. Investing in derivatives
entails specific risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that
may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. The two main risks
related to fixed income investing are interest-rate & credit risk.
Typically, when interest rates rise, there is a corresponding decline in
a bond ’market’s value. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the
issuer will not be able to make principal & interest payments.

For a complete list of fund risks, please see the prospectuses.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and
expenses of each fund carefully before investing. The
prospectuses and, if available, the summary prospectuses contain this
and other information about the funds, and are available, along with
information on other BlackRock funds, by calling 800-882-0052 or from
your financial professional. The prospectuses and, if available, the
summary prospectuses should be read carefully before investing.

BlackRock is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc. iShares
is a registered trademark of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A.
Prepared
by BlackRock Investments, LLC, member FINRA.

©2011 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Not FDIC Insured â�� No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value

BlackRock
Media Relations:
Jessica Greaney, 212-810-5498
Jessica.Greaney@blackrock.com
or
Investor Relations:
Ellen Taylor, 212-810-3815
Ellen.Taylor@blackrock.com

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Are ‘Alternative’ Bond Funds Safe?

A new crop of fixed-income mutual funds employs hedge-fund-like tactics to protect against rising interest rates, defaults and other bond-market hazards. But they come with their own set of risks.
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