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Summary of Investment Objective

The US Dollar Core Bond Fund seeks to maximise total return. The Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in investment grade fixed income transferable securities. At least 70% of the Fund’s total assets are invested in fixed income transferable securities denominated in US dollars. Currency exposure is flexibly managed.

Fund Manager's Report (as at Jul 31, 2010)

The Fund performed in line with its benchmark over the month.
Fund performance benefited from its overweight exposure to non-government spread sectors, which broadly rallied during the month. In particular, the Fund benefited from overweight positions in non-agency MBS, CMBS and high yield credit. In addition, the Fund benefited from holding a long duration position relative to the benchmark as rates declined on the month. Detracting from performance was the underweight held to agency MBS, which also rallied during the month.

During the month, we continued to reduce exposure to agency MBS, particularly in the middle of the coupon stack, on strength as the sector has continued to rally. In addition, we added exposure to higher quality CMBS securities. Lastly, we actively managed duration to benefit from the near term volatility in interest rates.

At month-end, the Fund was generally underweight in government-owned/government-related sectors in favour of non-government spread sectors. Within the government sectors, the portfolio holds an underweight in US Treasuries, agency debentures and FDIC-guaranteed debt. The Fund is overweight non-government spread sectors including CMBS, ABS and investment-grade corporate debt. The Fund also holds out-of-index allocations to non-agency mortgages including a small allocation to high yield. The Fund ended the month with a longer duration relative to the benchmark.

Fund Fact (as at Jul 31, 2010 )

Status Sub-Fund of Luxembourg SICAV
Fund Manager Curtis Arledge/ Matthew Marra
Launch Date Apr 7, 1989
Base Currency USD ($)
Additional Dealing Currencies -
Benchmark Bar Cap US Aggregate
Morningstar Sector Fixed Income USD
Total Fund Size (m) USD ($) 421.1
Average Yield to Maturity (%) 3.80%
Average Maturity (years) 6.9
Average Duration (years) 4.4
EUSD Fund Attributes
EUSD Fund Status in scope, distributions and redemptions
Information Source Portfolio Composition
Application Threshold >40%
Holding in Debt Claims 97.40%
Grandfathered Bonds Held 0.75%
Application Start Date Jan 1, 2010
Application End Date Dec 31, 2010
TID 0.000000000
Last Distribution Date Aug 19, 2010
Fees %
Annual Management Fee (A shares) 0.90
Initial Charge (A shares) 5
Codes
ISIN LU0096258362
Bloomberg Equity Ticker MERCPA2 LX
Reuters Page Id BLRKIV
Swiss Valoren Number 801967
CUSIP L1049L267
Fund Risk Statistics
Name 3 Years 5 Years Since Launch
Beta 0.91 0.92 0.95
Volatility (Annualised Standard Deviation)
US Dollar Core Bond Fund 5.1% 4.4% 4.3%
Bar Cap US Aggregate 4.1% 3.7% 3.9%

Risk Grading

Low High

Important Information

The information on this website is available to Qualified Investors and Professionals in some jurisdictions on a limited private placement basis subject to applicable laws and regulations in the country of distribution. The information is confidential and should not be reproduced or distributed to persons other than the recipient.

The investment objective stated above is a summary of the main objectives of the Fund. Please refer to the BGF prospectus for full details.

A limited range of BGF sub-funds have a distributor status A share class that seeks to comply with UK Distributor Status requirements. Please contact the Manager for more information.

The fund invests a large portion of assets which are denominated in other currencies; hence changes in the relevant exchange rate will affect the value of the investment. The fund invests in fixed interest securities issued by companies which, compared to bonds issued or guaranteed by governments, are exposed to greater risk of default in the repayment of the capital provided to the company or interest payments due to the fund(s). The amount of credit risk is measured by the issuer’s credit rating which is assigned by one or more independent rating agencies. This does not amount to a guarantee of the issuer’s creditworthiness but provides a strong indicator of the likelihood of default. Securities which have a lower credit rating are generally considered to have a higher credit risk and a greater possibility of default than more highly rated securities. Companies often issue securities which are ranked in order of seniority which in the event of default would be reflected in the priority in which investors might be paid back. The fund invest in fixed interest securities such as corporate or government bonds which pay a fixed or variable rate of interest (also known as the ‘coupon’) and behave similarly to a loan. These securities are therefore exposed to changes in interest rates which will affect the value of any securities held. The fund may invest in structured credit products such as asset backed securities (‘ABS’) which pool together mortgages and other debts into single or multiple series credit products which are then passed on to investors, normally in return for interest payments based on the cash flows from the underlying assets. These securities have similar characteristics to corporate bonds but carry greater risk as the details of the underlying loans is unknown, although loans with similar terms are typically packaged together. The stability of returns from ABS are not only dependent on changes in interest-rates but also changes in the repayments of the underlying loans as a result of changes in economic conditions or the circumstances of the holder of the loan. These securities can therefore be more sensitive to economic events, may be subject to severe price movements and can be more difficult and/or more expensive to sell in difficult markets. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product. All financial investments involve an element of risk. Therefore, the value of your investment and the income from it will vary and your initial investment amount cannot be guaranteed. .

BlackRock Global Funds (BGF) is an open-ended investment company established in Luxembourg which is available for sale in certain jurisdictions only. BGF is not available for sale in the U.S. or to U.S. persons. Product information concerning BGF should not be published in the U.S. It is recognised under Section 264 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited is the UK distributor of BGF. Most of the protections provided by the UK regulatory system, and the compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, will not be available. A limited range of BGF sub-funds have a distributor status A sterling share class that seeks to comply with UK Distributor Status requirements. Subscriptions in BGF are valid only if made on the basis of the current Prospectus, the most recent financial reports and the Simplified Prospectus which are available on our website. Prospectuses, Simplified Prospectuses and application forms may not be available to investors in certain jurisdictions where the Fund in question has not been authorised.

Sources: Fund – BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited (BIM(UK)L), Indices - Datastream, BIM(UK)L. Quartiles - Standard & Poor's. BIM(UK)L Risk Grading: High Risk (on a scale of Low, Medium, Medium/High and High). This grading applies to Funds with emerging market, small capitalisation, or narrowly focused/concentrated equity mandates, which may restrict liquidity and increase the volatility of returns. It should only be used for comparison with other BlackRock Global Funds (BGF) and, in particular, should not be used in comparison with Funds not provided by BIM(UK)L. The grading is indicative of the level of risk of a particular Fund and is not supposed to be a guarantee of likely returns. If you are in any doubt as to the level of risk that you should take, you should seek Independent Advice. BIM(UK)L Risk Grading: Medium Risk (on a scale of Low, Medium, Medium/High and High). This grading applies to Funds with exposure to capital market risk but where any equity exposure is balanced by exposure to high-quality bonds. It should only be used for comparison with other BlackRock Global Funds (BGF) and, in particular, should not be used in comparison with Funds not provided by BIM(UK)L. The grading is indicative of the level of risk of a particular Fund and is not supposed to be a guarantee of likely returns. If you are in any doubt as to the level of risk that you should take, you should seek Independent Advice.Performance is shown as at Jul 31, 2010 in USD on a NAV price basis with income reinvested. Fund performance figures are calculated net of fees.