Innovative value-based US equity strategy

BlackRock American Income Trust (BRAI) underwent a unique change in strategy on 17 April 2025 following overwhelming shareholder approval. This development was triggered by the board’s desire for improved performance, lower cost and greater scale. Management of the trust shifted from BlackRock’s US Income and Value team to its Systematic Active Equity (SAE) team. BRAI is the first investment trust to employ a systematic investment approach and given the prevalence of growth funds, the company is differentiated by a focus on value and income. Along with the strategy change, there were other enhancements to the trust, including an increased dividend, a fee reduction and opportunities for shareholders to exit at close to NAV; there is a per...