Smo Gold Regulatory News (BARS)

18 May 2010 16:07

BLACKROCK ABSOLUTE RETURN STRATEGIES LTD

ANNUAL INFORMATION UPDATE

Annual Information Update for the period 21 May 2009 up to and including 18 May 2010.

Pursuant to the requirements of Prospectus Rule 5.2 the following summarises the information that has been published or made available to the public by the Company. Please note that some of this information may be out of date.

1. Announcements via a Regulatory Information Service (RIS):

(RIS Announcements can be viewed at or downloaded via the internet from http://dev.uk-wire.com using EPIC code BARS).

1.1 Net Asset Values (Estimated Weekly/Monthly and Final Monthly)

21 May 200928 May 200929 May 20099 June 200911 June 200918 June 200925 June 200929 June 20092 July 200910 July 200916 July 200923 July 200928 July 200930 July 200911 August 200913 August 200928 August 200927 August 20091 September 20093 September 200910 September 200917 September 200924 September 200930 September 20091 October 20098 October 200915 October 200922 October 200927 October 200929 October 200910 November 200912 November 200919 November 200926 November 20091 December 20093 December 20099 December 200917 December 200923 December 200924 December 200931 December 200912 January 201014 January 201021 January 201027 January 201028 January 20109 February 201011 February 201018 February 201025 February 20101 March 20109 March 201011 March 201018 March 201025 March 201030 March 20101 April 201012 April 201015 April 201022 April 201027 April 201029 April 201011 May 201013 May 20101.2 General Announcements21 May 2009 Annual information update 22 May 2009 Blocklisting interim review 28 May 2009 Conversion of securities 1 June 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 9 June 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 10 June 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 16 June 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents 17 June 2009 Conversion of securities 18 June 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 1 July 2009 Statement Re: redemption offer 1 July 2009 Total voting rights 3 July 2009 Compliance with model code 6 July 2009 Holdings in company x 2 8 July 2009 Result of AGM 9 July 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 17 July 2009 Monthly update 28 July 2009 Conversion of securities 31 July 2009 Total voting rights 31 July 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents 3 August 2009 Statement Re: redemption offer 3 August 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 7 August 2009 Holdings in company x 2 11 August 2009 Statement Re: redemption offer payment 18 August 2009 Half yearly report 26 August 2009 Redemption announcement 26 August 2009 Conversion of securities

1 September 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 9 September 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents

17 September 2009 Conversion of securities

24 September 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 8 October 2009 Correction: conversion of securities

9 October 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 16 October 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents

29 October 2009 Conversion of securities 2 November 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents 2 November 2009 Total voting rights 3 November 2009 Statement Re: trail commission 11 November 2009 Interim management statement 17 November 2009 Doc Re: submission of documents 26 November 2009 Blocklisting interim review 1 December 2009 Director declaration 1 December 2009 Conversion of securities 11 December 2009 Holdings in company x 2 16 December 2009 Portfolio update 16 December 2009 Conversion of securities

18 December 2009 Transaction in own shares and total voting rights 12 January 2010 Holdings in company

20 January 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 27 January 2010 Conversion of securities 28 January 2010 Total voting rights 29 January 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 3 February 2010 Holdings in company x 3 17 February 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 23 February 2010 Statement Re: redemption offer 1 March 2010 Conversion of securities 4 March 2010 Holdings in company 5 March 2010 Holdings in company 15 March 2010 Holdings in company 16 March 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 17 March 2010 Statement Re: proposed reverse tender offer auction 17 March 2010 Conversion of securities 29 March 2010 Compliance with model code 19 April 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 23 April 2010 Final results 29 April 2010 Conversion of securities 29 April 2010 Statement Re: trail commission 30 April 2010 Statement Re: reverse auction tender offer circular 30 April 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents 4 May 2010 Total voting rights 5 May 2010 Correction: total voting rights 6 May 2010 Interim management statement 18 May 2010 Doc Re: submission of documents

2. Documents Filed with the Registrar of Companies:

Date Description 22 May 2009 Public company accounts 08 20 February 2010 Annual Return 2010

3. Printed Publications:

The Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2009 and the Half Yearly Report for the six months ended 30 June 2009 are available from the Company registered office, c/o of The Company Secretary, BlackRock Absolute Return Strategies Ltd, Grenville Street, St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands JE1 0BR or can be downloaded from www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

Other sources of information:

The Company's Ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and the price of these shares is published in the Financial Times and the Times under `Investment Companies' and in the Daily Telegraph under "Investment Trusts". The share price is also available on the BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited website at www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

Further information can be obtained from BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited as follows:

Free investor helpline: 0800 445522

Email address: www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

In addition, regular Factsheets on the Company are produced by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited and can be downloaded from www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

18 May 2010