Smo Gold Regulatory News (BARS)

23 May 2012 15:32

BLACKROCK ABSOLUTE RETURN STRATEGIES LTD

ANNUAL INFORMATION UPDATE

Annual Information Update for the period 12 May 2011 up to and including 22 May 2012.

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 Please note that some of this information may be out of date.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

Net asset values are released estimated weekly/estimated monthly and final monthly.

1.2 General Announcements

16 May 2011 Annual Information Update16 May 2011 Interim Management Statement23 May 2011 Block Listing Interim Review24 May 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document27 May 2011 Conversion of Securities31 May 2011 Change in Strategy1 June 2011 Total Voting Rights6 June 2011 Holdings in Company7 June 2011 Holdings in Company15 June 2011 Statement Re: Liquidity Profile16 June 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document16 June 2011 Conversion of Securities30 June 2011 Result of AGM1 July 2011 Total Voting Rights8 July 2011 Holdings in Company15 July 2011 Circular Re: Notice of EGM19 July 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document20 July 2011 Total Voting Rights1 August 2011 Total Voting Rights9 August 2011 Holdings in Company16 August 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document18 August 2011 EGM Statement25 August 2011 Result of EGM and Class Meetings25 August 2011 Half Yearly Report31 August 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document1 September 2011 Conversion of Securities1 September 2011 Total Voting Rights19 September 2011 Conversion of Securities21 September 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document28 September 2011 Statement Re: Liquidity Profile3 October 2011 Total Voting Rights19 October 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document24 October 2011 Statement Re: Liquidity Profile26 October 2011 Conversion of Securities27 October 2011 Holdings in Company28 October 2011 Total Voting Rights1 November 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document1 November 2011 Total Voting Rights2 November 2011 Statement Re: Trail Commission15 November 2011 Interim Management Statement16 November 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document21 November 2011 Statement Re: First Redemption22 November 2011 Block Listing Interim Review24 November 2011 Statement Re: Liquidity Profile25 November 2011 Holdings in Company1 December 2011 Total Voting Rights16 December 2011 Doc Re: Submission of Document23 December 2011 Statement Re: Liquidity Profile4 January 2012 Total Voting Rights11 January 2012 Total Voting Rights19 January 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document31 January 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document1 February 2012 Total Voting Rights2 February 2012 Company Update: Liquidity Profile - January 20126 February 2012 Statement Re: Redemption of Shares9 February 2012 Holdings in Company13 February 2012 Total Voting Rights15 February 2012 Holdings in Company16 February 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document17 February 2012 Director PDMR x 21 March 2012 Total Voting Rights1 March 2012 Statement Re: Merger of Share Classes9 March 2012 Total Voting Rights16 March 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document26 March 2012 Holdings in Company2 April 2012 Total Voting Rights18 April 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document26 April 2012 Directorate Change26 April 2012 Final Results26 April 2012 Company Update: Liquidity Profile1 May 2012 Total Voting Rights1 May 2012 Statement Re: Trail Commission2 May 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document4 May 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document16 May 2012 Doc Re: Submission of Document18 May 2012 Interim Management Statement22 May 2012 Block Listing Interim Review

2. Documents Filed with the JFSC Companies Registry:

Date Description 17 June 2011 Public Accounts YE2010 1 August 2011 Special Resolution 26 August 2011 Special Resolutions x 4 17 February 2012 Annual Return

3. Printed Publications:

The Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 and the Half Yearly Report for the six months ended 30 June 2011 are available from the Company's registered office, c/o of The Company Secretary, BlackRock Absolute Return Strategies Ltd, 4th Floor, One Waverley Place, Union 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 Company's website at www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

In addition, monthly and quarterly updates are produced by the Investment Manager and can be downloaded from www.blackrockinternational.com/bars/Library/Literature.

23 May 2012