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Performance
DSU Performance Chart
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) is up 1.6% since the beginning of the year. DSU is currently trading at $10 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of DSU shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,393.
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Returns By Period
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) has returned 1.58% so far this year and 4.96% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, DSU has returned 8.13% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.71% annually.
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.
- 1D
- 0.41%
- 1M
- 0.10%
- YTD
- 1.58%
- 6M
- 1.58%
- 1Y
- 4.96%
- 3Y*
- 12.35%
- 5Y*
- 6.85%
- 10Y*
- 8.13%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -1.44%
- 1M
- -1.45%
- YTD
- 7.60%
- 6M
- 6.59%
- 1Y
- 22.24%
- 3Y*
- 19.20%
- 5Y*
- 11.54%
- 10Y*
- 13.71%
DSU Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Mar 30, 1998, DSU's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.55%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 10.5 years.
Historically, 59% of months were positive and 41% were negative. The best month was Apr 2009 with a return of +24.4%, while the worst month was Feb 2009 at -32.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, DSU closed higher 47% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +31.1%, while the worst single day was Mar 18, 2020 at -25.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.27% | -2.18% | -2.04% | 5.65% | -1.22% | 0.31% | 1.58% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.83% | 0.45% | -1.51% | -0.36% | 2.61% | 1.81% | 1.03% | 1.42% | 0.94% | -1.79% | 0.67% | -0.21% | 5.97% |
| 2024 | 3.35% | 0.80% | 1.06% | -2.55% | 3.55% | -0.19% | 2.40% | -0.45% | 2.57% | -1.21% | 1.48% | -0.02% | 11.13% |
| 2023 | 7.42% | 1.33% | -2.75% | 2.39% | -2.13% | 5.60% | 4.11% | 2.01% | 1.48% | -2.84% | 6.11% | 4.72% | 30.34% |
| 2022 | -4.70% | -4.41% | -1.13% | -2.21% | -4.52% | -4.26% | 6.71% | 0.08% | -6.87% | 2.82% | 8.17% | -5.14% | -15.51% |
| 2021 | 0.96% | 2.47% | 2.90% | 0.55% | 2.66% | 2.50% | -2.54% | 4.52% | 0.52% | 2.27% | -0.69% | 1.90% | 19.36% |
Benchmark Metrics
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. has an annualized alpha of 3.12%, beta of 0.50, and R2 of 0.19 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since March 30, 1998.
- This fund participated in 67.82% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 61.13% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.50 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.19 this fund is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this fund's risk.
- R2 of 0.19 means this fund moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 3.12%
- Beta
- 0.50
- R²
- 0.19
- Upside Capture
- 61.13%
- Downside Capture
- 67.82%
Expense Ratio
DSU has a high expense ratio of 2.47%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
DSU ranks 8 for risk / return — in the bottom 8% of mutual funds on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| DSU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.17 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.47 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.12 | 1.32 | -0.21 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.69 | 2.46 | -1.77 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.50 | 10.92 | -8.42 |
Dividends
Dividend History
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. provided a 12.16% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.18 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.18 | $1.18 | $1.18 | $1.05 | $0.70 | $0.73 | $0.83 | $0.83 | $0.82 | $0.82 | $0.75 | $0.82 |
Dividend yield | 12.16% | 11.64% | 11.01% | 9.70% | 7.56% | 6.21% | 7.96% | 7.43% | 8.41% | 6.98% | 6.60% | 8.07% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.59 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $1.18 |
| 2024 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $1.18 |
| 2023 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.10 | $1.05 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.70 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.12 | $0.73 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. was 72.03%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 846 trading sessions.
The current BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. drawdown is 0.91%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -72.03%Mar 2009 | 2y 1mo | 3y 4mo | 5y 5moFeb 2007 - Jul 2012 |
COVID crash2020 | -45.36%Mar 2020 | 27d | 10mo 3d | 11moFeb 2020 - Jan 2021 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -41.18%Jul 2002 | 4y 3mo | 11mo 21d | 5y 2moApr 1998 - Jul 2003 |
Bear market2022 | -24.23%Jun 2022 | 5mo 19d | 1y 5mo | 1y 11moDec 2021 - Nov 2023 |
2004 correction2004 | -18.04%May 2004 | 3mo 19d | 4mo 28d | 8mo 17dJan 2004 - Oct 2004 |
Drawdown Indicators
| DSU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -72.03% | -56.78% | -15.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.21% | -9.10% | +1.89% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.59% | -18.90% | +4.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.23% | -25.43% | +1.20% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.36% | -33.92% | -11.44% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.91% | -3.21% | +2.30% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.58% | -10.71% | -0.87% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.99% | 2.04% | -0.05% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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