DSU vs. BCAT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) and BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (BCAT).

DSU is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Nov 6, 1998.

Performance

DSU vs. BCAT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) and BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (BCAT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DSU vs. BCAT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
DSU BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.	-2.96%	5.97%	11.13%	30.34%	-15.51%	19.36%	8.01%
BCAT BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust	5.19%	16.78%	19.37%	19.30%	-22.64%	-5.21%	9.35%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DSU achieves a -2.96% return, which is significantly lower than BCAT's 5.19% return.

DSU

• 1D: 1.91%
• 1M: -2.04%
• YTD: -2.96%
• 6M: -4.26%
• 1Y: 3.08%
• 3Y*: 12.06%
• 5Y*: 7.09%
• 10Y*: 8.10%

BCAT

• 1D: 1.87%
• 1M: -5.26%
• YTD: 5.19%
• 6M: 6.39%
• 1Y: 22.17%
• 3Y*: 16.08%
• 5Y*: 6.13%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

DSU vs. BCAT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DSU

DSU Risk / Return Rank: 11
DSU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 10
DSU Sortino Ratio Rank: 9
DSU Omega Ratio Rank: 12
DSU Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
DSU Martin Ratio Rank: 12

BCAT

BCAT Risk / Return Rank: 85
BCAT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
BCAT Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
BCAT Omega Ratio Rank: 83
BCAT Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
BCAT Martin Ratio Rank: 91

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DSU vs. BCAT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) and BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (BCAT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DSU	BCAT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.23	1.57	-1.33
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.39	2.21	-1.82
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.31	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.18	2.34	-2.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.01	11.21	-10.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DSU vs. BCAT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DSU Sharpe Ratio is 0.23, which is lower than the BCAT Sharpe Ratio of 1.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DSU and BCAT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DSU	BCAT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.23	1.57	-1.33
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.40	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.23	0.40	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between DSU and BCAT is 0.37, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

DSU vs. BCAT - Dividend Comparison

DSU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.35%, less than BCAT's 22.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DSU BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.	12.35%	11.64%	11.01%	9.70%	7.56%	6.21%	7.96%	7.43%	8.41%	6.98%	6.60%	8.07%
BCAT BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust	22.92%	23.45%	17.48%	10.08%	9.01%	6.42%	0.48%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DSU vs. BCAT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DSU drawdown since its inception was -72.03%, which is greater than BCAT's maximum drawdown of -36.13%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DSU and BCAT.

Drawdown Indicators

	DSU	BCAT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-72.03%	-36.13%	-35.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.55%	-9.65%	-2.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.23%	-35.03%	+10.80%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.36%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.83%	-6.25%	+1.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.67%	-13.18%	+1.51%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.28%	2.02%	+0.26%

Volatility

DSU vs. BCAT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) is 4.16%, while BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (BCAT) has a volatility of 5.10%. This indicates that DSU experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BCAT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DSU	BCAT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.16%	5.10%	-0.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.52%	8.23%	-1.71%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.36%	14.22%	-0.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.74%	15.58%	-3.84%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.90%	16.02%	-0.12%