BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.
DSUFinancial Services · Stock · monthly payer
Forward Yield
13.02%
Annual Dividend
$1.18
Payout Ratio
269%
5-Yr Growth
7.4%
Ex-Date
Oct 15, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
Summary
As of September 2026, BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) yields 13.02% ($1.18 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $14.34 — +57% upside, so it screens as undervalued. Dividend safety grade: C (59/100).
Is DSU a good dividend stock?
Yes, with caveatsBlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) pays a monthly dividend yielding 13.02% ($1.18/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying.
Advantages
- Strong 7.4% 5-yr dividend growth
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2021
- Elevated payout ratio (269%)
- Very high yield can signal elevated risk
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 13.02%
- Payout Ratio
- 269%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.18
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 7.4%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Oct 15, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 0
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- 0.49
- Market Cap
- $585.6M
- P/E Ratio
- 20.5
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -22%
- 52-Week Range
- $9.07 – $10.67
- Dividend Safety
- C · 59/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2021)
Frequently Asked Questions
DSU Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-12%
3 Years
-8%
5 Years
-22%
52-Week Range
$9.07 – $10.67
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is DSU worth?
Undervaluedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. is $14.34 per share, versus a market price of $9.12. That implies 57% of upside — a margin of safety of about 36%.
Fair Value
$14.34
Current Price
$9.12
Upside
+57%
Margin of Safety
36%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about -10.0% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 6.9% — below our estimate, leaving room for upside if the business executes.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), 6.9% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $0.44 EPS, $1.18 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
DSU Dividend Safety Score
Borderline
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Aug 14, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Jul 15, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Jun 15, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| May 15, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Apr 15, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Mar 13, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Feb 13, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Jan 20, 2026 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Dec 22, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Nov 14, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Oct 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Sep 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Aug 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.18 / yr per share
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