BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.
DSUFinancial Services · Stock · monthly payer
$9.73
Add to PortfolioForward Yield
12.18%
Annual Dividend
$1.18
Payout Ratio
172%
5-Yr Growth
6.9%
Ex-Date
Jun 15, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
DSU Dividend Safety Score
56/ 100
Grade C
Borderline
Dividend-growth streak4 consecutive years of growth
Cut historyCut its dividend in 2021
Earnings payout coverage172% of earnings paid out
Balance-sheet strengthDebt/equity of 0.18
Yield vs its historyYield is 1.3× its 5-yr average — elevated
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
Is DSU a good dividend stock?
MixedBlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) pays a monthly dividend yielding 12.18% ($1.18/yr), with 4 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. The picture is mixed — the dividend pays, but safety or growth signals are weaker than ideal.
Advantages
- Strong 6.9% 5-yr dividend growth
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2021
- Elevated payout ratio (172%)
- Very high yield can signal elevated risk
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 12.18%
- Payout Ratio
- 172%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.18
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 6.9%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jun 15, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 4
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- 0.49
- Market Cap
- $612.3M
- P/E Ratio
- 14.1
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -15%
- 52-Week Range
- $9.31 – $10.67
- Dividend Safety
- C · 56/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2021)
Frequently Asked Questions
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Jun 13, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| May 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
| Apr 15, 2025 | — | $0.0990 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.18 / yr per share
Per payment (monthly)$9.83
Annual$118.00
Monthly avg$9.83
