Portfolio Update

BLACKROCK NORTH AMERICAN INCOME TRUST plc All information is at 31 August 2014 and unaudited. Performance at month end with net income reinvested One Three Six Since Month months months launch (24 Oct 2012) Net asset value 5.0% 3.4% 7.1% 25.3% Share price 4.6% 1.4% 5.8% 15.6% Russell 1000 Value Index 5.4% 5.6% 10.7% 43.3% Source: BlackRock At month end Net asset value - capital only: 115.00p Net asset value - cum income: 115.57p Share price: 108.50p Discount to cum income NAV: 6.1% Net yield*: 3.7% Total assets including current year revenue: £116.0m Target annual dividend: 4.0p Gearing: 1.8% Options overwrite: 18.19% Ordinary shares in issue: 100,361,305 Ongoing charges**: 1.4% During the month, the company has issued no shares. *based on dividends of 1p per share each declared on 3 October 2013, 13 February 2014, 14 May 2014 and 6 August 2014. ** Ongoing charges represent the management fee and all other operating expenses excluding interest as a % of average shareholders' funds for the year ended 31 October 2013 Benchmark Sector Analysis Total Assets (%) Financials 25.4 Industrials 14.8 Energy 12.9 Health Care 9.8 Consumer Discretionary 9.4 Consumer Staples 8.5 Information Technology 7.4 Materials 6.1 Utilities 5.3 Telecommunication Services 2.2 Net current liabilities (1.8) ----- 100.0 ===== Country Analysis Total Assets (%) USA 95.6 Canada 2.2 France 1.5 Australia 1.0 United Kingdom 1.0 Netherlands 0.5 Net current liabilities (1.8) ----- 100.0 ===== Ten Largest Investments(in alphabetical order) Company Country of Risk Chevron USA Comcast USA Exxon Mobil USA General Electric USA Home Depot USA JPMorgan Chase USA Merck USA Microsoft USA Pfizer USA Wells Fargo USA Bob Shearer, Tony DeSpirito and Kathleen Anderson representing the Investment Manager, noted: Performance For the one month ended 31 August 2014, the Company's NAV increased by 5.0% and the share price increased by 4.6% (all in sterling). The Company's benchmark, the Russell 1000 Value Index, increased by 5.4% for the period. On a relative basis, the largest contributor to performance was stock selection in the consumer discretionary sector. Our ownership of Home Depot (+17.6%), a non-benchmark holding, proved particularly beneficial as the company's shares rallied after beating analysts' earnings expectations and management boosted their earnings outlook. Stock selection in the energy and telecommunication services sectors also added modestly to relative returns for the month. The largest detractor from relative performance for the period was stock selection within financials. Not owning benchmark holding Berkshire Hathaway (+9.4%), a non-dividend payer, proved costly after the firm posted strong Q2 results. Our overweight position to banks such as SunTrust Banks and Fifth Third Bancorp also dampened relative returns for the period. Lastly, stock selection in the information technology, materials and consumer staples sectors also detracted from relative performance. Transactions/Options Transactions: In August, we increased our financials exposure by 1.1% by adding to existing positions such as Bank of America, MetLife, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley & SunTrust Banks. Additionally, we increased our weighting to Intel Corporation during the month. Conversely, we reduced our exposure to consumer discretionary by selling Walt Disney Company and trimming our exposure to V.F. Corporation. We also modestly reduced our exposure to the energy, materials and consumer staples sectors. Notable trims included Enbridge, BHP Billiton, Coca-Cola, Philip Morris, General Mills and Diageo. As at 31 August 2014, the Company's options exposure was 18.19% and the delta of the options was 89.93%. Positioning The Company is currently overweight to the industrials, materials, consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors. We are underweight to the financials, health care, information technology, utilities, energy and telecommunication services sectors. Conversations with our management teams and economic data points (employment, housing, manufacturing, etc.) continue to support our view that the US economy is slowly gaining strength. This economic improvement, the end of QE3, and ultimately Federal action is likely to cause interest rates (and volatility) to drift higher. As the bounty of abundant liquidity is withdrawn, we expect profitable companies with strong balance sheets, dominant competitive positions and consistent earnings and dividend growth potential to outperform. 19 September 2014 ENDS Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/brna on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
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