Merit Financial Group LLC Acquires Shares of 17,058 BlackRock Science and Technology Trust $BST

Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (NYSE:BST) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 17,058 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $706,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BST. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 2.4% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,045,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,922,000 after buying an additional 24,328 shares in the last quarter. Karpus Management Inc. boosted its stake in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 322,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,328,000 after acquiring an additional 22,215 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 296,826 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,791,000 after acquiring an additional 1,477 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 192,302 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,340,000 after purchasing an additional 2,502 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 9.6% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 148,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,659,000 after purchasing an additional 12,948 shares in the last quarter.

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of BST stock opened at $39.71 on Friday. BlackRock Science and Technology Trust has a one year low of $27.87 and a one year high of $44.50. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.60.

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.6%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Portfolio Manager Tony Kim acquired 23,645 shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $38.90 per share, for a total transaction of $919,790.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the portfolio manager directly owned 81,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,157,085.10. This trade represents a 41.11% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Profile

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (NYSE: BST) is a closed-end management investment company that concentrates its investments in the equity securities of companies engaged in science and technology industries. Established in December 2018, the trust seeks to provide shareholders with total return through a combination of capital appreciation and current income. BST primarily targets firms involved in information technology, biotechnology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and other technology-driven sectors.

The trust’s investment strategy is rooted in fundamental, bottom-up analysis carried out by a dedicated team of research professionals at BlackRock.