Merit Financial Group LLC Buys New Stake in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust $BST

Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (NYSE:BST) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 17,058 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $706,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust during the second quarter worth about $2,611,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock Science and Technology Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,416,000. Shaker Financial Services LLC lifted its position in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 313.1% during the 2nd quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 36,014 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,375,000 after acquiring an additional 27,297 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,045,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,922,000 after acquiring an additional 24,328 shares during the period. Finally, Karpus Management Inc. boosted its holdings in BlackRock Science and Technology Trust by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 322,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,328,000 after acquiring an additional 22,215 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Portfolio Manager Tony Kim acquired 23,645 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.90 per share, for a total transaction of $919,790.50. Following the acquisition, the portfolio manager directly owned 81,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,157,085.10. This represents a 41.11% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Trading Up 0.3%

BST opened at $39.71 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $40.35 and its 200-day moving average is $40.60. BlackRock Science and Technology Trust has a 52-week low of $27.87 and a 52-week high of $44.50.

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Announces Dividend

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

BlackRock Science and Technology Trust Company 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.