Saba halts activist battle against BlackRock funds as peace pact agreed at pair of trusts

Amid UK Saba saga

Manhattan activist hedge fund Saba Capital has agreed a settlement with BlackRock following months of activism from Boaz Weinstein’s firm to narrow discounts at a swathe of BlackRock closed-ended funds.

As part of the settlement, BlackRock Health Sciences Term trust (BMEZ) and the BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term trust (BIGZ), both of which invest in small and mid-cap companies, will conduct tender offers to purchase 40% and 50% of their current shares, respectively.  These tender offers will mean that shares will be bought at a price equal to 99.5% of the trusts' net asset value, allowing all shareholders to tender some or all of their shares in the process.  As of 21 January 2025, BIGZ was trading at a 6.5% discount while BMEZ was trading at close to a 5.3% discount, according ...