BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. · DSU · NYSE
Distribution report · updated Nov 10, 2026
$8.78 -0.57% on the day, -$0.05
DSU fund page: price, charts & signals →
UnlockDividend Safety Rating: paid plans onlyDividend Safety Rating: paid plans only Is DSU’s distribution Very Safe or High Risk? 6 checks scored. NAV trend, payout stability, crash test and 3 more. Show the rating
Yearly payout / yield
$1.19·13.53%
$0.099 monthly x 12 ⓘ
Next payment
$0.0987/mo
pays Nov 30 ⓘ
Next ex-date
Nov 13
ex in 3 days ⓘ
Paying since
1998
342 payments on file
Pays
Monthly
12 payments a year
Yield vs history ⓘ
84
Well above its usual yield
DSU share price & total return
Daily closing price, adjusted for stock splits.
DSU stock page »All dividend lists »Build a portfolio around DSU »
DSRSimilar stocksHistoryPayoutsFAQ
Last 20 payments
DSU Dividend Growth (CAGR)
1Y -0.3%3Y 0.0%5Y +10.3%10Y +4.6%
Per-share amount, by the date it paid (~ = about, from its usual pay gap). Light bar = declared, not yet paid. The enlarge button shows all 342 payments since 1998.
Annual dividends and growth
Total paid per share in each calendar year. 2026: the solid bar is paid so far; the dashed box on top is expected (2 declared and not yet paid), not a promise. Years with an extra or a missing payment (dates sliding across New Year) are compared per payment.

How Many DSU Shares for $500 or $1,000 a Month?

At $1.19 a share a year, $500 a month takes about 5,051 DSU shares, about $44,348 at the Nov 10, 2026 close of $8.78. $1,000 a month takes about 10,102 shares, about $88,696. Before taxes, and only while the rate holds.

BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund (DSU) pays $0.099 a share monthly, $1.19 a year, a 13.53% run-rate yield at the Nov 10, 2026 close of $8.78. It has made 342 distribution payments since 1998.

At today’s rate of $0.099 monthly and the last close of $8.78, this is what DSU pays before taxes, if the rate stays where it is:

You holdEach paymentPer month (avg)Per year
1 share$0.099$0.10$1.19
100 shares$9.90$9.90$118.80
$10,000 invested (1,139.0 shares)$112.76$112.76$1,353.08
5,051 shares ($500/mo)$500.05$500.05$6,000.59
10,102 shares ($1,000/mo)$1,000.10$1,000.10$12,001.18

With DRIP on, every payment buys more shares instead of landing as cash. 100 DSU shares reinvest into 1.13 new shares each payment, about 14.4 new shares a year at today’s price and rate, and each new share collects the next payment too. To DRIP one whole new share every payment you need about 89 shares. A rising payout speeds that up; a falling share price buys more shares per payment, but each is worth less. See the snowball over 10 to 30 years with DSU’s own history in the DSU DRIP calculator.

The payout is not the return. In the 12 months to Nov 10, 2026, DSU paid $1.19 a share while its share price fell from $10.37 to $8.78. Total return was -$0.40 a share, so every dollar paid above was your own money coming back, and the share value fell $0.40 more on top.

UnlockDividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
Dividend Safety Rating Not financial advice
See DSU’s rating and its 6 factors.
See the rating & factors »
An algorithmic rating built from reported data, not a recommendation.
  • NAV trend: is the fund’s share price holding up report
  • Distribution funded by NAV: is it paying you with your own money report
  • Distribution stability: how much the payout jumps around history
  • Distribution trend: is the payout growing or shrinking history
  • Crash test: how the fund held up in market drops history
  • Yield sanity: is the yield too high to be believable rating

DSU Dividend Yield Today vs Its 5-Year Range

84/100Well above its usual yieldvs its 10-yr history
  • DSU yields 13.53% today, at the Nov 10, 2026 close of $8.78.
  • Its own 10-year median is 8.33%, so today’s yield is well above its usual level.
Last 5 years: lowest to highest month-end yield
6.21% low13.73% high
Blue mark = today, grey = its 10-year median. A higher yield than usual means a lower price against the payout.

Where today ranks in its own history is in the paid report

How it works. Each month-end over the last 10 years gives one yield: the regular payment then, times payments a year, over that day’s close. Specials are left out. 50 means today’s yield sits right at its usual level. A lower score means the yield is below its usual level, so the price is high against the payout. A higher score means the yield is above its usual level. On price alone a payer stays between 15 and 85. Steady raisers get a few points back. It reads the past, not the future.

When Is DSU’s Next Distribution? November 2026 Ex-Date and Pay Date

DSU’s next distribution is $0.0987 a share, declared, with the ex-date on Nov 13, 2026. Own DSU by the close on Nov 12, 2026 to collect it; shares bought on the ex-date or later do not get it. It pays on Nov 30, 2026. The latest one, $0.099 a share, went ex on Oct 15, 2026 and paid around October 2026.

  • Ex-dates: about every 30 days (monthly)
  • Payment: usually about 16 days after the ex-date

Every payer going ex-dividend this week is on the dividend calendar.

How Often Does DSU Pay?

DSU pays monthly, 12 times a year. The ex-date comes about every 30 days, and the cash usually lands about 16 days later.

Paid in the 12 months to Nov 10, 2026
$1.19 a share, in 12 payments.
+0.1% against the 12 months before ($1.19 in 12 payments).
By ex-date, the same 12 months the NAV check on this page reads. The yield up top uses today’s rate instead, so a raise or a cut shows there first.
Payout months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Pays every month.

DSU vs Similar Dividend Funds (HRAAX, MSIF...)

Against the 10 dividend funds in Asset Management closest to DSU in fund size, DSU’s 13.53% run-rate yield is above the group’s middle yield of 5.59%. A higher yield than the group is not a bonus by itself: in income funds it often comes with a faster-falling share price, so read it next to the NAV trend and the rating.

Ticker Dividend ⓘ Yield Safety Rating
DSU $8.78BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund $0.099/mo$1.19/yr fwd 13.53% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
HRAAX $16.48Hartford Moderately Aggressive Allocation Fund-A $0.248/half-yr$0.50/yr fwd 3.01% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
MSIF $12.52MSC Income Fund $0.11/mo$1.32/yr fwd 10.54% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
CMIDX $18.66Congress Mid Cap Growth Fund $2.536/yr 13.59% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
FSHOX $113.46Fidelity Select Construction & Housing $0.809/yr 0.71% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
VCX $19.70Fundrise Innovation Fund, LLC $0.1748/qtr$0.70/yr fwd 3.55% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
NDMO $9.27Nuveen Dynamic Municipal Opportunities Fund $0.059/mo$0.71/yr fwd 7.64% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
FAMEX $56.45FAM Dividend Focus Fund Investor $0.006/qtr$0.02/yr fwd 0.04% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
EMD $9.50Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund $0.095/mo$1.14/yr fwd 12.00% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
ACP $4.40Abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund $0.055/mo$0.66/yr fwd 15.00% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
SWLSX $42.49Schwab Large-Cap Growth $0.008/yr 0.02% Dividend Safety Rating: paid plans only

DSU Dividend History: Every Payment Since 1998

Ex-datePay dateAmountFrequencyType
Dec 11, 2026Dec 22, 2026$0.0987MonthlyDeclared
Nov 13, 2026Nov 30, 2026$0.0987MonthlyDeclared
Oct 15, 2026Oct 19, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Sep 15, 2026Sep 17, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Aug 14, 2026Aug 17, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Jul 15, 2026Jul 17, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Jun 15, 2026Jun 17, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
May 15, 2026May 18, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Apr 15, 2026Apr 17, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
Mar 13, 2026Mar 16, 2026$0.099MonthlyRegular
The other 332 DSU payments come with a paid plan.
Show all 342 payments »
Newest first. Amounts are per share as paid, restated for splits; frequency is the schedule on file for that payment; a payment over 2.5x its neighbours is marked special.
From reported payments, prices and filings — data, not investment advice.

What the Dividend Safety Rating Means for DSU

UnlockDividend Safety Rating: paid plans only
See where DSU lands, and why.
See the rating & factors »
Own DSU? Your payouts fill in by themselves Add DSU once, with your buy date and share count. Every distribution since fills in, dated and in dollars, and with DRIP on each new share is counted for you.
Track DSU →

DSU Dividend Questions

How often does DSU pay distributions?

DSU pays monthly, 12 times a year. The ex-date comes about every 30 days, and the cash usually lands about 16 days later.

Does DSU pay distributions monthly?

Yes. DSU pays monthly, 12 times a year.

When is the next DSU distribution?

DSU’s next distribution is $0.0987 a share, declared, with the ex-date on Nov 13, 2026. Own DSU by the close on Nov 12, 2026 to collect it; shares bought on the ex-date or later do not get it. It pays on Nov 30, 2026. The latest one, $0.099 a share, went ex on Oct 15, 2026 and paid around October 2026. The current rate is $0.099 per share, $1.19 a year.

Does DSU pay a distribution in November 2026?

Yes. DSU declared $0.0987 a share with the ex-date on Nov 13, 2026, paying on Nov 30, 2026. Own DSU by the close on Nov 12, 2026 to collect it; shares bought on the ex-date or later do not get it.

How much does DSU pay per share?

DSU pays $0.099 a share monthly, $1.19 a year. At the Nov 10, 2026 close of $8.78 that is a 13.53% run-rate yield, well above its usual level: its own 10-year median is 8.33%.

Does DSU’s payout grow?

Its last 12 payments (about a year) averaged $0.099, +0.0% against $0.0989 for the 12 before. Its payout floats with the income the fund earns each period, so there is no fixed rate to raise. Measured over a full year, the payout rate changed -0.3%.

Is DSU’s distribution safe?

No rating can promise a future payment, but the record on file says a lot. In the 12 months to Nov 10, 2026 it paid $1.19 a share while its share price went from $10.37 to $8.78. This is data, not investment advice. The full 6-check rating comes with a plan.

How do I track my DSU distributions?

Add DSU to a free DRIPCalc portfolio once, with your buy date and share count. Every payout since fills in, dated and in dollars; with DRIP on, the new shares each payment buys are counted for you, so there is no spreadsheet to update and no broker login. To project the snowball, run DSU in the DRIP calculator.

More Dividend Lists and Tools

DSU Price & Total Return Charts » DSU DRIP Calculator » All Dividend Lists & Tools »Dividend Portfolio Builder HOT »Recession-Proof Dividend Stocks HOT »Best Crash Recovery Stocks NEW »Safest Dividend Stocks NEW »Ex-Dividend Calendar »Dividend Raises This Month »Latest Dividend Cuts »Dividend Kings (50+ yrs) »Track Your Own Stocks »
How this page is built: the rate is the latest regular distribution per share; run-rate yield = rate × payments per year ÷ last close (Nov 10, 2026), never a trailing 12-month total, which lags after a raise and hides a cut. Specials and one-off payments never count in the rate; a payer whose regular payments differ in size is annualized over its last full cycle of regular payments. Raise streak = consecutive calendar years with a higher amount per payment than the year before; years without a cut = years in which the amount per payment held within 1%. The Dividend Safety Rating reads 6 visible lines: coverage, streak, raise pace and yield range for dividend stocks; NAV trend, NAV funding and payout stability for income funds. Similar payers = the same sector or fund group, nearest in market value or fund size. Payments, prices and filings come from DRIPCALC’s price and dividend database. History is not a forecast. This is data, not investment advice.