Summary Prospectus
Summary Prospectus
Key Facts About BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
Investment Objective
The investment objective of BlackRock Short-Term Municipal
Fund (the “Short-Term Fund” or the “Fund”) is to provide shareholders with as high a level of income exempt from Federal income taxes as is consistent with the investment policies of the Fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
you buy and hold Investor A1 Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder
Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
A1 Shares |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | 1.00% |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) | None |
| Annual
Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Investor
A1 Shares |
| Management Fee | 0.33% |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.10% |
| Other Expenses | 0.11% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.54% |
| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursement1 | (0.02)% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1 | 0.52% |
| 1 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus on page 31, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 0.52% (for Investor A1 Shares) of average daily net assets until November 1, 2015. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your
investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Investor A1 Shares | $153 | $269 | $397 | $768 |
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual
fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 56% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
Under normal circumstances, the Short-Term Fund seeks to
achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its assets in municipal bonds. Municipal bonds include debt obligations issued by or on behalf of a governmental entity or other qualifying issuer that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond
counsel to the issuer, generally excludable from
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gross income for Federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be
includable in taxable income for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax). Municipal bonds may be obligations of a variety of issuers, including governmental entities or other qualifying issuers. Issuers may be states, territories and
possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities. Municipal bonds also include short-term tax-exempt obligations like municipal notes and variable rate demand
obligations.
The Short-Term Fund invests primarily in
investment grade municipal bonds or municipal notes, including variable rate demand obligations. Investment grade bonds are securities which are rated in the four highest categories by at least one of the major rating agencies or determined by the
management team to be of similar quality. Generally, the higher the rating of a bond, the higher the likelihood that interest and principal payments will be made on time. Municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest
that is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, generally excludable from gross income for Federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax) and that
have a maturity that is generally one year or less.
The
Fund will maintain a dollar weighted maturity of no more than two years. Because of their shorter maturities, the Fund’s investments will not usually be as sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates as are long-term municipal bonds.
Fluctuations in interest rates on short-term municipal bonds may, however, vary more widely from time to time than those on long-term municipal bonds.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your
investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as
other similar investments. The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund.
| ■ | Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve interest rate risk, credit risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, among other things. |
Interest Rate Risk — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities
will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates. For example, if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming
a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being equal, the value of the Fund’s investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income
securities is generally greater for those securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected
in the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund management. To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option
of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt
securities typically reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in
floating rate debt securities. These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and
face value at maturity, not its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in value when interest rates change. A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors
to move out of fixed-income securities on a large scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or
depressed value and could hurt the Fund’s performance.
Credit
Risk — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating
or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the
securities.
Extension Risk — When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these obligations to fall.
Prepayment Risk — When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.
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| ■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
| ■ | Liquidity Risk — Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. The Fund’s investment in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions. |
| ■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
| ■ | Municipal Securities Risks — Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. These risks include: |
General Obligation Bonds Risks — Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.
Revenue Bonds Risks — These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.
Private Activity Bonds Risks — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the
bond, and the issuer does not pledge its faith, credit and taxing power for repayment.
Moral Obligation Bonds Risks — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not
a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.
Municipal Notes Risks — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.
Municipal Lease Obligations Risks — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease
obligation is secured by the leased property.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk — The Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal
bonds and payments under derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the bases for those tax opinions, which may ultimately be determined to be incorrect and subject the Fund and its shareholders to
substantial tax liabilities.
| ■ | Variable Rate Demand Obligations Risk — Variable rate demand obligations are floating rate securities that combine an interest in a long-term municipal bond with a right to demand payment before maturity from a bank or other financial institution. If the bank or financial institution is unable to pay, the Fund may lose money. |
Performance Information
The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has
varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the S&P® Municipal Bond Index and
the S&P® Limited Maturity Municipal Bond Index, which are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategies. As with all such
investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they were, returns would be less than those shown. However, the table includes all applicable fees
and sales charges. If the Fund’s investment manager and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the Fund’s
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returns would have been lower. Updated information on the Fund’s
performance, including its current net asset value, can be obtained by visiting http://www.blackrock.com/funds or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052.
Investor A1 Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
As of 12/31
As of 12/31
During the ten-year
period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 1.65% (quarter ended December 31, 2008) and the lowest return for a quarter was -0.45% (quarter ended June 30, 2013). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2014 was
0.26%.
| As
of 12/31/13 Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund — Investor A1 Shares | |||
| Return Before Taxes | (0.54)% | 1.13% | 1.78% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | (0.54)% | 1.13% | 1.78% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | (0.11)% | 1.12% | 1.79% |
| S&P
® Municipal Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(2.55)% | 6.34% | 4.33% |
| S&P
® Limited Maturity Municipal Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
1.02% | 2.18% | 2.68% |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest
individual Federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not
relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Investment Manager
The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC
(“BlackRock”).
Portfolio Managers
| Name | Portfolio
Manager of the Fund Since |
Title |
| Peter J. Hayes | 1996 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
| Marie Sheehan | 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Investor A1 Shares generally are no longer available for
purchase but continue to be available for dividend and capital gain reinvestment and certain employer-sponsored retirement plans.
You may redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock
Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. You should contact your broker, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (including BlackRock, The PNC Financial Services
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Group, Inc. and their respective affiliates) (each a “Financial
Intermediary”) or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 441-7762, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8019), or by the Internet at
www.blackrock.com/funds.
Tax Information
The Fund’s dividends and distributions may be subject to
Federal income taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a retirement plan, in which case you may be subject to Federal income tax upon withdrawal from such tax deferred
arrangements. The Fund intends to make distributions most of which will be excludable from gross income for Federal income tax purposes.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial
Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial
Intermediary, the Fund and BlackRock Investments, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, or its affiliates may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by
influencing the Financial Intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial professional or visit your Financial Intermediary’s website for more
information.
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