UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-CSR CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES |
Investment Company Act file number 811-21793 Name of Fund: BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (EGF) Fund Address: 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 Name and address of agent for service: Donald C. Burke, Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc., 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ, 08536. Mailing address: P.O. Box 9011, Princeton, NJ, 08543-9011 Registrants telephone number, including area code: (800) 882-0052, Option 4 Date of fiscal year end: 12/31/2008 Date of reporting period: 12/31/2008 Item 1 Report to Stockholders |
EQUITIES FIXED INCOME REAL ESTATE LIQUIDITY ALTERNATIVES BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (EGF) ANNUAL REPORT | DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
NOT FDIC INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE |
Table of Contents | ||
Page | ||
A Letter to Shareholders | 3 | |
Annual Report: | ||
Fund Summary | 4 | |
The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging | 5 | |
Derivative Instruments | 5 | |
Financial Statements: | ||
Schedule of Investments | 6 | |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 9 | |
Statement of Operations | 10 | |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | 11 | |
Financial Highlights | 12 | |
Notes to Financial Statements | 13 | |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 19 | |
Important Tax Information (Unaudited) | 19 | |
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan | 20 | |
Officers and Directors | 21 | |
Additional Information | 24 |
2 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
A Letter to Shareholders
Dear Shareholder
The present time may well be remembered as one of the most tumultuous periods in financial market history. Over the past year, the bursting of the hous-
ing bubble and the resultant credit crisis swelled into an all-out global financial market meltdown that featured the collapse of storied financial firms, vola-
tile swings in the worlds financial markets and monumental government responses designed to prop up the economy and stabilize the financial system.
The US economy appeared relatively resilient through the first half of 2008, when rising food and energy prices stoked fears of inflation. The tenor
changed dramatically in the second half, as inflationary pressure subsided amid plummeting oil prices, while economic pressures escalated in the
midst of a rapid deterioration in consumer spending, employment and other key indicators. By period-end, the National Bureau of Economic Research
had confirmed what most already knew the United States was in a recession, which officially began in December 2007. The Federal Reserve Board
(the Fed), after slashing interest rates aggressively in the early months of the year, resumed that rate-cutting campaign in the fall, with the final reduc-
tion in December bringing the target federal funds rate to a record low range of between zero and 0.25% . Importantly, the central bank pledged that
future policy moves to revive the global economy and financial markets would comprise primarily of nontraditional and quantitative easing measures,
such as capital injections, lending programs and government guarantees.
Against this backdrop, US equity markets experienced intense volatility, with periods of downward pressure punctuated by sharp rebounds. Declines
were significant and broad-based, though smaller cap stocks posted somewhat better relative performance. Non-US stocks started off the year stronger,
but quickly lost ground as the credit crisis revealed itself to be global in nature and as the global economy turned south. Overall, domestic equities
notched better results than non-US equities, reversing the prior years trend of international equity outperformance.
In fixed income markets, investors shunned risky assets and sought the safety and liquidity of US Treasury issues. Prices soared, while yields fell to
record lows, with the Treasury sector topping all other asset classes over the reporting period. Amid spillover from historic events in the financial sector,
municipals contended with fewer market participants, lack of liquidity, a challenging funding environment and a backlog of new-issue supply, all of
which contributed to the sectors underperformance relative to taxable issues. At the same time, economic turmoil combined with dislocated credit
markets and substantial technical pressures resulted in the worst year on record for the high yield market.
In all, an investor flight to safety prevailed, as evidenced in the six- and 12-month returns of the major benchmark indexes: | ||||
Total Returns as of December 31, 2008 | 6-month | 12-month | ||
US equities (S&P 500 Index) | (28.48)% | (37.00)% | ||
Small cap US equities (Russell 2000 Index) | (26.94) | (33.79) | ||
International equities (MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index) | (36.41) | (43.38) | ||
US Treasury securities (Merrill Lynch 10-Year US Treasury Index) | 17.70 | 20.06 | ||
Taxable fixed income (Barclays Capital US Aggregate Index*) | 4.07 | 5.24 | ||
Tax-exempt fixed income (Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index*) | (2.49) | (2.47) | ||
High yield bonds (Barclays Capital US Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index*) | (25.07) | (25.88) |
* Formerly a Lehman Brothers index.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
Through periods of market turbulence, as ever, BlackRocks full resources are dedicated to the management of our clients assets. For our most current
views on the economy and financial markets, we invite you to visit www.blackrock.com/funds. As always, we thank you for entrusting BlackRock with
your investments, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the months and years ahead.
THIS PAGE NOT PART OF YOUR FUND REPORT |
3 |
Fund Summary as of December 31, 2008
Investment Objective
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (EGF) (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income and gains. The Fund seeks to
achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of U.S. Government securities and U.S. Government Agency securities, including U.S.
Government mortgage-backed securities that pay interest in an attempt to generate current income and by employing a strategy of writing (selling) call
options on individual or baskets of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government Agency securities or other debt securities held by the Fund in an
attempt to generate gains from option premiums.
Performance
For the 12 months ended December 31, 2008, the Fund returned 12.85% based on market price and (0.73)% based on net asset value (NAV). For
the same period, the closed-end Lipper Corporate Debt Funds BBB-Rated category posted an average return of (13.30)% on a NAV basis. All returns
reflect reinvestment of dividends. The Fund moved from a discount to NAV to a premium by year-end, which accounts for the difference between
performance based on price and performance based on NAV. During the annual period, the Fund was invested approximately 85% in government
debt, of which roughly 70% was mortgage-backed securities. This aided relative performance as the Lipper category consists largely of corporate
funds, which significantly underperformed higher-quality investments over the year. This positive factor was offset somewhat by the Funds positions
in commercial mortgage-backed securities and non-agency debt, which underperformed for most of the period.
The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions.
These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.
Fund Information | ||||
Symbol on New York Stock Exchange | EGF | |||
Initial Offering Date | October 31, 2005 | |||
Yield on Closing Market Price as of December 31, 2008 ($16.57)1 | 7.60% | |||
Current Monthly Distribution per share of Common Stock2 | $0.105 | |||
Current Annualized Distribution per share of Common Stock2 | $1.260 | |||
|
| |||
1 Yield on closing market price is calculated by dividing the current annualized distribution per share by the closing market price. | ||||
Past performance does not guarantee future results. | ||||
2 The distribution is not constant and is subject to change. | ||||
The table below summarizes the changes in the Funds market price and net asset value per share: |
12/31/08 | 12/31/07 | Change | High | Low | ||||||
Market Price | $16.57 | $15.84 | 4.61% | $17.90 | $13.44 | |||||
Net Asset Value | $16.03 | $17.42 | (7.98)% | $18.10 | $15.69 |
The following chart shows the portfolio composition of the Funds long-term investments: | ||||
Portfolio Composition | ||||
12/31/08 | 12/31/07 | |||
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities | 71% | 68% | ||
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Collateralized Mortgage Obligations | 10 | 14 | ||
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations | 8 | 2 | ||
Non-U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities | 6 | 6 | ||
Asset-Backed Securities | 2 | 4 | ||
Preferred Securities | 2 | 4 | ||
Corporate Bonds | 1 | 2 |
4 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging
The Fund may utilize leverage to seek to enhance the yield and NAV of
its Common Shares. However, these objectives cannot be achieved in all
interest rate environments.
The Fund may utilize leverage through borrowings or issuance of short-
term debt securities including reverse repurchase agreements, or through
other techniques, such as dollar rolls. In general, the concept of lever-
aging is based on the premise that the cost of assets to be obtained
from leverage will be based on short-term interest rates, which normally
will be lower than the income earned by the Fund on its longer-term
portfolio investments. To the extent that the total assets of the Fund
(including the assets obtained from leverage) are invested in higher-
yielding portfolio investments, the Funds shareholders will benefit
from the incremental yield.
The interest earned on securities purchased with the proceeds from
leverage is paid to Common Shareholders in the form of dividends, and
the value of these portfolio holdings is reflected in the per share NAV of
the Funds Common Shares. However, in order to benefit Common
Shareholders, the yield curve must be positively sloped; that is, short-
term interest rates must be lower than long-term interest rates. If the
yield curve becomes negatively sloped, meaning short-term interest
rates exceed long-term interest rates, returns to Common Shareholders
will be lower than if the Fund had not used leverage.
To illustrate these concepts, assume a Funds Common Shares capital-
ization is $100 million and it issues debt securities for an additional
$30 million, creating a total value of $130 million available for invest-
ment in long-term securities. If prevailing short-term interest rates are
3% and long-term interest rates are 6%, the yield curve has a strongly
positive slope. In this case, the Fund pays interest expense on the
$30 million of debt securities based on the lower short-term interest
rates. At the same time, the Funds total portfolio of $130 million earns
the income based on long-term interest rates. In this case, the interest
expense of the debt securities is significantly lower than the income
earned on the funds long-term investments, and therefore the Common
Shareholders are the beneficiaries of the incremental yield.
Conversely, if prevailing short-term interest rates rise above long-term
interest rates of 6%, the yield curve has a negative slope. In this case,
the Fund pays interest expense on the higher short-term interest rates
whereas the Funds total portfolio earns income based on lower long-term
interest rates. If short-term interest rates rise, narrowing the differential
between short-term and long-term interest rates, the incremental yield
pickup on the Common Shares will be reduced or eliminated completely.
Furthermore, the value of the Funds portfolio investments generally
varies inversely with the direction of long-term interest rates, although
other factors can influence the value of portfolio investments. In con-
trast, the redemption value of the Funds debt securities do not fluctuate
in relation to interest rates. As a result, changes in interest rates can
influence the Funds NAV positively or negatively in addition to the
impact on Fund performance from leverage from debt securities.
The use of leverage may enhance opportunities for increased returns to
the Fund and Common Shareholders, but as described above, it also
creates risks as short- or long-term interest rates fluctuate. Leverage also
will generally cause greater changes in a Funds NAV, market price and
dividend rate than a comparable portfolio without leverage. If the income
derived from securities purchased with assets received from leverage
exceeds the cost of leverage, the Funds net income will be greater
than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income from the
securities purchased is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage, the
Funds net income will be less than if leverage had not been used, and
therefore the amount available for distribution to shareholders will be
reduced. A Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities at inoppor-
tune times or below fair market values in order to comply with regulatory
requirements applicable to the use of leverage or as required by the
terms of leverage instruments which may cause a Fund to incur losses.
The use of leverage may limit a Funds ability to invest in certain types of
securities or use certain types of hedging strategies. A Fund will incur
expenses in connection with the use of leverage, all of which are borne
by the holders of the Common Shares and may reduce returns on the
Common Shares.
Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund is permitted to
borrow through a credit facility and the issuance of short-term debt securi-
ties up to 33 1 / 3 % of total managed assets. As of December 31, 2008, the
Fund had no leverage from these sources.
Derivative Instruments
The Fund may invest in various derivative instruments, including options,
swap agreements, and futures and other instruments specified in the
Notes to Financial Statements, which constitute forms of economic lever-
age. Such instruments are used to obtain exposure to a market without
owning or taking physical custody of securities or to hedge market and/or
interest rate risks. Such derivative instruments involve risks, including the
imperfect correlation between the value of a derivative instrument and the
underlying asset, possible default of the other party to the transaction
and illiquidity of the derivative instrument. The Funds ability to success-
fully use a derivative instrument depends on the Advisors ability to accu-
rately predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. The
use of derivative instruments may result in losses greater than if they had
not been used, may require the Fund to sell or purchase portfolio securi-
ties at inopportune times or for prices other than current market values,
may limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on an invest-
ment or may cause the Fund to hold a security that it might otherwise
sell. The Funds investments in these instruments are discussed in detail
in the Notes to Financial Statements.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
5 |
Schedule of Investments December 31, 2008 | (Percentages shown are based on Net Assets) | |||||||||
Par | U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed | Par | ||||||||
Asset-Backed Securities | (000) | Value | Securities Collateralized Mortgage Obligations | (000) | Value | |||||
Asset Backed Securities Corp. Home Equity Line Trust | Fannie Mae Trust (f): | |||||||||
Series 2006-HE7 Class A2, 0.521%, 11/25/36 (a) | $ 696 | $ 675,955 | Series 367 Class 2, 5.50%, 1/01/36 | $ 3,755 | $ 397,294 | |||||
First Franklin Mortgage Loan Asset Backed Certificates | Series 378 Class 5, 5%, 7/01/36 | 4,265 | 421,991 | |||||||
Series 2005-FF2 Class M2, 0.911%, 3/25/35 (a) | 3,220 | 966,000 | Series 2006-8 Class HN, 4.858%, 3/25/36 (a) | 1,872 | 177,051 | |||||
GSAA Home Equity Trust Series 2005-1 Class AF2, | Freddie Mac Multiclass Certificates: | |||||||||
4.316%, 11/25/34 (a) | 1,787 | 1,627,832 | Series 232 Class IO, 5%, 8/01/35 (f) | 4,378 | 498,587 | |||||
Securitized Asset Backed Receivables LLC Trust (a): | Series 2611 Class KT, 10.425%, 4/15/17 (a) | 610 | 591,128 | |||||||
Series 2005-0P1 Class M2, 0.921%, 1/25/35 | 2,000 | 766,878 | Series 2654 Class YD, 5%, 12/15/26 (f) | 5,803 | 229,112 | |||||
Series 2005-OP2 Class M1, 0.901%, 10/25/35 | 1,025 | 414,067 | Series 2996 Class SJ, 2.098%, 6/15/35 (a)(f) | 3,367 | 163,937 | |||||
Soundview Home Equity Loan Trust Series 2007-OPT5 | Series 3042 Class EA, 4.50%, 9/15/35 | 2,649 | 2,525,778 | |||||||
Class 2A2, 1.421%, 10/25/37 (a) | 2,500 | 1,104,462 | Series 3149 Class HA, 6%, 5/15/27 | 1,498 | 1,528,852 | |||||
Total Asset-Backed Securities 3.0% | 5,555,194 | Series 3183 Class KI, 6%, 12/15/34 (f) | 3,308 | 179,109 | ||||||
Ginnie Mae Trust (a): | ||||||||||
Series 2005-87 Class C, 5.328%, 9/16/34 | 10,000 | 10,368,864 | ||||||||
Series 2006-3 Class C, 5.235%, 4/16/39 | 10,000 | 10,105,126 | ||||||||
Series 2006-30 Class IO, 0.80%, 5/16/46 (f) | 8,664 | 467,152 | ||||||||
Corporate Bonds | Total U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed | |||||||||
Electric Utilities 0.5% | Securities Collateralized Mortgage Obligations 14.8% | 27,653,981 | ||||||||
PPL Capital Funding, 6.70%, 3/30/67 (a) | 2,000 | 880,000 | ||||||||
Insurance 1.1% | ||||||||||
The Allstate Corp., 6.50%, 5/15/57 (a)(b) | 2,000 | 1,124,618 | Non-U.S. Government Agency | |||||||
ZFS Finance (USA) Trust (a)(c): | Mortgage-Backed Securities | |||||||||
Series IV, 5.875%, 5/09/32 | 500 | 174,690 | ||||||||
Series V, 6.50%, 5/09/67 | 2,000 | 820,000 | Collateralized Mortgage Obligations 5.6% | |||||||
Bank of America Funding Corp. Series 2007-5 | ||||||||||
2,119,308 | Class 4A3, 3.655%, 7/25/37 (a)(f) | 18,014 | 1,344,180 | |||||||
Total Corporate Bonds 1.6% | 2,999,308 | Bank of America Mortgage Securities Inc. | ||||||||
Series 2003-J Class 2A1, 5.295%, 11/25/33 (a) | 569 | 465,007 | ||||||||
Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust Series 2004-13 Class A1, | ||||||||||
0.841%, 11/25/34 (a) | 633 | 348,071 | ||||||||
CS First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. | ||||||||||
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities | Series 2005-11 Class 6A5, 6%, 12/25/35 | 1,367 | 1,053,851 | |||||||
Fannie Mae Guaranteed Pass Through Certificates: | Citi Mortgage Alternative Loan Trust Series 2007-A5 | |||||||||
4.00%, 12/01/24 (d) | 9,500 | 9,597,964 | Class 1A7, 6%, 5/25/37 (f) | 900 | 110,149 | |||||
4.50%, 1/15/24 2/15/39 (d) | 10,000 | 10,141,872 | Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. Series 2005-12 | |||||||
4.66%, 7/01/10 | 1,861 | 1,883,039 | Class 1A2, 1.615%, 8/25/35 (a)(f) | 11,729 | 762,640 | |||||
4.959%, 2/01/13 | 5,340 | 5,457,564 | Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust Series 2006-41CB | |||||||
5.00%, 1/15/24 1/15/39 (b)(d)(e) | 41,628 | 42,582,766 | Class 2A17, 6%, 1/25/37 | 2,191 | 1,586,037 | |||||
5.24%, 4/01/12 | 7,939 | 8,192,370 | First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Series | |||||||
5.266%, 10/01/35 | 4,946 | 5,021,177 | 2007-FA2 Class 1A11, 1.245%, 4/25/37 (a)(f) | 19,364 | 1,127,181 | |||||
5.50%, 7/01/17 1/15/39 (b)(d) | 41,393 | 42,447,266 | Homebanc Mortgage Trust Series 2005-4 Class A1, | |||||||
6,113%, 2/01/12 | 2,612 | 2,746,424 | 0.741%, 10/25/35 (a) | 2,254 | 1,037,187 | |||||
6.00%, 10/01/36 1/15/39 (b)(d) | 20,223 | 20,824,901 | Residential Asset Securitization Trust Series 2004-A9 | |||||||
6.50%, 1/15/39 (d) | 4,600 | 4,776,815 | Class A3, 1.83%, 12/25/34 (a)(f) | 11,245 | 765,088 | |||||
6.60%, 1/01/11 | 5,096 | 5,302,516 | WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates | |||||||
Freddie Mac Mortgage Participation Certificates: | Series 2005-AR7 Class A1, 4.92%, 8/25/35 (a) | 2,352 | 1,780,829 | |||||||
4.50%, 5/01/34 (b) | 1,066 | 1,083,857 | Washington Mutual Alternative Mortgage | |||||||
5.00%, 1/15/39 (d) | 14,500 | 14,817,188 | Pass-Through Certificates Series 2005-8 | |||||||
5.50%, 4/01/37 | 699 | 715,750 | Class 1A4, 1.215%, 10/25/35 (a)(f) | 4,442 | 178,591 | |||||
6.00%, 1/15/39 (b)(d) | 2,400 | 2,472,000 | 10,558,811 | |||||||
Ginnie Mae MBS Certificates (d): | ||||||||||
5.00%, 11/15/35 1/15/39 | 2,738 | 2,806,689 | ||||||||
5.50%, 1/15/39 | 2,300 | 2,368,282 | ||||||||
Total U.S. Government Agency | ||||||||||
Mortgage-Backed Securities 98.1% | 183,238,440 |
See Notes to Financial Statements. 6 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Schedule of Investments (continued) | (Percentages shown are based on Net Assets) | |||||||||||||
Non-U.S. Government Agency | Par | Beneficial | ||||||||||||
Mortgage-Backed Securities | (000) | Value | Short-Term Securities | Interest (000) | Value | |||||||||
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities 2.7% | BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | |||||||||||||
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust Series | Cash Sweep Series, 1.64% (g)(h) | $43,275 | $ 43,275,054 | |||||||||||
2007-C6 Class A4, 5.889%, 12/10/49 (a) | $ 475 | $ 358,046 | Total Short-Term Securities | |||||||||||
Greenwich Capital Commercial Funding Corp. | (Cost $43,275,054) 23.2% | 43,275,054 | ||||||||||||
Series 2006-GG7 Class A4, 5.914%, 7/10/38 (a) | 1,500 | 1,170,689 | ||||||||||||
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage | Total Investments Before TBA Sale Commitments | |||||||||||||
Securities Corp. Class A4 (a): | (Cost $312,998,484*) 163.2% | 304,917,823 | ||||||||||||
Series 2006-CB15, 5.814%, 6/12/43 | 2,500 | 1,923,456 | ||||||||||||
Series 2006-LDP7, 6.065%, 4/15/45 | 2,000 | 1,595,514 | ||||||||||||
5,047,705 | Par | |||||||||||||
Total Non-U.S. Government Agency | TBA Sale Commitments | (000) | ||||||||||||
Mortgage-Backed Securities 8.3% | 15,606,516 | Fannie Mae Guaranteed Pass Through Certificates: | ||||||||||||
4.50%, 2/15/39 | (6,000) | (6,080,628) | ||||||||||||
5.00%, 1/15/39 | (27,800) | (28,382,076) | ||||||||||||
6.00%, 1/15/39 | (16,200) | (16,675,875) | ||||||||||||
6.50%, 1/15/39 | (4,600) | (4,782,565) | ||||||||||||
U.S. Government & Agency Obligations | Freddie Mac Mortgage Participation Certificates, | |||||||||||||
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 4.55%, 6/08/20 (e) | 3,500 | 3,921,788 | 6.00%, 1/15/39 | (2,400) | (2,472,000) | |||||||||
Federal Home Loan Banks: | Total TBA Sale Commitments | |||||||||||||
3.625%, 10/18/13 | 2,495 | 2,624,710 | (Proceeds $58,135,012) (31.2)% | (58,393,144) | ||||||||||
5%, 3/14/14 | 285 | 319,562 | ||||||||||||
5.375%, 6/13/14 (e) | 640 | 732,003 | Total Investments | |||||||||||
5.25%, 9/12/14 | 640 | 730,383 | Net of TBA Sale Commitments 132.0% | 246,524,679 | ||||||||||
U.S. Treasury Notes: | Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (32.0)% | (59,721,297) | ||||||||||||
3.125%, 8/31/13 | 110 | 118,602 | Net Assets 100.0% | $186,803,382 | ||||||||||
3.875%, 5/15/18 | 1,050 | 1,197,328 | ||||||||||||
3.75%, 11/15/18 | 5,000 | 5,660,150 | * The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments as of December | |||||||||||
4.50%, 5/15/38 | 5,000 | 6,824,220 | 31, 2008, as computed for federal income tax purposes, were as follows: | |||||||||||
Total U.S. Government & Agency Obligations 11.8% | 22,128,746 | Aggregate cost | $313,057,453 | |||||||||||
Gross unrealized appreciation | $ 7,942,182 | |||||||||||||
Preferred Securities | Gross unrealized depreciation | (16,081,812) | ||||||||||||
Net unrealized depreciation | $ (8,139,630) | |||||||||||||
(a) | Variable rate security. Rate shown is as of report date. | |||||||||||||
Capital Trusts | ||||||||||||||
(b) | All or a portion of security held as collateral in connection with swaps. | |||||||||||||
Diversified Financial Services 0.9% | ||||||||||||||
JPMorgan Chase Capital XXII, 6.45%, 1/15/87 (b) | 2,000 | 1,638,984 | (c) | Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. | ||||||||||
These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to quali- | ||||||||||||||
Total Capital Trusts 0.9% | 1,638,984 | fied institutional investors. | ||||||||||||
(d) | Represents or includes a to-be-announced transaction. The Fund has commit- | |||||||||||||
ted to purchasing securities for which all specific information is not available at | ||||||||||||||
this time. | ||||||||||||||
Trust Preferreds | (e) | All or a portion of security have been pledged as collateral in connection with | ||||||||||||
Capital Markets 0.6% | open financial futures contracts. | |||||||||||||
Morgan Stanley Capital Trust VIII, 6.45%, 4/15/67 | 2,000 | 1,180,000 | (f) | Represents the interest only portion of a mortgage-backed security and has | ||||||||||
Media 0.9% | either a nominal or a notional amount of principal. | |||||||||||||
Comcast Corp., 6.625%, 5/15/56 | 2,000 | 1,641,600 | (g) | Investments in companies considered to be an affiliate of the Fund, for purposes | ||||||||||
Total Trust Preferreds 1.5% | 2,821,600 | of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, were as follows: | ||||||||||||
Total Preferred Securities 2.4% | 4,460,584 | Net | ||||||||||||
Total Long-Term Investments | Affiliate | Activity | Income | |||||||||||
(Cost $269,723,430) 140.0% | 261,642,769 | BlackRock Liquidity Series, LLC | ||||||||||||
Cash Sweep Series | $26,167,800 | $ 267,232 | ||||||||||||
(h) | Represents the current yield as of report date. |
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
7 |
Schedule of Investments (concluded) | ||||||||
Financial futures contracts purchased as of December 31, 2008 were as follows: | ||||||||
Expiration | Face | Unrealized | ||||||
Contracts | Issue | Date | Value | Appreciation | ||||
1,550 | 10-Year U.S. | March | ||||||
Treasury Bond | 2009 | $189,433,487 | $5,479,013 | |||||
21 | Eurodollar | March | ||||||
Future | 2009 | $ 5,067,539 | 126,811 | |||||
22 | Eurodollar | June | ||||||
Future | 2009 | $ 5,296,979 | 140,871 | |||||
15 | Eurodollar | September | ||||||
Future | 2009 | $ 3,604,296 | 98,642 | |||||
15 | Eurodollar | December | ||||||
Future | 2009 | $ 3,593,671 | 103,266 | |||||
15 | Eurodollar | March | ||||||
Future | 2010 | $ 3,585,983 | 106,642 | |||||
16 | Eurodollar | June | ||||||
Future | 2010 | $ 3,817,849 | 112,551 | |||||
11 | Eurodollar | September | ||||||
Future | 2010 | $ 2,621,184 | 75,879 | |||||
11 | Eurodollar | December | ||||||
Future | 2010 | $ 2,618,321 | 73,379 | |||||
11 | Eurodollar | March | ||||||
Future | 2011 | $ 2,617,627 | 70,773 | |||||
12 | Eurodollar | June | ||||||
Future | 2011 | $ 2,854,349 | 74,401 | |||||
Total | $6,462,228 | |||||||
Financial futures contracts sold as of December 31, 2008 were as follows: | ||||||||
Expiration | Face | Unrealized | ||||||
Contracts | Issue | Date | Value | Depreciation | ||||
224 | 2-Year U.S. | March | ||||||
Treasury Note | 2009 | $ 48,481,574 | $ (364,426) | |||||
Interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2008 were as follows: | ||||||||
Notional | ||||||||
Amount | Unrealized | |||||||
(000) | Depreciation | |||||||
Pay a fixed rate of 4.68528% and receive | ||||||||
a floating rate based on 3-month LIBOR | ||||||||
Broker, Deutsche Bank AG | ||||||||
Expires September 2009 | $130,000 | $ (3,001,236) | ||||||
Pay a fixed rate of 4.625% and receive a | ||||||||
floating rate based on 3-month LIBOR | ||||||||
Broker, Deutsche Bank AG | ||||||||
Expires March 2013 | $ 50,000 | (5,300,084) | ||||||
Pay a fixed rate of 5.705% and receive a | ||||||||
floating rate based on 3-month LIBOR | ||||||||
Broker, Deutsche Bank AG | ||||||||
Expires June 2017 | $ 50,000 | (12,461,163) | ||||||
Pay a fixed rate of 5.9575% and receive a | ||||||||
floating rate based on 3-month LIBOR | ||||||||
Broker, Deutsche Bank AG | ||||||||
Expires December 2037 | $ 25,000 | (15,897,598) | ||||||
Total | $(36,660,081) |
Effective January 1, 2008, the Fund adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (FAS 157). FAS 157 clarifies the definition of fair value, estab- lishes a framework for measuring fair values and requires additional disclosures about the use of fair value measurements. Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of investments, which are as follows: Level 1 price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical securities Level 2 other observable inputs (including, but not limited to: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks, and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs) Level 3 unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstance, to the extent observable inputs are not available (including the Funds own assumption used in determining the fair value of investments) The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indi- cation of the risk associated with investing in those securities. For information about the Funds policy regarding valuation of investments and other significant accounting policies, please refer to Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements. The following table summarizes the inputs used as of December 31, 2008 in determining the fair valuation of the Funds investments: |
Valuation Inputs | Investments in Securities | |||
Assets | Liabilities | |||
Level 1 | $ 2,821,600 | | ||
Level 2 | 302,096,223 | $ (58,393,144) | ||
Level 3 | | | ||
Total | $304,917,823 | $ (58,393,144) | ||
Valuation Inputs | Other Financial Instruments* | |||
Assets | Liabilities | |||
Level 1 | $ 6,462,228 | $ (364,426) | ||
Level 2 | | (36,660,081) | ||
Level 3 | | | ||
Total | $ 6,462,228 | $ (37,024,507) | ||
* Other financial instruments are futures and swaps. |
See Notes to Financial Statements.
8 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities | ||
December 31, 2008 | ||
Assets | ||
Investments at value unaffiliated (cost $269,723,430) | $ 261,642,769 | |
Investments at value affiliated (cost $43,275,054) | 43,275,054 | |
TBA sale commitments receivable | 58,135,012 | |
Investments sold receivable | 20,458,969 | |
Interest receivable | 2,801,864 | |
Principal paydowns receivable | 1,355,154 | |
Swaps receivable | 197,654 | |
Prepaid expenses | 12,890 | |
Other assets | 61,813 | |
Total assets | 387,941,179 | |
Liabilities | ||
TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds $58,135,012) | 58,393,144 | |
Unrealized depreciation on swaps | 36,660,081 | |
Investments purchased payable | 99,678,513 | |
Swaps payable | 2,578,318 | |
Margin variation payable | 2,404,231 | |
Income dividends payable | 1,223,784 | |
Investment advisory fees payable | 142,508 | |
Other affiliates payable | 927 | |
Officers and Directors fees payable | 151 | |
Other accrued expenses payable | 56,140 | |
Total liabilities | 201,137,797 | |
Net Assets | $ 186,803,382 | |
Net Assets Consist of | ||
Par value, $0.10 per share (200,000,000 shares authorized, 11,655,088 shares issued and outstanding) | $ 1,165,509 | |
Paid-in capital in excess of par | 217,051,312 | |
Undistributed net investment income | 1,867,315 | |
Accumulated net realized gain | 5,620,318 | |
Net unrealized appreciation/depreciation | (38,901,072) | |
Net Assets $16.03 net asset value per share | $ 186,803,382 |
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
9 |
Statement of Operations | ||
Year Ended December 31, 2008 | ||
Investment Income | ||
Interest | $ 13,738,078 | |
Income affiliated | 267,232 | |
Dividends | 125,075 | |
Total income | 14,130,385 | |
Expenses | ||
Investment advisory | 1,852,013 | |
Professional | 67,554 | |
Accounting services | 44,241 | |
Repurchase offer | 39,164 | |
Printing | 33,726 | |
Officer and Directors | 22,986 | |
Custodian | 14,764 | |
Registration | 8,811 | |
Transfer agent | 1,269 | |
Miscellaneous | 41,736 | |
Total expenses excluding interest expense | 2,126,264 | |
Interest expense | 215,657 | |
Total expenses | 2,341,921 | |
Less fees paid indirectly | (2,744) | |
Total expenses after fees paid indirectly | 2,339,177 | |
Net investment income | 11,791,208 | |
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | ||
Net realized gain from: | ||
Investments | 3,904,031 | |
Futures and swaps | 5,855,667 | |
Options written | 10,369 | |
TBA sale commitments | 54,771 | |
9,824,838 | ||
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on: | ||
Investments | (9,391,636) | |
Futures and swaps | (18,513,629) | |
Options written | 4,287,910 | |
TBA sale commitments | 99,634 | |
(23,517,721) | ||
Total realized and unrealized loss | (13,692,883) | |
Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations | $ (1,901,675) |
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
10 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets | ||||
Year Ended | ||||
December 31, | ||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets: | 2008 | 2007 | ||
Operations | ||||
Net investment income | $ 11,791,208 | $ 10,723,561 | ||
Net realized gain | 9,824,838 | 9,914,357 | ||
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation | (23,517,721) | (15,718,098) | ||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | (1,901,675) | 4,919,820 | ||
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders From | ||||
Net investment income | (5,672,970) | (8,505,077) | ||
Net realized gain | (9,706,930) | (10,461,366) | ||
Decrease in net assets resulting from dividends and distributions to shareholders | (15,379,900) | (18,966,443) | ||
Capital Share Transactions | ||||
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions | 185,156 | 2,604,860 | ||
Net redemption of shares resulting from a repurchase offer (including $196,102 and | ||||
$219,324 repurchase fees, respectively) | (9,615,115) | (11,017,830) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from capital share transactions | (9,429,959) | (8,412,970) | ||
Net Assets | ||||
Total decrease in net assets | (26,711,534) | (22,459,593) | ||
Beginning of year | 213,514,916 | 235,974,509 | ||
End of year | $ 186,803,382 | $ 213,514,916 | ||
End of year undistributed net investment income | $ 1,867,315 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
11 |
Financial Highlights | ||||||||||
Period | ||||||||||
October 31, 20051 | ||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, | to December 31, | |||||||||
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | |||||||
Per Share Operating Performance | ||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ 17.42 | $ 18.50 | $ 19.18 | $ 19.10 | ||||||
Net investment income2 | 0.97 | 0.84 | 0.78 | 0.13 | ||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | (1.10) | (0.54) | (0.06) | 0.10 | ||||||
Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | (0.13) | 0.30 | 0.72 | 0.23 | ||||||
Dividends and distributions from: | ||||||||||
Net investment income | (0.46) | (0.62) | (0.81) | (0.10) | ||||||
Net realized gain | (0.80) | (0.76) | (0.03) | (0.02) | ||||||
Tax return of capital | | | (0.56) | | ||||||
Total dividends and distributions | (1.26) | (1.38) | (1.40) | (0.12) | ||||||
Capital charges with respect to issuance of shares | | | (0.00)3 | (0.03) | ||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ 16.03 | $ 17.42 | $ 18.50 | $ 19.18 | ||||||
Market price, end of period | $ 16.57 | $ 15.84 | $ 18.54 | $ 18.09 | ||||||
Total Investment Return4 | ||||||||||
Based on net asset value | (0.73)% | 2.39% | 4.08% | 1.06%5 | ||||||
Based on market price | 12.85% | (7.10)% | 10.59% | (8.97)%5 | ||||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets | ||||||||||
Total expenses after fees paid indirectly and excluding interest expense | 0.97% | 1.00% | 1.01% | 0.94%6 | ||||||
Total expenses | 1.07% | 1.48% | 1.01% | 0.94%6 | ||||||
Net investment income | 5.40% | 4.67% | 4.18% | 3.89%6 | ||||||
Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ 186,803 | $ 213,515 | $ 235,975 | $ 243,690 | ||||||
Portfolio turnover | 367%7 | 254% | 76% | 20% | ||||||
Asset coverage, end of period per $1,000 | | $ 11,316 | | |
1 Commencement of operations.
2 Based on average shares outstanding.
3 Amount is less than $(0.01) per share.
4 Total investment returns based on market price, which can be significantly greater or lesser than the net asset value, may result in substantially different returns.
Total investment returns exclude the effects of sales charge.
5 Aggregate total investment return.
6 Annualized.
7 Includes mortgage dollar roll transactions; excluding these transactions the portfolio turnover would have been 212%.
See Notes to Financial Statements. |
12 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Notes to Financial Statements
1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies:
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940
Act), as a diversified, closed-end management investment company.
The Fund is organized as a Maryland corporation. The Funds financial
statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles gen-
erally accepted in the United States of America, which may require the
use of management accruals and estimates. Actual results may differ
from these estimates. The Fund determines and makes available for
publication the net asset value of its Common Shares on a daily basis.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed
by the Fund:
Valuation of Investments: The Fund values its bond investments on the
basis of last available bid price or current market quotations provided by
dealers or pricing services selected under the supervision of the Funds
Board of Directors (the Board). In determining the value of a particular
investment, pricing services may use certain information with respect
to transactions in such investments, quotations from dealers, pricing
matrixes, market transactions in comparable investments and calculated
yield measures based on valuation technology commonly employed in
the market for such investments. The fair value of asset-backed securities
are estimated based on models that consider the estimated cash flows
of each tranche of the entity, establishes a benchmark yield and devel-
ops an estimated tranche specific spread to the benchmark yield based
on the unique attributes of the tranche. Financial futures contracts traded
on exchanges are valued at their last sale price. Swap agreements are
valued utilizing quotes received daily by the Funds pricing service or
through brokers, which are derived using daily swap curves and trades
of underlying securities. Short-term securities with maturities less than
60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value.
Investments in open-end investment companies are valued at net asset
value each business day. The Fund values its investment in the BlackRock
Liquidity Series, LLC Cash Sweep Series at a fair value, which is ordinarily
based upon its pro-rata ownership in the net assets of the underlying
fund. TBA commitments are valued at the current market value of the
underlying securities.
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean between the last bid
and ask prices at the close of the options market in which the options
trade. An exchange-traded option for which there is no mean price is
valued at the last bid (long position) or ask (short position) price. If no
bid or ask price is available, the prior days price will be used unless it is
determined that the prior days price no longer reflects the fair value of
the option. Over-the-counter (OTC) options and swaptions are valued
by an independent pricing service using a mathematical model which
incorporates a number of market data factors, such as the trades and
prices of the underlying securities.
In the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment which is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, the investment will be valued by a method approved by the Board as reflecting fair value (Fair Value Assets). When determining the price for Fair Value Assets, the investment advisor and/or sub-advisor seeks to determine the price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset in an arms-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the investment advisor and/or sub-advisor deems relevant. The pricing of all Fair Value Assets is subsequently reported to the Board or a committee thereof. Derivative Financial Instruments: The Fund may engage in various port- folio investment strategies both to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge, or protect, its exposure to interest rate movements and movements in the securities markets. Losses may arise if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the price of the underlying security, or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract. |
Financial futures contracts The Fund may purchase or sell finan-
cial futures contracts and options on financial futures contracts for
investment purposes or to manage its interest rate risk. Futures con-
tracts are contracts for delayed delivery of securities at a specific
future date and at a specific price or yield. Pursuant to the contract,
the Fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount
of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in value of the contract. Such
receipts or payments are known as margin variation and are recog-
nized by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. When the contract is
closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the differ-
ence between the value of the contract at the time it was opened
and the value at the time it was closed. The use of futures transac-
tions involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements
in the price of futures contracts, interest rates and the underlying
assets, and the possible inability of counterparties to meet the
terms of their contracts.
Options The Fund may purchase and write call and put options. A
call option gives the purchaser of the option the right (but not the
obligation) to buy, and obligates the seller to sell (when the option is
exercised), the underlying position at the exercise price at any time
or at a specified time during the option period. A put option gives the
holder the right to sell and obligates the writer to buy the underlying
position at the exercise price at any time or at a specified time dur-
ing the option period.
When the Fund purchases (writes) an option, an amount equal to the
premium paid (received) by the Fund is reflected as an asset and an
equivalent liability. The amount of the asset (liability) is subsequently
marked-to-market to reflect the current market value of the option
written. When a security is purchased or sold through an exercise of
an option, the related premium paid (or received) is added to (or
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
13 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
deducted from) the basis of the security acquired or deducted from
(or added to) the proceeds of the security sold. When an option
expires (or the Fund enters into a closing transaction), the Fund
realizes a gain or loss on the option to the extent of the premiums
received or paid (or gain or loss to the extent the cost of the closing
transaction exceeds the premium received or paid). When the Fund
writes a call option, such option is covered, meaning that the Fund
holds the underlying security subject to being called by the option
counterparty, or cash in an amount sufficient to cover the obligation.
When the Fund writes a put option, such option is covered by cash
in an amount sufficient to cover the obligation. Certain call options
are written as part of an arrangement where the counterparty to the
transaction borrows the underlying security from the Fund in a
securities lending transaction.
In purchasing and writing options, the Fund bears the market risk
of an unfavorable change in the price of the underlying security or
index. Exercise of a written option could result in the Fund purchas-
ing a security at a price different from the current market value. The
Fund may execute transactions in both listed and OTC options.
Transactions in certain OTC options may expose the Fund to the risk
of default by the counterparty to the transaction.
Swaps The Fund may enter into interest rate swaps for investment
purposes or to manage its interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps are
agreements in which one party pays a floating rate of interest on a
notional principal amount and receives a fixed rate of interest on
the same notional principal amount for a specified period of time.
Alternatively, a party may pay a fixed rate and receive a floating rate.
In more complex swaps, the notional principal amount may decline
(or amortize) over time. The Fund may enter into swap agreements,
in which the Fund and a counterparty agree to make periodic net
payments on a specified notional amount. These periodic payments
received or made by the Fund are recorded in the accompanying
Statement of Operations as realized gains or losses, respectively.
Swaps are marked-to market daily and changes in value are recorded
as unrealized appreciation (depreciation). When the swap is termi-
nated, the Fund will record a realized gain or loss equal to the differ-
ence between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction
and the Funds basis in the contract, if any. Swap transactions involve,
to varying degrees, elements of credit and market risk in excess of
the amounts recognized on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Such risk involves the possibility that there will be no liquid market
for these agreements, that the counterparty to the agreements may
default on its obligation to perform or disagree as to the meaning
of the contractual terms in the agreements, and that there may be
unfavorable changes in interest rates and/or market values associated
with these transactions.
Swaptions Swap options (swaptions) are similar to options on
securities except that instead of selling or purchasing the right to buy
or sell a security, the writer or purchaser of the swap option is gran-
ting or buying the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest
rate swap agreement at any time before the expiration of the option.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities: The Fund may invest in
asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are generally issued as
pass-through certificates, which represent undivided fractional ownership
interests in an underlying pool of assets, or as debt instruments, which
are also known as collateralized obligations, and are generally issued as
the debt of a special purpose entity organized solely for the purpose of
owning such assets and issuing such debt. Asset-backed securities are
often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a num-
ber of different parties. The yield characteristics of certain asset-backed
securities may differ from traditional debt securities. One such major dif-
ference is that all or a principal part of the obligations may be prepaid
at any time because the underlying assets (i.e., loans) may be prepaid
at any time. As a result, a decrease in interest rates in the market may
result in increases in the level of prepayments as borrowers, particularly
mortgagors, refinance and repay their loans. An increased prepayment
rate with respect to an asset-backed security subject to such a pre-
payment feature will have the effect of shortening the maturity of the
security. If a Fund has purchased such an asset-backed security at a
premium, a faster than anticipated prepayment rate could result in a
loss of principal to the extent of the premium paid.
The Fund may purchase in the secondary market certain mortgage
pass-through securities. There are a number of important differences
among the agencies and instrumentalities of the US government that
issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they
issue. For example, mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the
Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) are guaranteed
as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such
guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
However, mortgage-related securities issued by the Federal National
Mortgage Association (FNMA) include FNMA guaranteed Mortgage
Pass-Through Certificates, which are solely the obligations of the FNMA,
are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United
States and are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from
the Treasury.
14 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities backed
by commercial or residential mortgage loans or in issuers that hold mort-
gage and other asset-backed securities. Please see the Schedule of
Investments for these securities. Changes in economic conditions, includ-
ing delinquencies and/or defaults on assets underlying these securities,
can affect the value, income and/or liquidity of such positions.
Capital Trusts: These securities are typically issued by corporations,
generally in the form of interest-bearing notes with preferred securities
characteristics, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation, gener-
ally in the form of beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or
similarly structured securities. The securities can be structured as either
fixed or adjustable coupon securities that can have either a perpetual
or stated maturity date. Dividends can be deferred without creating an
event of default or acceleration, although maturity cannot take place
unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met. The deferral
of payments does not affect the purchase or sale of these securities in
the open market. Payments on these securities are treated as interest
rather than dividends for Federal income tax purposes. These securities
can have a rating that is slightly below that of the issuing companys
senior debt securities.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations: The Fund may invest in multiple
class pass-through securities, including collateralized mortgage obliga-
tions (CMOs). These multiple class securities may be issued by GNMA,
U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities or by trusts formed by pri-
vate originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans. In general, CMOs are
debt obligations of a legal entity that are collateralized by, and multiple
class pass-through securities represent direct ownership interests in, a
pool of residential or commercial mortgage loans or mortgage pass-
through securities (the Mortgage Assets), the payments on which
are used to make payments on the CMOs or multiple pass-through
securities. Classes of CMOs include interest only (IOs), principal only
(POs), planned amortization classes (PACs) and targeted amortiza-
tion classes (TACs). IOs and POs are stripped mortgage-backed securi-
ties representing interests in a pool of mortgages, the cash flow from
which has been separated into interest and principal components. IOs
receive the interest portion of the cash flow while POs receive the princi-
pal portion. IOs and POs can be extremely volatile in response to
changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise and fall, the value of IOs
tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. POs perform best
when prepayments on the underlying mortgages rise since this increases
the rate at which the investment is returned and the yield to maturity on
the PO. When payments on mortgages underlying a PO are slower than
anticipated, the life of the PO is lengthened and the yield to maturity is
reduced. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than
anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may not fully recoup its
initial investment in IOs.
Dollar, Mortgage and Treasury Rolls: The Fund may sell mortgage-
backed securities or US Treasury securities for delivery in the current
month and simultaneously contract to repurchase substantially similar
(same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specific future date at
an agreed-upon price. Pools of mortgages collateralizing mortgage dollar
roll securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold.
During the period between the sale and the repurchase, the Fund will
not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securi-
ties sold. Proceeds of the sale will be invested in additional instruments
for the Fund, and the income from these investments will generate
income for the Fund.
These techniques involve the risk that the market value of the securities
that the Fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed
upon repurchase price of those securities. If investment performance of
securities purchased with proceeds from these transactions does not
exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss that would
have been realized on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the
use of this technique will adversely impact the investment performance
of the Fund.
Preferred Stock: The Fund may invest in preferred stocks. Preferred stock
has a preference over common stocks in liquidation (and generally in
receiving dividends as well) but is subordinated to the liabilities of the
issuer in all respects. As a general rule, the market value of preferred
stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies
inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk, while the market
price of convertible preferred stock generally also reflects some element
of conversion value. Because preferred stock is junior to debt securities
and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of
the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock
than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteris-
tics. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock divi-
dends are payable only if declared by the issuers board of directors.
Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemp-
tion provisions.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements: The Fund may enter into reverse
repurchase agreements with qualified third party broker-dealers. In a
reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells securities to a bank or
broker-dealer and agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
15 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
agreed upon date and price. Interest on the value of the reverse repurchase agreements issued and outstanding is based upon market rates determined at the time of issuance. The Fund may utilize reverse repurchase agreements when it is anticipated that the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the interest expense of the transaction. Reverse repurchase agreements involve leverage risk and also the risk that the market value of the securities that the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Funds use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Funds obligation to repurchase the securities. In the event the counterparty defaults and the fair value of the collateral declines, the Fund could experience losses, delays and costs in liquidating the collateral.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities: The Fund may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities issued by the US government, its agencies and instrumentalities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. The Fund also may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities that are privately issued.
TBA Commitments: The Fund may enter into to-be-announced (TBA) commitments to purchase or sell securities for a fixed price at a future date. TBA commitments are considered securities in themselves, and involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased or sold declines or increases prior to settlement date, which is in addition to the risk of decline in the value of the Funds other assets.
Segregation and Collateralization: In cases in which the 1940 Act and the interpretive positions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) require that the Fund segregates assets in connection with certain investments (e.g., dollar rolls, TBAs beyond normal settlement, options, swaps, written swaptions, written options, or financial futures contracts) or certain borrowings (e.g., reverse repurchase agreements), the Fund will, consistent with certain interpretive letters issued by the SEC, designate on its books and records cash or other liquid securities having a market value at least equal to the amount that would otherwise be required to be physically segregated. Furthermore, based on requirements and agreements with certain exchanges and third party broker-dealers, the Fund may also be required to deliver or deposit securities as collateral for certain investments (e.g., financial futures contracts, reverse repurchase agreements, swaps and written options).
Investment Transactions and Investment Income: Investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are entered into (the trade dates). Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on the identified cost basis. Dividend income is recorded
on the ex-dividend dates. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis. The Fund amortizes all premiums and discounts on debt securities.
Dividends and Distributions: Dividends from net investment income are declared daily and paid monthly. Distributions of capital gains are recorded on the ex-dividend dates.
Income Taxes: It is the Funds policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
The Fund files US federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The statute of limitations on the Funds US federal tax returns remain open for the years ended December 31, 2005 through December 31, 2007. The statutes of limitations on the Funds state and local tax returns may remain open for an additional year depending upon the jurisdiction.
Recent Accounting Pronouncement: In March 2008, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 (FAS 161), was issued. FAS 161 is intended to improve financial reporting for derivative instruments by requiring enhanced disclosure that enables investors to understand how and why an entity uses derivatives, how derivatives are accounted for and how derivative instruments affect an entitys results of operations and financial position. FAS 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. The impact on the Funds financial statement disclosures, if any, is currently being assessed.
Deferred Compensation and BlackRock Closed-End Share Equivalent Investment Plan: Under the deferred compensation plan approved by the Funds Board, non-interested Directors (Independent Directors) defer a portion of their annual complex-wide compensation. Deferred amounts earn an approximate return as though equivalent dollar amounts have been invested in common shares of other certain BlackRock Closed-End Funds selected by the Independent Directors. This has approximately the same economic effect for the Independent Directors as if the Independent Directors had invested the deferred amounts directly in the other certain BlackRock Closed-End Funds.
The deferred compensation plan is not funded and obligations there-under represent general unsecured claims against the general assets of the Fund. The Fund may, however, elect to invest in Common Shares of other certain BlackRock Closed-End Funds selected by the Independent Directors in order to match its deferred compensation obligations.
Other: Expenses directly related to the Fund are charged to the Fund. Other operating expenses shared by several funds are prorated among those funds on the basis of relative net assets or other appropriate methods.
16 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
2. Investment Advisory Agreement and Other Transactions
with Affiliates:
The Fund has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with
BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), an indirect, wholly owned
subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., to provide investment and administration
services. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (Merrill Lynch) and The PNC
Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) are the largest stockholders of
BlackRock, Inc. As of December 31, 2008, Merrill Lynch and PNC are
affiliates of BlackRock, Inc.
The Advisor is responsible for the management of the Funds portfolio
and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment and certain
other services necessary to the operations of the Fund. For such servic-
es, the Fund pays the Advisor a monthly fee at an annual rate of 0.85%
of the Funds average daily net assets, plus the proceeds of any out-
standing borrowings used for leverage.
The Advisor has entered into a separate sub-advisory agreement with
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (BFM), an affiliate of the
Advisor, under which the Advisor pays BFM for services it provides, a
monthly fee that is a percentage of the investment advisory fee paid by
the Fund to the Advisor.
For the year ended December 31, 2008, the Fund reimbursed the
Advisor $3,668 for certain accounting services, which is included in
accounting services in the Statement of Operations.
Pursuant to terms of the custody agreement, custodian fees may be
reduced by amounts calculated on uninvested cash balances (custody
credits), which are on the Statement of Operations as fees paid indirectly.
Certain officers and/or directors of the Fund are officers and/or directors
of BlackRock, Inc. or its affiliates. The Fund reimburses the Advisor for
compensation paid to the Funds Chief Compliance Officer.
3. Investments:
Purchases and sales of investments (including paydowns and TBA and
mortage dollar roll transactions and excluding short-term securities and
US government securities), for the year ended December 31, 2008, were
$896,084,971 and $926,262,596, respectively.
For the year ended December 31, 2008, purchases and sales of US
government securities were $39,188,547 and $27,198,598.
For the year ended December 31, 2008, purchases and sales of mort-
gage dollar rolls were $370,726,539 and $413,857,383, respectively.
Transactions in call options written for the year ended December 31, 2008 were as follows: |
Premiums | ||||
Contracts* | Received | |||
Outstanding call options written, | ||||
beginning of year | 108 | $2,462,117 | ||
Options written | 250,000 | 117,187 | ||
Options expired | (250,050) | (554,688) | ||
Options exercised | (36) | (766,488) | ||
Options closed | (22) | (1,258,128) | ||
Outstanding put options written, end | ||||
of year | | | ||
* Some contracts include a notional amount of $1,000,000. |
Transactions in put options written for the year ended December 31, 2008 were as follows: |
Premiums | ||||
Contracts* | Received | |||
Outstanding put options written, | ||||
beginning of year | 22 | $1,258,129 | ||
Options written | 19 | 252,700 | ||
Options expired | (19) | (252,700) | ||
Options closed | (22) | (1,258,129) | ||
Outstanding put options written, end | ||||
of year | | | ||
* One contract includes a notional amount of $1,000,000. |
4. Market and Credit Risk:
In the normal course of business, the Fund invests in securities and
enters into transactions where risks exist due to fluctuations in the
market (market risk) or failure of the issuer of a security to meet all its
obligations (credit risk). The value of securities held by the Fund may
decline in response to certain events, including those directly involving
the companies whose securities are owned by the Fund; conditions
affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional
or global political, social or economic instability; and currency and
interest rate and price fluctuations. Similar to credit risk, the Fund may
be exposed to counterparty risk, or the risk that an entity with which
Fund has unsettled or open transactions may default. Financial assets,
which potentially expose the Fund to credit and counterparty risks,
consist principally of investments and cash due from counterparties.
The extent of the Funds exposure to credit and counterparty risks with
respect to these financial assets is approximated by their value recorded
in the Funds Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
5. Capital Share Transactions:
The Fund is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares, par value $0.10,
all of which were initially classified as Common Shares. The Board is
authorized, however, to classify and reclassify any unissued shares
without approval of the holders of Common Shares.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
17 |
Notes to Financial Statements (concluded)
The Fund will make offers to repurchase its shares at approximately
12-month intervals. The shares tendered in the repurchase offer may
be subject to a repurchase fee retained by the Fund to compensate the
Fund for expenses directly related to the repurchase offer.
Shares issued and outstanding during the year ended December 31,
2008 increased by 11,529 as a result of dividend reinvestment and
decreased by 612,818 as a result of a repurchase offer. Shares issued
and outstanding during the year ended December 31, 2007 increased
by 143,199 as a result of dividend reinvestment and decreased by
645,072 as a result of a repurchase offer.
6. Average Borrowings:
For the year ended December 31, 2008, the Funds average borrowings
were $15,882,000 and daily weighted average interest rate on borrow-
ings was 1.34% .
7. Income Tax Information:
Reclassifications: Accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America require that certain components of net assets be
adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax
reporting. The following permanent differences as of December 31, 2008
attributable to accounting for swap agreements, non-deductible expenses
and paydown gains/losses, were reclassified to the following accounts:
Paid-in capital | $ (39,164) | |
Undistributed net investment income | $(4,250,923) | |
Accumulated net realized gain | $ 4,290,087 |
The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 was as follows:
12/31/2008 | 12/31/2007 | |||
Distributions paid from: | ||||
Ordinary income | $ 12,869,196 | $18,966,443 | ||
Net long-term capital gains | 2,510,704 | | ||
Total taxable distributions | $ 15,379,900 | $18,966,443 |
As of December 31, 2008, the components of accumulated losses on a
tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed net ordinary income | $ 1,867,315 | |
Undistributed net long-term capital gains | 11,777,088 | |
Net unrealized losses | (45,057,842)* | |
Total accumulated net losses | $ (31,413,439) |
* The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized losses is
attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and realization
for tax purposes of unrealized gains (loss) on certain futures contracts.
8. Subsequent Event:
On January 1, 2009, Bank of America Corporation announced that
it had completed its acquisition of Merrill Lynch, one of the largest
stockholders of BlackRock, Inc.
18 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of BlackRock
Enhanced Government Fund, Inc.:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (the Fund), including the
schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2008, and the related
statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of
changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then
ended, and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the
period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights
are the responsibility of the Funds management. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion on these financial statements and financial high-
lights based on our audits. The financial highlights of the Fund for the
period October 31, 2005 (commencement of operations) to December
31, 2005, were audited by other auditors whose report, dated February
8, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial highlights.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards
require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assur-
ance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights
are free of material misstatement. The Fund is not required to have, nor
were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over finan-
cial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over
financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are
appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of express-
ing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds internal control over
financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit
also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the
amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by manage-
ment, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of
December 31, 2008, by correspondence with the custodian and
brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed
other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reason-
able basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred
to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. as of December 31, 2008,
the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its
net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the
financial highlights for each of the three years in the period then ended,
in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Princeton, New Jersey
February 26, 2009
Important Tax Information (Unaudited)
The following information is provided with respect to the distributions paid by the Fund for the taxable period ended December 31, 2008:
Interest-Related Dividends for Non-U.S. Residents1 | ||||
Month(s) Paid: | March 2008 | 50.52% | ||
April November 2008 | 56.72% | |||
Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends for Non-U.S. Residents1 | ||||
Month(s) Paid: | February 2008 | 100.00% | ||
March 2008 | 49.48% | |||
April November 2008 | 43.28% | |||
Long-Term Capital Gains | ||||
Month(s) Paid: | December 2008 January 2009 | 100.00% | ||
Federal Obligation Interest2 | 5.19% |
1 Represents the portion of the distributions eligible for exemption from US withholding tax for nonresident aliens and foreign corporations.
2 The law varies in each state as to whether and what percentage of dividend income attributable to federal obligations is exempt from state income tax. We recommend
that you consult your advisor to determine if any portion of the dividends you received is exempt from state income taxes.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
19 |
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan
How the Plan Works The Fund offers a Dividend Reinvestment Plan
(the Plan) under which income and capital gains dividends paid by the
Fund are automatically reinvested in additional shares of Common
Shares of the Fund. The Plan is administered on behalf of the sharehold-
ers by BNY Mellon Shareowner Services (the Plan Agent). Under the
Plan, whenever the Fund declares a dividend, participants in the Plan
will receive the equivalent in shares of Common Shares of the Fund. The
Plan Agent will acquire the shares for the participants account either
(i) through receipt of additional unissued but authorized shares of the
Fund (newly issued shares) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding shares
of Common Shares on the open market on the New York Stock Exchange
or elsewhere. If, on the dividend payment date, the Funds net asset
value per share is equal to or less than the market price per share plus
estimated brokerage commissions (a condition often referred to as a
market premium), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in
newly issued shares. If the Funds net asset value per share is greater
than the market price per share (a condition often referred to as a
market discount), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount by
purchasing on the open market additional shares. If the Plan Agent is
unable to invest the full dividend amount in open market purchases,
or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the pur-
chase period, the Plan Agent will invest any uninvested portion in newly
issued shares. The shares acquired are credited to each shareholders
account. The amount credited is determined by dividing the dollar
amount of the dividend by either (i) when the shares are newly issued,
the net asset value per share on the date the shares are issued or
(ii) when shares are purchased in the open market, the average pur-
chase price per share.
Participation in the Plan Participation in the Plan is automatic, that
is, a shareholder is automatically enrolled in the Plan when he or she
purchases shares of Common Shares of the Fund unless the share-
holder specifically elects not to participate in the Plan. Shareholders
who elect not to participate will receive all dividend distributions in cash.
Shareholders who do not wish to participate in the Plan must advise the
Plan Agent in writing (at the address set forth below) that they elect not
to participate in the Plan. Participation in the Plan is completely volun-
tary and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by
writing to the Plan Agent.
Benefits of the Plan The Plan provides an easy, convenient way for
shareholders to make additional, regular investments in the Fund. The
Plan promotes a long-term strategy of investing at a lower cost. All
shares acquired pursuant to the Plan receive voting rights. In addition,
if the market price plus commissions of the Funds shares is above the
net asset value, participants in the Plan will receive shares of the Fund
for less than they could otherwise purchase them and with a cash value
greater than the value of any cash distribution they would have received.
However, there may not be enough shares available in the market to
make distributions in shares at prices below the net asset value. Also,
since the Fund does not redeem shares, the price on resale may be
more or less than the net asset value.
Plan Fees There are no enrollment fees or brokerage fees for partici-
pating in the Plan. The Plan Agents service fees for handling the rein-
vestment of distributions are paid for by the Fund. However, brokerage
commissions may be incurred when the Fund purchases shares on
the open market and shareholders will pay a pro rata share of any
such commissions.
Tax Implications The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distribu-
tions will not relieve participants of any federal, state or local income tax
that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such dividends.
Therefore, income and capital gains may still be realized even though
shareholders do not receive cash. Participation in the Plan generally will
not affect the tax-exempt status of exempt interest dividends paid by the
Fund. If, when the Funds shares are trading at a market premium, the
Fund issues shares pursuant to the Plan that have a greater fair market
value than the amount of cash reinvested, it is possible that all or a por-
tion of the discount from the market value (which may not exceed 5% of
the fair market value of the Funds shares) could be viewed as a taxable
distribution. If the discount is viewed as a taxable distribution, it is also
possible that the taxable character of this discount would be allocable
to all the shareholders, including shareholders who do not participate in
the Plan. Thus, shareholders who do not participate in the Plan might be
required to report as ordinary income a portion of their distributions
equal to their allocable share of the discount.
Contact Information All correspondence concerning the Plan, includ-
ing any questions about the Plan, should be directed to the Plan Agent
at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, .O. Box 358035, Pittsburgh, PA
15252-8035, Telephone: (866) 216-0242.
20 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Officers and Directors | ||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||
Length of | BlackRock- | |||||||||
Position(s) | Time | Advised Funds | ||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Served as | and Portfolios | Public | ||||||
and Year of Birth | Fund | a Director2 | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Overseen | Directorships | |||||
Non-Interested Directors1 | ||||||||||
Richard E. Cavanagh | Chairman | Since | Trustee, Aircraft Finance Trust since 1999; Director, The Guardian | 105 Funds | Arch Chemical | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | of the Board | 2007 | Life Insurance Insurance Company of America since 1998; Trustee, | 102 Portfolios | (chemical and | |||||
New York, NY 10022 | and Director | Educational Testing Service since 1997; Senior Advisor since 2008 | allied products) | |||||||
1946 | and Director since 1996, The Fremont Group; Adjunct Lecturer, | |||||||||
Harvard University since 2007; Formerly President and Chief Executive | ||||||||||
Officer of The Conference Board, Inc. (global business research | ||||||||||
organization) from 1995 to 2007. | ||||||||||
Karen P. Robards | Vice Chair of | Since | Partner of Robards & Company, LLC, (financial advisory firm) since | 105 Funds | AtriCure, Inc. | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | the Board, | 2004 | 1987; Co-founder and Director of the Cooke Center for Learning and | 102 Portfolios | (medical devices); | |||||
New York, NY 10022 | Chair of | Development, (a not-for-profit organization) since 1987; Formerly | Care Investment | |||||||
1950 | the Audit | Director of Enable Medical Corp. from 1996 to 2005; Formerly an | Trust, Inc. (health | |||||||
Committee | investment banker at Morgan Stanley from 1976 to 1987. | care real estate | ||||||||
and Director | investment trust) | |||||||||
G. Nicholas Beckwith, III | Director | Since | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arch Street Management, | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | LLC (Beckwith Family Foundation) and various Beckwith property | 102 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | companies since 2005; Chairman of the Board of Directors, University | |||||||||
1945 | of Pittsburgh Center since 2002; Board of Directors, Shady Side | |||||||||
Hospital Medical Foundation since 1977; Board of Directors, Beckwith | ||||||||||
Institute for Innovation In Patient Care since 1991; Member, Advisory | ||||||||||
Council on Biology and Medicine, Brown University since 2002; Trustee, | ||||||||||
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation (charitable foundation) since | ||||||||||
1989; Board of Trustees, Chatham University since 1981; Board of | ||||||||||
Trustees, University of Pittsburgh since 2002; Emeritus Trustee, Shady | ||||||||||
Side Academy since 1977; Formerly Chairman and Manager, Penn | ||||||||||
West Industrial Trucks LLC (sales, rental and servicing of material | ||||||||||
handling equipment) from 2005 to 2007; Formerly Chairman, President | ||||||||||
and Chief Executive Officer, Beckwith Machinery Company (sales, rental | ||||||||||
and servicing of construction and equipment) from 1985 to 2005; | ||||||||||
Formerly Board of Directors, National Retail Properties (REIT) from | ||||||||||
2006 to 2007. | ||||||||||
Kent Dixon | Director and | Since | Consultant/Investor since 1988. | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | Member of | 2007 | 102 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | the Audit | |||||||||
1937 | Committee | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Frank J. Fabozzi | Director and | Since | Consultant/Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management since 2006; | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | Member of | 2007 | Professor in the Practice of Finance and Becton Fellow, Yale University, | 102 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | the Audit | School of Management, since 2006; Formerly Adjunct Professor of | ||||||||
1948 | Committee | Finance and Becton Fellow, Yale University from 1994 to 2006. | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Kathleen F. Feldstein | Director | Since | President of Economics Studies, Inc. (private economic consulting | 105 Funds | The McClatchy | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | firm) since 1987; Chair, Board of Trustees, McLean Hospital from | 102 Portfolios | Company | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | 2000 to 2008 and Trustee Emeritus thereof since 2008; Member | (publishing) | ||||||||
1941 | of the Board of Partners Community Healthcare, Inc. since 2005; | |||||||||
Member of the Corporation of Partners HealthCare since 1995; Member | ||||||||||
of the Corporation of Sherrill House (healthcare) since 1990; Trustee, | ||||||||||
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston since 1992; Member of the Visiting | ||||||||||
Committee to the Harvard University Art Museum since 2003; Trustee, | ||||||||||
The Committee for Economic Development (research organization) | ||||||||||
since 1990; Member of the Advisory Board to the International School | ||||||||||
of Business, Brandeis University since 2002. | ||||||||||
James T. Flynn | Director and | Since | Formerly Chief Financial Officer of JP Morgan & Co., Inc. from | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | Member of | 2004 | 1990 to 1995. | 102 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | the Audit | |||||||||
1939 | Committee |
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
21 |
Officers and Directors (continued) | ||||||||||
Number of | ||||||||||
Length of | BlackRock- | |||||||||
Position(s) | Time | Advised Funds | ||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Served as | and Portfolios | Public | ||||||
and Year of Birth | Fund | a Director2 | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Overseen | Directorships | |||||
Non-Interested Directors1 (concluded) | ||||||||||
Jerrold B. Harris | Director | Since | Trustee, Ursinus College since 2000; Director, Troemner LLC | 105 Funds | BlackRock Kelso | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | (scientific equipment) since 2000. | 102 Portfolios | Capital Corp. | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||
1942 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
R. Glenn Hubbard | Director | Since | Dean of Columbia Business School since 2004; Columbia | 105 Funds | ADP (data and | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | faculty member since 1988; Formerly Co-Director of Columbia | 102 Portfolios | information services), | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Business Schools Entrepreneurship Program from 1997 to 2004; | KKR Financial | ||||||||
1958 | Visiting Professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at | Corporation (finance), | ||||||||
Harvard University and the Harvard Business School since 1985 | Duke Realty (real | |||||||||
and at the University of Chicago since 1994; Formerly Chairman | estate), Metropolitan | |||||||||
of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers under the President of | Life Insurance Com- | |||||||||
the United States from 2001 to 2003. | pany (insurance), | |||||||||
Information Services | ||||||||||
Group (media/ | ||||||||||
technology) | ||||||||||
W. Carl Kester | Director and | Since | Professor of Business Administration and Deputy Dean for Academic | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | Member of | 2004 | Affairs, George Fisher Baker Jr., Harvard Business School since 2008; | 102 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | the Audit | Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance, Harvard Business | ||||||||
1951 | Committee | School and Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs from 2006 to 2008; | ||||||||
Unit Head, Finance, Harvard Business School, from 2005 to 2006; | ||||||||||
Senior Associate Dean and Chairman of the MBA Program of Harvard | ||||||||||
Business School, from 1999 to 2005; Member of the faculty of | ||||||||||
Harvard Business School since 1981; Independent Consultant | ||||||||||
since 1978. | ||||||||||
Robert S. Salomon, Jr. | Director and | Since | Formerly Principal of STI Management LLC (investment adviser) | 105 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | Member of | 2007 | from 1994 to 2005. | 102 Portfolios | ||||||
New York, NY 10022 | the Audit | |||||||||
1936 | Committee | |||||||||
1 Directors serve until their resignation, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 72. | ||||||||||
2 Following the combination of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L (MLIM) and BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) in September 2006, the various | ||||||||||
legacy MLIM and legacy BlackRock Fund boards were realigned and consolidated into three new Fund boards in 2007. As a result, although the | ||||||||||
chart shows certain directors as joining the Funds board in 2007, each director first became a member of the board of directors of other legacy | ||||||||||
MLIM or legacy BlackRock Funds as follows: G. Nicholas Beckwith, III since 1999; Richard E. Cavanagh since 1994; Kent Dixon since 1988; | ||||||||||
Frank J. Fabozzi since 1988; Kathleen F. Feldstein since 2005; James T. Flynn since 1996; Jerrold B. Harris since 1999; R. Glenn Hubbard since | ||||||||||
2004; W. Carl Kester since 1998; Karen . Robards since 1998 and Robert S. Salomon, Jr. since 1996. | ||||||||||
Interested Directors3 | ||||||||||
Richard S. Davis | Director | Since | Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. since 2005; Formerly Chief | 174 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | Executive Officer, State Street Research & Management Company | 286 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | from 2000 to 2005; Formerly Chairman of the Board of Trustees, | |||||||||
1945 | State Street Research Mutual Funds from 2000 to 2005; Formerly | |||||||||
Chairman, SSR Realty from 2000 to 2004. | ||||||||||
Henry Gabbay | Director | Since | Formerly Consultant, BlackRock, Inc. from 2007 to 2008; Formerly | 174 Funds | None | |||||
40 East 52nd Street | 2007 | Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. from 1989 to 2007; Formerly Chief | 286 Portfolios | |||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Administrative Officer, BlackRock Advisors, LLC from 1998 to 2007; | |||||||||
1947 | Formerly President of BlackRock Funds and BlackRock Bond Allocation | |||||||||
Target Shares from 2005 to 2007; Formerly Treasurer of certain | ||||||||||
closed-end funds in the BlackRock fund complex from 1989 to 2006. |
3 Mr. Davis is an interested person, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, of the Fund based on his position with BlackRock, Inc.
and its affiliates. Mr. Gabbay is an interested person of the Fund based on his former positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates as well as
his ownership of BlackRock, Inc. and PNC Securities. Directors serve until their resignation, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in
which they turn 72.
22 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Officers and Directors (concluded) | ||||||||||
Position(s) | ||||||||||
Name, Address | Held with | Length of | ||||||||
and Year of Birth | Fund | Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | |||||||
Fund Officers1 | ||||||||||
Donald C. Burke | Fund | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Formerly Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | President | Managers, L (MLIM) and Fund Asset Management, L (FAM) in 2006, First Vice President thereof | ||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | and Chief | from 1997 to 2005, Treasurer thereof from 1999 to 2006 and Vice President thereof from 1990 to 1997. | ||||||||
1960 | Executive | |||||||||
Officer | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Anne F. Ackerley | Vice | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2000; Chief Operating Officer of BlackRocks U.S. Retail Group since | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | President | 2006; Formerly Head of BlackRocks Mutual Fund Group from 2000 to 2006. | ||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||
1962 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
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| |||||
Neal J. Andrews | Chief | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Formerly Senior Vice President and Line of Business Head | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | Financial | of Fund Accounting and Administration at PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc. (formerly PFPC Inc.) | ||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Officer | from 1992 to 2006. | ||||||||
1966 | ||||||||||
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|
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| |||||
Jay M. Fife | Treasurer | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007 and Director in 2006; Formerly Assistant Treasurer of | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | the MLIM/FAM advised funds from 2005 to 2006; Director of MLIM Fund Services Group from 2001 to 2006. | |||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||
1970 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
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| |||||
Brian . Kindelan | Chief | Since 2007 | Chief Compliance Officer of the BlackRock-advised Funds since 2007; Managing Director and Senior Counsel | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | Compliance | of BlackRock, Inc. since 2005; Formerly Director and Senior Counsel of BlackRock Advisors, Inc. from 2001 | ||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | Officer of | to 2004. | ||||||||
1959 | the Fund | |||||||||
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| |||||
Howard B. Surloff | Secretary | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. and General Counsel of U.S. Funds at BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; | |||||||
40 East 52nd Street | Formerly General Counsel (U.S.) of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L | from 1993 to 2006. | ||||||||
New York, NY 10022 | ||||||||||
1965 | ||||||||||
1 Officers of the Fund serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. | ||||||||||
|
|
|
| |||||||
Custodian | Transfer Agent | Accounting Agent | Independent Registered | Legal Counsel | ||||||
State Street Bank | BNY Mellon | State Street Bank and | Public Accounting Firm | Skadden, Arps, Slate, | ||||||
and Trust Company | Shareowner Services | Trust Company | Deloitte & Touche LLP | Meagher & Flom LLP | ||||||
Boston, MA 02101 | Jersey City, NJ 07310 | Princeton, NJ 08540 | Princeton, NJ 08540 | New York, NY 10036 |
Effective January 1, 2009, Robert S. Salomon, Jr. retired as Director of the Fund. The Board of
Directors wishes Mr. Salomon well in his retirement.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
23 |
Additional Information Proxy Results The Annual Meeting of Stockholders was held on September 12, 2008 for stockholders of record on July 14, 2008, to elect director nominees: |
Votes For | Votes Withheld | |||||
Approved the Directors as follows: | G. Nicholas Beckwith, III | 10,398,022 | 383,905 | |||
Kent Dixon | 10,393,732 | 388,195 | ||||
R. Glenn Hubbard | 10,397,031 | 384,896 | ||||
W. Carl Kester | 10,398,197 | 383,730 | ||||
Robert S. Salomon, Jr. | 10,394,298 | 387,629 | ||||
Richard S. Davis | 10,398,902 | 383,025 | ||||
Frank J. Fabozzi | 10,397,181 | 384,746 | ||||
James T. Flynn | 10,396,173 | 385,754 | ||||
Karen P. Robards | 10,399,482 | 382,445 | ||||
Richard E. Cavanagh | 10,399,761 | 382,166 | ||||
Kathleen F. Feldstein | 10,396,521 | 385,406 | ||||
Henry Gabbay | 10,398,392 | 383,535 | ||||
Jerrold B. Harris | 10,400,602 | 381,325 |
Fund Certification The Fund is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and has filed with the NYSE its annual chief executive officer certification regarding compliance with the NYSEs listing standards. The Fund filed |
with the SEC the certification of its chief executive officer and chief
financial officer required by section 302 of the Sabanes-Oxley Act.
Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the
SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q.
The Funds Forms N-Q are available on the SECs website at
http://www.sec.gov and may also be reviewed and copied at the
SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the
operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling
(800) SEC-0330. The Funds Forms N-Q may also be obtained upon
request and without charge by calling (800) 441-7762.
24 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Additional Information (continued)
Fundamental Periodic Repurchase Policy
The Board approved a fundamental policy whereby the Fund has adopted an interval fund structure pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 as amended (the 1940 Act). As an interval fund, the Fund will make annual repurchase offers at net asset value (less re-
purchase fee not to exceed 2%) to all Fund shareholders. The percentage of outstanding shares that the Fund can repurchase in each offer will be
established by the Funds Board of Directors shortly before the commencement of each offer, and will be between 5% and 25% of the Funds then
outstanding shares.
The Fund has adopted the following fundamental policy regarding periodic repurchases:
(a) The Fund will make repurchase offers at periodic intervals pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act.
(b) The periodic interval between repurchase request deadlines will be approximately 12 months.
(c) The repurchase request deadline for each repurchase offer will be 14 days prior to the second Friday in December; provided, that in the event
that such day is not a business day, the repurchase request deadline will be the subsequent business day.
(d) The maximum number of days between a repurchase request deadline and the next repurchase pricing date will be 14 days; provided that if
the 14th day after a repurchase request deadline is not a business day, the repurchase pricing date shall be the next business day.
The Board may place such conditions and limitations on a repurchase offer as may be permitted under Rule 23c-3. Repurchase offers may be
suspended or postponed under certain circumstances, as provided in Rule 23c-3.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, the Fund conducted a repurchase offer for its shares, pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act as
summarized in the following table:
Number of | Amount of | Number of Shares | ||
Repurchase Offers | Repurchase Offer | Tendered | ||
1 | 612,818 | 612,818 |
For additional information, see Note 4 in the Notes to Financial Statements.
Electronic Delivery
Electronic copies of most financial reports are available on the Funds
websites or shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications of quarterly
statements, annual and semi-annual reports by enrolling in the Funds
electronic delivery program.
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts with Investment Advisors, Banks
or Brokerages:
Please contact your financial advisor to enroll. Please note that not all
investment advisors, banks or brokerages may offer this service.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. |
DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
25 |
Additional Information (continued)
Section 19 Notices
The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates
and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual
amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will
depend upon the the Funds investment experience during the year and
may be subject to changes based on the tax regulations. The Fund will
send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to
report these distributions for federal income tax purpose.
Total Fiscal Year-to-Date Cumulative | Percentage of Fiscal Year-to-Date | |||||||||||||
Distributions by Character | Cumulative Distributions by Character | |||||||||||||
Net | Net | Total Per | Net | Net | Total Per | |||||||||
Investment | Realized | Return of | Common | Investment | Realized | Return of | Common | |||||||
Income | Capital Gains | Capital | Share | Income | Capital Gains | Capital | Share | |||||||
$1.029 | $0.126 | | $1.155 | 89% | 11% | 0% | 100% |
General Information
The Fund does not make available copies of its Statements of Additional
Information because the Funds shares are not continuously offered,
which means that the Statements of Additional Information of the Fund
have not been updated after completion of the Funds offering and the
information contained in the Funds Statements of Additional
Information may have become outdated.
During the period, there were no material changes in the Funds invest-
ment objectives or policies or to the Funds charters or by-laws that were
not approved by the shareholders or in the principal risk factors associ-
ated with investment in the Fund. There have been no changes in the
persons who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of
the Funds portfolio.
The Fund will mail only one copy of shareholder documents, including
annual and semi-annual reports and proxy statements, to shareholders
with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is commonly
called householding and it is intended to reduce expenses and elimi-
nate duplicate mailings of shareholder documents. Mailings of your
shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you
instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents
to be combined with those for other members of your household, please
contact the Fund at (800) 441-7762.
Quarterly performance, semi-annual and annual reports and other
information regarding the Fund may be found on BlackRocks website,
which can be accessed at http://www.blackrock.com. This reference
to BlackRocks website is intended to allow investors public access to
information regarding the Fund and does not, and is not intended to,
incorporate BlackRocks website into this report.
26 BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. DECEMBER 31, 2008 |
Additional Information (concluded)
BlackRock Privacy Principles
BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and for-
mer fund investors and individual clients (collectively, Clients) and to
safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following informa-
tion is provided to help you understand what personal information
BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain
cases we share such information with select parties.
If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations
require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related
rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with
those specific laws, rules or regulations.
BlackRock obtains or verifies personal non-public information from and
about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information
we receive from you or, if applicable, your financial intermediary, on appli-
cations, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your transac-
tions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a
consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our websites.
BlackRock does not sell or disclose to non-affiliated third parties any non-
public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law
or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client
accounts. These non-affiliated third parties are required to protect the
confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its
intended purpose.
We may share information with our affiliates to service your account
or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or
services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts
access to non-public personal information about its Clients to those
BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information.
BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards
that are designed to protect the non-public personal information of its
Clients, including procedures relating to the proper storage and disposal
of such information.
BLACKROCK ENHANCED GOVERNMENT FUND, INC. DECEMBER 31, 2008 27 |
This report is transmitted to shareholders only. It is not a pro- spectus. The Funds have leveraged their Common Shares, which creates risk for Common Shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of Common Shares, and the risk that fluctuations in short-term interest rates may reduce the Common Shares yield. Past performance results shown in this report should not be considered a representation of future performance. Statements and other information herein are as dated and are subject to change. A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (800) 441-7762; (2) at www.blackrock.com; and (3) on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at http://www.sec.gov. Information about how the Fund voted proxies relating to securities held in the Funds portfolio during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available upon request and without charge (1) at www.blackrock.com or by calling (800) 441-7762 and (2) on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at http://www.sec.gov. BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. 100 Bellevue Parkway Wilmington, DE 19809 |
#EGF-12/08 |
Item 2 Code of Ethics The registrant (or the Fund) has adopted a code of ethics, as of the end of the period covered by this report, applicable to the registrants principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions. During the period covered by this report, there have been no amendments to or waivers granted under the code of ethics. A copy of the code of ethics is available without charge at www.blackrock.com. Item 3 Audit Committee Financial Expert The registrants board of directors or trustees, as applicable (the board of directors) has determined that (i) the registrant has the following audit committee financial experts serving on its audit committee and (ii) each audit committee financial expert is independent: Kent Dixon Frank J. Fabozzi James T. Flynn W. Carl Kester Karen P. Robards Robert S. Salomon, Jr. (retired effective December 31, 2008) The registrants board of directors has determined that W. Carl Kester and Karen P. Robards qualify as financial experts pursuant to Item 3(c)(4) of Form N-CSR. Prof. Kester has a thorough understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements and internal control over financial reporting as well as audit committee functions. Prof. Kester has been involved in providing valuation and other financial consulting services to corporate clients since 1978. Prof. Kesters financial consulting services present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the registrants financial statements. Ms. Robards has a thorough understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements and internal control over financial reporting as well as audit committee functions. Ms. Robards has been President of Robards & Company, a financial advisory firm, since 1987. Ms. Robards was formerly an investment banker for more than 10 years where she was responsible for evaluating and assessing the performance of companies based on their financial results. Ms. Robards has over 30 years of experience analyzing financial statements. She also is a member of the audit committee of one publicly held company and a non-profit organization. Under applicable securities laws, a person determined to be an audit committee financial expert will not be deemed an expert for any purpose, including without limitation for the purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated or identified as an audit committee financial expert. The designation or identification as an audit committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations, or liabilities greater than the duties, obligations, and liabilities imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification. |
Item 4 Principal Accountant Fees and Services | ||||||||||||||||
(a) Audit Fees | (b) Audit-Related Fees1 | (c) Tax Fees2 | (d) All Other Fees3 | |||||||||||||
Current | Previous | Current | Previous | Current | Previous | Current | Previous | |||||||||
Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | Fiscal Year | |||||||||
Entity Name | End | End | End | End | End | End | End | End | ||||||||
BlackRock | ||||||||||||||||
Enhanced | ||||||||||||||||
Government Fund, | $32,300 | $33,500 | $0 | $0 | $6,100 | $6,100 | $1,049 | $1,042 | ||||||||
Inc. |
1 The nature of the services include assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit of
financial statements not included in Audit Fees.
2 The nature of the services include tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
3 The nature of the services include a review of compliance procedures and attestation thereto.
(e)(1) Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures:
The registrants audit committee (the Committee) has adopted policies and
procedures with regard to the pre-approval of services. Audit, audit-related and tax
compliance services provided to the registrant on an annual basis require specific pre-
approval by the Committee. The Committee also must approve other non-audit services
provided to the registrant and those non-audit services provided to the registrants affiliated
service providers that relate directly to the operations and the financial reporting of the
registrant. Certain of these non-audit services that the Committee believes are a) consistent
with the SECs auditor independence rules and b) routine and recurring services that will
not impair the independence of the independent accountants may be approved by the
Committee without consideration on a specific case-by-case basis (general pre-approval).
The term of any general pre-approval is 12 months from the date of the pre-approval, unless
the Committee provides for a different period. Tax or other non-audit services provided to
the registrant which have a direct impact on the operation or financial reporting of the
registrant will only be deemed pre-approved provided that any individual project does not
exceed $10,000 attributable to the registrant or $50,000 for all of the registrants the
Committee oversees. For this purpose, multiple projects will be aggregated to determine if
they exceed the previously mentioned cost levels.
Any proposed services exceeding the pre-approved cost levels will require specific
pre-approval by the Committee, as will any other services not subject to general pre-
approval (e.g., unanticipated but permissible services). The Committee is informed of each
service approved subject to general pre-approval at the next regularly scheduled in-person
board meeting. At this meeting, an analysis of such services is presented to the Committee
for ratification. The Committee may delegate to one or more of its members the authority to
approve the provision of and fees for any specific engagement of permitted non-audit
services, including services exceeding pre-approved cost levels.
(e)(2) None of the services described in each of Items 4(b) through (d) were approved by
the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
(f) Not Applicable
(g) Affiliates Aggregate Non-Audit Fees:
Current Fiscal Year | Previous Fiscal Year | |||
Entity Name | End | End | ||
BlackRock Enhanced | $412,149 | $291,642 | ||
Government Fund, Inc. |
(h) The registrants audit committee has considered and determined that the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any non-affiliated sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by the registrants investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountants independence.
Regulation S-X Rule 2-01(c)(7)(ii) $405,000, 0%
Item 5 Audit Committee of Listed Registrants The following individuals are members of the registrants separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)):
Kent Dixon Frank J. Fabozzi James T. Flynn W. Carl Kester Karen P. Robards
Robert S. Salomon, Jr. (retired effective December 31, 2008)
Item 6 Investments |
(a) The registrants Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Stockholders filed under Item 1 of this form.
(b) Not Applicable due to no such divestments during the semi-annual period covered since the previous Form N-CSR filing.
Item 7 Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management
Investment Companies The board of directors has delegated the voting of proxies for the Fund securities to the Funds investment advisor (Investment Adviser) pursuant to the Investment Advisers proxy voting guidelines. Under these guidelines, the Investment Adviser will vote proxies related to Fund securities in the best interests of the Fund and its stockholders. From time to time, a vote may present a conflict between the interests of the Funds stockholders, on the one hand, and those of the Investment Adviser, or any affiliated person of the Fund or the Investment Adviser, on the other. In such event, provided that the Investment Advisers Equity Investment Policy Oversight Committee, or a sub-committee thereof (the Oversight Committee) is aware of the real or potential conflict or material non-routine matter and if the Oversight Committee does not reasonably believe it is able to follow its general voting guidelines (or if the particular proxy matter is not addressed in the guidelines) and vote impartially, the Oversight Committee may retain an independent fiduciary to advise the Oversight Committee on how to vote or to cast votes on behalf of the Investment Advisers clients. If the Investment Adviser determines not to retain an independent fiduciary, or does not desire to follow the advice of such independent fiduciary, the Oversight Committee shall determine how to vote the proxy after consulting with the Investment Advisers Portfolio Management Group and/or the Investment Advisers Legal and Compliance Department and concluding that the vote cast is in its clients best interest notwithstanding the conflict. A copy of the Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are attached as Exhibit 99.PROXYPOL. Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available
without charge, (i) at www.blackrock.com and (ii) on the SECs website at
http://www.sec.gov.
Item 8 Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies as of December
31, 2008.
(a)(1) BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. is managed by a team of investment
professionals comprised of Stuart Spodek, Managing Director at BlackRock, Eric
Pellicciaro, Managing Director at BlackRock, Andrew Phillips, Managing Director at
BlackRock, Colm J. Murtagh, Director at BlackRock and Jack Hattem, Director at
BlackRock. Messrs. Spodek, Phillips, Pellicciaro, Hattem and Murtagh are the Funds co-
portfolio managers and are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds
portfolio and the selection of its investments. Messrs. Spodek, Phillips, Pellicciaro, Hattem
and Murtagh have been members of the Funds portfolio management team since 2006.
Mr. Spodek has been a Managing Director of BlackRock since 2002. Mr. Spodek has been
with BlackRock since 1993.
Mr. Phillips has been a Managing Director of BlackRock since 1999. Mr. Phillips has been
with BlackRock since 1991.
Mr. Pellicciaro has been a Managing Director of BlackRock since 2005 and a Director
thereof from 2002 to 2005. Mr. Pellicciaro has been with BlackRock since 1999.
Mr. Murtagh has been a Director of BlackRock since 2005 and a Vice President thereof
from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Murtagh has been with BlackRock since 1997.
Mr. Hattem has been a Director of BlackRock since 2008, a Vice President thereof from
2005 to 2008. Mr. Hattem has been with BlackRock since 2000.
(a)(2) As of December 31, 2008:
Number of Other Accounts Managed | Number of Other Accounts and | |||||||||||
and Assets by Account Type | Assets for Which Advisory Fee is | |||||||||||
Performance-Based | ||||||||||||
Other | Other Pooled | Other | Other Pooled | |||||||||
Name of | Registered | Investment | Other | Registered | Investment | Other | ||||||
Portfolio Manager | Investment | Vehicles | Accounts | Investment | Vehicles | Accounts | ||||||
Companies | Companies | |||||||||||
Stuart Spodek | 22 | 18 | 223 | 0 | 3 | 18 | ||||||
$7.96 Billion | $5.4 Billion | $80.3 Billion | $0 | $1.38 Billion | $6.01 Billion | |||||||
Andrew Phillips | 32 | 19 | 274 | 0 | 1 | 17 | ||||||
$23.4 Billion | $6.49 Billion | $109.5 Billion | $0 | $768.2 Million | $6.84 Billion | |||||||
Eric Pellicciaro | 7 | 3 | 44 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
$3.48 Billion | $1.77 Billion | $24.8 Billion | $0 | $151.5 Million | $1.05 Billion | |||||||
Colm Murtagh | 0 | 4 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
$0 | $1.77 Billion | $18.2 Billion | $0 | $0 | $1.05 Billion | |||||||
Jack Hattem | 0 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
$0 | $308.8 Million | $1.67 Billion | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||||||
(iv) Potential Material Conflicts of Interest |
BlackRock and its affiliates (collectively, herein BlackRock) has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, stockholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, stockholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRocks (or its affiliates or significant shareholders) officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Each portfolio manager also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for a fund. In this connection, it should be noted that Messrs. Spodek, Phillips, Pellicciaro and Murtagh currently manage certain accounts that are subject to performance fees. In addition, Messrs. Spodek and Pellicciaro assist in managing certain hedge funds and may be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such funds and a portion of such incentive fees may be voluntarily or involuntarily deferred. Additional portfolio managers may in the future manage other such accounts or funds and may be entitled to receive incentive fees. As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted a policy that is intended to ensure that investment opportunities are allocated fairly and equitably among client accounts over time. This policy also seeks to achieve reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base. (a)(3) As of December 31, 2008: Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview BlackRocks financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various |
benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by
BlackRock such as its Long-Term Retention and Incentive Plan and Restricted Stock
Program.
Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on
their seniority and/or their position with the firm. Senior portfolio managers who perform
additional management functions within the portfolio management group or within
BlackRock may receive additional compensation for serving in these other capacities.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation
Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance
of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio managers group within BlackRock,
the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firms assets under
management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined
benchmarks, and the individuals seniority, role within the portfolio management team,
teamwork and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock.
In most cases, including for the portfolio managers of the Fund, these benchmarks are the
same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Fund or other
accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. BlackRocks Chief Investment
Officers determine the benchmarks against which the performance of funds and other
accounts managed by each portfolio manager is compared and the period of time over which
performance is evaluated. With respect to the portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the
Fund include the following:
Portfolio Manager | Benchmarks Applicable to Each Manager | |
Stuart Spodek | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., Citigroup 1-Year | |
Treasury Index, Merrill Lynch 1-3 Year Treasury Index, | ||
Barclays Capital Global Real: U.S. Tips Index), certain | ||
customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups. | ||
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Andrew Phillips | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., custom 50% | |
Barclays Capital Mortgage /50% Merrill Lynch 10-Year | ||
Treasury Index, Barclays Capital GNMA MBS Index, Barclays | ||
Capital Intermediate Government Index, Barclays Capital | ||
Intermediate Government/Credit Index, Barclays Capital U.S. | ||
Aggregate Index), certain customized indices and certain fund | ||
industry peer groups. | ||
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Eric Pellicciaro | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., custom 50% | |
Barclays Capital Mortgage /50% Merrill Lynch 10-Year | ||
Treasury Index, Barclays Capital GNMA MBS Index), certain | ||
customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups. | ||
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Colm Murtagh | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., custom 50% | |
Barclays Capital Mortgage /50% Merrill Lynch 10-Year | ||
Treasury Index, Barclays Capital GNMA MBS Index), certain | ||
customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups. | ||
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Jack Hattem | A combination of market-based indices (e.g., Citigroup 1-Year | |
Treasury Index, Merrill Lynch 1-3 Year Treasury Index, | ||
Barclays Capital Aggregate Index), certain customized indices | ||
and certain fund industry peer groups. |
BlackRocks Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to the portfolio managers compensation based on the performance of the funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks noted above. Performance is measured on both a pre-tax and after-tax basis over various time periods including 1, 3, 5 and 10-year periods, as applicable. Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash and BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units which vest ratably over a number of years. The BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units, if properly vested, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Typically, the cash bonus, when combined with base salary, represents more than 60% of total compensation for the portfolio managers. Paying a portion of annual bonuses in stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year at risk based on BlackRocks ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. Long-Term Retention and Incentive Plan (LTIP) The LTIP is a long-term incentive plan that seeks to reward certain key employees. Prior to 2006, the plan provided for the grant of awards that were expressed as an amount of cash that, if properly vested and subject to the attainment of certain performance goals, will be settled in cash and/or in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Beginning in 2006, awards are granted under the LTIP in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that, if properly vested and subject to the attainment of certain performance goals, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Each portfolio manager has received awards under the LTIP. Deferred Compensation Program A portion of the compensation paid to eligible BlackRock employees may be voluntarily deferred into an account that tracks the performance of certain of the firms investment products. Each participant in the deferred compensation program is permitted to allocate his deferred amounts among the various investment options. Each portfolio manager has participated in the deferred compensation program. Options and Restricted Stock Awards A portion of the annual compensation of certain employees is mandatorily deferred into BlackRock restricted stock units. Prior to the mandatory deferral into restricted stock units, BlackRock granted stock options to key employees, including certain portfolio managers who may still hold unexercised or unvested options. BlackRock, Inc. also granted restricted stock awards designed to reward certain key employees as an incentive to contribute to the long-term success of BlackRock. These awards vest over a period of years. Each of Messrs. Spodek, Phillips, Pellicciaro and Murtagh has been granted stock options and/or restricted stock in prior years. Other compensation benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following: Incentive Savings Plans BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 6% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $4,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3% of eligible |
compensation, plus an additional contribution of 2% for any year in which BlackRock has
positive net operating income. The RSP offers a range of investment options, including
registered investment companies managed by the firm. BlackRock contributions follow the
investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent employee
investment direction, are invested into a balanced portfolio. The ESPP allows for
investment in BlackRock common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the
stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of
1,000 shares or a dollar value of $25,000. Each portfolio manager is eligible to participate
in these plans.
(a)(4) Beneficial Ownership of Securities. As of December 31, 2008, none of Messrs.
Spodek, Phillips, Pellicciaro, Murtagh or Hattem beneficially owned any stock issued
by the Fund.
Item 9 Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and
Affiliated Purchasers
Period | (a) Total | (b) Average | (c) Total Number of | (d) Maximum Number (or | ||||
Number of | Price Paid per | Shares Purchased as Part | Approx. Dollar Value) of | |||||
Shares | Share | of Publicly Announced | Shares that May Yet Be | |||||
Purchased | Plans or Programs | Purchased Under the Plans | ||||||
or Programs | ||||||||
July 1-31, 2008 | ||||||||
August 1-31, 2008 | ||||||||
September 1-30, 2008 | ||||||||
October 1-31, 2008 | ||||||||
November 1-30, 2008 | ||||||||
December 1-31, 2008 | 612,818 | $16.01 1 | 612,8182 | 0 | ||||
Total: | 612,818 | $16.01 1 | 612,8182 | 0 | ||||
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1 Subject to a repurchase fee of up to 2% of the net asset value per share. |
2 On October 17, 2008, the repurchase offer was announced to repurchase up to 5% of outstanding shares. The
expiration date of the offer was November 28, 2008. The registrant may conduct annual repurchases for between
5% and 25% of its outstanding shares pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
Item 10 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders The registrants Nominating and
Governance Committee will consider nominees to the board of directors recommended by
shareholders when a vacancy becomes available. Shareholders who wish to recommend a
nominee should send nominations that include biographical information and set forth the
qualifications of the proposed nominee to the registrants Secretary. There have been no
material changes to these procedures.
Item 11 Controls and Procedures 11(a) The registrants principal executive and principal financial officers or persons performing similar functions have concluded that the registrants disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 13(a)-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 11(b) There were no changes in the registrants internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting. Item 12 Exhibits attached hereto 12(a)(1) Code of Ethics See Item 2 12(a)(2) Certifications Attached hereto 12(a)(3) Not Applicable 12(b) Certifications Attached hereto |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. By: /s/ Donald C. Burke Donald C. Burke Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. Date: February 23, 2009 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. By: /s/ Donald C. Burke Donald C. Burke Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. Date: February 23, 2009 By: /s/ Neal J. Andrews Neal J. Andrews Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. Date: February 23, 2009 |