BlackRock UK Income Fund awarded S&P AA rating

Standard & Poor's (S&P) has upgraded BlackRock's UK Income Fund to AA, referring to manager Nick McLeod-Clarke's disciplined approach and strong stock selection abilities.

S&P also highlighted the strong and stable resources of BlackRock's experienced UK team. The upgrade means that all BlackRock retail UK equity funds are now at least AA-rated.

Nick McLeod-Clarke, who took over the fund in February 2007, has more than 20 years experience in managing UK equities.

The UK Income Fund has beaten both its sector peer group and the FTSE All-Share to the end of the last quarter.

Alex Hoctor-Duncan, Head of UK Retail at BlackRock, commented: "Equity income is core to the UK retail market, and we offer investors a leading fund in the sector. The upgrade from S&P underlines Nick's experience and stockpicking skills in difficult market conditions".