Transaction in Own Shares

31 March 2016

BlackRock Income Strategies Trust plc (the Company)
Transaction in own shares: purchase of own shares to be held in treasury

The Company announces that it has today purchased 200,000 of its Ordinary Shares at a price of 121.00 pence per share to be held in treasury.

Following this purchase the issued share capital of the Company is 272,907,282 Ordinary shares, excluding 18,205,000 which are held in treasury.  Shares held in treasury do not carry any voting rights, 6.25% of the Company’s total issued share capital (291,112,282 Ordinary Shares, including treasury shares) is currently held in treasury.

For reporting purposes under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules the market should exclude any shares held in treasury and should use the figure of 272,907,282 when determining if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company.

All enquiries:
A B Powley
Company Secretary
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
Tel: [phone]