Transaction in Own Shares

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 175,000 of its Ordinary shares at a price of 134.25 pence per share to be held in treasury.

Following this purchase the issued share capital of the Company is 291,112,282 Ordinary shares, of which 4,275,000 are 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 286,837,282 when determining if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Johnson
Managing Director
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
Secretary

0207 743 2300

19 June 2015