OCTOBER 28, 2024
 |
Summary Prospectus |
BlackRock Municipal Bond Fund,
Inc. | Investor A1 Shares
●
BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
Investor A1:
MDLMX
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s
prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus (including amendments and supplements), reports to shareholders
and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s statement of additional information, online at
https://www.blackrock.com/prospectus. You can
also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 441-7762 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus.request@blackrock.com, or from your financial professional. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated October 28, 2024, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.
This Summary
Prospectus contains information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these
securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Summary Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured ● May
Lose Value ● No Bank Guarantee
Summary Prospectus
Key Facts About BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
Investment Objective
The investment objective of BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund (the “Short-Term
Fund”or the “Fund”) is to provide shareholders with as high a level of income exempt from Federal income taxes as is consistent with the investment policies of the Fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell
Investor A1 Shares of the Fund.
| Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment) |
|
Investor A1
Shares |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
|
|
None1 |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is
lower) |
|
None2 |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
Investor A1 Shares |
| Management Fee3 |
|
0.29% |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
|
0.10% |
| Other Expenses |
|
0.14% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
0.53% |
| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements3,4 |
|
(0.07)% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements3,4 |
|
0.46% |
1
Investor A1 Shares are subject to a maximum sales charge on purchases of 1.00%. The sales
charge does not apply to dividend and capital gain reinvestments by existing shareholders and new purchases for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, which are currently
the only investors who may invest in Investor A1 Shares.
2
A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 0.50% is assessed on certain
redemptions of Investor A1 Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at the time of purchase. The CDSC does not apply to redemptions by
certain employer-sponsored retirement plans or to redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains by existing shareholders.
3
As
described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 27, BlackRock Advisors, LLC
(“BlackRock”) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated
to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds
(“ETFs”) managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2026. In addition,
BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money
market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the
non-interested directors of BlackRock Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. (the “Corporation”) or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Fund.
4
As
described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 27, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund
Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses)
to 0.46% of average daily net assets through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested directors of the Corporation or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all
of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Investor A1 Shares |
$47 |
$163 |
$289 |
$658 |
2
Portfolio
Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns
over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the
Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 90% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
Under normal circumstances, the Short-Term Fund seeks to achieve its objective by
investing at least 80% of its assets in municipal bonds. For the purposes of the foregoing 80% policy, “assets” are the Fund’s net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives will be counted toward the
Fund’s 80% policy to the extent that they provide investment exposure to the securities included within that policy or to one or more market risk factors associated with such securities. Municipal bonds include debt obligations issued by or
on behalf of a governmental entity or other qualifying issuer that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, generally excludable from gross income for Federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be
includable in taxable income for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax). Municipal bonds may be obligations of a variety of issuers, including governmental entities or other qualifying issuers. Issuers may be states, territories
and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities. Municipal bonds also include short-term tax-exempt obligations like municipal notes and variable rate
demand obligations.
The Short-Term Fund invests primarily in
investment grade municipal bonds or municipal notes, including variable rate demand obligations. Investment grade bonds are securities which are rated in the four highest
categories by at least one of the major rating agencies or determined by the management team to be of similar quality. Generally, the higher the rating of a bond, the higher the likelihood that interest and principal payments will be made on time. Municipal
notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, generally excludable from gross income for Federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in
taxable income for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less.
The Fund will maintain a dollar weighted maturity of no more than three years. Because of their shorter maturities, the Fund’s investments will not usually be as sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates as are long-term municipal bonds. Fluctuations in interest rates on short-term municipal bonds may, however, vary more widely from time to time
than those on long-term municipal bonds.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as
the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The following is a
summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund. The relative significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.
◼
Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk, and
prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:
Credit Risk — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the
issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the
market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
Interest Rate Risk — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and
other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates
rise.
The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during a period of historically low interest rates. For
example, if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being equal, the value of the Fund’s investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. (Duration is a measure of
the price sensitivity of a debt security or portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates.) The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for
those securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect
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interest income derived from
instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply
in a manner not anticipated by Fund management.
To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid
at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset
only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate
debt securities.
These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government
securities. A security backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not
its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in value when interest rates change.
A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large
scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy
redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value and could hurt the Fund’s performance.
Extension Risk — When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated,
causing the value of these obligations to fall.
Prepayment Risk — When interest rates fall, certain
obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.
◼
Municipal Securities Risks — Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of
information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities.
Budgetary constraints of local, state, and federal governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal securities. These risks include:
General Obligation Bonds Risks — Timely payments depend on
the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.
Revenue Bonds Risks — These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues
derived from another source.
Private Activity Bonds Risks — Municipalities and other
public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and
interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment.
Moral Obligation Bonds Risks — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose
public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.
Municipal Notes Risks — Municipal notes are shorter term
municipal debt obligations. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.
Municipal Lease Obligations Risks — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the
issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk — The Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of
derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal bonds and payments under derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its
investment manager will independently review the bases for those tax opinions, which may ultimately be determined to be incorrect and subject the Fund and its shareholders to substantial tax liabilities.
◼
Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the
possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. The value of a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic
trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.
Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues like pandemics or epidemics, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its
investments. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the
4
markets, the relevant indices
or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money.
An outbreak of an infectious coronavirus (COVID-19) that was first
detected in December 2019 developed into a global pandemic that has resulted in numerous disruptions in the market and has had significant economic impact leaving general concern and uncertainty. Although vaccines have been developed and approved for use by various
governments, the duration of the pandemic and its effects cannot be predicted with certainty. The impact of this coronavirus, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect the economies of many nations,
individual companies and the market in general ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
◼
Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have
invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in
current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There
can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and any security or
instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or
price. In addition, if the Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell
liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other
things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income
securities or the lack of an active trading market. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest
exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash
needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed-income mutual funds
may be higher than normal. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
◼
Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage.
These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or
to meet the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment
Company Act”), and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
◼
Variable Rate Demand Obligations Risks — Variable rate demand obligations are floating rate securities that combine an interest in a long term municipal bond
with a right to demand payment before maturity from a bank or other financial institution. If the bank or financial institution is unable to pay, the Fund may lose
money.
Performance Information
The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and
provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index, the Bloomberg Municipal 1-5 Year Index, a customized index comprised of the Bloomberg National Short 0-5 year
maturities, excluding non-investment grade (the “New Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark”) and a customized index comprised of the Bloomberg National Short 0-3
year maturities, excluding non-investment grade (the “Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark”). The Bloomberg Municipal 1-5 Year Index and the New Short-Term
Customized Reference Benchmark are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Fund’s investment strategy. Effective November 1, 2023, the New Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark replaced the
Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark as one of the performance benchmarks against which the Fund
measures its performance. Fund management believes the change to the customized weighted index more accurately reflects the investment strategy of the Fund. To the extent that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund,
the performance information for the Fund in the chart and table assumes reinvestment of the dividends and
distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they were, returns would be less than those shown.
However, the table includes all applicable fees and sales charges. If the Fund’s investment manager and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the Fund’s returns would have been lower.
5
Updated information on the Fund’s
performance, including its current net asset value, can be obtained by visiting www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052.
Investor A1 Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
As of 12/31
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund
As of 12/31
During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was
3.21% (quarter ended December 31, 2023) and the lowest return for a quarter was -2.64% (quarter ended March 31, 2022). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2024 was 3.28%.
| For the periods ended 12/31/23
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| BlackRock Short-Term Municipal Fund — Investor A1 Shares |
|
|
|
| Return Before Taxes |
4.37 % |
0.99 % |
0.73 % |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
4.37 % |
0.99 % |
0.73 % |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
3.73 % |
1.08 % |
0.79 % |
| Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index1 (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
6.40 % |
2.25 % |
3.03 % |
| Bloomberg Municipal 1-5 Year Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
3.58 % |
1.42 % |
1.30 % |
| New Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
3.51 % |
1.44 % |
—
2 |
| Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
3.34 % |
1.31 % |
—
3 |
1
The
Fund has added this broad-based index in response to new regulatory requirements.
2
The New Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark commenced in October 2017 and therefore
the New Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark does not have 10-year returns.
3
The Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark commenced in September 2016 and therefore the
Short-Term Customized Reference Benchmark does not have 10-year returns.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal
marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through
tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Investment Manager
The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as
“BlackRock”).
Portfolio Managers
| Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since |
Title |
| Kristi Manidis |
2019 |
Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
| Christian Romaglino, CFA |
2021 |
Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
6
| Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
| Kevin Maloney, CFA |
2024 |
Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
| Alicia De Lorenzo |
2024 |
Vice President of BlackRock, Inc. |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Investor A1 Shares are closed to new investors and to subsequent purchases, except for
those investors in certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and for dividend and capital gain reinvestment by existing shareholders. You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. You should contact your financial
professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock and its affiliates) (each a “Financial Intermediary”), or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 441-7762, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429), or by the Internet at www.blackrock.com.
| |
Investor A1 Shares |
| Minimum Initial
Investment |
Available only for purchase by certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and for
dividend and capital gain reinvestment by existing shareholders. |
| Minimum Additional Investment |
No subsequent minimum. |
Tax Information
The Fund’s dividends and distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income
taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax
when distributions are received from such tax-deferred arrangements.
The Fund intends to make distributions most of which will be excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, the Fund and
BlackRock Investments, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, or its affiliates may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.
These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Financial Intermediary and your individual financial
professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Ask your individual financial professional or visit your Financial Intermediary’s
website for more information.
7
