BFZ BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust - Fundamental Analysis
BEARISH
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BFZ Stock | Fundamental Analysis & Investment Insights
NYSE
Financial Services
Asset Management
Current Price
Live
$10.95
52W High
$11.47
52W Low
$10.17
At a glance
Key valuation, profitability, growth, and risk metrics.
Updated Jan 24, 2026
Market cap
$329.2M
P/E
N/A
ROE
-6.5%
Profit margin
-93.0%
Debt/Equity
0.74
Dividend yield
5.54%
AI Analysis
Powered by advanced machine learning algorithms
Confidence Score
85%
Analysis Accuracy
The Advanced Deterministic Scorecard reveals a critically weak financial health profile with a Piotroski F-Score of just 2/9, indicating significant operational and balance sheet deterioration. Despite a high dividend yield of 5.54%, the unsustainable 526.15% payout ratio and negative profit margin of -92.96% raise severe concerns about distribution coverage. Insider activity is uniformly bearish, with over $13.96M in net selling by major holders, while technical indicators and valuation metrics suggest overvaluation relative to fundamentals. Although the Price/Book ratio is below 1, the lack of Altman Z-Score and Graham Number, combined with liquidity risks (Current Ratio: 0.07), undermines any margin of safety.
Key Strengths
High dividend yield of 5.54% may attract income-focused investors
Price/Book ratio of 0.96 suggests potential book value support
Operating margin of 79.06% indicates strong core operational efficiency
Gross margin at 100.00% reflects fee-based revenue model typical of asset management
Recent 6-month price performance up 8.5%, outperforming some peers
Key Risks
Critically low Piotroski F-Score of 2/9 signals weak financial health and high risk of underperformance
Extremely low Current and Quick Ratios (0.07) indicate severe liquidity risk
Negative profit margin of -92.96% suggests fundamental earnings instability
Payout ratio of 526.15% implies dividend is not sustainably covered by earnings
Insider selling of $13.96M in the last 6 months reflects strong bearish sentiment from informed holders
Performance Snowflake
Multi-dimensional analysis across 5 key categories
Overall
29
Weak
45
30
35
15
20
AI Verdict
High-risk investment with deteriorating fundamentals and unsustainable distributions
Key drivers: Piotroski F-Score of 2/9, Negative profit margin, Extremely high payout ratio, Liquidity crisis (Current Ratio: 0.07), Massive insider selling
Confidence
90%
Value
45/100
Ref P/E, PEG, Graham Number
Positives
- Price/Book of 0.96 offers potential downside cushion
Watchpoints
- Price/Sales of 12.85 is extremely high for a fund with negative profitability
- No Graham Number available, suggesting lack of defensive value
Future
30/100
Ref Growth rates
Positives
- Revenue growth of 5.30% YoY shows modest top-line expansion
Watchpoints
- No earnings growth data available, likely negative
- Negative ROE and profit margin suggest deteriorating future earnings power
Past
35/100
Ref Historical trends
Positives
- 6M return of +8.5% and 3Y return of +13.3% show recent resilience
Watchpoints
- 5Y change of -0.2% indicates stagnation over the long term
- 1Y return of +3.6% underperforms sector average revenue growth
Health
15/100
Ref Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score
Positives
- Debt/Equity of 0.74 is below sector average of 1.72
Watchpoints
- Piotroski F-Score of 2/9 indicates severe financial weakness
- Current and Quick Ratios at 0.07 signal near-term liquidity crisis
- ROE of -6.54% and negative profit margin reflect poor capital efficiency
Dividend
20/100
Ref Yield, Payout
Positives
- Dividend yield of 5.54% is attractive on surface
Watchpoints
- Payout ratio of 526.15% is unsustainable
- Negative earnings undermine dividend coverage
- Dividend Strength score of 40/100 confirms weakness
Stock Price & Analyst Targets
Real-time price movements and analyst price targets
Current Price
$10.95
Multi-Horizon Performance vs Peers
Price momentum across 5Y → 1W horizons for BFZ and closest competitors.
Updated 2026-01-23
| Company | 5Y | 3Y | 1Y | 6M | 1M | 1W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BFZ
BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust
Primary
|
-0.2% | +13.3% | +3.6% | +8.5% | +2.2% | -0.3% |
|
ASG
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.
Peer
|
-5.8% | +31.9% | -1.2% | +1.3% | +1.1% | +0.6% |
|
ARDC
Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc.
Peer
|
+50.0% | +48.4% | -2.1% | -0.8% | +2.4% | +0.1% |
|
BCML
BayCom Corp
Peer
|
+112.5% | +64.9% | +12.1% | +8.0% | -2.4% | +0.8% |
|
BGT
BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust
Peer
|
+50.6% | +43.0% | +2.8% | -2.7% | +2.7% | +1.0% |
Positive values indicate cumulative gains over the specified period. Comparables pulled from the same sector to highlight whether momentum is stock-specific or industry-wide.
Historical Performance Trends
Long-term financial metrics and growth patterns
Revenue & Net Income
Profit & Operating Margins
Return on Equity (ROE)
Quarterly Revenue Growth
Historical data shows last 12 quarters (3 years)
Valuation Metrics
Key valuation ratios and pricing indicators
P/E Ratio
N/A
Forward P/E
N/A
PEG Ratio
N/A
P/B Ratio
0.96
P/S Ratio
12.85
EV/Revenue
N/A
EV/EBITDA
N/A
Market Cap
$329.2M
Profitability
Profit margins and return metrics
Profit Margin
-92.96%
Operating Margin
79.06%
Gross Margin
100.0%
ROE
-6.54%
ROA
2.14%
Growth
Revenue and earnings growth rates
Revenue Growth
+5.3%
Earnings Growth
N/A
Q/Q Revenue Growth
N/A
Q/Q Earnings Growth
N/A
Financial Health
Balance sheet strength and liquidity metrics
Debt/Equity
0.74
Moderate
Current Ratio
0.07
Weak
Quick Ratio
0.07
Poor
Cash/Share
$N/A
Financial Services Sector Comparison
Comparing BFZ against 208 companies in the Financial Services sector
(5 bullish, 111 neutral, 92 bearish)
Return on Equity (ROE)
-6.54%
This Stock
vs
-7.62%
Sector Avg
-14.2%
(Below Avg)
Profit Margin
-92.96%
This Stock
vs
82.75%
Sector Avg
-212.3%
(Weaker)
Debt to Equity
0.74
This Stock
vs
1.48
Sector Avg
-50.1%
(Less Debt)
Revenue Growth
5.3%
This Stock
vs
28.35%
Sector Avg
-81.3%
(Slower)
Current Ratio
0.07
This Stock
vs
3.81
Sector Avg
-98.3%
(Weaker)
Similar Companies
Peer comparison within the same industry
| Company | AI Rating | Market Cap | P/E | ROE | Profit Margin | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BFZ
BlackRock California...
|
BEARISH | $329.2M | - | -6.5% | -93.0% | $10.95 | |
|
ASG
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.
|
BEARISH | $330.86M | 9.54 | 9.7% | 1782.8% | $5.34 | |
|
ARDC
Ares Dynamic Credit...
|
BEARISH | $322.28M | 10.8 | -% | -% | $13.5 | |
|
BCML
BayCom Corp
|
NEUTRAL | $318.75M | 13.9 | 7.1% | 24.4% | $29.18 | |
|
BGT
BlackRock Floating Rate...
|
BEARISH | $344.48M | 13.28 | 6.8% | 66.0% | $11.55 |
Recent Insider Trading
Insider buy and sell transactions from the last 6 months
| Date | Insider | Position | Transaction | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-12 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 60,573 | $663,644 |
| 2025-09-10 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 48,970 | $529,812 |
| 2025-09-08 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 136,042 | $1,454,289 |
| 2025-09-05 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 367,416 | $3,881,501 |
| 2025-09-03 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 49,671 | $517,198 |
| 2025-08-27 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 6,200 | $64,480 |
| 2025-08-26 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 20,760 | $215,074 |
| 2025-08-25 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 18,180 | $188,345 |
| 2025-08-20 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 59,626 | $618,666 |
| 2025-08-15 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 63,847 | $673,934 |
| 2025-08-13 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 51,268 | $542,928 |
| 2025-08-11 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 21,777 | $230,618 |
| 2025-08-08 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 100,000 | $1,060,176 |
| 2025-08-06 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 100,483 | $1,063,140 |
| 2025-08-04 | SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. | Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security | Sale | 30,440 | $321,446 |
Insider transactions can signal confidence or concerns about company prospects
Past News Coverage
Recent headlines mentioning BFZ from our newsroom.
Newest → oldest
No matching news yet.