UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-CSR

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

 

Investment Company Act file number 811-06499

 

Name of Fund: BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc. (MYC)

 

Fund Address: 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809

 

Name and address of agent for service: John M. Perlowski, Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc., 55 East 52 nd Street, New York, NY 10055

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800) 882-0052, Option 4

 

Date of fiscal year end: 07/31/2013

 

Date of reporting period: 01/31/2013

 

Item 1 – Report to Stockholders

 

 

 
 

JANUARY 31, 2013

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT (UNAUDITED)  

BlackRock Muni New York Intermediate Duration Fund, Inc. (MNE)

BlackRock MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc. (MZA)

BlackRock MuniYield California Fund, Inc. (MYC)

BlackRock MuniYield Investment Fund (MYF)

BlackRock MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc. (MYJ)

Not FDIC Insured • May Lose Value • No Bank Guarantee
     
 
   

Table of Contents

 
           Page    
Dear Shareholder
           3    
Semi-Annual Report:
                
The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging
           4    
Derivative Financial Instruments
           4    
Municipal Market Overview
           5    
Fund Summaries
           6    
Financial Statements:
                    
Schedules of Investments
           16    
Statements of Assets and Liabilities
           34    
Statements of Operations
           35    
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
           36    
Statements of Cash Flows
           39    
Financial Highlights
           40    
Notes to Financial Statements
           45    
Officers and Directors
           54    
Additional Information
           55    
2 SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 31, 2013
 
   
Dear Shareholder  

Financial markets have substantially improved over the past year, providing investors with considerable relief compared to where things were during the global turmoil seen in 2011. Despite a number of headwinds, higher-risk asset classes boasted strong returns as investors sought meaningful yields in the ongoing low-interest-rate environment.

Rising investor confidence drove equity markets higher in early 2012, while climbing US Treasury yields pressured higher-quality fixed income assets. The second quarter, however, brought a market reversal as Europe’s debt crisis boiled over once again. Political instability in Greece and severe deficit and liquidity problems in Spain raised the specter of a euro collapse. Alongside the drama in Europe, investors were discouraged by gloomy economic reports from various parts of the world. A slowdown in China, a key powerhouse for global growth, emerged as a particular concern. But as the outlook for the global economy worsened, investors grew increasingly optimistic that the world’s largest central banks would soon intervene to stimulate growth. This theme, along with the European Central Bank’s (“ECB’s”) firm commitment to preserve the euro currency bloc, drove most asset classes higher through the summer. Policy relief came in early September, when the ECB announced its decision to support the eurozone’s troubled peripheral countries with unlimited purchases of short term sovereign debt. Days later, the US Federal Reserve announced its own much-anticipated stimulus package.

Although financial markets world-wide were buoyed by accommodative monetary policy, risk assets weakened in the fall. Global trade slowed as many European countries fell into recession and growth continued to decelerate in China, where a once-a-decade leadership change compounded uncertainty. In the United States, stocks slid on lackluster corporate earnings reports and market volatility rose during the lead up to the US Presidential election. In the post-election environment, investors grew increasingly concerned over automatic tax increases and spending cuts that had been scheduled to take effect at the beginning of 2013 (known as the “fiscal cliff”). There was widespread fear that the fiscal cliff would push the nation into recession unless politicians could agree upon alternate measures to reduce the deficit before the end of 2012. Worries that bipartisan gridlock would preclude a timely budget deal triggered higher levels of volatility in financial markets around the world in the months leading up to the last day of the year. Ultimately, the United States averted the worst of the fiscal cliff with a last-minute tax deal; however, decisions relating to spending cuts and the debt ceiling continue to weigh on investors’ minds.

Investors shook off the nerve-wracking finale to 2012 and began the New Year with a powerful equity rally. Key indicators signaled broad-based improvements in the world’s major economies, particularly China. In the United States, economic data was mixed, but pointed to a continued recovery. The risk of inflation remained low and the US Federal Reserve showed no signs of curtailing its stimulus programs. Additionally, January saw the return of funds that investors had pulled out of the market in late 2012 amid uncertainty about tax-rate increases ahead of the fiscal cliff deadline. In fixed income markets, rising US Treasuries yields dragged down higher-quality asset classes, while high yield bonds continued to benefit from investor demand for yield in the low-rate environment.

On the whole, riskier asset classes outperformed lower-risk investments for the 6- and 12-month periods ended January 31, 2013. International equities were the strongest performers. US stocks and high yield bonds also generated significant returns. Emerging market equities were particularly volatile, but still posted gains for both the 6- and 12-month periods. US Treasury yields remained low, but experienced increasing volatility in recent months. Rising yields near the end of the period resulted in negative returns for Treasuries and investment-grade bonds for the 6-month period. Tax-exempt municipal bonds, however, benefited from favorable supply-and-demand dynamics. Near-zero short term interest rates continued to keep yields on money market securities near their all-time lows.

While investors continue to face a host of unknowns, we believe new opportunities abound. BlackRock was built to provide the global market insight, breadth of capabilities, unbiased investment advice and deep risk management expertise these times require. We encourage you to visit www.blackrock.com/newworld for more information.

Sincerely,

  

Rob Kapito
President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC

  “Despite a number of headwinds, higher-risk asset classes boasted strong returns as investors sought meaningful yields in the ongoing low-interest-rate environment.”

Rob Kapito
President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC


Total Returns as of January 31, 2013

         6-month      12-month
US large cap equities (S&P 500 ® Index)
           9.91 %           16.78 %  
US small cap equities (Russell 2000 ® Index)
           15.51            15.47   
International equities (MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)
           18.61            17.25   
Emerging market equities (MSCI Emerging Markets Index)
           13.11            7.64   
3-month Treasury bill (BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month US Treasury Bill Index)
           0.07            0.11   
US Treasury securities (BofA Merrill Lynch 10-Year US Treasury Index)
           (2.90 )           1.28   
US investment grade bonds (Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index)
           (0.29 )           2.59   
Tax-exempt municipal bonds (S&P Municipal Bond Index)
           2.21            5.50   
US high yield bonds (Barclays US Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)
           7.37            13.87   

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.


  THIS PAGE NOT PART OF YOUR FUND REPORT 3
 
   
The Benefits and Risks of Leveraging