As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 3, 2017
Securities Act File No. 333-[·]
Investment Company Act File No. 811-22543
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-2
(CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX OR BOXES)
x REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
o Pre-Effective Amendment No.
o Post-Effective Amendment No.
x REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
x Amendment No. 7
KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in Charter)
555 California Street
50th Floor
San Francisco, California 94104
(Address of principal executive offices)
(415) 315-3620
(Registrants Telephone Number, including Area Code)
Nicole J. Macarchuk, Esq.
KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC
555 California Street
50th Floor
San Francisco, California 94104
(Name and address of agent for service)
COPY TO:
Kenneth E. Young, Esq.
William J. Bielefeld, Esq.
Dechert LLP
Cira Centre
2929 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any securities being registered on this form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box. x
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
x when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c)
If appropriate, check the following box:
o This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement].
o This form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is .
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Title of Securities |
|
Proposed |
|
Amount of |
| ||
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest(2) |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
Subscription Rights for Common Shares(2) |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
$ |
115.90 |
|
(1) Estimated pursuant to Rule 457 solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee. The proposed maximum offering price per security will be determined, from time to time, by the Registrant in connection with the sale by the Registrant of the securities registered under this Registration Statement.
(2) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate principal amount of common shares as may be sold, from time to time, including subscription rights to purchase common shares. In no event will the aggregate offering price of all securities issued from time to time pursuant to this Registration Statement exceed $1,000,000.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THE FUND MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Subject to Completion
Preliminary Prospectus dated August 3, 2017
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$[·]
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
Common Shares
Subscription Rights to Purchase Common Shares
Investment Objectives. KKR Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or be able to structure its investment portfolio as anticipated.
Investment Strategies. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by employing a dynamic strategy of investing in a targeted portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and implementing hedging strategies in order to seek to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined herein) in loans and fixed-income instruments or other instruments, including derivative instruments, with similar economic characteristics (the 80% Policy). Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund invests primarily in first- and second-lien secured loans, unsecured loans and high-yield corporate debt instruments of varying maturities. The instruments in which the Fund invests may be rated investment grade or below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or unrated. The Funds investments in below investment grade loans, below investment grade fixed-income instruments and debt instruments of financially troubled companies are considered speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These investments are commonly referred to as high-yield or junk instruments. The Fund seeks to tactically and dynamically allocate capital across companies capital structures where KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) believes its due diligence process has identified compelling investment opportunities, including where the Adviser has identified issuer distress, event-driven misvaluations of securities or capital market inefficiencies. See Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies.
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, the Funds common shares of beneficial interest, par value of $0.001 per common share, and/or subscription rights to purchase common shares, which we refer to collectively as the securities. Securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this prospectus (each a prospectus supplement). You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.
Our securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers, including existing shareholders in a rights offering, through agents designated from time to time by us, to or through underwriters or dealers, at-the-market to or through a market maker into an existing trading market, or through a combination of methods of sale. The prospectus supplement relating to the offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our securities, and will set forth any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters, or among our underwriters, or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. The prospectus supplement relating to any offering of subscription rights will set forth the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of each right (or number of rights) and the other terms of such rights offering. We may not sell any
of our securities through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the particular offering.
The Funds common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) under the trading or ticker symbol KIO. On [·], 2017, the last reported sale price of the Funds common shares was $[·]. The net asset value of the Funds common shares at the close of business on [·], 2017 was $[·] per share. Shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from net asset value. This creates a risk of loss for an investor purchasing shares in a public offering.
Investing in the Funds shares involves risks. See Prospectus SummaryRisk Factors beginning on page 5 of this prospectus and further described in Risk Factors beginning on page 54 of this prospectus for factors that should be considered before investing in shares of the Fund.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of shares by us through agents, underwriters or dealers unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, sets forth concisely information about the Fund you should know before investing. Please read this prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest and retain it for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information (the SAI) dated [·], 2017 has been filed with the SEC. A table of contents to the SAI is located on page 108 of this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the entire SAI. The SAI is available along with other Fund-related materials at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the reference room), on the EDGAR database on the SECs internet site (http://www.sec.gov), upon payment of copying fees by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20549-0102, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
You may also request a free copy of the SAI, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, and additional information about the Fund, and may make other shareholder inquiries, by calling (855) 862-6092, by writing to the Fund or visiting the Funds website (http://www.kkrfunds.com). The information contained in, or accessed through, the Funds website is not part of this prospectus.
The Funds shares do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed by or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depositary institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY |
1 |
|
|
SUMMARY OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES |
28 |
|
|
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
30 |
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|
THE FUND |
31 |
|
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
31 |
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES |
31 |
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LEVERAGE |
51 |
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RISK FACTORS |
54 |
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST |
81 |
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|
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
86 |
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|
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE |
89 |
|
|
DISTRIBUTIONS |
90 |
|
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DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN |
91 |
|
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES |
93 |
|
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS |
96 |
|
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CLOSED-END FUND STRUCTURE |
101 |
|
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RIGHTS OFFERINGS |
102 |
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE |
103 |
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CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND PAYING AGENT, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR |
106 |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
106 |
|
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LEGAL OPINIONS |
107 |
|
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
107 |
|
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
107 |
|
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TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
108 |
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The Fund has not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Fund is not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The Funds business, financial condition and prospects may have changed since that date.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This is only a summary. This summary may not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the Funds securities. You should review the more detailed information contained in this prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information, dated [·], 2017 (the SAI).
The Fund
KKR Income Opportunities Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 17, 2011. Throughout this prospectus, we refer to KKR Income Opportunities Fund as the Fund or as we.
The Funds outstanding common shares of beneficial interest, par value of $0.001 per share, are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the trading or ticker symbol KIO, and any newly issued common shares issued will trade under the same symbol. As of June 30, 2017, the Fund had outstanding 15,255,235.602 common shares. On [·], 2017, the last reported sale price of the Funds common shares on the NYSE was $[·] per share. The net asset value (NAV) of the Funds common shares at the close of business on [·], 2017 was $[·] per share.
The Offering
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, our common shares, $0.001 par value per share, or our subscription rights to purchase our common shares, which we refer to collectively as the securities. The securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this prospectus (each a prospectus supplement). You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities. Our securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers, through agents designated from time to time by us, to or through underwriters or dealers, at-the-market to or through a market maker into an existing trading market, or through a combination of methods of sale. The prospectus supplement relating to the offering will identify any agents, underwriters or dealers involved in the sale of our securities, and will set forth any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters, or among our underwriters, or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. The prospectus supplement relating to any offering of subscription rights will set forth the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of each right (or number of rights) and the other terms of such rights offering. We may not sell any of our securities through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the particular offering.
Investment Objectives
The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or be able to structure its investment portfolio as anticipated.
Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by employing a dynamic strategy of investing in a targeted portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and implementing hedging strategies in order to seek to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets in loans and fixed-income instruments or other instruments, including derivative instruments, with similar economic characteristics (the 80% Policy). Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund invests primarily in first- and second-lien secured loans, unsecured loans and high-yield corporate debt instruments of varying maturities. The Fund tactically and dynamically allocates its assets in varying types of credit instruments based on its analysis of the credit markets, which may result in the Funds portfolio becoming concentrated in a particular type of credit instrument (such as senior secured floating rate and fixed-rate loans (Senior Loans) or corporate bonds) and substantially less invested in other types of credit
instruments. The instruments in which the Fund invests may be rated investment grade or below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (an NRSRO), or unrated. The Funds investments in below investment grade loans and fixed-income instruments are commonly referred to as high-yield or junk instruments and are considered speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of financially troubled companies (sometimes known as stressed or distressed securities). The Fund also may invest in common stocks and other equity securities, including preferred stocks. The Fund seeks to tactically and dynamically allocate capital across companies capital structures where KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) believes its due diligence process has identified compelling investment opportunities, including where the Adviser has identified issuer distress, event-driven misvaluations of securities or capital market inefficiencies. See Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies.
The Fund may invest in any one or in any combination of fixed-rate and floating rate fixed-income instruments; listed and unlisted corporate debt obligations; convertible securities; collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), collateralized bond and collateralized loan obligations; bank obligations; U.S. government securities and debt issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia); preferred securities and trust preferred securities; structured securities; and when-issued securities and forward commitments. The Fund may engage in short sales for investment and risk management purposes. The Fund may also invest in securities of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and closed-end funds to the extent permitted by law. The Adviser will periodically rebalance the Funds allocation of assets among different types of credit instruments based on absolute and relative value considerations and its analysis of the credit markets in order to seek to optimize the Funds allocation to credit instruments that the Adviser believes are positioned to contribute to the achievement of the Funds investment objectives under the market conditions existing at the time of investment.
The Adviser, a subsidiary of KKR & Co. L.P. (together with the Adviser and its other affiliates, KKR), utilizes KKRs global network of resources, due diligence skills, intellectual capital and experience in investing to seek to achieve the Funds investment objectives. The Adviser employs a fundamentally-driven investment philosophy which is based on deep credit underwriting and rigorous financial analysis. Because KKR has deep experience in credit and private equity underwriting, the Advisers investment approach is designed to incorporate valuable characteristics of both. The Adviser will seek to reallocate the portfolio of the Fund to opportunistically emphasize those investments, categories of investments and geographic exposures believed to be best suited to the current investment and interest rate environment and market outlook. The Fund invests globally in U.S. and non-U.S. issuers obligations, including those of emerging market issuers, and such obligations may be U.S. dollar denominated as well as non-U.S. dollar denominated.
In pursuing its investment objectives or for hedging purposes, the Fund may engage in short selling and may invest in various types of derivatives, including structured products, swaps, forward contracts, futures contracts and options. Derivative instruments will be counted toward the 80% Policy to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within the 80% Policy.
The Funds investment objectives and investment strategies are not fundamental, unless otherwise noted in the Funds SAI, and can be changed without the vote of the Funds holders of common shares (Common Shareholders) by the board of trustees of the Fund (the Board). For a more complete discussion of the Funds portfolio composition, see Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies.
The Adviser believes that changing investment and interest rate environments over time offer attractive investment opportunities in the markets for credit obligations, as well as varying degrees of investment risk. To both capitalize on attractive investments and effectively manage potential risk, the Adviser believes that the combination of a thorough and continuous credit analysis (including an analysis of an issuers ability to make loan or debt payments when due) and the ability to reallocate the portfolio of the Fund among different categories of investments at different points in the credit cycle (i.e., the cycle between overall positive economic environments and less positive economic environments for credit obligations) is critical to achieving higher risk-adjusted returns, including higher current income and/or capital appreciation, relative to other high-yielding investments.
The Funds portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year. The Fund generally expects, under normal market conditions, its portfolio turnover to be up to 100%. Because it is difficult to predict accurately portfolio turnover rates, actual turnover may be higher or lower. A high portfolio turnover rate increases a funds transaction costs
(including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which would adversely impact a funds performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if a fund had lower portfolio turnover. See Risk FactorsPortfolio Turnover Risk.
Temporary Investments
During temporary defensive periods, including during the period when the proceeds of the offering of common shares are being invested, the Fund may deviate from its investment objectives and investment strategies. During such periods, the Fund may invest all or a portion of its assets in certain short-term (less than one year to maturity) and medium-term (not greater than five years to maturity) debt securities or hold cash and cash equivalents. The short- and medium-term debt securities in which the Fund may invest include (i) obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; (ii) bank deposits and bank obligations (including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers acceptances) of U.S. or foreign banks denominated in any currency; (iii) floating rate securities and other instruments denominated in any currency issued by various governments or international development agencies; (iv) finance company and corporate commercial paper and other short-term corporate debt obligations of U.S. or foreign corporations; (v) repurchase agreements with banks and broker- dealers with respect to such securities; and (vi) shares of money market funds and money market instruments. See Investment Objectives and Investment StrategiesPortfolio CompositionTemporary Investments and Use of Proceeds below.
Leverage
The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including through funds borrowed from banks or other financial institutions (i.e., a credit facility), margin facilities, the issuance of preferred shares or notes and leverage attributable to reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. The Fund has currently entered into a revolving credit facility with Bank of Nova Scotia to add financial leverage to its portfolio representing up to approximately 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets (including the assets subject to, and obtained with the proceeds of, the leveraging activity). As of April 30, 2017, the Fund had approximately $95,401,054 in outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility. In the future, the Fund may use forms of leverage other than and/or in addition to a credit facility. The Fund may use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Funds assessment of market conditions and the investment environment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will use leverage or that its leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk.
Common Shares
The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.001 per share, in multiple classes and series thereof as determined from time to time by the Board. The Board has authorized issuance of an unlimited number of common shares. Each share has equal voting, dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. The common shares are not redeemable and have no preemptive, conversion or cumulative voting rights. In the event of liquidation, each common share is entitled to its proportion of the Funds assets after payment of debts and expenses. As of [·], 2017, [·] common shares of the Fund were outstanding.
Investment Advisory Agreement
Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser will receive an annual fee, payable monthly by the Fund, in an amount equal to 1.10% of the Funds average daily Managed Assets (the Management Fee).
During periods when the Fund is using leverage, the Management Fee paid to the Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the Management Fee paid is calculated on the basis of the Funds Managed Assets, which includes the assets purchased through leverage. See Risk FactorsConflicts of Interest Risk.
The Administrator
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the Administrator), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as administrator to the Fund. Under the administration agreement, the Administrator is responsible for calculating the NAV of the common shares and generally managing the administrative affairs of the Fund.
The Administrator is entitled to receive a monthly fee at the annual rate of up to 0.04% of the average daily value of the Funds net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee of $65,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses. See Management of the FundThe Administrator.
Distributions
The Fund currently makes regular monthly cash distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income to Common Shareholders. The Fund distributes to Common Shareholders at least annually all or substantially all of its net investment income after the payment of interest, fees and dividends, if any, owed with respect to any outstanding forms of leverage utilized by the Fund. The Fund intends to pay any capital gains distributions at least annually. If the Fund realizes a long-term capital gain, it will be required to allocate such gain between the common shares and any preferred shares issued by the Fund in proportion to the total distributions paid to each class for the year in which the income is realized. See Distributions.
Various factors affect the level of the Funds income, including the asset mix, the average maturity of the Funds portfolio, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund and the Funds use of hedging. To permit the Fund to maintain a more stable monthly distribution, the Fund may, from time to time, distribute less than the entire amount of income earned in a particular period. The undistributed income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of income actually earned by the Fund during that period. Undistributed income will add to the Funds NAV (and indirectly benefit the Adviser and the Administrator by increasing their fees) and, correspondingly, distributions from the Funds income will reduce the Funds NAV. See Distributions.
Taxation
The Fund has elected to be treated and has qualified, and intends to continue to qualify annually to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). Accordingly, the Fund generally will not pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that it currently distributes to its Common Shareholders. To qualify and maintain its qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and distribute annually at least 90% of its net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. See Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations in this prospectus.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
Pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the DRIP), income dividends and/or capital gain distributions to Common Shareholders will automatically be reinvested in additional common shares of the Fund by U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the DRIP Administrator). A Common Shareholder may terminate participation in the DRIP at any time by notifying the DRIP Administrator before the record date of the next distribution through the Internet, by telephone or in writing. Common Shareholders whose common shares are held in the name of a broker or other nominee and who wish to elect to receive any dividends and distributions in cash must contact their broker or nominee. All distributions to Common Shareholders who do not participate in the DRIP, or have elected to terminate their participation in the DRIP, will be paid by check mailed directly to the record holder by or under the direction of the DRIP Administrator when the Board declares a distribution. See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Exchange Listing
The Funds outstanding common shares are listed on the NYSE under the trading or ticker symbol KIO. See Description of the Securities.
Market Price of Shares
Common shares of closed-end investment companies often trade at prices lower than their NAV. The Funds common shares have historically traded at a discount to the Funds NAV. Common shares of closed-end investment companies may trade during some periods at prices higher than their NAV and during other periods at prices lower than their NAV. The Fund cannot assure you that its common shares will trade at a price higher than or equal to NAV. The Funds NAV will be reduced immediately following this offering by the sales load and the amount of the offering expenses paid by the Fund.
In addition to NAV, the market price of the Funds common shares may be affected by such factors as the Funds dividend and distribution levels and stability, market liquidity, market supply and demand, unrealized gains, general market and economic conditions, and other factors. See Risk Factors and Description of the Securities.
The common shares are designed primarily for long term investors, and you should not purchase common shares of the Fund if you intend to sell them shortly after purchase.
Custodian, Dividend Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Registrar
U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as custodian (the Custodian) for the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC also provides accounting services to the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC also serves as the Funds dividend paying agent, transfer agent and registrar. See Custodian, Dividend Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Registrar.
Risk Factors
Investing in the Fund involves risks, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or that you may lose part or all of your investment. Below is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. For a more complete discussion of the risks of investing in the Fund, see Risk Factors. You should consider carefully the following principal risks before investing in the Fund. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program.
Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund involves a considerable amount of risk. Before making an investment decision, a prospective investor should (i) consider the suitability of this investment with respect to the his or her investment objectives and personal situation and (ii) consider factors such as his or her personal net worth, income, age, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. An investment in the Funds common shares represents an indirect investment in the portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments, short positions and other securities and derivative instruments owned by the Fund, and the value of these securities and instruments may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, and such investment is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. At any point in time, an investment in the Funds common shares may be worth less than the original amount invested, even after taking into account distributions paid by the Fund and the ability of Common Shareholders to reinvest dividends. The Fund may also use leverage, which would magnify the Funds investment, market and certain other risks.
The Fund may be materially affected by market, economic and political conditions globally and in the jurisdictions and sectors in which it invests or operates, including factors affecting interest rates, the availability of credit, currency exchange rates and trade barriers. These factors are outside the Advisers control and could adversely affect the liquidity and value of the Funds investments, and may reduce the ability of the Fund to make attractive new investments.
Ongoing events in the subprime mortgage market and other areas of the fixed income markets have caused significant dislocations, illiquidity and volatility in the leveraged loan and bond markets, as well as in the wider global financial markets. To the extent portfolio companies and other issuers of the Funds portfolio investments
participate in or have exposure to such markets, the results of their operations may be adversely affected. In addition, to the extent that such economic and market events and conditions reoccur, this would have a further adverse impact on the availability of credit to businesses generally. Although financial markets have shown intermittent signs of improvement, global economic conditions remain tenuous, and to the extent that they do not improve, this may adversely impact the financial resources and credit quality of corporate and other borrowers in which the Fund has invested and result in the inability of such borrowers to make principal and interest payments on, or refinance, outstanding debt when due. In the event of such defaults, the Fund may suffer a partial or total loss of their investment in such borrowers, which would, in turn, have an adverse effect on the Funds returns. Such economic and market events and conditions also may restrict the ability of the Fund to sell or liquidate investments at favorable times or for favorable prices (although such events and conditions may not foreclose the Funds ability to hold such investments until maturity). In particular, the Funds investment strategies rely, in part, on the stabilization or improvement of the conditions in the global economy and markets generally and credit markets specifically. Absent such a recovery, the value of the Funds investments may not generate expected current proceeds or appreciate as anticipated and may suffer a loss. Trends and historical events do not imply, forecast or predict future events and past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. There can be no assurance that the assumptions made or the beliefs and expectations currently held by the Adviser will prove correct, and actual events and circumstances may vary significantly.
The Fund may be subject to risk arising from a default by one of several large institutions that are dependent on one another to meet their liquidity or operational needs, so that a default by one institution may cause a series of defaults by the other institutions. This is sometimes referred to as systemic risk and may adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing houses, banks, securities firms and exchanges, with which the Fund interacts on a daily basis.
Market Discount Risk. Common shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. Common shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have traded at prices higher than their NAV during some periods and have traded at prices lower than their NAV during other periods. The Fund cannot assure you that its common shares will trade at a price higher than or equal to NAV in the future. The Funds NAV will be reduced immediately following this offering by the sales load and the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund. In addition to NAV, the market price of the Funds common shares may be affected by such factors as distribution levels and stability (which are in turn affected by expenses, regulation affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions and other factors), portfolio credit quality, liquidity, market supply and demand and similar other factors relating to the Funds portfolio holdings. The Funds market price may also be affected by general market, economic or political conditions. The common shares are designed primarily for long-term investors and should not be viewed as a vehicle for trading purposes. This risk may be greater for investors who sell their common shares in a relatively short period of time after completion of the initial offering. You should not purchase common shares of the Fund if you intend to sell them shortly after purchase.
Fixed-Income Instruments Risk. The Fund invests in loans and other types of fixed-income instruments and securities. Such investments may be secured, partially secured or unsecured and may be unrated, and whether or not rated, may have speculative characteristics. The market price of the Funds investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. These risks may be greater in the current market environment of historically low interest rates. Most high yield investments pay a fixed rate of interest and are therefore vulnerable to inflation risk.
The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement. An obligors willingness and ability to pay interest or to repay principal due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow. Commercial bank lenders may be able to contest payments to the holders of other debt obligations of the same obligor in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements. See Risk FactorsFixed-Income Instruments Risk.
Interest Rate Risk. The Funds investments will expose the Fund to interest rate risks, meaning that changes in prevailing market interest rates could negatively affect the value of such investments. Factors that may affect market interest rates include, without limitation, inflation, slow or stagnant economic growth or recession, unemployment,
money supply, governmental monetary policies, international disorders and instability in U.S. and non-U.S. financial markets. The Fund expects that it will periodically experience imbalances in the interest rate sensitivities of its assets and liabilities and the relationships of various interest rates to each other. In a changing interest rate environment, the Adviser may not be able to manage this risk effectively. If the Adviser is unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, the Funds performance could be adversely affected.
Senior Loans Risk. Senior Loans hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a corporation, partnership or other business entity (a Borrower). Senior Loans in most circumstances are fully collateralized by assets of the borrower. Thus, they are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors and preferred or common stockholders. Substantial increases in interest rates may cause an increase in loan defaults as borrowers may lack resources to meet higher debt service requirements. The value of the Funds assets may also be affected by other uncertainties such as economic developments affecting the market for senior secured term loans or affecting borrowers generally. Moreover, the security for the Funds investments in secured debt may not be recognized for a variety of reasons, including the failure to make required filings by lenders, trustees or other responsible parties and, as a result, the Fund may not have priority over other creditors as anticipated.
Senior Loans usually include restrictive covenants, which must be maintained by the borrower. The Fund may have an obligation with respect to certain senior secured term loan investments to make additional loans upon demand by the borrower. Such instruments, unlike certain bonds, usually do not have call protection. This means that such interests, while having a stated term, may be prepaid, often without penalty. The rate of such prepayments may be affected by, among other things, general business and economic conditions, as well as the financial status of the borrower. Prepayment would cause the actual duration of a Senior Loan to be shorter than its stated maturity.
Senior Loans typically will be secured by pledges of collateral from the borrower in the form of tangible and intangible assets. In some instances, the Fund may invest in Senior Loans that are secured only by stock of the borrower or its subsidiaries or affiliates. The value of the collateral may decline below the principal amount of the senior secured term loans subsequent to an investment by the Fund.
Senior Loans generally are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or any state securities commission, and are not listed on any national securities exchange. There is less readily available or reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). No active trading market may exist for some Senior Loans, and some Senior Loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the Funds ability to realize full value and thus cause a material decline in the Funds NAV. In addition, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of its Senior Loans at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such loans if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. During periods of limited supply and liquidity of Senior Loans, the Funds yield may be lower. See Risk FactorsBelow Investment Grade Instruments Risk.
If legislation or government regulations impose additional requirements or restrictions on the ability of financial institutions to make loans, the availability of Senior Loans for investment by the Fund may be adversely affected. In addition, such requirements or restrictions could reduce or eliminate sources of financing for certain Borrowers. This would increase the risk of default. See Investment Objectives and Investment StrategiesPortfolio CompositionSenior Loans and Risk FactorsSenior Loans Risk.
Credit Risk. The Funds debt investments will be subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal by the borrowers with respect to such investments. Such non-payment would likely result in a reduction of income to the Fund and a reduction in the value of the debt investments experiencing non-payment.
Although the Fund may invest in investments that the Adviser believes are secured by specific collateral, the value of which may exceed the principal amount of the investments at the time of initial investment, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any such collateral would satisfy the borrowers obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments with respect to such investment, or that such collateral could be
readily liquidated. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing an investment. Under certain circumstances, collateral securing an investment may be released without the consent of the Fund. The Fund may also invest in high yield instruments and other unsecured investments, each of which involves a higher degree of risk than Senior Loans. The Funds right to payment and its security interest, if any, may be subordinated to the payment rights and security interests of more senior creditors. Certain of these investments may have an interest-only payment schedule, with the principal amount remaining outstanding and at risk until the maturity of the investment. In this case, a portfolio companys ability to repay the principal of an investment may be dependent upon a liquidity event or the long-term success of the company, the occurrence of which is uncertain.
Companies in which the Fund invests could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, a change in the competitive environment or an economic downturn. As a result, companies that the Fund expected to be stable may operate, or expect to operate, at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or maintain their competitive position, or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.
Leverage Risk. The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including through funds borrowed from banks or other financial institutions (i.e., a credit facility), margin facilities, the issuance of preferred shares or notes and leverage attributable to reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. The Fund may use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Funds assessment of market conditions and the investment environment.
The Fund has currently entered into a revolving credit facility with Bank of Nova Scotia to add financial leverage to its portfolio representing up to approximately 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets (including the assets subject to, and obtained with the proceeds of, the leveraging activity). As of April 30, 2017, the Fund had approximately $95,401,054 in outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility.
The Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act), generally limits the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings and uncovered transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage, including reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions, together with any other senior securities representing indebtedness, to 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets at the time utilized. In addition, the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may issue preferred shares to 50% of the Funds Managed Assets (less the Funds obligations under senior securities representing indebtedness). Covered reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions will not be counted against the foregoing limits under the 1940 Act. The Fund will cover its derivative positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time. Alternatively, the Fund may enter into an offsetting position or own positions covering its obligations with respect to the transaction; otherwise, this transaction will be considered uncovered. The Fund may not cover an applicable derivative transaction if it does not need to do so to comply with the foregoing 1940 Act requirements and, in the view of the Adviser, the assets that would have been used to cover could be better used for a different purpose. However, these transactions, even if covered, may represent a form of economic leverage and will create risks. The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein. In addition, these segregation and coverage requirements could result in the Fund maintaining securities positions that it would otherwise liquidate, segregating assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or otherwise restricting portfolio management. Such segregation and cover requirements will not limit or offset losses on related positions.
Use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased income and return for Common Shareholders but, at the same time, creates risks, including the likelihood of greater volatility in the NAV and market price of, and distributions on, the common shares. Increases and decreases in the value of the Funds portfolio will be magnified if the Fund uses leverage. In particular, leverage may magnify interest rate risk, which is the risk that the prices of portfolio securities will fall (or rise) if market interest rates for those types of securities rise (or fall). As a result, leverage may cause greater changes in the Funds NAV, which will be borne entirely by the Funds Common Shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund will use leverage or that its leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed. The Fund may be subject to investment restrictions of one or more NRSROs and/or
credit facility lenders as a result of its use of financial leverage. These restrictions may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or portfolio requirements will significantly impede the Adviser in managing the Funds portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Nonetheless, if these covenants or guidelines are more restrictive than those imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may not be able to utilize as much leverage as it otherwise could have, which could reduce the Funds investment returns. In addition, the Fund expects that any notes it issues or credit facility it enters into would contain covenants that, among other things, may impose geographic exposure limitations, credit quality minimums, liquidity minimums, concentration limitations and currency hedging requirements on the Fund. These covenants would also likely limit the Funds ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change fundamental investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations. Such restrictions could cause the Adviser to make different investment decisions than if there were no such restrictions and could limit the ability of the Board and Common Shareholders to change fundamental investment policies.
The costs of a financial leverage program (including the costs of offering preferred shares and notes) will be borne entirely by Common Shareholders and consequently will result in a reduction of the NAV of the common shares. During periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fees paid by the Fund for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the investment advisory fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Funds Managed Assets, which includes proceeds from (and assets subject to) any credit facility, margin facility, any issuance of preferred shares or notes, any reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. This will create a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and Common Shareholders, on the other hand. To monitor this potential conflict, the Board intends to periodically review the Funds use of leverage, including its impact on Fund performance and on the Advisers fees. See Conflicts of Interest.
The Fund may also offset derivative positions against one another or against other assets to manage the effective market exposure resulting from derivatives in its portfolio. In addition, to the extent that any offsetting positions do not behave in relation to one another as expected, the Fund may perform as if it were leveraged. The Funds use of leverage could create the opportunity for a higher return for Common Shareholders but would also result in special risks for Common Shareholders and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on the securities and investments purchased with leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the leverage, the return on the common shares will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income and gains from the securities and investments purchased with such proceeds do not cover the cost of leverage, the return on the common shares will be less than if leverage had not been used. There is no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk.
Special Risk for Holders of Subscription Rights. There is a risk that changes in market conditions may result in the underlying common shares purchasable upon exercise of the subscription rights being less attractive to investors at the conclusion of the subscription period. This may reduce or eliminate the value of the subscription rights. Investors who receive subscription rights may find that there is no market to sell rights they do not wish to exercise. If investors exercise only a portion of the rights, the number of common shares issued may be reduced, and the common shares may trade at less favorable prices than larger offerings for similar securities.
Potential Dilution in Rights Offerings Risk. To the extent that the Fund engages in a rights offering, shareholders who do not exercise their subscription rights may, at the completion of such an offering, own a smaller proportional interest in the Fund than if they exercised their subscription rights. As a result of such an offering, a shareholder also may experience dilution in NAV per share if the subscription price per share is below the NAV per share on the expiration date. Specifically, if the subscription price per share is below the NAV per share of the Funds shares on the expiration date of the rights offering, a shareholder will experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate NAV of their shares if the shareholder does not participate in the offering and the shareholder will experience a reduction in the NAV per share of their shares whether or not the shareholder participates in the offering. The Fund cannot state precisely the extent of this dilution (if any) if the shareholder does not exercise his or her subscription rights because the Fund does not know what the NAV per share will be when a rights offering expires or what proportion of the rights will be exercised.
There is also a risk that the Funds largest shareholders (record date shareholders of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common shares of the Fund) may increase their percentage ownership in and control of the Fund through the exercise of the primary subscription and any over-subscription privilege.
Subordinated and Unsecured or Partially Secured Loans Risk. The Fund may invest in unsecured loans and secured subordinated loans, including second and lower lien loans. Second lien loans are generally second in line in terms of repayment priority. A second lien loan may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or it may be secured by a separate set of assets. Second lien loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale. The priority of the collateral claims of third or lower lien loans ranks below holders of second lien loans and so on. Such junior loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment, including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower place in the borrowers capital structure and possible unsecured or partially secured status, such loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than Senior Loans of the same borrower.
Mezzanine Securities Risk. Most of the Funds mezzanine securities and other investments (if any) are expected to be unsecured and made in companies whose capital structures have significant indebtedness ranking ahead of the investments, all or a significant portion of which may be secured. While the securities and other investments may benefit from the same or similar financial and other covenants as those enjoyed by the indebtedness ranking ahead of the investments and may benefit from cross-default provisions and security over the portfolio companys assets, some or all of such terms may not be part of particular investments. Mezzanine securities and other investments generally are subject to various risks including, without limitation: (i) a subsequent characterization of an investment as a fraudulent conveyance; (ii) the recovery as a preference of liens perfected or payments made on account of a debt in the 90 days before a bankruptcy filing; (iii) equitable subordination claims by other creditors; (iv) so-called lender liability claims by the issuer of the obligations; and (v) environmental liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations.
Below Investment Grade Instruments Risk. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments that are rated below investment grade by recognized rating agencies or will be unrated and face ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions and the issuers failure to make timely interest and principal payments. Such securities and instruments are generally not exchange-traded and, as a result, trade in the over-the-counter (OTC) marketplace, which is less transparent than the exchange-traded marketplace. In addition, the Fund may invest in bonds of issuers that do not have publicly traded equity securities, making it more difficult to hedge the risks associated with such investments. The Funds investments in high yield instruments expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk and interest rate risk. The market for high yield securities has recently experienced periods of significant volatility and reduced liquidity. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt investments may reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than those of higher-rated investments, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Companies that issue such securities are often highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. General economic recession or a major decline in the demand for products and services in which the borrower operates would likely have a materially adverse impact on the value of such securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest thereon, thereby increasing the incidence of default of such securities. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the value and liquidity of these high yield debt investments.
Stressed and Distressed Investments. The Fund intends to invest in securities and other obligations of companies that are in significant financial or business distress, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although such investments may result in significant returns for the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in distressed assets is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Funds investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action in respect of any company. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company in which the Fund invests, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Funds original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. Troubled company investments and other distressed asset-based investments require active monitoring.
Short Selling Risk. Short selling involves a number of risks. Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security or other instrument that it does not own but can borrow in the market. If a security sold short increases in price, the Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. The Fund may not be able to borrow a security that it needs to deliver or it may not be able to close out a short position at an acceptable price and may have to sell related long positions earlier than it had expected. Thus, the Fund may not be able to successfully implement its short sale strategy due to limited availability of desired securities or for other reasons. Also, there is the risk that the counterparty to a short sale may fail to honor its contractual terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
Until the Fund replaces a security borrowed in connection with a short sale, it may be required to maintain a segregated account of cash or liquid assets with a broker or custodian to cover the Funds short position. Generally, securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. The Funds ability to access the pledged collateral may also be impaired in the event the broker becomes bankrupt, insolvent or otherwise fails to comply with the terms of the contract. In such instances, the Fund may not be able to substitute or sell the pledged collateral and may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in these circumstances. Additionally, the Fund must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral pledged to the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the borrowed securities obligations. This may limit the Funds investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet other current obligations.
Because losses on short sales arise from increases in the value of the security sold short, such losses are theoretically unlimited. By contrast, a loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a securitys value cannot decrease below zero. In addition, engaging in short selling may limit the Funds ability to fully benefit from increases in the fixed-income markets.
By investing the proceeds received from selling securities short, the Fund could be deemed to be employing a form of leverage, which creates special risks. The use of leverage may increase the Funds exposure to long securities positions and make any change in the Funds NAV greater than it would be without the use of leverage. This could result in increased volatility of returns. There is no guarantee that any leveraging strategy the Fund employs will be successful during any period in which it is employed. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk.
In times of unusual or adverse market, economic, regulatory or political conditions, the Fund may not be able, fully or partially, to implement its short selling strategy. Periods of unusual or adverse market, economic, regulatory or political conditions generally may exist for as long as six months and, in some cases, much longer.
Prepayment Risk. Prepayment risk occurs when a debt investment held by the Fund can be repaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity. The amount of prepayable obligations in which the Fund invests from time to time may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, borrowers financial conditions and competitive conditions among lenders. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay investments more quickly than anticipated, reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the relevant investment. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that the Fund purchases the relevant investment at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such investments at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income which may be taxable as ordinary income to Common Shareholders. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of investments may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change an investment that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer-term investment. Since the value of longer-term investments generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term investments, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of the Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of an investment with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income instruments, and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or delay prepayments and thus affect maturities.
Credit Derivatives Risk. The use of credit derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, liquidity risk, counterparty risk, market spreads or other applicable factors, the investment
performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. Moreover, even if the Adviser is correct in its forecasts, there is a risk that a credit derivative position may correlate imperfectly with the price of the asset or liability being protected. The Funds risk of loss in a credit derivative transaction varies with the form of the transaction. For example, if the Fund sells protection under a credit default swap, it would collect periodic fees from the buyer and would profit if the credit of the underlying issuer or reference entity remains stable or improves while the swap is outstanding, but the Fund would be required to pay an agreed upon amount to the buyer (which may be the entire notional amount of the swap) if the reference entity defaults on the reference security. Credit default swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund invested in the reference obligation directly.
Derivatives Risk. The Funds derivative investments have risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets of the Fund, which creates the possibility that the loss on such instruments may be greater than the gain in the value of the underlying assets in the Funds portfolio; the loss of principal; the possible default of the other party to the transaction; and illiquidity of the derivative investments. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of a counterparty to a derivative transaction, the derivative contract would typically be terminated at its fair market value. If the Fund is owed this fair market value in the termination of the derivative contract and its claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such counterparty, and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying security.
The counterparty risk for cleared derivative transactions should generally be lower than for uncleared OTC derivatives since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties performance under the contract as each party to a trade looks only to the clearing house for performance of financial obligations. However, there can be no assurance that the clearing house, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. Exchange trading may increase market transparency and liquidity but may cause the Fund to incur increased expenses. In addition, depending on the size of the Fund and other factors, the margin required under the rules of a clearing house and by a clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar OTC derivative transaction. However, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and other applicable regulators have adopted rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared OTC derivative transactions which may result in the Fund and its counterparties posting higher margin amounts for uncleared OTC derivative transactions.
Certain of the derivative investments in which the Fund may invest may, in certain circumstances, give rise to a form of financial leverage, which may magnify the risk of owning such instruments. The ability to successfully use derivative investments depends on the ability of the Adviser to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. In addition, amounts paid by the Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to the Funds derivative investments would not be available to the Fund for other investment purposes, which may result in lost opportunities for gain.
OTC derivatives may be more difficult to purchase, sell or value than other investments. Although both OTC and exchange-traded derivatives markets may experience a lack of liquidity, OTC non-standardized derivative transactions are generally less liquid than exchange-traded instruments. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, the liquidity of a secondary market in an exchange-traded derivative contract may be adversely affected by daily price fluctuation limits established by the exchanges which limit the amount of fluctuation in an exchange-traded contract price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open positions. Prices have in the past moved beyond the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days. If it is not possible to close an open derivative position entered into by the Fund, the Fund would continue to be required to make cash payments of variation (or mark-to-market) margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such a situation, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a
market value for such instruments. The inability to close derivatives transactions positions also could have an adverse impact on the Funds ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. OTC derivatives that are not cleared are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Funds contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Funds rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). In addition, the use of certain derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of income or short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates).
The derivatives markets have become subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. In particular, in the United States the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) regulates the OTC derivatives market by, among other things, requiring many derivative transactions to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expanding entity registration requirements, imposing business conduct requirements on dealers and requiring banks to move some derivatives trading units to a non-guaranteed affiliate separate from the deposit-taking bank or divest them altogether. Rulemaking proposed or implemented under the Dodd-Frank Act could potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions could also prevent the Fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change availability of certain investments.
The Funds investments in regulated derivatives instruments, such as swaps, futures and options, will be subject to maximum position limits established by the CFTC and U.S. and foreign futures exchanges. Under the exchange rules all accounts owned or managed by advisers, such as the Adviser, their principals and affiliates would be combined for position limit purposes. In order to comply with the position limits established by the CFTC and the relevant exchanges, the Adviser may in the future reduce the size of positions that would otherwise be taken for the Fund or not trade in certain markets on behalf of the Fund in order to avoid exceeding such limits. A violation of position limits by the Adviser could lead to regulatory action resulting in mandatory liquidation of certain positions held by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will liquidate positions held on behalf of all the Advisers accounts in a proportionate manner or at favorable prices, which may result in substantial losses to the Fund. Such policies could affect the nature and extent of derivatives use by the Fund. See Risk FactorsDerivatives Risk.
Regulatory RiskRegulation as a Commodity Pool. The Adviser has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund pursuant to Regulation 4.5 promulgated by the CFTC under the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). The CFTC has adopted amendments to its rules that may affect the ability of the Adviser to claim this exclusion. The on-going compliance implications of these amendments are not fully effective and their scope of application is still uncertain. The Adviser will be limited in its ability to use futures or options on futures or engage in swaps transactions on behalf of the Fund as a result of claiming the exclusion. In the event the Adviser fails to qualify for the exclusion and is required to register as a commodity pool operator, the Adviser will become subject to additional disclosure, recordkeeping and reporting requirements with respect to the Fund, which may increase the Funds expenses.
Risks related to the Funds Clearing Broker and Central Clearing Counterparty. The CEA and CFTC regulations require swaps and futures clearing brokers registered as futures commission merchants to segregate from the brokers proprietary assets all funds and other property received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of U.S. domestic futures contracts, options on futures contracts and cleared swaps. Similarly, the CEA requires each futures commission merchant to hold in a separate secure account all funds and other property received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of foreign futures contracts and segregate any such funds from the funds received with respect to domestic futures contracts. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account and may be accessed by the clearing broker, which may also invest any such funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulation. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Fund with any swaps or futures clearing broker as margin for futures contracts or cleared swaps may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Funds clearing broker. In addition, the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the Funds clearing brokers bankruptcy, as the Fund would be limited to
recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing brokers combined domestic customer accounts.
Similarly, the CEA and CFTC regulations require a clearing organization approved by the CFTC as a derivatives clearing organization to segregate all funds and other property received from a clearing members customers in connection with domestic futures, swaps and options contracts from any funds or other property held at the clearing organization to support the clearing members proprietary trading. Nevertheless, with respect to futures and options contracts, a clearing organization may use assets of a non-defaulting customer held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. As a result, in the event of a default of the clearing brokers other clients or the clearing brokers failure to extend its own funds in connection with any such default, the Fund may not be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited by the clearing broker on behalf of the Fund with the clearing organization.
Structured Products Risk. The Fund may invest in structured products, consisting of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and credit-linked notes. Holders of structured products bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk.
The Fund may have the right to receive payments only from the structured product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the assets to be securitized. While certain structured products enable the investor to acquire interests in a pool of securities without the brokerage and other expenses associated with directly holding the same securities, investors in structured products generally pay their share of the structured products administrative and other expenses. Although it is difficult to predict whether the prices of indices and securities underlying structured products will rise or fall, these prices (and, therefore, the prices of structured products) will be influenced by the same types of political and economic events that affect issuers of securities and capital markets generally. If the issuer of a structured product uses shorter-term financing to purchase longer term securities, the issuer may be forced to sell its securities at below market prices if it experiences difficulty in obtaining short-term financing, which may adversely affect the value of the structured products owned by the Fund.
Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market. CLOs and credit-linked notes are typically privately offered and sold. As a result, investments in CLOs and credit-linked notes may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed herein, CLOs carry additional risks, including, but not limited to, (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that the investments in CLOs are subordinate to other classes or tranches thereof; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Repurchase Agreements Risk. Subject to its investment objectives and policies, the Fund may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future. The Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including (i) possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (ii) possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and (iii) expenses of enforcing its rights. In addition, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Funds right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls Risk. The use of reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls involve many of the same risks involved in the use of leverage, as the proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls generally will be invested in additional securities. There is a risk that the market value of the
securities acquired in the reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but remains obligated to repurchase. In addition, there is a risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll were to file for bankruptcy or experience insolvency, the Fund may be adversely affected. Also, in entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the underlying securities. In addition, due to the interest costs associated with reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions, the Funds NAV will decline, and, in some cases, the Fund may be worse off than if it had not used such instruments.
Swap Risk. The Fund may also invest in credit default swaps, total return swaps, interest rate swaps and other types of swaps. Such transactions are subject to market risk, liquidity risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction, known as counterparty risk, regulatory risk and risk of imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets and may involve commissions or other costs. When buying protection under a credit default swap, the risk of market loss with respect to the swap generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. However, when selling protection under a swap, the risk of loss is often the notional value of the underlying asset, which can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. As a seller, the Fund would be incurring a form of leverage. The Fund will cover its swap positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time.
The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments ultimately will require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC determination of contracts for central clearing. The Adviser will continue to monitor these developments, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect a Funds ability to enter into swap agreements.
The swap market has matured in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid; however there is no guarantee that the swap market will continue to provide liquidity and may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The inability to close derivative positions also could have an adverse impact on the Funds ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates or currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used. In a total return swap, the Fund pays the counterparty a floating short-term interest rate and receives in exchange the total return of underlying loans or debt securities. The Fund bears the risk of default on the underlying loans or debt securities, based on the notional amount of the swap and, therefore, incurs a form of leverage. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation.
Options and Futures Risk. The Fund may utilize options and futures contracts and so-called synthetic options or other derivatives written by broker-dealers or other permissible financial intermediaries. Options transactions may be effected on securities exchanges or in the OTC market. When options are purchased OTC, the Funds portfolio bears the risk that the counterparty that wrote the option will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the option contract. Options may also be illiquid and, in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out its position. OTC options also may include options on baskets of specific securities.
The Fund may purchase call and put options on specific securities, and may write and sell covered or uncovered call and put options for hedging purposes in pursuing its investment objectives. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying security at a stated exercise price, typically at any time prior to the expiration of the option for American options or only at expiration for European options. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the underlying security at a stated exercise price, typically at any time prior to the expiration of the option. A covered call option is a call option with respect to which the seller of the option owns the underlying security. The sale of such an option exposes the seller during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or to possible continued holding of a security that might otherwise have been sold to protect against depreciation in the market price of the security. A covered put option is a put option with respect to which
cash or liquid securities have been placed in a segregated account on the books of or with a custodian to fulfill the obligation undertaken. The sale of such an option exposes the seller during the term of the option to a decline in price of the underlying security while depriving the seller of the opportunity to invest the segregated assets.
The Fund may close out a position when writing options by purchasing an option on the same underlying security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option that it has previously written on the security. In such a case, the Fund will realize a profit or loss if the amount paid to purchase an option is less or more than the amount received from the sale of the option.
Engaging in transactions in futures contracts and options involves risk of loss to the Fund. No assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses.
A market could become unavailable if one or more exchanges were to stop trading options or it could become unavailable with respect to options on a particular underlying security if the exchanges stopped trading options on that security. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events (e.g., volume exceeds clearing capability) were to interrupt normal exchange operations. If an options market were to become illiquid or otherwise unavailable, an option holder would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising and an options seller or writer would remain obligated until it is assigned an exercise or until the option expires.
If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is usually halted as well. Holders and writers of options will then be unable to close out their positions until options trading resumes, and they may be faced with considerable losses if the security reopens at a substantially different price. Even if options trading is halted, holders of options will generally be able to exercise them. However, if trading has also been halted in the underlying security, option holders face the risk of exercising options without knowing the securitys current market value. If exercises do occur when trading of the underlying security is halted, the party required to deliver the underlying security may be unable to obtain it, which may necessitate a postponed settlement and/or the fixing of cash settlement prices.
Investment Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of ETFs and other closed-end funds. Investments in ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to a variety of risks, including all of the risks of a direct investment in the underlying securities that the ETF or closed-end fund holds. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including, without limitation, the risk that their prices may not correlate perfectly with changes in the prices of the underlying securities they are designed to track, and the risk of trading in an ETF halting due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the exchange upon which the ETF trades. Shares of ETFs and closed-end funds may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV because the supply and demand in the market for their shares at any point in time may not be identical to the supply and demand in the market for their underlying securities. Some ETFs and closed-end funds are highly leveraged and therefore would subject the Fund to the additional risks associated with leverage. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk. In addition, the Fund may bear, along with other shareholders of an investment company, its pro rata portion of the investment companys expenses, including management fees. Accordingly, in addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Funds expenses, Common Shareholders may also indirectly bear similar expenses of an investment company.
Money Market Funds Risk. Money market funds may be subject to the risk that the returns will decline during periods of falling interest rates because money market funds may have to reinvest the proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations at interest rates below their current earnings rate. For instance, when interest rates decline, an issuer of debt obligations may exercise an option to redeem securities prior to maturity, thereby forcing the money market fund to invest in lower-yielding securities. A money market fund also may choose to sell higher-yielding portfolio securities and to purchase lower-yielding securities to achieve greater portfolio diversification, because the portfolio manager believes the current holdings are overvalued or for other investment-related reasons. A decline in the returns received by a money market fund from its investments is likely to have an adverse effect on its NAV, yield and total return.
Counterparty Risk. Certain Fund investments will be exposed to the credit risk of the counterparties with which, or the dealers, brokers and exchanges through which, the Fund deals, whether in exchange-traded or OTC transactions. The Fund may be subject to the risk of loss of Fund assets on deposit or being settled or cleared with a broker in the event of the brokers bankruptcy, the bankruptcy of any clearing broker through which the broker executes and clears transactions on behalf of the Fund, the bankruptcy of an exchange clearing house or the bankruptcy of any other counterparty. In the case of any such bankruptcy, the Fund might recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to the Fund, only a pro rata share of all property available for distribution to all of the counterpartys customers and counterparties. Such an amount may be less than the amounts owed to the Fund. Such events would have an adverse effect on the NAV of the Fund. Certain counterparties may have general custody of, or title to, the Funds assets (including, without limitation the Custodian). The failure of any such counterparty may result in adverse consequences to the NAV of the Fund. See Risk FactorsCounterparty Risk.
Counterparty and Prime Brokerage Risk. Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Funds prime brokers or counterparties with respect to derivatives or other transactions supported by another partys credit will affect the value of those instruments. Certain entities that have served as prime brokers or counterparties in the markets for these transactions have recently incurred significant financial hardships including bankruptcy and losses as a result of exposure to sub-prime mortgages and other lower quality credit investments that have experienced recent defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration. As a result, such hardships have reduced such entities capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such transactions. By using derivatives, swaps or other transactions, the Fund assumes the risk that its counterparties could experience similar financial hardships. If a prime broker or counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding; if the Funds claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such prime broker or counterparty and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying security. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.
Lender Liability Risk. A number of U.S. judicial decisions have upheld judgments obtained by Borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed lender liability. Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the Borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the Borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the Borrower or its other creditors or Common Shareholders. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder (i) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a Borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such Borrower; (ii) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors; (iii) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors; or (iv) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a Borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such Borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called equitable subordination.
Because affiliates of, or persons related to, the Adviser may hold equity or other interests in obligors of the Fund, the Fund could be exposed to claims for equitable subordination or lender liability or both based on such equity or other holdings.
Distressed Debt, Litigation, Bankruptcy and Other Proceedings. The Fund may be invested in debt securities and other obligations of companies that are experiencing significant financial or business distress. Investments in distressed securities involve a material risk of involving the Fund in a related litigation. Such litigation can be time-consuming and expensive, and can frequently lead to unpredicted delays or losses. Litigation expenses, including payments pursuant to settlements or judgments, generally will be borne by the Fund.
The Adviser may make investments for the Fund in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings. There are a number of significant risks when investing in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings, and many events in a
bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings which are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing may have adverse and permanent effects on a company. Further, if the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the liquidation value of the company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. In addition, the duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict. A creditors return on investment can be impacted adversely by delays while the plan of reorganization is being negotiated, approved by the creditors and confirmed by the bankruptcy court, and until it ultimately becomes effective. Certain claims, such as claims for taxes, wages and certain trade claims, may have priority by law over the claims of certain creditors and administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and will be paid out of the debtors estate prior to any return to creditors.
Certain fixed-income instruments invested in by the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal, state or non-U.S. bankruptcy laws or fraudulent transfer or conveyance laws, if such securities were issued with the intent of hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors or, in certain circumstances, if the issuer receives less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration in return for issuing such securities. If a court were to find that the issuance of the securities was a fraudulent transfer or conveyance, the court could void the payment obligations under the securities, further subordinate the securities to other existing and future indebtedness of the issuer or require the Fund to repay any amounts received by it with respect to the securities. In the event of a finding that a fraudulent transfer or conveyance occurred, the Fund may not receive any payment on the securities. If the Fund or the Adviser is found to have interfered with the affairs of a company in which the Fund holds a debt investment, to the detriment of other creditors or Common Shareholders of such company, the Fund may be held liable for damages to injured parties or a bankruptcy court. While the Fund will attempt to avoid taking the types of action that would lead to such liability, there can be no assurance that such claims will not be asserted or that the Fund will be able to successfully defend against them. Moreover, such debt may be disallowed or subordinated to the claims of other creditors or treated as equity. Where the Fund or the Adviser has representatives on the boards of a portfolio company, such involvement may also prevent the Fund from freely disposing of its debt investments and may subject the Fund to additional liability or result in re-characterization of its debt investments as equity.
Insofar as the Funds portfolio includes obligations of non-United States obligors, the laws of certain foreign jurisdictions may provide for avoidance remedies under factual circumstances similar to those described above or under different circumstances, with consequences that may or may not be analogous to those described above under U.S. federal or state laws. Changes in bankruptcy laws (including U.S. federal and state laws and applicable non-U.S. laws) may adversely impact the Funds securities.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics; and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its investment value (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its conversion value (the securitys worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income instrument. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. Although under normal market conditions longer-term
convertible debt securities have greater yields than do shorter-term convertible debt securities of similar quality, they are subject to greater price fluctuations. See Risk FactorsConvertible Securities Risk.
When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments. Securities may be purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. However, the return on a comparable security when the transaction is consummated may vary from the return on the security at the time that the forward commitment or when-issued transaction was made. From the time of entering into the transaction until delivery and payment is made at a later date, the securities that are the subject of the transaction are subject to market fluctuations. In forward commitment or when-issued transactions, if the seller or buyer, as the case may be, fails to consummate the transaction, the counterparty may miss the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. Forward commitment or when-issued transactions may occur a month or more before delivery is due. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction.
Equity Securities Risk. From time to time, the Fund may invest in or hold common stock and other equity securities. The value of equity securities, including common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, will fluctuate in response to factors affecting the particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. Prices of equity securities may fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. Moreover, in the event of a companys bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders, will have priority over claims of common stock holders and are likely to have varying types of priority over holders of preferred and convertible stock. These risks may increase fluctuations in the Funds NAV. If the Funds investments in equity securities are incidental to the Funds investments in loans or fixed-income instruments, the Fund frequently may possess material non-public information about a Borrower or issuer as a result of its ownership of a loan or fixed-income instrument of a Borrower or issuer. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities while in possession of material non-public information, the Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a security of the Borrower or issuer when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
U.S. Government Debt Securities Risk. U.S. government debt securities generally do not involve the credit risks associated with investments in other types of debt securities, although, as a result, the yields available from U.S. government debt securities are generally lower than the yields available from other securities. Like other debt securities, however, the values of U.S. government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the Funds NAV. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Funds average maturity is longer, under certain market conditions the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, accept lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities. In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) into conservatorship. As conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remains liable for all of its respective obligations, including guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. There is no assurance that the obligations of such entities will be satisfied in full, or that such obligations will not lose value or default. Any Fund investments issued by Federal Home Loan Banks and Fannie Mae may ultimately lose value.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. The Fund invests in securities or other instruments, including secured loans and unsecured loans, of non-U.S. issuers or Borrowers. Such investments involve certain factors not typically associated with investing in the United States or other developed countries, including risks relating to: (i) differences between U.S. and non-U.S. securities markets, including potential price volatility in and relative illiquidity of some non-U.S. securities markets; the absence of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices, and disclosure requirements; and less government supervision and regulation; (ii) other differences in law and regulation, including fewer investor protections, less stringent fiduciary duties, less developed bankruptcy laws and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations; (iii) certain economic and political risks, including potential economic, political or social instability; exchange control regulations; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital (possibly requiring government approval); expropriation or confiscatory taxation; higher rates
of inflation; and reliance on a more limited number of commodity inputs, service providers, and/or distribution mechanisms; and (iv) the possible imposition of foreign taxes on income and gains recognized with respect to securities and other assets. The risks of investments in emerging markets (if any), including the risks described above, are usually greater than the risks involved in investing in more developed markets. Because non-U.S. securities may trade on days when the Funds common shares are not priced, the Funds NAV may change at times when common shares cannot be sold.
Emerging Markets Risk. Because of less developed markets and economies and, in some countries, less mature governments and governmental institutions, the risks of investing in foreign securities set forth above can be intensified in the case of investments in issuers domiciled or doing substantial business in emerging market countries. These risks include high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries; political and social uncertainties; over-dependence on exports, especially with respect to primary commodities, making these economies vulnerable to changes in commodity prices; overburdened infrastructure and obsolete or unseasoned financial systems; environmental problems; less developed legal systems; and less reliable custodial services and settlement practices. Investing in securities of companies in emerging markets also may entail risks of expropriation, nationalization, confiscation or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investment, the lack of hedging instruments, and the repatriation of capital invested. Emerging securities markets are substantially smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets. The limited size of emerging securities markets and limited trading value compared to the volume of trading in U.S. securities could cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the quality of the securities. For example, limited market size may cause prices to be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions.
Foreign Currency Risk. Investments made by the Fund, and the income received by the Fund with respect to such investments, may be denominated in various non-U.S. currencies. However, the books of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, changes in currency values may adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of portfolio investments, interest and other revenue streams received by the Fund, gains and losses realized on the sale of portfolio investments, and the amount of distributions, if any, made by the Fund. In addition, the Fund will incur costs in converting investment proceeds from one currency to another. The Fund may enter into derivative transactions designed to reduce such currency risks. Furthermore, the portfolio companies in which the Fund invests may be subject to risks relating to changes in currency values, as described above. If a portfolio company suffers adverse consequences as a result of such changes, the Fund may also be adversely affected as a result.
Eurozone Risk. The Fund may invest from time to time in European companies and companies that have operations that may be affected by the Eurozone economy For example, concerns regarding the sovereign debt of various Eurozone countries and proposals for investors to incur substantial write-downs and reductions in the face value of certain countries sovereign debt have given rise to new concerns about sovereign defaults, following the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union (EU) and the possibility that one or more further countries might leave the EU or the Eurozone and various proposals (still under consideration and unclear in material respects) for support of affected countries and the Euro as a currency. The outcome of this situation cannot yet be predicted. Sovereign debt defaults and EU and/or Eurozone exits, could have material adverse effects on investments by the Fund in European companies, including but not limited to the availability of credit to support such companies financing needs, uncertainty and disruption in relation to financing, customer and supply contracts denominated in the Euro and wider economic disruption in markets served by those companies, while austerity and other measures introduced in order to limit or contain these issues may themselves lead to economic contraction and resulting adverse effects for the Fund. It is possible that a number of the Funds securities will be denominated in the Euro. Legal uncertainty about the funding of Euro denominated obligations following any breakup or exits from the Eurozone (particularly in the case of investments in companies in affected countries) could also have material adverse effects on the Fund.
On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted, via referendum, to exit from the EU, triggering political, economic and legal uncertainty. While such uncertainty most directly affects the United Kingdom and the EU, global markets suffered immediate and significant disruption. On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom made a formal notification to the European Council under Article 50 of the Treaty on EU, which triggers a two year period during which the terms of an exit will be negotiated. The United Kingdom and the EU are therefore entering a period of legal, regulatory and political uncertainty. The United Kingdoms exit from the EU will impact the Fund and its
investments (and their underlying issuers) in a variety of ways, not all of which are currently readily apparent immediately following the exit vote. The Fund may invest in portfolio companies and other issuers with significant operations and/or assets in the United Kingdom, any of which could be adversely impacted by any new legal, tax and regulatory environment, whether by increased costs or impediments to the implementation of their business plan.
European Market Infrastructure Regulation. The Fund may enter into OTC derivative contracts for hedging purposes. European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) establishes certain requirements for OTC derivatives contracts, including mandatory clearing obligations, bilateral risk management requirements and reporting requirements. Although not all the regulatory technical standards specifying the risk management procedures, including the levels and type of collateral and segregation arrangements, required to give effect to EMIR have been finalized and it is therefore not possible to be definitive, investors should be aware that certain provisions of EMIR impose obligations on the Fund in relation to its transaction of OTC derivative contracts.
Legal and Regulatory Risk. Legal and regulatory changes could occur which may materially adversely affect the Fund. The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. securities and futures markets and investment funds such as the Fund has undergone substantial change in recent years, and such change may continue.
The Dodd-Frank Act contains changes to the existing regulatory structure in the United States and is intended to establish rigorous oversight standards to protect the U.S. economy and American consumers, investors and businesses, including provisions that would significantly alter the regulation of commodity interests and comprehensively regulate the OTC derivatives markets for the first time in the United States. The Dodd-Frank Act and the rules that have been or will be promulgated thereunder by relevant regulators may negatively impact the ability of the Fund to meet its investment objectives either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. The implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act will occur over a period of time, and it is unknown in what form, when and in what order significant regulatory initiatives may be implemented or the impact any such implemented regulations will have on the Fund, the markets or instruments in which the Fund invests or the counterparties with which the Fund conducts business. The effect of the Dodd-Frank Act or other regulatory change on the Fund, while impossible to predict, could be substantial, adverse and potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use derivative instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. In addition, the practice of short selling has been the subject of numerous temporary restrictions, and similar restrictions may be promulgated at any time. Such restrictions may adversely affect the returns of the Fund.
In Europe, the Financial Stability Board, which monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system, issued a report in October 2011 that recommended strengthening oversight and regulation of the so-called shadow banking system in Europe, broadly described as credit intermediation involving entities and activities outside the regular banking system. The report outlined initial steps to define the scope of the shadow banking system and proposed general governing principles for a monitoring and regulatory framework. While at this stage it is difficult to predict the scope of any new regulations, if such regulations were to extend the regulatory and supervisory requirements, such as capital and liquidity standards, currently applicable to banks, or the Fund was considered to be engaged in shadow banking, the regulatory and operating costs associated therewith could adversely impact the implementation of the Funds investment strategy and returns and may become prohibitive.
OFAC and FCPA Considerations. Economic sanction laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may prohibit the Adviser, its affiliates or the Fund from transacting with certain countries, individuals and companies. In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers and enforces laws, executive orders and regulations establishing U.S. economic and trade sanctions, which prohibit, among other things, transactions with, and the provision of services to, certain non-U.S. countries, territories, entities and individuals. These types of sanctions may significantly restrict or completely prohibit investment activities in certain jurisdictions, and if the Fund, its portfolio companies or other issuers in which it invests were to violate any such laws or regulations, it may face significant legal and monetary penalties.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, may also apply to and restrict the activities of the Fund, their portfolio companies and other issuers of their investments. If an issuer or the
Fund were to violate any such laws or regulations, such issuer or the Fund may face significant legal and monetary penalties. The U.S. government has indicated that it is particularly focused on FCPA enforcement, which may increase the risk that an issuer or the Fund becomes the subject of such actual or threatened enforcement. In addition, certain commentators have suggested that private investment firms and the funds that they manage, such as the Fund, may face increased scrutiny and/or liability with respect to the activities of their underlying portfolio companies. As such, a violation of the FCPA or other applicable regulations by the Fund or an issuer of the Funds portfolio investments could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates and the Fund are committed to complying with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, to which they are subject. As a result, the Fund may be adversely affected because of its unwillingness to enter into transactions that violate any such laws or regulations.
Event Driven Investing. The Fund may invest in companies in expectation of a specific event or catalyst, which may be external (e.g., a macro event impacting relevant markets) or an event that is idiosyncratic to the company (e.g., a future capital markets event). Such event-driven investing requires the investor to make predictions about (i) the likelihood that an event will occur and (ii) the impact such event will have on the value of the Funds investment in the relevant company. If the event fails to occur or it does not have the effect foreseen, losses can result. For example, the adoption of new business strategies or completion of asset dispositions or debt reduction programs by a company may not be valued as highly by the market as the Adviser had anticipated, resulting in losses. In addition, a company may announce a plan of restructuring which promises to enhance value and fail to implement it, resulting in losses to investors. In liquidations and other forms of corporate reorganization, the risk exists that the reorganization either will be unsuccessful, will be delayed or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security, the value of which will be less than the purchase price to the Fund of the investment in respect of which such distribution was made. See Risk FactorsEvent Driven Investing.
Valuation Risk. Unlike publicly traded common stock which trades on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans or fixed-income instruments to trade. Loans and fixed-income instruments generally trade on an OTC market which may be anywhere in the world where the buyer and seller can settle on a price. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, the valuation of loans or fixed-income instruments may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial market, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. In addition, other market participants may value securities differently than the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that when a loan or fixed-income instrument is sold in the market, the amount received by the Fund is less than the value of such loans or fixed-income instruments carried on the Funds books. See Risk FactorsValuation Risk.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest without limit in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid. The Fund may also invest in restricted securities. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Funds assets invested in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities.
Illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid and restricted securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets. The Advisers judgment may play a greater role in the valuation process. Investment of the Funds assets in illiquid and restricted securities may restrict the Funds ability to take advantage of market opportunities. In order to dispose of an unregistered security, the Fund, where it has contractual rights to do so, may have to cause such security to be registered. A considerable period may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the time the security is registered, thereby enabling the Fund to sell it. Contractual restrictions on the resale of securities vary in length and scope and are generally the result of a negotiation between the issuer and acquiror of the securities. In either case, the Fund would bear market risks during that period.
Some loans and fixed-income instruments are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Loans and fixed-income instruments may not be listed on any national securities exchange and no active trading market may exist for certain of the loans and fixed-income instruments in which the Fund invests. Where a secondary market exists, the market for some loans and fixed-income instruments may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. In addition, events occurring subsequent to an
investment by the Fund, including, for example, withdrawals, changes in market, political or other relevant circumstances, may cause some loans and fixed-income instruments that were liquid at the time of acquisition to become illiquid or otherwise cause the Funds concentration in illiquid investments to increase. See Risk FactorsLiquidity Risk.
Inflation/Deflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of certain assets or income from the Funds investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the common shares and distributions on the common shares can decline. In addition, during any periods of rising inflation, the dividend rates or borrowing costs associated with the Funds use of leverage would likely increase, which would tend to further reduce returns to Common Shareholders.
Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over timethe opposite of inflation. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer defaults more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Funds portfolio. See Risk FactorsInflation/Deflation Risk.
Conflicts of Interest Risk. The Adviser will experience conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund, relating to the allocation of the Advisers time and resources between the Fund and other investment activities; the allocation of investment opportunities by the Adviser and its affiliates; compensation to the Adviser; services that may be provided by the Adviser and its affiliates to issuers in which the Fund invests; investments by the Fund and other clients of the Adviser, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act; the formation of additional investment funds by the Adviser; differing recommendations given by the Adviser to the Fund versus other clients; and the Advisers use of information gained from issuers in the Funds portfolio to aid investments by other clients, subject to applicable law.
In addition, the Advisers investment professionals may acquire confidential or material, non-public information concerning an entity in which the Fund has invested, or propose to invest, and the possession of such information may limit the Advisers ability to buy or sell particular securities of such entity on behalf of the Fund, thereby limiting the investment opportunities or exit strategies available to the Fund. In addition, holdings in the securities of an issuer by the Adviser or its affiliates may affect the ability of the Fund to make certain acquisitions of, or enter into certain transactions with, such issuer. Broker-dealers and investment advisers affiliated with the Adviser may also acquire confidential or material non-public information concerning entities in which the Fund has invested or proposes to invest, which could restrict the Advisers ability to buy or sell (or otherwise transact in) securities of such entities, thus limiting investment opportunities or exit strategies available to the Fund. See Risk FactorsConflicts of Interest Risk and Conflicts of Interest.
Uncertain Tax Treatment. The Fund may invest a portion of its net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount (OID) or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund to the extent necessary in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to ensure that it does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Complex Transactions/Contingent Liabilities/Guarantees and Indemnities. The Adviser may pursue complex investment opportunities for the Fund, which may involve substantial business, regulatory or legal complexity. Such complexity presents risks, as such transactions can be more difficult, expensive and time-consuming to finance and execute; it can be more difficult to manage or realize value from the assets acquired in such transactions; and such transactions sometimes entail a higher level of regulatory scrutiny or a greater risk of contingent liabilities. Additionally, in connection with certain transactions, the Fund may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of a portfolio company, provide guarantees in respect of payments by portfolio companies and other third parties and provide indemnities against losses caused by portfolio companies and other third parties. The Fund may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations are inaccurate. These arrangements may result in the incurrence of contingent liabilities by the Fund, even after the disposition of an investment and ultimately in material losses. See Risk FactorsComplex Transactions/Contingent Liabilities/Guarantees and Indemnities.
Availability of Investment Opportunities; Competition. The activity of identifying, completing and realizing the types of investment opportunities targeted by the Adviser for the Fund is highly competitive and involves a significant degree of uncertainty.
The Fund competes for investment opportunities with other investment companies and private investment vehicles, as well as the public debt markets, individuals and financial institutions, including investment banks, commercial banks and insurance companies, business development companies, strategic industry acquirers, hedge funds and other institutional investors, investing directly or through affiliates. Over the past several years, a number of such investment vehicles have been formed (and many such existing entities have grown in size). Additional entities with similar investment objectives may be formed in the future by other unrelated parties. It is possible that competition for appropriate investment opportunities may increase, thus reducing the number of opportunities available to the Fund. Such supply-side competition may adversely affect the terms upon which investments can be made by the Fund. Moreover, transaction sponsors unaffiliated with the Fund or KKR may be reluctant to present investment opportunities to the Fund because of its affiliation with KKR. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will be able to locate and complete investments which satisfy the Funds primary investment objectives or to realize upon their values. See Risk FactorsAvailability of Investment Opportunities; Competition.
Dependence on Key Personnel Risk. The Adviser depends on the efforts, skills, reputations and business contacts of its key personnel, the information and deal flow they and others generate during the normal course of their activities and the synergies among the diverse fields of expertise and knowledge held by the Advisers professionals. The loss of the services of any of them could have a material adverse effect on the Fund and could harm the Advisers ability to manage the Fund.
The Advisers principals and other key personnel possess substantial experience and expertise and have strong business relationships with members of the business community. The loss of these personnel could jeopardize the Advisers relationships with members of the business community and could result in fewer investment opportunities for the Fund. For example, if any of the Advisers principals were to join or form a competing firm, the Funds results and financial condition could suffer. See Risk FactorsDependence on Key Personnel Risk.
Material Risks of Significant Methods of Analysis. The Adviser seeks to conduct reasonable and appropriate due diligence based on the facts and circumstances applicable to each investment. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding an investment for the Fund, the Adviser relies on available resources, including information provided by the target of the investment and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. As a result, the due diligence process may at times be subjective with respect to companies for which only limited information is available. Accordingly, the Adviser cannot be certain that due diligence investigations with respect to any investment opportunity for the Fund will reveal or highlight all relevant facts (including fraud) that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity, or that its due diligence investigations will result in investments for the Fund being successful. There can be no assurance that the projected results of an investment opportunity will be achieved for the Fund, and actual results may vary significantly from the projections. General economic, natural, and other conditions, which are not predictable, can have an adverse impact on the reliability of such projections. Assumptions or projections about asset lives; the stability, growth, or predictability of costs; demand; or revenues generated by an investment or other factors associated therewith may, due to various risks and uncertainties including those described herein, differ materially from actual results. See Risk FactorsMaterial Risks of Significant Methods of Analysis.
Market Developments. Periods of market volatility remain, and may continue to occur in the future, in response to various political, social and economic events both within and outside of the United States. Instability in the credit markets may make it more difficult for a number of issuers of debt securities to obtain financing or refinancing for their investment or lending activities or operations. In particular, because of volatile conditions in the credit markets, issuers of debt securities may be subject to increased cost for debt, tightening underwriting standards and reduced liquidity for loans they make, securities they purchase and securities they issue.
For example, certain Borrowers may, due to macroeconomic conditions, be unable to repay secured loans. A Borrowers failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of the secured loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the Borrowers ability to meet its obligations under its debt securities. The
Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting Borrower. In addition, if one of the Borrowers were to commence bankruptcy proceedings, even though the Fund may have structured its interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize the Funds debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of its claim to that of other creditors. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of the Funds loans and the value of its equity investments. A recession could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and the value of the Funds assets.
These developments may increase the volatility of the value of securities owned by the Fund. These developments also may make it more difficult for the Fund to accurately value its securities or to sell its securities on a timely basis. These developments could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to use leverage for investment purposes and increase the cost of such leverage, which would reduce returns to the holders of common shares. These developments also may adversely affect the broader economy, which in turn may adversely affect the ability of issuers of securities owned by the Fund to make payments of principal and interest when due, leading to lower credit ratings of the issuer and increased defaults by the issuer. Such developments could, in turn, reduce the value of securities owned by the Fund and adversely affect the NAV and market price of the Funds common shares. See Risk FactorsMarket Developments.
Market Disruptions from Natural Disasters or Geopolitical Risks. Political instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, the ongoing epidemics of infectious diseases in certain parts of the world, terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord, debt crises (such as the Greek crisis), sovereign debt downgrades, or the exit or potential exit of one or more countries from the EU (such as the UK) or the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), among others, may result in market volatility, may have long term effects on the United States and worldwide financial markets, and may cause further economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. The Fund cannot predict the effects of natural disasters or geopolitical events in the future on the economy and securities markets. See Risk FactorsMarket Disruption from Natural Disasters or Geopolitical Risks.
Government Intervention in the Financial Markets. During the global financial crisis, the U.S. government took a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take additional actions that affect the regulation of the securities or structured products in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities or structured products, in ways that are unforeseeable. Borrowers under secured loans held by the Fund may seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Funds ability to achieve its investment objectives. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Funds investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. See Risk FactorsGovernment Intervention in the Financial Markets.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Funds annual portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year, as well as within a given year. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, it is not expected to exceed 100% under normal circumstances. However, portfolio turnover rate is not considered a limiting factor in the execution of investment decisions for the Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to Common Shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. A high portfolio turnover may increase the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits, resulting in a greater portion of the Funds distributions being treated as a dividend to the Funds Common Shareholders. In addition, a higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. See Investment Objectives and Investment StrategiesInvestment PoliciesPortfolio Turnover and Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
Anti-Takeover Provisions. The Funds Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (Declaration of Trust) includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could deprive the holders of common shares of opportunities to sell their common shares at a premium over the then current market price of the common shares or at NAV. See Risk
FactorsAnti-Takeover Provisions and Description of Capital StructureAnti-Takeover and Certain Other Provisions in the Declaration of Trust.
Risks Relating to Funds RIC Status. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs and their shareholders under the Code, the Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. Very generally, in order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in stock or other securities and currencies. The Fund must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of each of its taxable years. Failure to meet these diversification requirements on the last day of a quarter may result in the Fund having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices or times, and may result in substantial losses to the Fund. In addition, in order to be eligible for the special tax treatment accorded RICs, the Fund must meet the annual distribution requirement, requiring it to distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (generally its taxable ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any) and its net tax-exempt income (if any), to its shareholders. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any reason and becomes subject to corporate tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce its net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of its distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on the Fund and its Shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions in order to re-qualify as a RIC.
RIC-Related Risks of Investments Generating Non-Cash Taxable Income. Certain of the Funds investments will require the Fund to recognize taxable income in a taxable year in excess of the cash generated on those investments during that year. In particular, the Fund invests in loans and other debt obligations that will be treated as having market discount and/or OID for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Because the Fund may be required to recognize income in respect of these investments before, or without receiving, cash representing such income, the Fund may have difficulty satisfying the annual distribution requirements applicable to RICs and avoiding Fund-level U.S. federal income and/or excise taxes. Accordingly, the Fund may be required to sell assets, including at potentially disadvantageous times or prices, borrow, raise additional equity capital, make taxable distributions of its shares or debt securities, or reduce new investments, to obtain the cash needed to make these income distributions. If the Fund liquidates assets to raise cash, the Fund may realize gain or loss on such liquidations; in the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such liquidation transactions, its Common Shareholders may receive larger capital gain distributions than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Cybersecurity. Increased reliance on internet-based programs and applications to conduct transactions and store data creates growing operational and security risks. Targeted cyber-attacks or accidental events can lead to breaches in computer and data systems security, and subsequent unauthorized access to sensitive transactional and personal information held or maintained by KKR, its affiliates, and third party service providers or counterparties. Any breaches that occur could result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality, or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to investors and the beneficial owners of investors, and may lead to theft, data corruption, or overall disruption in operational systems. Criminals may use data taken in breaches in identity theft, obtaining loans or payments under false identities and other crimes that have the potential to affect the value of assets in which the Fund invests. These risks have the potential to disrupt KKRs ability to engage in transactions, cause direct financial loss and reputational damage or lead to violations of applicable laws related to data and privacy protection and consumer protection. Cybersecurity risks also necessitate ongoing prevention and compliance costs.
Misconduct of Employees and of Third-Party Service Providers. Misconduct by employees of the Adviser or by third-party service providers could cause significant losses to the Fund. Employee misconduct may include binding the Fund to transactions that exceed authorized limits or present unacceptable risks and unauthorized investment activities or concealing unsuccessful investment activities (which, in either case, may result in unknown and unmanaged risks or losses). Losses could also result from actions by third-party service providers, including, without limitation, failing to recognize trades and misappropriating assets. In addition, employees and third-party service providers may improperly use or disclose confidential information, which could result in litigation or serious financial harm, including limiting the Funds business prospects or future marketing activities. No assurances can be given that the due diligence performed by the Adviser will identify or prevent any such misconduct.
SUMMARY OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables are intended to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses directly or indirectly associated with investing in our common shares as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares. Amounts are for the current fiscal year after giving effect to anticipated net proceeds of the offering, assuming that we incur the estimated offering expenses.
Common Shareholder Transaction Expenses
Sales Load Paid By You (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
%(1) |
Offering Expenses borne by the Fund (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
%(1) |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees |
|
None |
(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
[·] |
%(4) |
Interest Expenses and Payments on Borrowing |
|
[·] |
%(5) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(6) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(1) Estimated maximum amount based on offering of $[·] million in common shares. The estimates assume a [·]% sales load on common shares and $[·] in common offering expenses. Actual sales loads and offering expenses may be higher or lower than these estimates and will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, if applicable.
(2) You will pay brokerage charges if you direct U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, as agent for the holders of the common shares, to sell your common shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(3) The table presented below in this footnote 3 estimates what the Funds annual expenses would be, stated as percentages of the Funds net assets attributable to common shares, but, unlike the table above, assumes that the Fund does not utilize leverage. See Leverage. In accordance with these assumptions, the Funds expenses would be estimated to be as follows:
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
1.10 |
%(4) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(6) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(4) The Adviser will receive a monthly Management Fee at an annual rate of 1.10% of the average daily value of the Funds Managed Assets. Consequently, since the Fund has borrowings outstanding, the Management Fee as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares is higher than if the Fund did not utilize leverage.
(5) Assumes the use of leverage through a credit facility representing 331/3% of Managed Assets at an annual interest rate expense to the Fund of [·]%, which is based on the interest rate currently applicable under the Funds existing credit facility and an assumption that if the Fund issues an additional $[·] in common shares it will increase the amount of its credit facility from $[·] to $[·]. The Fund may use other forms of leverage,
which may be subject to different interest expenses than those estimated above. The actual amount of interest expense borne by the Fund will vary over time in accordance with the level of the Funds use of leverage and variations in market interest rates.
(6) The Other Expenses shown in the table above and related footnotes are based upon estimated expenses for the current fiscal year assuming completion of the proposed issuances.
Example
The following example illustrates the expenses (including the sales load of $[·] and estimated offering expenses of this offering of $[·]), that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in common shares, assuming (1) total net annual expenses of [·]% of net assets attributable to common shares and (2) a 5% annual return.* The actual amounts in connection with the offering will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, if applicable.
1 Year |
|
3 Years |
|
5 Years |
|
10 Years |
| ||||
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
* The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. The example assumes that the estimated Other expenses set forth in the Total Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at NAV. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Funds actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The selected data below sets forth the per share operating performance and ratios for the periods presented. The financial information was derived from and should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements of the Fund and Notes thereto, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the SAI. The financial information for the four fiscal years ended October 31, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 has been audited by [·], the Funds independent registered public accounting firm, whose unqualified report on such Financial Statements is incorporated by reference into the SAI.
|
|
Period Ended |
|
Year Ended |
|
Year Ended |
|
Year Ended |
|
Period Ended |
| |||||
|
|
April 30, 2017 |
|
October 31, |
|
October 31, |
|
October 31, |
|
October 31, |
| |||||
|
|
(Unaudited) |
|
2016 |
|
2015 |
|
2014 |
|
2013* |
| |||||
Per share operating performance(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Net asset value, beginning of period/year |
|
$ |
17.67 |
|
$ |
17.11 |
|
$ |
18.98 |
|
$ |
19.56 |
|
$ |
19.06 |
|
Income from operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Net investment income |
|
0.82 |
|
1.61 |
|
1.47 |
|
1.48 |
|
0.27 |
| |||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, forward foreign currency contracts, foreign currency transactions and deferred Trustees fees |
|
0.71 |
|
0.45 |
|
(1.69 |
) |
(0.40 |
) |
0.36 |
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Total income from operations |
|
1.53 |
|
2.06 |
|
(0.22 |
) |
1.08 |
|
0.63 |
| |||||
Dividends from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Net investment income |
|
(0.84 |
) |
(1.50 |
) |
(1.51 |
) |
(1.62 |
) |
(0.13 |
) | |||||
Net realized gains |
|
|
|
|
|
(0.10 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
|
| |||||
Return of Capital |
|
|
|
|
|
(0.04 |
) |
|
|
|
| |||||
Total dividends |
|
(0.84 |
) |
(1.50 |
) |
(1.65 |
) |
(1.66 |
) |
(0.13 |
) | |||||
Market price, end of period/year |
|
$ |
18.36 |
|
$ |
17.67 |
|
$ |
17.11 |
|
$ |
18.98 |
|
$ |
19.56 |
|
Total return# |
|
16.57 |
% |
17.10 |
% |
(6.50 |
)% |
7.95 |
% |
(10.07 |
)% | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Ratios to average net assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Expenses |
|
2.73 |
%** |
2.68 |
% |
2.46 |
% |
2.29 |
% |
2.32 |
%** | |||||
Net investment income |
|
9.28 |
%** |
9.79 |
% |
8.23 |
% |
7.57 |
% |
5.36 |
%** | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Supplemental data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Market value/price |
|
$ |
17.38 |
|
$ |
15.68 |
|
$ |
14.82 |
|
$ |
17.58 |
|
$ |
17.86 |
|
Price premium/(discount) |
|
(5.34 |
)% |
(11.26 |
)% |
(13.38 |
)% |
(7.38 |
)% |
(8.69 |
)% | |||||
Net assets, end of period/year (000s) |
|
$ |
280,133 |
|
$ |
269,492 |
|
$ |
261,004 |
|
$ |
289,474 |
|
$ |
298,425 |
|
Portfolio turnover rate |
|
47.35 |
% |
82.48 |
% |
73.33 |
% |
65.35 |
% |
11.75 |
% |
(1) Per share calculations were performed using average shares.
* Commenced operations on July 25, 2013.
** Annualized.
Total return and portfolio turnover rate are for the period indicated and have not been annualized.
# Total return is computed based on NYSE market price of the Funds shares and excludes the effect of brokerage commissions. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested at the prices obtained under the Funds dividend reinvestment plan.
THE FUND
KKR Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). The Fund was organized as a statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 17, 2011. The Fund commenced operations on July 25, 2013. The Funds principal office is located at 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, and its telephone number is (415) 315-3620.
USE OF PROCEEDS
KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) expects that it will initially invest the proceeds of the offering in temporary investments. The Adviser anticipates that the investment of the proceeds will be made in accordance with the Funds investment objective and policies as appropriate investment opportunities are identified, which is expected to substantially be completed within three months; however, changes in market conditions could result in the Funds anticipated investment period extending to as long as six months.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Investment Objectives
The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or be able to structure its investment portfolio as anticipated.
Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by employing a dynamic strategy of investing in a targeted portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and implementing hedging strategies in order to seek to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets in loans and fixed-income instruments or other instruments, including derivative instruments, with similar economic characteristics (the 80% Policy). Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund invests primarily in first- and second-lien secured loans, unsecured loans, and high-yield corporate debt instruments of varying maturities. The Fund tactically and dynamically allocates its assets in varying types of credit instruments based on its analysis of the credit markets, which may result in the Funds portfolio becoming concentrated in a particular type of credit instrument (such as senior secured floating rate and fixed-rate loans (Senior Loans) or corporate bonds) and substantially less invested in other types of credit instruments. The instruments in which the Fund invests may be rated investment grade or below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or unrated. The Funds investments in below investment grade loans and fixed-income instruments are commonly referred to as high-yield or junk instruments and are considered speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of financially troubled companies (sometimes known as stressed or distressed securities). The Fund also may invest in common stocks and other equity securities, including preferred stocks. The Fund seeks to tactically and dynamically allocate capital across companies capital structures where the Adviser believes its due diligence process has identified compelling investment opportunities, including where the Adviser has identified issuer distress, event-driven misvaluations of securities or capital market inefficiencies.
The Fund may invest in any one or in any combination of fixed-rate and floating rate fixed-income instruments; listed and unlisted corporate debt obligations; convertible securities; collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), collateralized bond and collateralized loan obligations; bank obligations; U.S. government securities, and debt issued by or on behalf of states, territories, and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia); preferred securities and trust preferred securities; structured securities; and when-issued securities and forward commitments. The Fund may engage in short sales for investment and risk management purposes. The Fund may also invest in securities of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to the extent permitted by law. The Adviser will periodically rebalance the Funds allocation of assets among different types of credit instruments based on absolute and relative value considerations and its analysis of the credit markets in order to seek to optimize the Funds allocation to credit instruments that the Adviser believes are positioned to contribute to the achievement of the Funds investment objectives under the market conditions existing at the time of investment.
The Adviser, a subsidiary of KKR & Co. L.P. (together with the Adviser and its other affiliates, KKR), utilizes KKRs global network of resources, due diligence skills, intellectual capital and experience in investing to seek to achieve the Funds investment objectives. The Adviser employs a fundamentally-driven investment philosophy which is based on deep credit underwriting and rigorous financial analysis. Because KKR has deep experience in credit and private equity underwriting, the Advisers investment approach is designed to incorporate valuable characteristics of both. The Adviser will seek to reallocate the portfolio of the Fund to opportunistically emphasize those investments, categories of investments and geographic exposures believed to be best suited to the current investment and interest rate environment and market outlook. The Fund invests globally in U.S. and non-U.S. issuers obligations, including those of emerging market issuers, and such obligations may be U.S. dollar denominated as well as non-U.S. dollar denominated.
In pursuing its investment objectives or for hedging purposes, the Fund may engage in short selling and may invest in various types of derivatives, including structured products, swaps, forward contracts, futures contracts and options. Derivative instruments will be counted toward the 80% Policy to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within the 80% Policy.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or be able to structure its investment portfolio as anticipated. The Funds investment objectives and investment strategies are not fundamental, unless otherwise noted in the Funds Statement of Additional Information (SAI), and can be changed without the vote of the Funds holders of common shares (Common Shareholders) by the Board.
The Adviser believes that changing investment and interest rate environments over time offer attractive investment opportunities in the markets for credit obligations, as well as varying degrees of investment risk. To both capitalize on attractive investments and effectively manage potential risk, the Adviser believes that the combination of a thorough and continuous credit analysis (including an analysis of an issuers ability to make loan or debt payments when due) and the ability to reallocate the portfolio of the Fund among different categories of investments at different points in the credit cycle (i.e., the cycle between overall positive economic environments and less positive economic environments for credit obligations) is critical to achieving higher risk-adjusted returns, including higher current income and/or capital appreciation, relative to other high-yielding investments. The Adviser will seek to reallocate the portfolio of the Fund to opportunistically emphasize those investments, geographies and categories of investments best suited to the current investment and interest rate environment and market outlook.
As part of its investment strategy, the Fund may sell short positions in investments that the Adviser believes will underperform, due to a greater sensitivity to earnings growth of the issuer, default risk and interest rates. The Fund may sell short certain securities, including, but not limited to, U.S. Treasuries, investment grade and high-yield corporate bonds, either for investment and/or hedging and/or financing purposes. The Adviser expects that most of its short investments will be in U.S. Treasuries and investment grade bonds. Because these securities have historically low upward volatility, this may serve to reduce the Funds risk of loss from short sales. Short positions in high-yield corporate bonds will have a fixed coupon and may have a longer duration and weighted average life than loan investments. The Adviser does not currently anticipate engaging in short sales on loans, but may do so if an active market for selling loans short develops in the future.
The Fund may also use credit default swaps to express a negative credit view on a loan or other investment. If the Fund purchases protection under a credit default swap and no credit event occurs on the reference obligation, the
Fund will have made a series of periodic payments and recover nothing of monetary value. However, if a credit event occurs on the reference obligation, the Fund (if the buyer of protection) will receive the full notional value of the reference obligation through a cash payment in exchange for the reference obligation or alternatively, a cash payment representing the difference between the expected recovery rate and the full notional value.
During an expanding or normal economic cycle, the strategy of buying U.S. and foreign loans and fixed-income instruments that are rated below investment grade is designed to generate a consistent level of monthly income and capital appreciation. However, during general economy or market downturns, the short strategy of having sold borrowed securities that the Adviser believes could decline in price may help lessen the impact of a significant decline in the value of the Funds long holdings.
The Funds portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year. The Fund generally expects, under normal market conditions, its portfolio turnover to be up to 100%. Because it is difficult to predict accurately portfolio turnover rates, actual turnover may be higher or lower. A high portfolio turnover rate increases a funds transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which would adversely impact a funds performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if a fund had lower portfolio turnover.
Investment Philosophy
With more than 190 employees, including approximately 95 investment professionals, the Adviser has deep expertise in the global credit markets and in investing in corporate debt across a range of industries. The Advisers investment professionals manage and evaluate credit opportunities across capital structures, and they provide access to an established platform for evaluating investments, managing risk and focusing on opportunities that seek to generate attractive returns with appropriate levels of risk. This platform allows for intensive due diligence to filter investment opportunities and help select investments that the Adviser believes offer the most favorable risk/reward characteristics.
The Advisers investment approach is to be flexible in how the Fund invests once the Adviser has identified macro catalysts (including macroeconomic events or trends that may create market inefficiencies, such as a lack of financial market following of an industry or sector, a misunderstanding in the market of a particular issuer or an industry falling out of favor with the investor community) or idiosyncratic events (including unexpected developments that impact an issuer or its industry, such as changes in applicable regulatory regimes, litigation or management turmoil). The Adviser believes that this dynamic creates an opportunity for closed-end investment companies, like the Fund, to earn very attractive risk-adjusted returns by taking on incremental credit and liquidity risk. The Adviser generally focuses on corporate opportunities and invests in fixed-income and equity securities in order to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns. The Adviser generally seeks to invest in companies where it has what it regards as a differentiated view through its proprietary research and due diligence capabilities, including, for example, where the Adviser has performed detailed due diligence on the relevant company or its competitors, service providers or industry.
The Adviser is part of the broader KKR organization. KKR is a long-term fundamental investor focused on producing attractive risk-adjusted returns. Within the Funds investment strategies specifically, KKR seeks out complexity, dislocation and uncertainty, which it believes creates attractive risk/reward opportunities in the marketplace. KKR believes that its credit platform is differentiated by:
· a One-Firm approach to investing, which integrates KKRs resources across regions and asset classes and KKRs history of investing across more than three decades of economic cycles and market fluctuations;
· a global presence, where KKR is local in major markets in North America, Europe and Asia, enhancing the Advisers ability to identify market dislocations early, move capital to the most attractive regions and efficiently and effectively execute on corresponding investment opportunities;
· approximately 70 industry-aligned investment professionals who provide the Adviser with comprehensive views on a broad range of industries and sectors, conduct due diligence and monitor investments;
· a stressed and distressed investments team housed within the Adviser, located in San Francisco, New York and London, that has extensive experience in identifying, evaluating and structuring investments up and down the capital structure from secured debt to equity and bespoke structured credits;
· a global macro and asset allocation team, which provides the Adviser with research and outlooks on the changing dynamics in the global economy. This capability augments research conducted by its investment professionals and helps the Adviser to quickly develop formal macro views in its due diligence, whether around broad macro themes or specific regional, country or market opportunities;
· dynamic trading ability, which allows the Adviser to move quickly into liquid credit and equity markets and take advantage of real-time market movements and dislocations with a view to creating incremental value for the Fund;
· stakeholder management capabilities, including a dedicated Public Affairs team, which the Adviser believes provides it with an advantage in conducting due diligence, proactively managing its portfolio through governmental, regulatory, labor or environmental issues and sourcing new investments;
· a network of over 30 Senior Advisors, who have held leading executive roles in major global corporations and provide KKR with operational and strategic insights and help it evaluate individual investment opportunities; and
· a One-Firm compensation and incentive structure and approach to investing, which allows KKR to act as a single team focused on finding the best investments and creating the best returns for its investors.
The Investment Process
The Adviser utilizes a fundamentally-driven investment philosophy which is based on deep credit underwriting and rigorous financial analysis. Because KKR has deep experience in credit and private equity underwriting, the Advisers investment approach is designed to incorporate valuable characteristics of both. The Adviser will generally invest in a credit once it has undergone a due diligence analysis and a comprehensive review and discussion with respect to the Advisers sourcing advantages, analysis and diligence findings.
Once an investment is made, the Adviser carefully monitors the position and formally re-underwrites its credit decision using a Portfolio Management Committee process approximately every three months. If the committee is not convinced that capital is still best invested in a position, a plan to intelligently exit is developed and implemented.
The central step in the Advisers investment process is the performance of company, industry, capital structure and legal analysis on each Fund investment. Key elements of this exercise include:
Corporate and Debt Structure.
The Adviser generally reviews the corporate structure of a target company in an effort to understand which entities own what assets, which subsidiaries have the support of those assets and how outstanding guarantees, liens and pledges interrelate with the various claims on the companys cash flows and to understand the covenants, terms and conditions of the companys outstanding debt and equity securities.
Legal and Regulatory Environment.
Defining and understanding the legal, regulatory and tax regimes in which a target company operates, including, in particular, having a deep understanding of the intricacies of the insolvency regimes applicable to the company, is a key focus of the due diligence process. Engaging in regulatory and corporate affairs analysis to ensure the Fund is properly positioned with respect to labor, political and other key constituencies applicable to its investments is also, where appropriate, an important part of the Advisers due diligence process.
Key Valuation Drivers.
The Adviser generally seeks to analyze a target companys historical performance and prospects with a view toward understanding the sustainable margins and strengths and weaknesses in a companys cost structure and analyzing the quality of cash flows of the underlying investment, including capital intensity needed to sustain its asset base, requirements for growth, degrees of flexibility to reduce its cost base if volumes or prices decline, and requirements for debt amortization or other external payments. The Adviser also seeks to define the market in which a company competes and, in particular, to assess what the company does, including what products and services it provides and to whom; to understand threats it may face for pricing or cost structure; and to identify drivers of market growth or decline, including changes in industry structure, technology or demographics.
Macro Environment.
The Adviser also generally examines the broader environment in order to understand and consider potential macroeconomic head or tailwinds relevant to a target company utilizing scenario-based analysis. In this effort, the Adviser generally works closely with the Advisers global macro and asset allocation team around views and data related to the macro environment, in addition to working with this team when conducting due diligence on specific opportunities, whether they be regional, country or market specific.
Tax Environment.
Defining the tax regime in which a company operates is another key aspect of the due diligence process. The Adviser generally undertakes a tax analysis of Fund investments with a view to optimizing structure and returns. As appropriate, the team will engage specialist third party advisors for this purpose. KKR has strong relationships with tax advisors around the world who advise it on current key issues regarding existing portfolio investments and on trends and evolving legislation and practices in their respective jurisdictions and areas of expertise.
Issuer Investment Profile
While the Adviser considers each investment opportunity in an issuer on its own merits, the Adviser generally focuses on companies that share the following characteristics:
· Leading Market Positions. The Adviser seeks to invest in companies with more defensible market positions, stronger franchises and operations and better credit characteristics than their peers. The Adviser focuses on the quality of product, employees, managers, facilities, systems and processes.
· Strong Cash Flow. The Adviser seeks to invest in companies that generate free cash flow, and that benefit from material investments from well-known equity investors. The ability of a company to meet interest obligations, repay debt and deleverage over time generally is a function of its ability to generate free cash flow. An ability to generate stable and predictable cash flows is an indicator of long-term financial health.
· Experienced Management Teams. The Adviser intends to prioritize companies with strong, existing management teams that it believes have a clear strategic vision, long-standing experience in their industry and a successful operating track record. The Adviser expects to favor companies in which managements incentives appear to be closely aligned with major capital providers.
· Stage of Business Life Cycle. The Adviser intends to seek mature, public and privately owned businesses that have long track records of stable, positive cash flow. The Adviser does not intend to invest in start-up companies or companies with speculative business plans.
· Attractive Industries. While the Adviser considers opportunities within all industries, it prioritizes industries having, in its view, favorable characteristics from a lending perspective. For example, the Adviser seeks companies in established industries with stable competitive and regulatory frameworks, where the main participants enjoy predictable, low volatility earnings. The Adviser gives less emphasis to industries that are frequently characterized by less predictable and more volatile earnings.
· Distressed Investments and Stressed Investments. The Adviser may also invest in companies that are under stress and do not meet the above criteria. In such circumstances, the Adviser invests based on the Advisers view of strong risk-adjusted return. These opportunities may present an attractive risk-reward profile for the Fund based on the Advisers due diligence process. The Adviser considers distressed investments in corporate debt or equity issued by companies that have defaulted on their debt obligations, have filed for insolvency or are selling at sufficiently discounted prices where the Adviser believes that if the companies do not default, such investments will yield attractive risk-adjusted returns. The Adviser may also acquire dislocated fixed-income instruments of companies that are rated below investment grade and selling at a discount to par or yield greater than what the Adviser believes is typical for companies in similar situations. Market inefficiencies in these circumstances may, for example, be due to a lack of financial market following, a misunderstanding in the market of particular industries or companies or industries that may be out of favor with the investor community. In times of particular dislocation and irrational market behavior, the Adviser may attempt to trade around specific portfolio positions opportunistically to capture excess returns based on its fundamental research-driven process.
While the Adviser believes that the criteria listed above are important in identifying and investing in portfolio companies, the Adviser considers each investment on a case-by-case basis. It is possible that not all of these criteria will be met by each company in which the Fund invests.
Portfolio Composition
The Funds portfolio will be composed principally of the following investments. A more detailed description of the Funds investment policies and restrictions and more detailed information about the Funds portfolio investments are contained in the SAI.
Fixed-Income Instruments
The Fund may invest in fixed-income instruments, such as high-yield corporate debt securities, or bonds, or U.S. government debt securities. The issuer of a fixed-income instrument pays the investor a fixed- or variable-rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. Certain bonds are perpetual in that they have no maturity date. Holders of fixed-income bonds, as creditors, have a prior legal claim over common and preferred stockholders as to both income and assets of the issuer for the principal and interest due them and may have a prior claim over other creditors but would be subordinate to any existing secured lenders with higher priority in the issuers capital structure. Fixed-income instruments may be secured or unsecured. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond, especially a fixed-rate bond, will generally rise and fall inversely with interest rates. The value of intermediate- and longer-term corporate bonds normally fluctuates more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of shorter-term corporate bonds. The market value of a corporate bond also may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporations performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument. Corporate fixed-income instruments usually yield more than government or agency bonds due to the presence of credit risk.
Senior Loans
Senior Loans hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a corporation, partnership or other business entity (a Borrower). Senior Loans are secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the Borrower that is senior to that held by unsecured creditors, subordinated debt holders and stockholders of the Borrower. The proceeds of Senior Loans primarily are used to refinance existing debt and for acquisitions, dividends, leveraged buyouts, and general corporate purposes.
Interest rates on Senior Loans may be fixed or may float periodically. On floating rate Senior Loans, the interest rates typically are adjusted based on a base rate plus a premium or spread over the base rate. The base rate usually is a standard inter-bank offered rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the prime rate offered by one or more major U.S. banks, or the certificate of deposit rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. Floating rate Senior Loans may adjust over different time periods, including daily, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The Fund may use interest rate swaps and other investment practices to shorten the effective interest rate adjustment period of floating rate Senior Loans or to adjust the overall interest rate exposure of the Fund.
When interest rates rise, the values of fixed-rate income instruments generally decline. When interest rates fall, the values of fixed-rate income instruments generally increase. The prices of floating rate Senior Loans tend to have less fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates, but will have some fluctuation, particularly when the next interest rate adjustment on such security is further away in time or adjustments are limited in amount over time. For floating rate Senior Loans, interest payable to the Fund from its investments in Senior Loans should increase as short-term interest rates increase, and as short-term interest rates decrease, interest payable to the Fund from its investments in Senior Loans should decrease. Longer interest rate reset periods generally increase fluctuations in the Funds net asset value (NAV) as a result of changes in market interest rates.
Senior Loans are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral securing a Senior Loan would
satisfy the Borrowers obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a Borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a Senior Loan. The collateral securing a Senior Loan may lose all or substantially all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a Borrower.
Senior Loans may not be rated by a rating agency. The amount of public information available with respect to Senior Loans will generally be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange-listed securities. In evaluating the creditworthiness of Borrowers, the Adviser will consider, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. To the extent that they are rated by a rating agency, many of the Senior Loans in which the Fund invests will have been assigned below investment grade ratings by independent rating agencies. In the event Senior Loans are not rated, they are likely to be the equivalent of below investment grade quality. The Adviser does not view ratings as the determinative factor in their investment decisions and rely more upon their credit analysis abilities than upon ratings.
Senior Loans generally are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or any state securities commission, and are not listed on any national securities exchange. There is less readily available or reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). No active trading market may exist for some Senior Loans, and some Senior Loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the Funds ability to realize full value and thus cause a material decline in the Funds NAV. In addition, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of its Senior Loans at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such loans if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. During periods of limited supply and liquidity of Senior Loans, the Funds yield may be lower.
The floating or variable rate feature of most Senior Loans is a significant difference from typical fixed-income investments that carry significant interest rate risk. To the extent the Fund invests in variable rate Senior Loans, the Fund can normally be expected to have less significant interest rate-related fluctuations in its NAV per share than investment companies investing primarily in fixed-income instruments (other than money market funds and some short-term bond funds). When interest rates decline, the value of a fixed-income portfolio can normally be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed-income portfolio can normally be expected to decline. Although the income available to the Fund will vary, the Adviser expects the Funds policy of acquiring interests in floating rate Senior Loans may reduce fluctuations in NAV of the Fund resulting from changes in market interest rates. However, because floating or variable rates on Senior Loans only reset periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the Funds NAV. Similarly, a sudden and significant increase in market interest rates may cause a decline in the Funds NAV. A material decline in the Funds NAV may impair the Funds ability to maintain required levels of asset coverage. Other factors (including, but not limited to, rating downgrades, credit deterioration, a large downward movement in stock prices, a disparity in supply and demand of certain securities or market conditions that reduce liquidity) can reduce the value of Senior Loans and other debt obligations, impairing the Funds NAV.
The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio Senior Loans where the Borrower has experienced, or may be perceived to be likely to experience, credit problems, including involvement in or recent emergence from bankruptcy court proceedings or other forms of debt restructuring. Such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, although they also will be subject to greater risk of loss. At times, in connection with the restructuring of a Senior Loan either outside of bankruptcy court or in the context of bankruptcy court proceedings, the Fund may determine or be required to accept equity securities or junior credit securities in exchange for all or a portion of a Senior Loan.
The Adviser may use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value loans and other credit securities at their market value. The Adviser will use the fair value method to value Senior Loans or other securities if market quotations for them are not readily available or are deemed unreliable. A security that is fair valued may be
valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures.
Direct Assignments. The Fund may purchase Senior Loans on a direct assignment basis. If the Fund purchases a Senior Loan on direct assignment, it typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning lender. Investments in Senior Loans on a direct assignment basis may involve additional risks to the Fund. For example, if such loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral.
Loan Participations. The Fund may also purchase, without limitation, participations in Senior Loans, but does not plan to do so extensively. The participation by the Fund in a lenders portion of a Senior Loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such lender, not with the Borrower. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by such lender of payments from the Borrower. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participations in a loan to a Borrower, and generally are offered by banks, other financial institutions or lending syndicates. The Fund may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the Fund assumes the credit risk of both the Borrower and the institution that sells the participation. The participation interests in which the Fund intends to invest may not be rated by any rating agency.
Pre-Funded Letter of Credit Loans. The Fund may purchase participations in prefunded letter of credit loans (a prefunded L/C loan), but does not plan to do so extensively. A prefunded L/C loan is a facility created by the Borrower in conjunction with the agent bank as issuer of a loan, and the prefunded L/C loan is backed by letters of credit (each letter, an L/C). Each participant in a prefunded L/C loan (sometimes referred to as a funded letter of credit facility) fully funds its commitment amount to the agent bank for the facility. The funds are invested by the agent bank and held solely to satisfy a prefunded L/C loan lenders obligation to the agent bank under the facility. The funds paid by the lenders are invested by the agent bank in deposits that pay interest, usually approximating a benchmark rate, such as LIBOR, which goes to the Borrower. Generally, the Borrower, via the agent bank, pays the lenders an interest rate, equivalent to the fully drawn spread plus the benchmark rate, usually LIBOR. The funds are returned to the lender upon termination of the prefunded L/C loan (and upon satisfaction of all obligations). Under the terms of the prefunded L/C loan agreement, a lender may sell and assign all or a portion of its interest in the loan to another lender so long as the other lender is eligible and agrees to the terms and conditions of the prefunded L/C loan agreement.
When the Borrower needs funds, it may draw against the prefunded L/C loan and the agent bank makes payment to the Borrower by withdrawing some of the amount invested as deposits. Consequently, the lenders do not have to advance any additional funds at the time the Borrower draws against the prefunded L/C loan facility. The prefunded L/C loan can be structured from the standpoint of the Borrower as either (i) a revolving credit facility, where the Borrower can reborrow, during the term of the loan, moneys it has paid back to the facility during the term of the loan, or (ii) a delayed draw term loan where the Borrower may not reborrow moneys it has repaid to the facility during the term of the loan.
When the Fund purchases a participation in a prefunded L/C loan, the proceeds of the purchase are deposited in a collateral account, which backs an L/C loan by the agent bank to the Borrower to support trade or other financing. The Fund typically receives interest on the cash collateral account equal to LIBOR. In addition, the Fund may also receive a fee, typically similar to the spread paid on the Borrowers institutional loan. Participations by the Fund in a prefunded L/C loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with the agent bank, not with the Borrower. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive interest, fees and any repayments, if any, to which it is entitled only from the agent bank selling the participation and only upon receipt by the agent bank of such payments from the Borrower. In connection with purchasing the participation in a prefunded L/C loan, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the prefunded L/C loan. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the Borrower and the agent bank selling the participation in a prefunded L/C loan. In the event of the insolvency of the agent bank selling a participation in a prefunded L/C loan, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such agent bank. The agent bank will likely conduct its principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Persons engaged in such
industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Reserve Open Market Committees monetary policy, governmental regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally.
Subordinated and Unsecured or Partially Secured Loans
Unsecured loans or subordinated are loans made by public and private corporations and other non-governmental entities and issuers for a variety of purposes. Unsecured loans generally have lower priority in right of payment compared to holders of secured debt of the borrower. Unsecured loans are not secured by a security interest or lien to or on specified collateral securing the borrowers obligation under the loan. Unsecured loans by their terms may be or may become subordinate in right of payment to other obligations of the borrower, including Senior Loans and other secured loans. Unsecured loans may have fixed or adjustable floating rate interest payments.
Because unsecured loans are subordinate to the secured debt of the borrower, they present a greater degree of investment risk but often pay interest at higher rates reflecting this additional risk. Such investments generally are of below investment grade quality. Other than their subordinated and unsecured status, such investments have many characteristics and risks similar to Senior Loans and other secured loans discussed above. In addition, unsecured loans of below investment grade quality share many of the risk characteristics of non-investment grade bonds. As in the case of secured loans, the Fund may purchase interests in unsecured loans through assignments or participations. Unsecured loans are subject to the same risks associated with investment in Senior Loans and other secured loans and non-investment grade bonds. However, because unsecured loans rank lower in right of payment to any secured obligations of the borrower, they therefore may be subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and available assets may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the secured obligations of the borrower. Unsecured loans are also expected to have greater price volatility than secured loans and may be less liquid.
Second lien loans are generally second in line in terms of repayment priority. A second lien loan may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or it may be secured by a separate set of assets. Second lien loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale. The priority of the collateral claims of third or lower lien loans ranks below holders of second lien loans and so on. Such junior loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment, including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower place in the borrowers capital structure and possible unsecured or partially secured status, such loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than Senior Loans of the same borrower
Mezzanine Securities
The Fund may invest in certain lower grade securities known as mezzanine securities, which are subordinated debt securities that are generally issued in private placements in connection with an equity security (e.g., with attached warrants) or may be convertible into equity securities. Mezzanine securities may be issued with or without registration rights. Similar to other lower grade securities, maturities of mezzanine securities are typically seven to ten years, but the expected average life is significantly shorter at three to five years. Mezzanine securities are usually unsecured and subordinated to other obligations of the issuer.
Below Investment Grade Instruments
The Fund anticipates that a majority of the Funds assets, including its investments in secured loans and other debt securities, may be invested in instruments that are classified as higher-yielding (and, therefore, higher-risk) investments. In most cases, such investments will be rated below investment grade by recognized rating agencies or will be unrated instruments determined by the Adviser to be appropriate investments for the Fund. While generally providing greater income and opportunity for gain, non-investment grade debt securities and similar debt instruments may be subject to greater risks than securities or instruments that have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default. The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change, positively or negatively, to reflect developments regarding the issuers financial condition. High yield securities and similar instruments often are considered to be speculative with respect to the capacity of the issuer to timely repay principal and pay interest or dividends in accordance with the terms of the obligation and may have more credit risk than higher rated securities. Lower grade securities and similar debt instruments may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns. It is likely that a prolonged or deepening
economic recession could adversely affect the ability of Borrowers issuing such securities and similar debt instruments to repay principal and pay interest on the instrument, increase the incidence of default and severely disrupt the market value of the securities and similar debt instruments.
The prices of credit instruments generally are inversely related to interest rate changes; however, the price volatility caused by fluctuating interest rates of instruments also is inversely related to the interest rate of such instruments. Accordingly, lower grade instruments may be relatively less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher quality instruments of comparable maturity, because of their higher interest rate. This higher interest rate is what the investor receives in return for bearing greater credit risk. The higher credit risk associated with lower grade instruments potentially can have a greater effect on the value of such instruments than may be the case with higher quality issues of comparable maturity, and may be a substantial factor in the Funds relative share price volatility.
Distressed and Defaulted Instruments
The repayment of defaulted obligations is subject to significant uncertainties. Defaulted obligations might be repaid only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings, during which the issuer might not make any interest or other payments.
Distressed and defaulted instruments generally present the same risks as investment in below investment grade instruments. However, in most cases, these risks are of a greater magnitude because of the uncertainties of investing in an issuer undergoing financial distress. As discussed above, an issuer of distressed instruments may be in bankruptcy or undergoing some other form of financial restructuring. Interest and/or principal payments on distressed instruments may be in default. Distressed instruments present a risk of loss of principal value, including potentially a total loss of value. Distressed instruments may be highly illiquid and the prices at which distressed instruments may be sold may represent a substantial discount to what the Adviser believes to be the ultimate value of such obligations.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that entitle the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities have general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest or preferred dividends paid or accrued until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to non-convertible debt obligations. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure and, therefore, generally entail less risk than the corporations common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a debt obligation. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund would be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security and convert it to underlying common stock, or would sell the convertible security to a third party, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds ability to achieve its investment objectives. The price of a convertible security often reflects variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt may not. The value of a convertible security is a function of (i) its yield in comparison to the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege and (ii) its worth if converted into the underlying common stock.
Non-U.S. Securities
The Fund invests in securities or other instruments, including secured loans and unsecured loans, of non-U.S. issuers or Borrowers. Some non-U.S. securities may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Similarly, there is less volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets than in the United States and, at times, greater price volatility than in the United States.
Because evidences of ownership of such securities usually are held outside the United States, the Fund will be subject to additional risks if it invests in non-U.S. securities, which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on the foreign securities to investors located outside
the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. Because non-U.S. securities may trade on days when the Funds common shares are not priced, the Funds NAV can change at times when common shares cannot be sold.
Certain of the Funds investments in foreign fixed-income instruments may be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. To the extent the Fund invests in such instruments, the value of the assets of the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars will be affected by changes in exchange rates. Generally, the Funds currency exchange transactions will be conducted on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market. The cost of the Funds currency exchange transactions will generally be the difference between the bid and offer spot rate of the currency being purchased or sold. In order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future currency exchange rates, the Fund is authorized to enter into various currency exchange transactions. See Risk FactorsForeign Currency Risk.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid. Investments currently considered to be illiquid include, among others, repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to repayment of principal and payment of interest within seven days, non-government stripped fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities, and over-the-counter (OTC) options and other derivatives. In the absence of readily available market quotations, the Board, a committee appointed by the Board or a designee of the Board will price illiquid investments at a fair value as determined in good faith. Valuing illiquid securities typically requires greater judgment than valuing securities for which there is an active trading market. The market price of illiquid securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of illiquid securities. Investment of the Funds assets in illiquid securities may restrict the Funds ability to take advantage of market opportunities.
The Fund may invest in restricted securities, which are securities that may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act. The restriction on public sale may make it more difficult to value such securities, limit the Funds ability to dispose of them and lower the amount the Fund could realize upon their sale. Because they are not registered, restricted securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC adopted Rule 144A under the Securities Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by the Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, the Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without registering them under the Securities Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of the Funds illiquidity.
When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments
The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis beyond the customary settlement time. These transactions involve a commitment by the Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date. The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges. The Fund will generally purchase securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or negotiate a commitment after entering into it. The Fund may also sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. The Fund may realize capital gains or losses in connection with these transactions. The Fund is generally required to segregate, until three days prior to settlement date, cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price unless the Funds obligations are otherwise covered. Alternatively, the Fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities that it owns. Securities purchased or sold on a when-issued or forward commitment basis involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date.
Equity Securities
From time to time, the Fund also may invest in or hold common stock and other equity securities. Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in a company. Historical trends would indicate that common stock is subject to higher levels of volatility and market and issuer-specific risk than debt securities. The value of the equity securities may be affected more rapidly, and to a greater extent, by company-specific developments and general market conditions. These risks may increase fluctuations in the Funds NAV. In addition, if the Funds investments in equity securities are incidental to the Funds investments in loans or fixed-income instruments, the Fund frequently may possess material non-public information about a Borrower or issuer as a result of its ownership of a loan or fixed-income instrument of a Borrower or issuer. Because of prohibitions on trading in instruments while in possession of material non-public information, the Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a security of the Borrower or issuer when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
Preferred Stocks
The Fund may also invest in preferred stocks. Preferred stocks represent the senior residual interest in the assets of an issuer after meeting all claims, with priority to corporate income and liquidation payments over the issuers common stock. As such, preferred stock is inherently more risky than the bonds and loans of the issuer, but less risky than its common stock. Preferred stocks often contain provisions that allow for redemption in the event of certain tax or legal changes or at the issuers call. Preferred stocks typically do not provide any voting rights, except in cases when dividends are in arrears beyond a certain time period. Preferred stock in some instances is convertible into common stock.
Although they are equity securities, preferred stocks have certain characteristics of both debt and common stock. They are debt-like in that their promised income is contractually fixed. They are common stock-like in that they do not have rights to precipitate bankruptcy proceedings or collection activities in the event of missed payments. Furthermore, they have many of the key characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuers capital structure and because their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets or cash flows. In order to be payable, dividends on preferred stock must be declared by the issuers board of directors or trustees. In addition, distributions on preferred stock may be subject to deferral and thus may not be automatically payable. Income payments on some preferred stocks are cumulative, causing dividends and distributions to accrue even if not declared by the board or otherwise made payable. Other preferred stocks are non-cumulative, meaning that skipped dividends and distributions do not continue to accrue. There is no assurance that dividends on preferred stocks in which the Fund invests will be declared or otherwise made payable. If the Fund owns preferred stock that is deferring its distributions, the Fund may be required to report income for U.S. federal income tax purposes while it is not receiving cash payments corresponding to such income. When interest rates fall below the rate payable on an issue of preferred stock or for other reasons, the issuer may redeem the preferred stock, generally after an initial period of call protection in which the stock is not redeemable. Preferred stocks may be significantly less liquid than many other securities, such as U.S. government securities, corporate bonds and common stock.
Collateralized Debt Obligations
Cash flows in a CDO are split into two or more tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the equity tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the underlying pool of bonds and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not complete). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CDO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CDO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, downgrades of the underlying collateral by rating agencies, forced liquidation of the collateral pool due to a failure of coverage tests, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults as well as investor aversion to CDO securities as a class. Normally, CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized as illiquid securities. CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a NRSRO; (iii) the Fund is likely to invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors
regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) risk of forced fire sale liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDOs manager may perform poorly.
Asset-Backed Securities
The value of asset-backed securities (ABSs) like that of traditional fixed-income instruments, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, ABSs differ from traditional fixed-income instruments because of their potential for prepayment. The price paid by the Fund for such securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life of such securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying assets.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
In addition to the risks associated with other ABSs as described above, mortgage-backed securities are subject to the general risks associated with investing in real estate securities; that is, they may lose value if the value of the underlying real estate to which a pool of mortgages relates declines. Mortgage-backed securities may be issued by governments or their agencies and instrumentalities, such as, in the United States, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). They may also be issued by private issuers but represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by a government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities. In addition, mortgage-backed securities may be issued by private issuers and be collateralized by securities without a government guarantee. Such securities usually have some form of private credit enhancement.
Pools created by private issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments. Notwithstanding that such pools may be supported by various forms of private insurance or guarantees, there can be no assurance that the private insurers or guarantors will be able to meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. The Fund may invest in private mortgage pass-through securities without such insurance or guarantees. Any mortgage-backed securities that are issued by private issuers are likely to have some exposure to subprime loans as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. In addition, such securities are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that would generally apply to securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee, thereby increasing their credit risk. The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans, but a level of risk exists for all loans. Market factors adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments may include a general economic downturn, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a drop in the market prices of real estate, or an increase in interest rates resulting in higher mortgage payments by holders of adjustable rate mortgages.
Zero Coupon and PIK Bonds
Because investors in zero coupon or PIK bonds receive no cash prior to the maturity or cash payment date applicable thereto, an investment in such securities generally has a greater potential for complete loss of principal and/or return than an investment in debt securities that make periodic interest payments. Such investments are more vulnerable to the creditworthiness of the issuer and any other parties upon which performance relies.
Temporary Investments
During the period in which the net proceeds of this offering of common shares are being invested or during periods in which the Adviser determines that economic, market or political conditions are unfavorable to investors and a defensive strategy would benefit the Fund, the Fund may deviate from its investment objectives and strategies. During such periods, the Fund may invest all or a portion of its assets in certain short-term (less than one year to maturity) and medium-term (not greater than five years to maturity) debt securities or hold cash and cash equivalents. The short- and medium-term debt securities in which the Fund may invest include: (i) obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; (ii) bank deposits and bank obligations (including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers acceptances) of U.S. or foreign banks denominated in any currency; (iii) floating
rate securities and other instruments denominated in any currency issued by various governments or international development agencies; (iv) finance company and corporate commercial paper and other short-term corporate debt obligations of U.S. or foreign corporations; (v) repurchase agreements with banks and broker- dealers with respect to such securities; and (vi) shares of money market funds and money market instruments. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives when it does so. It is impossible to predict when, or for how long, the Fund will use these alternative strategies. There can be no assurance that such strategies will be successful.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by corporations such as banks or bank holding companies and finance companies. The rate of return on commercial paper may be linked or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.
Certificates of Deposit. Certificates of deposit are certificates that are issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and that earn a specified return and are normally negotiable. The issuer of a certificate of deposit agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Fixed Time Deposits. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed-rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are generally no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits. The Fund may also hold funds on deposit with its custodian bank in an interest-bearing account for temporary purposes.
Bankers Acceptances. Bankers acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are accepted by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity.
Other Investment Techniques
Short Sales
The Fund may engage in short sales for investment and risk management purposes, including when the Adviser believes an investment will underperform due to a greater sensitivity to earnings growth of the issuer, default risk or interest rates.
Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security or other instrument (such as an option, forward or futures contract) that it does not own but can borrow in the market. Short selling allows the Fund to profit from a decline in market price to the extent such decline exceeds the transaction costs and the costs of borrowing the securities and to obtain a low cost means of financing long investments that the Adviser believes are attractive. When the Fund engages in a short sale of a security, it must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the counterparty. The Fund will ordinarily have to pay a fee or premium to borrow particular securities and be obligated to repay the lender of the security any coupon or interest that accrued on the securities during the period of the loan. The amount of any gain from a short sale will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends, interest or expenses the Fund pays in connection with the short sale.
During the period of the short sale, the Fund may be required to maintain the short sale proceeds that the broker holds and any additional assets the lending broker requires as collateral. The Fund may also be required to designate, on its books or the books of the Custodian, liquid assets (less any additional collateral held by the broker) to cover the short sale obligation, marked-to-market daily. Depending on the arrangements made with the broker or Custodian, the Fund may or may not receive any payments (including interest) on collateral it has deposited with the broker.
Dollar Rolls
The Fund may enter into dollar rolls in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar, but not identical securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase or fee income plus the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. All cash proceeds will be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The Fund will segregate until the settlement date cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, in an amount equal to its forward purchase price.
For financial reporting and tax purposes, the Fund treats dollar rolls as two separate transactions; one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving a sale. The Fund does not currently intend to enter into dollar rolls for financing and does not treat them as borrowings.
Dollar rolls involve certain risks including the following: if the broker-dealer to whom the Fund sells the security becomes insolvent, the Funds right to purchase or repurchase the securities subject to the dollar roll may be restricted. Also, the instrument which the Fund is required to repurchase may be worth less than an instrument which the Fund originally held. Successful use of dollar rolls will depend upon the Advisers ability to manage the Funds interest rate and prepayments exposure. For these reasons, there is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed. The use of this technique may diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls.
Derivatives
The Fund currently anticipates investing in (or considering for investment) the following types of derivative instruments:
Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements. A swap is a financial instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swaps are often individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, commodity prices, non-U.S. currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices, indexes or inflation rates.
Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of the Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses.
Generally, swap agreements have fixed maturity dates that are agreed upon by the parties to the swap. An agreement can be terminated before the maturity date only under limited circumstances, such as default by or insolvency of one of the parties and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. The Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, the Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the contract.
A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify the Funds gains or losses. With respect to cash-settled swaps, the Fund will set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Funds daily net liability) under the swaps.
The Fund will monitor any swaps with a view towards ensuring that the Fund remains in compliance with all applicable regulatory investment and tax requirements.
Credit Derivatives. The Fund may engage in credit derivative transactions. There are two broad categories of credit derivatives: default price risk derivatives and market spread derivatives. Default price risk derivatives are linked to the price of reference securities or loans after a default by the issuer or Borrower, respectively. Market spread derivatives are based on the risk that changes in market factors, such as credit spreads, can cause a decline in the value of a security, loan or index. There are three basic transactional forms for credit derivatives: swaps, options and structured instruments. A credit default swap is an agreement between two counterparties that allows one counterparty (the seller) to sell protection under the swap and or be long on a third partys credit risk and the other party (the buyer) to purchase protection under the swap and be short on the credit risk. In essence, an institution which owns corporate fixed-income instruments can purchase a limited form of default protection by entering into a credit default swap with another bank, broker-dealer or financial intermediary. Typically, the buyer agrees to make regular fixed payments to the seller with the same frequency as the underlying reference instrument. In exchange, the buyer typically has the right upon a credit event on the underlying instrument to deliver the instrument to the seller in exchange for the instruments par value plus interest. Credit default swaps can be used as a substitute for purchasing or selling a credit security and sometimes are preferable to purchasing the security. The Fund currently intends to invest primarily in credit default swaps as a buyer, but may also act as a seller. As a buyer of credit default swaps, the Fund is able to express a negative credit view on a particular instrument; as a seller, the Fund can express a positive view on the credit quality of a company. The Fund does not intend to leverage its investments through the use of credit default swaps, but may incur effective leverage to the extent it acts as a seller of a credit default swap. Among other risks, a party to a credit default swap is subject to counterparty risk. The Fund will monitor any such swaps or derivatives with a view towards ensuring that the Fund remains in compliance with all applicable regulatory investment policy and tax requirements.
Options. The Fund may purchase put and call options on currencies or securities. A put option embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to purchase from the option holder an underlying currency or security or its equivalent at a specified price at any time during the option period. In contrast, a call option gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying currency or security covered by the option or its equivalent from the writer of the option at the stated exercise price.
As a holder of a put option, the Fund will have the right to sell the securities underlying the option and as the holder of a call option, the Fund will have the right to purchase the currencies or securities underlying the option, in each case at their exercise price at any time prior to the options expiration date for American options or only at expiration for European options. The Fund may seek to terminate its option positions prior to their expiration by entering into closing transactions. The ability of the Fund to enter into a closing sale transaction depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund so desires. A successful use of equity options and options on stock indices will be subject to the Advisers ability to predict correctly movements in volatility and the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into securities-related futures contracts, including security futures contracts as an anticipatory hedge. The Funds derivative investments may include sales of futures as an offset against the effect of expected declines in securities prices and purchases of futures as an offset against the effect of expected increases in securities prices. A security futures contract is a legally binding agreement between two parties to purchase or sell in the future a specific quantity of a security or of the component securities of a narrow-based security index, at a certain price. A person who buys a security futures contract enters into a contract to purchase an underlying security and is said to be long the contract. A person who sells a security futures contact enters into a contract to sell the underlying security and is said to be short the contract. The price at which the contract trades (the contract price) is determined by relative buying and selling interest on a regulated exchange.
Interest Rate Transactions. The Fund can normally be expected to have less significant interest rate-related fluctuations in its NAV per share than investment companies investing primarily in fixed-income instruments (other than money market funds and some short-term bond funds). However, because floating or variable rates on secured loans only reset periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the Funds NAV. Similarly, a sudden and significant increase in market interest rates may cause a decline in the Funds NAV. In addition, secured loans may allow a borrower to opt between LIBOR-based interest rates and interest rates based on bank prime rates, which may have an impact the Funds NAV.
The Fund may use interest rate swaps for risk management purposes only and not as a speculative investment and would typically use interest rate swaps to shorten the average interest rate reset time of the Funds holdings. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments). The Fund will only enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis. If the other party to an interest rate swap defaults, the Funds risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. The counterparty risk for cleared interest rate swap transactions is generally lower than for uncleared over-the-counter interest rate swaps since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared swap contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties performance under the contract as each party to a trade looks only to the clearing house for performance of financial obligations. However, there can be no assurance that the clearing house, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements will be maintained in a segregated account by the Custodian. The Fund will not enter into an interest rate swap unless the claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is considered to be investment grade by the Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. These instruments are typically traded in the OTC market.
The use of interest rate swaps is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates and other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund would be unfavorably affected.
Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in foreign currency transactions in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the rate then-prevailing in the foreign currency markets or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies.
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts. The Fund may enter into foreign currency forward contracts in order to protect against possible losses on non-U.S. dollar denominated investments resulting from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. A foreign currency forward exchange contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price and for an amount set at the time of the contract. These contracts are often traded in the interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has a margin requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies. However, foreign currency forward contracts may limit potential gains which could result from a positive change in such currency relationships. The Fund does not speculate in foreign currency.
Except for cross-hedges, the Fund will not enter into foreign currency forward contracts or maintain a net exposure in such contracts when it would be obligated to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of its portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency or, in the case of a cross-hedge, denominated in a currency or currencies that the Adviser believes will tend to be closely correlated with that currency with regard to price movements. At the consummation of a forward contract, the Fund may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase, at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If the Fund chooses to make delivery of the foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such currency through the sale of portfolio securities denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Fund into such currency. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will incur a gain or loss to the extent that there is a difference between the forward contract price and the offsetting forward contract price.
It should be realized that this method of protecting the value of the Funds portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. Additionally, although such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, at the same time they tend to limit any potential gain should the value of such currency increase. Generally, the Fund will not enter into a foreign currency forward contract with a term longer than one year.
Commodities-Related Derivatives. The Fund may use commodities-related derivatives to hedge a position in a commodity-related issuer or industry. Commodities-related derivatives include, but are not limited to, commodities contracts, commodity futures or options thereon (investments in contracts for the future purchase or sale of commodities); total return swaps based on a commodity index (permitting one party to receive/pay the total return on a commodity index against payment/receipt of an agreed upon spread/interest rate); commodity-linked notes (providing a return based on a formula referenced to a commodity index); commodity exchange traded notes (non-interest paying debt instruments whose price fluctuates (by contractual commitment) with an underlying commodities index); sovereign issued oil warrants (a sovereign obligation the coupon on which is contingent on the price of oil); and any other commodities-related derivative permitted by law.
Equity Swaps. In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a security, security index or basket of securities in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, the index receiver can gain exposure to securities making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those securities. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the interest that the Fund will be committed to pay under the swap.
Structured Products
The Fund may invest in structured products, including the following:
Collateralized Loan Obligations. A collateralized loan obligation (CLO) is a financing company (generally called a Special Purpose Vehicle or SPV), created to reapportion the risk and return characteristics of a pool of assets. While the assets underlying CLOs are typically secured loans, the assets may also include (i) unsecured loans, (ii) debt securities that are rated below investment grade, (iii) debt tranches of other CLOs and (iv) equity securities incidental to investments in secured loans. When investing in CLOs, the Fund will not invest in equity tranches, which are the lowest tranche. However, the Fund may invest in lower tranches of CLOs, which typically experience a lower recovery, greater risk of loss or deferral or non-payment of interest than more senior tranches of the CLO. In addition, the Fund intends to invest in CLOs consisting primarily of individual secured loans of Borrowers and not repackaged CLO obligations from other high risk pools. The underlying secured loans purchased by CLOs are generally performing at the time of purchase but may become non-performing, distressed or defaulted. CLOs with underlying assets of non-performing, distressed or defaulted loans are not contemplated to comprise a significant portion of the Funds investments in CLOs. The key feature of the CLO structure is the prioritization of the cash flows from a pool of debt securities among the several classes of the CLO. The SPV is a company founded solely for the purpose of securitizing payment claims arising out of this diversified asset pool. On this basis, marketable securities are issued by the SPV which, due to the diversification of the underlying risk, generally represent a lower level of risk than the original assets. The redemption of the securities issued by the SPV typically takes place at maturity out of the cash flow generated by the collected claims.
Credit-Linked Notes. The Fund may purchase credit-linked notes for risk management purposes. A credit-linked note is a form of funded credit derivative instrument. It is a synthetic obligation between two or more parties where the payment of principal and/or interest is based on the performance of some obligation (a reference obligation). Credit-linked notes are created by embedding a credit default swap in a funded asset to form an investment whose credit risk and cash flow characteristics resemble those of a bond or loan. These credit-linked notes pay an enhanced coupon to the investor for taking on the added credit risk of the reference issuer. In addition to the credit risk of the reference obligations and interest rate risk, the buyer/seller of credit-linked notes is subject to counterparty risk.
Securities Lending
The Fund may make secured loans of its marginable securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consist of possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. However, such loans will be made only to broker-dealers and other financial institutions that are believed by the Adviser to be of relatively high credit standing. Securities loans are made to broker-dealers pursuant to agreements requiring that loans be continuously secured by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities, cash or cash equivalents (negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances or letters of credit) maintained on a daily mark-to-market
basis in an amount at least equal at all times to the market value of the securities lent. The borrower pays to the Fund, as the lender, an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on the securities lent.
The Fund may invest only the cash collateral received in accordance with its investment objectives, subject to the Funds agreement with the borrower of the securities. In the case of cash collateral, the Fund may pay a rebate to the borrower. The reinvestment of cash collateral will result in a form of effective leverage for the Fund.
Although voting rights or rights to consent with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Fund, as the lender, retains the right to call the loans and obtain the return of the securities loaned at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so in order that the securities may be voted by the Fund if the holders of such securities are asked to vote upon or consent to matters materially affecting the investment. The Fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities involved. When engaged in securities lending, the Funds performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned and will also reflect the receipt of interest through investment of cash collateral by the Fund in permissible investments.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, under which the Fund will effectively pledge its assets as collateral to secure a short-term loan. Generally, the other party to the agreement makes the loan in an amount equal to a percentage of the market value of the pledge collateral. At the maturity of the reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund will be required to repay the loan and correspondingly receive back its collateral. While used as collateral, the assets continue to pay principal and interest, which are for the benefit of the Fund.
A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of a security concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. The securities that are repurchased will bear the same interest rate and a similar maturity as those sold, but the assets collateralizing those securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the Fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. Proceeds of the sale will be invested in additional investments, and the income from these investments will generate income for the Fund. If such income does not exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what the performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities subject to the Funds forward purchase commitment may decline below, or the market value of the securities subject to the Funds forward sale commitment may increase above, the exercise price of the forward commitment. In the event the buyer of the securities files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Funds use of the proceeds of the current sale portion of the transaction may be restricted.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, in which the Fund purchases a security from a bank or broker-dealer and the bank or broker-dealer agrees to repurchase the security at the Funds cost plus interest within a specified time. If the party agreeing to repurchase should default, the Fund will seek to sell the securities which it holds. This could involve transaction costs or delays in addition to a loss on the securities if their value should fall below their repurchase price. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive orders currently or in the future obtained by the Fund from the SEC. These securities include shares of other closed-end funds, open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds) and ETFs. As a stockholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment companys expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Funds management fees with respect to assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to the same leverage risks described herein. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk.
Investment Policies
Credit Ratings and Unrated Securities
Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of debt obligations, including convertible securities, based upon their assessment of the likelihood of the receipt of principal and interest payments. Appendix A to the SAI describes the various ratings assigned to debt obligations by Standard & Poors Corporation Rating Group (S&P), Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) and Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch). Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not consider the risks of fluctuations in market value or other factors that may influence the value of debt securities. Rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings and an issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates. Therefore, the credit rating assigned to a particular instrument may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment in such instrument. Credit rating agencies may change their methods of evaluating credit risk and determining ratings. These changes may occur quickly and often. Credit rating agencies may be paid by the companies whose debt they analyze and grade. To the extent that the issuer of a security pays a rating agency for the analysis of its security, an inherent conflict of interest may exist that could affect the reliability of the rating. The Adviser does not rely solely on credit ratings, and develops its own analysis of issuer credit quality. The ratings of a debt security may change over time. S&P, Moodys and Fitch monitor and evaluate the ratings assigned to securities on an ongoing basis. As a result, securities held by the Fund could receive a higher rating (which would tend to increase their value) or a lower rating (which would tend to decrease their value) during the period in which they are held.
The Fund may purchase unrated securities (securities which are not rated by a rating agency) if the Adviser determines that the securities are an appropriate investment for the Fund. Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that the Adviser may not accurately evaluate the securitys comparative credit rating. To the extent that the Fund invests in high yield and/or unrated securities, the Funds success in achieving its investment objectives may depend more heavily on the Advisers analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in higher-quality and rated securities. The Adviser will attempt to reduce the risks of investing in lower rated or unrated debt instruments through active portfolio management, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in the economy and the financial markets.
The Fund is not required to dispose of a security in the event that a rating agency downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue or withdraws its assessment, including in the event of a default. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, the Adviser may consider such factors as Advisers assessment of the credit quality of the issuers of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by other rating agencies.
Percentage Limitations
Compliance with any policy or limitation of the Fund that is expressed as a percentage of assets is determined at the time of purchase of portfolio securities. The policy will not be violated if these limitations are exceeded because of changes in the market value or investment rating of the Funds assets or if a Borrower or issuer distributes equity securities incident to the purchase or ownership of a loan or fixed-income instrument or in connection with a reorganization of a Borrower or issuer.
LEVERAGE
The Fund may utilize financial leverage for investment purposes (i.e., to purchase additional portfolio securities consistent with the Funds investment objectives and strategies). Although the Fund may use leverage as discussed below, there can be no assurance that the Fund will utilize financial leverage or that, if utilized, the Fund will be successful during any period in which leverage is employed. Generally speaking, if the Fund can invest the proceeds from financial leverage in portfolio securities that have higher rates of return than the costs of such financial leverage and other expenses of the Fund, then the Common Shareholders would have a net benefit. The Fund has currently entered into a $120.0 million (the Maximum Facility Amount) revolving credit facility with the Bank of Nova Scotia. The revolving credit facility bears an unused commitment fee on the unused portion of the credit facility (the Unused Facility Amount) equal to (a) 0.15% on the total Unused Facility Amount if the Unused Facility Amount is lower than or equal to 75% of the Maximum Facility Amount or (b) 0.25% on the total Unused Facility Amount if the Unused Facility Amount is in excess of 75% of the Maximum Facility Amount. The per annum rate of interest for borrowing under the credit facility is equal to (a) LIBOR plus 0.80% per annum or (b) the greatest of (i) the Prime Rate, (ii) the Fed Funds rate plus 0.50% per annum, and (iii) the Eurodollar rate plus 1.00% per annum.
The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including through funds borrowed from banks or other financial institutions (i.e., a credit facility), margin facilities, the issuance of preferred shares or notes and leverage attributable to reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. The Fund may add financial leverage to its portfolio representing up to approximately 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets (including the assets subject to, and obtained with the proceeds of, the leveraging activity). In the future, the Fund may use forms of leverage other than and/or in addition to a credit facility. The Funds use of financial leverage up to the maximum level permitted under the 1940 Act is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed without notice to the Funds Common Shareholders. The Fund may use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Funds assessment of market conditions and the investment environment.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund generally may not declare any dividend or other distribution upon any class of its capital shares, or purchase any such capital shares, unless the aggregate indebtedness of the Fund has, at the time of the declaration of such dividend or distribution, or at the time of any such purchase, an asset coverage of at least 300% after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be. With respect to asset coverage for preferred shares, under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue preferred shares unless immediately after such issuance the NAV of the Funds portfolio is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 50% of the Funds Managed Assets (less the Funds obligations under senior securities representing indebtedness)). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common shares unless, at the time of such distribution, the NAV of the Funds portfolio (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution) is at least 200% of such liquidation value. If the Fund uses a combination of borrowing (including notes and other securities representing indebtedness) and issuing preferred shares, the maximum asset coverage required would be between 300% and 200% depending on the relative amounts of borrowings and preferred shares.
Leverage creates risks for holders of the common shares, including the likelihood of greater volatility in the NAV and market price of, and distributions on, the common shares. There is a risk that fluctuations in the distribution rates on any outstanding preferred shares or notes may adversely affect the return to the holders of the common shares. If the income from the investments purchased with such funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage, the return on the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders will be reduced. The Fund in its reasonable judgment nevertheless may determine to maintain the Funds leveraged position if it deems such action to be appropriate in the circumstances.
Changes in the value of the Funds investment portfolio (including investments bought with the proceeds of leverage) will be borne entirely by the Common Shareholders. If there is a net decrease (or increase) in the value of the Funds investment portfolio, the leverage will decrease (or increase) the NAV per common share to a greater extent than if the Fund were not leveraged. The use of leverage by the Fund may magnify the Funds losses when there is a decrease in the value of a Fund investment and even totally eliminate the Funds equity in its portfolio or a
Common Shareholders equity in the Fund. During periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fees paid by the Fund for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the investment advisory fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Funds Managed Assets, which include proceeds from leverage. As discussed under Description of Capital Structure, if preferred shares are used, holders of preferred shares will have rights to elect a minimum of two trustees. This voting power may negatively affect Common Shareholders, and the interests of holders of preferred shares may otherwise differ from the interests of Common Shareholders. Any trustees elected by preferred shareholders will represent both Common Shareholders and holders of preferred shares. Such trustees may have a conflict of interest when the interests of Common Shareholders differ from those of holders of preferred shares.
Capital raised through leverage will be subject to distribution and/or interest payments, which may exceed the income and appreciation on the assets purchased. The issuance of preferred shares or notes involves offering expenses and other costs and may limit the Funds freedom to pay distributions on common shares or to engage in other activities. All costs of offering and servicing any of the leverage methods the Fund may use will be borne entirely by the Funds Common Shareholders. The interests of persons with whom the Fund enters into leverage arrangements (such as bank lenders, note holders and preferred shareholders) will not necessarily be aligned with the interests of the Funds Common Shareholders and such persons will have claims on the Funds assets that are senior to those of the Funds Common Shareholders. Leverage creates an opportunity for a greater return per common share, but at the same time it is a speculative technique that will increase the Funds exposure to capital risk.
In connection with a credit facility, any lender may impose specific restrictions as a condition to borrowing. The credit facility fees may include, among other things, up front structuring fees and ongoing commitment fees (including fees on amounts undrawn on the facility) in addition to the traditional interest expense on amounts borrowed. The credit facility may involve a lien on the Funds assets. Similarly, to the extent the Fund issues preferred shares or notes, the Fund currently intends to seek an AAA or equivalent credit rating from one or more NRSROs on any preferred shares or notes it issues and the Fund may be subject to fees, covenants and investment restrictions required by the NRSRO as a result. Such covenants and restrictions imposed by a NRSRO or lender may include asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or restrictions will significantly impede the Adviser in managing the Funds portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Nonetheless, if these covenants or guidelines are more restrictive than those imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may not be able to utilize as much leverage as it otherwise could have, which could reduce the Funds investment returns. In addition, the Fund expects that any notes it issues or credit facility it enters into would contain covenants that, among other things, may impose geographic exposure limitations, credit quality minimums, liquidity minimums, concentration limitations and currency hedging requirements on the Fund. These covenants would also likely limit the Funds ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change fundamental investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations. Such restrictions could cause the Adviser to make different investment decisions than if there were no such restrictions and could limit the ability of the Board and Common Shareholders to change fundamental investment policies.
As a closed-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, and various SEC and SEC staff interpretive positions. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund may set aside liquid assets (often referred to as asset segregation), or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, to cover open positions with respect to certain portfolio management techniques, such as engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, entering into credit default swaps or futures contracts, or purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, that may be considered senior securities under the 1940 Act. The Fund intends to cover its derivative positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time. When the Fund is a seller of a credit default swap, the Fund will segregate assets to cover the full notional value of any obligation under the credit default swap. The Fund may not cover an applicable derivative transaction if it does not need to do so to comply with the 1940 Act limitations on the issuance of senior securities and, in the view of the Adviser, the assets that would have been used to cover could be better used for a different purpose. However, these transactions, even if covered, may represent a form of economic leverage and will create risks. The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein. In addition, these segregation and coverage requirements could result in the Fund maintaining securities positions that it would otherwise liquidate, segregating assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or
otherwise restricting portfolio management. Such segregation and cover requirements will not limit or offset losses on related positions.
The Funds willingness to utilize leverage, and the amount of leverage the Fund will assume, will depend on many factors, the most important of which are market conditions and interest rates. Successful use of a leveraging strategy may depend on the Funds ability to predict correctly interest rates and market movements, and there is no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed. Any leveraging of the common shares cannot be achieved until the proceeds resulting from the use of leverage have been invested in accordance with the Funds investment objectives and policies.
Effects of Leverage
The following table is furnished in response to requirements of the SEC. It is designed to illustrate the effects of leverage on common share total return, assuming hypothetical annual investment portfolio total returns, net of expenses (consisting of income and changes in the value of investments held in the Funds portfolio) of 10%, 5%, 0%, 5% and 10%. These assumed investment portfolio returns are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns expected to be experienced by the Fund. The table further assumes that the Fund uses borrowings representing 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets (which includes the amounts of leverage obtained through such borrowings) and a projected annual rate of interest on the borrowings of [·]%.
Assumed Portfolio Total Return (net of expenses) |
|
(10.00 |
)% |
(5.00 |
)% |
0.00 |
% |
5.00 |
% |
10.00 |
% |
Common Share Total Return |
|
([·] |
)% |
([·] |
)% |
([·] |
)% |
[·] |
% |
[·] |
% |
Common Share Total Return is composed of two elements: the common shares dividends paid by the Fund (the amount of which is largely determined by the net investment income of the Fund after paying dividends or interest on its leverage) and gains or losses on the value of the securities the Fund owns. As required by SEC rules, the table above assumes that the Fund is more likely to suffer capital losses than to enjoy capital appreciation. For example, to assume a total return of 0% the Fund must assume that the interest it receives on its debt security investments is entirely offset by losses in the value of those investments.
If the Fund uses leverage, the amount of fees paid to the Adviser for its services will be higher than if the Fund does not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated based on Managed Assets, which includes assets purchased with leverage. Therefore, the Adviser has a financial incentive to use leverage, which creates a conflict of interest between the Adviser and Common Shareholders, as only the Common Shareholders would bear the fees and expenses incurred through the Funds use of leverage. See Conflicts of Interest. The Funds willingness to use leverage, and the extent to which leverage is used at any time, will depend on many factors, including among other things, the Advisers assessment of the yield curve, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors. See Summary of Common Shareholder Fees and Expenses.
RISK FACTORS
An investment in the Funds common shares may be speculative in that it involves a high degree of risk and should not constitute a complete investment program. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in the prospectus. If any of these risks discussed in this prospectus occurs, the Funds results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. If this were to happen, the price of the Funds common shares could decline significantly and you could lose all or a part of your investment.
Investment and Market Risk
An investment in the Fund involves a considerable amount of risk. Before making an investment decision, a prospective investor should (i) consider the suitability of this investment with respect to the his or her investment objectives and personal situation and (ii) consider factors such as his or her personal net worth, income, age, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. An investment in the Funds common shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. An investment in the Funds common shares represents an indirect investment in the portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments, short positions and other securities and derivative instruments owned by the Fund, and the value of these securities and instruments may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, and such investment is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. At any point in time, an investment in the Funds common shares may be worth less than the original amount invested, even after taking into account distributions paid by the Fund and the ability of Common Shareholders to reinvest dividends. The Fund may also use leverage, which would magnify the Funds investment, market and certain other risks.
The Fund may be materially affected by market, economic and political conditions globally and in the jurisdictions and sectors in which it invests or operates, including factors affecting interest rates, the availability of credit, currency exchange rates and trade barriers. These factors are outside the Advisers control and could adversely affect the liquidity and value of the Funds investments, and may reduce the ability of the Fund to make attractive new investments.
Ongoing events in the subprime mortgage market and other areas of the fixed income markets have caused significant dislocations, illiquidity and volatility in the leveraged loan and bond markets, as well as in the wider global financial markets. To the extent portfolio companies and other issuers of the Funds portfolio investments participate in or have exposure to such markets, the results of their operations may be adversely affected. In addition, to the extent that such economic and market events and conditions reoccur, this would have a further adverse impact on the availability of credit to businesses generally. Although financial markets have shown intermittent signs of improvement, global economic conditions remain tenuous, and to the extent that they do not improve, this may adversely impact the financial resources and credit quality of corporate and other borrowers in which the Fund has invested and result in the inability of such borrowers to make principal and interest payments on, or refinance, outstanding debt when due. In the event of such defaults, the Fund may suffer a partial or total loss of their investment in such borrowers, which would, in turn, have an adverse effect on the Funds returns. Such economic and market events and conditions also may restrict the ability of the Fund to sell or liquidate investments at favorable times or for favorable prices (although such events and conditions may not foreclose the Funds ability to hold such investments until maturity). In particular, the Funds investment strategies rely, in part, on the stabilization or improvement of the conditions in the global economy and markets generally and credit markets specifically. Absent such a recovery, the value of the Funds investments may not generate expected current proceeds or appreciate as anticipated and may suffer a loss. Trends and historical events do not imply, forecast or predict future events and past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. There can be no assurance that the assumptions made or the beliefs and expectations currently held by the Adviser will prove correct, and actual events and circumstances may vary significantly.
The Fund may be subject to risk arising from a default by one of several large institutions that are dependent on one another to meet their liquidity or operational needs, so that a default by one institution may cause a series of defaults by the other institutions. This is sometimes referred to as systemic risk and may adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing houses, banks, securities firms and exchanges, with which the Fund interacts on a daily basis.
Market Discount Risk
Common shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. Common shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have traded at prices higher than their NAV during some periods and have traded at prices lower than their NAV during other periods. The Fund cannot assure you that its common shares will trade at a price higher than or equal to NAV in the future. The Funds NAV will be reduced immediately following this offering by the sales load and the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund. In addition to NAV, the market price of the Funds common shares may be affected by such factors as distribution levels and stability (which are in turn affected by expenses, regulation affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions and other factors), portfolio credit quality, liquidity, market supply and demand and similar other factors relating to the Funds portfolio holdings. The Funds market price may also be affected by general market, economic or political conditions. The common shares are designed primarily for long-term investors and should not be viewed as a vehicle for trading purposes. This risk may be greater for investors who sell their common shares in a relatively short period of time after completion of the initial offering. You should not purchase common shares of the Fund if you intend to sell them shortly after purchase.
Fixed-Income Instruments Risk
The Fund invests in loans and other types of fixed-income instruments and securities. Such investments may be secured, partially secured or unsecured and may be unrated, and whether or not rated, may have speculative characteristics. The market price of the Funds investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. Generally, when interest rates rise, the values of fixed-income instruments fall, and vice versa. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed-income instruments generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed-income instruments as interest rates change. These risks may be greater in the current market environment of historically low interest rates. The obligor of a fixed-income instrument may not be able or willing to pay interest or to repay principal when due in accordance with the terms of the associated agreement. An obligors willingness and ability to pay interest or to repay principal due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow. Commercial bank lenders may be able to contest payments to the holders of other debt obligations of the same obligor in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements. See also Risks FactorsCredit Risk.
The Fund invests in loans and other similar forms of debt. Such forms of indebtedness are different from traditional debt securities in that debt securities are part of a large issue of securities to the public and loans and similar debt instruments may not be securities, but may represent a specific commercial loan to a borrower. Loan participations typically represent direct participation, together with other parties, in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates. Participation interests will only give the Fund the right to receive payments of principal and interest from the institution participating out the loan, and not directly from the obligor, and will typically give the Fund limited consent rights to amendments of the underlying credit documents. The Fund may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing indebtedness and loan participations, the Fund assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. Members of a syndicate in which the Fund participates may have different and sometimes superior rights to those of the Fund. Where the Fund invests as a sub-participant in syndicated debt, it may be subject to certain risks as a result of having no direct contractual relationship with the underlying borrower. As a result, the Fund will generally be dependent on the lender to enforce its rights and obligations under the loan arrangements in the event of a default by the underlying borrower and will generally not have any direct rights against the underlying borrower, any direct rights in the collateral, if any, securing such borrowing, or any right to deal directly with such borrower. The lender will, in general, retain the right to determine whether remedies provided for in the underlying loan arrangement will be exercised, or waived. In the event that the Fund enters into such an investment, there can be no assurance that its ability to realize upon a participation will not be interrupted or impaired in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of any of the borrower or the lender or that in such circumstances, the Fund will benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower. Successful claims by third parties arising from these and other risks may be borne by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in debtor-in-possession financings. In such investments there is a risk that the underlying borrower may not successfully come out of Chapter 11 proceedings and may be forced to liquidate its assets in
which case the Funds only recourse will be against the security provided by the borrower (which may not be sufficient to cover related losses).
Interest Rate Risk
The Funds investments will expose the Fund to interest rate risks, meaning that changes in prevailing market interest rates could negatively affect the value of such investments. Factors that may affect market interest rates include, without limitation, inflation, slow or stagnant economic growth or recession, unemployment, money supply, governmental monetary policies, international disorders and instability in U.S. and non-U.S. financial markets. The Fund expects that it will periodically experience imbalances in the interest rate sensitivities of its assets and liabilities and the relationships of various interest rates to each other. In a changing interest rate environment, the Adviser may not be able to manage this risk effectively. If the Adviser is unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, the Funds performance could be adversely affected.
Senior Loans Risk
Senior Loans hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a Borrower. Senior Loans in most circumstances are fully collateralized by assets of the borrower. Thus, they are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders. Substantial increases in interest rates may cause an increase in loan defaults as borrowers may lack resources to meet higher debt service requirements. The value of the Funds assets may also be affected by other uncertainties such as economic developments affecting the market for senior secured term loans or affecting borrowers generally. Moreover, the security for the Funds investments in secured debt may not be recognized for a variety of reasons, including the failure to make required filings by lenders, trustees or other responsible parties and, as a result, the Fund may not have priority over other creditors as anticipated.
Senior Loans usually include restrictive covenants, which must be maintained by the borrower. The Fund may have an obligation with respect to certain senior secured term loan investments to make additional loans upon demand by the borrower. Such instruments, unlike certain bonds, usually do not have call protection. This means that such interests, while having a stated term, may be prepaid, often without penalty. The rate of such prepayments may be affected by, among other things, general business and economic conditions, as well as the financial status of the borrower. Prepayment would cause the actual duration of a Senior Loan to be shorter than its stated maturity.
Senior Loans typically are secured by pledges of collateral from the borrower in the form of tangible and intangible assets. In some instances, the Fund may invest in Senior Loans that are secured only by stock of the borrower or its subsidiaries or affiliates. The value of the collateral may decline below the principal amount of the senior secured term loans subsequent to an investment by the Fund.
Senior Loans generally are not registered with the SEC, or any state securities commission, and are not listed on any national securities exchange. There is less readily available or reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the Securities Act, or registered under the Exchange Act. No active trading market may exist for some Senior Loans, and some Senior Loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the Funds ability to realize full value and thus cause a material decline in the Funds NAV. In addition, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of its Senior Loans at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such loans if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. During periods of limited supply and liquidity of Senior Loans, the Funds yield may be lower. See Below Investment Grade Instruments Risk.
If legislation or government regulations impose additional requirements or restrictions on the ability of financial institutions to make loans, the availability of Senior Loans for investment by the Fund may be adversely affected. In addition, such requirements or restrictions could reduce or eliminate sources of financing for certain Borrowers. This would increase the risk of default.
If legislation or government regulations require financial institutions to increase their capital requirements, this may cause financial institutions to dispose of Senior Loans that are considered highly levered transactions. Such sales could result in prices that, in the opinion of the Adviser, do not represent fair value. If the Fund attempts to sell a Senior Loan at a time when a financial institution is engaging in such a sale, the price the Fund could get for the Senior Loan may be adversely affected.
The Fund may acquire Senior Loans through assignments or participations. The Fund will typically acquire Senior Loans through assignment and may elevate a participation interest into an assignment as soon as practicably possible. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchasers rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution offering the participation, not with the Borrower. Sellers of participations typically include banks, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and lending institutions. The Adviser has adopted best execution procedures and guidelines to mitigate credit and counterparty risk in the atypical situation when the Fund must acquire a Senior Loan through a participation. The Adviser has established a risk and valuation committee that regularly reviews each broker-dealer counterparty for, among other things, its quality and the quality of its execution. The established procedures and guidelines require trades to be placed for execution only with broker-dealer counterparties approved by the risk and valuation committee of the Adviser. The factors considered by the committee when selecting and approving brokers and dealers include, but are not limited to: (i) quality, accuracy, and timeliness of execution, (ii) review of the reputation, financial strength and stability of the financial institution, (iii) willingness and ability of the counterparty to commit capital, (iv) ongoing reliability and (v) access to underwritten offerings and secondary markets. In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the Borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the Borrower and the institution selling the participation. Further, in purchasing participations in lending syndicates, the Fund will not be able to conduct the due diligence on the Borrower or the quality of the Senior Loan with respect to which it is buying a participation that the Fund would otherwise conduct if it were investing directly in the Senior Loan, which may result in the Fund being exposed to greater credit or fraud risk with respect to the Borrower or the Senior Loan than the Fund expected when initially purchasing the participation.
Credit Risk
The Funds debt investments are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal by the borrowers with respect to such investments. Such non-payment would likely result in a reduction of income to the Fund and a reduction in the value of the debt investments experiencing non-payment.
Although the Fund may invest in investments that the Adviser believes are secured by specific collateral, the value of which may exceed the principal amount of the investments at the time of initial investment, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any such collateral would satisfy the borrowers obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments with respect to such investment, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing an investment. Under certain circumstances, collateral securing an investment may be released without the consent of the Fund. The Fund may also invest in high yield instruments and other unsecured investments, each of which involves a higher degree of risk than Senior Loans. The Funds right to payment and its security interest, if any, may be subordinated to the payment rights and security interests of more senior creditors. Certain of these investments may have an interest-only payment schedule, with the principal amount remaining outstanding and at risk until the maturity of the investment. In this case, a portfolio companys ability to repay the principal of an investment may be dependent upon a liquidity event or the long-term success of the company, the occurrence of which is uncertain.
Companies in which the Fund invests could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, a change in the competitive environment or an economic downturn. As a result, companies that the Fund expected to be stable may operate, or expect to operate, at a loss or have significant variations in operating
results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or maintain their competitive position, or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.
Leverage Risk
The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including through funds borrowed from banks or other financial institutions (i.e., a credit facility), margin facilities, the issuance of preferred shares or notes and leverage attributable to reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. The Fund may use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Funds assessment of market conditions and the investment environment.
The Fund has added financial leverage to its portfolio representing up to approximately 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets (including the assets subject to, and obtained with the proceeds of, the leveraging activity).
The 1940 Act generally limits the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings and uncovered transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage, including reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions, together with any other senior securities representing indebtedness, to 331/3%, of the Funds Managed Assets at the time utilized. In addition, the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may issue preferred shares to 50% of the Funds Managed Assets (less the Funds obligations under senior securities representing indebtedness). Covered reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions will not be counted against the foregoing limits under the 1940 Act. The Fund will cover its derivative positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time. Alternatively, the Fund may enter into an offsetting position or own positions covering its obligations with respect to the transaction; otherwise, this transaction will be considered uncovered. The Fund may not cover an applicable derivative transaction if it does not need to do so to comply with the foregoing 1940 Act requirements and, in the view of the Adviser, the assets that would have been used to cover could be better used for a different purpose. However, these transactions, even if covered, may represent a form of economic leverage and will create risks. The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein. In addition, these segregation and coverage requirements could result in the Fund maintaining securities positions that it would otherwise liquidate, segregating assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or otherwise restricting portfolio management. Such segregation and cover requirements will not limit or offset losses on related positions.
Use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased income and return for Common Shareholders but, at the same time, creates risks, including the likelihood of greater volatility in the NAV and market price of, and distributions on, the common shares. Increases and decreases in the value of the Funds portfolio will be magnified if the Fund uses leverage. In particular, leverage may magnify interest rate risk, which is the risk that the prices of portfolio securities will fall (or rise) if market interest rates for those types of securities rise (or fall). As a result, leverage may cause greater changes in the Funds NAV, which will be borne entirely by the Funds Common Shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund will use leverage or that its leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed. The Fund may be subject to investment restrictions of one or more NRSROs and/or credit facility lenders as a result of its use of financial leverage. These restrictions may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or portfolio requirements will significantly impede the Adviser in managing the Funds portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Nonetheless, if these covenants or guidelines are more restrictive than those imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may not be able to utilize as much leverage as it otherwise could have, which could reduce the Funds investment returns. In addition, the Fund expects that any notes it issues or credit facility it enters into would contain covenants that, among other things, will likely impose geographic exposure limitations, credit quality minimums, liquidity minimums, concentration limitations and currency hedging requirements on the Fund. These covenants would also likely limit the Funds ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change fundamental investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations. Such restrictions could cause the Adviser to make different investment decisions than if there were no such restrictions and could limit the ability of the Board and Common Shareholders to change fundamental investment policies.
The costs of a financial leverage program (including the costs of offering preferred shares and notes) will be borne entirely by Common Shareholders and consequently will result in a reduction of the NAV of the common shares. During periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fees paid by the Fund for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the investment advisory fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Funds Managed Assets, which includes proceeds from (and assets subject to) any credit facility, margin facility, any issuance of preferred shares or notes, any reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls or similar transactions. This will create a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and Common Shareholders, on the other hand. To monitor this potential conflict, the Board intends to periodically review the Funds use of leverage, including its impact on Fund performance and on the Advisers fees. See Conflicts of Interest.
The Fund may also offset derivative positions against one another or against other assets to manage the effective market exposure resulting from derivatives in its portfolio. In addition, to the extent that any offsetting positions do not behave in relation to one another as expected, the Fund may perform as if it were leveraged. The Funds use of leverage could create the opportunity for a higher return for Common Shareholders but would also result in special risks for Common Shareholders and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on the securities and investments purchased with leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the leverage, the return on the common shares will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income and gains from the securities and investments purchased with such proceeds do not cover the cost of leverage, the return on the common shares will be less than if leverage had not been used. There is no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for Common Shareholders, including:
· the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV and market price of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage;
· the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt or in the dividend rates on any preferred shares that the Fund may pay will reduce the return to the Common Shareholders or will result in fluctuations in the dividends paid on the common shares;
· the effect of leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the NAV of the common shares than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares; and
· when the Fund uses certain types of leverage, the investment advisory fee payable to the Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage.
The Fund may continue to use leverage if the benefits to the Funds Common Shareholders of maintaining the leveraged position are believed to outweigh any current reduced return.
Special Risks for Holders of Subscription Rights
There is a risk that changes in market conditions may result in the underlying common shares purchasable upon exercise of the subscription rights being less attractive to investors at the conclusion of the subscription period. This may reduce or eliminate the value of the subscription rights. Investors who receive subscription rights may find that there is no market to sell rights they do not wish to exercise. If investors exercise only a portion of the rights, the number of common shares issued may be reduced, and the common shares may trade at less favorable prices than larger offerings for similar securities.
Potential Dilution in Rights Offerings
To the extent that the Fund engages in a rights offering, shareholders who do not exercise their subscription rights may, at the completion of such an offering, own a smaller proportional interest in the Fund than if they exercised their subscription rights. As a result of such an offering, a shareholder also may experience dilution in NAV per share if the subscription price per share is below the NAV per share on the expiration date. Specifically, if the subscription price per share is below the NAV per share of the Funds shares on the expiration date of the rights offering, a shareholder will experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate NAV of their shares if the shareholder does not participate in the offering and the shareholder will experience a reduction in the NAV per share of their shares whether or not the shareholder participates in the offering. The Fund cannot state precisely the extent of this
dilution (if any) if the shareholder does not exercise his or her subscription rights because the Fund does not know what the NAV per share will be when a rights offering expires or what proportion of the rights will be exercised.
There is also a risk that the Funds largest shareholders, record date shareholders of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common shares of the Fund, may increase their percentage ownership in and control of the Fund through the exercise of the primary subscription and any over-subscription privilege.
Subordinated and Unsecured or Partially Secured Loans Risk
The Fund may invest in unsecured loans and secured subordinated loans, including second and lower lien loans. Second lien loans are generally second in line in terms of repayment priority. A second lien loan may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or it may be secured by a separate set of assets. Second lien loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale. The priority of the collateral claims of third or lower lien loans ranks below holders of second lien loans and so on. Such junior loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment, including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower place in the borrowers capital structure and possible unsecured or partially secured status, such loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than Senior Loans of the same borrower.
Mezzanine Securities Risk
Mezzanine debt is typically junior to the obligations of a company to senior creditors, trade creditors and employees. Most of the Funds mezzanine securities and other investments (if any) are expected to be unsecured and made in companies whose capital structures have significant indebtedness ranking ahead of the investments, all or a significant portion of which may be secured. While the securities and other investments may benefit from the same or similar financial and other covenants as those enjoyed by the indebtedness ranking ahead of the investments and may benefit from cross-default provisions and security over the portfolio companys assets, some or all of such terms may not be part of particular investments. Default rates for mezzanine debt securities have historically been higher than for investment grade securities. Mezzanine securities and other investments generally are subject to various risks including, without limitation: (i) a subsequent characterization of an investment as a fraudulent conveyance; (ii) the recovery as a preference of liens perfected or payments made on account of a debt in the 90 days before a bankruptcy filing; (iii) equitable subordination claims by other creditors; (iv) so-called lender liability claims by the issuer of the obligations; and (v) environmental liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations. Mezzanine debt investments may also be subject to early redemption features, refinancing options, prepayment options or similar provisions which, in each case, could result in the issuer repaying the principal on an obligation earlier than expected. In addition, mezzanine debt investments may include enhanced information rights or other involvement with a companys board of directors that could result in limiting the ability of the Fund to liquidate positions in the company.
Below Investment Grade Instruments Risk
The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments that are rated below investment grade by recognized rating agencies or will be unrated and face ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions and the issuers failure to make timely interest and principal payments. Such securities and instruments are generally not exchange-traded and, as a result, trade in the OTC marketplace, which is less transparent than the exchange-traded marketplace. In addition, the Fund may invest in bonds of issuers that do not have publicly traded equity securities, making it more difficult to hedge the risks associated with such investments. The Funds investments in below investment grade instruments exposes it to a substantial degree of credit risk and interest rate risk. The market for high yield securities has recently experienced periods of significant volatility and reduced liquidity. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt investments may reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than those of higher-rated investments, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Companies that issue such securities are often highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. General economic recession or a major decline in the demand for products and services in which the borrower operates would likely have a materially adverse impact on the value of such securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and interest thereon, thereby increasing the incidence of default of such
securities. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the value and liquidity of these high yield debt investments.
Stressed and Distressed Investments
The Fund intends to invest in securities and other obligations of companies that are in significant financial or business distress, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although such investments may result in significant returns for the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in distressed assets is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Funds investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action in respect of any company. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company in which the Fund invests, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Funds original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. Troubled company investments and other distressed asset-based investments require active monitoring.
Short Selling Risk
Short selling involves a number of risks. Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security or other instrument that it does not own but can borrow in the market. If a security sold short increases in price, the Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. The Fund may not be able to borrow a security that it needs to deliver or it may not be able to close out a short position at an acceptable price and may have to sell related long positions earlier than it had expected. Thus, the Fund may not be able to successfully implement its short sale strategy due to limited availability of desired securities or for other reasons. Also, there is the risk that the counterparty to a short sale may fail to honor its contractual terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
Until the Fund replaces a security borrowed in connection with a short sale, it may be required to maintain a segregated account of cash or liquid assets with a broker or custodian to cover the Funds short position. Generally, securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. The Funds ability to access the pledged collateral may also be impaired in the event the broker becomes bankrupt, insolvent or otherwise fails to comply with the terms of the contract. In such instances, the Fund may not be able to substitute or sell the pledged collateral and may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in these circumstances. Additionally, the Fund must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral pledged to the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the borrowed securities obligations. This may limit the Funds investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet other current obligations.
A short sale creates the risk of a theoretically unlimited loss, in that the price of the underlying security or instrument could theoretically increase without limit, thus increasing the cost of buying those securities to cover the short position. There can be no assurance that the security necessary to cover a short position will be available for purchase. Purchasing securities to close out the short position can itself cause the price of the security to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. By contrast, a loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a securitys value cannot decrease below zero. In addition, engaging in short selling may limit the Funds ability to fully benefit from increases in the fixed-income markets.
By investing the proceeds received from selling securities short, the Fund could be deemed to be employing a form of leverage, which creates special risks. The use of leverage may increase the Funds exposure to long securities positions and make any change in the Funds NAV greater than it would be without the use of leverage. This could result in increased volatility of returns. There is no guarantee that any leveraging strategy the Fund employs will be successful during any period in which it is employed. See Leverage Risk.
In times of unusual or adverse market, economic, regulatory or political conditions, the Fund may not be able, fully or partially, to implement its short selling strategy. Periods of unusual or adverse market, economic, regulatory or political conditions generally may exist for as long as six months and, in some cases, much longer.
Prepayment Risk
Prepayment risk occurs when a debt investment held by the Fund can be repaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity. The amount of prepayable obligations in which the Fund invests from time to time may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, borrowers financial conditions and competitive conditions among lenders. Generally, voluntary prepayments are permitted and the timing of prepayments cannot be predicted with any accuracy. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay investments more quickly than anticipated, reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the relevant investment. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. Such prepayments may result in the Fund receiving a lower than anticipated yield on such investments. To the extent that the Fund purchases the relevant investment at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such investments at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and unscheduled prepayments will also accelerate the recognition of income which may be taxable as ordinary income to Common Shareholders. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of investments may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change an investment that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer-term investment. Since the value of longer-term investments generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term investments, maturity extension risk could increase the volatility of the Fund. When interest rates decline, the value of an investment with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income instruments, and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or delay prepayments and thus affect maturities.
Credit Derivatives Risk
The use of credit derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, liquidity risk, counterparty risk, market spreads or other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. Moreover, even if the Adviser is correct in its forecasts, there is a risk that a credit derivative position may correlate imperfectly with the price of the asset or liability being protected. The Funds risk of loss in a credit derivative transaction varies with the form of the transaction. For example, if the Fund sells protection under a credit default swap, it would collect periodic fees from the buyer and would profit if the credit of the underlying issuer or reference entity remains stable or improves while the swap is outstanding, but the Fund would be required to pay an agreed upon amount to the buyer (which may be the entire notional amount of the swap) if the reference entity defaults on the reference security. Credit default swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund invested in the reference obligation directly.
Derivatives Risk
The Funds derivative investments have risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets of the Fund, which creates the possibility that the loss on such instruments may be greater than the gain in the value of the underlying assets in the Funds portfolio; the loss of principal; the possible default of the other party to the transaction; and illiquidity of the derivative investments. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of a counterparty to a derivative transaction, the derivative contract would typically be terminated at its fair market value. If the Fund is owed this fair market value in the termination of the derivative contract and its claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such counterparty, and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying security.
The counterparty risk for cleared derivative transactions should generally be lower than for uncleared OTC derivatives since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties performance under the contract as each party to a trade looks only to the clearing house for performance of financial obligations. However, there can be no assurance that the clearing house, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. Exchange trading may increase market transparency
and liquidity but may cause the Fund to incur increased expenses. In addition, depending on the size of the Fund and other factors, the margin required under the rules of a clearing house and by a clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar OTC derivative transaction. However, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and other applicable regulators have adopted rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared OTC derivative transactions which, once effective, may result in the Fund and its counterparties posting higher margin amounts for uncleared OTC derivative transactions.
Certain of the derivative investments in which the Fund may invest may, in certain circumstances, give rise to a form of financial leverage, which may magnify the risk of owning such instruments. Furthermore, the ability to successfully use derivative investments depends on the ability of the Adviser to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Thus, the use of derivative investments to generate income, for hedging, for currency or interest rate management or other purposes may result in losses greater than if they had not been used, may require the Fund to sell or purchase portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices below or above the current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on an investment or may cause the Fund to hold a security that it might otherwise want to sell. In addition, there may be situations in which the Adviser elects not to use derivative investments that result in losses greater than if they had been used. Amounts paid by the Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to the Funds derivative investments would not be available to the Fund for other investment purposes, which may result in lost opportunities for gain.
OTC derivatives may be more difficult to purchase, sell or value than other investments. Although both OTC and exchange-traded derivatives markets may experience a lack of liquidity, OTC non-standardized derivative transactions are generally less liquid than exchange-traded instruments. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, the liquidity of a secondary market in an exchange-traded derivative contract may be adversely affected by daily price fluctuation limits established by the exchanges which limit the amount of fluctuation in an exchange-traded contract price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open positions. Prices have in the past moved beyond the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days. If it is not possible to close an open derivative position entered into by the Fund, the Fund would continue to be required to make cash payments of variation (or mark-to-market) margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such a situation, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The inability to close derivatives transactions positions also could have an adverse impact on the Funds ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. OTC derivatives that are not cleared are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Funds contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Funds rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). In addition, the use of certain derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of income or short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates).
The derivatives markets have become subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. In particular, in the United States the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) regulates the OTC derivatives market by, among other things, requiring many derivative transactions to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expanding entity registration requirements, imposing business conduct requirements on dealers and requiring banks to move some derivatives trading units to a non-guaranteed affiliate separate from the deposit-taking bank or divest them altogether. Rulemaking proposed or implemented under the Dodd-Frank Act could potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions could also prevent the Fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change availability of certain investments.
The Funds investments in regulated derivatives instruments, such as swaps, futures and options, are subject to maximum position limits established by the CFTC and U.S. and foreign futures exchanges. Under the exchange rules all accounts owned or managed by advisers, such as the Adviser, their principals and affiliates would be combined for position limit purposes. In order to comply with the position limits established by the CFTC and the relevant exchanges, the Adviser may in the future reduce the size of positions that would otherwise be taken for the Fund or not trade in certain markets on behalf of the Fund in order to avoid exceeding such limits. A violation of position limits by the Adviser could lead to regulatory action resulting in mandatory liquidation of certain positions held by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will liquidate positions held on behalf of all the Advisers accounts in a proportionate manner or at favorable prices, which may result in substantial losses to the Fund. Such policies could affect the nature and extent of derivatives use by the Fund.
Regulatory RiskRegulation as a Commodity Pool
The Adviser has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund pursuant to Regulation 4.5 promulgated by the CFTC under the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). The CFTC has adopted amendments to its rules that may affect the ability of the Adviser to claim this exclusion. The on-going compliance implications of these amendments are not fully effective and their scope of application is still uncertain. The Adviser will be limited in its ability to use futures or options on futures or engage in swaps transactions on behalf of the Fund as a result of claiming the exclusion. In the event the Adviser fails to qualify for the exclusion and is required to register as a commodity pool operator, the Adviser will become subject to additional disclosure, recordkeeping and reporting requirements with respect to the Fund, which may increase the Funds expenses.
Risks related to the Funds Clearing Broker and Central Clearing Counterparty.
The CEA and CFTC regulations require swaps and futures clearing brokers registered as futures commission merchants to segregate from the brokers proprietary assets all funds and other property received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of U.S. domestic futures contracts, options on futures contracts and cleared swaps. Similarly, the CEA requires each futures commission merchant to hold in a separate secure account all funds and other property received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of foreign futures contracts and segregate any such funds from the funds received with respect to domestic futures contracts. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account and may be accessed by the clearing broker, which may also invest any such funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulation. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Fund with any swaps or futures clearing broker as margin for futures contracts or cleared swaps may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Funds clearing broker. In addition, the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the Funds clearing brokers bankruptcy, as the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing brokers combined domestic customer accounts.
Similarly, the CEA and CFTC regulations require a clearing organization approved by the CFTC as a derivatives clearing organization to segregate all funds and other property received from a clearing members customers in connection with domestic futures, swaps and options contracts from any funds or other property held at the clearing organization to support the clearing members proprietary trading. Nevertheless, with respect to futures and options contracts, a clearing organization may use assets of a non-defaulting customer held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. As a result, in the event of a default of the clearing brokers other clients or the clearing brokers failure to extend its own funds in connection with any such default, the Fund may not be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited by the clearing broker on behalf of the Fund with the clearing organization.
Structured Products Risk
The Fund may invest in structured products, consisting of CLOs and credit-linked notes. Holders of structured products bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk.
The Fund may have the right to receive payments only from the structured product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the assets to be securitized. While certain structured products enable the investor to acquire interests in a pool of securities without the brokerage and other expenses associated with directly holding the same securities, investors in structured products generally pay their share of the structured products administrative and other expenses. Although it is difficult to predict whether the prices of indices and securities underlying structured products will rise or fall, these prices (and, therefore, the prices of structured products) will be influenced by the same types of political and economic events that affect issuers of securities and capital markets generally. If the issuer of a structured product uses shorter term financing to purchase longer term securities, the issuer may be forced to sell its securities at below market prices if it experiences difficulty in obtaining short-term financing, which may adversely affect the value of the structured products owned by the Fund.
Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market. CLOs and credit-linked notes are typically privately offered and sold. As a result, investments in CLOs and credit-linked notes may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed herein, CLOs carry additional risks, including, but not limited to (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that the investments in CLOs are subordinate to other classes or tranches thereof; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Repurchase Agreements Risk
Subject to its investment objectives and policies, the Fund may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future. The Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including (1) possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (2) possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and (3) expenses of enforcing its rights. In addition, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Funds right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls Risk
The use of reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls involve many of the same risks involved in the use of leverage, as the proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls generally will be invested in additional securities. There is a risk that the market value of the securities acquired in the reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but remains obligated to repurchase. In addition, there is a risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll were to file for bankruptcy or experience insolvency, the Fund may be adversely affected. Also, in entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the underlying securities. In addition, due to the interest costs associated with reverse repurchase agreements and dollar roll transactions, the Funds NAV will decline, and, in some cases, the Fund may be worse off than if it had not used such instruments.
Swap Risk
The Fund may also invest in credit default swaps, total return swaps, interest rate swaps and other types of swaps. Such transactions are subject to market risk, liquidity risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction,
known as counterparty risk, regulatory risk and risk of imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets and may involve commissions or other costs. When buying protection under a credit default swap, the risk of market loss with respect to the swap generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. However, when selling protection under a swap, the risk of loss is often the notional value of the underlying asset, which can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. As a seller, the Fund would be incurring a form of leverage. The Fund will cover its swap positions by segregating an amount of cash and/or liquid securities as required by the 1940 Act and applicable SEC interpretations and guidance from time to time.
The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments ultimately will require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC determination of contracts for central clearing. The Adviser will continue to monitor these developments, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect a Funds ability to enter into swap agreements.
The swap market has matured in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid; however there is no guarantee that the swap market will continue to provide liquidity and may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The inability to close derivative positions also could have an adverse impact on the Funds ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates or currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used. In a total return swap, the Fund pays the counterparty a floating short-term interest rate and receives in exchange the total return of underlying loans or debt securities. The Fund bears the risk of default on the underlying loans or debt securities, based on the notional amount of the swap and, therefore, incurs a form of leverage. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation.
Options and Futures Risk
The Fund may utilize options and futures contracts and so-called synthetic options or other derivatives written by broker-dealers or other permissible financial intermediaries. Options transactions may be effected on securities exchanges or in the OTC market. When options are purchased OTC, the Funds portfolio bears the risk that the counterparty that wrote the option will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the option contract. Options may also be illiquid and, in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out its position. OTC options also may include options on baskets of specific securities.
The Fund may purchase call and put options on specific securities, and may write and sell covered or uncovered call and put options for hedging purposes in pursuing its investment objectives. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying security at a stated exercise price, typically at any time prior to the expiration of the option for American options or only at expiration for European options. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the underlying security at a stated exercise price, typically at any time prior to the expiration of the option. A covered call option is a call option with respect to which the seller of the option owns the underlying security. The sale of such an option exposes the seller during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or to possible continued holding of a security that might otherwise have been sold to protect against depreciation in the market price of the security. A covered put option is a put option with respect to which cash or liquid securities have been placed in a segregated account on the books of or with a custodian to fulfill the obligation undertaken. The sale of such an option exposes the seller during the term of the option to a decline in price of the underlying security while depriving the seller of the opportunity to invest the segregated assets.
The Fund may close out a position when writing options by purchasing an option on the same underlying security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option that it has previously written on the security. In such a case, the Fund will realize a profit or loss if the amount paid to purchase an option is less or more than the amount received from the sale of the option.
Engaging in transactions in futures contracts and options involves risk of loss to the Fund. No assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract or option prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. A market could become unavailable if one or more exchanges were to stop trading options or it could become unavailable with respect to options on a particular underlying security if the exchanges stopped trading options on that security. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events (e.g., volume exceeds clearing capability) were to interrupt normal exchange operations. If an options market were to become illiquid or otherwise unavailable, an option holder would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising and an options seller or writer would remain obligated until it is assigned an exercise or until the option expires.
If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is usually halted as well. Holders and writers of options will then be unable to close out their positions until options trading resumes, and they may be faced with considerable losses if the security reopens at a substantially different price. Even if options trading is halted, holders of options will generally be able to exercise them. However, if trading has also been halted in the underlying security, option holders face the risk of exercising options without knowing the securitys current market value. If exercises do occur when trading of the underlying security is halted, the party required to deliver the underlying security may be unable to obtain it, which may necessitate a postponed settlement and/or the fixing of cash settlement prices.
Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in securities of ETFs and other closed-end funds. Investments in ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to a variety of risks, including all of the risks of a direct investment in the underlying securities that the ETF or closed-end fund holds. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including, without limitation, the risk that their prices may not correlate perfectly with changes in the prices of the underlying securities they are designed to track, and the risk of trading in an ETF halting due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the exchange upon which the ETF trades. Shares of ETFs and closed-end funds may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV because the supply and demand in the market for their shares at any point in time may not be identical to the supply and demand in the market for their underlying securities. Some ETFs and closed-end funds are highly leveraged and therefore would subject the Fund to the additional risks associated with leverage. See Risk FactorsLeverage Risk. In addition, the Fund may bear, along with other shareholders of an investment company, its pro rata portion of the investment companys expenses, including management fees. Accordingly, in addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Funds expenses, Common Shareholders may also indirectly bear similar expenses of an investment company.
Money Market Funds Risk
Money market funds may be subject to the risk that the returns will decline during periods of falling interest rates because money market funds may have to reinvest the proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations at interest rates below their current earnings rate. For instance, when interest rates decline, an issuer of debt obligations may exercise an option to redeem securities prior to maturity, thereby forcing the money market fund to invest in lower-yielding securities. A money market fund also may choose to sell higher-yielding portfolio securities and to purchase lower-yielding securities to achieve greater portfolio diversification, because the portfolio manager believes the current holdings are overvalued or for other investment-related reasons. A decline in the returns received by a money market fund from its investments is likely to have an adverse effect on its NAV, yield and total return.
Counterparty Risk
Certain Fund investments are exposed to the credit risk of the counterparties with which, or the dealers, brokers and exchanges through which, the Fund deals, whether in exchange-traded or OTC transactions. If there is a default by
the counterparty to such a transaction, the Fund will, under most normal circumstances, have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, exercising such contractual rights may involve delays or costs which could result in losses to the Fund. The Fund may be subject to the risk of loss of Fund assets on deposit or being settled or cleared with a broker in the event of the brokers bankruptcy, the bankruptcy of any clearing broker through which the broker executes and clears transactions on behalf of the Fund, the bankruptcy of an exchange clearing house or the bankruptcy of any other counterparty. In the case of any such bankruptcy, the Fund might recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to the Fund, only a pro rata share of all property available for distribution to all of the counterpartys customers and counterparties. Such an amount may be less than the amounts owed to the Fund. Such events would have an adverse effect on the NAV of the Fund. Certain counterparties may have general custody of, or title to, the Funds assets (including, without limitation the Custodian). The failure of any such counterparty may result in adverse consequences to the NAV of the Fund.
In addition, the Fund may from time to time use counterparties located in jurisdictions outside the U.S. Such counterparties usually are subject to laws and regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions that are designed to protect customers in the event of their insolvency. However, the practical effect of these laws and their application to the Funds assets may be subject to substantial limitations and uncertainties. Because of the range of possible factual scenarios involving the insolvency of a counterparty and the potential number of entities and jurisdictions that may be involved, it is impossible to generalize about the effect of such an insolvency on the Fund and its assets. Investors should assume that the insolvency of any such counterparty would result in significant delays in recovering the Funds financial instruments from or the payment of claims therefor by such counterparty and a loss to the Fund, which could be material.
The Funds investments may be structured through the use of OTC options and swaps or other indirect investment transactions. Such transactions may be entered into with a small number of counterparties resulting in a concentration of counterparty risk. The exercise of counterparty rights under such arrangements, including forced sales of securities, may have a significant adverse impact on the Fund and its NAV.
Counterparty and Prime Brokerage Risk
Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Funds prime brokers or counterparties with respect to derivatives or other transactions supported by another partys credit will affect the value of those instruments.
Certain entities that have served as prime brokers or counterparties in the markets for these transactions have recently incurred significant financial hardships including bankruptcy and losses as a result of exposure to sub-prime mortgages and other lower quality credit investments that have experienced recent defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration. As a result, such hardships have reduced such entities capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such transactions. By using derivatives, swaps or other transactions, the Fund assumes the risk that its counterparties could experience similar financial hardships. If a prime broker or counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding; if the Funds claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such prime broker or counterparty and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying security. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.
Lender Liability Risk
A number of U.S. judicial decisions have upheld judgments obtained by Borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed lender liability. Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the Borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the Borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the Borrower or its other creditors or Common Shareholders. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder (a) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a Borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such Borrower, (b) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors, (c) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (d) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a Borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such Borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called equitable subordination.
Because affiliates of, or persons related to, the Adviser may hold equity or other interests in obligors of the Fund, the Fund could be exposed to claims for equitable subordination or lender liability or both based on such equity or other holdings.
Distressed Debt, Litigation, Bankruptcy and Other Proceedings
The Fund may be invested in debt securities and other obligations of companies that are experiencing significant financial or business distress. Investments in distressed securities involve a material risk of involving the Fund in a related litigation. Such litigation can be time-consuming and expensive, and can frequently lead to unpredicted delays or losses. Litigation expenses, including payments pursuant to settlements or judgments, generally will be borne by the Fund.
The Adviser may make investments for the Fund in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings. There are a number of significant risks when investing in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings, and many events in a bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings which are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing may have adverse and permanent effects on a company. Further, if the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the liquidation value of the company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. In addition, the duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict. A creditors return on investment can be impacted adversely by delays while the plan of reorganization is being negotiated, approved by the creditors and confirmed by the bankruptcy court, and until it ultimately becomes effective. Certain claims, such as claims for taxes, wages and certain trade claims, may have priority by law over the claims of certain creditors and administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and will be paid out of the debtors estate prior to any return to creditors.
Certain fixed-income instruments invested in by the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal, state or non-U.S. bankruptcy laws or fraudulent transfer or conveyance laws, if such securities were issued with the intent of hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors or, in certain circumstances, if the issuer receives less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration in return for issuing such securities. If a court were to find that the issuance of the securities was a fraudulent transfer or conveyance, the court could void the payment obligations under the securities, further subordinate the securities to other existing and future indebtedness of the issuer or require the Fund to repay any amounts received by it with respect to the securities. In the event of a finding that a fraudulent transfer or conveyance occurred, the Fund may not receive any payment on the securities. If the Fund or the Adviser is found to have interfered with the affairs of a company in which the Fund holds a debt investment, to the detriment of other creditors or Common Shareholders of such company, the Fund may be held liable for damages to injured parties or a bankruptcy court. While the Fund will attempt to avoid taking the types of action that would lead to such liability, there can be no assurance that such claims will not be asserted or that the Fund will be able to successfully defend against them. Moreover, such debt may be disallowed or subordinated to the claims of other creditors or treated as equity. Where the Fund or the Adviser has representatives on the boards of a portfolio company, such involvement may also prevent the Fund from freely disposing of its debt investments and may subject the Fund to additional liability or result in re-characterization of its debt investments as equity.
Insofar as the Funds portfolio includes obligations of non-United States obligors, the laws of certain foreign jurisdictions may provide for avoidance remedies under factual circumstances similar to those described above or under different circumstances, with consequences that may or may not be analogous to those described above under U.S. federal or state laws. Changes in bankruptcy laws (including U.S. federal and state laws and applicable non-United States laws) may adversely impact the Funds securities.
Convertible Securities Risk
The Fund may invest in or otherwise hold convertible securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into, or exchanged for, a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics; and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its investment value (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its conversion value (the securitys worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income instrument. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. Although under normal market conditions longer-term convertible debt securities have greater yields than do shorter-term convertible debt securities of similar quality, they are subject to greater price fluctuations.
A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on the Funds ability to achieve its investment objectives.
When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments
Securities may be purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. However, the return on a comparable security when the transaction is consummated may vary from the return on the security at the time that the forward commitment or when-issued transaction was made. From the time of entering into the transaction until delivery and payment is made at a later date, the securities that are the subject of the transaction are subject to market fluctuations. In forward commitment or when-issued transactions, if the seller or buyer, as the case may be, fails to consummate the transaction, the counterparty may miss the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. Forward commitment or when-issued transactions may occur a month or more before delivery is due. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction.
Equity Securities Risk
From time to time, the Fund also may invest in or hold common stock and other equity securities. The value of equity securities, including common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, will fluctuate in response to factors affecting the particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. Prices of equity securities may fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. Moreover, in the event of a companys bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders,
will have priority over claims of common stock holders and are likely to have varying types of priority over holders of preferred and convertible stock. These risks may increase fluctuations in the Funds NAV. If the Funds investments in equity securities are incidental to the Funds investments in loans or fixed-income instruments, the Fund frequently may possess material non-public information about a Borrower or issuer as a result of its ownership of a loan or fixed-income instrument of a Borrower or issuer. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities while in possession of material non-public information, the Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a security of the Borrower or issuer when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
U.S. Government Debt Securities Risk
U.S. government debt securities generally do not involve the credit risks associated with investments in other types of debt securities, although, as a result, the yields available from U.S. government debt securities are generally lower than the yields available from other securities. Like other debt securities, however, the values of U.S. government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the Funds NAV. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Funds average maturity is longer, under certain market conditions the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, accept lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities. In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship. As conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remains liable for all of their obligations, including guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. There is no assurance that the obligations of such entities will be satisfied in full, or that such obligations will not lose value or default. Any Fund investments issued by Federal Home Loan Banks and Fannie Mae may ultimately lose value.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk
The Fund invests in securities or other instruments, including secured loans and unsecured loans, of non-U.S. issuers or Borrowers. Such investments involve certain factors not typically associated with investing in the United States or other developed countries, including risks relating to: (i) differences between U.S. and non-U.S. securities markets, including potential price volatility in and relative illiquidity of some non-U.S. securities markets; the absence of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices, and disclosure requirements; and less government supervision and regulation; (ii) other differences in law and regulation, including fewer investor protections, less stringent fiduciary duties, less developed bankruptcy laws and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations; (iii) certain economic and political risks, including potential economic, political or social instability; exchange control regulations; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital (possibly requiring government approval); expropriation or confiscatory taxation; higher rates of inflation; and reliance on a more limited number of commodity inputs, service providers, and/or distribution mechanisms; and (iv) the possible imposition of foreign taxes on income and gains recognized with respect to securities and other assets. The risks of investments in emerging markets (if any), including the risks described below, are usually greater than the risks involved in investing in more developed markets. Because non-U.S. securities may trade on days when the Funds common shares are not priced, the Funds NAV may change at times when common shares cannot be sold.
Emerging Markets Risk
Because of less developed markets and economies and, in some countries, less mature governments and governmental institutions, the risks of investing in foreign securities set forth above can be intensified in the case of investments in issuers domiciled or doing substantial business in emerging market countries. These risks include high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries; political and social uncertainties; over-dependence on exports, especially with respect to primary commodities, making these economies vulnerable to changes in commodity prices; overburdened infrastructure and obsolete or unseasoned financial systems; environmental problems; less developed legal systems; and less reliable custodial services and settlement practices. Investing in securities of companies in emerging markets also may entail risks of expropriation, nationalization, confiscation or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investment, the lack of hedging instruments,
and on repatriation of capital invested. Emerging securities markets are substantially smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets. The limited size of emerging securities markets and limited trading value compared to the volume of trading in U.S. securities could cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the quality of the securities. For example, limited market size may cause prices to be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions.
Foreign Currency Risk
Investments made by the Fund, and the income received by the Fund with respect to such investments, may be denominated in various non-U.S. currencies. However, the books of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, changes in currency values may adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of portfolio investments, interest and other revenue streams received by the Fund, gains and losses realized on the sale of portfolio investments, and the amount of distributions, if any, made by the Fund. In addition, the Fund will incur costs in converting investment proceeds from one currency to another. The Fund may enter into derivative transactions designed to reduce such currency risks. Furthermore, the portfolio companies in which the Fund invests may be subject to risks relating to changes in currency values, as described above. If a portfolio company suffers adverse consequences as a result of such changes, the Fund may also be adversely affected as a result.
Eurozone Risk
The Fund may invest from time to time in European companies and companies that have operations that may be affected by the Eurozone economy. For example, concerns regarding the sovereign debt of various Eurozone countries and proposals for investors to incur substantial write-downs and reductions in the face value of certain countries sovereign debt have given rise to new concerns about sovereign defaults, following the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU and the possibility that one or more further countries might leave the EU or the Eurozone and various proposals (still under consideration and unclear in material respects) for support of affected countries and the Euro as a currency. The outcome of this situation cannot yet be predicted. Sovereign debt defaults and EU and/or Eurozone exits, could have material adverse effects on investments by the Fund in European companies, including but not limited to the availability of credit to support such companies financing needs, uncertainty and disruption in relation to financing, customer and supply contracts denominated in the Euro and wider economic disruption in markets served by those companies, while austerity and other measures introduced in order to limit or contain these issues may themselves lead to economic contraction and resulting adverse effects for the Fund. It is possible that a number of the Funds securities will be denominated in the Euro. Greece, Ireland and Portugal received one or more bailouts from other members of the EU. Although several countries in the Eurozone have agreed to multi-year bailout loans with the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, it is unclear how much additional funding these countries, or other Eurozone countries, will require. Legal uncertainty about the funding of Euro denominated obligations following any breakup or exits from the Eurozone (particularly in the case of investments in companies in affected countries) could also have material adverse effects on the Fund.
On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted, via referendum, to exit from the EU, triggering political, economic and legal uncertainty. While such uncertainty most directly affects the United Kingdom and the EU, global markets suffered immediate and significant disruption. On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom made a formal notification to the European Council under Article 50 of the Treaty on EU, which triggers a two year period during which the terms of an exit will be negotiated. The United Kingdom and the EU are therefore entering a period of legal, regulatory and political uncertainty. The United Kingdoms exit from the EU will impact the Fund and its investments (and their underlying issuers) in a variety of ways, not all of which are currently readily apparent immediately following the exit vote. The Fund may invest in portfolio companies and other issuers with significant operations and/or assets in the United Kingdom, any of which could be adversely impacted by any new legal, tax and regulatory environment, whether by increased costs or impediments to the implementation of their business plan. Further, the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU may increase the likelihood of similar referenda in other member states of the EU, which could result in additional departures from the EU and may trigger steps by countries within the United Kingdom to leave the United Kingdom. The uncertainty resulting from any such developments, or the possibility of such developments, would also be likely to cause significant market disruption in the EU and the United Kingdom and more broadly across the global economy, as well as introduce further legal, tax and regulatory uncertainty in the EU and the United Kingdom.
European Market Infrastructure Regulation
The Fund may enter into OTC derivative contracts for hedging purposes. EMIR establishes certain requirements for OTC derivatives contracts, including mandatory clearing obligations, bilateral risk management requirements and reporting requirements. Although not all the regulatory technical standards specifying the risk management procedures, including the levels and type of collateral and segregation arrangements, required to give effect to EMIR have been finalized and it is therefore not possible to be definitive, investors should be aware that certain provisions of EMIR impose obligations on the Fund in relation to its transaction of OTC derivative contracts.
The potential implications of EMIR for the Fund include, without limitation, the following:
· Clearing Obligation: Certain standardized OTC derivative transactions will be subject to mandatory clearing through a central counterparty (a CCP). Clearing derivatives through a CCP may result in additional costs and may be on less favorable terms than would be the case if such derivative was not required to be centrally cleared;
· Risk Mitigation Techniques: For those of its OTC derivatives which are not subject to central clearing, the Fund will be required to put in place risk mitigation requirements, which include the collateralization of all OTC derivatives. These risk mitigation requirements may increase the cost of the Fund pursuing its hedging strategy; and
· Reporting Obligations: The Funds OTC derivative transactions must be reported to a trade depository or the European Securities and Markets Authority. This reporting obligation may increase the costs to the Fund of utilizing OTC derivatives.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
Legal and regulatory changes could occur which may materially adversely affect the Fund. The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. securities and futures markets and investment funds such as the Fund has undergone substantial change in recent years, and such change may continue.
The Dodd-Frank Act contains changes to the existing regulatory structure in the United States and is intended to establish rigorous oversight standards to protect the U.S. economy and American consumers, investors and businesses, including provisions that would significantly alter the regulation of commodity interests and comprehensively regulate the OTC derivatives markets for the first time in the United States. The Dodd-Frank Act and the rules that have been or will be promulgated thereunder by relevant regulators may negatively impact the ability of the Fund to meet its investment objectives either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. The implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act will occur over a period of time, and it is unknown in what form, when and in what order significant regulatory initiatives may be implemented or the impact any such implemented regulations will have on the Fund, the markets or instruments in which the Fund invests or the counterparties with which the Fund conducts business. The effect of the Dodd-Frank Act or other regulatory change on the Fund, while impossible to predict, could be substantial, adverse and potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use derivative instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. In addition, the practice of short selling has been the subject of numerous temporary restrictions, and similar restrictions may be promulgated at any time. Such restrictions may adversely affect the returns of the Fund.
In Europe, the Financial Stability Board, which monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system, issued a report in October 2011 that recommended strengthening oversight and regulation of the so-called shadow banking system in Europe, broadly described as credit intermediation involving entities and activities outside the regular banking system. The report outlined initial steps to define the scope of the shadow banking system and proposed general governing principles for a monitoring and regulatory framework. While at this stage it is difficult to predict the scope of any new regulations, if such regulations were to extend the regulatory and supervisory requirements, such as capital and liquidity standards, currently applicable to banks, or the Fund was considered to be engaged in shadow banking, the regulatory and operating costs associated therewith could adversely impact the implementation of the Funds investment strategy and returns and may become prohibitive.
OFAC and FCPA Considerations
Economic sanction laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may prohibit the Adviser, its affiliates or the Fund from transacting with certain countries, individuals and companies. In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys OFAC administers and enforces laws, executive orders and regulations establishing U.S. economic and trade sanctions, which prohibit, among other things, transactions with, and the provision of services to, certain non-U.S. countries, territories, entities and individuals. These types of sanctions may significantly restrict or completely prohibit investment activities in certain jurisdictions, and if the Fund, its portfolio companies or other issuers in which it invests were to violate any such laws or regulations, it may face significant legal and monetary penalties.
The FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, may also apply to and restrict the activities of the Fund, their portfolio companies and other issuers of their investments. If an issuer or the Fund were to violate any such laws or regulations, such issuer or the Fund may face significant legal and monetary penalties. The U.S. government has indicated that it is particularly focused on FCPA enforcement, which may increase the risk that an issuer or the Fund becomes the subject of such actual or threatened enforcement. In addition, certain commentators have suggested that private investment firms and the funds that they manage, such as the Fund, may face increased scrutiny and/or liability with respect to the activities of their underlying portfolio companies. As such, a violation of the FCPA or other applicable regulations by the Fund or an issuer of the Funds portfolio investments could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates and the Fund are committed to complying with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, to which they are subject. As a result, the Fund may be adversely affected because of its unwillingness to enter into transactions that violate any such laws or regulations.
Event Driven Investing
The Fund may invest in companies in expectation of a specific event or catalyst, which may be external (e.g., a macro event impacting relevant markets) or an event that is idiosyncratic to the company (e.g., a future capital markets event). Such event-driven investing requires the investor to make predictions about (i) the likelihood that an event will occur and (ii) the impact such event will have on the value of the Funds investment in the relevant company. If the event fails to occur or it does not have the effect foreseen, losses can result. For example, the adoption of new business strategies or completion of asset dispositions or debt reduction programs by a company may not be valued as highly by the market as the Adviser had anticipated, resulting in losses. In addition, a company may announce a plan of restructuring which promises to enhance value and fail to implement it, resulting in losses to investors. In liquidations and other forms of corporate reorganization, the risk exists that the reorganization either will be unsuccessful, will be delayed or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security, the value of which will be less than the purchase price to the Fund of the investment in respect of which such distribution was made.
Valuation Risk
Unlike publicly traded common stock which trades on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans or fixed-income instruments to trade. Loans and fixed-income instruments generally trade on an OTC market, which may be anywhere in the world where the buyer and seller can settle on a price. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, the valuation of loans or fixed-income instruments may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial market, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. In addition, other market participants may value securities differently than the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that when a loan or fixed-income instrument is sold in the market, the amount received by the Fund is less than the value of such loans or fixed-income instruments carried on the Funds books.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund may invest without limit in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid. The Fund may also invest in restricted securities. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Funds assets invested in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities.
Illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid and restricted securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets. The Advisers judgment may play a greater role in the valuation process. Investment of the Funds assets in illiquid and restricted securities may restrict the Funds ability to take advantage of market opportunities. In order to dispose of an unregistered security, the Fund, where it has contractual rights to do so, may have to cause such security to be registered. A considerable period may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the time the security is registered, thereby enabling the Fund to sell it. Contractual restrictions on the resale of securities vary in length and scope and are generally the result of a negotiation between the issuer and acquiror of the securities. In either case, the Fund would bear market risks during that period.
Some loans and fixed-income instruments are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Loans and fixed-income instruments may not be listed on any national securities exchange and no active trading market may exist for certain of the loans and fixed-income instruments in which the Fund invests. Where a secondary market exists, the market for some loans and fixed-income instruments may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. In addition, events occurring subsequent to an investment by the Fund, including, for example, withdrawals, changes in market, political or other relevant circumstances, may cause some loans and fixed-income instruments that were liquid at the time of acquisition to become illiquid or otherwise cause the Funds concentration in illiquid investments to increase.
Inflation/Deflation Risk
Inflation risk is the risk that the value of certain assets or income from the Funds investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the common shares and distributions on the common shares can decline. In addition, during any periods of rising inflation, the dividend rates or borrowing costs associated with the Funds use of leverage would likely increase, which would tend to further reduce returns to Common Shareholders.
Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over timethe opposite of inflation. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer defaults more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Funds portfolio.
Conflicts of Interest Risk
The Adviser will experience conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund, relating to the allocation of the Advisers time and resources between the Fund and other investment activities; the allocation of investment opportunities by the Adviser and its affiliates; compensation to the Adviser; services that may be provided by the Adviser and its affiliates to issuers in which the Fund invests; investments by the Fund and other clients of the Adviser, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act; the formation of additional investment funds by the Adviser; differing recommendations given by the Adviser to the Fund versus other clients; and the Advisers use of information gained from issuers in the Funds portfolio to investments by other clients, subject to applicable law.
In addition, the Advisers investment professionals may acquire confidential or material, non-public information concerning an entity in which the Fund has invested, or propose to invest, and the possession of such information may limit the Advisers ability to buy or sell particular securities of such entity on behalf of the Fund, thereby limiting the investment opportunities or exit strategies available to the Fund. In addition, holdings in the securities of an issuer by the Adviser or its affiliates may affect the ability of the Fund to make certain acquisitions of, or enter into certain transactions with, such issuer. Broker-dealers and investment advisers affiliated with the Adviser may also acquire confidential or material non-public information concerning entities in which the Fund has invested or proposes to invest, which could restrict the Advisers ability to buy or sell (or otherwise transact in) securities of such entities, thus limiting investment opportunities or exit strategies available to the Fund. See Conflicts of Interest.
Uncertain Tax Treatment
The Fund may invest a portion of its net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount (OID) or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to ensure that it does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Complex Transactions/Contingent Liabilities/Guarantees and Indemnities
The Adviser may pursue complex investment opportunities for the Fund, which may involve substantial business, regulatory or legal complexity. Such complexity presents risks, as such transactions can be more difficult, expensive and time-consuming to finance and execute; it can be more difficult to manage or realize value from the assets acquired in such transactions; and such transactions sometimes entail a higher level of regulatory scrutiny or a greater risk of contingent liabilities. Additionally, in connection with certain transactions, the Fund may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of a portfolio company, provide guarantees in respect of payments by portfolio companies and other third parties and provide indemnities against losses caused by portfolio companies and other third parties. The Fund may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations are inaccurate. These arrangements may result in the incurrence of contingent liabilities by the Fund, even after the disposition of an investment and ultimately in material losses.
Availability of Investment Opportunities; Competition
The activity of identifying, completing and realizing the types of investment opportunities targeted by the Adviser for the Fund is highly competitive and involves a significant degree of uncertainty. The Fund competes for investment opportunities with other investment companies and private investment vehicles, as well as the public debt markets, individuals and financial institutions, including investment banks, commercial banks and insurance companies, business development companies, strategic industry acquirers, hedge funds and other institutional investors, investing directly or through affiliates. Over the past several years, a number of such investment vehicles have been formed (and many such existing entities have grown in size). Additional entities with similar investment objectives may be formed in the future by other unrelated parties. It is possible that competition for appropriate investment opportunities may increase, thus reducing the number of opportunities available to the Fund. Such supply-side competition may adversely affect the terms upon which investments can be made by the Fund. Moreover, transaction sponsors unaffiliated with the Fund or KKR may be reluctant to present investment opportunities to the Fund because of its affiliation with KKR. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will be able to locate and complete investments which satisfy the Funds primary investment objectives or to realize upon their values.
Dependence on Key Personnel Risk
The Adviser depends on the efforts, skills, reputations and business contacts of its key personnel, the information and deal flow they and others generate during the normal course of their activities and the synergies among the diverse fields of expertise and knowledge held by the Advisers professionals. The loss of the services of any of them could have a material adverse effect on the Fund and could harm the Advisers ability to manage the Fund.
The Advisers principals and other key personnel possess substantial experience and expertise and have strong business relationships with members of the business community. The loss of these personnel could jeopardize the Advisers relationships with members of the business community and could result in fewer investment opportunities for the Fund. For example, if any of the Advisers principals were to join or form a competing firm, the Funds results and financial condition could suffer.
Material Risks of Significant Methods of Analysis
The Adviser seeks to conduct reasonable and appropriate due diligence based on the facts and circumstances applicable to each investment. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding an investment for the Fund, the Adviser relies on available resources, including information provided by the target of the investment and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. As a result, the due diligence process may at times be subjective with respect to companies for which only limited information is available. Accordingly, the Adviser cannot be certain that due diligence investigations with respect to any investment opportunity for the Fund will reveal or highlight all relevant facts (including fraud) that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity, or that its due diligence investigations will result in investments for the Fund being successful. There can be no assurance that the projected results of an investment opportunity will be achieved for the Fund, and actual results may vary significantly from the projections. General economic, natural, and other conditions, which are not predictable, can have an adverse impact on the reliability of such projections. Assumptions or projections about asset lives; the stability, growth, or predictability of costs; demand; or revenues generated by an investment or other factors associated therewith may, due to various risks and uncertainties including those described herein, differ materially from actual results.
Market Developments
Periods of market volatility remain, and may continue to occur in the future, in response to various political, social and economic events both within and outside of the United States. Instability in the credit markets may make it more difficult for a number of issuers of debt securities to obtain financing or refinancing for their investment or lending activities or operations. In particular, because of volatile conditions in the credit markets, issuers of debt securities may be subject to increased cost for debt, tightening underwriting standards and reduced liquidity for loans they make, securities they purchase and securities they issue.
For example, certain Borrowers may, due to macroeconomic conditions, be unable to repay secured loans. A Borrowers failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of the secured loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the Borrowers ability to meet its obligations under its debt securities. The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting Borrower. In addition, if one of the Borrowers were to commence bankruptcy proceedings, even though the Fund may have structured its interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize the Funds debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of its claim to that of other creditors. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of the Funds loans and the value of its equity investments. A recession, such as the current recession, could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and the value of the Funds assets.
These developments may increase the volatility of the value of securities owned by the Fund. These developments also may make it more difficult for the Fund to accurately value its securities or to sell its securities on a timely basis. These developments could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to use leverage for investment purposes and increase the cost of such leverage, which would reduce returns to the holders of common shares. These developments also may adversely affect the broader economy, which in turn may adversely affect the ability of issuers of securities owned by the Fund to make payments of principal and interest when due, lead to lower credit ratings of the issuer and increased defaults by the issuer. Such developments could, in turn, reduce the value of securities owned by the Fund and adversely affect the NAV and market price of the Funds common shares.
Market Disruptions from Natural Disasters or Geopolitical Risks
The instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, the ongoing epidemics of infectious diseases in certain parts of the world, terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord, debt crises (such as the Greek crisis), sovereign debt downgrades, or the exit or potential exit of one or more countries from the EU (such as the UK) or the EMU, among others, may result in market volatility, may have long term effects on the United States and worldwide financial markets, and may cause further economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. The Fund cannot predict the effects of natural disasters or geopolitical events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets.
Government Intervention in the Financial Markets
During the global financial crisis, the U.S. government took a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take additional actions that affect the regulation of the securities or structured products in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities or structured products, in ways that are unforeseeable. Borrowers under secured loans held by the Fund may seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Funds ability to achieve its investment objectives. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Funds investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so.
Portfolio Turnover Risk
The Funds annual portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year, as well as within a given year. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, it is not expected to exceed 100% under normal circumstances. However, portfolio turnover rate is not considered a limiting factor in the execution of investment decisions for the Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to Common Shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. A high portfolio turnover may increase the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits, resulting in a greater portion of the Funds distributions being treated as a dividend to the Funds Common Shareholders. In addition, a higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
The Funds Declaration of Trust includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could deprive the holders of common shares of opportunities to sell their common shares at a premium over the then current market price of the common shares or at NAV.
Risks Relating to Funds RIC Status
To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to regulated investment companies (RICs) and their shareholders under the Code, the Fund must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. Very generally, in order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in stock or other securities and currencies. The Fund must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of each of its taxable years. Failure to meet these diversification requirements on the last day of a quarter may result in the Fund having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices or times, and may result in substantial losses to the Fund. In addition, in order to be eligible for the special tax treatment accorded RICs, the Fund must meet the annual distribution requirement, requiring it to distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (generally its taxable ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any) and its net tax-exempt income (if any), to its shareholders. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any reason and becomes subject to corporate tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce its net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of its distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on the Fund and its Shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions in order to re-qualify as a RIC.
RIC-Related Risks of Investments Generating Non-Cash Taxable Income
Certain of the Funds investments will require the Fund to recognize taxable income in a taxable year in excess of the cash generated on those investments during that year. In particular, the Fund invests in loans and other debt obligations that are treated as having market discount and/or OID for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Because the Fund may be required to recognize income in respect of these investments before, or without receiving, cash representing such income, the Fund may have difficulty satisfying the annual distribution requirements applicable to RICs and avoiding Fund-level U.S. federal income and/or excise taxes. Accordingly, the Fund may be required to sell assets, including at potentially disadvantageous times or prices, borrow, raise additional equity capital, make taxable distributions of its shares or debt securities, or reduce new investments, to obtain the cash needed to make these income distributions. If the Fund liquidates assets to raise cash, the Fund may realize gain or loss on such liquidations; in the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such liquidation transactions, its Common Shareholders may receive larger capital gain distributions than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Cybersecurity
Increased reliance on internet-based programs and applications to conduct transactions and store data creates growing operational and security risks. Targeted cyber-attacks or accidental events can lead to breaches in computer and data systems security, and subsequent unauthorized access to sensitive transactional and personal information held or maintained by KKR, its affiliates, and third party service providers or counterparties. Any breaches that occur could result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality, or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to investors and the beneficial owners of investors, and may lead to theft, data corruption, or overall disruption in operational systems. Criminals may use data taken in breaches in identity theft, obtaining loans or payments under false identities and other crimes that have the potential to affect the value of assets in which the Fund invests. These risks have the potential to disrupt KKRs ability to engage in transactions, cause direct financial loss and reputational damage or lead to violations of applicable laws related to data and privacy protection and consumer protection. Cybersecurity risks also necessitate ongoing prevention and compliance costs.
Misconduct of Employees and of Third-Party Service Providers
Misconduct by employees of the Adviser or by third-party service providers could cause significant losses to the Fund. Employee misconduct may include binding the Fund to transactions that exceed authorized limits or present unacceptable risks and unauthorized investment activities or concealing unsuccessful investment activities (which, in either case, may result in unknown and unmanaged risks or losses). Losses could also result from actions by third-party service providers, including, without limitation, failing to recognize trades and misappropriating assets. In addition, employees and third-party service providers may improperly use or disclose confidential information, which could result in litigation or serious financial harm, including limiting the Funds business prospects or future marketing activities. No assurances can be given that the due diligence performed by the Adviser will identify or prevent any such misconduct.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The Adviser will experience conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund, including, but not limited to, those discussed below. Dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult, and new and different types of conflicts may subsequently arise.
· The members, officers and other personnel of the Adviser allocate their time, resources and other services between the Fund and other investment and business activities in which they may be involved, including other funds, investment vehicles and accounts managed by KKR. The Adviser intends to devote such time as shall be necessary to conduct the Funds business affairs in an appropriate manner. However, the Adviser will continue to devote the time, resources and other services necessary to managing its other investment and business activities and the Adviser is not precluded from conducting activities unrelated to the Fund. Substantial time may be spent by such members, officers and personnel monitoring the investments of other funds, investment vehicles and accounts managed by KKR.
· The Adviser may compete with certain of its affiliates, including other entities it manages, for investments for the Fund, subjecting the Adviser to certain conflicts of interest in evaluating the suitability of investment opportunities and making or recommending acquisitions on the Funds behalf. The Adviser will receive advisory and other fees from the other entities it manages, and due to fee-offset provisions contained in the management agreements for such entities, the fees may not be proportionate to such entities investment accounts for any given transaction and the Adviser may have an incentive to favor entities from which it receives higher fees.
· The Fund has adopted the Advisers allocation policy, which is designed to fairly and equitably distribute investment opportunities over time among funds or pools of capital managed by the Adviser. The Advisers allocation policy provides that once an investment has been approved and is deemed to be in the Funds best interest, the Fund will receive a pro rata share of the investment based on capital available for investment in the asset class being allocated. Determinations as to the amount of capital available for investment are based on such factors as: the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, the targeted leverage level, the targeted asset mix and diversification requirements, other investment policies and restrictions, and limitations imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. The outcome of this determination may result in the allocation of all, some or none of an investment opportunity to the Fund. In addition, subject to applicable law, affiliates of the Adviser may invest in one of the Funds portfolio companies and hold a different class of securities than the Fund. To the extent that an affiliate of the Adviser holds a different class of securities than the Fund, its interests may not be aligned with the Funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser will act in the best interest of the Fund in accordance with its fiduciary duty to the Fund.
· The appropriate allocation among the Fund and other KKR funds and accounts of expenses and fees generated in the course of evaluating and making investments often may not be clear, especially where more than one KKR fund or account participates. The Adviser will determine, in its sole discretion, the appropriate allocation of investment-related expenses, including broken deal expenses incurred in respect of unconsummated investments and expenses more generally relating to a particular investment strategy, among the funds and accounts participating or that would have participated in such investments or that otherwise participate in the relevant investment strategy, as applicable, which may result in the Fund bearing more or less of these expenses than other participants or potential participants in the relevant investments.
· The compensation payable by the Fund to the Adviser will be approved by the Board consistent with the exercise of the requisite standard of care applicable to trustees under state law. Such compensation is payable, in most cases, regardless of the quality of the assets acquired, the services provided to the Fund or whether the Fund makes distributions to Shareholders.
· The Adviser and its affiliates may provide a broad range of financial services to companies in which the Fund invests, in compliance with applicable law, and will generally be paid fees for such services. In addition, affiliates of the Adviser may act as an underwriter or placement agent in connection with an offering of securities by one of the companies in the Funds portfolio. Any compensation received by the Adviser and its affiliates for providing these services will not be shared with the Fund and may be received before the Fund realizes a return on its investment. The Adviser may face conflicts of interest with respect to services performed for these companies, on the one hand, and investments recommended to the Fund, on the other hand.
· KKR engages in a broad range of business activities and invests in portfolio companies and other issuers whose operations may be substantially similar to the issuers of the Funds portfolio investments. The performance and operation of such competing businesses could conflict with and adversely affect the performance and operation of the issuers of the Funds portfolio investments, and may adversely affect the prices and availability of business opportunities or transactions available to these issuers.
· From time to time, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or with exemptive relief the Fund may receive from the SEC, if any, the Fund and other clients for which the Adviser provides investment management services or carries on investment activities (including, among others, clients that are employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations) may make investments at different levels of an investment entitys capital structure or otherwise in different classes of an issuers securities. These investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities that may be held by the Fund and such other clients, including in the case of financial distress of the investment entity.
· KKR and the Adviser sponsor and advise, and may in the future sponsor and advise, a broad range of investment funds, vehicles, and other accounts, including proprietary vehicles, that make investments worldwide. KKR may also make investments for its own account, including, for example, through investment and co-investment vehicles established for KKR personnel and associates. The Adviser and its affiliates are not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships (including, among others, relationships with clients that are employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations), or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with the Fund and/or may involve substantial time and resources of the Adviser. For example, the Adviser may invest, on behalf of an affiliated fund, in a company that is a competitor of one of the Funds portfolio companies or that is a service provider, supplier, customer or other counterparty with respect to one of the Funds portfolio companies. In providing advice and recommendations to, or with respect to, such investments and in dealing in such investments on behalf of such other affiliated fund, to the extent permitted by law, the Adviser or its affiliates will not take into consideration the interests of the Fund and its portfolio investments and issuers thereof. Accordingly, such advice, recommendations and dealings may result in conflicts of interest for the Adviser. In addition, the Advisers ability to effectively implement the Funds investment strategies may be limited to the extent that contractual obligations relating to these permitted activities restrict the Advisers ability to engage in transactions that they may otherwise be interested in pursuing. Affiliates of the Adviser, whose primary business includes the origination of investments, engage in investment advisory business with accounts that compete with the Fund.
· The Adviser and its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from, or be contrary to, advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, the Fund even though their investment objectives may be similar to the Funds.
· To the extent not restricted by confidentiality requirements or applicable law, the Adviser may apply experience and information gained in providing services to the Funds portfolio companies in providing services to competing companies invested in by affiliates other clients, which may have adverse consequences for the Fund or its portfolio investments. In addition, in providing services in respect of such portfolio companies and other issuers of portfolio investments, the Adviser or its affiliates may come into possession of information that it is prohibited from acting on (including on behalf of the Fund) or disclosing as a result of applicable confidentiality requirements or applicable law, even though such action or disclosure would be in the interests of the Fund.
· As a registered investment company, the Fund may be limited in its ability to invest in any investment in which the Adviser or its affiliates other clients have an investment. The Fund may also be limited in its ability to co-invest with the Adviser or one or more of its affiliates. Some of these co-investments would only be permitted pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC. On June 19, 2017, the SEC issued an exemptive order granting the Fund exemptive relief that expanded the Funds ability to co-invest with certain of its affiliates in privately negotiated transactions subject to the conditions specified in the exemptive order.
· The Fund depends to a significant extent on the Advisers access to the investment professionals and senior management of KKR and the information and deal flow generated by the KKR investment professionals and senior management during the normal course of their investment and portfolio management activities. The senior management and the investment professionals of the Adviser source, evaluate, analyze and
monitor the Funds investments. The Funds future success will depend on the continued service of the senior management team and investment professionals of the Adviser.
· The Advisers relationship with other advisory clients and with KKR could create a conflict of interest to the extent the Adviser becomes aware of inside information concerning investments or potential investment targets. KKR has adopted information-sharing policies and procedures which address both (i) the handling of confidential information and (ii) the information barrier that exists between the public and private sides of KKR. KKR has compliance functions to administer KKRs information-sharing policies and procedures and monitor potential conflicts of interest. The Fund cannot assure its investors, however, that these procedures and practices will be effective. Although the Fund plans to leverage KKRs firm-wide resources to help source, conduct due diligence on, structure, syndicate and create value for the Funds investments (to the extent permitted by applicable law), KKRs information-sharing policies and procedures referenced above, as well as certain legal, contractual and tax constraints, could significantly limit the Companys ability to do so. For example, from time to time KKRs personnel may be in possession of material non-public information with respect to the Funds investments or potential investments, and as a result, such professionals may be restricted by KKRs information-sharing policies or by law or contract, from sharing such information with the KKR professionals responsible for making the Funds investment decisions, even where the disclosure of such information would be in the best interests of the Fund or would otherwise influence the decisions taken by such investment professionals with respect to such investment or potential investment. In addition, this conflict and these procedures and practices may limit the freedom of the Adviser to enter into or exit from potentially profitable investments for the Fund which could have an adverse effect on the Funds results of operations. Conversely, the Adviser may pursue investments for the Fund without obtaining access to confidential information otherwise in its or KKRs possession, which information, if reviewed, might otherwise impact the Advisers judgment with respect to such investments. Accordingly, as a result of such restrictions, the investment activities of KKRs other businesses may differ from, or be inconsistent with, the interests of and activities that are undertaken for the Fund and there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to fully leverage all of the available resources and industry expertise of KKRs other businesses. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with the Adviser will be precluded from providing services to the Fund because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of KKR.
· The nature of the Advisers businesses and the participation by its employees in creditors committees, steering committees, or boards of directors of portfolio companies, may result in the Adviser receiving material non-public information from time to time with respect to publicly held companies or otherwise becoming an insider with respect to such companies. With limited exceptions, KKR does not establish information barriers between its internal investment teams. Trading by KKR on the basis of such information, or improperly disclosing such information, may be restricted pursuant to applicable law and/or internal policies and procedures adopted by KKR to promote compliance with applicable law. Accordingly, the possession of inside information or insider status with respect to such an issuer by KKR or KKR personnel may, including where an appropriate information barrier does not exist between the relevant investment professionals or has been crossed by such professionals, significantly restrict the ability of the Adviser to deal in the securities of that issuer on behalf of the Fund, which may adversely impact the Fund, including by preventing the execution of an otherwise advisable purchase or sale transaction in a particular security until such information ceases to be regarded as material non-public information, which could have an adverse effect on the overall performance of such investment. In addition, affiliates of KKR in possession of such information may be prevented from disclosing such information to the Adviser, even where the disclosure of such information would be in the interests of the Fund. The Adviser may also be subject to contractual stand-still obligations and/or confidentiality obligations that restrict its ability to trade in certain securities on behalf of the Fund. In certain circumstances, the Fund or the Adviser may engage an independent agent to dispose of securities of issuers in which KKR may be deemed to have material non-public information on behalf of the Fund. Such independent agent may dispose of the relevant securities for a price that may be lower than the Advisers valuation of such securities which may take into account the material non-public information known to KKR in respect of the relevant issuer
· The Adviser may in the future develop new businesses such as providing investment banking, advisory and other services to corporations, financial sponsors, management or other persons. Such services may relate to transactions that could give rise to investment opportunities that are suitable for the Fund. In such case, the Advisers client would typically require the Adviser to act exclusively on its behalf, thereby precluding the Fund from participating in such investment opportunities. The Adviser would not be obligated to
decline any such engagements in order to make an investment opportunity available to the Fund. In addition, the Adviser may come into the possession of information through these new businesses that limits the Funds ability to engage in potential transactions.
· The 1940 Act limits the Funds ability to invest in, or hold securities of, companies that are controlled by funds managed by KKR. Any such investments could create conflicts of interest between the Fund, the Adviser and KKR. The Adviser may also have, or enter into, advisory relationships with other advisory clients (including, among others, employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations) that could lead to circumstances in which a conflict of interest between the Advisers advisory clients could exist or develop. In addition, to the extent that another client of the Adviser or KKR holds a different class of securities than the Fund, the interest of such client and the Fund may not be aligned. As a result of these conflicts and restrictions, the Adviser may be unable to implement the Funds investment strategies as effectively as it could have in the absence of such conflicts or restrictions. In order to avoid these conflicts and restrictions, the Adviser may choose to exit these investments prematurely and, as a result, the Fund would forgo any future positive returns associated with such investments.
· Certain other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts may have investment objectives, programs, strategies and positions that are similar to, or may conflict with, those of the Fund, or may compete with, or have interests adverse to, the Fund. This type of conflict could affect the prices and availability of the securities or interests in which the Fund invests. KKR may give advice or take action with respect to the investments held by, and transactions of, other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts that may be different from or otherwise inconsistent with the advice given or timing or nature of any action taken with respect to the investments held by, and timing or nature of any action taken with respect to the investments held by, and transactions of, the Fund. Such different advice and/or inconsistent actions may be due to a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the differences between the investment objective, program, strategy and tax treatment of the other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts and the Fund or the regulatory status of other KKR client accounts and any related restrictions or obligations imposed on KKR as a fiduciary thereof. Such advice and actions may adversely impact the Fund.
· KKR, for its own account, may enter into real-estate related transactions with Fund portfolio companies. Such transactions may include, for example, buying or selling real estate assets, acquiring or entering into leasing arrangements or amending such arrangements, or transferring options or rights of first refusal to acquire real estate assets. Such transactions, which do not involve securities, are not governed by restrictions on principal transactions and cross transactions but are subject to specific policies and procedures established by KKR to manage related conflicts.
· The 1940 Act prohibits the Fund from participating in certain transactions with certain of its affiliates including an Adviser-affiliated broker-dealer. The Fund generally is prohibited, for example, from buying or selling any securities from or to another client of the Adviser or of KKR. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain joint transactions with certain of the Funds affiliates, which in certain circumstances could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times to the extent the transaction involves jointness) or transactions in which a broker-dealer affiliated with the Adviser participates as principal with the Fund. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Funds voting securities, the Fund will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that persons affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons. Similar restrictions limit the Funds ability to transact business with its officers or trustees or their affiliates. The SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act rules governing transactions with affiliates to prohibit certain joint transactions involving entities that share a common investment adviser. As a result of these restrictions, the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to the Fund may be limited. These investment opportunities may be made available to other funds, vehicles and accounts advised by the Adviser that are not subject to similar restrictions under the 1940 Act.
· Shareholders of the Fund are based in a wide variety of jurisdictions and take a wide variety of forms. Accordingly, they may have conflicting regulatory, legal, investment, tax, and other interests with respect to their investments in the Fund. The conflicting interests of individual shareholders relate to or arise from, among other things, the nature of investments made by the Fund, the selection, structuring, acquisition and management of investments, the timing of disposition of investments, internal investment policies of the shareholders and their target risk/return profiles. As a consequence, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with decisions made by the Adviser, including with respect to the nature or structuring of investments, which may be more beneficial for one shareholder than for another shareholder, especially with respect to shareholders individual tax situations. In addition, the Fund may make investments that
may have a negative impact on related investments made by the Fund in separate transactions. In selecting and structuring investments appropriate for the Fund, the Adviser will consider the investment and tax objectives of the Fund and its shareholders as a whole, not the investment, tax, or other objectives of any shareholder individually.
Each of the Adviser and the other investment advisers and/or investment managers affiliated with KKR will deal with conflicts of interest using its best judgment, but in its sole discretion. When conflicts arise between the Fund and another affiliated fund, the Adviser will represent the interests of the Fund and the other participating affiliated adviser will represent the interests of the affiliated fund it sponsors, manages or advises. In resolving conflicts, the Adviser and the other affiliated advisers may consider various factors, including applicable restrictions under the 1940 Act, the interests of the funds and accounts they advise in the context of both the immediate issue at hand and the longer term course of dealing among the Fund and the other affiliated fund. As with all conflicts involving the Fund, the Advisers determination as to which factors are relevant, and the resolution of such conflicts will be made in the Advisers sole discretion except as required by the 1940 Act or by the governing documents of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will be able to resolve all conflicts in a manner that is favorable to the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Board of Trustees
The overall management of the business and affairs of the Fund is vested in the Board. The responsibilities of the Board include, among other things, the oversight of our investment activities, oversight of our financing arrangements and corporate governance activities. The Board currently has an audit committee and a nominating committee and may establish additional committees from time to time as necessary. As is the case with virtually all registered investment companies, the Funds service providers, primarily the Adviser and its affiliates, have responsibility for the Funds day-to-day management, subject to the investment objectives, restrictions and policies of the Fund and to the general supervision of the Board.
There currently are four trustees of the Fund. A majority of the trustees are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The name and business address of the trustees and officers of the Fund and their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years are set forth under Management of the Fund in the SAI.
Adviser
KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC serves as the Funds Adviser, subject to the ultimate supervision of, and any policies established by, the Board, pursuant to the terms of an investment advisory agreement with the Fund (the Investment Advisory Agreement). Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser allocates the Funds assets in accordance with the Funds investment objective. The Adviser may reallocate the Funds assets subject to the ultimate supervision of, and any policies established by, the Board.
Launched in 2004, the Adviser is a subsidiary of KKR & Co. L.P., a leading global investment firm with a 41-year history of leadership, innovation and investment excellence. The Adviser is a leading manager of non-investment grade debt and public equities. The Adviser was formed as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware on June 24, 2004 and is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser currently serves as an investment adviser of certain unregistered private investment companies and as a sub-adviser of a business development company, and may in the future serve as an investment adviser of other registered and unregistered investment companies. The Adviser is located at 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, and its telephone number is (415) 315-3620.
About KKR
KKR operates with a single culture that rewards investment discipline, creativity, determination and patience and the sharing of information, resources, expertise and best practices across offices and asset classes, subject to well-defined information sharing policies and compliance procedures. Its investment professionals provide access to an established platform for evaluating investments, managing risk and focusing on opportunities that seek to generate attractive returns with appropriate levels of risk. This platform allows for intensive due diligence to filter investment opportunities and help select investments that offer the most favorable risk/reward characteristics. Because KKR believes that deep industry knowledge is integral to sourcing deals and creating value for investors, KKRs investment professionals are organized in industry-specific teams. These teams conduct their own primary research, develop views on industry themes and trends and proactively work to identify companies in which to invest, often on an exclusive basis. KKR believes the industry-specific team approach allows investment teams to become experts within their sectors and build strong relationships with companies needing capital, while covering the full corporate credit space.
Founded in 1976, KKR is a leading global investment firm with 20 offices and over 1,200 people, including over 368 investment professionals. It operates an integrated global platform for sourcing and executing investments across multiple industries, asset classes and geographies. KKR is a long-term fundamental investor focused on producing attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients. As of December 31, 2016, KKR had $129.6 billion in assets under management.
Investment Management Team
The Fund is positioned, under the management of the Adviser, to take advantage of the full resources of KKRs global network. With more than 190 employees in its business, including approximately 95 dedicated investment professionals located in San Francisco, New York, London, Dublin, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney, the Advisers investment teams seek to leverage KKRs private equity experience and extensive industry relationships in making strong investment choices on behalf of its clients. The investment professional of the Adviser who has primary responsibility for day-to-day management and oversight of the Fund is Christopher A. Sheldon. Additionally, the Leveraged Credit Investment Committee that exercises oversight over, and provides insight to, the investment activities of the Fund is comprised of:
Christopher A. Sheldon (San Francisco) joined KKR in 2004 and is the Head of U.S. Leveraged Credit. Mr. Sheldon is a member of the Advisers Leveraged Credit and Private Credit Investment Committees as well as the Portfolio Management Committee. Mr. Sheldon is also responsible for opening the Advisers London office in 2007 and investing across a number of sectors within its credit businesses. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Sheldon was a Vice President and Senior Investment Analyst with Wells Fargos High Yield Securities Group and previously worked at Young & Rubicam Advertising and at SFM Media Corporation in their media-planning department. Mr. Sheldon received a B.A. from Denison University. Mr. Sheldon currently serves as a member of the board of directors of SquashDrive, a member of the National Urban Squash and Education Association.
Jeremiah S. Lane (San Francisco) joined KKR in 2005 and is a Director on the Advisers leveraged credit team. He also serves as the Co-Head of US Credit Research. Mr. Lane is a member of Advisers Leveraged Credit Investment Committee as well as the Portfolio Management Committee. He is involved with KKRs investment in Oriental Trading Company and currently serves on its board of directors. Prior to joining, Mr. Lane worked as an Associate in the Investment Banking/Technology, Media and Telecom Group at J.P. Morgan Chase. Mr. Lane holds an A.B. with honors in History from Harvard University.
John M. Reed (San Francisco) joined KKR in 2008 and is the Head of Credit Trading. Mr. Reed is a member of the Advisers Leveraged Credit Investment Committee, Trade Review Committee as well as the Portfolio Management Committee. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Reed was a Director at Bear Stearns & Co. in its institutional fixed income department. Previously, he was an analyst at BNY Capital Markets in the syndicated loan, private placement and high yield groups, and also worked in the Asset Strategies Group and The Office of Management & Budget of New York City. Mr. Reed received a B.A. in Business Administration and Psychology from the University of South Carolina and a Global Professional M.B.A. from the Fordham University School of Business Administration.
Sharath Reddy (New York) joined KKR in 2014 and is a Director on the Advisers leveraged credit team. He also serves as the Co-Head of US Credit Research. Mr. Reddy is a member of the Advisers Leveraged Credit Investment Committee as well as the Portfolio Management Committee. Previously, Mr. Reddy was a Principal on the investment team at Redwood Capital Management, where he focused on investments in technology, telecommunications, business services, government services, upstream oil and gas, and media. Earlier in his career, he worked with Francisco Partners, where he focused on technology leveraged buyouts, and Bain and Company, where he advised technology and private equity companies. Mr. Reddy earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with Honors.
The Funds SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio managers ownership of securities in the Fund.
The investment professionals who have day-to-day responsibility for the Fund are supported not only by personnel of the Adviser, but also by having access to the global platform of KKR, which has approximately 390 investment professionals across public and private markets. KKRs investment professionals provide access to an established platform for evaluating investments, managing risk and focusing on opportunities and are organized in industry-specific teams that conduct their own primary research and develop views on industry themes and trends. KKR believes the industry-specific team approach allows investment teams to become experts within their sectors and build strong relationships with companies needing capital, while covering the full corporate credit space. These
investment professionals are also supported by an Investment Committee comprised of senior personnel that exercises oversight over, and provides insight to, the investment activities of the Fund.
Investment Advisory Agreement
Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser will receive an annual fee, payable monthly by the Fund, in an amount equal to 1.10% of the Funds average daily Managed Assets (the Management Fee).
A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement by the Board will be available in the Funds annual report to Common Shareholders for the period ending October 31, 2017.
In addition to the fees paid to the Adviser, the Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its operations, including compensation of its trustees (other than those affiliated with the Adviser), custodial expenses, leveraging expenses, transfer and dividend disbursing agent expenses, legal fees, rating agency fees, listing fees and expenses, expenses of independent auditors, expenses of repurchasing shares, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses, shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies and taxes, if any.
During periods when the Fund is using leverage, the Management Fee paid to the Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the Management Fee paid is calculated on the basis of the Funds Managed Assets, which includes the assets purchased through leverage.
The Administrator
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the Administrator), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as administrator to the Fund. Under the administration agreement, the Administrator is responsible for calculating the NAV of the common shares and generally managing the administrative affairs of the Fund.
The Administrator is entitled to receive a monthly fee at the annual rate of up to 0.04% of the average daily value of the Funds net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee of $65,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses.
The Custodian
U.S. Bank, N.A., whose principal offices are located at 1555 N. Rivercenter Dr., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the Funds custodian.
Investor Support Services
The Fund has retained Four Wood Capital Partners LLC (FWCP) to provide investor support services in connection with the on-going operation of the Fund. Such services include providing ongoing contact with respect to the Fund and its performance with financial advisors that are representatives of broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries and communicating with the NYSE specialist for the Funds common shares, and with the closed-end fund analyst community regarding the Fund on a regular basis. FWCP may separately contract with and coordinate the activities of a third party to provide certain of the above-described services. In exchange for such services, the Fund will pay FWCP a monthly fee equal to 0.10% of the average daily value of the Funds Managed Assets.
Affiliated Broker-Dealers
The Adviser may also place portfolio transactions, to the extent permitted by law, with brokerage firms affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser if they reasonably believe that the quality of execution and the commission are comparable to that available from other qualified firms. Similarly, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the same considerations on quality of execution and comparable commission rates, the Adviser may direct an executing broker to pay a portion or all of any commissions, concessions or discounts to a firm supplying research or other services.
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of the common shares of the Fund is computed based upon the value of the Funds Managed Assets. NAV per common share is determined daily on each day that the NYSE is open for business as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE. The Fund calculates NAV per common share by subtracting liabilities from the total assets of the Fund and dividing the result by the total number of outstanding common shares of the Fund. The Funds assets and liabilities are valued in accordance with the principles set forth herein.
For purposes of calculating NAV, portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or pricing services. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost. Securities and other assets for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or persons acting at their direction. The Board has adopted methods for valuing securities and other assets in circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, and has delegated the responsibility for applying the valuation methods to the Adviser. When the Fund uses fair value pricing to determine its NAV, securities will not be priced on the basis of quotes from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board or persons acting at their direction believe accurately reflects fair value. Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security.
Domestic and foreign fixed-income instruments and non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Bank loans, including Senior Loans, are valued by using readily available market quotations or another commercially reasonable method selected by an independent, third party pricing service that has been approved by the Board, or, if such independent, third-party valuations are not available, by using broker quotations. Senior secured adjustable, variable or floating rate loans for which an active secondary market exists to a reliable degree will be valued at the bid price in the market for such loans, as provided by a loan pricing service. Prices obtained from independent pricing services use information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Exchange traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange. The value of swaps, including credit default swaps, total return swaps and interest rate swaps will be determined by obtaining at least one dealer quotation (including information from counterparties) or valuations from third-party pricing services. If no quotations or valuations are available, or if such quotations or valuations are believed to be unreliable, swaps will be fair valued pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board.
The Fund will normally use pricing data for domestic or foreign equity securities received shortly after the close of the primary securities exchange on which such securities trade and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the close of the exchange.
If events materially affecting the price of foreign portfolio securities occur between the time when their price was last determined on such foreign securities exchange or market and the time when the Funds NAV was last calculated (for example, movements in certain U.S. securities indices which demonstrate strong correlation to movements in certain foreign securities markets), such securities may be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by the Board. For purposes of calculating NAV, all assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at prevailing exchange rates as may be determined in good faith by, or under the supervision of, the Board. While the Funds policy is intended to result in a calculation of the Funds NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Fund cannot ensure that fair values determined by the Board or persons acting at their direction would accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instances, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by the Fund may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold.
DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund must distribute in each taxable year at least 90% of its net investment income (including net interest income and net short-term gain) to qualify for the special tax treatment available to RICs. The Fund is also required to distribute annually substantially all of its income and capital gain, if any, to avoid imposition of a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax. Prohibitions on dividends and other distributions on the Funds common shares could impair the Funds ability to qualify as a RIC under the Code.
If the Fund is precluded from making distributions on the common shares because of any applicable asset coverage requirements, the terms of the preferred shares (if any) may provide that any amounts so precluded from being distributed, but required to be distributed for the Fund to meet the distribution requirements for qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, will be paid to the holders of the preferred shares as a special distribution. This distribution can be expected to decrease the amount that holders of preferred shares would be entitled to receive upon redemption or liquidation of the shares.
If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income, including its net capital gain, even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Requalifying as a RIC could subject the Fund to significant tax costs. See Material U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsTaxation as a Regulated Investment Company in the SAI.
The Fund currently intends to make regular monthly cash distributions of all or a portion of its net investment income to Common Shareholders. The Fund will pay Common Shareholders at least annually all or substantially all of its net investment income after the payment of interest, fees or dividends, if any, owed with respect to any forms of leverage utilized by the Fund. The Fund intends to pay any capital gains distributions at least annually.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment and characterization of the Funds distributions may vary significantly from time to time because of the varied nature of the Funds investments. In light of the Funds investment policies, the Fund anticipates that the 1940 Act will require it to accompany each monthly distribution with a statement setting forth the estimated source (as between net income, capital gains and return of capital) of the distribution made. The Fund will indicate the proportion of its capital gains distributions that constitute long-term and short-term gains annually. The ultimate U.S. federal income tax characterization of the Funds distributions made in a calendar or fiscal year cannot finally be determined until after the end of that taxable year. As a result, there is a possibility that the Fund may make total distributions during a calendar or taxable year in an amount that exceeds the Funds net investment company taxable income and net capital gains for the relevant taxable year. In such situations, if a distribution exceeds the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes), such distribution would generally be treated as a tax-free return of capital reducing the amount of a shareholders tax basis in such shareholders shares. When you sell your shares in the Fund, the amount, if any, by which your sales price exceeds your basis in the Funds shares is gain subject to tax. Because a return of capital reduces your basis in the shares, it will increase the amount of your gain or decrease the amount of your loss when you sell the shares, all other things being equal. To the extent that the amount of any return of capital distribution exceeds the shareholders basis in such shareholders shares, the excess will be treated as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares. See Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
Various factors affect the level of the Funds income, including the asset mix, the average maturity of the Funds portfolio, the amount of leverage utilized by the Fund and the Funds use of hedging. To permit the Fund to maintain a more stable monthly distribution, the Fund may from time to time distribute less than the entire amount of income earned in a particular period. The undistributed income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of income actually earned by the Fund during that period. Undistributed income will add to the Funds NAV (and indirectly benefit the Adviser by increasing its fees) and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed income will reduce the Funds NAV.
Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder generally limit the Fund to one long-term capital gain distribution per year, subject to certain exceptions.
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN
Pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the DRIP), income dividends and/or capital gain distributions to Common Shareholders will automatically be reinvested in additional common shares of the Fund by U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the DRIP Administrator). A Common Shareholder may terminate participation in the DRIP at any time by notifying the DRIP Administrator before the record date of the next distribution through the Internet, by telephone or in writing. Common Shareholders whose common shares are held in the name of a broker or other nominee and who wish to elect to receive any dividends and distributions in cash must contact their broker or nominee. All distributions to Common Shareholders who do not participate in the DRIP, or have elected to terminate their participation in the DRIP, are paid by check mailed directly to the record holder by or under the direction of the DRIP Administrator when the Board declares a distribution.
Common shares are acquired by the DRIP Administrator for the participants accounts, depending upon the circumstances described below, either through (i) receipt of additional unissued but authorized common shares from the Fund (Newly Issued Common Shares) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding common shares on the open market (Open-Market Purchases) on the NYSE or elsewhere.
If, on the payment date for any distribution, the closing market price plus estimated per share fees (which include any brokerage commissions the DRIP Administrator is required to pay) is equal to or greater than the NAV per common share, the DRIP Administrator will invest the distribution amount in Newly Issued Common Shares on behalf of the Participants. The number of Newly Issued Common Shares to be credited to each Participants account is determined by dividing the dollar amount of the distribution by the NAV per common share on the payment date; provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the closing market value on the payment date, the dollar amount of the distribution will be divided by 95% of the closing market price per common share on the payment date. If, on the payment date for any distribution, the NAV per common share is greater than the closing market value plus per share fees, the DRIP Administrator will invest the distribution amount in common shares acquired on behalf of the Participants in Open-Market Purchases. In the event of a market discount on the payment date for any distribution, the DRIP Administrator will have until the last business day before the next date on which the common shares trade on an ex-dividend basis or 30 days after the payment date for such distribution, whichever is sooner (the Last Purchase Date), to invest the distribution amount in common shares acquired in Open-Market Purchases.
The Fund currently intends to pay monthly income distributions. Therefore, the period during which Open-Market Purchases can be made will exist only from the payment date of each distribution through the date before the next ex-dividend date which typically will be approximately ten days. If, before the DRIP Administrator has completed its Open-Market Purchases, the market price per common share exceeds the NAV per common share, the average per common share purchase price paid by the DRIP Administrator may exceed the NAV of the common shares, resulting in the acquisition of fewer common shares than if the distribution had been paid in Newly Issued Common Shares on the distribution payment date. Because of the foregoing difficulty with respect to Open-Market Purchases, the DRIP provides that if the DRIP Administrator is unable to invest the full distribution amount in Open-Market Purchases during the purchase period or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the purchase period, the DRIP Administrator may cease making Open-Market Purchases and may invest the uninvested portion of the distribution amount in Newly Issued Common Shares at the NAV per common share at the close of business on the Last Purchase Date provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the then current market price per common share; the dollar amount of the distribution will be divided by 95% of the market price on the payment date
The DRIP Administrator maintains all Common Shareholder accounts in the DRIP and furnishes written confirmations of all transactions in the account, including information needed by Common Shareholders for tax records. Common shares in the account of each DRIP participant are held by the DRIP Administrator in non-certificated form in the name of the participant, and each Common Shareholders proxy includes shares purchased pursuant to the DRIP. The DRIP Administrator will forward all proxy solicitation materials to participants and vote proxies for common shares held under the DRIP in accordance with the instructions of the participants
There is no charge to participants for reinvesting regular distributions and capital gains distributions; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the DRIP to include a service charge payable by the participants. The fees of the DRIP Administrator for handling the reinvestment of regular distributions and capital gains distributions are included in the fee to be paid by us to our transfer agent. There are no brokerage charges with respect to common
shares issued directly by us as a result of regular distributions or capital gains distributions payable either in common shares or in cash. However, each participant bears a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the DRIP Administrators Open-Market Purchases in connection with the reinvestment of such distributions. Participants in the DRIP will add to their investment through dollar cost averaging. Because all dividends and distributions paid to such Common Shareholder are automatically reinvested in additional common shares, the average cost of such Common Shareholders common shares will decrease over time. Dollar cost averaging is a technique for lowering the average cost per common share over time if the Funds NAV declines. While dollar cost averaging has advantages, it cannot assure profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
The automatic reinvestment of such dividends or distributions does not relieve participants of any income tax that may be payable on such dividends or distributions. See Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the DRIP at any time. Any expenses of the DRIP will be borne by the Fund. All correspondence or questions concerning the DRIP should be directed to U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC in writing to 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES
The following is a brief description of the terms of the Funds common shares and subscription rights. This description does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to the Funds Governing Documents. For complete terms of the shares, please refer to the actual terms of the Trust, which are set forth in the Governing Documents. For complete terms of the subscription rights, please refer to the actual terms of such subscription rights which will be set forth in the subscription rights agreement relating to such subscription rights.
Common Shares
The Fund is a diversified closed-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 17, 2011. The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.001 per share, in multiple classes and series thereof as determined from time to time by the Board, which also has the authority without shareholder approval to establish the designations, powers, preferences, voting, conversion and other rights, limitations, qualifications and terms and conditions of each such class and series. Each share within a particular class or series thereof has equal voting, dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. The Board has authorized issuance of an unlimited number of common shares. When issued, in accordance with the terms thereof, the common shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. All common shares are equal as to distributions, assets and voting privileges. Common shares are not redeemable and have no preemptive, conversion or cumulative voting rights.
Offerings of shares require approval by the Funds Board. Any additional offering of common shares will be subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, which provides that common shares may not be issued at a price below the then current NAV, exclusive of sales load, except in connection with an offering to existing holders of common shares or with the consent of a majority of the Funds Common Shareholders. In the event of liquidation, each common share is entitled to its proportion of the Funds assets after payment of debts and expenses.
The Funds common shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol KIO. The average weekly trading volume of the common shares on the NYSE during the year ended [·], 2017, was [·] shares.
The Funds NAV per share will be reduced immediately following the offering of common shares by the amount of the offering expenses paid by the Fund. Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not continuously offer shares and do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a shareholder determines to buy additional common shares or sell shares already held, the shareholder may do so by trading through a broker on the NYSE or otherwise.
Shares of closed-end investment companies often trade on an exchange at prices lower than NAV. Over the Funds four year history, the range fluctuated from a [·]% premium in [·] to a [·]% discount in [·]. As of [·], 2017, the Fund trades at an approximate [·]% discount to its NAV. Because the market value of the common shares may be influenced by such factors as dividend and distribution levels, dividend and distribution stability, NAV, market liquidity, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, unrealized gains, general market and economic conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot assure you that common shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than NAV in the future. The common shares are designed primarily for long term investors and you should not purchase the common shares if you intend to sell them soon after purchase.
The Fund is a closed-end, management investment company and, as such, its shareholders do not, and will not, have the right to redeem their shares. The Fund, however, may repurchase its common shares from time to time as and when it deems such a repurchase advisable. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, the Fund may repurchase its shares on a securities exchange (provided that the Fund has informed its shareholders within the preceding six months of its intention to repurchase such shares) or as otherwise permitted in accordance with Rule 23c-1 under the 1940 Act. Under Rule 23c-1, certain conditions must be met for such alternative purchases regarding, among other things, distribution of net income for the preceding fiscal year, asset coverage with respect to the Funds senior debt and equity securities, identity of the sellers, price paid, brokerage commissions, prior notice to shareholders of an intention to purchase shares and purchasing in a manner and on a basis which does not discriminate unfairly against the other shareholders through their interest in the Fund. In addition, Rule 23c-1 requires the Fund to file notices of such purchase with the SEC.
When the Fund repurchases its common shares for a price below its NAV, the NAV of the common shares that remains outstanding will be enhanced. This does not, however, necessarily mean that the market price of the Funds remaining outstanding common shares will be affected, either positively or negatively. Further, interest on any borrowings made to finance the repurchase of common shares will reduce the net income of the Fund.
The Funds Common Shareholders vote as a single class to elect the Funds Board and on additional matters with respect to which the 1940 Act, the Funds Governing Documents or resolutions adopted by the Trustees provide for a vote of the Funds common shares. See Description of Capital StructureAnti-Takeover and Certain Other Provisions in the Declaration of Trust.
Shareholders whose common shares are registered in their own name will have all distributions reinvested pursuant to the DRIP. For a more detailed discussion of the DRIP, see Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Book Entry
The common shares sold through this offering will initially be held in the name of [Cede & Co.] as nominee for the Depository Trust Company (DTC). The Fund will treat [Cede & Co.] as the holder of record of the common shares for all purposes. In accordance with the procedures of DTC, however, purchasers of common shares will be deemed the beneficial owners of shares purchased for purposes of distributions, voting and liquidation rights. Purchasers of common shares may obtain registered certificates by contacting the transfer agent.
Subscription Rights
General. We may issue subscription rights to holders of the Funds (i) common shares to purchase common shares (subject to applicable law). Subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the subscription rights. In connection with a subscription rights offering to holders of the Funds common shares, we would distribute certificates or other documentation evidencing the subscription rights and a prospectus supplement to Common Shareholders as of the record date that we set for determining the shareholders eligible to receive subscription rights in such subscription rights offering.
The applicable prospectus supplement is expected to describe the following terms of the subscription rights in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:
· the period of time the offering would remain open (which will be open a minimum number of days such that all record holders would be eligible to participate in the offering and will not be open longer than 120 days);
· the underwriter or distributor, if any, of the subscription rights and any associated underwriting fees or discounts applicable to the purchases of the rights;
· the title of such subscription rights;
· the exercise price for such subscription rights (or method of calculation thereof);
· the number of such subscription rights issued in respect of each common share;
· the extent to which such subscription rights are transferable and the market on which they may be traded if they are transferable;
· if applicable, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such subscription rights;
· the date on which the right to exercise such subscription rights will commence, and the date on which such right will expire (subject to any extension);
· the extent to which such subscription rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities and the terms of such over-subscription privilege;
· any termination we may have in connection with such subscription rights offering; and
· any other terms of such subscription rights, including exercise, settlement and other procedures and limitations relating to the transfer and exercise of such subscription rights.
Exercise of Subscription Rights. A certain number of subscription rights would entitle the holder of the subscription right(s) to purchase for cash such number of common shares at such exercise price as in each case is set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the prospectus supplement relating to the subscription rights offered thereby. Subscription rights would be exercisable at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such subscription rights set forth in the prospectus supplement, subject to any extension. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised subscription rights would become void. Upon expiration of the rights offering and the receipt of payment and the subscription rights certificate or other appropriate documentation properly executed and completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the subscription rights agent, or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, the common shares purchased as a result of such exercise will be issued as soon as practicable. To the extent permissible under applicable law, we may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than shareholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of common shares and of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund. The discussion below provides general tax information related to an investment in common shares, but this discussion does not purport to be a complete description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the common shares. It is based on the Code and Treasury regulations and administrative pronouncements, all as of the date hereof, any of which is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, it does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant in light of a Common Shareholders particular circumstances, including alternative minimum tax consequences and tax consequences applicable to Common Shareholders subject to special tax rules, such as certain financial institutions; dealers or traders in securities who use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting; persons holding common shares as part of a hedging transaction, wash sale, conversion transaction or integrated transaction or persons entering into a constructive sale with respect to the common shares; entities classified as partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes; real estate investment trusts; insurance companies; U.S. shareholders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; or tax-exempt entities, including individual retirement accounts or Roth IRAs. Unless otherwise noted, the following discussion only applies to a Common Shareholder that holds common shares as a capital asset (generally, for investment) and is a U.S. shareholder. A U.S. shareholder is a holder who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a beneficial owner of common shares and is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust if it (x) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (y) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. A non-U.S. shareholder generally is a beneficial owner of common shares who is not a U.S. shareholder. Tax laws are complex and often change, and Common Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the U.S. federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. For more information, please see the section of the SAI entitled Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
The Fund has elected to be treated as, and to qualify in each taxable year as, a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. Assuming the Fund so qualifies and satisfies certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions (including amounts that are reinvested pursuant to the DRIP). If the Fund retains any net capital gains for reinvestment, it may elect to treat such capital gains as having been distributed to its shareholders. If the Fund makes such an election, each shareholder will be required to report its share of such undistributed net capital gain as long-term capital gain and will be entitled to claim its share of the U.S. federal income taxes paid by the Fund on such undistributed net capital gain as a credit against its own U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, and to claim a refund on a properly-filed U.S. federal income tax return to the extent that the credit exceeds such liability. In addition, each shareholder will be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis of its common shares by the difference between its share of such undistributed net capital gain and the related credit. There can be no assurance that the Fund will make this election if it retains all or a portion of its net capital gain for a taxable year.
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax at the Fund level. To avoid the tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Funds taxable year) and (iii) any income recognized, but not distributed in, preceding years. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending with the calendar year. The Fund generally will endeavor in each taxable year to make sufficient distributions to its shareholders to avoid any U.S. federal excise tax on its earnings, but the Fund reserves the right to pay the excise tax when circumstances warrant.
To qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Fund must, among other things, satisfy both an income test and an asset test for such taxable year. Under the income test, at least 90% of the Funds gross income for such taxable year must consist of dividends; interest; payments with respect to certain securities loans; gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies; other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies; and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (such income, Qualifying RIC Income). Under the asset test, the Funds holdings must be diversified so that, at the end of each quarter of such taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of the Funds total assets is represented by cash and cash items, securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets is invested (a) in securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (b) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. The Funds share of income derived from a partnership other than a qualified publicly traded partnership will be treated as Qualifying RIC Income only to the extent that such income would have constituted Qualifying RIC Income if derived directly by the Fund. A qualified publicly traded partnership is generally defined as an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes if (i) interests in such entity are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof and (ii) less than 90% of its gross income for the relevant taxable year consists of Qualifying RIC Income. The Code provides that the Treasury Department may by regulation exclude from Qualifying RIC Income foreign currency gains that are not directly related to the RICs principal business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). The Fund anticipates that, in general, its foreign currency gains will be directly related to its principal business of investing in stock and securities.
There may be uncertainty as to the appropriate treatment of certain of the Funds investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In particular, the Fund may invest a portion of its net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to ensure that it does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Distributions of the Funds ordinary income and net short-term capital gains will generally be taxable to Common Shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of the Funds current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Distributions or deemed distributions, if any, of net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the Common Shareholder has owned common shares. Distributions of the Funds income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes, except when the investment is in an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-exempt or tax-deferred account. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated by a Common Shareholder as a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce the Common Shareholders basis in its Shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the Common Shareholders basis in its common shares, the excess will be treated as gain from a sale or exchange of the common shares. Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional common shares pursuant to the DRIP.
Distributions made to a non-corporate Common Shareholder out of qualified dividend income, if any, received by the Fund will be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to net capital gains, provided that the Common Shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to its shares. Given the Funds investment strategy, it is not expected that a significant portion of the distributions made by the Fund will qualify for this favorable treatment or be eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction.
It is expected that a very substantial portion of the Funds income will consist of ordinary income. For example, interest and OID derived by the Fund will constitute ordinary income. In addition, gain derived by the Fund from the
disposition of debt securities with market discount (generally, securities purchased by the Fund at a discount to their stated redemption price) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the market discount that has accrued, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, at the time of such disposition unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. In addition, certain of the Funds investments will be subject to special U.S. federal income tax provisions that may affect the character, increase the amount and/or accelerate the timing of distributions to Common Shareholders.
Dividends and other distributions paid by the Fund are generally treated as received by a Common Shareholder at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If the Fund makes such an election, a Common Shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to Common Shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by the Funds Common Shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
If an investor purchases common shares shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the common shares will include the value of the distribution and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though economically it may represent a return of his, her or its investment.
A Common Shareholder may recognize a capital gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of common shares. The amount of the gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the amount realized and the Common Shareholders adjusted tax basis in the relevant common shares. Such gain or loss generally will be a long-term gain or loss if the Common Shareholders holding period for such common shares is more than one year. Under current law, long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate Common Shareholders are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at lower rates than the rates applicable to ordinary income. Losses realized by a Common Shareholder on the sale or exchange of common shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or deemed received, as discussed above) with respect to such common shares. In addition, no loss will be allowed on a sale or other disposition of common shares if the Common Shareholder acquires (including pursuant to the DRIP) common shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The repurchase or transfer of the Funds common shares may result in a taxable gain or loss to the tendering Common Shareholder. Different tax consequences may apply for tendering and non-tendering Common Shareholders in connection with a repurchase offer. For example, if a Common Shareholder does not tender all of his or her common shares, such repurchase may not be treated as an exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes and may result in deemed distributions to non-tendering Common Shareholders. On the other hand, Common Shareholders who tender all of their common shares (including common shares deemed owned by Common Shareholders under constructive ownership rules) will be treated as having sold their common shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such persons modified adjusted gross income (in the case of an individual) or adjusted gross income (in the case of an estate or trust) exceed certain threshold amounts.
Legislation requires reporting of adjusted cost basis information for covered securities, which generally include shares of a RIC acquired after January 1, 2012, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to taxpayers. Common Shareholders should contact their financial intermediaries with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for their accounts.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to backup withhold on taxable dividend and certain other payments to shareholders who do not furnish to the Fund their correct taxpayer identification number (in the case of individuals, their social security number), and make certain certifications, or who are otherwise subject to backup withholding. Common Shareholders should be sure to provide this information when they complete the new account application. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amount withheld from payments made to a shareholder may be refunded or credited against such Common Shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax applicable to non-U.S. Common Shareholders.
Non-U.S. Shareholders
If a Common Shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder whose ownership of common shares is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, dividends of investment company taxable income distributed to such non-U.S. shareholder by the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty). Net capital gain dividends distributed by the Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder will generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax. For a discussion of the tax consequences of the ownership of Shares by a non-U.S. shareholder whose ownership of Shares is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, please see the discussion in the SAI under Material U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsNon-U.S. Shareholders.
Under an exemption that was recently made permanent by Congress, certain properly designated dividends are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of the RICs (i) qualified net interest income (generally, U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the RIC or the non-U.S. Common Shareholder are at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of net short-term capital gain over long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied. No assurance can be given as to whether any of the Funds distributions will be eligible for this exemption from withholding of U.S. federal income tax or, if eligible, will be designated as such by the Fund. In particular, the exemption does not apply to distributions paid in respect of a RICs non-U.S. source interest income or dividend income. In the case of common stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold U.S. federal income tax even if the RIC designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Thus, an investment in the shares of the Fund by a non-U.S. Common Shareholder may have adverse tax consequences as compared to a direct investment in the assets in which the Fund invests.
The Fund (or an applicable intermediary) is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Common Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.
An investment in the shares of the Fund by an individual non-U.S. Common Shareholder may also be subject to U.S. federal estate tax. Non-U.S. Common Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Alternative Minimum Tax
As with any taxable investment, investors may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax on their income (including taxable income from the Fund), depending on their individual circumstances.
The discussions set forth herein and in the SAI do not constitute tax advice, and shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisor to determine the specific U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
CLOSED-END FUND STRUCTURE
The Fund is a closed-end management investment company and, as a result, its Common Shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem their common shares. Instead, the Funds common shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including distribution levels and stability (which are in turn affected by expenses, regulation affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions and other factors), NAV, portfolio credit quality, liquidity, market supply and demand, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 23(c) of the 1940 Act that the Fund may purchase at market prices from time to time its common shares in the open market but is under no obligation to do so. Because common shares of a closed-end investment company may frequently trade at prices lower than NAV, the Board may consider action that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from NAV in respect of common shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. The Board may decide not to take any of these actions. In addition, there can be no assurance that common share repurchases or tender offers, if undertaken, will reduce market discount.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time the Fund has preferred shares outstanding, the Fund may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its common shares unless (1) all accrued preferred shares dividends have been paid and (2) at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition, the NAV of the Funds portfolio (determined after deducting the acquisition price of the common shares) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon). Any service fees incurred in connection with any tender offer made by the Fund will be borne by the Fund and will not reduce the stated consideration to be paid to tendering Common Shareholders.
Subject to its investment restrictions, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of common shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Funds net income. Any share repurchase, tender offer or borrowing that might be approved by the Board would have to comply with the Exchange Act, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations under the NYSE.
There is no assurance that, if action is undertaken to repurchase or tender for common shares, such action will result in the common shares trading at a price which approximates their NAV. Although share repurchases and tenders could have a favorable effect on the market price of the Funds common shares, Common Shareholders should be aware that the acquisition of common shares by the Fund will decrease the total net assets of the Fund and, therefore, may have the effect of increasing the Funds expense ratio and decreasing the asset coverage with respect to any preferred shares if any outstanding and to any amounts borrowed. See Description of Capital Structure.
RIGHTS OFFERINGS
The Fund may in the future, and at its discretion, choose to make offerings of subscription rights to purchase its common shares to its Common Shareholders. A future rights offering may be transferable or non-transferable. Any such future rights offering will be made in accordance with the 1940 Act. Under the laws of Delaware, the Board is authorized to approve rights offerings without obtaining shareholder approval. The staff of the SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act as not requiring shareholder approval of a transferable rights offering to purchase common shares at a price below the then current NAV so long as certain conditions are met, including: (i) a good faith determination by a funds Board that such offering would result in a net benefit to existing shareholders; (ii) the offering fully protects shareholders preemptive rights and does not discriminate among shareholders (except for the possible effect of not offering fractional rights); (iii) management uses its best efforts to ensure an adequate trading market in the rights for use by shareholders who do not exercise such rights; and (iv) the ratio of a transferable rights offering does not exceed one new share for each three rights held.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE
The Fund is a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 17, 2011. The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.001 per share. The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the common shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing.
Common Shares
The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares. Each common share has one vote and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of this offering, will be fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of common shares will not be entitled to receive any distributions from the Fund unless all accrued interest, fees and dividends, if any, with respect to the Funds leverage have been paid, unless certain asset coverage tests with respect to the leverage employed by the Fund are satisfied after giving effect to the distributions and unless certain other requirements imposed by any rating agencies rating any preferred shares issued by the Fund have been met. All common shares are equal as to dividends, assets and voting privileges and have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Fund will send annual and semi-annual reports, including financial statements, to all holders of its common shares.
Any additional offerings of shares will require approval by the Board. Any additional offering of common shares will be subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, which provides that shares may not be issued at a price below the then current NAV, exclusive of the sales load, except in connection with an offering to existing holders of common shares or with the consent of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities.
The Funds common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading or ticker symbol KIO.
The Funds NAV per share generally increases when interest rates decline, and decreases when interest rates rise. However, because the secured loans that the Fund invests in may be floating rate in nature, the Funds NAV per share may be less affected by interest rate fluctuations than if it were investing in other forms of securities. The Funds NAV will be reduced immediately following the offering of common shares by the amount of the sales load and the amount of the organizational costs and offering expenses paid by the Fund. See Summary of Common Shareholder Fees and Expenses.
Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not continuously offer shares and do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a Common Shareholder decides to buy additional common shares or sell shares already held, the Common Shareholder may do so by trading through a broker on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade on an exchange at prices lower than NAV. Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund that invest predominantly in secured loans and fixed-income instruments have traded during some periods at prices higher than NAV and have traded during other periods at prices lower than NAV. Because the market price of the Funds common shares may be affected by such factors as distribution levels and stability (which are in turn affected by expenses, regulation affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions and other factors), NAV, portfolio credit quality, liquidity, market supply and demand, general market conditions and other factors, the Fund cannot assure you that its common shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than NAV in the future. The Funds market price may also be affected by general market, economic or political conditions. The common shares are designed primarily for long-term investors and should not be viewed as a vehicle for trading purposes. You should not purchase common shares of the Fund if you intend to sell them shortly after purchase.
Preferred Shares
The Funds Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust provides that the Board of the Fund may authorize and issue preferred shares, with rights as determined by the Board, without the approval of the holders of the common shares. Holders of common shares have no preemptive right to purchase any preferred shares that might be issued. The Fund may elect to issue preferred shares as part of a leveraging strategy. The terms of any preferred shares, including dividend rate, liquidation preference and redemption provisions restrictions on the declaration of
dividends, maintenance of asset ratios and restrictions while dividends are in arrears will be determined by the Board, subject to applicable law and the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.
In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the holders of any preferred shares will be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the holders of preferred shares will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund.
The 1940 Act, among other things, requires that the holders of outstanding preferred shares, voting separately as a single class, have the right to elect at least two trustees at all times. The remaining trustees will be elected by holders of common shares and preferred shares, voting together as a single class. In addition, subject to the prior rights, if any, of the holders of any other class of senior securities outstanding, the holders of any preferred shares have the right to elect a majority of the trustees of the Fund at any time two years dividends on any preferred shares are unpaid.
The discussion above describes the possible offering of preferred shares by the Fund. If the Board determines to proceed with such an offering, the terms of the preferred shares may be the same as, or different from, the terms described above, subject to applicable law and the terms of the Funds Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust. The Board, without the approval of the holders of common shares, may authorize an offering of preferred shares or may determine not to authorize such an offering, and may fix the terms of the preferred shares to be offered.
Anti-Takeover and Certain Other Provisions in the Declaration of Trust
The Funds Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust includes provisions that could have the effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board. This could have the effect of depriving Common Shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control over the Fund. Such attempts could have the effect of increasing the expenses of the Fund and disrupting the normal operation of the Fund. The Funds trustees have been elected and divided into three classes, with the terms of one class expiring at each annual meeting of shareholders. At each annual meeting, one class of trustees is elected to a three-year term. This provision could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board.
The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, subject to certain exceptions, provides that the Trust may merge or consolidate with any other corporation, association, trust or other organization or may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of the its property, including its goodwill, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration when and as authorized by two-thirds of the Trustees and approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities and any such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange shall be determined for all purposes to have been accomplished under and pursuant to the statutes of the State of Delaware. The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust also requires the affirmative vote or consent of two-thirds of the Trustees and of holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) to authorize a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company. Also, the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust provides that the Fund may dissolve upon the approval of not less than a majority of Trustees. See Risk FactorsAnti-Takeover Provisions.
The trustees may from time to time grant other voting rights to shareholders with respect to these and other matters, certain of which are required by the 1940 Act.
The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of a merger or the assumption of control by a third party. These provisions also provide, however, the advantage of potentially requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid and facilitating the continuity of the Funds investment objectives and policies. The provisions of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust described above could have the effect of discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. The Board has considered the foregoing anti-takeover provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
The foregoing is intended only as a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and the Bylaws (together, Governing Documents), both of which will be on file with the SEC.
The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder personal liability for debts or obligations or any other form of personal liability in connection with the property or actions of the Fund.
For the purposes of calculating a majority of the outstanding voting securities under the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, each class and series of the Fund will vote together as a single class, except to the extent required by the 1940 Act or the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, with respect to any class or series of shares. If a separate class vote is required, the applicable proportion of shares of the class or series, voting as a separate class or series, also will be required.
The Board has determined that provisions with respect to the Board and the shareholder voting requirements described above, which voting requirements are greater than the minimum requirements under Delaware law or the 1940 Act, are in the best interest of shareholders generally. For a more complete explanation, see the full text of these provisions in the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, which is on file with the SEC.
Conversion to Open-End Fund
The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust requires the affirmative vote or consent of two-thirds of the Trustees and a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) to authorize a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company. The composition of the Funds portfolio and/or its investment policies could prohibit the Fund from complying with regulations of the SEC applicable to open-end management investment companies unless significant changes in portfolio holdings, which might be difficult and could involve losses, and investment policies are made. Conversion of the Fund to an open-end management investment company also would require the redemption of any outstanding preferred shares and could require the repayment of borrowings, which would reduce the leveraged capital structure of the Fund with respect to the common shares. In the event of conversion, the common shares would cease to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or other national securities exchange or market system. The Board believes the closed-end structure is desirable, given the Funds investment objectives and policies. Investors should assume, therefore, that it is unlikely that the Board would vote to convert the Fund to an open-end management investment company. Common Shareholders of an open-end management investment company can require the company to redeem their shares at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by or under the 1940 Act) at their NAV, less such redemption charge, if any, as might be in effect at the time of a redemption. If converted to an open-end fund, the Fund expects to pay all redemption requests in cash, but reserves the right to pay redemption requests in a combination of cash or securities. If such partial payment in securities were made, investors may incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. If the Fund were converted to an open-end fund, it is likely that new common shares would be sold at NAV plus a sales load.
CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND PAYING AGENT, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as Custodian for the Fund. The Custodian holds cash, securities, and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC provides certain Fund accounting services. Custody fees and accounting fees are payable monthly based on assets held in custody, investment purchases and sales activity and other factors, plus reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses. The principal business address of the Custodian is 1555 N. Rivercenter Dr., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC also acts as the Funds dividend paying agent, transfer agent and the registrar for the Funds common shares. The principal address of the transfer agent and dividend paying agent is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the shares, being offered hereby in one or more of the following ways from time to time:
· to underwriters or dealers for resale to the public or to institutional investors;
· directly to institutional investors;
· directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser;
· through agents to the public or to institutional investors; or
· through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
The prospectus supplement with respect to each series of securities will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:
· the offering terms, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;
· the purchase price of the securities and the net proceeds to be received by us from the sale;
· any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters or agents compensation, which compensation for any sale will in no event exceed [·]% of the sales price;
· any initial public offering price;
· any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and
· any securities exchange on which the securities may be listed.
If we use underwriters or dealers in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters or dealers for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including;
· negotiated transactions;
· at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed;
· at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
· at prices related to prevailing market prices; or
· at negotiated prices.
Sales of our common shares may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be at the market as defined under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NYSE or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.
Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities may be either offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters. Generally, the underwriters obligations to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any of the securities.
If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Commissions for any sale will in no event exceed [·]% of the sales price. Generally, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these delayed delivery contracts.
LEGAL OPINIONS
Certain legal matters in connection with the offering of the Funds securities will be passed on for the Fund by Dechert LLP.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
[·] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund and audits the financial statements of the Fund. [·] is located at [·].
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The prospectus and the SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement that the Fund has filed with the SEC (file No. 333-173274). The complete Registration Statement may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the fee prescribed by its rules and regulations. The SAI can be obtained without charge by calling (855) 862-6092.
Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other documents referred to are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this prospectus forms a part, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS |
1 |
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS |
23 |
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
26 |
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST |
35 |
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION |
40 |
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES |
42 |
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REPURCHASE OF COMMON SHARES |
43 |
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS |
45 |
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PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROXY VOTING RECORD |
53 |
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
53 |
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LEGAL COUNSEL |
53 |
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
53 |
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APPENDIX ADESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS |
A-1 |
[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
$[·]
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
Common Shares
Subscription Rights to Purchase Common Shares
PROSPECTUS
[·], 2017
The information in this prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus supplement is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED [·], 2017
Filed Pursuant to Rule 497(c)
Registration Statement No. 333-[·]
KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To prospectus dated [·], 2017)
Shares
Common Shares
We are offering for sale [·] of our common shares. Our common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KIO. On [·], the last reported net asset value per share of our common shares was $[·] and the last reported sales price per share of our common shares on the NYSE was $[·].
The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by employing a dynamic strategy of investing in a targeted portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and implementing hedging strategies in order to seek to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined herein) in loans and fixed-income instruments or other instruments, including derivative instruments, with similar economic characteristics (the 80% Policy). Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund invests primarily in first- and second-lien secured loans, unsecured loans and high-yield corporate debt instruments of varying maturities. The instruments in which the Fund invests may be rated investment grade or below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or unrated. The Funds investments in below investment grade loans, below investment grade fixed-income instruments and debt instruments of financially troubled companies are considered speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These investments are commonly referred to as high-yield or junk instruments. The Fund seeks to tactically and dynamically allocate capital across companies capital structures where KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) believes its due diligence process has identified compelling investment opportunities, including where the Adviser has identified issuer distress, event-driven misvaluations of securities or capital market inefficiencies.
[Sales of our common shares, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be at the market as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), including sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.]
An investment in the Fund is not appropriate for all investors. We cannot assure you that the Funds investment objectives will be achieved. You should read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our common shares and retain it for future reference. The prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus contain important information about us. Material that has been incorporated by reference, including the Statement of Additional Information (the SAI), and other information about us can be obtained from us without charge by calling (855) 862-6092 or from the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) website (http://www.sec.gov).
Investing in common shares involves certain risks that are described in the Risk Factors section beginning on page 54 of the accompanying prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per Share |
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Total(1) |
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Public offering price |
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$ |
[·] |
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$ |
[·] |
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Underwriting discounts and commissions |
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$ |
[·] |
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$ |
[·] |
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
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$ |
[·] |
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$ |
[·] |
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(1) The aggregate expenses of the offering (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions) are estimated to be $[·], which represents approximately $[·] per share.
The underwriters may also purchase up to an additional [·] common shares from us at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments, if any, within [·] days after the date of this prospectus supplement. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the total proceeds, before expenses, to the Fund would be $[·] and the total underwriting discounts and commissions would be $[·]. The underwriters are expected to deliver the common shares in book-entry form with The Depository Trust Company on or about [·],[·].
[·], 2017
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Neither the Fund nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. The Fund is not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, respectively. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. In this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, Fund, us, our and we refer to KKR Income Opportunities Fund. This prospectus supplement also includes trademarks owned by other persons.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Supplement
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS |
S-5 |
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TABLE OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES |
S-6 |
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
S-8 |
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CAPITALIZATION |
S-8 |
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
S-8 |
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PRICE RANGE OF COMMON SHARES |
S-8 |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
S-8 |
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LEGAL MATTERS |
S-8 |
Prospectus
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY |
1 |
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SUMMARY OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES |
28 |
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
30 |
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THE FUND |
31 |
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
31 |
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES |
31 |
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LEVERAGE |
51 |
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RISK FACTORS |
54 |
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST |
81 |
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
86 |
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CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE |
89 |
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DISTRIBUTIONS |
90 |
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DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN |
91 |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES |
93 |
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS |
96 |
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CLOSED-END FUND STRUCTURE |
101 |
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RIGHTS OFFERINGS |
102 |
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE |
103 |
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CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND PAYING AGENT, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR |
106 |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
106 |
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LEGAL OPINIONS |
107 |
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
107 |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
107 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
108 |
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the SAI contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words may, will, intend, expect, estimate, continue, plan, anticipate, and similar terms and the negative of such terms. Such forward-looking statements may be contained in this prospectus supplement as well as in the accompanying prospectus. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Several factors that could materially affect our actual results are the performance of the portfolio of securities we hold, the price at which our shares will trade in the public markets and other factors discussed in our periodic filings with the SEC.
Although we believe that the expectations expressed in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in our forward-looking statements. Our future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, such as those disclosed in the Risk Factors section of the accompanying prospectus. All forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, as the case may be. Except for our ongoing obligations under the federal securities laws, we do not intend, and we undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the SAI are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).
Currently known risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the Risk Factors section of the accompanying prospectus. We urge you to review carefully those sections for a more detailed discussion of the risks of an investment in our common shares.
TABLE OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables are intended to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses directly or indirectly associated with investing in our common shares as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares. Amounts are for the current fiscal year after giving effect to anticipated net proceeds of the offering, assuming that we incur the estimated offering expenses.
Common Shareholder Transaction Expenses
Sales Load Paid By You (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
% |
Offering Expenses borne by the Fund (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
% |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees |
|
None |
(1) |
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
[·] |
%(3) |
Interest Expenses and Payments on Borrowing |
|
[·] |
%(4) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(5) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(1) You will pay brokerage charges if you direct U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, as agent for the holders of the common shares, to sell your common shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(2) The table presented below in this footnote 2 estimates what the Funds annual expenses would be, stated as percentages of the Funds net assets attributable to common shares, but, unlike the table above, assumes that the Fund does not utilize leverage. See Leverage. In accordance with these assumptions, the Funds expenses would be estimated to be as follows:
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
1.10 |
%(3) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(5) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(3) The Adviser will receive a monthly Management Fee at an annual rate of 1.10% of the average daily value of the Funds Managed Assets. Consequently, since the Fund has borrowings outstanding, the Management Fee as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares is higher than if the Fund did not utilize leverage.
(4) Assumes the use of leverage through a credit facility representing 331/3% of Managed Assets at an annual interest rate expense to the Fund of [·]%, which is based on the interest rate currently applicable under the Funds existing credit facility and an assumption that if the Fund issues an additional $[·] in common shares it will increase the amount of its credit facility from $[·] to $[·]. The Fund may use other forms of leverage, which may be subject to different interest expenses than those estimated above. The actual amount of interest expense borne by the Fund will vary over time in accordance with the level of the Funds use of leverage and variations in market interest rates.
(5) The Other Expenses shown in the table above and related footnotes are based upon estimated expenses for the current fiscal year assuming completion of the proposed issuances.
Example
The following example illustrates the expenses (including the sales load of $[·] and estimated offering expenses of this offering of $[·]), that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in common shares, assuming (1) total net annual expenses of [·]% of net assets attributable to common shares and (2) a 5% annual return.* The actual amounts in connection with the offering will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, if applicable.
1 Year |
|
3 Years |
|
5 Years |
|
10 Years |
| ||||
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
* The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. The example assumes that the estimated Other expenses set forth in the Total Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at NAV. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Funds actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate the total net proceeds of the offering to be $[·] based on the public offering price of $[·] per share and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The Fund will invest the net proceeds of any offering in accordance with the Funds investment objective and policies, and may use a portion of such proceeds, depending on market conditions, for other general corporate purposes. The Adviser anticipates that the investment of the proceeds will be made in accordance with the Funds investment objective and policies as appropriate investment opportunities are identified, which is expected to substantially be completed within [three] months; however, changes in market conditions could result in the Funds anticipated investment period extending to as long as [six] months. Pending such investment, the proceeds of the offering will be held in temporary investments.
CAPITALIZATION
[To be provided.]
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
[To be provided.]
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON SHARES
The following table sets forth for the quarters indicated, the high and low sale prices on the New York Stock Exchange per common share and the net asset value and the premium or discount from net asset value per share at which the common shares were trading, expressed as a percentage of net asset value, at each of the high and low sale prices provided.
[To be provided.]
The last reported price for our common shares on [·],[·] was $[·] per share.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
[To be provided.]
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters will be passed on by Dechert LLP, New York, New York, counsel to the Fund in connection with the offering of the common shares. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by [·].
KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
Common Shares
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
[·], 2017
The information in this prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus supplement is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED [·], 2017
Filed Pursuant to Rule 497(c)
File No. 333-[·]
KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To prospectus dated [·], 2017)
[·] Rights
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
Subscription Rights to Acquire Common Shares
KKR Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund, we, us or our) is issuing subscription rights (the Rights) to our common shareholders to purchase additional common shares.
The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by employing a dynamic strategy of investing in a targeted portfolio of loans and fixed-income instruments of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and implementing hedging strategies in order to seek to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined herein) in loans and fixed-income instruments or other instruments, including derivative instruments, with similar economic characteristics (the 80% Policy). Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund invests primarily in first- and second-lien secured loans, unsecured loans and high-yield corporate debt instruments of varying maturities. The instruments in which the Fund invests may be rated investment grade or below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or unrated. The Funds investments in below investment grade loans, below investment grade fixed-income instruments and debt instruments of financially troubled companies are considered speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These investments are commonly referred to as high-yield or junk instruments. The Fund seeks to tactically and dynamically allocate capital across companies capital structures where KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) believes its due diligence process has identified compelling investment opportunities, including where the Adviser has identified issuer distress, event-driven misvaluations of securities or capital market inefficiencies.
The common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol KIO. On [·], 2017 (the last trading date prior to the common shares trading ex-Rights), the last reported net asset value per share of the common shares was $[·] and the last reported sales price per Common Share on the NYSE was $[·].
An investment in the Fund is not appropriate for all investors. We cannot assure you that the Funds investment objective will be achieved. You should read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before
deciding whether to invest in the common shares and retain it for future reference. The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain important information about us. Material that has been incorporated by reference, including the Statement of Additional Information (the SAI), and other information about us can be obtained from us without charge by calling (855) 862-6092 or from the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) website (http://www.sec.gov). For additional information all holders of Rights should contact the Information Agent, [·].
Investing in common shares through Rights involves certain risks that are described in the Special Characteristics and Risks of the Rights Offering section beginning on page R-20 of this prospectus supplement.
SHAREHOLDERS WHO DO NOT FULLY EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS MAY, AT THE COMPLETION OF THE OFFERING, OWN A SMALLER PROPORTIONAL INTEREST IN THE FUND THAN IF THEY EXERCISED THEIR RIGHTS. AS A RESULT OF THE OFFERING YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL DILUTION OR ACCRETION OF THE AGGREGATE NET ASSET VALUE OF YOUR COMMON SHARES DEPENDING UPON WHETHER THE FUNDS NET ASSET VALUE PER COMMON SHARE IS ABOVE OR BELOW THE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE ON THE EXPIRATION DATE.
ANY COMMON SHARES ISSUED AS A RESULT OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING WILL NOT BE RECORD DATE SHARES FOR THE FUNDS QUARTERLY DIVIDEND TO BE PAID ON [·], 2017 AND WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE SUCH DIVIDEND.
NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
|
|
Per Share |
|
Total(1) |
| ||
Subscription price of common shares to shareholders exercising Rights |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Proceeds, before expenses, to the Fund(2) |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
(1) Based on a Dealer Manager solicitation fee of $[·] per Common Share.
(2) The aggregate expenses of the offering (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions) are estimated to be $[·].
The common shares are expected to be ready for delivery in book-entry form through the Depository Trust Company on or about [·], 2017. If the offer is extended, the common shares are expected to be ready for delivery in book-entry form through the Depository Trust Company on or about [·], 2017.
The date of this prospectus supplement is [·], 2017
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The Fund has not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. The Fund is not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, respectively. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. In this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, Fund, us, our and we refer to KKR Income Opportunities Fund. This prospectus supplement also includes trademarks owned by other persons.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Supplement | |
| |
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS |
R-5 |
|
|
SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING |
R-6 |
|
|
DESCRIPTION OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING |
R-9 |
|
|
TABLE OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES |
R-17 |
|
|
USE OF PROCEEDS |
R-19 |
|
|
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
R-19 |
|
|
CAPITALIZATION |
R-19 |
|
|
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON SHARES |
R-19 |
|
|
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING |
R-20 |
|
|
TAXATION |
R-22 |
|
|
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
R-23 |
|
|
LEGAL MATTERS |
R-24 |
|
|
Prospectus | |
| |
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY |
1 |
|
|
SUMMARY OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES |
28 |
|
|
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
30 |
|
|
THE FUND |
31 |
|
|
USE OF PROCEEDS |
31 |
|
|
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES |
31 |
|
|
LEVERAGE |
51 |
|
|
RISK FACTORS |
54 |
|
|
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST |
81 |
|
|
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
86 |
|
|
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE |
89 |
DISTRIBUTIONS |
90 |
|
|
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN |
91 |
|
|
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES |
93 |
|
|
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS |
96 |
|
|
CLOSED-END FUND STRUCTURE |
101 |
|
|
RIGHTS OFFERINGS |
102 |
|
|
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE |
103 |
|
|
CUSTODIAN, DIVIDEND PAYING AGENT, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR |
106 |
|
|
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
106 |
|
|
LEGAL OPINIONS |
107 |
|
|
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
107 |
|
|
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
107 |
|
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
108 |
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the SAI contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words may, will, intend, expect, estimate, continue, plan, anticipate, and similar terms and the negative of such terms. Such forward-looking statements may be contained in this prospectus supplement as well as in the accompanying prospectus. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Several factors that could materially affect our actual results are the performance of the portfolio of securities we hold, the price at which our shares will trade in the public markets and other factors discussed in our periodic filings with the SEC.
Although we believe that the expectations expressed in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in our forward-looking statements. Our future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, such as those disclosed in the Risk Factors section of the accompanying prospectus and Special Characteristics and Risks of the Rights Offering in this prospectus supplement. All forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying Prospectus, as the case may be. Except for our ongoing obligations under the federal securities laws, we do not intend, and we undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the SAI are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).
Currently known risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the Risk Factors section of the accompanying prospectus as well as in the Special Characteristics and Risks of the Rights Offering section of this prospectus supplement.
SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING
Terms of the Offering |
|
One transferable subscription right (a Right) will be issued for each common share of the Fund held on the record date. Rights are expected to trade on the [·]. The Rights will allow common shareholders to subscribe for new common shares of the Fund. [·] common shares of the Fund are outstanding as of [·], 2017. [·] Rights will be required to purchase one common share. [An over-subscription privilege will be offered[, subject to the right of the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the Board) to eliminate the over-subscription privilege.]] [·] common shares of the Fund will be issued if all Rights are exercised. [Additional common shares will be issued if the over-subscription privilege is exercised.] See Terms of the Rights Offering. Any common shares issued as a result of the Rights offering will not be record date shares for the Funds quarterly distribution to be paid on [·], 2017 and will not be entitled to receive such dividend. |
|
|
|
Amount Available for Primary Subscription |
|
Approximately $[·], before expenses. |
|
|
|
Title |
|
Subscription Rights to Acquire Common Shares. |
|
|
|
Subscription Price |
|
Rights may be exercised at a price of $[·] per common share (the Subscription Price). See Terms of the Rights Offering. |
|
|
|
Record Date |
|
Rights will be issued to holders of record of the Funds common shares on [·], 2017 (the Record Date). See Terms of the Rights Offering. |
|
|
|
Number of Rights Issued |
|
One Right will be issued in respect of each common share of the Fund outstanding as of the close of business on the Record Date. See Terms of the Rights Offering. |
|
|
|
Number of Rights Issued Required to Purchase One Common Share |
|
A holder of Rights may purchase one common share of the Fund for every [·] Rights exercised. The number of Rights to be issued to a shareholder as of the close of business on the Record Date will be rounded up to the nearest number of Rights evenly divisible by [·]. See Terms of the Rights Offering. |
[Over-Subscription Privilege] |
|
[Holders of common shares on the Record Date (Record Date Shareholders) who fully exercise all Rights initially issued to them are entitled to buy those common shares, referred to as primary over-subscription shares, that were not purchased by other Rights holders at the same Subscription Price. If enough primary over-subscription shares are available, all such requests will be honored in full. If the requests for primary over-subscription shares exceed the primary over-subscription shares available, the available primary over-subscription shares will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Shareholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund. Common shares acquired pursuant to the over-subscription privilege are subject to allotment. Rights acquired in the secondary market may not participate in the over-subscription privilege.
[In addition, in the event that the Funds per share net asset value at the end of the Subscription Period (described below) is equal to or less than the Subscription Price, the Fund, in its sole discretion, may determine to issue additional common shares in an amount of up to [·]% of the shares issued pursuant to the primary subscription, referred to as secondary over-subscription shares. Should the Fund determine to issue some or all of the secondary over-subscription shares, they will be allocated only among Record Date Shareholders who submitted over-subscription requests. Secondary over-subscription shares will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Shareholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund. Rights acquired in the secondary market may not participate in the over-subscription privilege.]
[Notwithstanding the above, the Board has the right in its absolute discretion to eliminate the over-subscription privilege with respect to either or both primary over-subscription shares and secondary over-subscription shares if it considers it to be in the best interest of the Fund to do so. The Board may make that determination at any time, without prior notice to Rights holders or others, up to and including the fifth day following the Expiration Date (as defined below).] See Over-Subscription Privilege.] |
|
|
|
Transfer of Rights |
|
The Rights will be transferable. See Terms of the Rights Offering, Sales by Rights Agent and Method of Transferring Rights. |
|
|
|
Subscription Period |
|
The Rights may be exercised at any time after issuance and prior to expiration of the Rights, which will be [5:00] PM Eastern Time on [·], 2017[, unless extended] (the Expiration Date) (the Subscription Period). See Terms of the Rights Offering and Method of Exercise of Rights. |
|
|
|
Offering Expenses |
|
The expenses of the offering are expected to be approximately $[·] and will be borne by holders of the Funds common shares. See Use of Proceeds. |
|
|
|
[Solicitation Fee |
|
$[·] per common share to broker-dealers that have executed and delivered a soliciting dealer agreement and have solicited the exercise of Rights. See Underwriting.] |
|
|
|
Sale of Rights |
|
The Rights are transferable until the completion of the Subscription Period and will be admitted for trading on the [·]. Although no assurance can be given that a market for the Rights will develop, trading in the Rights on the [·] is expected to begin three Business Days prior to the Record Date and may be conducted until the close of trading on the last [·] trading day prior to the completion of the Subscription Period. For purposes of this prospectus, a Business Day shall mean any day on which trading is conducted on the [·].
The value of the Rights, if any, will be reflected by their market price on the [·]. Rights may be sold by individual holders or may be submitted to the Rights Agent (defined below) for sale. Any Rights submitted to the Rights Agent for sale must be received by the Rights Agent on or before [·], 2017, three Business Days prior to the completion of the Subscription |
|
|
Period, due to normal settlement procedures.
Rights that are sold will not confer any right to acquire any common shares in any [primary or secondary] over-subscription, and any Record Date shareholder who sells any Rights will not be eligible to participate in the [primary or secondary] over-subscription privilege, if any.
Trading of the Rights on the [·] will be conducted on a when-issued basis until and including the date on which the Subscription Certificates (as defined below) are mailed to Record Date Shareholders and thereafter will be conducted on a regular-way basis until and including the last [·] trading day prior to the completion of the Subscription Period. The shares are expected to begin trading ex-Rights [·] Business Days prior to the Record Date.
If the Rights Agent receives Rights for sale in a timely manner, it will use its best efforts to sell the Rights on the [·]. The Rights Agent will also attempt to sell any Rights (i) a Rights holder is unable to exercise because the Rights represent the right to subscribe for less than one new Common Share or (ii) attributable to shareholders whose record addresses are outside the United States, or who have an APO or FPO address. See Foreign Restrictions.
Any commissions will be paid by the selling Rights holders. Neither the Fund nor the Rights Agent will be responsible if Rights cannot be sold and neither has guaranteed any minimum sales price for the Rights. If the Rights can be sold, sales of these Rights will be deemed to have been effected at the weighted average price received by the Rights Agent on the day such Rights are sold, less any applicable brokerage commissions, taxes and other expenses.
Shareholders are urged to obtain a recent trading price for the Rights on the [·] from their broker, bank, financial advisor or the financial press.
Banks, broker-dealers and trust companies that hold shares for the accounts of others are advised to notify those persons that purchase Rights in the secondary market that such Rights will not participate in any over-subscription privilege. See Terms of the Rights Offering and Sales by Rights Agent. |
|
|
|
Use of Proceeds |
|
The Fund estimates the net proceeds of the offering to be approximately $[·]. This figure is based on the Subscription Price per share of $[·] and assumes all new common shares offered are sold and that the expenses related to the offering estimated at approximately $[·] are paid.
The Adviser anticipates that investment of the proceeds will be made in accordance with the Funds investment objectives and policies as appropriate investment opportunities are identified, which is expected to be substantially completed in approximately five months; however, the identification of appropriate investment opportunities pursuant to the Funds investment style or changes in market conditions may cause the investment period to extend as long as [·] months. Pending such investment, the proceeds will be held in temporary investments. See Use of Proceeds. |
|
|
|
Taxation/ERISA |
|
See Taxation and Employee Benefit Plan and IRA Considerations. |
|
|
|
Rights Agent |
|
[·]. See Rights Agent. |
DESCRIPTION OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING
Terms of the Rights Offering
The Fund is issuing to shareholders of record as of [·], 2017 (the Record Date, and such shareholders, the Record Date Shareholders) Rights to subscribe for common shares of the Fund. Each Record Date Shareholder is being issued [·] transferable Right for each Common Share owned on the Record Date. The Rights entitle the holder to acquire for $[·] (the Subscription Price) one new Common Share for each [·] Rights held rounded up to the nearest number of Rights evenly divisible by [·]. Fractional shares will not be issued upon the exercise of the Rights. Accordingly, common shares may be purchased only pursuant to the exercise of Rights in integral multiples of [·]. In the case of common shares held of record by [Cede & Co.] ([Cede]), as nominee for the Depository Trust Company (DTC), or any other depository or nominee, the number of Rights issued to [Cede] or such other depository or nominee will be adjusted to permit rounding up (to the nearest number of Rights evenly divisible by [·] of the Rights to be received by beneficial owners for whom it is the holder of record only if [Cede] or such other depository or nominee provides to the Fund on or before the close of business on [·], 2017 written representation of the number of Rights required for such rounding. Rights may be exercised at any time during the period (the Subscription Period) which commences on [·], 2017, and ends at [5:00] PM Eastern Time on [·], 2017 (the Expiration Date). The right to acquire one Common Share for each [·] Rights held during the Subscription Period (or any extension thereof) at the Subscription Price will be referred to in the remainder of this prospectus supplement as the Subscription. Rights will expire on the Expiration Date and thereafter may not be exercised. Any common shares issued as a result of the rights offering will not be record date shares for the Funds quarterly dividend to be paid on [·], 2017 and will not be entitled to receive such dividend.
Rights may be evidenced by subscription certificates or may be uncertificated and evidenced by other appropriate documentation (Subscription Certificates). The number of Rights issued to each holder will be stated on the Subscription Certificate delivered to the holder. The method by which Rights may be exercised and shares paid for is set forth below in Method of Exercise of Rights and Payment for Shares. A Holder of Rights will have no right to rescind a purchase after [·] (the Rights Agent) has received payment. See Payment for Shares below. It is anticipated that the common shares issued pursuant to an exercise of Rights will be listed on the [·].
[Holders of Rights who are Record Date Shareholders are entitled to subscribe for additional common shares at the same Subscription Price pursuant to the over-subscription privilege, subject to certain limitations, to allotment and to the right of the Board to eliminate the over-subscription privilege. See Over-Subscription Privilege below.]
For purposes of determining the maximum number of common shares that may be acquired pursuant to the offer, broker-dealers, trust companies, banks or others whose shares are held of record by [Cede] or by any other depository or nominee will be deemed to be the holders of the Rights that are held by [Cede] or such other depository or nominee on their behalf.
The Rights are transferable until the completion of the Subscription Period and will be admitted for trading on the [·]. Assuming a market exists for the Rights, the Rights may be purchased and sold through usual brokerage channels and also sold through the Rights Agent. Although no assurance can be given that a market for the Rights will develop, trading in the Rights on the [·] is expected to begin three Business Days prior to the Record Date and may be conducted until the close of trading on the last [·] trading day prior to the completion of the Subscription Period. For purposes of this prospectus supplement, a Business Day means any day on which trading is conducted on the [·]. Trading of the Rights on the [·] is expected to be conducted on a when-issued basis until and including the date on which the Subscription Certificates are mailed to Record Date Shareholders and thereafter is expected to be conducted on a regular way basis until and including the last [·] trading day prior to the completion of the Subscription Period. The method by which Rights may be transferred is set forth below under Method of Transferring Rights. The common shares are expected to begin trading ex-Rights [·] Business Days prior to the Record Date as determined and announced by the [·].
Nominees who hold the Funds common shares for the account of others, such as banks, broker-dealers, trustees or depositories for securities, should notify the respective beneficial owners of such shares as soon as possible to ascertain such beneficial owners intentions and to obtain instructions with respect to the Rights. If the beneficial owner so instructs, the nominee should complete the Subscription Certificate and submit it to the Rights Agent with proper payment. In addition, beneficial owners of the common shares or Rights held through such a nominee should contact the nominee and request the nominee to effect transactions in accordance with such beneficial owners instructions.
[Participants in the Funds Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the DRIP) will be issued Rights in respect of the common shares held in their accounts in the DRIP. Participants wishing to exercise these Rights must exercise the Rights in accordance with the procedures set forth in Method of Exercise of Rights and Payment for Shares.]
Important Dates to Remember
[Please note that the dates in the table below may change if the rights offering is extended.]
EVENT |
|
DATE |
Record Date |
|
[·], 2017 |
Subscription Period |
|
[·], 2017 through [·], 2017 |
Expiration Date* |
|
[·], 2017 |
Payment for Guarantees of Delivery Due* |
|
[·], 2017 |
Issuance Date |
|
[·], 2017** |
Confirmation Date |
|
[·], 2017 |
* A shareholder exercising Rights must deliver by [5:00 PM] Eastern Time on [·], 2017 either (a) a Subscription Certificate and payment for shares or (b) a notice of guaranteed delivery and payment for shares.
** [Unless the offer is extended to a date no later than [·], 2017.]
[Over-Subscription Privilege
The Board has the right in its absolute discretion to eliminate the over-subscription privilege with respect to either or both primary over-subscription shares and secondary over-subscription shares if it considers it to be in the best interest of the Fund to do so. The Board may make that determination at any time, without prior notice to Rights holders or others, up to and including the tenth day following the Expiration Date. If the primary or secondary over-subscription privilege is not eliminated, it will operate as set forth below.
Rights holders who are Record Date Shareholders and who fully exercise their Rights are entitled to subscribe for additional common shares at the same Subscription Price pursuant to the over-subscription privilege, subject to certain limitations and subject to allotment.
Record Date Shareholders who fully exercise all Rights initially issued to them are entitled to buy those common shares, referred to as primary over-subscription shares, that were not purchased by other Holders of Rights at the same Subscription Price. If enough primary over-subscription shares are available, all such requests will be honored in full. If the requests for primary over-subscription shares exceed the primary over-subscription shares available, the available primary over-subscription shares will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Shareholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund. Common shares acquired pursuant to the over-subscription privilege are subject to allotment.
[In addition, in the event that the Funds per share net asset value at the end of the Subscription Period is equal to or less than the Subscription Price, the Fund, in its sole discretion, may determine to issue additional common shares in an amount of up to [·]% of the shares issued pursuant to the primary subscription, referred to as secondary over-subscription shares. Should the Fund determine to issue some or all of the secondary over-subscription shares, they will be allocated only among Record Date Shareholders who submitted over-subscription requests. Secondary over-subscription shares will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Shareholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund. Rights acquired in the secondary market may not participate in the over-subscription privilege.]
Record Date Shareholders who are fully exercising their Rights during the Subscription Period should indicate, on the Subscription Certificate that they submit with respect to the exercise of the Rights issued to them, how many common shares they are willing to acquire pursuant to the over-subscription privilege. Rights acquired in the secondary market may not participate in the over subscription privilege.
To the extent sufficient common shares are not available to fulfill all over-subscription requests, unsubscribed common shares (the Excess Shares) will be allocated pro-rata among those Record Date Shareholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights issued to them by the Fund. The allocation process may involve a series of allocations in order to assure that the total number of common shares available for over-subscriptions is distributed on a pro rata basis.
The formula to be used in allocating the Excess Shares is as follows:
|
Shareholders Record Date Position |
x |
Excess Shares Remaining |
|
Total Record Date Position of All Over-Subscribers |
|
|
Banks, broker-dealers, trustees and other nominee holders of Rights will be required to certify to the Rights Agent, before any over-subscription privilege may be exercised with respect to any particular beneficial owner, as to the aggregate number of Rights exercised during the Subscription Period and the number of common shares subscribed for pursuant to the over-subscription privilege by such beneficial owner and that such beneficial owners subscription was exercised in full. Nominee holder over-subscription forms and beneficial owner certification forms will be distributed to banks, broker-dealers, trustees and other nominee holders of Rights with the Subscription Certificates. Nominees should also notify holders purchasing Rights in the secondary market that such Rights may not participate in the over-subscription privilege.
The Fund will not offer or sell any common shares that are not subscribed for during the Subscription Period or pursuant to the over-subscription privilege.
The Fund has been advised that the Adviser and each of the Funds Trustees may exercise some or all of the Rights initially issued to them, and may request additional common shares pursuant to the over-subscription privilege. In addition, [·] or his affiliated entities may also purchase common shares during the Subscription Period and pursuant to the over-subscription privilege.]
Sales by Rights Agent
Holders of Rights who are unable or do not wish to exercise any or all of their Rights may instruct the Rights Agent to sell any unexercised Rights. The Subscription Certificates representing the Rights to be sold by the Rights Agent must be received on or before [·], 2017. Upon the timely receipt of the appropriate instructions to sell Rights, the Rights Agent will use its best efforts to complete the sale and will remit the proceeds of sale, net of any commissions, to the holders. The Rights Agent will also attempt to sell any Rights attributable to shareholders whose record addresses are outside the United States, or who have an APO or FPO address. The selling Rights holder will pay all brokerage commissions incurred by the Rights Agent. These sales may be effected by the Rights Agent, [·] (the Dealer Manager), a registered broker-dealer, may also act on behalf of its clients to purchase or sell Rights in the open market and be compensated for its services at a commission of up to $[·] per Right, provided that, if the Rights trade at a value of $0.01 or less at the time of such sale, then no commission will be charged. The Rights Agent will automatically attempt to sell any unexercised Rights that remain unclaimed as a result of Subscription Certificates being returned by the postal authorities as undeliverable as of the fourth Business Day prior to the Expiration Date. These sales will be made net of commissions, taxes and any other expenses paid on behalf of the nonclaiming holders of Rights. Proceeds from those sales will be held by [Computershare Trust Company, N.A.,] in its capacity as the Funds transfer agent, for the account of the nonclaiming holder of Rights until the proceeds are either claimed or escheated. There can be no assurance that the Rights Agent will be able to complete the sale of any of these Rights and neither the Fund nor the Rights Agent has guaranteed any minimum sales price for the Rights. All of these Rights will be sold at the market price, if any, through an exchange or market trading the Rights. If the Rights can be sold, sales of the Rights will be deemed to have been effected at the weighted average price received by the Rights Agent on the day such Rights are sold, less any applicable brokerage commissions, taxes and other expenses.
Holders of Rights attempting to sell any unexercised Rights in the open market through a broker-dealer other than the Dealer Manager should consider the commissions and fees charged by the broker-dealer prior to selling their rights on the open market.
Shareholders are urged to obtain a recent trading price for the Rights on the [·] from their broker, bank, financial advisor or the financial press.
Method of Selling or Transferring Rights
The value of the Rights, if any, will be reflected by the market price. Rights may be sold by individual holders or may be submitted to the Rights Agent for sale. Any Rights submitted to the Rights Agent for sale must be received by the Rights Agent on or before [·], 2017, three Business Days prior to the completion of the Subscription Period, due to normal settlement procedures.
Rights that are sold will not confer any right to acquire any common shares in any primary over-subscription, and any Record Date Shareholder who sells any Rights will not be eligible to participate in the primary over-subscription, if any.
The Rights evidenced by a single Subscription Certificate may be transferred in whole by endorsing the Subscription Certificate for transfer in accordance with the accompanying instructions. A portion of the Rights evidenced by a single Subscription Certificate (but not fractional Rights) may be transferred by delivering to the Rights Agent a Subscription Certificate properly endorsed for transfer, with instructions to register the portion of the Rights evidenced thereby in the name of the transferee (and to issue a new Subscription Certificate to the transferee evidencing the transferred Rights). In this event, a new Subscription Certificate evidencing the balance of the Rights will be issued to the Rights holder or, if the Rights holder so instructs, to an additional transferee.
Holders wishing to transfer all or a portion of their Rights (but not fractional Rights) should promptly transfer such Rights to ensure that: (i) the transfer instructions will be received and processed by the Rights Agent, (ii) a new Subscription Certificate will be issued and transmitted to the transferee or transferees with respect to transferred Rights, and to the transferor with respect to retained Rights, if any, and (iii) the Rights evidenced by the new Subscription Certificates may be exercised or sold by the recipients thereof prior to the Expiration Date. Neither the Fund nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to a transferee or transferor of Rights if Subscription Certificates are not received in time for exercise or sale prior to the Expiration Date.
Except for the fees charged by the Rights Agent (which will be paid by the Fund as described below), all commissions, fees and other expenses (including brokerage commissions and transfer taxes) incurred in connection with the purchase, sale, transfer or exercise of Rights will be for the account of the transferor of the Rights, and none of these commissions, fees or expenses will be borne by the Fund or the Rights Agent.
The Fund anticipates that the Rights will be eligible for transfer through, and that the exercise of the Rights may be effected through, the facilities of DTC (Rights exercised through DTC are referred to as DTC Exercised Rights).
Rights Agent
The Rights Agent is [·]. The Rights Agent will receive from the Fund an amount estimated to be $[·], comprised of the fee for its services and the reimbursement for certain expenses related to the Rights offering.
Information Agent
INQUIRIES BY ALL HOLDERS OF RIGHTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: THE INFORMATION AGENT, [[·]]; HOLDERS MAY ALSO CONSULT THEIR BROKERS OR NOMINEES.
Method of Exercise of Rights
Rights may be exercised by completing and signing the reverse side of the Subscription Certificate and mailing it in the envelope provided, or otherwise delivering the completed and signed Subscription Certificate to the Rights Agent, together with payment for the common shares as described below under Payment for Shares. Rights may also be exercised through the broker of a holder of Rights, who may charge the holder of Rights a servicing fee in connection with such exercise.
Completed Subscription Certificates and payment must be received by the Rights Agent prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Time, on the Expiration Date (unless payment is effected by means of a notice of guaranteed delivery as described below under Payment for Shares). The Subscription Certificate and payment should be delivered to the Rights Agent at the following address:
If By Mail:
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
[·]
If By Overnight Courier:
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
[·]
Payment for Shares
Holders of Rights who acquire common shares in the Subscription may choose between the following methods of payment:
(1) |
A holder of Rights can send the Subscription Certificate, together with payment in the form of a check for the common shares subscribed for in the Rights offering and, if eligible, for any additional common shares subscribed for pursuant to the over-subscription privilege, to the Rights Agent based on the Subscription Price of $[·] per Common Share. To be accepted, the payment, together with the executed Subscription Certificate, must be received by the Rights Agent at the address noted above prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the Expiration Date. The Rights Agent will deposit all share purchase checks received by it prior to the final due date into a segregated account pending proration and distribution of common shares. The Rights Agent will not accept cash as a means of payment for common shares. |
|
|
(2) |
Alternatively, a subscription will be accepted by the Rights Agent if, prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the Expiration Date, the Rights Agent has received a written notice of guaranteed delivery from a bank, trust company, or a NYSE member, guaranteeing delivery of (i) payment of the full Subscription Price for the common shares subscribed for in the Rights offering and, if eligible, for any additional common shares subscribed for pursuant to the over-subscription privilege, and (ii) a properly completed and executed |
|
|
|
Subscription Certificate. The Rights Agent will not honor a notice of guaranteed delivery if a properly completed and executed Subscription Certificate is not received by the Rights Agent by the close of business on the third Business Day after the Expiration Date and the full payment is not received by the Expiration Date. The notice of guaranteed delivery may be delivered to the Rights Agent in the same manner as Subscription Certificates at the addresses set forth above, or may be transmitted to the Rights Agent by facsimile transmission (fax number [·]; telephone number to confirm receipt [·]). |
EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH BELOW, A PAYMENT PURSUANT TO THIS METHOD MUST BE IN UNITED STATES DOLLARS BY MONEY ORDER OR CHECK DRAWN ON A BANK LOCATED IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, MUST BE PAYABLE TO KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND AND MUST ACCOMPANY AN EXECUTED SUBSCRIPTION CERTIFICATE TO BE ACCEPTED.
If a holder of Rights who acquires common shares pursuant to the Rights offering does not make payment of all amounts due, the Fund reserves the right to take any or all of the following actions: (i) find other purchasers for such subscribed-for and unpaid-for common shares; (ii) apply any payment actually received by it toward the purchase of the greatest whole number of common shares which could be acquired by such holder upon exercise of the Rights or any over-subscription privilege; (iii) sell all or a portion of the common shares purchased by the holder, in the open market, and apply the proceeds to the amounts owed; and (iv) exercise any and all other rights or remedies to which it may be entitled, including, without limitation, the right to set off against payments actually received by it with respect to such subscribed common shares and to enforce the relevant guarantee of payment.
Issuance and delivery of certificates from the common shares purchased are subject to collection of checks. Any payment required from a holder of Rights must be received by the Rights Agent prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the Expiration Date.
Within ten Business Days following the Expiration Date (the Confirmation Date), a confirmation will be sent by the Rights Agent to each holder of Rights (or, if the common shares are held by [Cede] or any other depository or nominee, to [Cede] or such other depository or nominee), showing (i) the number of common shares acquired pursuant to the Subscription, (ii) the number of common shares, if any, acquired pursuant to the over-subscription privilege, and (iii) the per share and total purchase price for the common shares. Any payment required from a holder of Rights must be received by the Rights Agent on or prior to the Expiration Date. Any excess payment to be refunded by the Fund to a holder of Rights, or to be paid to a holder of Rights as a result of sales of Rights on its behalf by the Rights Agent, will be mailed by the Rights Agent to the holder within fifteen Business Days after the Expiration Date.
A holder of Rights will have no right to rescind a purchase after the Rights Agent has received payment either by means of a notice of guaranteed delivery or a check.
Holders, such as broker-dealers, trustees or depositories for securities, who hold common shares for the account of others, should notify the respective beneficial owners of the common shares as soon as possible to ascertain such beneficial owners intentions and to obtain instructions with respect to the Rights. If the beneficial owner so instructs, the record holder of the Rights should complete Subscription Certificates and submit them to the Rights Agent with the proper payment. In addition, beneficial owners of common shares or Rights held through such a holder should contact the holder and request that the holder effect transactions in accordance with the beneficial owners instructions. Banks, broker-dealers, trustees and other nominee holders that hold common shares of the Fund for the accounts of others are advised to notify those persons that purchase Rights in the secondary market that such Rights may not participate in any over-subscription privilege offered.
THE INSTRUCTIONS ACCOMPANYING THE SUBSCRIPTION CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY AND FOLLOWED IN DETAIL. DO NOT SEND SUBSCRIPTION CERTIFICATES TO THE FUND.
THE METHOD OF DELIVERY OF SUBSCRIPTION CERTIFICATES AND PAYMENT OF THE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE TO THE RIGHTS AGENT WILL BE AT THE ELECTION AND RISK OF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS, BUT IF SENT BY MAIL IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE CERTIFICATES AND PAYMENTS BE SENT BY REGISTERED MAIL, PROPERLY INSURED, WITH RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED, AND THAT A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF DAYS BE ALLOWED TO ENSURE DELIVERY TO
THE RIGHTS AGENT AND CLEARANCE OF PAYMENT PRIOR TO [5:00 PM] EASTERN TIME, ON THE EXPIRATION DATE. BECAUSE UNCERTIFIED PERSONAL CHECKS MAY TAKE AT LEAST FIVE BUSINESS DAYS TO CLEAR, YOU ARE STRONGLY URGED TO PAY, OR ARRANGE FOR PAYMENT, BY MEANS OF A CERTIFIED OR CASHIERS CHECK OR MONEY ORDER.
All questions concerning the timeliness, validity, form and eligibility of any exercise of Rights will be determined by the Fund, whose determinations will be final and binding. The Fund in its sole discretion may waive any defect or irregularity, or permit a defect or irregularity to be corrected within such time as it may determine, or reject the purported exercise of any Right. Subscriptions will not be deemed to have been received or accepted until all irregularities have been waived or cured within such time as the Fund determines in its sole discretion. Neither the
Fund nor the Rights Agent will be under any duty to give notification of any defect or irregularity in connection with the submission of Subscription Certificates or incur any liability for failure to give such notification.
Foreign Restrictions
Subscription Certificates will only be mailed to Record Date Shareholders whose addresses are within the United States (other than an APO or FPO address). Because the offering of the Rights will not be registered in any jurisdiction other than the United States, the Rights Agent will attempt to sell all of the Rights issued to shareholders outside of these jurisdictions and remit the net proceeds, if any, to such shareholders. If the Rights can be sold, sales of these Rights will be deemed to have been effected at the weighted average price received by the Rights Agent on the day the Rights are sold, less any applicable brokerage commissions, taxes and other expenses.
Employee Benefit Plan and IRA Considerations
Holders of Rights that are employee benefit plans subject to limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), such as employee plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), Keogh Plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) (each a Benefit Plan and collectively, Benefit Plans), should be aware that the use of additional contributions of cash outside of the Benefit Plan to exercise Rights may be treated as additional contributions to the Benefit Plan. When taken together with contributions previously made, such deemed additional contributions may be in excess of tax limitations and subject the Rights holder to excise taxes for excess or nondeductible contributions. In the case of Benefit Plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, additional contributions could cause the maximum contribution limitations of Section 415 of the Code or other qualification rules to be violated. Benefit Plans contemplating making additional contributions to exercise Rights should consult with their legal and tax counsel prior to making such contributions.
Benefit Plans and other tax exempt entities, including governmental plans, should also be aware that if they borrow to finance their exercise of Rights, they may become subject to the tax on unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) under Section 511 of the Code. If any portion of an IRA is used as security for a loan, the portion so used may also be treated as distributed to the IRA depositor.
A Benefit Plan may also be subject to laws, such as ERISA, that impose certain requirements on the Benefit Plan and on those persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the Benefit Plans. Such requirements may include prudence and diversification requirements and require that investments be made in accordance with the documents governing the Benefit Plan. The exercise of Rights by a fiduciary for a Benefit Plan should be considered in light of such fiduciary requirements.
In addition, ERISA and the Code prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of a Benefit Plan and certain persons (referred to as parties in interest for purposes of ERISA and disqualified persons for purposes of the Code) having certain relationships to such Benefit Plans, unless a statutory or administrative exemption is applicable to the transaction. A party in interest or disqualified person who engages in a nonexempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code (or with respect to certain Benefit Plans, such as IRAs, a prohibited transaction may cause the Benefit Plan to lose its tax-exempt status). In this regard, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued prohibited transaction class exemptions (PTCEs) that may apply to the exercise of the Rights and holding of the common shares. These class exemptions include, without limitation, PTCE 84-14 respecting transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers, PTCE 90-1 respecting insurance company pooled separate accounts, PTCE 91-38 respecting bank collective investment funds, PTCE 95-60 respecting life insurance company general accounts and PTCE 96-23 respecting transactions determined by in-house asset managers, PTCE 84-24 governing purchases of shares in investment companies) and PTCE 75-1 respecting sales of securities. In addition, Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA and Section 4975(d)(20) of the Code each provides a limited exemption, commonly referred to as the service provider exemption, from the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code for certain transactions between a Benefit Plan and a person that is a party in interest and/or a disqualified person (other than a fiduciary or an affiliate that, directly or indirectly, has or exercises any discretionary authority or control or renders any investment advice with respect to the assets of any Benefit Plan involved in the transaction) solely by reason of providing services to the Benefit Plan or by relationship to a service provider, provided that the Benefit Plan receives no less, nor pays no more, than adequate consideration. There can be no assurance that all of the conditions
of any such exemptions or any other exemption will be satisfied at the time that the Rights are exercised, or thereafter while the common shares are held, if the facts relied upon for utilizing a prohibited transaction exemption change.
Due to the complexity of these rules and the penalties for noncompliance, fiduciaries of Benefit Plans should consult with their legal and tax counsel regarding the consequences of their exercise of Rights under ERISA, the Code and other similar laws.
TABLE OF COMMON SHAREHOLDER FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables are intended to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses directly or indirectly associated with investing in our common shares as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares. Amounts are for the current fiscal year after giving effect to anticipated net proceeds of the offering, assuming that we incur the estimated offering expenses.
Common Shareholder Transaction Expenses
Record Date Sales Load Paid By You (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
% |
Offering Expenses borne by the Fund (as a percentage of the offering price) |
|
[·] |
% |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees |
|
None |
(1) |
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
[·] |
%(3) |
Interest Expenses and Payments on Borrowing |
|
[·] |
%(4) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(5) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(1) You will pay brokerage charges if you direct U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, as agent for the holders of the common shares, to sell your common shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(2) The table presented below in this footnote 2 estimates what the Funds annual expenses would be, stated as percentages of the Funds net assets attributable to common shares, but, unlike the table above, assumes that the Fund does not utilize leverage. See Leverage. In accordance with these assumptions, the Funds expenses would be estimated to be as follows:
|
|
Percentage |
|
Annual Expenses |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
1.10 |
%(3) |
Other Expenses |
|
[·] |
%(5) |
Total Annual Expenses |
|
[·] |
% |
(3) The Adviser will receive a monthly Management Fee at an annual rate of 1.10% of the average daily value of the Funds Managed Assets. Consequently, since the Fund has borrowings outstanding, the Management Fee as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares is higher than if the Fund did not utilize leverage.
(4) Assumes the use of leverage through a credit facility representing 331/3% of Managed Assets at an annual interest rate expense to the Fund of [·]%, which is based on the interest rate currently applicable under the Funds existing credit facility and an assumption that if the Fund issues an additional $[·] in common shares it will increase the amount of its credit facility from $[·] to $[·]. The Fund may use other forms of leverage, which may be subject to different interest expenses than those estimated above. The actual amount of interest expense borne by the Fund will vary over time in accordance with the level of the Funds use of leverage and variations in market interest rates.
(5) The Other Expenses shown in the table above and related footnotes are based upon estimated expenses for the current fiscal year assuming completion of the proposed issuances.
Example
The following example illustrates the expenses (including the sales load of $[·] and estimated offering expenses of this offering of $[·]), that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in common shares, assuming (1) total net annual expenses of [·]% of net assets attributable to common shares and (2) a 5% annual return.* The actual amounts in connection with the offering will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, if applicable.
1 Year |
|
3 Years |
|
5 Years |
|
10 Years |
| ||||
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
* The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. The example assumes that the estimated Other expenses set forth in the Total Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at NAV. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Funds actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate the net proceeds of the Rights offering to be $[·], based on the Subscription Price per share of $[·], assuming all new common shares offered are sold and that the expenses related to the Rights offering estimated at approximately $[·] are paid and after deduction of the underwriting discounts and commissions. The Fund will invest the net proceeds of any offering in accordance with the Funds investment objective and policies, and may use a portion of such proceeds, depending on market conditions, for other general corporate purposes. The Adviser anticipates that the investment of the proceeds will be made in accordance with the Funds investment objective and policies as appropriate investment opportunities are identified, which is expected to substantially be completed within [three] months; however, changes in market conditions could result in the Funds anticipated investment period extending to as long as [six] months. Pending such investment, the proceeds of the offering will be held in temporary investments.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
[To be provided.]
CAPITALIZATION
[To be provided.]
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON SHARES
The following table sets forth for the quarters indicated, the high and low sale prices on the New York Stock Exchange per common share and the net asset value and the premium or discount from net asset value per share at which the common shares were trading, expressed as a percentage of net asset value, at each of the high and low sale prices provided.
[To be provided.]
The last reported price for our common shares on [·],[·] was $[·] per share.
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF THE RIGHTS OFFERING
Risk is inherent in all investing. Therefore, before investing in the common shares you should consider the risks associated with such an investment carefully. See Risk Factors in the prospectus. The following summarizes some of the matters that you should consider before investing in the Fund through the Rights offering:
Dilution. As with any security, the price of the Funds common shares fluctuates with market conditions and other factors. [The common shares are currently trading at a [premium] to their net asset value.] However, shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their net asset values. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Funds net asset value could decrease as a result of its investment activities and may be greater for shareholders expecting to sell their common shares in a relatively short period of time following completion of this Rights offering. The net asset value of the common shares will be reduced immediately following this Rights offering as a result of the accrual of certain offering costs.
If you do not exercise all of your Rights, you may own a smaller proportional interest in the Fund when the Rights offering is over. In addition, you will experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate net asset value per share of your common shares if you do not participate in the Rights offering and will experience a reduction in the net asset value per share whether or not you exercise your Rights, if the Subscription Price is below the Funds net asset value per Common Share on the Expiration Date, because:
· |
the offered common shares are being sold at less than their current net asset value; |
|
|
· |
you will indirectly bear the expenses of the Rights offering; and |
|
|
· |
the number of common shares outstanding after the Rights offering will have increased proportionately more than the increase in the amount of the Funds net assets. |
On the other hand, if the Subscription Price is above the Funds net asset value per share on the Expiration Date, you may experience an immediate accretion of the aggregate net asset value per share of your common shares even if you do not exercise your Rights and an immediate increase in the net asset value per share of your common shares whether or not you participate in the offering, because:
· |
the offered common shares are being sold at more than their current net asset value after deducting the expenses of the Rights offering; and |
|
|
· |
the number of common shares outstanding after the Rights offering will have increased proportionately less than the increase in the amount of the Funds net assets. |
[Furthermore, if you do not participate in the Over-Subscription Privilege, if it is available, your percentage ownership may also be diluted.] The Fund cannot state precisely the amount of any dilution because it is not known at this time what the net asset value per share will be on the Expiration Date or what proportion of the Rights will be exercised. The impact of the Rights offering on net asset value per share is shown by the following examples, assuming a $[·] Subscription Price:
Scenario 1: (assumes net asset value per share is above subscription price)(1) |
|
|
| |
NAV |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Subscription Price |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Reduction in NAV($)(2) |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Reduction in NAV(%) |
|
[·] |
% | |
Scenario 2: (assumes net asset value per share is below subscription price)(1) |
|
|
| |
NAV |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Subscription Price |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Increase in NAV($)(2) |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Increase in NAV(%) |
|
[·] |
% |
(1) |
[Both examples assume the full Primary Subscription and Secondary Over-Subscription Privilege are exercised.] Actual amounts may vary due to rounding. |
(2) |
Assumes $[·] in estimated offering expenses. |
If you do not wish to exercise your Rights, you should consider selling them as set forth in this prospectus supplement. Any cash you receive from selling your Rights may serve as partial compensation for any possible dilution of your interest in the Fund. The Fund cannot give assurance, however, that a market for the Rights will develop or that the Rights will have any marketable value.
The Funds largest shareholders could increase their percentage ownership in and control of the Fund through the exercise of the Primary Subscription and Over-Subscription Privilege.
Leverage. Leverage creates a greater risk of loss, as well as a potential for more gain, for the common shares than if leverage were not used. Following the completion of the Rights offering, the Funds amount of leverage outstanding will decrease. The leverage of the Fund as of [·], 2017 was [·]%. After the completion of the Rights offering, the amount of leverage outstanding is expected to decrease to [·]%. The use of leverage for investment purposes creates opportunities for greater total returns but at the same time increases risk. When leverage is employed, the net asset value and market price of the common shares and the yield to holders of common shares may be more volatile. Any investment income or gains earned with respect to the amounts borrowed in excess of the interest due on the borrowing will augment the Funds income. Conversely, if the investment performance with respect to the amounts borrowed fails to cover the interest on such borrowings, the value of the Funds common shares may decrease more quickly than would otherwise be the case, and distributions on the common shares could be reduced or eliminated. Interest payments and fees incurred in connection with such borrowings will reduce the amount of net income available for distribution to holders of the common shares.
Because the fee paid to the Adviser is calculated on the basis of the Funds average weekly net assets, which include the proceeds of leverage, the dollar amount of the management fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser will be higher (and the Adviser will be benefited to that extent) when leverage is utilized. The Adviser will utilize leverage only if it believes such action would result in a net benefit to the Funds shareholders after taking into account the higher fees and expenses associated with leverage (including higher management fees).
The Funds leveraging strategy may not be successful.
Increase in Share Price Volatility; Decrease in Share Price. The Rights offering may result in an increase in trading of the common shares, which may increase volatility in the market price of the common shares. The Rights offering may result in an increase in the number of shareholders wishing to sell their common shares, which would exert downward price pressure on the price of common shares.
Under-Subscription. It is possible that the Rights offering will not be fully subscribed. Under-subscription of the Rights offering could have an impact on the net proceeds of the Rights offering and whether the Fund achieves any benefits.
TAXATION
The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice and potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Please refer to the Taxation sections in the Funds prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for a description of the consequences of investing in the common shares of the Fund. Special tax considerations relating to this Rights offering are summarized below:
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The value of a Right will not be includible in the income of a shareholder at the time the subscription right is issued. |
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The basis of a Right issued to a shareholder will be zero, and the basis of the share with respect to which the Right was issued (the old share) will remain unchanged, unless either (a) the fair market value of the Right on the date of distribution is at least 15% of the fair market value of the old share, or (b) such shareholder affirmatively elects (in the manner set out in Treasury regulations under the Code) to allocate to the Right a portion of the basis of the old share. If either (a) or (b) applies, such shareholder must allocate basis between the old share and the Right in proportion to their fair market values on the date of distribution. |
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The basis of a Right purchased in the market will generally be its purchase price. |
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The holding period of a Right issued to a shareholder will include the holding period of the old share. |
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No loss will be recognized by a shareholder if a Right distributed to such shareholder expires unexercised because the basis of the old share may be allocated to a Right only if the Right is exercised. If a Right that has been purchased in the market expires unexercised, there will be a recognized loss equal to the basis of the Right. |
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Any gain or loss on the sale of a Right will be a capital gain or loss if the Right is held as a capital asset (which in the case of a Right issued to Record Date Shareholders will depend on whether the old share is held as a capital asset), and will be a long term capital gain or loss if the holding period is deemed to exceed one year. |
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No gain or loss will be recognized by a shareholder upon the exercise of a Right, and the basis of any Common Share acquired upon exercise (the new Common Share) will equal the sum of the basis, if any, of the Right and the subscription price of the Right for the new Common Share. The holding period for the new Common Share does not include the time during which the Right holder held the unexercised Right and will begin no later than the date following the date when the Right is exercised. |
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Code and the Treasury regulations in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and its Common Shareholders, with respect to U.S. federal income taxation only. Other tax issues such as state and local taxation may apply. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the tax consequences of investing in the Fund. These provisions are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive.
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters will be passed on by Dechert LLP, counsel to the Fund, in connection with this Rights offering and the offering of the common shares.
KKR INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FUND
[·] Rights
Subscription Rights to Acquire Common Shares
Issuable Upon Exercise of Rights to Subscribe to
Such Common Shares
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
[·], 2017
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Preliminary Statement of Additional Information dated August 3, 2017
KKR Income Opportunities Fund
Statement of Additional Information
KKR Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). The Funds primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or structure its investment portfolio as anticipated.
This Statement of Additional Information (the SAI) is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the prospectus for the Fund dated [·], 2017, as may be supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained without charge by contacting your financial intermediary or by calling the Fund at (855) 862-6092. You may also obtain a copy of the prospectus on the Securities and Exchange Commissions (the SEC) web site (http://www.sec.gov).
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this SAI have the meanings ascribed to them in the prospectus.
THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS DATED [·], 2017
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RISKS
The following disclosure supplements the disclosure set forth under the caption Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies in the prospectus and does not, by itself, present a complete or accurate explanation of the matters disclosed. You should refer also to Investment Objectives and Investment Strategies in the prospectus for a complete presentation of the matters disclosed below.
Bank Loans and Participations
The Funds investment program may include significant amounts of bank loans and participations. These obligations are subject to unique risks, including (i) the possible avoidance of an investment transaction as a preferential transfer, fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, among other avoidance actions, under relevant bankruptcy, insolvency and/or creditors rights laws, (ii) so-called lender liability claims by the issuer of the obligations, (iii) environmental liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations, (iv) limitations on the ability of the Fund to directly enforce its rights with respect to participations and (v) the contractual nature of participations where the Fund takes on the credit risk of the agent bank rather than the actual borrower.
The Fund may acquire interests in loans either directly (by way of assignment) or indirectly (by way of participation). The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a contracting party under the loan agreement with respect to the loan; however, its rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution. Participations in a portion of a loan typically result in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest and not with the obligor. The Fund would, in such a case, have the right to receive payments of principal and interest to which it is entitled only from the institution selling the participation, and not directly from the obligor, and only upon receipt by such institution of such payments from the obligor. As the owner of a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the obligor with the terms of the loan agreement or to vote on amendments to the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the obligor, and the Fund may not directly benefit from collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of the selling institution, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such selling institution, and may not have any exclusive or senior claim with respect to the selling institutions interest in, or the collateral with respect to, the applicable loan. Consequently, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the obligor and the institution selling the participation to the Fund. As a result, concentrations of participations from any one selling institution subject the Fund to an additional degree of risk with respect to defaults by such selling institution.
Senior Loans
A Senior Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the Agent) for a group of loan investors (Loan Investors). The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the other Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors.
Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans to corporations and secondarily institutionally traded senior floating rate debt obligations issued by an asset-backed pool and interests therein. Loan interests primarily take the form of assignments purchased in the primary or secondary market. Loan interests may also take the form of participation interests in a Senior Loan. Such loan interests may be acquired from U.S. or foreign commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies or other financial institutions who have made loans or are Loan Investors or from other investors in loan interests.
The Fund may purchase assignments from the Agent or other Loan Investors. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement (as defined herein) of the assigning Loan Investor and becomes a Loan Investor under the Loan Agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning Loan Investor. Assignments may, however, be arranged through private negotiations between potential
assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning Loan Investor.
The Fund also may invest in participations. Participations by the Fund in a Loan Investors portion of a Senior Loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such Loan Investor, not with the borrower. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Loan Investor selling the participation and only upon receipt by such Loan Investor of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the Loan Agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other Loan Investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the Senior Loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the Loan Investor selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the Loan Investor selling a participation, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such Loan Investor. The selling Loan Investors and other persons interpositioned between such Loan Investors and the Fund with respect to such participations will likely conduct their principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Persons engaged in such industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Open Market Committees monetary policy, governmental regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally.
The Fund will only acquire participations if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor, at the time of investment has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (Baa3 or higher by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or BBB- or higher by Standard & Poors Corporation Rating Group (S&P) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), or comparably rated by another nationally recognized rating agency) if determined by KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (the Adviser) to be an appropriate investment for the Fund. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the Fund bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.
In order to borrow money pursuant to a Senior Loan, a borrower will for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral, including but not limited to, (i) working capital assets, such as accounts receivable and inventory; (ii) tangible fixed assets, such as real property, buildings and equipment; (iii) intangible assets, such as trademarks and patent rights (but excluding goodwill); and (iv) security interests in shares of stock of subsidiaries or affiliates. In the case of Senior Loans made to non-public companies, the companys shareholders or owners may provide collateral in the form of secured guarantees and/or security interests in assets that they own. In many instances, a Senior Loan may be secured only by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries. Collateral may consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets would satisfy fully a borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan.
In the process of buying, selling and holding Senior Loans, the Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, amendment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When the Fund buys a Senior Loan, it may receive a facility fee and when it sells a Senior Loan it may pay a facility fee. On an ongoing basis, the Fund may receive a commitment fee based on the undrawn portion of the underlying line of credit portion of a Senior Loan. In certain circumstances, the Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower. Other fees received by the Fund may include covenant waiver fees, covenant modification fees or other amendment fees.
A borrower must comply with various restrictive covenants contained in a loan agreement or note purchase agreement between the borrower and the holders of the Senior Loan (the Loan Agreement). Such covenants, in addition to requiring the scheduled payment of interest and principal, may include restrictions on dividend payments and other distributions to shareholders, provisions requiring the borrower to maintain specific minimum financial ratios and limits on total debt. In addition, the Loan Agreement may contain a covenant requiring the borrower to prepay the Loan with any free cash flow. Free cash flow is generally defined as net cash flow after scheduled debt service payments and permitted capital expenditures, and includes the proceeds from asset dispositions or sales of
securities. A breach of a covenant which is not waived by the Agent, or by the Loan Investors directly, as the case may be, is normally an event of acceleration; i.e., the Agent, or the Loan Investors directly, as the case may be, has the right to call the outstanding Senior Loan. The typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower to monitor the borrowers compliance with covenants may involve a risk of fraud by the borrower. In the case of a Senior Loan in the form of a participation, the agreement between the buyer and seller may limit the rights of the holder to vote on certain changes which may be made to the Loan Agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. However, the holder of the participation will, in almost all cases, have the right to vote on certain fundamental issues such as changes in principal amount, payment dates and interest rate.
In a typical Senior Loan the Agent administers the terms of the Loan Agreement. In such cases, the Agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the Loan Agreement. The Fund will generally rely upon the Agent or an intermediate participant to receive and forward to the Fund its portion of the principal and interest payments on the Senior Loan. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a participation agreement the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund will rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate credit remedies against the borrower. The Agent is typically responsible for monitoring compliance with covenants contained in the Loan Agreement based upon reports prepared by the borrower. The seller of the Senior Loan usually does, but is often not obligated to, notify holders of Senior Loans of any failures of compliance. The Agent may monitor the value of the collateral and, if the value of the collateral declines, may accelerate the Senior Loan, may give the borrower an opportunity to provide additional collateral or may seek other protection for the benefit of the participants in the Senior Loan. The Agent is compensated by the borrower for providing these services under a Loan Agreement, and such compensation may include special fees paid upon structuring and funding the Senior Loan and other fees paid on a continuing basis. With respect to Senior Loans for which the Agent does not perform such administrative and enforcement functions, the Fund will perform such tasks on its own behalf, although a collateral bank will typically hold any collateral on behalf of the Fund and the other Loan Investors pursuant to the applicable Loan Agreement.
A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receivership, or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy proceedings. A successor Agent would generally be appointed to replace the terminated Agent, and assets held by the Agent under the Loan Agreement should remain available to holders of Senior Loans. However, if assets held by the Agent for the benefit of the Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a Senior Loan, or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving intermediate participants, similar risks may arise.
Senior Loans will usually require, in addition to scheduled payments of interest and principal, the prepayment of the Senior Loan from free cash flow, as defined above. The degree to which borrowers prepay Senior Loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the borrower and competitive conditions among Loan Investors, among others. As such, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the actual outstanding debt on which the Fund derives interest income will be reduced. However, the Fund may receive both a prepayment penalty fee from the prepaying borrower and a facility fee upon the purchase of a new Senior Loan with the proceeds from the prepayment of the former.
From time to time, the Adviser and its affiliates may borrow money from various banks in connection with their business activities. Such banks may also sell interests in Senior Loans to, or acquire them from, the Fund or may be intermediate participants with respect to Senior Loans in which the Fund owns interests. Such banks may also act as Agents for Senior Loans held by the Fund.
The Fund may acquire interests in Senior Loans which are designed to provide temporary or bridge financing to a borrower pending the sale of identified assets or the arrangement of longer-term loans or the issuance and sale of debt obligations. The Fund may also invest in Senior Loans of borrowers that have obtained bridge loans from other parties. A borrowers use of bridge loans involves a risk that the borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the borrowers perceived creditworthiness.
The Fund will be subject to the risk that collateral securing a loan will decline in value or have no value. Such a decline, whether as a result of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, could cause the Senior Loan to be undercollateralized or unsecured. In most credit agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In addition, the Fund may invest in Senior Loans guaranteed by, or secured by assets of, shareholders or owners, even if the Senior Loans are not otherwise collateralized by assets of the borrower; provided, however, that such guarantees are fully secured. There may be temporary periods when the principal asset held by a borrower is the stock of a related company, which may not legally be pledged to secure a Senior Loan. On occasions when such stock cannot be pledged, the Senior Loan will be temporarily unsecured until the stock can be pledged or is exchanged for or replaced by other assets, which will be pledged as security for the Senior Loan. However, the Borrowers ability to dispose of such securities, other than in connection with such pledge or replacement, will be strictly limited for the protection of the holders of Senior Loans and, indirectly, Senior Loans themselves.
The failure to perfect a security interest due to faulty documentation or faulty official filings could lead to the invalidation of the Funds security interest in loan collateral. If the Funds security interest in loan collateral is invalidated or the Senior Loan is subordinated to other debt of a borrower in bankruptcy or other proceedings, the Fund would have substantially lower recovery, and perhaps no recovery, on the full amount of the principal and interest due on the Senior Loan.
The Fund may acquire warrants and other equity securities as part of a unit combining a Senior Loan and equity securities of a borrower or its affiliates. The acquisition of such equity securities will only be incidental to the Funds purchase of a Senior Loan. The Fund may also acquire equity securities or credit securities (including non-dollar denominated equity or credit securities) issued in exchange for a Senior Loan or issued in connection with the debt restructuring or reorganization of a borrower, or if such acquisition, in the judgment of the Adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies.
Subordinated Loans
The Fund may invest in subordinated loans, which have the same characteristics as Senior Loans except that such loans are subordinated in payment and/or in lien priority to first lien holders. Accordingly, the risks associated with subordinated loans are higher than the risk of loans with first priority over the collateral. In the event of default on a subordinated loans, the first priority lien holder has first claim to the underlying collateral of the loan. It is possible that no collateral value would remain for the second priority lien holder and therefore result in a loss of investment to the Fund.
Subordinated loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in Senior Loans. Because subordinated loans are subordinated and thus lower in priority of payment and/or in priority of lien to Senior Loans, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior unsecured or senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Subordinated loans generally have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and may be less liquid. There is also a possibility that originators will not be able to sell participations in subordinated loans, which would create greater credit risk exposure for the holders of such loans. Subordinated loans share the same risks as other below investment grade securities.
Fixed-Income Instruments
The Fund may invest in fixed-income instruments, such as high-yield corporate debt securities, or bonds, or U.S. government securities. Corporate bonds and other fixed-income instruments are typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the underwriter) for a group of investors (Bond Investors). The underwriter typically administers and enforces the fixed-income instrument on behalf of the other Bond Investors. In addition, in secured fixed-income instrument offerings, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Bond Investors. The Fund may purchase assignments of fixed-income instruments either directly from the underwriter of from a Bond Investor.
An issuer of fixed-income instruments must typically comply with the terms contained in a note purchase agreement between the issuer and the holders of the instruments (the Bond Agreement). These Bond Agreements generally detail the schedule of payments and also place certain restrictive financial and other covenants on the issuer, similar to those in Loan Agreements. The underwriter typically administers the terms of the Bond Agreement on behalf of all holders of the instruments.
Fixed-income instruments are generally subject to many of the same risks that affect Senior Loans and subordinated loans. However, holders of fixed-income bonds would be subordinate to any existing secured lenders with higher priority in the issuers capital structure and thus have a lower priority in payment than lenders.
Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) Loans
The Fund may invest in or extend loans to companies that have filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. DIP financings allow the entity to continue its business operations while reorganizing under Chapter 11 and such financings must be approved by the bankruptcy court. These DIP loans are most often working-capital facilities put into place at the outset of a Chapter 11 case to provide the debtor with both immediate cash and the ongoing working capital that will be required during the reorganization process. DIP financings are typically fully secured by a lien on the debtors otherwise unencumbered assets or secured by a junior lien on the debtors encumbered assets (so long as the loan is fully secured based on the most recent current valuation or appraisal report of the debtor). DIP financings are often required to close with certainty and in a rapid manner in order to satisfy existing creditors and to enable the issuer to emerge from bankruptcy or to avoid a bankruptcy proceeding. There is a risk that the borrower will not emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and be forced to liquidate its assets under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In the event of liquidation, the Funds only recourse will be against the property securing the DIP financing.
Lender Liability
Under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender (a) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower or issuer to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower or issuer, (b) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors or (c) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors (a remedy called equitable subordination). The Fund does not intend to engage in conduct that would form the basis for a successful cause of action based upon the equitable subordination doctrine; however, because of the nature of the debt obligations, the Fund may be subject to claims from creditors of an obligor that debt obligations of such obligor which are held by the issuer should be equitably subordinated.
Restricted and Illiquid Securities
The Fund may not be able to readily dispose of illiquid securities at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such securities if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations.
The Fund may purchase certain securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional buyers as contemplated by Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) (Rule 144A Securities). Rule 144A provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for the resale of certain restricted securities to certain qualified institutional buyers. One effect of Rule 144A is that certain restricted securities may be considered liquid, though no assurance can be given that a liquid market for Rule 144A Securities will develop or be maintained. However, where a substantial market of qualified institutional buyers has developed for certain unregistered securities purchased by the Fund pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, the Fund intends to treat such securities as liquid securities in accordance with procedures approved by the Funds board of trustees (Board). Because it is not possible to predict with assurance how the market for Rule 144A Securities will develop, the Board has directed the Adviser to monitor carefully the Funds investments in such securities with particular regard to trading activity, availability of reliable price information and other relevant information. To the extent that, for a period of time, qualified institutional buyers cease purchasing restricted securities pursuant to
Rule 144A, the Funds investing in such securities may have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in its investment portfolio during such period.
Rights Offerings and Warrants to Purchase
The Fund may participate in rights offerings and may purchase warrants, which are privileges issued by corporations enabling the owners to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short life span to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the rights and warrants expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed securitys market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.
Stressed and Distressed Investments
The Fund intends to invest in securities and other obligations of companies that are in significant financial or business distress, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although such investments may result in significant returns for the Fund, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in distressed assets is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Funds investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action in respect of any company. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company in which the Fund invests, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Funds original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. Troubled company investments and other distressed asset-based investments require active monitoring.
Certain Bankruptcy and Insolvency Issues
Some of the companies in which the Fund invests may be involved in a complex bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding in the United States or elsewhere. There are a number of significant risks inherent in the bankruptcy or insolvency process. The Fund cannot guarantee the outcome of any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.
Under U.S. bankruptcy proceedings or other insolvency proceedings, the Fund may risk taking a loss on its investment and having its claim released or discharged against the debtor and third parties. For example, under a plan of reorganization, the Fund could receive a cash distribution for less than its initial investment or receive securities or other financial instruments in exchange for its claims, which then could be discharged and released against the debtor or other third parties. In addition, under U.S. bankruptcy proceedings, a debtor can effectuate a sale of assets with a purchaser acquiring such assets free and clear of any claims or liens underlying the Funds investment with the Fund having only potential recourse to the proceeds of the sale.
Under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund may be reclaimed, recharacterized or avoided if any such payment or distribution is later determined by the applicable court to have been a fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, a preferential payment or otherwise subject to avoidance under applicable law. In addition, especially in the case of investments made prior to the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings, creditors can lose their ranking and priority if they exercise domination and control of a debtor and other creditors can demonstrate that they have been harmed by such actions.
Many events in a bankruptcy are often beyond the control of the creditors. While creditors may be given an opportunity to object to or otherwise participate in significant actions, there can be no assurance that a court in the exercise of its broad powers or discretion would not approve actions that would be contrary to the interests of the Fund as a creditor.
The duration of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding is difficult to predict. A creditors return on investment can be adversely impacted by delays while a plan of reorganization is being negotiated, approved by the creditors,
confirmed by the bankruptcy court and until the plan ultimately becomes effective. Similar delays can occur while a court may be considering a sale or other restructuring transaction. In addition, the administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding are frequently high and will be paid out of the debtors estate prior to any return to unsecured creditors or equity holders. If a proceeding involves protracted or difficult litigation, or turns into a liquidation, substantial assets may be devoted to administrative costs. Also, in the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. Further, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be quite substantial.
The effect of a bankruptcy filing on or by a portfolio company may adversely and permanently affect the portfolio company. The portfolio company may lose its market position, going concern value and key employees and otherwise become incapable of restoring itself as a viable entity. If for this or any other reason the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the liquidation value of the portfolio company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment.
Equity Securities
In addition to common stocks, the Fund may invest in equity securities, including preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and depository receipts.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock generally pays dividends at a defined rate and has a preference over common stock in liquidation (and generally dividends as well) but is subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer in all respects. As a general rule, the market value of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk, while the market price of convertible preferred stock generally also reflects some element of conversion value. Because preferred stock is junior to credit securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior credit security with similar stated yield characteristics. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuers board of directors or equivalent body. Dividends on preferred stock may be cumulative, meaning that, in the event the issuer fails to make one or more dividend payments on the preferred stock, no dividends may be paid on the issuers common stock until all unpaid preferred stock dividends have been paid. Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument.
Warrants. Warrants are privileges issued by corporations enabling the owners to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short life span to expiration. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrants expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed securitys market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.
Depository Receipts. The Fund may hold investments in sponsored and unsponsored American Depository Receipts (ADRs), European Depository Receipts (EDRs), Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) and other similar global instruments. ADRs typically are issued by a U.S. bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depository Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by non-U.S. banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either non-U.S. or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depository receipts structured like global debt issued to facilitate trading on an international basis. Unsponsored ADR, EDR and GDR programs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities. As a result, available information concerning the issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, and the prices of unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Investments in ADRs, EDRs and GDRs present additional investment considerations of Non-U.S. Securities.
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Debt Securities
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its Managed Assets in cash equivalents and short-term debt securities. Short-term debt investments having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less when purchased will be valued at cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Short-term debt securities are defined to include, without limitation, the following:
(1) U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration and Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities. Consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) into conservatorship. As conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remains liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. There is no assurance that the obligations of such entities will be satisfied in full, or that such obligations will lose value or default. See Mortgage-Backed SecuritiesMortgage Pass-Through Securities below. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Funds investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so;
(2) Certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable. The issuer of a certificate of deposit agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured by the FDIC;
(3) Repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities. At the time the Fund purchases securities pursuant to a repurchase agreement, it simultaneously agrees to resell
and redeliver such securities to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the securities at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period, since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The Adviser monitors the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The Adviser does so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws; and
(4) Commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for such notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The Adviser will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporations ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Funds liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. Investments in commercial paper will be limited to commercial paper rated in the highest categories by a major rating agency and which mature within one year of the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.
Conflicts of Interest
Because the Adviser manages assets for other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts (including institutional clients, pension plans and certain high net worth individuals), certain conflicts of interest are present. For instance, the Adviser receives fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fees received from the Fund, or receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, the portfolio manager has an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Fund. In addition, a conflict of interest exists to the extent the Adviser has proprietary investments in certain accounts, where the portfolio manager or other employees of the Adviser have personal investments in certain accounts or when certain accounts are investment options in the Advisers employee benefits plan. The Adviser has an incentive to favor these accounts over the Fund. Because the Adviser manages accounts that engage in short sales of (or otherwise take short positions in) securities or other instruments of the type in which the Fund invests, the Adviser could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts taking short positions, if such short positions cause the market value of the securities to fall. The Adviser has adopted trade allocation and other policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest. These policies and procedures will have the effect of foreclosing certain investment opportunities for the Fund from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser will act in the best interest of the Fund in accordance with its fiduciary duty to the Fund.
The Adviser manages assets for accounts other than the Fund, including private funds. The Fund may invest in the same credit obligations as other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (for purposes of this section, KKR Funds), although their investments may include different obligations of the same issuer. For example, the Fund might invest in senior loans issued by a borrower and one or more KKR Funds might invest in the borrowers junior debt. In addition, the Adviser manages certain accounts (including CLOs) that invest in certain types of credit
obligations in which the Fund may also invest. Investment opportunities appropriate for both the Fund and another KKR Funds generally will be allocated between the Fund and the other KKR Fund in a manner that the Adviser believes to be fair and equitable under the circumstances, in accordance with the Advisers trade allocation policies.
Conflicts of interest may arise where the Fund and other KKR Funds simultaneously hold securities representing different parts of the capital structure of a stressed or distressed issuer. In such circumstances, decisions made with respect to the securities held by one KKR Fund may cause (or have the potential to cause) harm to the different class of securities of the issuer held by other KKR Funds (including the Fund). For example, if such an issuer goes into bankruptcy or reorganization, becomes insolvent or otherwise experiences financial distress or is unable to meet its payment obligations or comply with covenants relating to credit obligations held by the Fund or by the other KKR Funds, such other KKR Funds may have an interest that conflicts with the interests of the Fund. If additional financing for such an issuer is necessary as a result of financial or other difficulties, it may not be in the best interests of the Fund to provide such additional financing, but if the other KKR Funds were to lose their respective investments as a result of such difficulties, the Adviser may have a conflict in recommending actions in the best interests of the Fund. In such situations, the Adviser will seek to act in the best interests of each of the KKR Funds (including the Fund) and will seek to resolve such conflicts in accordance with its compliance procedures.
In addition, the 1940 Act limits the Funds ability to enter into certain transactions with certain affiliates of the Adviser. As a result of these restrictions, the Fund may be prohibited from buying or selling any security directly from or to any portfolio company of a fund managed by the Adviser or one of its affiliates. Nonetheless, the Fund may under certain circumstances purchase any such portfolio companys loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Adviser between the interests of the Fund and the portfolio company, in that the ability of the Adviser to recommend actions in the best interest of the Fund might be impaired. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain joint transactions with certain of the Funds affiliates (which includes other funds managed by the Adviser), which could be deemed to include certain types of investments, or certain types of restructurings of investments, in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times). These limitations may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to the Fund. The Board has approved various policies and procedures reasonably designed to monitor potential conflicts of interest. The Board will review these policies and procedures and any conflicts that may arise.
Although the professional staff of the Adviser will devote as much time to the management of the Fund as the Adviser deems appropriate to perform their duties in accordance with the investment advisory agreement and in accordance with reasonable commercial standards, the professional staff of the Adviser may have conflicts in allocating their time and services among the Fund and other KKR Funds. The Adviser and its affiliates are not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with the Fund and/or may involve substantial time and resources of the Adviser and its professional staff. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time and effort of the members of the Adviser and its officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to the business of the Fund but will be allocated between the business of the Fund and the management of the assets of other clients of the Adviser.
The Adviser or its respective members, officers, directors, employees, principals or affiliates may come into possession of material, non-public information. The possession of such information may limit the ability of the Fund to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity. Situations may occur where the Fund could be disadvantaged because of the investment activities conducted by the Adviser for other clients, and the Adviser will not employ information barriers with regard to its operations on behalf of its registered and private funds, or other accounts. In certain circumstances, employees of the Adviser may serve as board members or in other capacities for portfolio or potential portfolio companies, which could restrict the Funds ability to trade in the securities of such companies.
Other Portfolio Strategies
Asset-Backed Securities
Asset-backed securities (ABSs) represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, assets such as motor vehicle installment sales, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property,
receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Such assets are securitized through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present.
The Fund may invest in ABSs. The investment characteristics of ABSs differ from traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and that the principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying loans or other assets generally may be prepaid at any time. ABSs are not secured by an interest in the related collateral. Credit card receivables, for example, are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of U.S. state and federal (and comparable non-U.S.) consumer loan laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. Most issuers of ABSs backed by automobile receivables permit the servicers to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related ABSs. In addition, because of the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the ABSs may not have a proper security interest in all of the obligations backing such ABSs. Therefore, there is a possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. The risk of investing in ABSs is ultimately dependent upon payment of consumer loans by the debtor. Such securities are often subject to more rapid repayment than their stated maturity date would indicate as a result of the pass-through of prepayments of principal on the underlying loans. During periods of declining interest rates, prepayment of loans underlying ABSs can be expected to accelerate. Accordingly, the Funds ability to maintain positions in such securities will be affected by reductions in the principal amount of such securities resulting from prepayments, and its ability to reinvest the returns of principal at comparable yields is subject to generally prevailing interest rates at that time. To the extent that the Fund invests in ABSs, the values of the Funds portfolio securities will vary with changes in market interest rates generally and the differentials in yields among various kinds of ABSs.
ABSs present certain additional risks because ABSs generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. The collateral supporting ABSs is of shorter maturity than certain other types of loans and is less likely to experience substantial prepayments. ABSs are often backed by pools of any variety of assets, including, for example, leases, mobile home loans and aircraft leases, which represent the obligations of a number of different parties and use credit enhancement techniques such as letters of credit, guarantees or preference rights. The value of an ABS is affected by changes in the markets perception of the asset backing the security and the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans or the financial institution providing any credit enhancement, as well as by the expiration or removal of any credit enhancement. Credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors on such receivables are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set-off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. Automobile receivables generally are secured, but by automobiles rather than residential real property. Most issuers of automobile receivables permit the loan servicers to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the ABSs. In addition, because of the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in the underlying automobiles. Therefore, if the issuer of an asset-backed security defaults on its payment obligations, there is the possibility that, in some cases, the Fund will be unable to possess and sell the underlying collateral and that the Funds recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on these securities.
In addition, investments in subordinated ABSs involve greater credit risk of default than the senior classes of the issue or series. Default risks are further pronounced in the case of ABSs secured by, or evidencing an interest in, a relatively small or less diverse pool of underlying loans. Certain subordinated securities absorb all losses from default before any other class of securities is at risk, particularly if such securities have been issued with little or no credit enhancement equity. Such securities, therefore, possess some of the attributes typically associated with equity investments.
Collateralized Debt Obligations
The Fund may invest in collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), which include collateralized bond obligations (CBOs), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other securitized products. CDOs are types of ABSs. The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and other securitized products are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income instruments and ABSs generally discussed elsewhere in this SAI, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a NRSRO; (iii) the Fund is likely to invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) risk of forced fire sale liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDOs manager may perform poorly.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-related and other ABSs issued by government agencies or other governmental entities or by private originators or issuers.
Mortgage-related securities include mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBSs), mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals, adjustable rate mortgage-backed securities (ARMBSs), stripped mortgage-backed securities (SMBSs) and other securities that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property.
Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a pass through of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential or commercial mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs that may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA)) are described as modified pass-through. These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment.
The rate of pre-payments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may have the effect of shortening or extending the effective duration of the security relative to what was anticipated at the time of purchase. To the extent that unanticipated rates of prepayment on underlying mortgages increase the effective duration of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of such security can be expected to increase. The mortgage market in the United States has experienced heightened difficulties over the past several years that may adversely affect the performance and market value of mortgage-related investments. Delinquencies and losses on residential and commercial mortgage loans (especially subprime and second-lien residential mortgage loans) generally have increased recently and may continue to increase, and a decline in or flattening of property values (as has recently been experienced and may continue to be experienced in many markets) may exacerbate such delinquencies and losses. Borrowers with adjustable-rate mortgage loans are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, which affect their monthly mortgage payments, and may be unable to secure replacement mortgages at comparably low interest rates. Also, a number of residential mortgage loan originators have recently experienced serious financial difficulties or bankruptcy. Owing largely to the foregoing, reduced investor demand for mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities and increased investor yield requirements have caused limited liquidity in the
secondary market for mortgage-related securities, which can adversely affect the market value of mortgage-related securities. It is possible that such limited liquidity in such secondary markets could continue or worsen.
The principal U.S. governmental guarantor of mortgage-related securities is GNMA. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (the FHA), or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA). Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation the common stock of which is owned entirely by private stockholders. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks but the common stock of which is now owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates (PCs), which are pass-through securities, each representing an undivided interest in a pool of residential mortgages. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed FNMA and FHLMC into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of FNMA and FHLMC and of any stockholder, officer or director of FNMA and FHLMC with respect to FNMA and FHLMC and the assets of FNMA and FHLMC. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of FNMA and FHLMC. In connection with the conservatorship, the U.S. Treasury entered into a Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement with each of FNMA and FHLMC pursuant to which the U.S. Treasury will purchase up to an aggregate of $100 billion of each of FNMA and FHLMC to maintain a positive net worth in each enterprise. This agreement contains various covenants that severely limit each enterprises operations. In exchange for entering into these agreements, the U.S. Treasury received $1 billion of each enterprises senior preferred stock and warrants to purchase 79.9% of each enterprises common stock. On February 18, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was doubling the size of its commitment to each enterprise under the Senior Preferred Stock Program to $200 billion. The U.S. Treasurys obligations under the Senior Preferred Stock Program are for an indefinite period of time for a maximum amount of $200 billion per enterprise. FNMA and FHLMC are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. The Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement is intended to enhance each of FNMAs and FHLMCs ability to meet its obligations. The FHFA has indicated that the conservatorship of each enterprise will end when the director of FHFA determines that FHFAs plan to restore the enterprise to a safe and solvent condition has been completed.
Under the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (the Reform Act), which was included as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, FHFA, as conservator or receiver, has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by FNMA or FHLMC prior to FHFAs appointment as conservator or receiver, as applicable, if FHFA determines, in its sole discretion, that performance of the contract is burdensome and that repudiation of the contract promotes the orderly administration of FNMAs or FHLMCs affairs. The Reform Act requires FHFA to exercise its right to repudiate any contract within a reasonable period of time after its appointment as conservator or receiver. FHFA, in its capacity as conservator, has indicated that it has no intention to repudiate the guaranty obligations of FNMA or FHLMC because FHFA views repudiation as incompatible with the goals of the conservatorship. However, in the event that FHFA, as conservator or if it is later appointed as receiver for FNMA or FHLMC, were to repudiate any such guaranty obligation, the conservatorship or receivership estate, as applicable, would be liable for actual direct compensatory damages in accordance with the provisions of the Reform Act. Any such liability could be satisfied only to the extent of FNMAs or FHLMCs assets available therefor. In the event of repudiation, the payments of interest to holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would be reduced if payments on the mortgage loans represented in the mortgage loan groups related to such
mortgage-backed securities are not made by the borrowers or advanced by the servicer. Any actual direct compensatory damages for repudiating these guaranty obligations may not be sufficient to offset any shortfalls experienced by such mortgage-backed security holders. Further, in its capacity as conservator or receiver, FHFA has the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of FNMA or FHLMC without any approval, assignment or consent. Although FHFA has stated that it has no present intention to do so, if FHFA, as conservator or receiver, were to transfer any such guaranty obligation to another party, holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would have to rely on that party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligation and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party. In addition, certain rights provided to holders of mortgage-backed securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC under the operative documents related to such securities may not be enforced against FHFA, or enforcement of such rights may be delayed, during the conservatorship or any future receivership. The operative documents for FNMA and FHLMC mortgage-backed securities may provide (or with respect to securities issued prior to the date of the appointment of the conservator may have provided) that upon the occurrence of an event of default on the part of FNMA or FHLMC, in its capacity as guarantor, which includes the appointment of a conservator or receiver, holders of such mortgage-backed securities have the right to replace FNMA or FHLMC as trustee if the requisite percentage of mortgage-backed securities holders consent. The Reform Act prevents mortgage-backed security holders from enforcing such rights if the event of default arises solely because a conservator or receiver has been appointed. The Reform Act also provides that no person may exercise any right or power to terminate, accelerate or declare an event of default under certain contracts to which FNMA or FHLMC is a party, or obtain possession of or exercise control over any property of FNMA or FHLMC, or affect any contractual rights of FNMA or FHLMC, without the approval of FHFA, as conservator or receiver, for a period of 45 or 90 days following the appointment of FHFA as conservator or receiver, respectively.
In addition, in a February 2011 report to Congress from the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Obama administration provided a plan to reform Americas housing finance market. The plan would reduce the role of and eventually eliminate FNMA and FHLMC. Notably, the plan does not propose similar significant changes to GNMA, which guarantees payments on mortgage-related securities backed by federally insured or guaranteed loans such as those issued by the Federal Housing Association or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The report also identified three proposals for Congress and the administration to consider for the long-term structure of the housing finance markets after the elimination of FNMA and FHLMC, including implementing: (i) a privatized system of housing finance that limits government insurance to very limited groups of creditworthy low- and moderate-income borrowers; (ii) a privatized system with a government backstop mechanism that would allow the government to insure a larger share of the housing finance market during a future housing crisis; and (iii) a privatized system where the government would offer reinsurance to holders of certain highly-rated mortgage-related securities insured by private insurers and would pay out under the reinsurance arrangements only if the private mortgage insurers were insolvent.
Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities or private insurers. Such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof will be considered in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets the Funds investment quality standards. There can be no assurance that the private insurers or guarantors can meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. The Fund may buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees if, through an examination of the loan experience and practices of the originators/servicers and poolers, the Advisers determine that the securities meet the Funds quality standards. Securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. A CMO is a debt obligation of a legal entity that is collateralized by mortgages and divided into classes. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, on a monthly basis. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans or private mortgage bonds, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC or FNMA and their income streams. CMOs are structured into multiple classes, often referred to as tranches, with each class
bearing a different stated maturity and entitled to a different schedule for payments of principal and interest, including prepayments. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the pre-payment experience of the collateral. In the case of certain CMOs (known as sequential pay CMOs), payments of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, are applied to the classes of CMOs in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made to any class of sequential pay CMOs until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full. CMOs may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or ABSs.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBSs include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or ABSs.
CMO Residuals. CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of a CMO is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMO and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the prepayment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to prepayments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (IO) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities (described below). In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances the Fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual. CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not, have been registered under the Securities Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the Securities Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage-Backed Securities. ARMBSs have interest rates that reset at periodic intervals. Acquiring ARMBSs permits the Fund to participate in increases in prevailing current interest rates through periodic adjustments in the coupons of mortgages underlying the pool on which ARMBSs are based. Such ARMBSs generally have higher current yield and lower price fluctuations than is the case with more traditional fixed-income instruments of comparable rating and maturity. In addition, when prepayments of principal are made on the underlying mortgages during periods of rising interest rates, the Fund can reinvest the proceeds of such prepayments at rates higher than those at which they were previously invested. Mortgages underlying most ARMBSs, however, have limits on the allowable annual or lifetime increases that can be made in the interest rate that the mortgagor pays. Therefore, if current interest rates rise above such limits over the period of the limitation, the Fund, when holding an ARMBS, does not benefit from further increases in interest rates. Moreover, when interest rates are in excess of coupon rates (i.e., the rates being paid by mortgagors) of the mortgages, ARMBSs behave more like fixed-income instruments and less like adjustable-rate securities and are subject to the risks associated with fixed-income instruments. In addition, during periods of rising interest rates, increases in the coupon rate of adjustable-rate mortgages generally lag current market interest rates slightly, thereby creating the potential for capital depreciation on such securities.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. SMBSs are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBSs may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. SMBSs are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of
the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the IO class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or PO class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the Funds yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.
Dollar Rolls
The Fund may enter into dollar rolls in which the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar, but not identical securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, the Fund would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase or fee income plus the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. All cash proceeds will be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The Fund will segregate until the settlement date cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, in an amount equal to its forward purchase price.
For financial reporting and tax purposes, the Fund treats dollar rolls as two separate transactions; one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving a sale. The Fund does not currently intend to enter into dollar rolls for financing and does not treat them as borrowings.
Dollar rolls involve certain risks including the following: if the broker-dealer to whom the Fund sells the security becomes insolvent, the Funds right to purchase or repurchase the securities subject to the dollar roll may be restricted. Also, the instrument which the Fund is required to repurchase may be worth less than an instrument which the Fund originally held. Successful use of dollar rolls will depend upon the Advisers ability to manage the Funds interest rate and prepayments exposure. For these reasons, there is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed. The use of this technique may diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls.
Derivatives
General Limitations on Futures and Options Transactions. The Fund has filed a notice of eligibility with the National Futures Association for exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the CEA). The Fund is not subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a commodity pool operator.
Asset Coverage for Futures and Options Positions. The Fund will comply with the regulatory requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the CFTC with respect to coverage of options and futures positions by registered investment companies and, if the guidelines so require, will segregate cash, U.S. government securities, high-grade liquid debt securities and/or other liquid assets permitted by the SEC and CFTC on the Funds records in the amount prescribed. Securities segregated on the Funds records cannot be sold while the futures or options position is outstanding, unless replaced with other permissible assets, and will be marked-to-market daily.
Options. The Fund may purchase put and call options on currencies or securities. A put option embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to purchase from the option holder an underlying currency or security or its equivalent at a specified price at any time during the option period. In contrast, a call option gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying currency or security covered by the option or its equivalent from the writer of the option at the stated exercise price.
As a holder of a put option, the Fund will have the right to sell the securities underlying the option and as the holder of a call option, the Fund will have the right to purchase the currencies or securities underlying the option, in each case at their exercise price at any time prior to the options expiration date for American options or only at expiration for European options. The Fund may seek to terminate its option positions prior to their expiration by
entering into closing transactions. The ability of the Fund to enter into a closing sale transaction depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund so desires.
Certain Considerations Regarding Options. The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities on which the option is based. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of attempted hedging. Options transactions may result in significantly higher transaction costs and portfolio turnover for the Fund.
Some, but not all, of the options may be traded and listed on an exchange. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into securities-related futures contracts, including security futures contracts as an anticipatory hedge. The Funds derivative investments may include sales of futures as an offset against the effect of expected declines in securities prices and purchases of futures as an offset against the effect of expected increases in securities prices. A security futures contract is a legally binding agreement between two parties to purchase or sell in the future a specific quantity of a security or of the component securities of a narrow-based security index, at a certain price. A person who buys a security futures contract enters into a contract to purchase an underlying security and is said to be long the contract. A person who sells a security futures contact enters into a contract to sell the underlying security and is said to be short the contract. The price at which the contract trades (the contract price) is determined by relative buying and selling interest on a regulated exchange.
Transaction costs are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. In order to enter into a security futures contract, the Fund must deposit funds with its custodian in the name of the futures commodities merchant equal to a specified percentage of the current market value of the contract as a performance bond. Moreover, all security futures contracts are marked-to-market at least daily, usually after the close of trading. At that time, the account of each buyer and seller reflects the amount of any gain or loss on the security futures contract based on the contract price established at the end of the day for settlement purposes.
An open position, either a long or short position, is typically closed or liquidated by entering into an offsetting transaction (i.e., an equal and opposite transaction to the one that opened the position) prior to the contracts expiration. Traditionally, most futures contracts are liquidated prior to expiration through an offsetting transaction and, thus, holders do not incur a settlement obligation. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, a gain will be realized. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, a gain will be realized; if it is less, a loss will be realized. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract and the Fund may not be able to realize a gain in the value of its future position or prevent losses from mounting. This inability to liquidate could occur, for example, if trading is halted due to unusual trading activity in either the security futures contract or the underlying security; if trading is halted due to recent news events involving the issuer of the underlying security; if systems failures occur on an exchange or at the firm carrying the position; or, if the position is on an illiquid market. Even if the Fund can liquidate its position, it may be forced to do so at a price that involves a large loss.
Under certain market conditions, it may also be difficult or impossible to manage the risk from open security futures positions by entering into an equivalent but opposite position in another contract month, on another market, or in the underlying security. This inability to take positions to limit the risk could occur, for example, if trading is halted
across markets due to unusual trading activity in the security futures contract or the underlying security or due to recent news events involving the issuer of the underlying security.
There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a futures contract position. The Fund will continue to be required to meet margin requirements until the position is closed, possibly resulting in a decline in the Funds NAV. In addition, many of the contracts discussed above are relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist.
Security futures contracts that are not liquidated prior to expiration must be settled in accordance with the terms of the contract. Some security futures contracts are settled by physical delivery of the underlying security. At the expiration of a security futures contract that is settled through physical delivery, a person who is long the contract must pay the final settlement price set by the regulated exchange or the clearing organization and take delivery of the underlying securities. Conversely, a person who is short the contract must make delivery of the underlying securities in exchange for the final settlement price. Settlement with physical delivery may involve additional costs.
Other security futures contracts are settled through cash settlement. In this case, the underlying security is not delivered. Instead, any positions in such security futures contracts that are open at the end of the last trading day are settled through a final cash payment based on a final settlement price determined by the exchange or clearing organization. Once this payment is made, neither party has any further obligations on the contract.
As noted above, margin is the amount of funds that must be deposited by the Fund in order to initiate futures trading and to maintain the Funds open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to ensure the Funds performance of the futures contract. The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the futures contract is traded and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the futures contract.
If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the futures contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the futures contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund. In computing daily NAV, the Fund will mark to market the current value of its open futures contracts. The Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.
Because of the low margin deposits required, futures contracts trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the futures contracts were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the futures contract.
In addition to the foregoing, imperfect correlation between the futures contracts and the underlying securities may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. Under certain market conditions, the prices of security futures contracts may not maintain their customary or anticipated relationships to the prices of the underlying security or index. These pricing disparities could occur, for example, when the market for the security futures contract is illiquid, when the primary market for the underlying security is closed, or when the reporting of transactions in the underlying security has been delayed.
In addition, the value of a position in security futures contracts could be affected if trading is halted in either the security futures contract or the underlying security. In certain circumstances, regulated exchanges are required by law to halt trading in security futures contracts. For example, trading on a particular security futures contract must be halted if trading is halted on the listed market for the underlying security as a result of pending news, regulatory concerns, or market volatility. Similarly, trading of a security futures contract on a narrow-based security index must be halted under circumstances where trading is halted on securities accounting for at least 50% of the market
capitalization of the index. In addition, regulated exchanges are required to halt trading in all security futures contracts for a specified period of time when the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) experiences one-day declines of 10%, 20% and 30%. The regulated exchanges may also have discretion under their rules to halt trading in other circumstances, such as when the exchange determines that the halt would be advisable in maintaining a fair and orderly market.
A trading halt, either by a regulated exchange that trades security futures or an exchange trading the underlying security or instrument, could prevent the Fund from liquidating a position in security futures contracts in a timely manner, which could expose the Fund to a loss.
Each regulated exchange trading a security futures contract may also open and close for trading at different times than other regulated exchanges trading security futures contracts or markets trading the underlying security or securities. Trading in security futures contracts prior to the opening or after the close of the primary market for the underlying security may be less liquid than trading during regular market hours.
Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements. A swap is a financial instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swaps are often individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, commodity prices, non-U.S. currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices, indexes or inflation rates.
Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of the Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses.
Generally, swap agreements have fixed maturity dates that are agreed upon by the parties to the swap. The agreement can be terminated before the maturity date only under limited circumstances, such as default by or insolvency of one of the parties and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. The Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, the Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the contract.
A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify the Funds gains or losses. With respect to cash-settled swaps, the Fund will set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Funds daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Funds daily net liability) under the swaps.
The Fund will monitor any swaps with a view towards ensuring that the Fund remains in compliance with all applicable regulatory investment and tax requirements.
Equity Swaps. In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a security, security index or basket of securities in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, the index receiver can gain exposure to securities making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those securities. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the interest that the Fund will be committed to pay under the swap.
When-Issued and Forward Commitment Securities
The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis and may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis in order to acquire the security or to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. When such transactions are negotiated, the price, which is generally expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. When-issued
securities and forward commitments may be sold prior to the settlement date, but the Fund will enter into when-issued and forward commitments only with the intention of actually receiving or delivering the securities, as the case may be. If the Fund disposes of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition or disposes of its right to deliver or receive against a forward commitment, it might incur a gain or loss. At the time the Fund enters into a transaction on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, it will designate on its books and records cash or liquid credit securities equal to at least the value of the when-issued or forward commitment securities. The value of these assets will be monitored daily to ensure that their marked-to-market value will at all times equal or exceed the corresponding obligations of the Fund. There is always a risk that the securities may not be delivered and that the Fund may incur a loss. Settlements in the ordinary course, which may take substantially more than five business days, are not treated by the Fund as when-issued or forward commitment transactions and accordingly are not subject to the foregoing restrictions.
Securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis are subject to changes in value (generally changing in the same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates decline and depreciating when interest rates rise) based upon the publics perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, actual or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Securities purchased with a forward commitment or when-issued basis may expose the Fund to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a when-issued basis can involve the additional risks that the yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis when the Fund is fully invested may result in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the Funds net assets and its net asset value per share.
The risks and effect of settlements in the ordinary course on the Funds net asset value are not the same as the risks and effect of when-issued and forward commitment securities.
The purchase price of when-issued and forward commitment securities are expressed in yield terms, which reference a floating rate of interest, and is therefore subject to fluctuations of the securitys value in the market from the date of the Funds commitment (the Commitment Date) to the date of the actual delivery and payment for such securities (the Settlement Date). There is a risk that, on the Settlement Date, the Funds payment of the final purchase price, which is calculated on the yield negotiated on the Commitment Date, will be higher than the markets valuation of the security on the Settlement Date. This same risk is also borne if the Fund disposes of its right to acquire a when-issued security, or its right to deliver or receive a forward commitment security, and there is a downward market movement in the value of the security from the Commitment Date to the Settlement Date. No income accrues to the Fund during the period from the Commitment Date to the Settlement Date. On the other hand, the Fund may incur a gain if the Fund invests in when-issued and forward commitment securities and correctly anticipates the rise in interest rates and prices in the market.
The settlements of secondary market purchases of Senior Loans in the ordinary course, on a settlement date beyond the period expected by loan market participants (i.e. T+7 for par loans and T+20 for distressed loans, in other words more than seven or twenty business days beyond the trade date, respectively) are subject to the delayed compensation mechanics prescribed by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA). For par loans, income accrues to the buyer of the Senior Loan (the Buyer) during the period beginning on the last date by which the Senior Loan purchase should have settled (T+7) to and including the actual settlement date. Should settlement of a par Senior Loan purchase in the secondary market be delayed beyond the T+7 period prescribed by the LSTA, the Buyer is typically compensated for such delay through a payment from the seller of the Senior Loan (this payment may be netted from the wire released on settlement date for the purchase price of the Senior Loan paid by the Buyer). In brief, the adjustment is typically calculated by multiplying the notional amount of the trade by the applicable margin in the Loan Agreement pro rated for the number of business days (calculated using a year of 360 days) beyond the settlement period prescribed by the LSTA, plus any amendment or consent fees that the Buyer should have received. Furthermore, the purchase of a Senior Loan in the secondary market is typically negotiated and finalized pursuant to a binding trade confirmation, and therefore, the risk of non-delivery of the security to the Fund is reduced or eliminated when compared with such risk when investing in when-issued or forward commitment securities.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio investments subject to the investment restrictions set forth herein. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase the securities at an agreed upon price, date and interest payment. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it may designate on its books and records liquid instruments having a value not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). If the Fund establishes and maintains such a segregated account, a reverse repurchase agreement will not be considered a borrowing by the Fund for purposes of the 1940 Act; however, under certain circumstances in which the Fund does not establish and maintain such a segregated account, such reverse repurchase agreement will be considered a borrowing for the purpose of the Funds limitation on borrowings. The use by the Fund of reverse repurchase agreements involves many of the same risks of leverage since the proceeds derived from such reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities acquired in connection with the reverse repurchase agreement may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. Also, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale by the Fund in connection with the reverse repurchase agreement may decline in price.
If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Funds obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Funds use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision. Also, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the securities subject to such agreement.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed-upon repurchase price determines the yield during the Funds holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans collateralized by the underlying security that is the subject of the repurchase contract. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements with registered securities dealers or domestic banks that, in the opinion of the Adviser, present minimal credit risk. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold but the Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited. The Adviser will monitor the value of the collateral at the time the transaction is entered into and at all times subsequent during the term of the repurchase agreement in an effort to determine that such value always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price. In the event the value of the collateral declines below the repurchase price, the Adviser will demand additional collateral from the issuer to increase the value of the collateral to at least that of the repurchase price, including interest.
Short Sales
The Fund may engage in short sales of securities, particularly of corporate bonds and other fixed-income instruments. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own as a means of attractive financing for purchasing other assets or in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. The Fund may make short sales for financing, risk management, in order to maintain portfolio flexibility or to enhance income or gain.
When the Fund makes a short sale, it must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale as collateral for its obligation to deliver the security upon conclusion of the sale. The Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to pay over any payments received on such borrowed securities.
The Funds obligation to replace the borrowed security may be secured by collateral deposited with the broker-dealer, usually cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities. The Fund may also be required to designate on its books and records similar collateral with its custodian to the extent, if any, necessary so that the aggregate collateral value is at all times at least equal to the current market value of the security sold short. Depending on arrangements made with the broker-dealer from which it borrowed the security regarding payment over of any payments received by the Fund on such security, the Fund may not receive any payments (including interest) on its collateral deposited with such broker-dealer.
If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above. Although the Funds gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is theoretically unlimited.
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive orders currently or in the future obtained by the Fund from the SEC. These securities include shares of other closed-end funds, open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds) and ETFs. As a stockholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment companys expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Funds management fees with respect to assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to the same leverage risks described herein.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act means the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Funds voting securities present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the Funds outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the Funds outstanding voting securities). Except as otherwise noted, all percentage limitations set forth below apply immediately after a purchase and any subsequent change in any applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations does not require any action. With respect to the limitations on the issuance of senior securities and in the case of borrowings, the percentage limitations apply at the time of issuance and on an ongoing basis. The Fund may not:
1. Issue senior securities or borrow money, except the Fund may issue senior securities and/or borrow money (including through reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls) to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and as modified or supplemented from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and (ii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time. The Fund does not have an investment policy limiting the amount of leverage that may be obtained through the use of covered reverse repurchase agreements.
2. Act as an underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of loans or portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under applicable securities laws.
3. Invest in any security if as a result of such investment, 25% or more of the value of the Funds total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, are in the securities of issuers in any particular industry except (a) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities or tax-exempt securities of state and municipal governments or their political subdivisions (however, not including private purpose industrial development bonds issued on behalf of non-government issuers), or (b) as otherwise provided by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and as modified or supplemented from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and (ii) any exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time. For purposes of this restriction, in the case of investments in loan participations between the Fund and a bank or other lending institution participating out the loan, the Fund will treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as issuers. For purposes of this restriction, an investment in a repurchase agreement, reverse repurchase agreement, collateralized loan obligation, collateralized bond obligation, collateralized debt obligation or a swap or other derivative will be considered to be an investment in the industry (if any) of the underlying or reference security, instrument or asset.
4. Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may: (a) acquire or lease office space for its own use, (b) invest in securities and/or other instruments of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein or that are engaged in or operate in the real estate industry, (c) invest in securities and/or other instruments that are secured by real estate or interests therein, (d) purchase and sell mortgage-related securities and/or other instruments, (e) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities and/or other instruments and (f) as otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and (ii) any exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.
5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts and related options thereon, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and any other financial or derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities or as otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, the rules and regulation promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, or an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.
6. Make loans of money or property to any person, except (a) to the extent that securities, instruments, credit obligations or interests (including Senior Loans) in which the Fund may invest, or which the Fund may originate, are considered to be loans, (b) through the loan of portfolio securities, (c) by engaging in repurchase agreements or (d) as may otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, the rules and regulation promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, or an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time.
Thus, with respect to the foregoing restrictions 1 and 3, the Fund currently may not:
1. Issue senior securities or borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Currently, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder generally limit the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings and uncovered reverse repurchase agreements, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions, together with any other senior securities representing indebtedness, to 331/3% of the Funds Managed Assets at the time utilized. In addition, the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may issue preferred shares to 50% of the Funds Managed Assets (less the Funds obligations under senior securities representing indebtedness). Covered reverse repurchase agreements, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions will not be counted against the foregoing limits under the 1940 Act, but the assets used to cover may not be counted as part of the Funds total assets for purposes of the 331/3% and 50% limits. Any such transaction that is contractually required to cash-settle will be considered covered if the Fund segregates an amount of cash and/or liquid securities equal to the Funds obligations under such transaction (or segregates such other amounts as may be permitted by the 1940 Act or SEC guidance from time to time) or enters into an offsetting position or owns positions covering its obligations with respect to the transaction; otherwise, this transaction; will be considered uncovered.
2. Invest in any security if, as a result 25% or more of the value of the Funds total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, are in the securities of issuers in any particular industry except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities or securities of state and municipal governments or their political subdivisions (however, not including private purpose industrial development bonds issued on behalf of non-government issuers). (For the avoidance of doubt, the Funds investments in private purpose industrial development bonds issued on behalf of non-government issuers will be subject to restriction 3).
The latter part of certain of the Funds fundamental investment restrictions (i.e., the references to as may otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time and as modified or supplemented from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and (ii) any exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time) provide the Fund with flexibility to change its limitations in connection with changes in applicable law, rules, regulations or exemptive relief. The language used in these restrictions provides the necessary flexibility to allow
the Funds Board to respond efficiently to these kinds of developments without the delay and expense of a shareholder meeting.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of the Board subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Funds Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (Declaration of Trust). The Trustees are responsible for deciding matters of general policy and reviewing the actions of the Funds service providers. The officers of the Fund conduct and supervise the Funds daily business operations.
The tables below list the Trustees and officers of the Fund and their present positions and principal occupations during the past five years. Trustees who are not deemed to be interested persons of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act are referred to as Independent Trustees. Trustees who are deemed to be interested persons of the Fund are referred to as Interested Trustees. The term Fund Complex includes the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser or its affiliates as of the date of this SAI. Trustees serve three-year terms or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Officers are annually elected by the Trustees.
Trustees of the Fund
Name, Age and |
|
Position(s) |
|
Term of |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Number of |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suzanne Donohoe (46)* |
|
Class III Trustee, Chair and President |
|
Since July 2013; term expires 2020 |
|
Global head of KKRs Client and Partner group and Member of KKR (since 2009). |
|
1 |
|
None. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independent Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael E. Cahill (65) |
|
Class I |
|
Since July 2013; term expires 2018 |
|
Executive Vice President (2008-2013) and Managing Director and General Counsel (1991-2013), The TCW Group, Inc. and Trust Company of the West (financial services firm). |
|
1 |
|
None. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tobin V. Levy (73) |
|
Class II Trustee |
|
Since July 2013; term expires 2019 |
|
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (non-profit support and resources) (2011-2014). |
|
1 |
|
AloStar Bank of Commerce. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jeffrey L. Zlot (46) |
|
Class III Trustee |
|
Since July 2013; term expires 2020 |
|
Managing Director, Tiedemann Wealth Management (formerly, The Presidio Group LLC) (investment consulting and investment banking) (since 1997). |
|
1 |
|
None. |
* Ms. Donohoe is considered to be an Interested Trustee because she is the President of the Fund and also holds a position with an affiliate of the Adviser.
(1) Each Trustee may be contacted by writing to the Trustee, c/o KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC, 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94104, Attn: General Counsel.
(2) The Fund Complex is comprised solely of the Fund.
(3) This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), (i.e., public companies) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.
Officers of the Fund
Name, Age and Address |
|
Position(s) Held |
|
Term of Office and |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas Murphy (50) |
|
Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer |
|
Since June 2017 |
|
Chief Financial Officer, KKR Financial Holdings LLC (since 2015); Director (Finance & Accounting), KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (since 2012); Chief Accounting Officer, KKR Financial Holdings LLC (2009-2015). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shannon M. Horton (40) |
|
Chief Compliance Officer |
|
Since December 2014 |
|
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (since 2011); Chief Compliance Officer, Nelson Capital Management LLC (2010-2011). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nicole J. Macarchuk (48) |
|
Secretary and Vice President |
|
Since May 2013 |
|
General Counsel, KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC (since 2010); General Counsel and Secretary, KKR Financial Holdings LLC (since 2010). |
The Funds officers do not receive compensation from the Fund.
Compensation of Trustees
Each trustee who is not an employee of the Adviser is compensated by an annual retainer and meeting fees. The Adviser has proposed the following compensation structure for the Independent Trustees:
Retainer |
|
$ |
27,000 |
|
|
|
|
| |
In-Person Meeting Fees (total annual fee; assumption of quarterly meetings) |
|
$ |
14,000 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Telephonic Meeting Fees (total annual fee) |
|
$ |
2,500 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Committee Meeting Fees (excluding Audit Committee) |
|
$ |
4,000 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Audit Committee Meeting Fee |
|
$ |
4,500 |
|
The Fund adopted a deferred compensation plan (the Plan) in May 2013 pursuant to which the Independent Trustees may elect to defer part or all of the fees earned for serving as Trustees of the Fund.
The following is the total compensation paid to the Trustees/Nominees during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016:
|
|
Compensation (1) |
| ||||
Name of Trustee/Nominee |
|
Aggregate |
|
Total Compensation |
| ||
Interested Trustee/Nominee |
|
|
|
|
| ||
Suzanne Donohoe(2) |
|
$ |
0 |
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Independent Trustees/ Nominee |
|
|
|
|
| ||
Michael E. Cahill(3) |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
Tobin V. Levy(3) |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
Jeffrey L. Zlot(3) |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
$ |
49,500 |
|
(1) Includes all amounts paid for serving as Trustee of the Fund, as well as serving as chairperson of a committee.
(2) Ms. Donohoe, as an Interested Trustee, is not compensated by the Fund or the Fund Complex for her services.
(3) Participant in the Plan. Fiscal year 2016 compensation directed to the Plan consisted of $0, $40,838 and $49,500, allocated on behalf of Messrs. Cahill, Levy and Zlot, respectively, pursuant to the Plan.
(4) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Fund Complex was comprised solely of the Fund.
The Funds Board met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016. Each Trustee then serving in such capacity attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and of any Committee of which he or she is a member.
Board Committees
In addition to serving on the Board, the Independent Trustees also serve on the following committees which have been established by the Board to handle certain designated responsibilities. The Board has designated a chairman of each committee. The Board may establish additional committees, change the membership of any committee, fill all vacancies, and designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member of any committee, or to dissolve any committee as it deems necessary and in the Funds best interest.
Audit Committee. The members of our Audit Committee are Michael E. Cahill, Tobin V. Levy and Jeffrey L. Zlot, each of whom meets the independence standards established by the SEC for audit committees and is independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Tobin V. Levy serves as chairman of the Funds Audit Committee. The Board has determined that Mr. Levy is an audit committee financial expert as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act. The Funds Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter and meets periodically as necessary. A copy of the Audit Committees charter is available on our website: http://www.kkrfunds.com. The Audit Committee is responsible for selecting, engaging and discharging our independent accountants, reviewing the plans, scope and results of the audit engagement with our independent accountants, approving professional services provided by our independent accountants (including compensation therefore), reviewing the independence of our independent accountants and reviewing the adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting. The Funds Audit Committee met two times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.
Nominating Committee. The members of our Nominating Committee are Michael E. Cahill, Tobin V. Levy and Jeffrey L. Zlot, each of whom meets the independence standards established by the SEC for governance committees and is independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Jeffrey L. Zlot serves as chairman of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee operates pursuant to a written charter and meets periodically as necessary. A copy of the Nominating Committees charter is available on our website: http://www.kkrfunds.com. The Nominating Committee is responsible for selecting, researching, and nominating trustees for election by shareholders, periodically reviewing the composition of the Board in light of the current needs of the Board and the Fund, and determining whether it may be appropriate to add or remove individuals after considering issues of judgment, diversity, age, skills, background and experience. The Nominating Committee will consider proposed nominations for trustees by shareholders who have sent nominations (which include the biographical information and the qualifications of the proposed nominee) to the Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, as the Nominating Committee deems appropriate. The Funds Nominating Committee met two times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.
Experience of Trustees
The Board has concluded, based on each Trustees experience, qualifications and attributes that each Board member should serve as a Trustee. Following is a brief summary of the information that led to and/or supports this conclusion.
Michael E. Cahill, an Independent Trustee, served as Executive Vice President from 2008 to 2013 and Managing Director and General Counsel from 1991 to 2013 of The TCW Group, Inc. and Trust Company of the West, an international investment management firm. Mr. Cahill previously worked at Act III Communications in Los Angeles from 1988 to 1991, where he was Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cahill was in private corporate law practice at OMelveny and Myers LLP in Los Angeles and at Shenas, Robbins, Shenas & Shaw in San Diego. Mr. Cahill currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Mr. Cahill is admitted to various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Cahill holds a B.A. from Bishops University, a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and an LL.M. from Harvard University.
Suzanne Donohoe, an Interested Trustee, joined KKR in 2009 and is the global head of KKRs Client and Partner Group and a Member of KKR. Ms. Donohoe also serves on the firms Management Committee, its Risk Committee, its Capital Markets Coordination Committee, its Inclusion and Diversity Council and chairs its New Strategy Committee. Prior to joining KKR, she was with The Goldman Sachs Group, serving as a Partner and the Head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International. Previously, Ms. Donohoe also led Goldman Sachs Asset Managements client businesses in North America and co-headed GSAMs EMEA business. Ms. Donohoe holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and an M.B.A from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Donohoe also serves on the New York Board of The Nature Conservancy and as a member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University.
Tobin V. Levy, an Independent Trustee, was previously employed by Goldman Sachs & Co. for 13 years where he served as a Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Hedge Fund Strategies Group. While at Goldman Sachs & Co., Mr. Levy established and managed Goldman Sachs Bank USA, a $20 billion Goldman Sachs bank subsidiary of which he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to that, Mr. Levy was employed by Caisse Nationale de Credit Agricole for 10 years in a variety of roles, including as a Member of the Executive Committee. Earlier in his career, Mr. Levy held management roles at Norwest Bank and First Pennsylvania Corporation. Before Mr. Levy began his career, he was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1968 - 1971. Mr. Levy currently serves as a Trustee of the Borough of Princeton Housing Authority, a Trustee of Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. and was formerly Head of the Investment Committee for Princeton Public Library. Mr. Levy holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jeffrey L. Zlot, an Independent Trustee, has served as a Managing Director of Tiedemann Wealth Management (formerly, The Presidio Group LLC), an investment consulting and banking firm, since 1997. Mr. Zlot was previously the Chief Compliance Officer of Presidio Merchant Partners, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Presidio Group LLC. Mr. Zlot served as Chief Financial Officer of The Presidio Group LLC from 1997 to 2007. Previously, he worked as a Research Analyst at Peter Hart Research Associates. Mr. Zlot also serves as a founding
member of the Business Leadership Council of Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco. Mr. Zlot holds a B.A. in Government from Colby College and is a Certified Financial Planner.
Board Leadership Structure
The Board is currently composed of four Trustees, three of whom are Independent Trustees. The Funds business and affairs are managed under the direction of its Board. Among other things, the Board sets broad policies for the Fund and approves the appointment of the Funds Administrator and officers. The role of the Board, and of any individual Trustee, is one of oversight and not of management of the Funds day-to-day affairs.
Under the Funds bylaws, the Board may designate one of the Trustees as chair to preside over meetings of the Board and meetings of shareholders, and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board. Presently, Suzanne Donohoe serves as Chair of the Board and is an Interested Trustee by virtue of her employment relationship with KKR. The Board believes that it is in the best interests of Fund shareholders for Ms. Donohoe to serve as Chair of the Board because of her significant experience in matters of relevance to the Funds business. The Board does not, at the present time, have a lead Independent Trustee; the Board has determined that the compositions of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee are appropriate means to address any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the Chairs status as an Interested Trustee. The Board believes that flexibility to determine its Chair and to recognize its leadership structure is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders at this time.
All of the Independent Trustees play an active role on the Board. The Independent Trustees compose a majority of the Board and will be closely involved in all material deliberations related to the Fund. The Board believes that, with these practices, each Independent Trustee has an equal involvement in the actions and oversight role of the Board and equal accountability to the Fund and its shareholders. The Independent Trustees are expected to meet separately (i) as part of each regular Board meeting and (ii) with the Funds chief compliance officer, as part of at least one Board meeting each year.
The Board believes that its leadership structure is the optimal structure for the Fund at this time. The Board, which will review its leadership structure periodically as part of its annual self-assessment process, further believes that its structure is presently appropriate to enable it to exercise its oversight of the Fund.
Board Role in Risk Oversight
The Trustees meet periodically throughout the year to discuss and consider matters concerning the Fund and to oversee the Funds activities, including its investment performance, compliance program and risks associated with its activities. Risk management is a broad concept comprising many disparate elements (for example, investment risk, issuer and counterparty risk, compliance risk, operational risk, and business continuity risk). The Board implements its risk oversight function both as a whole and through its committees. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address risks associated with the Funds activities. In the course of providing oversight, the Board and its committees will receive reports on the Funds and the Advisers activities, including reports regarding the Funds investment portfolio and financial accounting and reporting. The Board also receives a quarterly report from the Funds chief compliance officer, who reports on the Funds compliance with the federal and state securities laws and its internal compliance policies and procedures as well as those of the Adviser, Administrator and transfer agent. The Audit Committees meetings with the Funds independent registered public accounting firm also contribute to its oversight of certain internal control risks. In addition, the Board meets periodically with the Adviser to receive reports regarding the Funds operations, including reports on certain investment and operational risks, and the Independent Trustees will be encouraged to communicate directly with senior members of Fund management.
The Board believes that this role in risk oversight is appropriate. The Board believes that the Fund has robust internal processes in place and a strong internal control environment to identify and manage risks. However, not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are beyond the control of the Fund, the Adviser and the Funds other service providers.
Trustee Beneficial Ownership of Fund Shares
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities owned by the Trustees in the Fund and in other investment companies overseen by the Trustees within the same family of investment companies as of December 31, 2016. The Fund is not part of a family of investment companies as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The information as to beneficial ownership is based on statements furnished to the Fund by such Trustees.
Name of Trustee |
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
Interested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suzanne Donohoe |
|
Over $100,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Independent Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael E. Cahill |
|
$50,001-$100,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Tobin V. Levy(1) |
|
Over $100,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Jeffrey Z. Zlot(1) |
|
Over $100,000 |
|
(1) Includes the total amount of compensation deferred by the Trustee at his election pursuant to the Plan. Such deferred compensation is placed in a deferral account and deemed to be invested in the Fund that is offered under the Plan.
Shareholder Communications
Shareholders may send communications to the Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for the Board by addressing the communication directly to the Board (or individual Trustees) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Trustees) and by sending the communication to either the Funds office or directly to such Trustee(s) at the address specified for such Trustee above. Other shareholder communications received by the Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management, and will be forwarded to the Board only at managements discretion based on the matters contained therein.
Codes of Ethics
The Fund and the Adviser have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that establish procedures for personal investments and restrict certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to these codes may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the codes requirements. The codes of ethics are on file with the SEC and can be reviewed and copies at the SECs Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database on the SECs Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of each code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
A control person is a person who beneficially owns more than 25% of the voting securities of a company. As of [·], 2017, no shareholder, to the knowledge of the Fund, other than [(i) First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P. and The Charger Corporation (together, First Trust), 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois
60187, and (ii) Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (together, MS), 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, beneficially owned more than five percent of the Funds common shares. According to Schedule 13G/A filings with the SEC, First Trust and MS owned 6.1% and 5.9%, respectively, of the Funds common shares].
[As of [·], 2017, the Trustees and officers of the Fund as a group beneficially owned less than one percent the Funds outstanding common shares.]
Adviser
The Funds investment adviser is KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC. The Advisers principal office is located at 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. The Adviser is a subsidiary of KKR & Co. L.P.
Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser manages the Funds investment portfolio, directs purchases and sales of portfolio securities and reports thereon to the Funds officers and trustees regularly. The Adviser or its parent also provides the office space, facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to perform the following services for the Fund: SEC compliance, including record keeping, reporting requirements and registration statements and proxies; supervision of Fund operations, including coordination of functions of the transfer agent, custodian, accountants, counsel and other parties performing services or operational functions for the Fund; and certain administrative and clerical services, including certain accounting services and maintenance of certain books and records.
The investment advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser was most recently considered and approved for an additional one-year term by the Funds Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, in principle at an in person meeting held on June 15, 2017. A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the renewal of the investment advisory agreement by the Board will be available in the Funds annual report to shareholders for the period ending October 31, 2017.
The investment advisory agreement provides for the Fund to pay an annual fee, payable monthly by the Fund, in an amount equal to 1.10% of the Funds average daily Managed Assets. Managed Assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Funds accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes).
Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Adviser earned $ 4,490,942, $ 4,274,513 and $3,971,089, respectively.
The investment advisory agreement continues in effect for a period of two years from its effective date, and if not sooner terminated, will continue in effect for successive periods of 12 months thereafter, provided that each continuance is specifically approved at least annually by both (1) the vote of a majority of the Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding securities entitled to vote (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Fund (upon the vote of a majority of the Funds Board or a majority of the outstanding securities entitled to vote) or by the Adviser, upon not more than 60 nor less than 30 days written notice by either party to the other which can be waived by the non-terminating party. The agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder).
The investment advisory agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, the Adviser is not liable to the Fund or any of the Funds shareholders for any act or omission by the Adviser in the supervision or management of its respective investment activities or for any loss sustained by the Fund or the Funds shareholders and provides for indemnification by the Fund of the Adviser, its Trustees, officers, employees, agents and control persons for liabilities incurred by them in connection with their services to the Fund, subject to certain limitations and conditions.
Although the professional staff of the Adviser will devote as much time to the management of the Fund as the Adviser deems appropriate to perform its duties in accordance with the investment advisory agreement and in accordance with reasonable commercial standards, the professional staff of the Adviser may have conflicts in allocating its time and services among the Fund and the Advisers other investment vehicles and accounts. The Adviser has informed the Board that the services of the Adviser are not exclusive, and the Adviser provides similar services to other clients and may engage in other activities.
Administrator
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as administrator to the Fund. Under the Administration Agreement, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC maintains the Funds general ledger and is responsible for calculating the net asset value of the common shares, and generally managing the administrative affairs of the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is entitled to receive a monthly fee at the annual rate of up to 0.04% of the Funds average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee of $65,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses.
Custodian, Dividend Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Registrar
U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as custodian (the Custodian) for the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC serves as the Funds dividend paying agent, transfer agent and registrar. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC also provides accounting services to the Fund.
The Fund will indemnify the Custodian from and against any and all costs, expenses, losses, damages, charges, counsel fees, payments and liabilities which may be asserted against the Custodian in connection with its duties under the custodian agreement, except as may arise from the Custodians own negligence, willful misfeasance or willful misconduct.
The Fund will indemnify U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC as transfer agent from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel fees (including the defense of any lawsuit in which the transfer agent or its affiliate is a named party), payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to its actions taken pursuant to the transfer agency and service agreement, provided that such actions are taken in good faith without negligence, willful misfeasance or willful misconduct.
Investor Support Services
The Fund has retained Four Wood Capital Partners LLC (FWCP) to provide investor support services in connection with the on-going operation of the Fund. Such services include providing ongoing contact with respect to the Fund and its performance with financial advisors that are representatives of broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries, communicating with the NYSE specialist for the Funds common shares, and with the closed-end fund analyst community regarding the Fund on a regular basis. FWCP may separately contract with and coordinate the activities of a third party to provide certain of the above-described services. In exchange for such services, the Fund pays FWCP a monthly fee equal to 0.10% of the average daily value of the Funds Managed Assets.
Portfolio Management
Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Manager
The portfolio manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund also manages other registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts, as indicated below. The following table identifies, as of June 30, 2017: (i) the number of other registered investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager; and (ii) the total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts, and the number and total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on performance.
Christopher A. Sheldon
|
|
Number of |
|
Assets of |
|
Number of |
|
Assets Subject to a |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Registered Investment Companies |
|
0 |
|
$ |
0 |
|
0 |
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Than Registered Investment Companies |
|
6 |
|
$ |
7,164 |
|
6 |
|
$ |
7,164 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Other Accounts |
|
27 |
|
$ |
12,539 |
|
7 |
|
$ |
1,691 |
|
Portfolio Manager Compensation
Consistent with KKRs global, integrated culture, KKR has one firm-wide compensation and incentive structure based on a global profit and loss statement, which covers each of the portfolio managers. KKRs compensation structure is designed to align the interests of the investment personnel serving the Fund with those of the Funds shareholders and to give everyone a direct financial incentive to ensure that all of KKRs resources, knowledge and relationships around the world are utilized to maximize risk-adjusted returns for each strategy.
Each of KKRs senior executives, including each of the portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, receives a base salary and is eligible for a cash bonus and equity compensation, as well as additional incentives including dollars at work in KKR fund investments (other than the Fund) and equity compensation. The cash bonus, equity compensation and dollars at work are discretionary, and dollars at work and equity awards are typically subject to a vesting period of several years.
All final compensation and other longer-term incentive award decisions are made by the KKR Management Committee based on input from managers. Compensation and other incentives are not formulaic, but rather are judgment and merit driven, and are determined based on a combination of overall firm performance, individual contribution and performance, business unit performance, and relevant market and competitive compensation practices for other businesses and the individual roles/responsibilities within each of the businesses.
Securities Ownership of Portfolio Manager
As of October 31, 2016, the portfolio manager of the Fund beneficially owned the following amount of common shares of the Fund:
Portfolio Manager |
|
Dollar Range of |
|
Christopher A. Sheldon |
|
$50,001-$100,000 |
|
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The Adviser will experience conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund, including, but not limited to, those discussed below. Dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult, and new and different types of conflicts may subsequently arise.
· The members, officers and other personnel of the Adviser allocate their time, resources and other services between the Fund and other investment and business activities in which they may be involved, including other funds, investment vehicles and accounts managed by KKR. The Adviser intends to devote such time as shall be necessary to conduct the Funds business affairs in an appropriate manner. However, the Adviser will continue to devote the time, resources and other services necessary to managing its other investment and business activities and the Adviser is not precluded from conducting activities unrelated to the Fund. Substantial time may be spent by such members, officers and personnel monitoring the investments of other funds, investment vehicles and accounts managed by KKR.
· The Adviser may compete with certain of its affiliates, including other entities it manages, for investments for the Fund, subjecting the Adviser to certain conflicts of interest in evaluating the suitability of investment opportunities and making or recommending acquisitions on the Funds behalf. The Adviser will receive advisory and other fees from the other entities it manages, and due to fee-offset provisions contained in the management agreements for such entities, the fees may not be proportionate to such entities investment accounts for any given transaction and the Adviser may have an incentive to favor entities from which it receives higher fees.
· The Fund has adopted the Advisers allocation policy, which is designed to fairly and equitably distribute investment opportunities over time among funds or pools of capital managed by the Adviser. The Advisers allocation policy provides that once an investment has been approved and is deemed to be in the Funds best interest, the Fund will receive a pro rata share of the investment based on capital available for investment in the asset class being allocated. Determinations as to the amount of capital available for investment are based on such factors as: the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, the targeted leverage level, the targeted asset mix and diversification requirements, other investment policies and restrictions, and limitations imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. The outcome of this determination may result in the allocation of all, some or none of an investment opportunity to the Fund. In addition, subject to applicable law, affiliates of the Adviser may invest in one of the Funds portfolio companies and hold a different class of securities than the Fund. To the extent that an affiliate of the Adviser holds a different class of securities than the Fund, its interests may not be aligned with the Funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser will act in the best interest of the Fund in accordance with its fiduciary duty to the Fund.
· The appropriate allocation among the Fund and other KKR funds and accounts of expenses and fees generated in the course of evaluating and making investments often may not be clear, especially where more than one KKR fund or account participates. The Adviser will determine, in its sole discretion, the appropriate allocation of investment-related expenses, including broken deal expenses incurred in respect of unconsummated investments and expenses more generally relating to a particular investment strategy, among the funds and accounts participating or that would have participated in such investments or that otherwise participate in the relevant investment strategy, as applicable, which may result in the Fund bearing more or less of these expenses than other participants or potential participants in the relevant investments.
· The compensation payable by the Fund to the Adviser will be approved by the Board consistent with the exercise of the requisite standard of care applicable to trustees under state law. Such compensation is payable, in most cases, regardless of the quality of the assets acquired, the services provided to the Fund or whether the Fund makes distributions to Shareholders.
· The Adviser and its affiliates may provide a broad range of financial services to companies in which the Fund invests, in compliance with applicable law, and will generally be paid fees for such services. In addition, affiliates of the Adviser may act as an underwriter or placement agent in connection with an offering of securities by one of the companies in the Funds portfolio. Any compensation received by the Adviser and its affiliates for providing these services will not be shared with the Fund and may be received before the Fund realizes a return on its investment. The Adviser may face conflicts of interest with respect to services performed for these companies, on the one hand, and investments recommended to the Fund, on the other hand.
· KKR engages in a broad range of business activities and invests in portfolio companies and other issuers whose operations may be substantially similar to the issuers of the Funds portfolio investments. The performance and operation of such competing businesses could conflict with and adversely affect the performance and operation of the issuers of the Funds portfolio investments, and may adversely affect the prices and availability of business opportunities or transactions available to these issuers.
· From time to time, to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or with exemptive relief the Fund may receive from the SEC, if any, the Fund and other clients for which the Adviser provides investment management services or carries on investment activities (including, among others, clients that are employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations) may make investments at different levels of an investment entitys capital structure or otherwise in different classes of an issuers securities. These investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities that may be held by the Fund and such other clients, including in the case of financial distress of the investment entity.
· KKR and the Adviser sponsor and advise, and may in the future sponsor and advise, a broad range of investment funds, vehicles, and other accounts, including proprietary vehicles, that make investments worldwide. KKR may also make investments for its own account, including, for example, through investment and co-investment vehicles established for KKR personnel and associates. The Adviser and its affiliates are not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships (including, among others, relationships with clients that are employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations), or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with the Fund and/or may involve substantial time and resources of the Adviser. For example, the Adviser may invest, on behalf of an affiliated fund, in a company that is a competitor of one of the Funds portfolio companies or that is a service provider, supplier, customer or other counterparty with respect to one of the Funds portfolio companies. In providing advice and recommendations to, or with respect to, such investments and in dealing in such investments on behalf of such other affiliated fund, to the extent permitted by law, the Adviser or its affiliates will not take into consideration the interests of the Fund and its portfolio investments and issuers thereof. Accordingly, such advice, recommendations and dealings may result in conflicts of interest for the Adviser. In addition, the Advisers ability to effectively implement the Funds investment strategies may be limited to the extent that contractual obligations relating to these permitted activities restrict the Advisers ability to engage in transactions that they may otherwise be interested in pursuing. Affiliates of the Adviser, whose primary business includes the origination of investments, engage in investment advisory business with accounts that compete with the Fund.
· The Adviser and its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from, or be contrary to, advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, the Fund even though their investment objectives may be similar to the Funds.
· To the extent not restricted by confidentiality requirements or applicable law, the Adviser may apply experience and information gained in providing services to the Funds portfolio companies in providing services to competing companies invested in by affiliates other clients, which may have adverse consequences for the Fund or its portfolio investments. In addition, in providing services in respect of such portfolio companies and other issuers of portfolio investments, the Adviser or its affiliates may come into possession of information that it is prohibited from acting on (including on behalf of the Fund) or disclosing as a result of applicable confidentiality requirements or applicable law, even though such action or disclosure would be in the interests of the Fund.
· As a registered investment company, the Fund may be limited in its ability to invest in any investment in which the Adviser or its affiliates other clients have an investment. The Fund may also be limited in its ability to co-invest with the Adviser or one or more of its affiliates. Some of these co-investments would only be permitted pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC. On June 19, 2017, the SEC issued an exemptive order granting the Fund exemptive relief that expanded the Funds ability to co-invest with certain of its affiliates in privately negotiated transactions subject to the conditions specified in the exemptive order.
· The Fund depends to a significant extent on the Advisers access to the investment professionals and senior management of KKR and the information and deal flow generated by the KKR investment professionals and senior management during the normal course of their investment and portfolio management activities. The senior management and the investment professionals of the Adviser source, evaluate, analyze and
monitor the Funds investments. The Funds future success will depend on the continued service of the senior management team and investment professionals of the Adviser.
· The Advisers relationship with other advisory clients and with KKR could create a conflict of interest to the extent the Adviser becomes aware of inside information concerning investments or potential investment targets. KKR has adopted information-sharing policies and procedures which address both (i) the handling of confidential information and (ii) the information barrier that exists between the public and private sides of KKR. KKR has compliance functions to administer KKRs information-sharing policies and procedures and monitor potential conflicts of interest. The Fund cannot assure its investors, however, that these procedures and practices will be effective. Although the Fund plans to leverage KKRs firm-wide resources to help source, conduct due diligence on, structure, syndicate and create value for the Funds investments (to the extent permitted by applicable law), KKRs information-sharing policies and procedures referenced above, as well as certain legal, contractual and tax constraints, could significantly limit the Companys ability to do so. For example, from time to time KKRs personnel may be in possession of material non-public information with respect to the Funds investments or potential investments, and as a result, such professionals may be restricted by KKRs information-sharing policies or by law or contract, from sharing such information with the KKR professionals responsible for making the Funds investment decisions, even where the disclosure of such information would be in the best interests of the Fund or would otherwise influence the decisions taken by such investment professionals with respect to such investment or potential investment. In addition, this conflict and these procedures and practices may limit the freedom of the Adviser to enter into or exit from potentially profitable investments for the Fund which could have an adverse effect on the Funds results of operations. Conversely, the Adviser may pursue investments for the Fund without obtaining access to confidential information otherwise in its or KKRs possession, which information, if reviewed, might otherwise impact the Advisers judgment with respect to such investments. Accordingly, as a result of such restrictions, the investment activities of KKRs other businesses may differ from, or be inconsistent with, the interests of and activities that are undertaken for the Fund and there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to fully leverage all of the available resources and industry expertise of KKRs other businesses. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with the Adviser will be precluded from providing services to the Fund because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of KKR.
· The nature of the Advisers businesses and the participation by its employees in creditors committees, steering committees, or boards of directors of portfolio companies, may result in the Adviser receiving material non-public information from time to time with respect to publicly held companies or otherwise becoming an insider with respect to such companies. With limited exceptions, KKR does not establish information barriers between its internal investment teams. Trading by KKR on the basis of such information, or improperly disclosing such information, may be restricted pursuant to applicable law and/or internal policies and procedures adopted by KKR to promote compliance with applicable law. Accordingly, the possession of inside information or insider status with respect to such an issuer by KKR or KKR personnel may, including where an appropriate information barrier does not exist between the relevant investment professionals or has been crossed by such professionals, significantly restrict the ability of the Adviser to deal in the securities of that issuer on behalf of the Fund, which may adversely impact the Fund, including by preventing the execution of an otherwise advisable purchase or sale transaction in a particular security until such information ceases to be regarded as material non-public information, which could have an adverse effect on the overall performance of such investment. In addition, affiliates of KKR in possession of such information may be prevented from disclosing such information to the Adviser, even where the disclosure of such information would be in the interests of the Fund. The Adviser may also be subject to contractual stand-still obligations and/or confidentiality obligations that restrict its ability to trade in certain securities on behalf of the Fund. In certain circumstances, the Fund or the Adviser may engage an independent agent to dispose of securities of issuers in which KKR may be deemed to have material non-public information on behalf of the Fund. Such independent agent may dispose of the relevant securities for a price that may be lower than the Advisers valuation of such securities which may take into account the material non-public information known to KKR in respect of the relevant issuer
· The Adviser may in the future develop new businesses such as providing investment banking, advisory and other services to corporations, financial sponsors, management or other persons. Such services may relate to transactions that could give rise to investment opportunities that are suitable for the Fund. In such case, the Advisers client would typically require the Adviser to act exclusively on its behalf, thereby precluding the Fund from participating in such investment opportunities. The Adviser would not be obligated to
decline any such engagements in order to make an investment opportunity available to the Fund. In addition, the Adviser may come into the possession of information through these new businesses that limits the Funds ability to engage in potential transactions.
· The 1940 Act limits the Funds ability to invest in, or hold securities of, companies that are controlled by funds managed by KKR. Any such investments could create conflicts of interest between the Fund, the Adviser and KKR. The Adviser may also have, or enter into, advisory relationships with other advisory clients (including, among others, employee benefit plans subject to ERISA and related regulations) that could lead to circumstances in which a conflict of interest between the Advisers advisory clients could exist or develop. In addition, to the extent that another client of the Adviser or KKR holds a different class of securities than the Fund, the interest of such client and the Fund may not be aligned. As a result of these conflicts and restrictions, the Adviser may be unable to implement the Funds investment strategies as effectively as it could have in the absence of such conflicts or restrictions. In order to avoid these conflicts and restrictions, the Adviser may choose to exit these investments prematurely and, as a result, the Fund would forgo any future positive returns associated with such investments.
· Certain other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts may have investment objectives, programs, strategies and positions that are similar to, or may conflict with, those of the Fund, or may compete with, or have interests adverse to, the Fund. This type of conflict could affect the prices and availability of the securities or interests in which the Fund invests. KKR may give advice or take action with respect to the investments held by, and transactions of, other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts that may be different from or otherwise inconsistent with the advice given or timing or nature of any action taken with respect to the investments held by, and timing or nature of any action taken with respect to the investments held by, and transactions of, the Fund. Such different advice and/or inconsistent actions may be due to a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the differences between the investment objective, program, strategy and tax treatment of the other KKR client accounts or proprietary accounts and the Fund or the regulatory status of other KKR client accounts and any related restrictions or obligations imposed on KKR as a fiduciary thereof. Such advice and actions may adversely impact the Fund.
· KKR, for its own account, may enter into real-estate related transactions with Fund portfolio companies. Such transactions may include, for example, buying or selling real estate assets, acquiring or entering into leasing arrangements or amending such arrangements, or transferring options or rights of first refusal to acquire real estate assets. Such transactions, which do not involve securities, are not governed by restrictions on principal transactions and cross transactions but are subject to specific policies and procedures established by KKR to manage related conflicts.
· The 1940 Act prohibits the Fund from participating in certain transactions with certain of its affiliates including an Adviser-affiliated broker-dealer. The Fund generally is prohibited, for example, from buying or selling any securities from or to another client of the Adviser or of KKR. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain joint transactions with certain of the Funds affiliates, which in certain circumstances could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times to the extent the transaction involves jointness) or transactions in which a broker-dealer affiliated with the Adviser participates as principal with the Fund. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Funds voting securities, the Fund will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that persons affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons. Similar restrictions limit the Funds ability to transact business with its officers or trustees or their affiliates. The SEC has interpreted the 1940 Act rules governing transactions with affiliates to prohibit certain joint transactions involving entities that share a common investment adviser. As a result of these restrictions, the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to the Fund may be limited. These investment opportunities may be made available to other funds, vehicles and accounts advised by the Adviser that are not subject to similar restrictions under the 1940 Act.
· Shareholders of the Fund are based in a wide variety of jurisdictions and take a wide variety of forms. Accordingly, they may have conflicting regulatory, legal, investment, tax, and other interests with respect to their investments in the Fund. The conflicting interests of individual shareholders relate to or arise from, among other things, the nature of investments made by the Fund, the selection, structuring, acquisition and management of investments, the timing of disposition of investments, internal investment policies of the shareholders and their target risk/return profiles. As a consequence, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with decisions made by the Adviser, including with respect to the nature or structuring of investments, which may be more beneficial for one shareholder than for another shareholder, especially with respect to shareholders individual tax situations. In addition, the Fund may make investments that
may have a negative impact on related investments made by the Fund in separate transactions. In selecting and structuring investments appropriate for the Fund, the Adviser will consider the investment and tax objectives of the Fund and its shareholders as a whole, not the investment, tax, or other objectives of any shareholder individually.
Each of the Adviser and the other investment advisers and/or investment managers affiliated with KKR will deal with conflicts of interest using its best judgment, but in its sole discretion. When conflicts arise between the Fund and another affiliated fund, the Adviser will represent the interests of the Fund and the other participating affiliated adviser will represent the interests of the affiliated fund it sponsors, manages or advises. In resolving conflicts, the Adviser and the other affiliated advisers may consider various factors, including applicable restrictions under the 1940 Act, the interests of the funds and accounts they advise in the context of both the immediate issue at hand and the longer term course of dealing among the Fund and the other affiliated fund. As with all conflicts involving the Fund, the Advisers determination as to which factors are relevant, and the resolution of such conflicts will be made in the Advisers sole discretion except as required by the 1940 Act or by the governing documents of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will be able to resolve all conflicts in a manner that is favorable to the Fund.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE ALLOCATION
The Adviser has responsibility for decisions to buy and sell securities and other instruments for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions and the negotiation of prices and any brokerage commissions on such transactions. While the Adviser will be primarily responsible for the placement of the Funds portfolio business, the policies and practices in this regard are subject to review by the Board.
With respect to interests in Senior Loans, the Fund generally will engage in privately negotiated transactions for purchase or sale in which the Adviser will negotiate on behalf of the Fund (although a more developed market may exist for certain Senior Loans). The Fund may be required to pay fees, or give up a portion of interest and any fees payable to the Fund, to the lender selling participations or assignments to the Fund. The Adviser will determine the lenders from whom the Fund will purchase assignments and participations by considering their professional ability, level of service, relationship with the Borrower, financial condition, credit standards and quality of management. The illiquidity of many Senior Loans may restrict the ability of the Adviser to locate in a timely manner persons willing to purchase the Funds interests in Senior Loans at a fair price should the Fund desire to sell such interests. See Risk FactorsSenior Loans Risk in the prospectus. Affiliates of the Adviser may participate in the primary and secondary market for Senior Loans. Because of certain limitations imposed by the 1940 Act, this may restrict the Funds ability to acquire some Senior Loans. The Adviser does not believe that this will have a material effect on the Funds ability to acquire Senior Loans consistent with its investment policies.
As most transactions made by the Fund are principal transactions at net prices, the Fund generally incurs little or no brokerage costs. The portfolio securities in which the Fund invests are normally purchased directly from the issuer or in the over-the-counter (OTC) market from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Purchases from underwriters of portfolio securities include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers serving as market makers include a spread or markup to the dealer between the bid and asked price. Sales to dealers are effected at bid prices.
The Fund may also purchase certain money market instruments directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid (although the Fund may indirectly bear fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests), or may purchase and sell listed securities on an exchange, which are effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services.
In effecting securities transactions, the Adviser will seek to obtain the best execution of orders. Commission rates are a component of price and are considered along with other relevant factors. In determining the broker or dealer to be used and the commission rates to be paid, the Adviser will consider the utility and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability and performance, financial responsibility, investment information, market insights, other research provided by such brokers, and access to analysts, management and idea generation. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if the Adviser determines in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage services and research information provided by such brokers. Consistent with the requirements of best execution, brokerage commissions on accounts may be directed to brokers in recognition of investment research and information furnished as well as for services rendered in execution of orders by such brokers. By allocating transactions in this manner, the Adviser may be able to supplement its research and analysis with the views and information of brokerage firms. The Adviser may also allocate a portion of its brokerage business to firms whose employees participate as brokers in the introduction of investors to the Adviser or who agree to bear the expense of capital introduction, marketing or related services by third parties. Eligible research or brokerage services provided by brokers through which portfolio transactions for the Adviser are executed may include research reports on particular industries and companies, economic surveys and analyses, recommendations as to specific securities, online quotations, news and research services, financial publications and other products and services (e.g., software based applications for market quotes and news, database programs providing investment and industry data) providing lawful and appropriate assistance to the portfolio managers and their designees in the performance of their investment decision-making responsibilities on behalf of the Adviser and other accounts which their affiliates manage (collectively, Soft Dollar Items). The Adviser and its affiliates generally use such products and services (if any) for the benefit of all of their accounts. Soft Dollar Items may be provided directly by brokers, by third parties at the direction of brokers or purchased on behalf of the Fund and its affiliates with credits or rebates provided by brokers. Any Soft Dollar Items obtained in connection with portfolio transactions for the Fund are
intended to fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. As noted above, because most of the Funds transactions will likely be principal transactions, the Fund will likely not incur significant brokerage commissions (although it will be subject to mark-ups and mark-downs imposed by dealers). Section 28(e) generally only applies with respect to brokerage commissions; as such, the Fund may not benefit from any significant amount of Soft Dollar Items.
The Adviser may also place portfolio transactions, to the extent permitted by law, with brokerage firms affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser if they reasonably believe that the quality of execution and the commission are comparable to those available from other qualified firms. Similarly, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the same considerations on quality of execution and comparable commission rates, the Adviser may direct an executing broker to pay a portion or all of any commissions, concessions or discounts to a firm supplying research or other services.
The Adviser may place portfolio transactions at or about the same time for other advisory accounts, including other investment companies. The Adviser will seek to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities for the Fund and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to the Fund. In making such allocations among the Fund and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by the Adviser are the respective sizes of the Fund and other advisory accounts, the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment, the size of investment commitments generally held and opinions of the persons responsible for recommending the investment. See Conflicts of Interest.
The placing and execution of orders for the Fund also is subject to restrictions under U.S. securities laws, including certain prohibitions against trading among the Fund and its affiliates (including the Adviser or its affiliates). Certain broker-dealers, through which the Fund may effect securities transactions, may be affiliated persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or affiliated persons of such affiliates. The Board has adopted certain policies incorporating the standards of Rule 17e-1 issued by the SEC under the 1940 Act which require that the commissions paid to affiliates of the Fund be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities during a comparable period of time. The rule and procedures also contain review requirements and require the Adviser to furnish reports to the trustees and to maintain records in connection with such reviews. In addition, the Fund may purchase securities in a placement for which affiliates of the Adviser have acted as agent to or for issuers, consistent with applicable rules adopted by the SEC or regulatory authorization, if necessary. The Fund will not purchase securities from or sell securities to any affiliate of the Adviser acting as principal. The Adviser is prohibited from directing brokerage transactions on the basis of the referral of clients or the sale of shares of advised investment companies.
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014, October 31, 2015 and October 31, 2016, the Fund paid a total of $7,088, $3,291 and $8,281, respectively, in brokerage commissions.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
Common Shares
The Funds common shares are described in the prospectus. The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the Common shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing.
Preferred Shares
The terms of any preferred shares issued by the Fund, including their dividend rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board (subject to applicable law and the Funds Declaration of Trust) if and when it authorizes an offering of preferred shares.
If the Board determines to proceed with an offering of preferred shares, the terms of the preferred shares may be the same as, or different from, the terms described in the prospectus, subject to applicable law and the Funds Declaration of Trust. The Board, without the approval of the Common Shareholders, may authorize an offering of preferred shares or may determine not to authorize such an offering, and may fix the terms of the preferred shares to be offered.
Other Shares
The Board (subject to applicable law and the Funds Declaration of Trust) may authorize an offering, without the approval of the holders of either common shares or preferred shares, of other classes of shares, or other classes or series of shares, as they determine to be necessary, desirable or appropriate, having such terms, rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions as the Board sees fit. The Fund currently does not expect to issue any other classes of shares, or series of shares, except for the common shares.
REPURCHASE OF COMMON SHARES
The Fund is a closed-end management investment company and as such its shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem their shares. Instead, the Funds common shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including dividend levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), net asset value, call protection, dividend stability, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Because shares of a closed-end investment company may frequently trade at prices lower than net asset value, the Board may consider actions that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from net asset value in respect of common shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. The Board may decide not to take any of these actions. In addition, there can be no assurance that share repurchases or tender offers, if undertaken, will reduce market discount.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time when the Fund has preferred shares outstanding, the Fund may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its common shares unless (1) all accrued preferred share dividends have been paid and (2) at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition, the net asset value of the Funds portfolio (determined after deducting the acquisition price of the common shares) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon). Any service fees incurred in connection with any tender offer made by the Fund will be borne by the Fund and will not reduce the stated consideration to be paid to tendering shareholders.
Subject to its investment restrictions, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Funds net income. Any share repurchase, tender offer or borrowing that might be approved by the Board would have to comply with the Exchange Act, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
The Board currently has no intention to take action in response to a discount from net asset value (if any). Further, it is the Boards intention not to authorize repurchases of common shares or a tender offer for such shares if: (1) such transactions, if consummated, would (a) result in the delisting of the common shares from the New York Stock Exchange or (b) impair the Funds status as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), (which would make the Fund a taxable entity, causing the Funds income to be taxed at the trust level in addition to the taxation of shareholders who receive dividends from the Fund) or as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act; (2) the Fund would not be able to liquidate portfolio securities in an orderly manner and consistent with the Funds investment objectives and policies in order to repurchase shares; or (3) there is, in the Boards judgment, any (a) material legal action or proceeding instituted or threatened challenging such transactions or otherwise materially adversely affecting the Fund, (b) general suspension of or limitation on prices for trading securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (c) declaration of a banking moratorium by federal or state authorities or any suspension of payment by U.S. or New York banks, (d) material limitation affecting the Fund or the issuers of its portfolio securities by federal or state authorities on the extension of credit by lending institutions or on the exchange of foreign currency, (e) commencement or continuation of war, armed hostilities or other international or national calamity directly or indirectly involving the United States or (f) other event or condition which would have a material adverse effect (including any adverse tax effect) on the Fund or its shareholders if shares were repurchased. Even in the absence of such conditions, the Board may decline to take action in response to a discount from net asset value. The Board may in the future modify these conditions in light of experience.
The repurchase by the Fund of its shares at prices below net asset value will result in an increase in the net asset value of those shares that remain outstanding. However, there can be no assurance that share repurchases or tender offers at or below net asset value will result in the Funds shares trading at a price equal to their net asset value. Nevertheless, the fact that the Funds shares may be the subject of repurchase or tender offers at net asset value from time to time, may reduce any spread between market price and net asset value that might otherwise exist.
In addition, a purchase by the Fund of its common shares will decrease the Funds Managed Assets which would likely have the effect of increasing the Funds expense ratio. Any purchase by the Fund of its common shares at a
time when preferred shares are outstanding will increase the leverage applicable to the outstanding common shares then remaining.
Before deciding whether to take any action if the common shares trade below net asset value, the Board would likely consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Funds portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Funds shares should trade at a discount, the Board may determine that, in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders, no action should be taken.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of common shares and some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund. The discussion below provides general tax information related to an investment in common shares, but this discussion does not purport to be a complete description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the common shares. It is based on the Code and Treasury regulations and administrative pronouncements, all as of the date hereof, any of which is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, it does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant in light of a Common Shareholders particular circumstances, including alternative minimum tax consequences and tax consequences applicable to Common Shareholders subject to special tax rules, such as certain financial institutions; dealers or traders in securities who use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting; persons holding common shares as part of a hedging transaction, wash sale, conversion transaction or integrated transaction or persons entering into a constructive sale with respect to the common shares; entities classified as partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes; real estate investment trusts; insurance companies; U.S. shareholders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; or tax-exempt entities, including individual retirement accounts or Roth IRAs. Unless otherwise noted, the following discussion applies only to a Common Shareholder that holds common shares as a capital asset (generally, for investment) and is a U.S. shareholder.
A U.S. shareholder generally is a beneficial owner of common shares who is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
· a citizen or individual resident of the United States;
· a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia;
· an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
· a trust if it (x) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (y) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
A non-U.S. shareholder generally is a beneficial owner of common shares who is not a U.S. shareholder.
If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds common shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective shareholder that is a partner of a partnership holding common shares should consult his, her or its tax advisers with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of common shares.
Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in common shares will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation. The Fund encourages investors to consult their own tax advisers regarding the specific consequences of such an investment, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, eligibility for the benefits of any applicable tax treaty and the effect of any possible changes in the tax laws.
Election to be Taxed as a RIC
The Fund has elected to be treated and has qualified, and intends to continue to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any income that it distributes to its shareholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of its investment company taxable income, which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses (the Annual Distribution Requirement).
Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company
If the Fund:
· qualifies as a RIC; and
· satisfies the Annual Distribution Requirement,
then the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its income it distributes (or is deemed to distribute) to its shareholders. The Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to its shareholders.
The Fund will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless it distributes in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its net ordinary income for each calendar year (taking into account certain deferrals and elections), (2) 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years (the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement). The Fund generally will endeavor in each taxable year to make sufficient distributions to its shareholders to avoid any U.S. federal excise tax on its earnings, but the Fund reserves the right to pay the excise tax when circumstances warrant.
Pursuant to Revenue Procedure 2010-12, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicated that it would treat distributions from certain publicly traded RICs that are paid part in cash and part in stock as dividends that would satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and qualify for the dividends paid deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In order to qualify for such treatment, the Revenue Procedure requires that at least 10% of the total distribution be payable in cash and that each shareholder have a right to elect to receive its entire distribution in cash. If too many shareholders elect to receive cash, each shareholder electing to receive cash must receive a proportionate share of the cash to be distributed (although no shareholder electing to receive cash may receive less than 10% of such shareholders distribution in cash). This Revenue Procedure applied to distributions declared on or before December 31, 2012 with respect to taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2011. When the Revenue Procedure is not currently applicable, the IRS has issued private letter rulings to RICs and real estate investment trusts granting similar treatment to elective cash/stock dividends. Those rulings may only be relied upon by the taxpayers to whom they were issued, but the Fund could request a similar ruling from the IRS. The Fund does not currently intend to pay dividends in its shares.
In order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund must, among other things:
· continue to qualify as a management company under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year;
· derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, net income from certain qualified publicly traded partnerships, or other income derived with respect to the Funds business of investing in such stock or securities (the 90% Income Test);
· diversify its holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year;
· at least 50% of the value of the Funds assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Funds assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and
· no more than 25% of the value of the Funds assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by the Fund and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain qualified publicly traded partnerships (the Diversification Tests).
The Fund generally intends to comply with 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests. However, certain of the Funds investments may produce income that may not constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. For example, any equity investments the Fund makes in entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes that are engaged in active businesses will not produce qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. In addition, we may invest in certain commodity-related derivates to hedge positions in
commodity-related issuers or industries. The IRS has ruled that income from certain commodity-related derivatives would not be qualifying income for the 90% Income Test with respect to a taxpayer whose commodity-related derivates were not entered into in connection with a business of investing in stock and securities. We do not believe that ruling will apply to our income from commodity-related derivatives because any such income will be treated as other income related to our business of investing in stock or securities. No assurance can be provided that the IRS will not successfully challenge our position that our commodity-related derivative income is qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. Moreover, we intend to enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to certain of our assets under which we would nominally sell the assets to a counterparty and simultaneously enter into an agreement to repurchase the sold assets in exchange for a purchase price that reflects a financing charge. Based on positions the IRS has taken in analogous situations, we believe that these transactions will be treated as secured debt and that we would be treated for purposes of the 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests as the owner of the assets that are the subject of any such reverse repurchase agreement notwithstanding that such agreements may transfer record ownership of the assets to the counterparty during the term of the agreement. It is possible, however, that the IRS could assert that we did not own the assets sold during the term of the sale and repurchase agreement, in which case our ability to qualify as a RIC could be jeopardized. Accordingly, no complete assurance can be provided that the Fund will be able to satisfy requirements of the 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests.
In addition, certain of the Funds investments are expected to be subject to special U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (2) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (3) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss, the deductibility of which is more limited, (4) adversely affect when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (5) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions, and (6) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash (referred to as phantom income). For example, with respect to phantom income, if the Fund holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (OID) (such as debt instruments with payment-in-kind (PIK) interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or issued with equity or warrants) or debt obligations that are acquired with market discount in respect of which an election has been made to accrue such market discount on a current basis, the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the OID or market discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Fund in the same taxable year. The Fund may also have to include in income other amounts that it has not yet received in cash, such as PIK interest and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as equity or warrants. Because any OID or other amounts accrued will be included in the Funds investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though it will not have received any corresponding cash amount. Moreover, there may be uncertainty as to the appropriate treatment of certain of the Funds investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In particular, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of investments in debt securities that are rated below investment grade is uncertain in various respects.
As a result of the application of the rules described above, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax or the 4% nondeductible excise tax and, under certain circumstances, the Funds ability to qualify or maintain its qualification as a RIC could be negatively affected. The Fund will monitor its investments and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions. Accordingly, no complete assurance can be provided that the Fund will be able to satisfy the 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests, avoid the U.S. federal income tax or meet the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement.
Although the Fund does not presently expect to do so, it is authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to make distributions to its shareholders while its debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain asset coverage tests are met. Moreover, the Funds ability to dispose of assets to meet its distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of its portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to its status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If the Fund disposes of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, the Fund may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.
Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries, thereby reducing the income available for distribution to shareholders. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. The Fund generally intends to conduct its investment activities to minimize the impact of foreign taxation, but there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in this regard.
Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates which occur between the time a Fund accrues interest income or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of some investments, including debt securities and certain forward contracts denominated in a foreign currency, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition also are treated as ordinary gain or loss. These gains and losses, referred to under the Code as section 988 gains and losses, may increase or decrease the amount of the Funds investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. For example, fluctuations in exchange rates may increase the amount of income that the Fund must distribute in order to qualify for treatment as a RIC and to prevent application of an excise tax on undistributed income. Alternatively, fluctuations in exchange rates may decrease or eliminate income available for distribution. If section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, the Fund would not be able to make ordinary dividend distributions, or distributions made before the losses were realized would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders for federal income tax purposes, rather than as an ordinary dividend, reducing each shareholders basis in its shares of the Fund.
Failure to Qualify as a Regulated Investment Company
If the Fund were unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC and certain cure provisions were inapplicable, the Fund would be subject to tax on all of its taxable income at regular corporate rates, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. The Annual Distribution Requirement would not be applicable, and distributions would be taxable to the Funds shareholders as ordinary dividend income that, subject to certain limitations, may be eligible for preferential rates applicable to qualified dividend income to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholders tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund qualifies as a RIC and has satisfied the Annual Distribution Requirement.
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
Distributions by the Fund generally are taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of the Funds investment company taxable income (which is, generally, the Funds net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses) will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. shareholders to the extent of the Funds current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common shares. Distributions paid by the Fund to U.S. shareholders taxed at individual rates that are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations may be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income, which is currently subject to a maximum tax rate of either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the shareholders income exceeds certain threshold amounts. In this regard, it is anticipated that distributions paid by the Fund will generally not be attributable to dividends and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the preferential maximum rate applicable to qualified dividend income. Distributions of the Funds net capital gains (which are generally the Funds realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) properly designated by us as capital gain dividends will be taxable to a U.S. shareholder as long-term capital gains that are currently generally taxable at a maximum rate of 15% or 20% (depending on whether the shareholders income exceeds certain threshold amounts) in the case of U.S. shareholders taxed at individual rates, regardless of the U.S. shareholders holding period for his, her or its common shares and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common shares. Distributions in excess of
the Funds earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. shareholders adjusted tax basis in such shareholders common shares and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. shareholder.
It is expected that a very substantial portion of the Funds income will consist of ordinary income. For example, interest and OID derived by the Fund will constitute ordinary income. In addition, gain derived by the Fund from the disposition of debt securities with market discount (generally, securities purchased by the Fund at a discount to their stated redemption price) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the market discount that has accrued, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, at the time of such disposition unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. In addition, certain of the Funds investments will be subject to special U.S. federal income tax provisions that may affect the character, increase the amount and/or accelerate the timing of distributions to Common Shareholders.
The Fund may retain some or all of its realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses, but designate the retained net capital gain as a deemed distribution. In that case, among other consequences, the Fund will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. shareholder will be required to include his, her or its share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been actually distributed to the U.S. shareholder, and the U.S. shareholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to his, her or its allocable share of the tax paid thereon by us. To the extent the Fund pays tax on any retained capital gains at its regular corporate tax rate when that rate is in excess of the maximum rate payable by individuals on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual U.S. shareholders will be treated as having paid will exceed the tax they owe on the capital gain distribution and such excess generally may be refunded or claimed as a credit against the U.S. shareholders other U.S. federal income tax obligations. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. shareholders cost basis for his, her or its common shares. In order to utilize the deemed distribution approach, the Fund must provide written notice to its shareholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant taxable year. The Fund cannot treat any of its investment company taxable income as a deemed distribution.
For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If the Fund makes such an election, the U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by the Funds U.S. shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
If an investor purchases common shares shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the common shares will include the value of the distribution and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though economically it may represent a return of his, her or its investment.
A U.S. shareholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the U.S. shareholder sells or otherwise disposes of his, her or its common shares. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between such U.S. shareholders adjusted tax basis in the common shares sold and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange. Any gain arising from such sale or disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. shareholder has held his, her or its common shares for more than one year. Otherwise, it will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of common shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received, or undistributed capital gain deemed received, with respect to such common shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of common shares may be disallowed if other common shares are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition.
In general, U.S. shareholders taxed at individual rates currently are subject to a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the shareholders income exceeds certain threshold amounts) on their net capital gain (i.e., the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses), including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in the common shares. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by such U.S. shareholders.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such persons modified adjusted gross income (in the case of an individual) or adjusted gross income (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.
Corporate U.S. shareholders currently are subject to U.S. federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 35% rate also applied to ordinary income. Non-corporate U.S. shareholders with net capital losses for a year (i.e., capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year. Any net capital losses of a non-corporate U.S. shareholder in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate U.S. shareholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carry back such losses for three years or carry forward such losses for five years.
The Fund will send to each of its U.S. shareholders, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice detailing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in such U.S. shareholders taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the federal tax status of each years distributions generally will be reported to the IRS (including the amount of dividends, if any, eligible for the preferential maximum tax rate on qualified dividend income). Dividends paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or the preferential tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income because its income generally will not consist of dividends. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on a U.S. shareholders particular situation.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional common shares pursuant to the DRIP. If the common shares are trading below net asset value, Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional common shares will be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash. If the Fund issues additional common shares with a fair market value equal to or greater than net asset value, however, Common Shareholders will be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the distributed common shares.
The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income, capital gains and dividends qualifying for the dividends-received deduction) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues preferred shares, the Fund will allocate capital gain dividends and dividends qualifying for the dividends-received deduction, if any, between its common shares and shares of preferred stock in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (backup withholding) currently at a rate of 28% from all distributions to any U.S. shareholder (other than a C corporation, a financial institution, or a shareholder that otherwise qualifies for an exemption):
· who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such shareholder is exempt from backup withholding; or
· with respect to whom the IRS notifies us that such shareholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect.
An individuals taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. shareholders federal income tax liability, provided that proper information is provided to the IRS. The Fund may be require to withhold a portion of any capital gain distributions to any U.S. shareholders who fail to certify their non-foreign status.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
Whether an investment in the Funds common shares is appropriate for a non-U.S. shareholder will depend upon that persons particular circumstances. An investment in the Funds common shares by a non-U.S. shareholder may have adverse tax consequences.
Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers before investing in common shares.
Distributions of the Funds investment company taxable income to non-U.S. shareholders (including interest income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized long-term capital losses, which generally would be free of withholding if paid to non-U.S. shareholders directly) will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits unless an applicable exception applies. If the distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder, the Fund will not be required to withhold federal tax if the non-U.S. shareholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements, although the distributions will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. persons. Special certification requirements apply to a non-U.S. shareholder that is a foreign partnership or a foreign trust, and such entities are urged to consult their own tax advisers.
Under an exemption that was recently made permanent by Congress, certain properly designated dividends are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of the RICs (i) qualified net interest income (generally, U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the RIC or the non-U.S. shareholder are at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of net short-term capital gain over long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied. No assurance can be given as to whether any of the Funds distributions will be eligible for this exemption from withholding of U.S. federal income tax or, if eligible, will be designated as such by the Fund. In particular, the exemption does not apply to distributions paid in respect of a RICs non-U.S. source interest income or dividend income. In the case of common stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold U.S. federal income tax even if the RIC designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Thus, an investment in the shares of the Fund by a non-U.S. shareholder may have adverse tax consequences as compared to a direct investment in the assets in which the Fund invests.
Actual or deemed distributions of the Funds net capital gains to a non-U.S. shareholder, and gains realized by a non-U.S. shareholder upon the sale of common shares, will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder.
The tax consequences to non-U.S. shareholders entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty or that are individuals present in the United States for 183 days or more during a taxable year may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers with respect to the procedure for claiming the benefit of a lower treaty rate and the applicability of foreign taxes.
If the Fund distributes its net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a non-U.S. shareholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the shareholders allocable share of the tax the Fund pays on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. federal income tax return. For a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, distributions (both actual and deemed), and gains realized upon the sale of common shares that are effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable treaty). Accordingly, investment in common shares may not be appropriate for a non-U.S. shareholder.
A non-U.S. shareholder who is a non-resident alien individual, and who is otherwise subject to withholding of federal tax, may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends
unless the non-U.S. shareholder provides the Fund or the dividend paying agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN (or an acceptable substitute form) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. shareholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.
The Fund (or an applicable intermediary) is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Common Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.
An investment in the shares of the Fund by an individual non-U.S. shareholder may also be subject to U.S. federal estate tax.
Non-U.S. persons should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the U.S. federal income tax and withholding tax, and state, local and foreign tax consequences of an investment in common shares.
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROXY VOTING RECORD
The Board has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the Adviser to vote the Funds proxies. The Adviser will vote proxies according to the proxy voting policies and procedures currently in effect as of the date of this SAI, a copy of which appears below. These guidelines are reviewed periodically by the Adviser as well as the Board, and, accordingly, are subject to change.
Proxy Policies
The Adviser will have the responsibility of voting proxies and corporate actions that it receives on behalf of the Fund. Proxy proposals received by the Adviser and designated in its Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Proxy Policy) as For or Against will be voted by the Adviser in accordance with the Proxy Policy. Proxy proposals received by the Adviser and designated in the Proxy Policy as Case by Case (or not addressed in the Proxy Policy) and all corporate actions will be reviewed by the Adviser and voted in the best interest of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser may vote a proxy contrary to the Proxy Policy if the Adviser, with the assistance of the analyst who is in charge of the issuer, determines that such action is in the best interest of the Fund. In the event that the Adviser votes contrary to the Proxy Policy or with respect to Case by Case issues, the Adviser, with the assistance of the analyst who is in charge of the issuer, will document the basis for the Advisers decision.
In addition, the Adviser may choose not to vote proxies or corporate actions in certain situations, such as: (i) where the Fund has informed the Adviser that it wishes to retain the right to vote the proxy or corporate action; (ii) where the Adviser deems the cost of voting would exceed any anticipated benefit to the Fund; or (iii) where a proxy or corporate action is received by the Adviser for a security it no longer manages on behalf of the Fund. The Adviser with the assistance of the analyst who is in charge of the issuer will document for the basis of the Advisers decision not to vote.
The Adviser may occasionally be subject to conflicts of interest in the voting of proxies due to business or personal relationships it maintains with persons having an interest in the outcome of certain votes. The Adviser, its affiliates and/or its employees may also occasionally have business or personal relationships with the proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors and officers or candidates for directorships. If at any time, the Adviser becomes aware of an existing or potential conflict of interest relating to a particular proxy proposal, the Advisers Conflicts Committee (Conflicts Committee), or its designee, must be notified. Provided the Conflicts Committee has determined that a conflict or potential for a conflict exists, the proxy must be voted in alignment with the recommendation set forth by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Appropriate documentation will be maintained by the Conflicts Committee.
Proxy Voting Records
Information on how the Fund voted proxies (if any) relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period will be available without charge by calling toll-free (855) 862-6092 or on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
[·] serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund and audits the financial statements of the Fund. [·] is located at [·].
LEGAL COUNSEL
Dechert LLP is counsel to the Fund. Dechert LLP is located at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10036.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements included in the annual report to the Funds shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, together with the report of [·] for the Funds annual report, and unaudited financial statements included in the semi-annual report to the Funds shareholders for the period ended April 30, 2017 are incorporated
herein by reference to the Funds annual report and semi-annual report to shareholders. All other portions of the annual report to shareholders are not incorporated herein by reference and are not part of the registration statement, the SAI, the prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
APPENDIX ADESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Moodys Investors Service Inc.A brief description of the applicable Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moodys) follows:
1. Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Moodys long-term obligation ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings use Moodys Global Scale and reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.
Moodys Long-Term Rating Definitions:
Aaa: |
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Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk. |
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Aa: |
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Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. |
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A: |
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Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. |
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Baa: |
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Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. |
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Ba: |
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Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk. |
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B: |
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Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk |
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Caa: |
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Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. |
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Ca: |
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Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. |
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C: |
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Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
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Note: |
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Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. |
Short-Term Debt Ratings
There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.
MIG 1. |
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This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. |
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MIG 2. |
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This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. |
MIG 3. |
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This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. |
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SG. |
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This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
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Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long- or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (demand feature), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating.
When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issues specific structural or credit features.
VMIG 1. |
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This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
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VMIG 2. |
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This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
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VMIG 3. |
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This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
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SG. |
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This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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2. Short-Term Ratings
Moodys short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
Moodys employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1 |
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Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
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P-2 |
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Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
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P-3 |
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Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. |
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NP |
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Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. |
NOTE: |
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Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider. |
Standard & Poors
A brief description of the applicable Standard & Poors (S&P) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:
Issue Credit Rating Definitions
A Standard & Poors issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poors view of the obligors capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days, including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
· Likelihood of payment-capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
· Nature of and provisions of the obligation;
· Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: |
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An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. |
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AA: |
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An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. |
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A: |
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An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. |
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BBB: |
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An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
BB, B, CCC, CC. and C: |
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Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. |
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BB: |
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An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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B: |
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An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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CCC: |
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An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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CC: |
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An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. |
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C: |
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A C rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the C rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instruments terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par. |
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D: |
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An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poors believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligations rating is lowered to D upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par. |
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Plus (+) or minus (-): |
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The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. |
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N.R.: |
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This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poors does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
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Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: |
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A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poors. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. |
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A-2: |
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A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. |
A-3: |
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A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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B: |
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A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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B-1: |
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A short-term obligation rated B-1 is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors. |
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B-2: |
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A short-term obligation rated B-2 is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors. |
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B-3: |
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A short-term obligation rated B-3 is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meets its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors. |
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C: |
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A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
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D: |
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A short-term obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poors believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. |
PART C - OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 25. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(1) Financial Statements:
Part A:
Financial Highlights for the period from July 25, 2013 to October 31, 2013, the years ended October 31, 2014, October 31, 2015 and October 31, 2016 and period ended April 30, 2017.
Part B:
Financial Highlights for the period from July 25, 2013 to October 31, 2013, the years ended October 31, 2014, October 31, 2015 and October 31, 2016 and period ended April 30, 2017.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of October 31, 2016 and April 30, 2017.
Statement of Operations for the year ended October 31, 2016 and six months ended April 30, 2017.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets for the year ended October 31, 2016 and six months ended April 30, 2017.
Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended October 31, 2016 and six months ended April 30, 2017.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
(2) |
Exhibits: | |
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(a)(1) |
Certificate of Trust.* |
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(a)(2) |
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust. ** |
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(a)(3) |
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust. *** |
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(a)(4) |
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.**** |
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(b) |
By-Laws.**** |
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(c) |
Not Applicable. |
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(d)(1) |
Form of Registrants Common Share Certificate. |
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(e) |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan.**** |
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(f) |
Not Applicable. |
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(g) |
Form of Investment Advisory Agreement.**** |
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(h)(1) |
Form of Underwriting Agreement. |
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(h)(2) |
Form of Dealer Manager Agreement. |
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(i) |
Not Applicable. |
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(j) |
Form of Custodian Agreement.**** |
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(k)(1) |
Form of Transfer Agency Agreement.**** |
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(k)(2) |
Form of Administration Agreement.**** |
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(k)(3) |
Form of Investor Support Services Agreement.**** |
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(k)(4) |
Form of Marketing Agent Agreement.**** |
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(k)(5) |
Form of Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement.***** |
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(l) |
Opinion and Consent of Counsel. |
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(m) |
Not Applicable. |
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(n)(i) |
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. |
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(o) |
Not Applicable. |
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(p) |
Subscription Agreement.***** |
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(q) |
Not Applicable. |
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(r)(1) |
Code of Ethics of the Fund.**** |
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(r)(2) |
Code of Ethics of the Investment Adviser.**** |
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(s) |
Powers of Attorney.± |
* Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 811- 22543 and 333-173274) filed on April 1, 2011.
** Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 811- 22543 and 333-173274) filed on February 15, 2013.
*** Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 811- 22543 and 333-173274) filed on June 5, 2013.
**** Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 811- 22543 and 333-173274) filed on June 21, 2013.
***** Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 811- 22543 and 333-173274) filed on July 23, 2013.
± Filed herewith.
To be filed by amendment.
ITEM 26. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS
The information contained under the heading Plan of Distribution on page [·] of the prospectus is incorporated by reference, and any information concerning any underwriters will be contained in the accompanying prospectus supplement, if any.
ITEM 27. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses to be incurred in connection with the offering described in this registration statement:
Registration fees |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Exchange listing fees |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Promotion |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Printing expenses |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Accounting fees and expenses |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Legal fees and expenses |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Rating agency fees |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Miscellaneous |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
Total |
|
$ |
[·] |
|
ITEM 28. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL
None.
ITEM 29 NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES AS OF JULY 31, 2017
Title of Class |
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Number of Record Holders |
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|
|
|
Common shares, par value $0.001 per share |
|
6,272 |
|
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION
Reference is made to Article V of the Registrants Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, previously filed as Exhibit (a)(4) to the Registration Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER
The Adviser, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, acts as investment adviser to the Registrant. The Registrant is fulfilling the requirement of this Item 31 to provide a list of the officers and directors of the Adviser, together with information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the Adviser or those officers and directors during the past two years, by incorporating by reference the information contained in the Form ADV of the Adviser filed with the SEC pursuant to the 1940 Act (SEC No. 801-69633, IARD/CRD# 146629).
ITEM 32. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:
(1) the Registrant, KKR Income Opportunities Fund, 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, California 94104;
(2) the Transfer Agent, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202;
(3) the Custodian, U.S. Bank, N.A., 1555 N. Rivercenter Dr., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212; and
(4) the Adviser, KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC, 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, California 94104.
ITEM 33. MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Not Applicable.
ITEM 34. UNDERTAKINGS
(1) The Registrant undertakes to suspend offering of common shares until the prospectus is amended if (1) subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement, the net asset value declines more than 10 percent from its net asset value as of the effective date of this Registration Statement or (2) the net asset value increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) If the securities being registered are to be offered to existing shareholders pursuant to warrants or rights, and any securities not taken by shareholders are to be reoffered to the public, the Registrant undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters of the securities being registered is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, the Registrant further undertakes to file a post-effective amendment to set forth the terms of such offering.
(4) The Registrant undertakes that:
(a) to file, during a period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(1) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act);
(2) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement;
(3) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement.
(b) that for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(c) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering; and
(d) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the 1933 Act to any purchaser, if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C: Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 497(b), (c), (d) or (e) under the 1933 Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A under the 1933 Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(e) that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the 1933 Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities:
The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:
(1) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 497 under the 1933 Act.
(2) the portion of any advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the 1933 Act relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and
(3) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.
(5) The Registrant undertakes that:
(a) for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective; and
(b) for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post- effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(6) The Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of an oral or written request, its Statement of Additional Information.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco in the State of California on the 3rd day of August, 2017.
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KKR Income Opportunities Fund | |
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By: |
/s/ Suzanne Donohoe |
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Name: |
Suzanne Donohoe* |
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Title: |
President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Signature |
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Title |
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Date |
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/s/ Suzanne Donohoe |
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Suzanne Donohoe* |
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President and Trustee |
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August 3, 2017 |
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/s/ Michael E. Cahill |
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Michael E. Cahill* |
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Trustee |
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August 3, 2017 |
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/s/ Tobin V. Levy |
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Tobin V. Levy* |
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Trustee |
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August 3, 2017 |
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/s/ Jeffrey L. Zlot |
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Jeffrey L. Zlot* |
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Trustee |
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August 3, 2017 |
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/s/ Thomas Murphy |
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Thomas Murphy |
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Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer |
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August 3, 2017 |
*By: |
/s/ Nicole J. Macarchuk |
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Nicole J. Macarchuk |
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as attorney-in-fact |
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* |
Pursuant to powers of attorney filed herewith. |
SCHEDULE OF EXHIBIT TO FORM N-2
Exhibit No. |
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Exhibit |
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Powers of Attorney |