Neuberger Berman
High Yield Strategies
Fund Inc.
|
Semi-Annual Report
April 30, 2012
|
Contents
|
PRESIDENT’S LETTER |
1
|
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||
PORTFOLIO COMMENTARY |
2
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SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS |
7
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
19
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS/PER SHARE DATA |
31
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|
||
Distribution Reinvestment Plan |
33
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||
Directory |
35
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|
||
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
36
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||
Quarterly Portfolio Schedule |
36
|
|
||
Recent Market Conditions |
36
|
|
Privacy Notice
|
Located after the Fund's Report |
|
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|
|
TICKER SYMBOL |
High Yield Strategies Fund
|
|
NHS
|
|
PORTFOLIO BY MATURITY
DISTRIBUTION
|
(as a % of Total Investments)
|
|
|
|
Less than One Year |
3.3
|
% | |
One to less than Five Years
|
20.5 | ||
Five to less than Ten Years
|
67.6 | ||
Ten Years or Greater
|
8.6 | ||
Total
|
100.0 | % |
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS1 |
|
|
Inception
Date
|
|
Six Month
Period Ended
04/30/2012
|
|
Average Annual Total Return
Ended 04/30/2012
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
1 Year
|
|
5 Years
|
|
Life of Fund
|
|
||||||||||
At NAV2
|
|
07/28/2003
|
|
|
8.58
|
%
|
|
|
4.02
|
%
|
|
|
9.64
|
%
|
|
|
10.97
|
%
|
|
At Market Price3
|
|
07/28/2003
|
|
|
8.64
|
%
|
|
|
6.46
|
%
|
|
|
10.63
|
%
|
|
|
10.92
|
%
|
|
Index
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
BofA Merrill Lynch
U.S. High Yield
Master II
Constrained Index4
|
|
|
|
|
6.45
|
%
|
|
|
5.13
|
%
|
|
|
7.95
|
%
|
|
|
8.80
|
%
|
|
1
|
The performance information for periods prior to August 6, 2010 is that of Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund, a predecessor to the Fund.
|
2
|
Returns based on the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund.
|
3
|
Returns based on the market price of Fund common shares on the NYSE MKT.
|
4
|
Please see “Glossary of Indices” starting on page 6 for a description of the index. Please note that indices do not take into account any fees or expenses or tax consequences of investing in the individual securities that they track, and that individuals cannot invest directly in any index. Data about the performance of the index are prepared or obtained by Management and reflect the reinvestment of income dividends and other distributions. The Fund may invest in securities not included in a described index or may not invest in all securities included in a described index.
|
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield
Master II Constrained Index:
|
|
An unmanaged market value-weighted index of all domestic and Yankee high yield bonds, including deferred interest bonds and payment-in-kind securities. Qualifying bonds must have at least one year remaining to maturity, a fixed coupon schedule and a minimum amount outstanding of $100 million. Qualifying bonds are capitalization weighted provided the total allocation to an individual issuer does not exceed 2%.
|
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
|
VALUE†
|
|||||
Bank Loan Obligationsµ (6.3%)
|
|||||||
All Telecom (0.3%)
|
|||||||
$ |
320,000
|
Level 3 Financing Inc., Term Loan B-2, 5.75%, due 9/1/18
|
|
$
|
324,320
|
¢^^
|
|
517,000
|
Level 3 Financing Inc., Term Loan B3, 5.75%, due 9/1/18
|
|
523,980
|
|
|||
|
848,300
|
||||||
Automotive (1.1%)
|
|||||||
1,391,495
|
Chrysler Automotive, Term Loan B, 6.00%, due 5/24/17
|
1,415,568
|
|
||||
1,470,000
|
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Second Lien Term Loan, due 4/15/19
|
|
1,448,861
|
¢^^
|
|||
2,864,429
|
|
||||||
Business Equipment & Services (0.4%)
|
|||||||
1,050,000
|
Monitronics, Term Loan B, 5.50%, due 3/23/18
|
1,054,200
|
|
||||
Cable & Satellite Television (0.4%)
|
|||||||
1,080,000
|
Charter Communications Operating LLC, Term Loan D, 4.00%, due 3/28/19
|
|
1,075,799
|
|
|||
Electronics—Electrical (0.3%)
|
|||||||
785,000
|
Datatel, Inc., Term Loan B, 6.25%, due 7/31/18
|
|
796,775
|
¢^^
|
|||
Financial Intermediaries (1.0%)
|
|||||||
777,007
|
First Data, Term Loan, 5.24%, due 3/24/17
|
|
741,560
|
|
|||
2,013,000
|
American General Finance Co., Term Loan B, 5.50%, due 5/10/17
|
|
1,906,895
|
¢^^
|
|||
|
|
2,648,455
|
|||||
Health Care (1.0%)
|
|||||||
1,246,350
|
EMS, Term Loan B, 5.25%, due 5/25/18
|
|
1,249,690
|
¢^^
|
|||
1,276,800
|
Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., Term Loan B, 6.25%, due 12/5/18
|
|
1,289,032
|
|
|||
|
|
2,538,722
|
|||||
Lodging & Casinos (1.0%)
|
|||||||
3,182,774
|
Harrahs Entertainment, Term Loan B5, 4.49%, due 1/28/18
|
2,792,884
|
¢^^
|
||||
Oil & Gas (0.2%)
|
|||||||
468,000
|
Everest Acquisition LLC, Term Loan B, due 5/1/18
|
472,778
|
¢^^
|
||||
Publishing (0.4%)
|
|||||||
1,152,000
|
Thomson Learning, Term Loan B1, due 7/31/17
|
1,052,997
|
¢^^
|
||||
Radio & Television (0.2%)
|
|||||||
555,000
|
Clear Channel, Term Loan A, due 7/30/14
|
514,835
|
¢^^
|
||||
Total Bank Loan Obligations (Cost $16,476,252)
|
16,660,174
|
|
|||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
VALUE†
|
|||||
Corporate Debt Securities (130.5%)
|
||||||
Airlines (1.7%)
|
||||||
$ |
1,085,000
|
|
Continental Airlines, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 6.75%, due 9/15/15
|
$
|
1,110,769
|
ñ
|
933,000
|
|
Delta Air Lines, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 9.50%, due 9/15/14
|
|
991,312
|
ñ
|
|
1,271,000
|
|
United Airlines, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 9.88%, due 8/1/13
|
|
1,328,195
|
ñ
|
|
801,491
|
|
United Airlines, Inc., Pass-Through Certificates, Ser. 2009-2, Class A, 9.75%, due 1/15/17
|
|
915,703
|
|
|
|
|
4,345,979
|
||||
Auto Loans (4.2%)
|
||||||
2,855,000
|
|
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.63%, due 8/15/17
|
|
3,281,617
|
|
|
6,200,000
|
|
Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.13%, due 1/15/20
|
|
7,851,451
|
ØØ
|
|
|
|
|
11,133,068
|
|||
Automakers (1.7%)
|
||||||
1,585,000
|
|
Chrysler Group LLC/CG Co-Issuer, Inc., Secured Notes, 8.00%, due 6/15/19
|
|
1,640,475
|
|
|
465,000
|
|
Chrysler Group LLC/CG Co-Issuer, Inc., Secured Notes, 8.25%, due 6/15/21
|
|
481,275
|
|
|
945,000
|
|
Ford Holdings, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 9.30%, due 3/1/30
|
|
1,252,125
|
|
|
845,000
|
|
Ford Motor Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.98%, due 2/15/47
|
|
1,125,963
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,499,838
|
|||
Banking (3.9%)
|
||||||
290,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 5.50%, due 2/15/17
|
|
296,389
|
|
|
1,975,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 6.25%, due 12/1/17
|
|
2,077,613
|
|
|
555,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Subordinated Notes, 8.00%, due 12/31/18
|
|
604,950
|
|
|
4,080,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.00%, due 3/15/20
|
|
4,673,742
|
ØØ
|
|
820,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 9/15/20
|
|
914,300
|
|
|
1,506,000
|
|
Ally Financial, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.00%, due 11/1/31
|
|
1,724,370
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,291,364
|
|||
Building & Construction (1.4%)
|
||||||
257,000
|
|
Beazer Homes USA, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 9.13%, due 6/15/18
|
|
218,450
|
|
|
650,000
|
|
Beazer Homes USA, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 9.13%, due 5/15/19
|
|
544,375
|
|
|
1,215,000
|
|
Shea Homes L.P., Senior Secured Notes, 8.63%, due 5/15/19
|
|
1,266,637
|
ñ
|
|
795,000
|
|
Standard Pacific Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 8.38%, due 5/15/18
|
|
840,713
|
|
|
870,000
|
|
Standard Pacific Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 8.38%, due 1/15/21
|
|
917,850
|
|
|
3,788,025 | ||||||
Building Materials (1.7%)
|
||||||
905,000
|
|
Masco Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.13%, due 10/3/16
|
|
964,725
|
|
|
1,330,000
|
|
Ply Gem Industries, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 8.25%, due 2/15/18
|
|
1,306,725
|
|
|
2,050,000
|
|
USG Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 8.38%, due 10/15/18
|
|
2,147,375
|
ñ
|
|
4,418,825 | ||||||
Chemicals (4.1%)
|
||||||
1,005,000
|
|
CF Industries, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 6.88%, due 5/1/18
|
|
1,168,313
|
|
|
485,000
|
|
Huntsman Int’l LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 8.63%, due 3/15/20
|
|
552,294
|
|
|
895,000
|
|
Huntsman Int’l LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 8.63%, due 3/15/21
|
|
1,021,419
|
|
|
3,575,000
|
|
LyondellBasell Industries NV, Senior Notes, 5.00%, due 4/15/19
|
|
3,691,187
|
ñ
|
|
725,000
|
|
LyondellBasell Industries NV, Guaranteed Notes, 6.00%, due 11/15/21
|
|
783,000
|
ñ
|
|
4,255,000
|
|
Momentive Performance Materials, Inc., Secured Notes, 9.00%, due 1/15/21
|
|
3,680,575
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,896,788
|
|||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
VALUE†
|
|||||
Computer Hardware (0.6%)
|
||||||
$ |
1,505,000
|
Seagate HDD Cayman, Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 11/1/21
|
$
|
1,632,925
|
ñ
|
|
Consumer—Commercial Lease Financing (8.9%)
|
||||||
910,000
|
American General Finance, Inc., Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Notes, Ser. I, 5.40%, due 12/1/15
|
778,050
|
|
|||
780,000
|
CIT Group, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 5/2/16
|
781,950
|
ñ
|
|||
4,011,000
|
CIT Group, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 5/2/17
|
4,021,028
|
ñ
|
|||
3,915,000
|
CIT Group, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.63%, due 4/1/18
|
4,257,562
|
ñ
|
|||
1,605,000
|
CIT Group, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 5.50%, due 2/15/19
|
1,649,138
|
ñ
|
|||
1,075,000
|
Int’l Lease Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Notes, Ser. R, 6.63%, due 11/15/13
|
1,107,250
|
|
|||
4,545,000
|
Int’l Lease Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.63%, due 9/15/15
|
5,033,587
|
|
|||
2,190,000
|
Int’l Lease Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.75%, due 3/15/17
|
2,458,275
|
|
|||
690,000
|
Int’l Lease Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.88%, due 9/1/17
|
776,250
|
|
|||
1,935,000
|
Int’l Lease Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.25%, due 5/15/19
|
1,954,093
|
|
|||
705,000
|
Springleaf Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Notes, Ser. J, 6.90%, due 12/15/17
|
575,456
|
|
|||
|
23,392,639
|
|||||
Department Stores (1.1%)
|
||||||
410,000
|
JC Penney Co., Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 5.65%, due 6/1/20
|
397,700
|
||||
2,920,000
|
Sears Holdings Corp., Secured Notes, 6.63%, due 10/15/18
|
2,591,500
|
||||
|
2,989,200
|
|||||
Diversified Capital Goods (0.3%)
|
||||||
790,000
|
Mueller Water Products, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.38%, due 6/1/17
|
791,975
|
|
|||
Electric—Generation (4.9%)
|
||||||
635,000
|
Calpine Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 7.25%, due 10/15/17
|
677,862
|
ñ
|
|||
745,000
|
Calpine Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 7.88%, due 7/31/20
|
812,050
|
ñ
|
|||
1,905,000
|
Edison Mission Energy, Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.75%, due 6/15/16
|
1,247,775
|
|
|||
2,230,000
|
Edison Mission Energy, Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.00%, due 5/15/17
|
1,393,750
|
|
|||
4,310,000
|
Edison Mission Energy, Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.20%, due 5/15/19
|
2,639,875
|
|
|||
2,220,000
|
Edison Mission Energy, Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.63%, due 5/15/27
|
1,304,250
|
|
|||
565,000
|
NRG Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 1/15/18
|
572,063
|
|
|||
1,390,000
|
NRG Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.25%, due 9/1/20
|
1,393,475
|
|
|||
2,835,000
|
NRG Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.88%, due 5/15/21
|
2,771,212
|
|
|||
12,812,312
|
||||||
Electric—Integrated (0.7%)
|
||||||
1,255,000
|
IPALCO Enterprises, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.25%, due 4/1/16
|
1,367,950
|
ñ
|
|||
500,000
|
IPALCO Enterprises, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 5.00%, due 5/1/18
|
497,500
|
|
|||
1,865,450
|
||||||
Electronics (0.8%)
|
||||||
935,000
|
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 9.25%, due 4/15/18
|
1,024,994
|
ñ
|
|||
855,000
|
NXP BV Funding LLC, Senior Secured Notes, 9.75%, due 8/1/18
|
976,837
|
ñ
|
|||
2,001,831 | ||||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
VALUE†
|
|||||
Energy—Exploration & Production (15.2%)
|
||||||
$ |
546,000
|
|
ATP Oil & Gas Corp., Secured Notes, 11.88%, due 5/1/15
|
$
|
420,420
|
|
225,000
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.88%, due 8/15/18
|
|
222,750
|
|
|
1,250,000
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.25%, due 12/15/18
|
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
1,279,000
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.78%, due 3/15/19
|
|
1,243,828
|
|
|
2,010,000
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.63%, due 8/15/20
|
|
1,959,750
|
|
|
3,165,000
|
|
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.13%, due 2/15/21
|
|
2,990,925
|
|
|
2,100,000
|
|
Cimarex Energy Co., Guaranteed Notes, 5.88%, due 5/1/22
|
|
2,173,500
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
Concho Resources, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 1/15/21
|
|
1,305,000
|
|
|
720,000
|
|
Concho Resources, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 5.50%, due 10/1/22
|
|
720,000
|
|
|
2,850,000
|
|
Denbury Resources, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.25%, due 2/15/20
|
|
3,177,750
|
|
|
2,135,000
|
|
Everest Acquisition LLC, Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.38%, due 5/1/20
|
|
2,273,775
|
ñ
|
|
2,920,000
|
|
EXCO Resources, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 9/15/18
|
|
2,489,300
|
|
|
2,205,000
|
|
Linn Energy LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 6.25%, due 11/1/19
|
|
2,171,925
|
ñ
|
|
1,255,000
|
|
Linn Energy LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 8.63%, due 4/15/20
|
|
1,371,087
|
|
|
2,260,000
|
|
Linn Energy LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 2/1/21
|
|
2,384,300
|
|
|
1,555,000
|
|
Newfield Exploration Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 5.75%, due 1/30/22
|
|
1,656,075
|
|
|
845,000
|
|
Plains Exploration & Production Co., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 6/1/18
|
|
899,925
|
|
|
680,000
|
|
Plains Exploration & Production Co., Guaranteed Notes, 8.63%, due 10/15/19
|
|
765,000
|
|
|
330,000
|
|
Plains Exploration & Production Co., Guaranteed Notes, 6.63%, due 5/1/21
|
|
343,200
|
|
|
1,515,000
|
|
Plains Exploration & Production Co., Guaranteed Notes, 6.75%, due 2/1/22
|
|
1,575,600
|
|
|
323,000
|
|
Quicksilver Resources, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 11.75%, due 1/1/16
|
|
339,958
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
Range Resources Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 5.75%, due 6/1/21
|
523,750
|
|
||
690,000
|
|
Range Resources Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 5.00%, due 8/15/22
|
688,275
|
|
||
1,350,000
|
|
SandRidge Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.00%, due 6/1/18
|
1,400,625
|
ñ
|
||
930,000
|
|
SandRidge Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 3/15/21
|
939,300
|
|
||
1,150,000
|
|
SandRidge Energy, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.13%, due 10/15/22
|
1,193,125
|
ñ
|
||
1,053,000
|
|
WPX Energy, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 5.25%, due 1/15/17
|
1,042,470
|
ñ
|
||
2,515,000
|
|
WPX Energy, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.00%, due 1/15/22
|
2,445,837
|
ñ
|
||
|
39,967,450
|
|||||
Food & Drug Retailers (0.8%)
|
||||||
560,000
|
|
Rite Aid Corp., Secured Notes, 10.25%, due 10/15/19
|
|
649,600
|
||
1,170,000
|
|
Rite Aid Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 8.00%, due 8/15/20
|
|
1,354,275
|
||
|
|
|
2,003,875
|
|||
Gaming (5.4%)
|
||||||
375,000
|
|
Boyd Gaming Corp., Senior Subordinated Notes, 7.13%, due 2/1/16
|
365,625
|
|
||
695,000
|
|
Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 8.50%, due 2/15/20
|
715,850
|
ñ
|
||
1,090,000
|
|
CityCenter Holdings LLC, Senior Secured Notes, 7.63%, due 1/15/16
|
1,152,675
|
ñ
|
||
725,000
|
|
CityCenter Holdings LLC, Senior Secured Notes, 7.63%, due 1/15/16
|
768,500
|
|
||
2,047,538
|
|
CityCenter Holdings LLC, Secured Notes, 10.75%, due 1/15/17
|
2,203,435
|
¢¢
|
||
975,000
|
|
MGM Mirage, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 6/1/16
|
1,014,000
|
|
||
730,000
|
|
MGM Mirage, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 9.00%, due 3/15/20
|
813,950
|
|
||
4,285,000
|
|
MGM Resorts Int’l, Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 3/15/22
|
4,392,125
|
|
||
890,979
|
|
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 4/1/22
|
944,438
|
|
||
1,090,000
|
|
Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida, Notes, 7.75%, due 10/1/17
|
1,185,375
|
ñ
|
||
691,000
|
|
Wynn Las Vegas LLC, 1st Mortgage, 7.75%, due 8/15/20
|
763,555
|
|
||
|
|
14,319,528
|
||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
VALUE†
|
||||||
Gas Distribution (8.5%)
|
|||||||
$ |
1,710,000
|
|
AmeriGas Finance LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 6.75%, due 5/20/20
|
$
|
1,748,475
|
|
|
1,825,000
|
|
AmeriGas Finance LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 5/20/22
|
|
1,861,500
|
|
||
1,510,000
|
|
Chesapeake Midstream Partners L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 6.13%, due 7/15/22
|
|
1,453,375
|
|
||
970,000
|
|
El Paso Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.00%, due 6/15/17
|
|
1,090,929
|
|
||
280,000
|
|
El Paso Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.25%, due 6/1/18
|
|
320,359
|
|
||
1,145,000
|
|
El Paso Corp., Senior Unsecured Global Medium-Term Notes, 7.75%, due 1/15/32
|
|
1,308,271
|
|
||
1,315,000
|
|
El Paso Energy Corp., Senior Unsecured Global Medium-Term Notes, 7.80%, due 8/1/31
|
|
1,499,581
|
|
||
2,700,000
|
|
Energy Transfer Equity L.P., Senior Secured Notes, 7.50%, due 10/15/20
|
|
2,990,250
|
|
||
1,990,000
|
|
Ferrellgas L.P., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.13%, due 10/1/17
|
|
2,094,475
|
|
||
1,135,000
|
|
Inergy L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 10/1/18
|
|
1,163,375
|
|
||
545,000
|
|
Inergy L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 6.88%, due 8/1/21
|
|
550,450
|
|
||
1,295,000
|
|
Kinder Morgan Finance Co., Guaranteed Notes, 5.70%, due 1/5/16
|
|
1,359,750
|
|
||
810,000
|
|
Kinder Morgan Finance Co., Senior Secured Notes, 6.00%, due 1/15/18
|
|
850,500
|
ñ
|
||
2,505,000
|
|
MarkWest Energy Partners L.P., Guaranteed Notes, Ser. B, 8.75%, due 4/15/18
|
|
2,755,500
|
|
||
1,360,000
|
|
Regency Energy Partners L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 6.88%, due 12/1/18
|
|
1,441,600
|
|
||
|
|
|
22,488,390
|
||||
Health Facilities (5.2%)
|
|||||||
695,000
|
|
Columbia Healthcare Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.50%, due 12/15/23
|
|
661,987
|
|
||
800,000
|
|
Columbia/HCA Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.69%, due 6/15/25
|
|
768,000
|
|
||
545,000
|
|
Columbia/HCA Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.05%, due 12/1/27
|
|
485,050
|
|
||
2,340,000
|
|
HCA, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 6.50%, due 2/15/20
|
|
2,503,800
|
|
||
550,000
|
|
HCA, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.88%, due 2/15/20
|
|
610,500
|
|
||
1,495,000
|
|
HCA, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 5.88%, due 3/15/22
|
|
1,519,294
|
|
||
860,000
|
|
Kindred Healthcare, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.25%, due 6/1/19
|
|
758,950
|
|
||
2,090,000
|
|
OMEGA Healthcare Investors, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 6.75%, due 10/15/22
|
|
2,194,500
|
|
||
555,000
|
|
Tenet Healthcare Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.25%, due 2/1/15
|
|
620,212
|
|
||
1,195,000
|
|
Tenet Healthcare Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 8.88%, due 7/1/19
|
|
1,339,894
|
|
||
470,000
|
|
Universal Health Services, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.13%, due 6/30/16
|
|
532,275
|
|
||
1,520,000
|
|
USPI Finance Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.00%, due 4/1/20
|
|
1,592,200
|
ñ
|
||
|
|
|
13,586,662 | ||||
Hotels (0.7%)
|
|||||||
1,670,000
|
|
Host Hotels & Resorts L.P., Unsubordinated Notes, Ser. W, 5.88%, due 6/15/19
|
|
1,774,375
|
|
||
Investments & Misc. Financial Services (2.5%)
|
|||||||
3,680,000
|
|
Icahn Enterprises L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 1/15/16
|
|
3,873,200
|
|
||
2,565,000
|
|
Icahn Enterprises L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 8.00%, due 1/15/18
|
|
2,741,344
|
|
||
|
|
|
6,614,544 | ||||
Leisure (0.5%)
|
|||||||
1,155,000
|
Cedar Fair L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 9.13%, due 8/1/18
|
1,293,600
|
|
||||
Machinery (2.3%)
|
|||||||
2,845,000
|
|
Case New Holland, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.88%, due 12/1/17
|
|
3,314,425
|
|||
510,000
|
|
Terex Corp., Senior Subordinated Notes, 8.00%, due 11/15/17
|
|
534,225
|
|||
1,220,000
|
|
Terex Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.50%, due 4/1/20
|
|
1,253,550
|
|||
910,000
|
|
The Manitowoc Co., Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.50%, due 11/1/20
|
|
1,010,100
|
ØØ
|
||
|
|
6,112,300
|
|||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments |
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
|
VALUE†
|
|
||||||
Media—Broadcast (4.5%)
|
|
||||||||
$
|
685,000
|
|
|
AMC Networks, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 7/15/21
|
|
$
|
765,487
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,675,000
|
|
|
Clear Channel Communications, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 5.50%, due 9/15/14
|
|
|
1,476,094
|
|
|
|
2,410,000
|
|
|
Clear Channel Communications, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 10.75%, due 8/1/16
|
|
|
1,777,375
|
|
|
|
1,220,000
|
|
|
Cumulus Media Holdings, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 5/1/19
|
|
|
1,154,425
|
|
|
|
1,330,000
|
|
|
Sirius XM Radio, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.75%, due 4/1/15
|
|
|
1,509,550
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,080,000
|
|
|
Univision Communications, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 6.88%, due 5/15/19
|
|
|
1,092,150
|
ñ
|
|
|
375,000
|
|
|
Univision Communications, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.88%, due 11/1/20
|
|
|
390,938
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,530,000
|
|
|
Univision Communications, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.50%, due 5/15/21
|
|
|
1,510,875
|
ñ
|
|
|
885,000
|
|
|
XM Satellite Radio, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 13.00%, due 8/1/13
|
|
|
1,001,156
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,055,000
|
|
|
XM Satellite Radio, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 11/1/18
|
|
|
1,149,950
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
11,828,000
|
|
|
||||
Media—Cable (5.2%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,395,000
|
|
|
CCO Holdings LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 7.25%, due 10/30/17
|
|
|
1,517,062
|
|
|
|
70,000
|
|
|
CCO Holdings LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 1/15/19
|
|
|
74,900
|
|
|
|
1,040,000
|
|
|
CCO Holdings LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 8.13%, due 4/30/20
|
|
|
1,164,800
|
|
|
|
2,090,000
|
|
|
Cequel Communications Holdings I LLC/Cequel Capital Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.63%, due 11/15/17
|
|
|
2,257,200
|
ñ
|
|
|
2,280,000
|
|
|
CSC Holdings LLC, Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.75%, due 11/15/21
|
|
|
2,365,500
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,060,000
|
|
|
CSC Holdings, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.63%, due 7/15/18
|
|
|
1,173,950
|
|
|
|
485,000
|
|
|
DISH DBS Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 5/31/15
|
|
|
545,625
|
|
|
|
1,350,000
|
|
|
DISH DBS Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.75%, due 6/1/21
|
|
|
1,478,250
|
|
|
|
530,000
|
|
|
EchoStar DBS Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.13%, due 2/1/16
|
|
|
586,975
|
|
|
|
1,245,000
|
|
|
Videotron Ltee, Guaranteed Notes, 9.13%, due 4/15/18
|
|
|
1,375,725
|
|
|
|
1,076,000
|
|
|
Virgin Media Finance PLC, Guaranteed Notes, Ser.1, 9.50%, due 8/15/16
|
|
|
1,205,120
|
|
|
|
|
|
13,745,107
|
|
|
||||
Media—Services (1.7%)
|
|
||||||||
|
650,000
|
|
|
Clear Channel Worldwide Holdings, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, Ser. B, 9.25%, due 12/15/17
|
|
|
712,562
|
|
|
|
135,000
|
|
|
WMG Acquisition Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 9.50%, due 6/15/16
|
|
|
147,488
|
ñ
|
|
|
3,320,000
|
|
|
WMG Acquisition Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 9.50%, due 6/15/16
|
|
|
3,627,100
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,487,150
|
|
|
||||
Medical Products (1.2%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,170,000
|
|
|
Fresenius Medical Care US Finance II, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 5.63%, due 7/31/19
|
|
|
1,190,475
|
ñ
|
|
|
410,000
|
|
|
Fresenius Medical Care US Finance II, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 5.88%, due 1/31/22
|
|
|
416,663
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,520,000
|
|
|
Fresenius Medical Care US Finance, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 6.50%, due 9/15/18
|
|
|
1,626,400
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
3,233,538
|
|
|
||||
Metals—Mining Excluding Steel (4.2%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,215,000
|
|
|
Arch Coal, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.25%, due 10/1/20
|
|
|
1,087,425
|
|
|
|
755,000
|
|
|
Arch Coal, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.25%, due 6/15/21
|
|
|
673,837
|
ñ
|
|
|
4,625,000
|
|
|
FMG Resources (August 2006) Pty Ltd., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 11/1/15
|
|
|
4,786,875
|
ñ
|
|
|
2,005,000
|
|
|
FMG Resources (August 2006) Pty Ltd., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.00%, due 4/1/17
|
|
|
2,040,087
|
ñ
|
|
|
85,000
|
|
|
Peabody Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.38%, due 11/1/16
|
|
|
94,138
|
|
|
|
1,915,000
|
|
|
Peabody Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.00%, due 11/15/18
|
|
|
1,943,725
|
ñ
|
|
|
480,000
|
|
|
Peabody Energy Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.50%, due 9/15/20
|
|
|
493,200
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,119,287
|
|
|
||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments |
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
|
VALUE†
|
|
||||||
Packaging (5.2%)
|
|
||||||||
$
|
480,000
|
|
|
Ball Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.38%, due 9/1/19
|
|
$
|
534,000
|
|
|
|
3,055,000
|
|
|
Berry Plastics Corp., Secured Notes, 9.50%, due 5/15/18
|
|
|
3,238,300
|
|
|
|
4,465,000
|
|
|
Berry Plastics Corp., Secured Notes, 9.75%, due 1/15/21
|
|
|
4,878,012
|
ØØ
|
|
|
1,040,000
|
|
|
Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.38%, due 5/15/16
|
|
|
1,175,200
|
|
|
|
30,000
|
|
|
Reynolds Group Issuer, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.13%, due 4/15/19
|
|
|
31,350
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,875,000
|
|
|
Reynolds Group Issuer, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.88%, due 8/15/19
|
|
|
2,025,000
|
ñ
|
|
|
695,000
|
|
|
Reynolds Group Issuer, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.88%, due 8/15/19
|
|
|
724,538
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,045,000
|
|
|
Reynolds Group Issuer, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 6.88%, due 2/15/21
|
|
|
1,076,350
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
13,682,750
|
|
|
||||
Pharmaceuticals (2.8%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,055,000
|
|
|
Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 7/15/19
|
|
|
1,126,212
|
|
|
|
1,040,000
|
|
|
Mylan, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 7/15/17
|
|
|
1,151,800
|
ñ
|
|
|
615,000
|
|
|
Mylan, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.88%, due 7/15/20
|
|
|
688,800
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,170,000
|
|
|
Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.50%, due 12/1/19
|
|
|
1,281,150
|
ñ
|
|
|
2,355,000
|
|
|
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Int’l, Guaranteed Notes, 6.50%, due 7/15/16
|
|
|
2,440,369
|
ñ
|
|
|
630,000
|
|
|
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Int’l, Guaranteed Notes, 6.75%, due 10/1/17
|
|
|
648,113
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
7,336,444
|
|
|
||||
Printing & Publishing (5.7%)
|
|
||||||||
|
935,000
|
|
|
Cengage Learning Acquisitions, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 11.50%, due 4/15/20
|
|
|
984,088
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,195,000
|
|
|
Gannett Co., Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 9.38%, due 11/15/17
|
|
|
1,350,350
|
|
|
|
2,305,000
|
|
|
Gannett Co., Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.13%, due 9/1/18
|
|
|
2,449,062
|
|
|
|
885,000
|
|
|
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.60%, due 8/15/16
|
|
|
927,038
|
|
|
|
4,735,000
|
|
|
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.25%, due 5/15/18
|
|
|
4,581,112
|
ØØ
|
|
|
1,200,000
|
|
|
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.63%, due 6/15/20
|
|
|
1,138,500
|
|
|
|
1,660,000
|
|
|
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.25%, due 3/15/19
|
|
|
1,647,550
|
|
|
|
2,520,000
|
|
|
TL Acquisitions, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 10.50%, due 1/15/15
|
|
|
2,009,700
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
15,087,400
|
|
|
||||
Real Estate Dev. & Mgt. (0.4%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,005,000
|
|
|
Realogy Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 7.63%, due 1/15/20
|
|
|
1,042,688
|
ñ
|
|
Software—Services (4.9%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,265,000
|
|
|
Ceridian Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 11.25%, due 11/15/15
|
|
|
1,204,912
|
|
|
|
1,903,125
|
|
|
Ceridian Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 12.25%, due 11/15/15
|
|
|
1,822,242
|
¢¢
|
|
|
840,000
|
|
|
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 7/15/17
|
|
|
921,900
|
|
|
|
820,000
|
|
|
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.88%, due 7/15/20
|
|
|
918,400
|
|
|
|
3,110,000
|
|
|
First Data Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 11.25%, due 3/31/16
|
|
|
2,861,200
|
|
|
|
1,055,000
|
|
|
First Data Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 7.38%, due 6/15/19
|
|
|
1,078,738
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,420,000
|
|
|
Sophia, L.P., Guaranteed Notes, 9.75%, due 1/15/19
|
|
|
1,522,950
|
ñ
|
|
|
515,000
|
|
|
SunGard Data Systems, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.38%, due 11/15/18
|
|
|
549,763
|
|
|
|
515,000
|
|
|
SunGard Data Systems, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.63%, due 11/15/20
|
|
|
549,119
|
|
|
|
1,395,000
|
|
|
Syniverse Holdings, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 9.13%, due 1/15/19
|
|
|
1,546,706
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,975,930
|
|
|
||||
Specialty Retail (1.7%)
|
|
||||||||
|
3,425,000
|
|
|
Toys “R” Us Property Co. I LLC, Guaranteed Notes, 10.75%, due 7/15/17
|
|
|
3,767,500
|
ØØ
|
|
|
790,000
|
|
|
Toys “R” Us Property Co. I LLC, Senior Secured Notes, 8.50%, due 12/1/17
|
|
|
821,600
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,589,100
|
|
|
||||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
|
|
VALUE†
|
|
||||||
Steel Producers—Products (0.2%)
|
|
||||||||
$
|
560,000
|
|
|
United States Steel Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.65%, due 6/1/37
|
|
$
|
466,200
|
|
|
Support—Services (1.3%)
|
|
||||||||
|
300,000
|
|
|
Hertz Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 10/15/18
|
|
|
321,750
|
|
|
|
990,000
|
|
|
Iron Mountain, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 10/1/19
|
|
|
1,079,100
|
|
|
|
1,240,000
|
|
|
Knowledge Learning Corp., Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 2/1/15
|
|
|
1,007,500
|
ñ
|
|
|
570,000
|
|
|
RSC Equipment Rental, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.25%, due 2/1/21
|
|
|
615,600
|
|
|
|
300,000
|
|
|
UR Financing Escrow Corp., Secured Notes, 5.75%, due 7/15/18
|
|
|
309,750
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
3,333,700
|
|
|
||||
Telecom—Integrated Services (10.1%)
|
|
||||||||
|
460,000
|
|
|
CenturyLink, Inc., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.45%, due 6/15/21
|
|
|
478,756
|
|
|
|
4,020,000
|
|
|
Citizens Communications Co., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.00%, due 8/15/31
|
|
|
3,829,050
|
|
|
|
1,140,000
|
|
|
Frontier Communications Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.25%, due 4/15/17
|
|
|
1,228,350
|
|
|
|
585,000
|
|
|
Frontier Communications Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 8.50%, due 4/15/20
|
|
|
608,400
|
|
|
|
3,570,000
|
|
|
Integra Telecom Holdings, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 10.75%, due 4/15/16
|
|
|
3,382,575
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,353,290
|
|
|
Intelsat Bermuda Ltd., Guaranteed Notes, 11.50%, due 2/4/17
|
|
|
1,410,805
|
¢¢
|
|
|
670,000
|
|
|
Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA, Guaranteed Notes, 8.50%, due 11/1/19
|
|
|
738,675
|
|
|
|
1,370,000
|
|
|
Level 3 Escrow, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.13%, due 7/1/19
|
|
|
1,407,675
|
ñ
|
|
|
500,000
|
|
|
Level 3 Financing, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.75%, due 2/15/17
|
|
|
520,000
|
|
|
|
1,225,000
|
|
|
Level 3 Financing, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 8.63%, due 7/15/20
|
|
|
1,283,188
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,280,000
|
|
|
PAETEC Holding Corp., Senior Secured Notes, 8.88%, due 6/30/17
|
|
|
1,398,400
|
|
|
|
510,000
|
|
|
PAETEC Holding Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 9.88%, due 12/1/18
|
|
|
577,575
|
|
|
|
1,475,000
|
|
|
Qwest Communications Int’l, Inc., Guaranteed Notes, 7.13%, due 4/1/18
|
|
|
1,574,562
|
|
|
|
140,000
|
|
|
Qwest Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 7.50%, due 10/1/14
|
|
|
157,500
|
|
|
|
1,770,000
|
|
|
Qwest Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.75%, due 12/1/21
|
|
|
1,993,963
|
|
|
|
1,500,000
|
|
|
U.S. West Communications Group, Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.88%, due 9/15/33
|
|
|
1,505,625
|
|
|
|
2,875,000
|
|
|
Windstream Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.75%, due 10/1/21
|
|
|
3,083,437
|
ØØ
|
|
|
1,465,000
|
|
|
Windstream Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.50%, due 6/1/22
|
|
|
1,534,588
|
|
|
|
|
|
26,713,124
|
|
|
||||
Telecom—Wireless (4.3%)
|
|
||||||||
|
1,940,000
|
|
|
Cricket Communications, Inc., Senior Secured Notes, 7.75%, due 5/15/16
|
|
|
2,041,850
|
|
|
|
200,000
|
|
|
Crown Castle Int’l Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 9.00%, due 1/15/15
|
|
|
221,000
|
|
|
|
3,685,000
|
|
|
Sprint Capital Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 6.88%, due 11/15/28
|
|
|
2,754,537
|
|
|
|
1,700,000
|
|
|
Sprint Capital Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 8.75%, due 3/15/32
|
|
|
1,440,750
|
|
|
|
805,000
|
|
|
Sprint Nextel Corp., Senior Unsecured Notes, 6.00%, due 12/1/16
|
|
|
730,538
|
|
|
|
475,000
|
|
|
Sprint Nextel Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 9.00%, due 11/15/18
|
|
|
523,094
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,940,000
|
|
|
Sprint Nextel Corp., Guaranteed Notes, 7.00%, due 3/1/20
|
|
|
1,978,800
|
ñ
|
|
|
455,000
|
|
|
Wind Acquisition Finance SA, Guaranteed Notes, 7.25%, due 2/15/18
|
|
|
429,975
|
ñ
|
|
|
1,180,000
|
|
|
Wind Acquisition Finance SA, Senior Secured Notes, 7.25%, due 2/15/18
|
|
|
1,121,000
|
ñ
|
|
|
|
|
11,241,544
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
Total Corporate Debt Securities (Cost $333,986,289)
|
|
|
343,902,905
|
|
|
|
NUMBER OF SHARES
|
|
|
|
||||||
Short-Term Investments (4.7%)
|
|
||||||||
|
12,256,035
|
|
|
State Street Institutional Liquid Reserves Fund Institutional Class (Cost $12,256,035)
|
|
|
12,256,035
|
|
|
|
Total Investments (141.5%) (Cost $362,718,576)
|
|
|
372,819,114
|
##
|
|
|||
|
Liabilities, less cash, receivables and other assets [(31.2%)]
|
|
|
(82,081,358
|
)Øر
|
||||
|
Liquidation Value of Perpetual Preferred Shares [(10.3%)]
|
|
|
(27,175,000
|
)
|
|
|||
|
Total Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders (100.0%)
|
|
$
|
263,562,756
|
|
|
|||
See Notes to Schedule of Investments
|
†
|
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), all investments held by Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) are carried at the value that Neuberger Berman Management LLC (“Management”) believes the Fund would receive upon selling an investment in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment under current market conditions. Various inputs, including the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability in the market, are considered in valuing the Fund’s investments, some of which are discussed below. Significant management judgment may be necessary to value investments in accordance with ASC 820.
|
||
ASC 820 established a three-tier hierarchy of inputs to create a classification of value measurements for disclosure purposes. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below.
|
|||
●
|
Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical investments
|
||
●
|
Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, amortized cost, etc.)
|
||
●
|
Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)
|
||
The inputs or methodology used for valuing an investment are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.
|
|||
The value of the Fund’s investments in debt securities is determined by Management primarily by obtaining valuations from independent pricing services based on readily available bid quotations, or if quotations are not available, by methods which include various considerations based on security type (generally Level 2 inputs). In addition to the consideration of yields or prices of securities of comparable quality, coupon, maturity and type; indications as to values from dealers; and general market conditions, the following is a description of other Level 2 inputs and related valuation techniques used by an independent pricing service to value certain types of debt securities of the Fund:
|
|||
Corporate Debt Securities. Inputs used to value corporate debt securities generally include relative credit information, observed market movements, sector news, spread to the U.S. Treasury market, and other market information which may include benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, issuer spreads, benchmark securities, bids, offers, and reference data, such as market research publications, when available (“Other Market Information”).
|
|||
High Yield Securities. Inputs used to value high yield securities generally include a number of observations of equity and credit default swap curves related to the issuer and Other Market Information.
|
|||
Bank Loans. Inputs used by independent pricing services to value bank loan securities include multiple broker quotes (generally Level 2 inputs).
|
|||
The value of the Fund’s investments in interest rate swap contracts is determined by Management primarily by obtaining valuations from independent pricing services based on references to the underlying rates including the overnight index swap rate and London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) forward rate to produce the daily settlement price (generally Level 2 inputs).
|
|||
Management has developed a process to periodically review information provided by independent pricing services for all types of securities.
|
|||
Investments in State Street Institutional Liquid Reserves Fund Institutional Class are valued using the fund’s daily calculated net asset value per share (Level 2 inputs).
|
If a valuation is not available from an independent pricing service, or if Management has reason to believe that the valuation received does not represent the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive on a current sale in an orderly transaction, the Fund seeks to obtain quotations from principal market makers (generally considered Level 3 inputs). If such quotations are not readily available, the security is valued using methods the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has approved on the belief that they reflect fair value. Numerous factors may be considered when determining the fair value of a security based on Level 2 or 3 inputs, including available analyst, media or other reports, trading in futures or ADRs and whether the issuer of the security being fair valued has other securities outstanding.
|
|
Fair value prices are necessarily estimates, and there is no assurance that such a price will be at or close to the price at which the security is next quoted or next trades.
|
|
The following is a summary, categorized by Level, of inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of April 30, 2012:
|
Investments:
|
Level 1
|
|
Level 2
|
|
Level 3§
|
|
Total
|
||||||||
Bank Loan Obligations^
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
16,660,174
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
16,660,174
|
Corporate Debt Securities
|
|||||||||||||||
Airlines
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
3,430,276
|
|
|
|
915,703
|
|
|
|
4,345,979
|
Auto Loans
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
11,133,068
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
11,133,068
|
Automakers
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
4,499,838
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
4,499,838
|
Banking
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,291,364
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,291,364
|
Building & Construction
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
3,788,025
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
3,788,025
|
Building Materials
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
4,418,825
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
4,418,825
|
Chemicals
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,896,788
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,896,788
|
Computer Hardware
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,632,925
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,632,925
|
Consumer—Commercial Lease Financing
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
23,392,639
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
23,392,639
|
Department Stores
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,989,200
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,989,200
|
Diversified Capital Goods
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
791,975
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
791,975
|
Electric—Generation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
12,812,312
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
12,812,312
|
Electric—Integrated
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,865,450
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,865,450
|
Electronics
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,001,831
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,001,831
|
Energy—Exploration & Production
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
39,967,450
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
39,967,450
|
Food & Drug Retailers
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,003,875
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
2,003,875
|
Gaming
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
14,319,528
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
14,319,528
|
Gas Distribution
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
22,488,390
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
22,488,390
|
Health Facilities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
13,586,662
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
13,586,662
|
Hotels
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,774,375
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,774,375
|
Investments & Misc. Financial Services
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
6,614,544
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
6,614,544
|
Leisure
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,293,600
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1,293,600
|
Machinery
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
6,112,300
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
6,112,300
|
Media—Broadcast
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
11,828,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
11,828,000
|
Media—Cable
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
13,745,107
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
13,745,107
|
Investments:
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3§
|
Total | ||||||||||||
Media—Services
|
$ | — | $ | 4,487,150 | $ | — | $ | 4,487,150 | ||||||||
Medical Products
|
— | 3,233,538 | — | 3,233,538 | ||||||||||||
Metals—Mining Excluding Steel
|
— | 11,119,287 | — | 11,119,287 | ||||||||||||
Packaging
|
— | 13,682,750 | — | 13,682,750 | ||||||||||||
Pharmaceuticals
|
— | 7,336,444 | — | 7,336,444 | ||||||||||||
Printing & Publishing
|
— | 15,087,400 | — | 15,087,400 | ||||||||||||
Real Estate Dev. & Mgt.
|
— | 1,042,688 | — | 1,042,688 | ||||||||||||
Software—Services
|
— | 12,975,930 | — | 12,975,930 | ||||||||||||
Specialty Retail
|
— | 4,589,100 | — | 4,589,100 | ||||||||||||
Steel Producers—Products
|
— | 466,200 | — | 466,200 | ||||||||||||
Support—Services
|
— | 3,333,700 | — | 3,333,700 | ||||||||||||
Telecom—Integrated Services
|
— | 26,713,124 | — | 26,713,124 | ||||||||||||
Telecom—Wireless
|
— | 11,241,544 | — | 11,241,544 | ||||||||||||
Total Corporate Debt Securities
|
— | 342,987,202 | 915,703 | 343,902,905 | ||||||||||||
Short-Term Investments
|
— | 12,256,035 | — | 12,256,035 | ||||||||||||
Total Investments
|
$ | — | $ | 371,903,411 | $ | 915,703 | $ | 372,819,114 |
^
|
The Schedule of Investments provides information on the industry categorization for the portfolio.
|
§ |
The following is a reconciliation between the beginning and ending balances of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining value:
|
Beginning
balance, as
of 11/1/11
|
Accrued
discounts/
(premiums)
|
Realized
gain/loss
and change
in unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)
|
Purchases
|
Sales
|
Transfers
in to
Level 3
|
Transfers
out of
Level 3
|
Balance as
of 4/30/12
|
Net change in
unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)
from
investments
still held
as of 4/30/12
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investments in
Securities:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Corporate Debt
Securities
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Airlines
|
$922,070 | $— | $45,911 | $— | $(52,278) | $— | $— | $915,703 | $48,133 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$922,070 | $— | $45,911 | $— | $(52,278) | $— | $— | $915,703 | $48,133 |
|
|
Level 1
|
|
Level 2
|
|
Level 3
|
|
Total
|
||||||||
Interest rate swap contracts
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$(3,423,752)
|
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
|
$(3,423,752)
|
|
## |
At April 30, 2012, the cost of investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes was $362,924,232. Gross unrealized appreciation of investments was $15,011,522 and gross unrealized depreciation of investments was $5,116,640, resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $9,894,882 based on cost for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
|
ñ |
Restricted security subject to restrictions on resale under federal securities laws. Securities were purchased under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 or are private placements and, unless registered under the Act or exempted from registration, may only be sold to qualified institutional investors. These securities have been deemed by the investment manager to be liquid. At April 30, 2012, these securities amounted to $97,562,675 or 37.0% of net assets applicable to common shareholders.
|
µ |
Floating rate securities are securities whose yields vary with a designated market index or market rate. These securities are shown at their current rates as of April 30, 2012, and their final maturity dates.
|
ØØ |
All or a portion of this security is segregated in connection with obligations for interest rate swap contracts and delayed delivery purchase commitments. In addition, the Fund had deposited $3,350,000 in a segregated account for interest rate swap contracts.
|
¢¢ |
Payment-in-kind security for which part of the income earned may be paid as additional principal.
|
¢ |
All or a portion of this security was purchased on a delayed delivery basis.
|
^^
|
All or a portion of this security has not settled as of April 30, 2012 and thus may not have an interest rate in effect. Interest rates do not take effect until settlement.
|
± |
See Note A-10 in the Notes to Financial Statements for the Fund’s open positions in derivatives at April 30, 2012.
|
Neuberger Berman
|
HIGH YIELD
STRATEGIES
FUND INC.
|
|||
|
April 30, 2012
|
|||
Assets
|
||||
Investments in securities, at value* (Note A)—see Schedule of Investments:
|
||||
Unaffiliated issuers
|
$ | 372,819,114 | ||
Deposits with brokers for open swap contracts
|
3,350,000 | |||
Interest receivable
|
6,989,923 | |||
Receivable for securities sold
|
4,499,763 | |||
Prepaid expenses and other assets
|
395,511 | |||
Total Assets
|
388,054,311 | |||
Liabilities
|
||||
Notes payable (Note A)
|
82,600,000 | |||
Interest rate swaps, at value (Note A)
|
3,423,752 | |||
Distributions payable—preferred shares
|
78,817 | |||
Distributions payable—common shares
|
7 | |||
Payable for securities purchased
|
10,752,296 | |||
Payable to investment manager—net (Note B)
|
166,806 | |||
Payable to administrator (Note B)
|
15,164 | |||
Interest payable
|
132,877 | |||
Accrued expenses and other payables
|
146,836 | |||
Total Liabilities
|
97,316,555 | |||
Perpetual Preferred Shares Series A (1,087 shares issued and outstanding) at liquidation value
|
27,175,000 | |||
Net Assets applicable to Common Shareholders at value
|
$ | 263,562,756 | ||
Net Assets applicable to Common Shareholders consist of:
|
||||
Paid-in capital—common shares
|
$ | 294,642,452 | ||
Undistributed net investment income (loss)
|
221,011 | |||
Accumulated net realized gains (losses) on investments
|
(37,977,493 | ) | ||
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in value of investments
|
6,676,786 | |||
Net Assets applicable to Common Shareholders at value
|
$ | 263,562,756 | ||
Common Shares Outstanding (no par value; unlimited number of shares authorized)
|
19,509,572 | |||
Net Asset Value Per Common Share Outstanding
|
$ | 13.51 | ||
*Cost of Investments
|
$ | 362,718,576 |
Neuberger Berman
|
HIGH YIELD
|
|||
STRATEGIES
|
||||
FUND INC.
|
||||
|
For the Six Months
|
|||
Ended
|
||||
April 30, 2012
|
||||
Investment Income:
|
||||
Income (Note A):
|
||||
Interest income—unaffiliated issuers
|
$ | 13,900,898 | ||
Expenses:
|
||||
Investment management fees (Note B)
|
1,086,721 | |||
Administration fees (Note B)
|
90,560 | |||
Audit fees
|
27,722 | |||
Basic maintenance expense (Note A)
|
12,432 | |||
Custodian fees (Note A)
|
64,136 | |||
Insurance expense
|
9,449 | |||
Legal fees
|
66,355 | |||
Shareholder reports
|
50,729 | |||
Stock exchange listing fees
|
4,528 | |||
Stock transfer agent fees
|
11,318 | |||
Interest expense (Note A)
|
903,168 | |||
Directors’ fees and expenses
|
27,411 | |||
Miscellaneous
|
7,218 | |||
Total expenses
|
2,361,747 | |||
Investment management fees waived (Note B)
|
(90,560 | ) | ||
Expenses reduced by custodian fee expense offset arrangement (Note A)
|
(68 | ) | ||
Total net expenses
|
2,271,119 | |||
Net investment income (loss)
|
$ | 11,629,779 | ||
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (Note A):
|
||||
Net realized gain (loss) on:
|
||||
Sales of investment securities of unaffiliated issuers
|
2,945,443 | |||
Interest rate swap contracts
|
(608,065 | ) | ||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in value of:
|
||||
Unaffiliated investment securities
|
8,029,499 | |||
Interest rate swap contracts
|
(359,684 | ) | ||
Net gain (loss) on investments
|
10,007,193 | |||
Distributions to Preferred Shareholders
|
(465,976 | ) | ||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders resulting from operations
|
$ | 21,170,996 |
Neuberger Berman
|
|
HIGH YIELD STRATEGIES FUND INC.
|
||||||
|
|
Six Months
Ended
April 30,
2012
(Unaudited)
|
|
Year Ended
October 31,
2011
|
||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders:
|
||||||||
From Operations (Note A):
|
||||||||
Net investment income (loss)
|
|
$
|
11,629,779
|
|
|
$
|
25,945,352
|
|
Net realized gain (loss) on investments
|
|
|
2,337,378
|
|
|
|
13,754,606
|
|
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments
|
|
|
7,669,815
|
|
|
|
(29,920,282
|
)
|
Distributions to Preferred Shareholders From (Note A):
|
||||||||
Net investment income
|
|
|
(465,976
|
)
|
|
|
(879,763
|
)
|
Net increase (decrease) in net assets applicable to common shareholders resulting from operations
|
|
|
21,170,996
|
|
|
|
8,899,913
|
|
Distributions to Common Shareholders From (Note A):
|
||||||||
Net investment income
|
|
|
(11,302,514
|
)
|
|
|
(24,861,088
|
)
|
From Capital Share Transactions (Note D):
|
||||||||
Proceeds from reinvestment of dividends and distributions
|
|
|
524,241
|
|
|
|
1,312,708
|
|
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders
|
|
|
10,392,723
|
|
|
|
(14,648,467
|
)
|
Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders:
|
||||||||
Beginning of period
|
|
|
253,170,033
|
|
|
|
267,818,500
|
|
End of period
|
|
$
|
263,562,756
|
|
|
$
|
253,170,033
|
|
Undistributed net investment income (loss) at end of period
|
|
$
|
221,011
|
|
|
$
|
359,722
|
|
Neuberger Berman
|
|
HIGH YIELD
STRATEGIES
FUND INC.
|
||
|
|
For the
Six Months Ended
April 30, 2012
|
||
Increase (decrease) in cash:
|
||||
Cash flows from operating activities:
|
||||
Net increase in net assets applicable to Common Shareholders
resulting from operations
|
|
$
|
21,170,996
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets applicable to
Common Shareholders resulting from operations to net
cash provided by operating activities:
|
||||
Changes in assets and liabilities:
|
||||
Purchase of investment securities
|
|
|
(180,109,637
|
)
|
Proceeds from disposition of investment securities
|
|
|
180,208,313
|
|
Purchase/sale of short-term investment securities, net
|
|
|
(8,817,367
|
)
|
Increase in net interest payable/receivable on interest rate swap contracts
|
|
|
(28,524
|
)
|
Decrease in interest receivable
|
|
|
770,499
|
|
Decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets
|
|
|
87,596
|
|
Decrease in receivable for securities sold
|
|
|
159,823
|
|
Increase in deposits with brokers for open swap contracts
|
|
|
(300,000
|
)
|
Decrease in accumulated unpaid dividends on Preferred Shares
|
|
|
(135
|
)
|
Increase in payable for securities purchased
|
|
|
7,612,599
|
|
Increase in interest payable
|
|
|
3,026
|
|
Net amortization of discount on investments
|
|
|
98,044
|
|
Decrease in accrued expenses and other payables
|
|
|
(69,765
|
)
|
Unrealized appreciation on securities
|
|
|
(8,029,499
|
)
|
Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swap contracts
|
|
|
359,684
|
|
Net realized gain from investments
|
|
|
(2,945,443
|
)
|
Net realized loss from interest rate swap contracts
|
|
|
608,065
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
10,778,275
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities:
|
||||
Cash distributions paid on Common Shares
|
|
|
(10,778,275
|
)
|
Net cash used in financing activities
|
|
|
(10,778,275
|
)
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash
|
|
|
0
|
|
Cash:
|
||||
Beginning balance
|
|
|
0
|
|
Ending balance
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
Supplemental disclosure
|
||||
Cash paid for interest
|
|
$
|
900,142
|
|
1
|
General: Except where otherwise indicated, information included herein is as of April 30, 2012. The Fund was organized as a Maryland corporation on March 18, 2010, and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Management is the investment manager to the Fund. Neuberger Berman Fixed Income LLC (“NBFI”) is the sub-adviser to the Fund. The Fund’s common shares are listed on the NYSE MKT under the symbol NHS. After the close of business on August 6, 2010, Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund (“Old NHS”) merged with and into the Fund. After Old NHS merged with and into the Fund, Neuberger Berman Income Opportunity Fund Inc. (“NOX”) merged with and into the Fund. The historical performance and financial statement history prior to August 6, 2010 are those of Old NHS. For periods prior to August 6, 2010, the term the “Fund” will refer to Old NHS.
|
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires Management to make estimates and assumptions at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
|
|
2
|
Portfolio valuation: Investment securities are valued as indicated in the notes following the Schedule of Investments.
|
3
|
Securities transactions and investment income: Security transactions are recorded on trade date for financial reporting purposes. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, including amortization of premium, where applicable, and accretion of discount on securities (adjusted for original issue discount, where applicable) is recorded on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses from security transactions are recorded on the basis of identified cost and stated separately in the Statement of Operations. Included in net realized gain (loss) on investments are proceeds from the settlements of class action litigation in which the Fund participated as a class member. The amount of such proceeds for the six months ended April 30, 2012 was $616,893.
|
4
|
Income tax information: It is the policy of the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by complying with the requirements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its earnings to its shareholders. To the extent the Fund distributes substantially all of its earnings to shareholders, no federal income or excise tax provision is required.
|
The Fund has adopted the provisions of ASC 740 “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of a tax position taken, or expected to be taken, in a tax return. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax positions as an income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. The Fund is subject to examination by U.S. federal and state tax authorities for returns filed for the prior three fiscal years 2008 - 2010. As of April 30, 2012, the Fund did not have any unrecognized tax positions.
|
|
Income distributions and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. These differences are primarily due to differing treatments of income and gains on various investment securities held by the Fund, timing differences and differing characterization of distributions made by the Fund as a whole.
|
|
As determined on October 31, 2011, permanent differences resulting primarily from different book and tax accounting for income recognized on interest rate swaps, foreign currency gains and losses, distributions in excess of current earnings and non-deductible restructuring costs were reclassified at fiscal year-end. These
|
reclassifications had no effect on net income, net asset value (“NAV”) applicable to common shareholders or NAV per common share of the Fund.
|
|
The tax character of distributions paid during the year ended October 31, 2011, the period ended October 31, 2010 and the year ended December 31, 2009 were as follows:
|
Distributions Paid From: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ordinary Income |
Long-Term
Capital Gains
|
Tax Return of
Capital
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011
|
2010(1)
|
2009
|
2011
|
2010(1)
|
2009
|
2011
|
2010(1)
|
2009
|
2011
|
2010(1)
|
2009
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$25,740,851 | $15,060,977 | $14,914,388 | $— | $— | $— | $— | $— | $— | $25,740,851 | $15,060,977 | $14,914,388 |
(1)
|
During the period January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2010. |
|
As of October 31, 2011, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a U.S. federal income tax basis were as follows:
|
Undistributed
Ordinary
Income
|
|
Undistributed
Long-Term
Gain
|
|
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
|
|
Loss
Carryforwards
and Deferrals
|
|
Total
|
||||||||||
|
$—
|
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
|
$(837,414
|
)
|
|
|
$(40,031,802
|
)
|
|
|
$(40,869,216
|
)
|
The difference between book basis and tax basis distributable earnings is attributable primarily to timing differences of wash sales, delayed settlement compensation on bank loans, distribution payments, income recognized on interest rate swaps, amortization of bond premium and capital loss carryforwards.
|
|
To the extent the Fund’s net realized capital gains, if any, can be offset by capital loss carryforwards, it is the policy of the Fund not to distribute such gains. As determined at October 31, 2011, the Fund had unused capital loss carryforwards available for federal income tax purposes to offset net realized capital gains, if any, as follows:
|
|
Expiring in:
|
||||||||||
|
2015
|
|
2016
|
|
2017
|
||||||
|
|
$19,884,236
|
(1)
|
|
|
$14,710,633
|
(1)
|
|
$5,436,933
|
|
(1)
|
The capital loss carryforwards shown above include $19,884,236 and $4,971,059 expiring in 2015 and 2016, respectively, which were acquired on August 6, 2010 in the merger with NOX. The use of these losses to offset future gains may be limited.
|
During the year ended October 31, 2011, the Fund utilized capital loss carryforwards of $14,051,623.
|
|
On December 22, 2010, the Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”) Modernization Act of 2010 (the “Act”) was enacted. The Act modernizes several of the federal income and excise tax provisions related to RICs, and, with certain exceptions, is effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010. Among the changes made are changes to the capital loss carryforward rules allowing for RICs to carry forward capital losses indefinitely and to retain the character of capital loss carryforwards as short-term or long-term. Rules in effect previously limited the carryforward period to eight years and all carryforwards were considered short-term in character. Capital loss carryforwards generated in taxable years beginning after the effective date of the Act must be fully used before capital loss carryforwards generated in taxable years prior to the effective date of the Act; therefore, under certain circumstances, capital loss carryforwards available as of the report date, if any, may expire unused.
|
|
5
|
Foreign Taxes: Foreign taxes withheld represent amounts withheld by foreign tax authorities net of refunds recoverable.
|
6
|
Distributions to common shareholders: The Fund earns income, net of expenses, daily on its investments. It is the policy of the Fund to declare and pay monthly distributions to common shareholders. The Fund has adopted a
|
policy to pay common shareholders a stable monthly distribution. The Fund’s ability to satisfy its policy will depend on a number of factors, including the stability of income received from its investments, the availability of capital gains, distributions paid on preferred shares, interest paid on notes and the level of Fund expenses. In an effort to maintain a stable monthly distribution amount, the Fund may pay distributions consisting of net investment income, realized gains and paid-in capital. There is no assurance that the Fund will always be able to pay distributions of a particular size, or that distributions will consist solely of net investment income and realized capital gains. The composition of the Fund’s distributions for the calendar year 2012 will be reported to Fund shareholders on IRS Form 1099DIV. The Fund may pay distributions in excess of those required by its stable distribution policy to avoid excise tax or to satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Distributions to common shareholders are recorded on the ex-date. Net realized capital gains, if any, will be offset to the extent of any available capital loss carryforwards. Any such offset will not reduce the level of the stable distribution paid by the Fund. Distributions to preferred shareholders are accrued and determined as described in Note A-8.
|
|
On April 30, 2012, the Fund declared a monthly distribution to common shareholders in the amount of $0.09 per share, payable on May 31, 2012 to shareholders of record on May 15, 2012, with an ex-date of May 11, 2012. Subsequent to April 30, 2012, the Fund declared a monthly distribution to common shareholders in the amount of $0.09 per share, payable on June 29, 2012 to shareholders of record on June 15, 2012, with an ex-date of June 13, 2012.
|
|
7
|
Expense allocation: Certain expenses are applicable to multiple funds. Expenses directly attributable to the Fund are charged to the Fund. Expenses borne by the complex of related investment companies, which includes open-end and closed-end investment companies for which Management serves as investment manager, that are not directly attributable to a particular investment company (e.g., the Fund) are allocated among the Fund and the other investment companies in the complex or series thereof on the basis of relative net assets, except where a more appropriate allocation of expenses to each of the investment companies in the complex or series thereof can otherwise be made fairly.
|
8
|
Financial leverage: On October 22, 2003, Old NHS issued 3,600 Money Market Cumulative Preferred Shares (“MMP”), each without par value, with proceeds of $90,000,000 in a public offering. On November 13, 2008, Old NHS redeemed all 3,600 MMP at the liquidation price of $25,000 per share plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends.
|
In September 2008, Old NHS entered into a Master Securities Purchase Agreement and a Master Note Purchase Agreement pursuant to which it could issue privately placed notes (“Old NHS PNs”) and privately placed perpetual preferred shares (“Old NHS PPS”). In November 2008, Old NHS issued Old NHS PNs with an aggregate principal value of $45,900,000 and issued 492 Old NHS PPS with an aggregate liquidation preference of $12,300,000 and used those proceeds to redeem outstanding MMP.
|
|
On August 6, 2010, each of Old NHS and NOX merged with and into the Fund. In connection with the mergers, the Fund issued 1,087 Perpetual Preferred Shares, Series A (“PPS”) with an aggregate liquidation preference of $27,175,000 to preferred shareholders of Old NHS and NOX in exchange for their Old NHS PPS and NOX preferred shares. In connection with the mergers, the Fund also assumed the Old NHS PNs and the notes that NOX had previously issued (“NOX Notes”). On September 30, 2010, the Fund issued privately placed notes (“PNs” and, together with PPS, “Private Securities”) with an aggregate principal value of $82,600,000 to holders of Old NHS PNs and NOX Notes in exchange for their Old NHS PNs and NOX Notes.
|
|
The PNs have a maturity date of November 2013 and the interest on the PNs is accrued daily and paid quarterly. The PPS have a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share plus any accumulated unpaid distributions, whether or not earned or declared by the Fund, but excluding interest thereon (“PPS Liquidation Value”). Distributions on the PPS are accrued daily and paid quarterly. The Old NHS PNs and the Old NHS PPS had these same terms.
|
For the six months ended April 30, 2012, the distribution rate on the PPS ranged from 3.27% to 3.48% and the interest rate on the PNs ranged from 1.77% to 1.98%.
|
|
The Fund has paid up front offering and organizational expenses which are being amortized over the life of the PNs. The expenses are included in the interest expense that is reflected in the Statement of Operations.
|
|
The Fund may redeem PPS or prepay the PNs, in whole or in part, at its option after giving a minimum amount of notice to the relevant holders of the Private Securities but will incur additional expenses if it chooses to so redeem or prepay. The Fund is also subject to certain restrictions relating to the Private Securities. Failure to comply with these restrictions could preclude the Fund from declaring any distributions to common shareholders or repurchasing common shares and/or could trigger the mandatory redemption of PPS at PPS Liquidation Value and certain expenses and/or mandatory prepayment of PNs at par plus accrued but unpaid interest and certain expenses. The holders of PPS are entitled to one vote per share and will vote with holders of common shares as a single class, except that the holders of PPS will vote separately as a class on certain matters, as required by law or the Fund’s organizational documents. The holders of PPS, voting as a separate class, are entitled at all times to elect two Directors of the Fund, and to elect a majority of the Directors of the Fund if the Fund fails to pay distributions on PPS for two consecutive years.
|
|
9
|
Concentration of credit risk: The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in high yield debt securities of U.S. and foreign issuers, which include securities that are rated below investment grade by a rating agency or are unrated debt securities determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s investment manager.
|
Due to the inherent volatility and illiquidity of the high yield securities in which the Fund invests and the real or perceived difficulty of issuers of those high yield securities to meet their payment obligations during economic downturns or because of negative business developments relating to the issuer or its industry in general, the value and/or price of the Fund’s common shares may fluctuate more than would be the case if the Fund did not concentrate in high yield securities.
|
|
10
|
Derivative instruments: During the six months ended April 30, 2012, the Fund’s use of derivatives, as described below, was limited to interest rate swap contracts. The Fund has adopted the provisions of ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The disclosure requirements of ASC 815 distinguish between derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting and those that do not. Because investment companies value their derivatives at fair value and recognize changes in fair value through the Statement of Operations, they do not qualify for hedge accounting. Accordingly, even though the Fund’s investments in derivatives may represent economic hedges, they are considered non-hedge transactions for purposes of this disclosure.
|
Interest Rate Swaps: The Fund entered into interest rate swap transactions, with institutions that Management has determined are creditworthy, to reduce the risk that an increase in short-term interest rates could reduce common share net earnings as a result of leverage. Under the terms of the interest rate swap contracts, the Fund agrees to pay the swap counterparty a fixed-rate payment in exchange for the counterparty’s paying the Fund a variable-rate payment that is intended to approximate all or a portion of the Fund’s variable-rate payment obligations on the Fund’s Private Securities. The fixed-rate and variable-rate payment flows are netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other on a monthly basis. The Fund segregates cash or liquid securities having a value at least equal to the Fund’s net payment obligations under any swap transaction, marked to market daily. There is no guarantee that these swap transactions will be successful in reducing or limiting risk.
|
|
Risks may arise if the counterparty to a swap contract fails to comply with the terms of its contract. The loss incurred by the failure of a counterparty is generally limited to the net interest payment to be received by the Fund and/or the termination value at the end of the contract. Additionally, risks may arise if there is no liquid market for these agreements or from movements in interest rates unanticipated by Management.
|
|
Periodic expected interim net interest payments or receipts on the swaps are recorded as an adjustment to unrealized gains/losses, along with the fair value of the future periodic payment streams on the swaps. The
|
unrealized gains/losses associated with the periodic interim net interest payments are reclassified to realized gains/losses in conjunction with the actual net receipt or payment of such amounts. The reclassifications do not impact the Fund’s total net assets applicable to common shareholders or its total net increase (decrease) in net assets applicable to common shareholders resulting from operations. At April 30, 2012, the Fund had outstanding interest rate swap contracts as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
Rate Type | |||||||||||||||||||||
Swap
Counterparty
|
|
Notional
Amount(1)
|
Termination
Date
|
|
Fixed-rate
Payments
Made by
the Fund
|
|
Variable-rate
Payments
Received by
the Fund
|
|
Accrued Net
Interest
Receivable
(Payable)
|
|
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
|
|
Total Fair
Value
|
||||||||||||
Citibank, N.A.
|
|
$
|
25,000,000
|
|
March 18, 2015
|
|
|
1.677
|
%
|
|
|
.474
|
%(2)
|
|
$
|
(34,783
|
)
|
|
$
|
(736,294
|
)
|
|
$
|
(771,077
|
)
|
Citibank, N.A.
|
|
|
25,000,000
|
|
August 9, 2015
|
|
|
1.120
|
%
|
|
|
.520
|
%(3)
|
|
|
(34,167
|
)
|
|
|
(327,314
|
)
|
|
|
(361,481
|
)
|
Citibank, N.A.
|
|
|
50,000,000
|
|
December 7, 2015
|
|
|
1.884
|
%
|
|
|
.475
|
%(4)
|
|
|
(340,500
|
)
|
|
|
(1,950,694
|
)
|
|
|
(2,291,194
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
(409,450
|
)
|
|
$
|
(3,014,302
|
)
|
|
$
|
(3,423,752
|
)
|
(1)
|
The notional amount at period end is indicative of the volume throughout the period.
|
|
(2)
|
90 day LIBOR at March 15, 2012.
|
|
(3)
|
90 day LIBOR at February 7, 2012.
|
|
(4)
|
90 day LIBOR at March 5, 2012.
|
|
At April 30, 2012, the Fund had the following derivatives (which did not qualify for hedge accounting under ASC 815), grouped by primary risk exposure:
|
Liability Derivatives
|
|
|
|
Interest Rate Risk
|
Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location
|
||
Interest Rate Swap Contract
|
|
$
|
(3,423,752)
|
|
Interest rate swaps,
|
Total Value
|
|
$
|
(3,423,752)
|
|
at value(1)
|
(1)
|
“Interest Rate Swap Contract” reflects the appreciation (depreciation) of the interest rate swap contract plus accrued interest as of April 30, 2012 which is reflected in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities under the caption “Interest rate swaps, at value.”
|
The impact of the use of these derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations during the six months ended April 30, 2012, was as follows:
|
Realized Gain (Loss)
|
|||||
|
|
Interest Rate Risk
|
Statement of Operations Location
|
||
Interest Rate Swap Contract
|
|
$
|
(608,065)
|
|
Net realized gain (loss)
|
Total Realized Gain (Loss)
|
|
$
|
(608,065)
|
|
on: interest rate swap contracts
|
Change in Appreciation (Depreciation)
|
|||||
|
|
Interest Rate Risk
|
Statement of Operations Location
|
||
Interest Rate Swap Contract
|
|
$
|
(359,684)
|
|
Change in net unrealized appreciation
|
Total Change in Appreciation (Depreciation)
|
|
$
|
(359,684)
|
|
(depreciation) in value of: interest rate swap contracts
|
11
|
Indemnifications: Like many other companies, the Fund’s organizational documents provide that its officers and directors are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. In addition, both in some of its principal service contracts and in the normal course of its business, the Fund enters into contracts that provide indemnifications to other parties for certain types of losses or liabilities. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this could involve future claims against the Fund.
|
12
|
Arrangements with certain non-affiliated service providers: The Fund has an expense offset arrangement in connection with its custodian contract. For the six months ended April 30, 2012, the impact of this arrangement was a reduction of expenses of $68.
|
In order to satisfy rating agency requirements and the terms of the Private Securities, the Fund is required to provide the rating agency and holders of Private Securities a report on a monthly basis verifying that the Fund is maintaining eligible assets having a discounted value equal to or greater than the basic maintenance amount, which is the minimum level set by the rating agency as one of the conditions to maintain the AAA rating on the Private Securities. “Discounted value” refers to the fact that the rating agency requires the Fund, in performing this calculation, to discount portfolio securities below their face value, at rates determined by the rating agency. The Fund pays State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) for the preparation of this report, which is reflected in the Statement of Operations under the caption “Basic maintenance expense.”
|
|
State Street serves as the Fund’s custodian and Computershare Shareowner Services LLC serves as the Fund’s transfer agent, registrar, and dividend paying agent.
|
|
Note B—Management Fees, Administration Fees, Distribution Arrangements, and Other Transactions with Affiliates:
|
|
The Fund retains Management as its investment manager under a Management Agreement. For such investment management services, the Fund pays Management a monthly fee computed at an annual rate of 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets. Managed Assets equal the total assets of the Fund, less liabilities other than the aggregate indebtedness entered into for purposes of leverage. Management is responsible for developing, implementing and supervising the Fund’s investment program and providing certain administrative services to the Fund. Management has retained NBFI to serve as the sub-adviser of the Fund and to manage the Fund’s investment portfolio. Management compensates NBFI for its services as sub-adviser. Management pays NBFI a monthly sub-advisory fee calculated at an annual percentage rate of 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets.
|
|
In connection with Old NHS’s May 2009 tender offer and the tender offer program, effective June 9, 2009, Management agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of the management fee it was entitled to receive from Old NHS at an annual rate of 0.05% of Old NHS’s average daily Managed Assets. This waiver terminated at the time Old NHS merged with and into the Fund. In connection with the mergers, Management has agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of the management fees it is entitled to receive from the Fund at an annual rate of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets. This voluntary waiver is expected to remain in effect until July 1, 2012, but may be changed or terminated by Management at any time. For the six months ended April 30, 2012, such waived fees amounted to $90,560.
|
|
Several individuals who are officers and/or Directors of the Fund are also employees of NBFI, Neuberger Berman LLC (“Neuberger”) and/or Management.
|
|
The Fund retains Management as its administrator under an Administration Agreement. The Fund pays Management an administration fee at the annual rate of 0.05% of its average daily Managed Assets under this agreement. Additionally, Management retains State Street as its sub-administrator under a Sub-Administration Agreement. Management pays State Street a fee for all services received under the agreement.
|
|
Management and NBFI are indirect subsidiaries of Neuberger Berman Group LLC ((“NBG”) and together with its consolidated subsidiaries (“NB Group”)). NBSH Acquisition, LLC (“NBSH”), which is owned by portfolio managers, members of the NB Group management team and certain of NB Group’s key employees and senior professionals, owns approximately 54% of NBG’s common units, and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (“LBHI”) and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively the “LBHI Parties”) own the remaining 46% of such common units. Pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into in December 2011 by and among NBG, NBSH and the LBHI
|
Parties, NBG is entitled to acquire the remaining common units not owned by NBSH through a process that commenced during the second quarter of 2012, and that is expected to end in 2017.
|
|
Note C—Securities Transactions:
|
|
During the six months ended April 30, 2012, there were purchases and sales of long-term securities (excluding interest rate swap contracts) of $151,629,147 and $151,797,945, respectively.
|
|
Note D—Capital:
|
|
At April 30, 2012 the common shares outstanding and the common shares of the Fund owned by Neuberger Berman Alternative Fund Management LLC (“NBAFM”) and Neuberger, affiliates of Management, were as follows:
|
Common Shares
Outstanding
|
|
Common Shares
Owned by NBAFM
|
|
Common Shares
Owned by Neuberger
|
||||||
|
19,509,572
|
|
|
|
17,606
|
|
|
|
5,116
|
|
|
|
For the Six
Months Ended
April 30,
2012
|
|
For the Year Ended
October 31,
2011
|
||||
Shares Issued on Reinvestment of Dividends and Distributions
|
|
|
39,789
|
|
|
|
96,587
|
|
Net Increase (Decrease) in Common Shares Outstanding
|
|
|
39,789
|
|
|
|
96,587
|
|
Note E—Tender Offer Program:
|
|
In 2009, the board of Old NHS, a predecessor to the Fund, authorized a semi-annual tender offer program consisting of up to four tender offers over a two-year period (“Old NHS Tender Offer Program”). Under the Old NHS Tender Offer Program, if the Fund’s common shares traded at an average daily discount to NAV per share of greater than 10% during a 12-week measurement period, the Fund would have conducted a tender offer for between 5% and 20% of its outstanding common shares at a price equal to 98% of its NAV per share determined on the day the tender offer expired.
|
|
During the initial measurement period under the Old NHS Tender Offer Program, the Fund’s common shares traded at an average daily discount to NAV per share of less than 10% and, therefore, in accordance with its Old NHS Tender Offer Program, the Fund did not conduct a tender offer.
|
|
After the reorganization, the Fund adopted a substantially similar tender offer program consisting of up to three tender offers over a two-year period (“Tender Offer Program”). During the Fund’s initial measurement period under the Tender Offer Program, the Fund’s common shares traded at an average daily discount to NAV per share of less than 10% and, therefore, in accordance with its Tender Offer Program, the Fund did not conduct a tender offer.
|
|
During the second measurement period under the Tender Offer Program, the Fund’s common shares traded at an average daily premium to NAV per share and, therefore, in accordance with its Tender Offer Program, the Fund did not conduct a tender offer. On April 20, 2012, the Fund announced that the third and final measurement period under the Tender Offer Program would commence on April 23, 2012 and end on July 16, 2012.
|
In connection with the Old NHS Tender Offer Program, Management agreed to implement a voluntary waiver of 0.05% of its investment advisory fees to offset some of the expenses associated with, or possible increases in Old NHS’s expense ratio resulting from, the tender offers (see Note B for additional disclosure). This waiver terminated at the time Old NHS merged with and into the Fund. In connection with the reorganization, Management agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of its management fee at an annual rate of 0.05% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets (see Note B for additional disclosure). The Board retains the ability, consistent with its fiduciary duty, to opt out of the Tender Offer Program should circumstances arise that the Board believes could cause a material negative effect on the Fund or the Fund’s shareholders.
|
|
Note F—Recent Accounting Pronouncement:
|
|
In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-04 “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).” ASU No. 2011-04 amends ASC 820 to establish common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with GAAP and IFRS. It will not affect the fair valuation of the Fund’s investments, but rather the quantitative and qualitative disclosures in the financial statements. ASU No. 2011-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU No. 2011-04 on the Fund’s financial statement disclosures.
|
|
Note G—Unaudited Financial Information:
|
|
The financial information included in this interim report is taken from the records of the Fund without audit by an independent registered public accounting firm. Annual reports contain audited financial statements.
|
|
|
Six Months
Ended
April 30,
|
|
Year Ended
October 31,
|
|
Period from
January 1,
2010 to
October 31,
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
2012
|
|
2011
|
|
2010^^^
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
2007^^
|
|
2006
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Common Share Net Asset Value,
Beginning of Period
|
|
$
|
13.00
|
|
|
$
|
13.82
|
|
|
$
|
12.54
|
|
|
$
|
7.42
|
|
|
$
|
13.23
|
|
|
$
|
15.05
|
|
|
$
|
14.51
|
|
|
Net Investment Income¢
|
|
|
0.60
|
|
|
|
1.34
|
|
|
|
1.19
|
|
|
|
1.43
|
|
|
|
1.52
|
|
|
|
1.67
|
|
|
|
1.65
|
|
|
Net Gain or Losses on Securities
(both realized and unrealized)
|
|
|
0.51
|
|
|
|
(0.83
|
)
|
|
|
1.20
|
|
|
|
4.97
|
|
|
|
(5.74
|
)
|
|
|
(1.34
|
)
|
|
|
0.61
|
|
|
Common Share Equivalent of Distributions to
Preferred Shareholders From:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Investment Income¢
|
|
|
(0.02
|
)
|
|
|
(0.05
|
)
|
|
|
(0.03
|
)
|
|
|
(0.04
|
)
|
|
|
(0.27
|
)
|
|
|
(0.40
|
)
|
|
|
(0.37
|
)
|
|
Net Realized Gains¢
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
(0.01
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Total Distributions to Preferred
Shareholders
|
|
|
(0.02
|
)
|
|
|
(0.05
|
)
|
|
|
(0.03
|
)
|
|
|
(0.04
|
)
|
|
|
(0.27
|
)
|
|
|
(0.41
|
)
|
|
|
(0.37
|
)
|
|
Total From Investment Operations
Applicable to Common Shareholders
|
|
|
1.09
|
|
|
|
0.46
|
|
|
|
2.36
|
|
|
|
6.36
|
|
|
|
(4.49
|
)
|
|
|
(0.08
|
)
|
|
|
1.89
|
|
|
Less Distributions to Common
Shareholders From:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Investment Income
|
|
|
(0.58
|
)
|
|
|
(1.28
|
)
|
|
|
(1.08
|
)
|
|
|
(1.26
|
)
|
|
|
(1.22
|
)
|
|
|
(1.69
|
)
|
|
|
(1.35
|
)
|
|
Net Realized Gains
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
(0.05
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Tax Return of Capital
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
(0.10
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Total Distributions to
Common Shareholders
|
|
|
(0.58
|
)
|
|
|
(1.28
|
)
|
|
|
(1.08
|
)
|
|
|
(1.26
|
)
|
|
|
(1.32
|
)
|
|
|
(1.74
|
)
|
|
|
(1.35
|
)
|
|
Accretive Effect of Tender Offer
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
0.02
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Common Share Net Asset
Value, End of Period
|
|
$
|
13.51
|
|
|
$
|
13.00
|
|
|
$
|
13.82
|
|
|
$
|
12.54
|
|
|
$
|
7.42
|
|
|
$
|
13.23
|
|
|
$
|
15.05
|
|
|
Common Share Market Value,
End of Period
|
|
$
|
14.09
|
|
|
$
|
13.55
|
|
|
$
|
14.04
|
|
|
$
|
11.95
|
|
|
$
|
6.38
|
|
|
$
|
11.82
|
|
|
$
|
15.18
|
|
|
Total Return, Common Share
Net Asset Value†
|
|
|
8.58
|
%**
|
|
|
3.34
|
%
|
|
|
19.78
|
%**
|
|
|
92.44
|
%
|
|
|
(35.32
|
)%
|
|
|
(0.13
|
)%
|
|
|
13.91
|
%
|
|
Total Return, Common Share
Market Value†
|
|
|
8.64
|
%**
|
|
|
6.03
|
%
|
|
|
27.69
|
%**
|
|
|
113.27
|
%
|
|
|
(37.75
|
)%
|
|
|
(11.54
|
)%
|
|
|
6.79
|
%
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data††
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratios are Calculated Using
Average Net Assets
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Applicable to Common Shareholders
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratio of Gross Expenses#
|
|
|
1.87
|
%*Ø
|
|
|
1.75
|
%Ø
|
|
|
2.02
|
%*Ø
|
|
|
2.65
|
%Ø
|
|
|
1.81
|
%Ø
|
|
|
1.44
|
%
|
|
|
1.49
|
%
|
|
Ratio of Net Expenses
|
|
|
1.79
|
%*§Ø
|
|
|
1.68
|
%§Ø
|
|
|
1.95
|
%*§Ø‡‡
|
|
|
2.60
|
%§Ø
|
|
|
1.80
|
%§Ø
|
|
|
1.44
|
%§
|
|
|
1.49
|
%
|
|
Ratio of Net Investment Income
|
|
|
9.19
|
%*
|
|
|
9.86
|
%
|
|
|
11.02
|
%*
|
|
|
14.30
|
%
|
|
|
13.43
|
%
|
|
|
11.33
|
%
|
|
|
11.29
|
%
|
|
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
|
|
43
|
%**
|
|
|
100
|
%
|
|
|
130
|
%**ØØ
|
|
|
159
|
%
|
|
|
122
|
%
|
|
|
129
|
%
|
|
|
111
|
%
|
|
Net Assets Applicable to Common
Shares, End of Period (000’s)
|
|
$
|
263,563
|
|
|
$
|
253,170
|
|
|
$
|
267,819
|
|
|
$
|
138,293
|
|
|
$
|
90,907
|
|
|
$
|
162,091
|
|
|
$
|
184,389
|
|
|
Perpetual Preferred Shares¢¢
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preferred Shares Outstanding,
End of Period (000’s)
|
|
$
|
27,175
|
|
|
$
|
27,175
|
|
|
$
|
27,175
|
|
|
$
|
12,300
|
|
|
$
|
12,300
|
|
|
$
|
90,000
|
|
|
$
|
90,000
|
|
|
Asset Coverage Per Share@
|
|
$
|
267,541
|
|
|
$
|
257,980
|
|
|
$
|
271,454
|
|
|
$
|
306,086
|
|
|
$
|
209,943
|
|
|
$
|
70,107
|
|
|
$
|
76,284
|
|
|
Liquidation Value Per Share
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
$
|
25,000
|
|
|
Notes Payable
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes Payable Outstanding,
End of Period (000’s)
|
|
$
|
82,600
|
|
|
$
|
82,600
|
|
|
$
|
82,600
|
|
|
$
|
45,900
|
|
|
$
|
45,900
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
Asset Coverage Per $1,000 of
Notes Payable@@
|
|
$
|
4,521
|
|
|
$
|
4,395
|
|
|
$
|
4,572
|
|
|
$
|
4,281
|
|
|
$
|
3,250
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
†
|
Total return based on per share NAV reflects the effects of changes in NAV on the performance of the Fund during each fiscal period. Total return based on per share market value assumes the purchase of common shares at the market price on the first day and sales of common shares at the market price on the last day of the period indicated. Distributions, if any, are assumed to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan. Results represent past performance and do not indicate future results. Current returns may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Investment returns may fluctuate and shares when sold may be worth more or less than original cost. Total return would have been lower if Management had not waived certain expenses.
|
Had the Fund not received the class actions proceeds listed in Note A-3, total return based on per share NAV for the six months ended April 30, 2012 would have been 8.34%.
|
|
#
|
Represents the annualized ratios of net expenses to average daily net assets if Management had not waived a portion of the investment management fee.
|
§
|
After waiver of a portion of the investment management fee by Management. The Fund is required to calculate an expense ratio without taking into consideration any expense reductions related to expense offset arrangements. Had the Fund not received expense reductions related to expense offset arrangements, the annualized net expenses to average daily net assets would have been:
|
|
Six Months
Ended April 30,
|
|
Year Ended
October 31,
|
|
Period from
January 1, 2010
to October 31,
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
|
2012
|
|
2011
|
|
2010
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
||||||||||||
|
|
1.79
|
%
|
|
|
1.68
|
%
|
|
|
1.95
|
%
|
|
|
2.60
|
%
|
|
|
1.80
|
%
|
|
|
1.44
|
%
|
@
|
Calculated by subtracting the Fund’s total liabilities (excluding accumulated unpaid distributions on PPS (Old NHS’s PPS prior to August 6, 2010 and MMP prior to November 13, 2008)) from the Fund’s total assets and dividing by the number of PPS/MMP outstanding.
|
@@
|
Calculated by subtracting the Fund’s total liabilities (excluding accumulated unpaid distributions on PPS (Old NHS’s PPS prior to August 6, 2010 and MMP prior to November 13, 2008) and Notes payable (the Old NHS Notes payable prior to September 29, 2010)) from the Fund’s total assets and dividing by the outstanding Notes payable balance.
|
††
|
Expense ratios do not include the effect of distribution payments to preferred shareholders. Income ratios include income earned on assets attributable to PPS (MMP prior to November 13, 2008) outstanding. Income ratios also include the effect of interest expense from the PNs.
|
¢
|
Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during each fiscal period.
|
^^
|
Effective February 28, 2007, Management became the investment adviser.
|
¢¢
|
From October 22, 2003 to November 13, 2008, the Fund had 3,600 MMP outstanding; from November 14, 2008 to August 6, 2010, the Fund had 492 Old NHS PPS outstanding. Since August 6, 2010, the Fund has 1,087 PPS outstanding (see Note A-8 to Financial Statements).
|
Ø
|
Interest expense is included in expense ratios. The annualized ratio of interest expense to average net assets applicable to common shareholders was:
|
|
Six Months
Ended April 30,
|
|
Year Ended
October 31,
|
|
Period from
January 1, 2010
to October 31,
|
|
Year Ended
December 31,
|
|
||||||||||||
|
2012
|
|
2011
|
|
2010
|
|
2009
|
|
2008
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
.71
|
%
|
|
|
.61
|
%
|
|
|
.63
|
%
|
|
|
1.05
|
%
|
|
|
.16
|
%
|
|
*
|
Annualized.
|
**
|
Not Annualized.
|
^^^
|
The Fund’s fiscal year end changed from December 31 to October 31.
|
ØØ
|
Portfolio turnover excludes purchases and sales by NOX (which merged with and into the Fund on August 6, 2010) prior to the merger date.
|
‡‡
|
Includes merger related expenses. If such expenses were not included, the annualized ratio of net expenses to average net assets applicable to common shareholders for the period ended October 31, 2010 would have been 1.81%.
|
Investment Adviser and Administrator
Neuberger Berman Management LLC
605 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10158-0180
877.461.1899 or 212.476.9000
|
Stock Transfer Agent and Plan Agent
Computershare Shareowner Services LLC
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07317
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Sub-Adviser
Neuberger Berman Fixed Income LLC
200 South Wacker Drive
Suite 2100
Chicago, IL 60601
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Legal Counsel
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
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Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company
2 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA 02111
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP
200 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
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FACTS
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WHAT DOES NEUBERGER BERMAN
DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
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Why?
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Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
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What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: | ||
■ | Social Security number and account balances | ||
■ | income and transaction history | ||
■ | credit history and credit scores | ||
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How?
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All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Neuberger Berman chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.
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Reasons we can share your personal information |
Does Neuberger Berman share?
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Can you limit this sharing?
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For our everyday business purposes — such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus
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Yes
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No
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For our marketing purposes — to offer our products and services to you
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Yes
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No
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For joint marketing with other financial companies
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No
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We don’t share
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For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your transactions and experiences
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Yes
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No
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For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your creditworthiness
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No
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We don’t share
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For nonaffiliates to market to you
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No
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We don’t share
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Questions? | Call 800.223.6448 |
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Who we are
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Who is providing this notice?
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Entities within the Neuberger Berman family of companies, mutual funds, and private investment funds.
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What we do
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How does Neuberger Berman protect my personal information?
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To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.
We restrict access to customer information to those employees who need to know such information in order to perform their job responsibilities.
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How does Neuberger Berman collect my personal | We collect your personal information, for example, when you | ||
information? | |||
■ | open an account or provide account information | ||
■ | seek advice about your investments or give us your income information | ||
■ | give us your contact information | ||
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.
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Why can’t I limit all sharing? |
Federal law gives you the right to limit only
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■ | sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes — information about your creditworthiness | ||
■ | affiliates from using your information to market to you | ||
■ | sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you | ||
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.
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Definitions
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Affiliates |
Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
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■ | Our affiliates include companies with a Neuberger Berman name; financial companies, such as investment advisers, broker dealers; mutual funds, and private investment funds. |
Nonaffiliates |
Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
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■ | Nonaffiliates we share with can include companies that perform administrative services on our behalf (such as vendors that provide data processing, transaction processing, and printing services) or other companies such as brokers, dealers, or counterparties in connection with servicing your account. | ||
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Joint marketing |
A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.
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■ | Neuberger Berman doesn’t jointly market. | ||
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Neuberger Berman Management LLC
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605 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor
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New York, NY 10158-0180
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Internal Sales & Services
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877.461.1899
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www.nb.com
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Statistics and projections in this report are derived from sources deemed to be reliable but cannot be regarded as a representation of future results of the Fund. This report is prepared for the general information of shareholders and is not an offer of shares of the Fund.
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H0547 06/12
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(a)
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Based on an evaluation of the disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”)) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this document, the Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Registrant have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures are effectively designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Registrant on Form N-CSR and Form N-Q is accumulated and communicated to the Registrant’s management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
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(b)
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There were no significant changes in the Registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act) that occurred during the Registrant’s second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
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(a)(1)
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A copy of the Code of Ethics is incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Form N-CSR, Investment Company Act file number 811-22396 (filed January 7, 2011).
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(a)(2)
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The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(a) of the Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) are filed herewith.
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(a)(3)
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Not applicable to the Registrant.
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(b)
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The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) of the Act and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are filed herewith.
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