Objective & Strategy
The fund seeks to provide a high level of current income, consistent with preservation of capital by investing at least 80% of its net assets in adjustable-rate senior loans.
Management team
Top Fixed-Income Holdings | View all
Holding Name | Coupon % | Bond Maturity Date | % of Total Assets |
---|---|---|---|
Nationwide Marketing Group LLC | 10.930 | 06/01/2025 | 1.34 |
Monitronics International Inc | 11.800 | 06/30/2028 | 1.29 |
Spin Holdco Inc | 8.580 | 03/04/2028 | 1.29 |
Proofpoint Inc | 7.330 | 08/31/2028 | 1.01 |
AAdvantage Loyalty IP Ltd | 6.520 | 04/20/2028 | 0.94 |
Garda World Security Corp | 7.310 | 02/01/2029 | 0.89 |
Trinseo Luxco Finance SPV Sarl | 12.740 | 05/03/2028 | 0.85 |
GI Revelation Acquisition LLC | 8.080 | 05/12/2028 | 0.85 |
Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc | 7.330 | 07/31/2031 | 0.84 |
Oxea Corp | 7.100 | 04/07/2031 | 0.82 |
May not equal 100% due to rounding.
Holdings are subject to change and are not buy/sell recommendations.
Average Annual Returns (%)
Incept. Date |
Max Load (%) |
Since Incept. (%) |
YTD (%) | 1Y (%) | 3Y (%) | 5Y (%) | 10Y (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Performance quoted is past performance and cannot guarantee comparable future results; current performance may be lower or higher. Investment return and principal value will vary so that you may have a gain or a loss when you sell shares.
Annualized Benchmark Returns
Index Name | 1 Mo (%) | 3 Mo (%) | 1Y (%) | 3Y (%) | 5Y (%) | 10Y (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Total Return Index (USD) | 0.82 | 3.24 | 7.60 | 9.16 | 7.17 | 5.22 |
S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Total Return Index (USD) | 0.82 | 3.24 | 7.60 | 9.16 | 7.17 | 5.22 |
S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Total Return Index (USD) | 0.80 | 2.33 | 7.50 | 9.54 | 7.39 | 5.14 |
S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Total Return Index (USD) | 0.80 | 2.33 | 7.50 | 9.54 | 7.39 | 5.14 |
Source: Bloomberg LP
Source: Bloomberg LP
An investment cannot be made directly in an index.
Expense Ratio per Prospectus
Management Fee | 0.90 |
12b-1 Fee | N/A |
Other Expenses | 0.69 |
Interest/Dividend Exp | 1.21 |
Total Other Expenses | 1.90 |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Fund Fees & Expenses) | N/A |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 2.80 |
Contractual Waivers/Reimbursements | N/A |
Net Expenses - PER PROSPECTUS | 2.80 |
Additional Waivers/Reimbursements | N/A |
Net Expenses - With Additional Fee Reduction | 2.80 |
Distributions
Capital Gains | Reinvestment Price ($) |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ex-Date | Income | Short Term | Long Term | |
Quality Breakdown
Ratings are based on S&P, Moody's or Fitch, as applicable. A credit rating is an assessment provided by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) of the creditworthiness of an issuer with respect to debt obligations, including specific securities, money market instruments or other debts. Ratings are measured on a scale that generally ranges from AAA (highest) to D (lowest); ratings are subject to change without notice. NR indicates the debtor was not rated, and should not be interpreted as indicating low quality. If securities are rated differently by the rating agencies, the higher rating is applied. Credit ratings are based largely on the rating agency's investment analysis at the time of rating and the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer's current financial condition. The rating assigned to a security by a rating agency does not necessarily reflect its assessment of the volatility of a security's market value or of the liquidity of an investment in the security. For more information on the rating methodology, please visit the following NRSRO websites: www.standardandpoors.com and select 'Understanding Ratings' under Rating Resources on the homepage; www.moodys.com and select 'Rating Methodologies' under Research and Ratings on the homepage; www.fitchratings.com and select 'Ratings Definitions' on the homepage.
Fund Characteristics
3-Year Alpha | -1.11% |
3-Year Beta | 1.15 |
3-Year R-Squared | 0.79 |
3-Year Sharpe Ratio | 1.24 |
3-Year Standard Deviation | 3.57 |
Number of Securities | 555 |
Total Assets | $337,571,248.00 |
Source: Bloomberg LP,StyleADVISOR
Top Fixed-Income Holdings | View all
Holding Name | Coupon % | Bond Maturity Date | % of Total Assets |
---|---|---|---|
Nationwide Marketing Group LLC | 10.930 | 06/01/2025 | 1.34 |
Monitronics International Inc | 11.800 | 06/30/2028 | 1.29 |
Spin Holdco Inc | 8.580 | 03/04/2028 | 1.29 |
Proofpoint Inc | 7.330 | 08/31/2028 | 1.01 |
AAdvantage Loyalty IP Ltd | 6.520 | 04/20/2028 | 0.94 |
Garda World Security Corp | 7.310 | 02/01/2029 | 0.89 |
Trinseo Luxco Finance SPV Sarl | 12.740 | 05/03/2028 | 0.85 |
GI Revelation Acquisition LLC | 8.080 | 05/12/2028 | 0.85 |
Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc | 7.330 | 07/31/2031 | 0.84 |
Oxea Corp | 7.100 | 04/07/2031 | 0.82 |
May not equal 100% due to rounding.
Holdings are subject to change and are not buy/sell recommendations.
Top Industries
% of Total Assets | |
---|---|
Casinos & Gaming | 1.37 |
Systems Software | 1.30 |
Security & Alarm Services | 1.29 |
Education Services | 1.02 |
Health Care Supplies | 0.71 |
Research & Consulting Services | 0.65 |
Integrated Telecommunication Services | 0.64 |
Oil & Gas Equipment & Services | 0.57 |
Application Software | 0.56 |
Trading Companies & Distributors | 0.51 |
May not equal 100% due to rounding.
The holdings are organized to mirror the Credit Suisse High Yield Bond Index industry classifications. These classifications are the exclusive property and service mark of Credit Suisse AG.
Fund Documents
Materials & Resources
About risk
As with any investment, loss of money is a risk of investing. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. The risks associated with an investment in the Fund can increase during times of significant market volatility. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
Market Risk. The market values of the Fund’s investments, and therefore the value of the Fund’s shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry or section of the economy, or it may affect the market as a whole. The value of the Fund’s investments may go up or down due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to the particular issuer. These market conditions may include real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in trade regulation or economic sanctions, changes in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, regional or global instability and uncertainty, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, economic crisis or adverse investor sentiment generally, among others. Certain changes in the U.S. economy in particular, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have a material adverse effect on global financial markets as a whole, and on the securities to which the Fund has exposure. Increasingly strained relations between the U.S. and foreign countries, including as a result of economic sanctions and tariffs, may also adversely affect U.S. issuers, as well as non-U.S. issuers.
During a general downturn in the financial markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that specific investments held by the Fund will rise in value.
Senior Loans and Other Loans Risk. Risks associated with an investment in Senior Loans include credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and prepayment risk. These risks are typically associated with debt securities but may be heightened in part because of the limited public information regarding Senior Loans. Senior Loans generally are floating rate loans, which are subject to interest rate risk as the interest paid on the floating rate loans adjusts periodically based on changes in widely accepted reference rates. Lack of an active trading market, restrictions on resale, irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods may impair the Fund’s ability to sell Senior Loans within its desired time frame or at an acceptable price and its ability to accurately value existing and prospective investments. Extended trade settlement periods may result in cash not being immediately available to the Fund. As a result, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions to raise cash to meet its obligations. The risk of holding Senior Loans is also directly tied to the risk of insolvency or bankruptcy of the issuing banks. The value of Senior Loans can be affected by and sensitive to changes in government regulation and to economic downturns in the United States and abroad. Senior loans are also subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans. Loans are subject to the risk that the value of the collateral, if any, securing a loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower, or be difficult to liquidate. Loan investments are often issued in connection with highly leveraged transactions which are subject to greater credit risks than other investments including a greater possibility that the borrower may default or enter bankruptcy. Highly leveraged loans also may be less liquid than other loans. These risks could cause the Fund to lose income or principal on a particular investment, which in turn could affect the Fund’s returns. Newly originated loans (including reissuances and restructured loans) may possess lower levels of credit document protections than has historically been the case. Accordingly, in the event of default the Fund may experience lower levels of recoveries than has historically been the norm.
Variable or Floating Rate Instruments. Variable or floating rate instruments are securities that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligation. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. A decline in interest rates may result in a reduction of income received from floating rate securities held by the Fund and may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Accordingly, as market interest rates decrease or increase, the potential for capital appreciation or depreciation is less for variable or floating rate securities than for fixed rate obligations. Generally, floating rate securities carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity.
Covenant Lite Loans Risk. Because covenant lite loans contain few or no financial maintenance covenants, covenant lite loans may not include terms that permit the lender of the loan to monitor the borrower’s financial performance and, if certain criteria are breached, declare a default, which would allow the lender to restructure the loan or take other action intended to help mitigate losses. As a result, the Fund may experience relatively greater difficulty or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant lite loans than its holdings of loans or securities with financial maintenance covenants, which may result in losses to the Fund, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle.
Debt Securities Risk. The prices of debt securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration debt securities and higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of debt securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates. Falling interest rates may also reduce the Fund’s distributable income because interest payments on floating rate debt instruments held by the Fund will decline. The Fund could lose money on investments in debt securities if the issuer or borrower fails to meet its obligations to make interest payments and/or to repay principal in a timely manner. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security may affect the value of debt securities. The credit analysis applied to the Fund’s debt securities may fail to anticipate such changes, which could result in buying a debt security at an inopportune time or failing to sell a debt security in advance of a price decline or other credit event.
High Yield Debt Securities (Junk Bond/Below-Investment-Grade) Risk. Compared to higher quality debt securities, high yield debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) and other lower-rated securities involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors’ claims. High yield debt securities often are issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged (for example, indebted) firms. High yield debt securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, are more susceptible to default or decline in market value and are less liquid than investment grade debt securities. Prices of high yield debt securities tend to be very volatile. The values of high yield debt securities often fluctuate more in response to company, political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price, thus subjecting the Fund to a substantial risk of loss.
Defaulted Securities Risk. As compared with non-defaulted securities, defaulted securities pose a greater risk that principal will not be repaid. Defaulted securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale. This risk also applies to investments in loans to bankrupt companies.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Increases in the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates or other changes to monetary policy or regulatory actions may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree, and to reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities. Such changes and resulting increased volatility may adversely impact the Fund, including its operations, universe of potential investment options, and return potential. It is difficult to predict the impact of interest rate changes on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments and share price may decline. Changes in central bank policies and other governmental actions and political events within the U.S. and abroad may also, among other things, affect investor and consumer expectations and confidence in the financial markets, which could result in higher than normal redemptions by shareholders, which could potentially increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs.
Financials Sector Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the financials sector. Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation and, as a result, their profitability may be affected by new regulations or regulatory interpretations. Changes in interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financials sector and financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that sector. Financial services companies have also been affected by increased competition, which could adversely affect the profitability or viability of such companies.
Collateralized Loan Obligations Risk. CLOs are subject to the risks of substantial losses due to actual defaults by underlying borrowers, which will be greater during periods of economic or financial stress. CLOs may also lose value due to collateral defaults and disappearance of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults, and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of CLOs will be greater if the Fund invests in CLOs that hold loans of uncreditworthy borrowers or if the Fund holds subordinate tranches of the CLO that absorb losses from the defaults before senior tranches. In addition, CLOs are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk.
Credit Linked Notes Risk. Risks of credit linked notes include those risks associated with the underlying reference obligation including but not limited to market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, default risk and, in some cases, foreign currency risk. An investor in a credit linked note bears counterparty risk or the risk that the issuer of the credit linked note will default or become bankrupt and not make timely payment of principal and interest of the structured security. Credit linked notes may be less liquid than other investments and therefore harder to dispose of at the desired time and price. In addition, credit linked notes may be leveraged and, as a result, small changes in the value of the underlying reference obligation may produce disproportionate losses to the Fund.
Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment or call risk, which is the risk that a borrower’s payments may be received earlier or later than expected due to changes in prepayment rates on underlying loans, which could result in the Fund reinvesting these early payments at lower interest rates, thereby reducing the Fund’s income. Asset-backed securities also are subject to extension risk, which is the risk that a rise in interest rates could reduce the rate of prepayments, causing the price of the asset-backed securities and the Fund’s share price to fall.
Conflicts of Interest Risk Related to Co-Investing. The Adviser and certain of its affiliates may experience conflicts of interest in connection with co-investment transactions.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing through one or more Subsidiaries, if any, the Fund is exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiaries’ investments (which risks are generally the same as the investment risks applicable to the Fund).
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. Foreign securities may have relatively low market liquidity, greater market volatility, decreased publicly available information and less reliable financial information about issuers, and inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice, including recordkeeping standards, comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Foreign securities also are subject to the risks of possible seizure, expropriation, nationalization, political or social instability, changes in economic or taxation policies or other adverse political or economic developments (in which the Fund could lose its entire investments in a certain market) and the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries, including the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. Investments in foreign securities also may be subject to dividend withholding or confiscatory taxes, currency blockage and/or transfer restrictions and higher transactional costs. To the extent the Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the values of other currencies may adversely affect investments in foreign securities and may negatively impact the Fund’s returns, unless the Fund has hedged its foreign currency exposure. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Currency hedging strategies, if used, may not always be successful. Foreign companies generally may be subject to less stringent regulations than U.S. companies, including financial reporting requirements and auditing and accounting controls, and may therefore be more susceptible to fraud or corruption. There may be less public information available about foreign companies than U.S. companies, making it difficult to evaluate those foreign companies. From time to time, certain companies in which the Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries the U.S. government identified as state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations that could negatively affect the company’s performance. Additionally, one or more of these companies could suffer damage to its reputation if the market identifies it as a company that invests or deals with countries that the U.S. government identifies as state sponsors of terrorism or is subject to sanctions.
Investing in Stocks Risk. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may be affected by changes in the stock markets. Stock markets may experience significant short-term volatility and may fall or rise sharply at times. Adverse events in any part of the equity or fixed-income markets may have unexpected negative effects on other market segments. Different stock markets may behave differently from each other and U.S. stock markets may move in the opposite direction from one or more foreign stock markets.
The prices of individual stocks generally do not all move in the same direction at the same time. However, individual stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of certain other types of investments, such as bonds. A variety of factors can negatively affect the price of a particular company’s stock. These factors may include, but are not limited to: poor earnings reports, a loss of customers, litigation against the company, general unfavorable performance of the company’s sector or industry, or changes in government regulations affecting the company or its industry. To the extent that securities of a particular type are emphasized (for example foreign stocks, stocks of small- or mid-cap companies, growth or value stocks, or stocks of companies in a particular industry), Fund share values may fluctuate more in response to events affecting the market for those types of securities.
Preferred Securities Risk. There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities compared to those applicable generally to equity securities. Preferred securities may be less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks, and generally offer no voting rights with respect to the issuer. Preferred securities also may be subordinated to bonds or other debt instruments in an issuer’s capital structure, subjecting them to a greater risk of non-payment than more senior securities. Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, in its discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a certain period of time. If the Fund owns a security that is deferring or omitting its distributions, the Fund may be required to report the distribution on its tax returns, even though it may not have received any income. Further, preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the omission or deferment of dividend payments.
Rights and Warrants Risk. Warrants may be significantly less valuable or worthless on their expiration date and may also be postponed or terminated early, resulting in a partial or total loss. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed directly by the issuer to its shareholders. Rights and warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer. Warrants and rights are highly volatile and, therefore, more susceptible to sharp declines in value than the underlying security might be. The market for rights or warrants may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price.
Convertible Securities Risk. The market values of convertible securities are affected by market interest rates, the risk of actual issuer default on interest or principal payments and the value of the underlying common stock into which the convertible security may be converted. Additionally, a convertible security is subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. In addition, certain convertible securities are subject to involuntary conversions and may undergo principal write-downs upon the occurrence of certain triggering events, and, as a result, are subject to an increased risk of loss. Convertible securities may be rated below investment grade and therefore considered to have more speculative characteristics and greater susceptibility to default or decline in market value than investment grade securities.
Warrants, Equity Securities and Junior Debt Securities of the Borrower Risk. Warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities have a subordinate claim on a Borrower’s assets as compared with Senior Loans. As a result, the values of warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities generally are more dependent on the financial condition of the Borrower and less dependent on fluctuations in interest rates than are the values of many debt securities. The values of warrants, equity securities and junior debt securities may be more volatile than those of Senior Loans and thus may increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value. Additionally, warrants may be significantly less valuable on their relevant expiration date resulting in a loss of money or they may expire worthless resulting in a total loss of the investment. Warrants may also be postponed or terminated early resulting in a partial or total loss of the investment. Warrants may also be illiquid.
Inflation-Indexed Securities Risk. The values of inflation-indexed securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates. Such changes may be difficult to predict and it is possible that an investment in inflation-indexed securities will have an effect different from that anticipated. Because of the inflation-adjustment feature, these securities typically have lower yields than traditional fixed-rate securities with similar maturities. Normally inflation-indexed securities will decline in price when real interest rates rise which could cause losses for the Fund. As a result, the Fund’s income from its investments in these securities is likely to fluctuate considerably more than the income distributions of its investments in more traditional fixed-income securities.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States, which may be negatively affected by an actual or threatened failure of the U.S. government to pay its obligations. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.
Derivatives Risk. The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of an underlying security, currency, commodity, interest rate, index or other asset (each referred to as an underlying asset). In addition to risks relating to the underlying assets, the use of derivatives may include other, possibly greater, risks, including counterparty, leverage and liquidity risks. Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to the derivative contract will default on its obligation to pay the Fund the amount owed or otherwise perform under the derivative contract. Derivatives create leverage risk because they do not require payment up front equal to the economic exposure created by holding a position in the derivative. As a result, an adverse change in the value of the underlying asset could result in the Fund sustaining a loss that is substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative or the anticipated value of the underlying asset, which may make the Fund’s returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. Derivative instruments may also be less liquid than more traditional investments and the Fund may be unable to sell or close out its derivative positions at a desirable time or price. This risk may be more acute under adverse market conditions, during which the Fund may be most in need of liquidating its derivative positions. Derivatives may also be harder to value, less tax efficient and subject to changing government regulation that could impact the Fund’s ability to use certain derivatives or their cost. Derivatives strategies may not always be successful. For example, derivatives used for hedging or to gain or limit exposure to a particular market segment may not provide the expected benefits, particularly during adverse market conditions.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may hold illiquid investments that it may be unable to sell at its preferred time or price and, as a result, could lose the entirety of such illiquid investments. Liquid investments can become illiquid during periods of market stress. If a significant amount of the Fund’s investments become illiquid, it may not be able to timely pay redemption proceeds and may need to sell securities at significantly reduced prices. The risks of illiquidity are particularly important when the Fund’s operations require cash, and may in certain circumstances require that the Fund borrow to meet short-term cash requirements. Illiquid investments are also difficult to value. In the event the Fund voluntarily or involuntarily liquidates portfolio assets during periods of infrequent trading, the Fund may not receive full value for those assets.
Financial Leverage Risk. There are risks associated with borrowing or issuing preferred shares in an effort to increase the yield and distributions on the Common Shares, including that the costs of the financial leverage exceed the income from investments made with such leverage, the higher volatility of the net asset value of the Common Shares, and that fluctuations in the interest rates on the borrowing or dividend rates on preferred shares may affect the yield and distributions to the Common Shareholders. The Fund’s use of leverage also may impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for federal income tax purposes, as a regulated investment company.
Borrowing Risk. Borrowing money to buy securities exposes the Fund to leverage and will cause the Fund’s share price to be more volatile because leverage will exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Borrowing money may also require the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so. In addition, the Fund will incur interest expenses and other fees on borrowed money. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s borrowing strategy will enhance and not reduce the Fund’s returns.
Borrower Credit Risk. Senior Loans, like most other debt obligations, are subject to the risk of default. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction in income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and a potential decrease in the Fund’s net asset value. The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates.
The Fund may acquire Senior Loans of Borrowers that are experiencing, or are more likely to experience, financial difficulty, including Senior Loans issued in highly leveraged transactions. The Fund may even acquire and retain in its portfolio Senior Loans of Borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Because of the protective terms of Senior Loans, the Adviser believes that the Fund is more likely to recover more of its investment in a defaulted Senior Loan than would be the case for most other types of defaulted debt securities. Nevertheless, even in the case of collateralized Senior Loans, there is no assurance that sale of the collateral would raise enough cash to satisfy the Borrower’s payment obligation or that the collateral can or will be liquidated. In the case of bankruptcy, liquidation may not occur and the court may not give Lenders the full benefit of their senior position. Uncollateralized Senior Loans involve a greater risk of loss.
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Risks. When-issued and delayed delivery transactions subject the Fund to market risk because the value or yield of a security at delivery may be more or less than the purchase price or yield generally available when delivery occurs, and counterparty risk because the Fund relies on the buyer or seller, as the case may be, to consummate the transaction. These transactions also have a leveraging effect on the Fund because the Fund commits to purchase securities that it does not have to pay for until a later date, which increases the Fund’s overall investment exposure and, as a result, its volatility.
Rule 144A Securities and Other Exempt Securities Risk. The market for Rule 144A and other securities exempt from certain registration requirements may be less active than the market for publicly-traded securities. Rule 144A and other exempt securities, while initially privately placed, carry the risk that their liquidity may become impaired and the Fund may be unable to dispose of the securities at a desirable time or price.
Restricted Securities Risk. Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities and such securities may be difficult to value and may have significant volatility.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations Risk. The ESG considerations that may be assessed as part of a credit research process to implement the Fund’s investment strategy in pursuit of its investment objective may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated for every investment, and not every investment or issuer may be evaluated for ESG considerations. The incorporation of ESG factors as part of a credit analysis may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain issuers or industries and may not work as intended. Information used to evaluate such factors may not be readily available, complete or accurate, and may vary across providers and issuers. There is no guarantee that the incorporation of ESG considerations will be additive to the Fund’s performance.
Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities to be repurchased may decline below the repurchase price resulting in a requirement for the Fund to deliver margin to the other party in the amount of the related shortfall. If the other party defaults on its obligation, the Fund may be delayed or prevented from completing the transaction. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds from the sale of the securities may be restricted. When the Fund engages in reverse repurchase agreements, changes in the value of the Fund’s investments will have a larger effect on its share price than if it did not engage in these transactions due to the effect of leverage, which will make the Fund’s returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. Additionally, interest expenses related to reverse repurchase agreements could exceed the rate of return on investments held by the Fund, thereby reducing returns to shareholders.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and depends heavily on the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund could experience losses if these judgments prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s investment techniques or investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may adversely affect management of the Fund and, therefore, the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.