Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Senior Loans are usually rated below investment grade and may also be unrated. As a result, the risks associated with Senior Loans are similar to the risks of below investment grade fixed income instruments, although Senior Loans are senior and secured, in contrast to other below investment grade fixed income instruments, which are often subordinated or unsecured. Investments in Senior Loans rated below investment grade are considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Such issuers are considered more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal owed to the Fund, and such defaults could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions. An economic downturn would generally lead to a higher
non-payment
rate, and a Senior Loan may lose significant market value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a Senior Loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the Senior Loan’s value. Senior Loans are subject to a number of risks, including liquidity risk and the risk of investing in below investment grade fixed income instruments.
. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the probabilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Conditions affecting the general economy, including political, social, or economic instability at the local, regional, or global level may also affect the market value of a security. Health crises, such as pandemic and epidemic diseases, as well as other incidents that interrupt the expected course of events, such as natural disasters, war or civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, power outages and other unforeseeable and external events, and the public response to or fear of such diseases or events, may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments and net asset value and can lead to increased market volatility. For example, any preventative or protective actions that governments may take in respect of such diseases or events may result in periods of business disruption, inability to obtain raw materials, supplies and component parts, and reduced or disrupted operations for the issuers in which the Fund invests. The occurrence and pendency of such diseases or events could adversely affect the economies and financial markets either in specific countries or worldwide.
Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may impact the markets for certain commodities and various issuers and may likely have collateral impacts on markets globally. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions imposed and other punitive action taken and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in European stock markets and the value of Russian sovereign debt, cannot be easily predicted, but could be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including escalating and more widespread military conflict, purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks may impact global economies and the Fund’s investments in various markets.
In March 2023, the financial distress of certain financial institutions raised economic concerns over disruption in the U.S. banking system and regarding the solvency of certain financial services firms. There can be no certainty that the actions taken by the U.S. government to strengthen public confidence in the U.S. banking system will be effective in mitigating the effects of financial institution failures on the economy and restoring public confidence in the U.S. banking system.
Raising the ceiling on U.S. government debt has become increasingly politicized. Any failure to increase the total amount that the U.S. government is authorized to borrow could lead to a default on U.S. government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the U.S. and elsewhere. On August 1, 2023, Fitch Ratings, Inc. downgraded its U.S. debt rating from the highest AAA rating to AA+, citing “a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance relative to ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ rated peers over the last two decades that has manifested in repeated debt limit standoffs and last-minute resolutions.” The impacts, if any, of the downgrade on financial markets are unknown at this time. The downgrade has potential market impacts, including but not limited to, steep stock market declines and rising bond yields.
Senior Loans are subject to the risk of
non-payment
of scheduled interest or principal. Such
non-payment
would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral securing a
Annual Report | 51
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Senior Loan would satisfy the Borrower’s obligation in the event of
non-payment
of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that the collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a Borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a Senior Loan. The collateral securing a Senior Loan may lose all or substantially all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a Borrower. Some Senior Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate such Senior Loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the Borrower or take other action detrimental to the holders of Senior Loans including, in certain circumstances, invalidating such Senior Loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the Borrower.
There may be less readily available and reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the 1933 Act or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result, the Adviser will rely primarily on its own evaluation of a Borrower’s credit quality, rather than on any available independent sources. Therefore, the Fund will be particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Adviser.
In general, the secondary trading market for Senior Loans is not well developed. No active trading market may exist for certain Senior Loans, which may make it difficult to value them. Illiquidity and adverse market conditions may mean that the Fund may not be able to sell Senior Loans quickly or at a fair price. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market for them may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Senior Loans are generally not registered under the 1933 Act and often contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. Senior Loans often require prepayments from excess cash flow or permit the Borrower to repay at its election. The degree to which Borrowers repay, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, cannot be predicted with accuracy. As a result, the actual maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown on the Consolidated Schedules of Investments.
The Fund may acquire Senior Loans through assignments or participations. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser’s rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. In general, a participation is a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the Borrower. Sellers of participations typically include banks, broker-dealers and other financial and lending institutions. In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the Borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which they have purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the Borrower and the institution selling the participation. Further, in purchasing participations in lending syndicates, the Fund will not be able to conduct the due diligence on the Borrower or the quality of the Senior Loan with respect to which they are buying a participation that the Fund would otherwise conduct if they were investing directly in the Senior Loan, which may result in the Fund being exposed to greater credit or fraud risk with respect to the Borrower or the Senior Loan.
The Fund may also engage in direct origination of loans. In originating loans, the Fund relies on the Adviser’s proprietary sourcing channels, which targets large corporate and private sponsor-backed issuers. In determining whether to originate a loan, the Fund relies on the Adviser’s analysis of the creditworthiness of a borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. The level of analytical sophistication necessary for conducting this analysis is high and the Adviser must rely more significantly on its own resources to conduct due diligence on borrowers than for secondary market debt purchases. The loans the Fund originates are generally Senior Loans, however the Fund is not limited in the type, amount or size of loans it may originate nor to a particular type of borrower. The Fund will earn origination and other types of borrower fees in connection with originating and structuring loans. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. Direct loans are subject to heightened liquidity risk and interest rate risk, and some direct loans may be deemed illiquid. The Fund may also face heightened competition for direct origination, which may result in the Fund being required to make lower yielding investments.
52 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
. Subordinated loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in Senior Loans, except that such loans are subordinated in payment and/or lower in lien priority to first lien holders. In the event of default on a subordinated loan, the first priority lien holder has first claim to the underlying collateral of the loan. Subordinated loans are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the Borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior unsecured or senior secured obligations of the Borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Subordinated loans generally have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and may be less liquid.
Below Investment Grade Securities Risk
. The Fund anticipates that it will invest the majority of its assets in Senior Loans, subordinated loans and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade.
Non-investment
grade fixed income or convertible securities, often referred to as “junk bonds,” “leveraged loans” or “high yield” securities, are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by the major rating agencies or are unrated securities that the Adviser believes are of comparable quality. While generally providing greater income and opportunity for gain,
non-investment
grade debt securities and similar debt instruments may be subject to greater risks than securities or instruments that have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default. The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change, positively or negatively, to reflect developments regarding the issuer’s financial condition. High yield securities and similar instruments often are considered to be speculative with respect to the capacity of the issuer to timely repay principal and pay interest or dividends in accordance with the terms of the obligation and may have more credit risk than higher rated securities. Lower grade securities and similar debt instruments may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns. It is likely that a prolonged or deepening economic recession could adversely affect the ability of Borrowers issuing such securities and similar debt instruments to repay principal and pay interest on the instrument, increase the incidence of default and severely disrupt the market value of the securities and similar debt instruments.
. Some of the loans or debt obligations in which the Fund may invest are “covenant-lite”, which means the loans or obligations contain fewer financial maintenance covenants than other loans or obligations (in some cases, none) and do not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the borrower’s performance and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by the Fund in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. The Fund may also experience difficulty, expenses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans or obligations. As a result of these risks, the Fund’s exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on the Fund.
. Credit risk is the risk that one or more debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in price or fail to pay interest or principal when due because the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial status. While a senior position in the capital structure of a Borrower may provide some protection with respect to the Fund’s investments in Senior Loans, losses may still occur because the market value of Senior Loans is affected by the creditworthiness of Borrowers and by general economic and specific industry conditions. To the extent the Fund invests in below investment grade securities, it will be exposed to a greater amount of credit risk than a fund that invests in investment grade securities. The prices of lower grade securities are more sensitive to negative developments, such as a decline in the issuer’s revenues or a general economic downturn, than are the prices of higher grade securities. In addition, the Fund may use credit derivatives that may expose it to additional risk in the event that the securities underlying the derivatives default.
. During periods of declining interest rates, Borrowers may exercise their option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled. For fixed rate securities, such payments often occur during periods of declining interest rates, which may require the Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities, resulting in a possible decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to shareholders. This is known as prepayment or “call” risk. Below investment grade securities frequently have call features that allow the issuer to redeem the security at dates prior to its stated maturity at a specified price (typically greater than par) only if certain prescribed conditions are met (“Call Protection”). An issuer may redeem a below investment grade security if, for example, the issuer can refinance the debt at a lower cost due to declining interest rates or an improvement in the credit standing of the issuer. Subordinated loans typically do not have Call Protection. For premium bonds (bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value) purchased by the Fund, prepayment risk may be enhanced.
Annual Report | 53
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Senior Loans are subject to prepayment risk and typically do not have Call Protection. The degree to which Borrowers prepay Senior Loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the Borrower and competitive conditions among Senior Loan investors, among others. For these reasons, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the outstanding debt on which the Fund derives interest income will be reduced. The Fund may not be able to reinvest the proceeds received on terms as favorable as the prepaid loan.
. The market price of the Fund’s investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. During periods of declining interest rates, the market price of fixed rate instruments generally rises. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market price of such instruments generally declines. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of fixed rate credit instruments is generally greater for instruments with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. In addition, some credit instruments may allow an issuer to opt between SOFR-based interest rates and interest rates based on bank prime rates, which may have an effect on the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may utilize certain strategies, including investments in swaps, for the purpose of reducing the interest rate sensitivity of the portfolio and decreasing the Fund’s exposure to interest rate risk, although there is no assurance that it will do so or that such strategies, if utilized, will be successful.
. The Fund may invest in financial instruments that recently transitioned from using or continue to use a floating rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced a phase out of LIBOR such that after June 30, 2023, the overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings ceased to be published or are no longer representative. All other LIBOR settings and certain other interbank offered rates, such as the Euro Overnight Index Average, ceased to be published after December 31, 2021. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement market and has been used increasingly on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate Act was signed into law, providing a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Federal Reserve Board and based on SOFR for certain contracts that reference LIBOR without adequate fallback provisions. On December 16, 2022, the Federal Reserve Board adopted regulations implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate Act by identifying benchmark rates based on the SOFR that replaced LIBOR in different categories of financial contracts after June 30, 2023. These regulations apply only to contracts governed by U.S. law, among other limitations.
Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. Parties to contract, securities or other instruments using LIBOR may disagree on transition rates or the application of applicable transition regulation, potentially resulting in uncertainty of performance and the possibility of litigation. The Fund may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future.
. The Fund generally considers “illiquid securities” to be securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the value used by the Fund in determining its net asset value. The Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such securities at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell the securities if they were more widely-traded and, as a result of that illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of securities, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s net asset value and ability to make dividend distributions.
Some Senior Loans are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. Senior Loans generally are not listed on any national securities exchange and no active trading market may exist for the Senior Loans in which the Fund may invest. When a secondary market exists, if at all, the market for some Senior Loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The Fund has no limitation on the amount of its assets that may be invested in securities that are not readily marketable or are subject to restrictions on resale.
54 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Distressed and Defaulted Securities Risk
. The Fund may invest in securities, including loans purchased in the secondary market, that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default or at risk of being in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund. Investment in these distressed securities is speculative and involves significant risks.
. The Fund uses leverage and may utilize leverage to the maximum extent permitted by law for investment and other general corporate purposes. The Fund may obtain leverage by issuing preferred shares and/or notes and it may also borrow funds from banks and other financial institutions. The Fund may also gain leverage synthetically through swaps and other derivatives. The use of leverage to purchase additional securities creates an opportunity for increased common share dividends, but also creates risks for common shareholders, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and/or net asset value in relation to market changes. Leverage is a speculative technique that exposes the Fund to greater risk and increased costs than if it were not implemented. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified if the Fund uses leverage. In particular, leverage may magnify interest rate risk, which is the risk that the prices of portfolio securities will fall (or rise) if market interest rates for those types of securities rise (or fall). As a result, leverage may cause greater changes in the Fund’s net asset value, which will be borne entirely by the Fund’s common shareholders. To the extent that the Fund makes investments in Senior Loans or other debt instruments structured with interest rate floors, the Fund will not realize additional income if rates increase to levels below the interest rate floor but the Fund’s cost of financing is expected to increase, resulting in the potential for a decrease in the level of income available for dividends or distributions made by the Fund. If the Fund issues preferred shares and/or notes or engages in other borrowings, it will have to pay dividends on its shares or interest on its notes or borrowings, which will increase expenses and may reduce the Fund’s return. These dividend payments or interest expenses (which will be borne entirely by common shareholders) may be greater than the Fund’s return on the underlying investments. The Fund’s leveraging strategy may not be successful.
Closed-End
Structure; Market Discount from Net Asset Value
. Shares of
closed-end
investment companies that trade in a secondary market frequently trade at market prices that are lower than their net asset values. This is commonly referred to as “trading at a discount.” As a result, the Fund is designed primarily for long-term investors. Although the value of the Fund’s net assets is generally considered by market participants in determining whether to purchase or sell shares, whether an investor will realize gains or losses upon the sale of the shares will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the shares at the time of sale is above or below the investor’s purchase price for the shares. Because the market price of the shares will be determined by factors such as relative supply of and demand for the shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot predict whether the shares will trade at, below or above net asset value. As with any security, complete loss of investment is possible.
. Investing in the common shares involves certain risks and the Fund may not be able to achieve its intended results for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the possibility that the Fund may not be able to structure its investments as anticipated. Because the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate, there is a risk that you will lose money. Your investment will decline in value if, among other things, the value of the Fund’s investments decreases. The value of your common shares also will be affected by the Fund’s ability to successfully implement its investment strategy, as well as by market, economic and other conditions. As with any security, complete loss of your investment is possible.
. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the probabilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Conditions affecting the general economy, including political, social, or economic instability at the local, regional, or global level may also affect the market value of a security. Health crises, such as pandemic and epidemic diseases, as well as other incidents that interrupt the expected course of events, such as natural disasters, war or civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, power outages and other unforeseeable and external events, and the public response to or fear of such diseases or events, may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments and net asset value and can lead to increased market volatility. For example, any preventative or protective actions that governments may take in respect of such diseases or events may result in periods of business disruption, inability to obtain raw materials, supplies and component parts, and reduced or disrupted operations for the issuers in which the Fund invests. The occurrence and pendency of such diseases or events could adversely affect the economies and financial markets either in specific countries or worldwide.
Annual Report | 55
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may impact the markets for certain commodities and various issuers and may likely have collateral impacts on markets globally. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions imposed and other punitive action taken and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in European stock markets and the value of Russian sovereign debt, cannot be easily predicted, but could be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including escalating and more widespread military conflict, purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks may impact global economies and the Fund’s investments in various markets.
In March 2023, the financial distress of certain financial institutions raised economic concerns over disruption in the U.S. banking system and regarding the solvency of certain financial services firms. There can be no certainty that the actions taken by the U.S. government to strengthen public confidence in the U.S. banking system will be effective in mitigating the effects of financial institution failures on the economy and restoring public confidence in the U.S. banking system.
Raising the ceiling on U.S. government debt has become increasingly politicized. Any failure to increase the total amount that the U.S. government is authorized to borrow could lead to a default on U.S. government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the U.S. and elsewhere. On August 1, 2023, Fitch Ratings, Inc. downgraded its U.S. debt rating from the highest AAA rating to AA+, citing “a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance relative to ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ rated peers over the last two decades that has manifested in repeated debt limit standoffs and last-minute resolutions.” The impacts, if any, of the downgrade on financial markets are unknown at this time. The downgrade has potential market impacts, including but not limited to, steep stock market declines and rising bond yields.
Below Investment Grade Instruments Risk.
The Fund’s investments in below investment grade quality securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” securities, “junk bonds” or “leveraged loans”) are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations and involve major risk exposure to adverse conditions. Credit instruments rated below investment grade generally offer a higher current yield than that available from higher rated securities, but typically involve greater risk. These investments are especially sensitive to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, issuers of below investment grade instruments may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal and interest on their obligations and increase the possibility of default. The secondary market for high yield instruments may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated instruments, a factor that may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular high yield security. There are fewer dealers in the market for high yield instruments than for investment grade obligations. The prices quoted by different dealers may vary significantly and the spread between the bid and ask price is generally much larger for high yield instruments than for higher quality instruments. Under continuing adverse market or economic conditions, the secondary market for high yield instruments could contract further, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer, and these instruments may become illiquid. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the market values and liquidity of below investment grade instruments, especially in a market characterized by a low volume of trading.
Default, or the market’s perception that an issuer is likely to default, could reduce the value and liquidity of instruments held by the Fund, which could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, default may cause the Fund to incur expenses in seeking recovery of principal and/or interest on its portfolio holdings. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a portfolio company, the Fund may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities or other instruments with a value less than its original investment and/or may be subject to restrictions on the sale of such securities or instruments. Among the risks inherent in investments in a troubled entity is the fact that it frequently may be difficult to obtain information as to the
56 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
true financial condition of the issuer. The Adviser’s judgment about the credit quality of an issuer and the relative value of its securities may prove to be wrong. Investments in below investment grade instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund to the extent that the issuers of these instruments default on the instruments, and the federal income tax consequences to the Fund as a holder of such instruments may not be clear.
. Some of the loans or debt obligations in which the Fund may invest are “covenant-lite”, which means the loans or obligations contain fewer financial maintenance covenants than other loans or obligations (in some cases, none) and do not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the borrower’s performance and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by the Fund in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. The Fund may also experience difficulty, expenses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans or obligations. As a result of these risks, the Fund’s exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on the Fund.
Fixed Income Instrument Risk
. In addition to the other risks described herein, fixed income credit instruments, including high yield securities, are also subject to certain risks, including:
. The value of credit instruments may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services.
. Credit risk is the risk that one or more debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in price or fail to pay interest or principal when due because the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial status. The prices of lower grade securities generally are more sensitive to negative developments, such as a decline in the issuer’s revenues or a general economic downturn, than are the prices of higher grade securities.
. The market price of the Fund’s investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. During periods of declining interest rates, the market price of fixed rate instruments generally rises. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market price of such instruments generally declines. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of fixed rate credit instruments is generally greater for instruments with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. In addition, some credit instruments may allow an issuer to opt between SOFR-based interest rates and interest rates based on bank prime rates, which may have an effect on the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may utilize certain strategies, including investments in swaps, for the purpose of reducing the interest rate sensitivity of the portfolio and decreasing the Fund’s exposure to interest rate risk, although there is no assurance that it will do so or that such strategies, if utilized, will be successful.
. Reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called fixed income instruments at market interest rates that are below the portfolio’s current earnings rate. A decline in income could affect the market price of the Fund’s common stock or its overall return.
. Wider credit spreads and decreasing market values typically reflect a deterioration of a fixed income instrument’s credit soundness and a perceived greater likelihood or risk of default by the issuer. Fixed income instruments generally compensate for greater credit risk by paying interest at a higher rate. The difference (or “spread”) between the yield of a security and the yield of a benchmark, such as a U.S. Treasury security with a comparable maturity, measures the additional interest paid for credit risk. As the spread on a security widens (or increases), the price (or value) of the security generally falls. In addition to spreads widening due to greater credit risk with respect to a particular security, spread widening may also occur, among other reasons, as a result of market concerns over the stability of the market, excess supply, general credit concerns in other markets, market-specific credit concerns or general reductions in risk tolerance.
. During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a credit instrument may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest the proceeds from such prepayment in lower yielding instruments, which may result in a decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to common stockholders. This
Annual Report | 57
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
is known as prepayment or “call” risk. Credit instruments frequently have call features that allow the issuer to redeem the instrument at dates prior to its stated maturity at a specified price (typically greater than par) only if certain prescribed conditions are met (“call protection”). An issuer may choose to redeem a fixed income instrument if, for example, the issuer can refinance the instrument at a lower cost due to declining interest rates or an improvement in the credit standing of the issuer. For premium bonds (bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value) purchased by the Fund, prepayment risk may be increased and may result in losses to the Fund.
. Senior Loans are usually rated below investment grade and may also be unrated. As a result, the risks associated with Senior Loans are similar to the risks of below investment grade fixed income instruments, although Senior Loans are senior and secured, in contrast to other below investment grade fixed income instruments, which are often subordinated or unsecured. Any specific collateral used to secure a Senior Loan, however, may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the Senior Loan’s value.
There may be less readily available and reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the 1933 Act, or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result, the Adviser will rely primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. Therefore, the Fund will be particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Adviser.
In general, the secondary trading market for Senior Loans is not well developed. No active trading market may exist for certain Senior Loans, which may make it difficult to value them. Illiquidity and adverse market conditions may mean that the Fund may not be able to sell Senior Loans quickly or at a fair price. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market for them may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Senior Loans and other variable rate debt instruments are subject to the risk of payment defaults of scheduled interest or principal. Such payment defaults would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. Similarly, a sudden and significant increase in market interest rates may increase the risk for payment defaults and cause a decline in the value of these investments and in the Fund’s net asset value. Other factors (including, but not limited to, rating downgrades, credit deterioration, a large downward movement in stock prices, a disparity in supply and demand of certain securities or market conditions that reduce liquidity) can reduce the value of Senior Loans and other debt obligations, impairing the Fund’s net asset value.
Senior Loans are subject to legislative risk. If legislation or state or federal regulations impose additional requirements or restrictions on the ability of financial institutions to make loans, the availability of Senior Loans for investment by the Fund may be adversely affected. In addition, such requirements or restrictions could reduce or eliminate sources of financing for certain issuers. This would increase the risk of default. If legislation or federal or state regulations require financial institutions to increase their capital requirements, this may cause financial institutions to dispose of Senior Loans that are considered highly levered transactions. Such sales could result in prices that, in the opinion of the Adviser, do not represent fair value. If the Fund attempts to sell a Senior Loan at a time when a financial institution is engaging in such a sale, the price the Fund could receive for the Senior Loan may be adversely affected.
The Fund may acquire Senior Loans through assignments or participations. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser’s rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. In general, a participation is a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the borrower. Sellers of participations typically include banks, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and lending institutions. In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. Further, in purchasing participations in lending syndicates, the Fund will not be able to conduct the due diligence on the borrower
58 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
or the quality of the Senior Loan with respect to which it is buying a participation that the Fund would otherwise conduct if it were investing directly in the Senior Loan, which may result in the Fund being exposed to greater credit or fraud risk with respect to the borrower or the Senior Loan.
The Fund may also engage in direct origination of loans. In originating loans, the Fund relies on the Adviser’s proprietary sourcing channels, which targets large corporate and private sponsor-backed issuers. In determining whether to originate a loan, the Fund relies on the Adviser’s analysis of the creditworthiness of a borrower and/or any collateral for payment of interest and repayment of principal. The level of analytical sophistication necessary for conducting this analysis is high and the Adviser must rely more significantly on its own resources to conduct due diligence on borrowers than for secondary market debt purchases. The loans the Fund originates are generally Senior Loans, however the Fund is not limited in the type, amount or size of loans it may originate nor to a particular type of borrower. The Fund will earn origination and other types of borrower fees in connection with originating and structuring loans. Direct loans are not publicly traded and may not have a secondary market. Direct loans are subject to heightened liquidity risk and interest rate risk, and some direct loans may be deemed illiquid. The Fund may also face heightened competition for direct origination, which may result in the Fund being required to make lower yielding investments.
. Subordinated loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in Senior Loans, except that such loans are subordinated in payment and/or lower in lien priority to first lien holders. In the event of default on a subordinated loan, the first priority lien holder has first claim to the underlying collateral of the loan. These loans are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior unsecured or senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt that is not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Subordinated loans generally have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and may be less liquid.
Distressed and Defaulted Securities Risk.
The Fund may invest in securities that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default or at risk of being in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund. Investment in these distressed securities is speculative and involves significant risks.
. The Fund uses leverage and may utilize leverage to the maximum extent permitted by law for investment and other general corporate purposes. The Fund may obtain leverage by issuing preferred shares and/or notes and it may also borrow funds from banks and other financial institutions. The Fund may also gain leverage synthetically through swaps and other derivatives. The use of leverage to purchase additional securities creates an opportunity for increased common share dividends, but also creates risks for common shareholders, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and/or net asset value in relation to market changes. Leverage is a speculative technique that exposes the Fund to greater risk and increased costs than if it were not implemented. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified if the Fund uses leverage. In particular, leverage may magnify interest rate risk, which is the risk that the prices of portfolio securities will fall (or rise) if market interest rates for those types of securities rise (or fall). As a result, leverage may cause greater changes in the Fund’s net asset value, which will be borne entirely by the Fund’s common shareholders. To the extent that the Fund makes investments in Senior Loans or other debt instruments structured with interest rate floors, the Fund will not realize additional income if rates increase to levels below the interest rate floor but the Fund’s cost of financing is expected to increase, resulting in the potential for a decrease in the level of income available for dividends or distributions made by the Fund. If the Fund issues preferred shares and/or notes or engages in other borrowings, it will have to pay dividends on its shares or interest on its notes or borrowings, which will increase expenses and may reduce the Fund’s return. These dividend payments or interest expenses (which will be borne entirely by common shareholders) may be greater than the Fund’s return on the underlying investments. The Fund’s leveraging strategy may not be successful.
. The Fund may invest in financial instruments that recently transitioned from using or continue to use a floating rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR,
announced a phase out of LIBOR such that after June 30, 2023, the overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month
Annual Report | 59
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
U.S. dollar LIBOR settings ceased to be published or are no longer representative. All other LIBOR settings and certain other interbank offered rates, such as the Euro Overnight Index Average, ceased to be published after December 31, 2021. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement market and has been used increasingly on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate Act was signed into law, providing a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Federal Reserve Board and based on SOFR for certain contracts that reference LIBOR without adequate fallback provisions. On December 16, 2022, the Federal Reserve Board adopted regulations implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate Act by identifying benchmark rates based on the SOFR that replaced LIBOR in different categories of financial contracts after June 30, 2023. These regulations apply only to contracts governed by U.S. law, among other limitations.
Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. Parties to contract, securities or other instruments using LIBOR may disagree on transition rates or the application of applicable transition regulation, potentially resulting in uncertainty of performance and the possibility of litigation. The Fund may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future.
Closed-End
Structure; Market Discount from Net Asset Value
. Shares of
closed-end
investment companies that trade in a secondary market frequently trade at market prices that are lower than their net asset values. This is commonly referred to as “trading at a discount.” As a result, the Fund is designed primarily for long-term investors. Although the value of the Fund’s net assets is generally considered by market participants in determining whether to purchase or sell shares, whether an investor will realize gains or losses upon the sale of the shares will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the shares at the time of sale is above or below the investor’s purchase price for the shares. Because the market price of the shares will be determined by factors such as relative supply of and demand for the shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot predict whether the shares will trade at, below or above net asset value. As with any security, complete loss of investment is possible.
AFT Fundamental Investment Restrictions:
The following investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares of common stock (which for this purpose and under the Investment Company Act means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of common stock represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of common stock are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares). Subject to such shareholder approval, the Fund may not:
1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management.
2. Purchase or sell real estate, commodities or commodity contracts, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may (i) invest in securities directly or indirectly secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by entities that invest in real estate or interests therein; (ii) invest in securities directly or indirectly secured by commodities or securities issued by entities that invest in or hold such commodities; and (iii) purchase and sell forward contracts, financial futures contracts and options thereon.
3. Issue senior securities or borrow money except as permitted by Section 18 of the Investment Company Act or otherwise as permitted by applicable law.
4. Underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act in selling portfolio securities.
5. Make loans, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act, as interpreted or modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time.
60 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Fund Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
6. Invest more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of each investment) in the securities of issuers in any one industry; provided that securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities and tax-exempt securities of governments or their political subdivisions will not be considered to represent an industry. The Fund determines industries by reference to the Global Industry Classification Standard as it may be amended from time.
AIF Fundamental Investment Restrictions:
The following investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares of common stock (which for this purpose and under the Investment Company Act means the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of common stock represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of common stock are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares). Subject to such shareholder approval, the Fund may not:
1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management;
2. Purchase or sell real estate, commodities or commodity contracts, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may (i) invest in securities directly or indirectly secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by entities that invest in real estate or interests therein; (ii) invest in securities directly or indirectly secured by commodities or securities issued by entities that invest in or hold such commodities; and (iii) purchase and sell forward contracts, swap contracts, futures contracts and options thereon;
3. Issue senior securities or borrow money except as permitted by Section 18 of the Investment Company Act or otherwise as permitted by applicable law;
4. Underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act in selling portfolio securities;
5. Make loans, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act, as interpreted or modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction from time to time.
6. Invest 25% or more of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of each investment) in the securities of issuers in any one industry; provided that securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities and
tax-exempt
securities of governments or their political subdivisions will not be considered to represent an industry. The Fund determines industries by reference to the Global Industry Classification Standard as it may be amended from time to time.
Other Corporate Governance
Each Fund has opted-in to the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act (the “MCSAA”). The election to become subject to the MCSAA limits the ability of holders of “control shares” to vote those shares above various threshold levels that start at 10% unless the other stockholders of a Fund reinstate or approve those voting rights at a meeting of stockholders as provided in the MCSAA. The bylaws for each Fund provide that the provisions of the MCSAA do not apply to the voting rights of the holders of any shares of preferred stock of the Fund (but only with respect to such preferred stock).
The above description of the MCSAA is only a high-level summary and does not purport to be complete. Investors should refer to the actual provisions of the MCSAA and each Fund’s bylaws for more information, including definitions of key terms, various exclusions and exemptions from the statute’s scope, and the procedures by which stockholders may approve the reinstatement of voting rights to holders of “control shares.” Some uncertainty around the general application under the Investment Company Act of state control share statutes exists as a result of recent court decisions. Additionally, in some circumstances uncertainty may also exist in how to enforce the control share restrictions contained in state control share statutes against beneficial owners who hold their shares through financial intermediaries.
Annual Report | 61
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
Updated Disclosures for the Effective Shelf Offering Registration Statements
The following includes additional disclosures for each Fund’s effective Shelf Registration Statement as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
The purpose of the following table and example below is to help you understand the fees and expenses that you, as a holder of Common Shares,
w
ould bear directly or indirectly, as a result of an offering. The table reflects the use of leverage in the form of borrowings in an amount equal to 33% of each Fund’s Managed Assets (after the leverage is incurred) and shows each Fund’s expenses as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares. Each Fund’s actual expenses may vary from the estimated expenses shown in the table. The extent of each Fund’s assets attributable to leverage following an offering, and each Fund’s associated expenses, are likely to vary (perhaps significantly) from these assumptions.
| | | | | |
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc. |
|
| |
Shareholder Transaction Expenses | | Percentage of
Offering Price |
|
| |
| Sales load paid by you (as a percentage of offering price) | | | | 1.00 | % (1) |
| Offering Expenses borne by Common Shareholders (as a percentage of offering price) | | | | 0.57 | % (1) |
| Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees | | | | None | (2) |
| | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | Percentage of
Net Assets
Attributable
to Common
Shares (6) |
|
| |
Investment management fee (3) | | | | 1.52 | % |
Interest payments on borrowed funds (4) | | | | 3.00 | % |
| | | | 0.93 | % |
| | | | | |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses | | | | 5.45 | % |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc. |
|
| |
Shareholder Transaction Expenses | | Percentage of
Offering Price |
|
| |
| Sales load paid by you (as a percentage of offering price) | | | | 1.00 | % (1) |
| Offering Expenses borne by Common Shareholders (as a percentage of offering price) | | | | 0.57 | % (1) |
| Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees | | | | None | (2) |
| | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | Percentage of
Net Assets
Attributable
to Common
Shares (6) |
|
| |
Investment management fee (3) | | | | 1.53 | % |
Interest payments on borrowed funds (4) | | | | 3.02 | % |
| | | | 1.00 | % |
| | | | | |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses | | | | 5.55 | % |
| | | | | |
| (1) | If the Common Shares are sold to or through agents, a corresponding prospectus supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses. Holders of Common Shares will pay all offering expenses involved with an offering. |
| (2) | There is no charge to participants for reinvesting dividends or capital gains distributions. Each Fund’s plan agent service fee for handling the reinvestment of such dividends and capital gains distributions will be paid by the Fund. Shareholders will bear a proportionate share of brokerage commissions on all open market purchases. |
| (3) | The Adviser receives a monthly management fee for its advisory services equal to an effective annual rate of 1.0% of the average daily value of each Fund’s Managed Assets assuming that the amount of leverage of 33% of each Fund’s Managed Assets is used. The amount of leverage used by a Fund may change over time. Each Fund’s historical use of leverage for the past 10 fiscal periods in shown in the table titled “Senior Securities” below. |
62 | Annual Report
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc.
Apollo Tactical Income Fund Inc.
Additional Information (continued)
December 31, 2023 (unaudited)
| (4) | Interest expense assumes that leverage represents 33% of each Fund’s Managed Assets and is charged at an interest rate pursuant to the terms of each Fund’s credit agreement. The types of leverage and terms of the respective credit agreements are included in Note 8- Credit Agreements and Preferred Shares of this annual report. |
| (5) | “Other expenses” are based upon estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Other expenses include amortized offering costs. |
| (6) | For purposes of the Fee Table, each Fund’s net assets have been calculated as Managed Assets less the principal amount of borrowings under the Amended Credit Facility. As of the date of this prospectus, each Fund does not have any preferred shares outstanding. |
The following example illus
tr
ates the hypothetical expenses (including the sales load of $10.00, estimated offering expenses of this offering of $5.70 and the estimated costs of borrowings with the Fund utilizing leverage representing 33% of the Fund’s Managed Assets) that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares, assuming (1) total net annual expenses of 5.45% of net assets attributable to Common Shares and (2) a 5% annual return:
