Note 1 – Organization and Significant Accounting Policies
Organization
Guggenheim Credit Allocation Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 7, 2012, and commenced investment operations on June 26, 2013. The Fund is registered as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation.
For information on the Fund’s other significant accounting policies, please refer to the Fund’s most recent semi-annual or annual shareholder report.
Note 2 – Significant Accounting Policies
The Fund operates as an investment company and, accordingly, follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
The following significant accounting policies are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and are consistently followed by the Trust. This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. All time references are based on Eastern Time.
(a) Valuation of Investments
The Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) has adopted policies and procedures for the valuation of the Fund’s investments (the “Valuation Procedures”). Pursuant to the Valuation Procedures, the Board has delegated to a valuation committee, consisting of representatives from Guggenheim’s investment management, fund administration, legal and compliance departments (the “Valuation Committee”), the day-to-day responsibility for implementing the Valuation Procedures, including, under most circumstances, the responsibility for determining the fair value of the Fund’s securities and/or other assets.
Valuations of the Fund’s securities and other assets are supplied primarily by pricing services appointed pursuant to the processes set forth in the Valuation Procedures. The Valuation Committee convenes monthly, or more frequently as needed, to review the valuation of all assets which have been fair valued for reasonableness. The Fund’s officers, through the Valuation Committee and consistent with the monitoring and review responsibilities set forth in the Valuation Procedures, regularly review procedures used and valuations provided by the pricing services.
If the pricing service cannot or does not provide a valuation for a particular investment or such valuation is deemed unreliable, such investment is fair valued by the Valuation Committee.
Equity securities listed or traded on a recognized U.S. securities exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (“NASDAQ”) National Market System shall generally be valued on the basis of the last sale price on the primary U.S. exchange or market on which the security is listed or traded; provided, however, that securities listed on NASDAQ will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price, which may not necessarily represent the last sale price. If there is no sale on the valuation date, exchange-traded U.S. equity securities will be valued on the basis of the last bid price.
Open-end investment companies are valued at their net asset value as of the close of business, on the valuation date. Exchange-traded funds and closed-end investment companies are valued at the last quoted sale price.
Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The values of foreign securities are determined as of the close of such foreign markets or the close of the NYSE, if earlier. All investments quoted in foreign currencies are valued in U.S. dollars on the basis of the foreign currency exchange rates prevailing at the close of U.S. business at 4:00 p.m. Investments in foreign securities may involve risks not present in domestic investments. The Valuation Committee will determine the current value of such foreign securities by taking into consideration certain factors which may include those discussed above, as well as the following factors, among others: the value of the securities traded on other foreign markets, ADR trading, closed-end fund trading, foreign currency exchange activity, and the trading prices of financial products that are tied to foreign securities. In addition, under the Valuation Procedures, the Valuation Committee and Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC (“GFIA” or the “Adviser”) are authorized to use prices and other information supplied by a third party pricing vendor in valuing foreign securities.
| NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited) | February 28, 2021 |
Debt securities with a maturity of greater than 60 days at acquisition are valued at prices that reflect broker-dealer supplied valuations or are obtained from independent pricing services, which may consider the trade activity, treasury spreads, yields or price of bonds of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, and type, as well as prices quoted by dealers who make markets in such securities. Short-term debt securities with a maturity of 60 days or less at acquisition are valued at amortized cost, provided such amount approximates market value.
Typically, loans are valued using information provided by an independent third party pricing service which uses broker quotes, among other inputs. If the pricing service cannot or does not provide a valuation for a particular loan, or such valuation is deemed unreliable, such investment is valued based on a quote from a broker-dealer or is fair valued by the Valuation Committee.
The values of swap agreements entered into by the Fund are accounted for using the unrealized appreciation or depreciation on the agreements that are determined by marking the agreements to the last quoted value of the index or other underlying position that the swaps pertain to at the close of the NYSE.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued daily based on the applicable exchange rate of the underlying currency.
Investments for which market quotations are not readily available are fair-valued as determined in good faith by GFIA, subject to review and approval by the Valuation Committee, pursuant to methods established or ratified by the Board. Valuations in accordance with these methods are intended to reflect each security’s (or asset’s or liability’s) “fair value”. Each such determination is based on a consideration of all relevant factors, which are likely to vary from one pricing context to another. Examples of such factors may include, but are not limited to market prices; sale prices; broker quotes; and models which derive prices based on inputs such as prices of securities with comparable maturities and characteristics, or based on inputs such as anticipated cash flows or collateral, spread over U.S. Treasury securities, and other information analysis.
Note 3 – Financial Instruments and Derivatives
As part of its investment strategy, the Fund utilizes a variety of derivative instruments. These investments involve, to varying degrees, elements of market risk. Valuation and accounting treatment of these instruments can be found under Significant Accounting Policies in Note 2 of these Notes to Schedule of Investments.
Derivatives are instruments whose values depend on, or are derived from, in whole or in part, the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, currencies, commodities or indices. Derivative instruments may be used to increase investment flexibility (including to maintain cash reserves while maintaining exposure to certain other assets), for risk management (hedging) purposes, to facilitate trading, to reduce transaction costs and to pursue higher investment returns. Derivative instruments may also be used to mitigate certain investment risks, such as foreign currency exchange rate risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. U.S. GAAP requires disclosures to enable investors to better understand how and why a Fund uses derivative instruments, how these derivative instruments are accounted for and their effects on the Fund’s financial position and results of operations.
The Fund utilized derivatives for the following purposes:
Hedge: an investment made in order to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in a security, by taking an offsetting position to protect against broad market moves.
Income: the use of any instrument that distributes cash flows typically based upon some rate of interest.
Speculation: the use of an instrument to express macro-economic and other investment views.
Swap Agreements
A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates for a specified amount of an underlying asset. When utilizing over-the-counter swaps, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty or if the underlying asset declines in value.
| NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited) | February 28, 2021 |
Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and are executed on a multi-lateral or other trade facility platform, such as a registered exchange. There is limited counterparty credit risk with respect to centrally-cleared swaps as the transaction is facilitated through a central clearinghouse, much like exchange-traded futures contracts. For a fund utilizing centrally cleared swaps, the exchange bears the risk of loss resulting from a counterparty not being able to pay. There is no guarantee that a fund or an underlying fund could eliminate its exposure under an outstanding swap agreement by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same or another party.
Total return swaps involve commitments where single or multiple cash flows are exchanged based on the price of an underlying reference asset (such as an index) or a fixed or variable interest rate. Total return swaps will usually be computed based on the current value of the reference asset as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE or other exchange, with the swap value being adjusted to include dividends accrued, financing charges and/or interest associated with the swap agreement. When utilizing total return swaps the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty or if the underlying index declines in value.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
A forward foreign currency exchange contract is an agreement between two parties to exchange two designated currencies at a specific time in the future. Certain types of contracts may be cash settled, in an amount equal to the change in exchange rates during the term of the contract. The contracts can be used to hedge or manage exposure to foreign currency risks with portfolio investments or to gain exposure to foreign currencies.
The market value of a forward foreign currency exchange contract changes with fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Furthermore, the Fund may be exposed to risk if the counterparties cannot meet the contract terms or if the currency value changes unfavorably as compared to the U.S. dollar.
In conjunction with the use of derivative instruments, the Fund is required to maintain collateral in various forms. Depending on the financial instrument utilized and the broker involved, the Fund uses margin deposits at the broker, cash and/or securities segregated at the custodian bank, discount notes or repurchase agreements allocated to the Fund as collateral.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements as part of its financial leverage strategy. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund temporarily transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash. At the same time, the Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time and price, which reflects an interest payment. Such agreements have the economic effect of borrowings. The Fund may enter into such agreements when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement, which would increase earned income. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, any fluctuations in the market value of either the instruments transferred to another party or the instruments in which the proceeds may be invested would affect the market value of the Fund’s assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of the Fund’s assets.
Note 4 – Fair Value Measurement
In accordance with U.S. GAAP, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an investment or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction with an independent buyer in the principal market, or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the investment or liability. U.S. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy based on the types of inputs used to value assets and liabilities and requires corresponding disclosure. The hierarchy and the corresponding inputs are summarized below:
Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 — significant other observable inputs (for example quoted prices for securities that are similar based on characteristics such as interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).
Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs based on the best information available under the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, which may include assumptions.
| NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited) | February 28, 2021 |
The types of inputs available depend on a variety of factors, such as the type of security and the characteristics of the markets in which it trades, if any. Fair valuation determinations that rely on fewer or no observable inputs require greater judgment. Accordingly, fair value determinations for Level 3 securities require the greatest amount of judgment.
Independent pricing services are used to value a majority of the Fund’s investments. When values are not available from a pricing service, they will be determined using a variety of sources and techniques, including: market prices; broker quotes; and models which derive prices based on inputs such as prices of securities with comparable maturities and characteristics or based on inputs such as anticipated cash flows or collateral, spread over U.S. Treasury securities, and other information and analysis. A significant portion of the Fund’s assets and liabilities are categorized as Level 2, as indicated in this report.
Quotes from broker-dealers, adjusted for fluctuations in criteria such as credit spreads and interest rates, may also be used to value the Fund’s assets and liabilities, i.e. prices provided by a broker-dealer or other market participant who has not committed to trade at that price. Although quotes are typically received from established market participants, the Fund may not have the transparency to view the underlying inputs which support the market quotations. Significant changes in a quote would generally result in significant changes in the fair value of the security.
Certain fixed income securities are valued by obtaining a monthly quote from a broker-dealer, adjusted for fluctuations in criteria such as credit spreads and interest rates.
Certain loans and other securities are valued using a single daily broker quote or a price from a third party vendor based on a single daily or monthly broker quote.
The inputs or methodologies used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The suitability of the techniques and sources employed to determine fair valuation are regularly monitored and subject to change.
Note 5 – Federal Income Tax Information
The Fund intends to comply with the provisions of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and will distribute substantially all taxable net investment income and capital gains sufficient to relieve the Fund from all, or substantially all, federal income, excise and state income taxes. Therefore, no provision for federal or state income tax or federal excise tax is required.
Tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Fund’s tax returns are evaluated to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken, or to be taken, on U.S. federal income tax returns for all open tax years, and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements. The Fund’s U.S. federal income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three years after they are filed.
At February 28, 2021, the cost of investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the aggregate gross unrealized appreciation for all investments for which there was an excess of value over tax cost, and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all investments for which there was an excess of tax cost over value, were as follows:
