The Adviser has established policies to ensure that the Fund will generally share equitably with other funds managed by the Adviser or Subadviser or their affiliates in investment opportunities that are suitable for the Fund and such other investment funds.
The Subadviser has established allocation policies to ensure that the Fund will generally share equitably with other credit investment funds managed by the Subadviser or its affiliates within the alternative credit platform in credit investment opportunities that are suitable for the Fund and such other investment funds.
The 1940 Act imposes significant limits on co-investment with affiliates of the Fund, and without an exemptive order the Fund generally would not be permitted to co-invest alongside its affiliates in privately negotiated transactions unless the transaction is otherwise permitted under existing regulatory guidance, such as transactions where price is the only negotiated term, and will not participate in transactions where other terms are negotiable. In situations where co-investment with other entities sponsored or managed by the Adviser, the Subadviser or their affiliates is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer, the Subadviser will need to decide whether the Fund or such other entity or entities will proceed with the investment. The Subadviser will make these determinations based on its policies and procedures, which will generally require that such opportunities be offered to eligible accounts on a basis that is fair and equitable over time. This reduces the amount of transactions in which the Fund can participate and makes it more difficult for the Fund to implement its investment objective.
The Adviser’s affiliation with The Blackstone Group Inc. and Corsair Capital LLC (collectively, “Blackstone/Corsair”) requires the Adviser to manage conflicts of interest associated with dealings the Fund may have with those businesses or funds, clients or portfolio companies associated with it. For example, should the Adviser or Subadviser wish to cause the Fund to execute portfolio transactions through broker-dealers associated with Blackstone/Corsair, the commercial reasonableness of the brokerage compensation associated with those trades would have to be assessed. Other dealings may be more completely restricted. For example, the Fund may not be able to buy or sell property directly to or from Blackstone/Corsair or their associated accounts. There also may be limits on participation in underwritings or other securities offerings by Blackstone/Corsair or their associated funds, accounts or portfolio companies. The breadth of these affiliations at times may require the Fund to abstain from or restructure an otherwise attractive investment opportunity.
Investments in portfolio companies associated with Blackstone/Corsair may be restricted by the 1940 Act. To the extent such investments are permitted and the Fund invests in such a portfolio company (a portfolio company generally referring to a company owned by private equity funds managed by Blackstone/Corsair), conflicts of interest may arise from the presence of Blackstone/Corsair representatives on the company board or the payment of compensation by the company to Blackstone/Corsair or an affiliate. Moreover, the Adviser or Subadviser could have an incentive to allocate the Fund’s assets to such a portfolio company since affiliates of the Adviser have a direct or indirect financial interest in its success. There also may be instances where Blackstone/Corsair could be involved in bankruptcy proceedings of current investments or of issuers in which the Fund would otherwise invest, with potentially divergent interests as between the Fund and Blackstone/Corsair. The Fund may be forced to sell or hold existing investments (possibly at disadvantageous times or under disadvantageous conditions) as a result of various relationships that Blackstone/Corsair may have or transactions or investments Blackstone/Corsair and their affiliates may make or have made. The inability to transact in any security, derivative or loan held by the Fund could result in significant losses or lost opportunity costs to the Fund.
A control person is a person who owns, either directly or indirectly, beneficially more than 25% of the voting securities of a company. As of April 6, 2021, the Fund could be deemed to be under the control of Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware.
The Board of Trustee has delegated to the Adviser the authority to vote proxies received by the Fund from companies in which they invest. The Adviser in turn has delegated this authority to the Subadviser which has adopted policies and procedures (collectively, the “Proxy Voting Policy”) regarding the voting of such proxies, which policies
have been reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees as appropriate to their management of the Fund’s assets. It is the policy of the Subadviser to vote proxies in a manner that serves the best interest of the client.
The Proxy Voting Policy provides procedures to address conflicts of interest between the Subadviser and a client with respect to voting proxies. Such conflicts could arise, for example, when the Subadviser or its affiliate has a client or other business relationship with the issuer of the security being voted or with a third-party that has an interest in the vote. A conflict of interest also could arise when the Fund, the Adviser or principal underwriter or any of their affiliates has an interest in the vote.
If the Subadviser becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest with respect to a proxy to be voted for a client, the Proxy Voting Policy requires notification to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Subadviser (the “Subadviser CCO”). The Subadviser CCO then determines whether a material conflict of interest exists and, if so, the appropriate method of resolving the conflict. Such methods may include voting in accordance with the recommendation of a third-party, voting pursuant to pre-determined voting guidelines or, in certain circumstances, consultation with the Board of Trustees. The Subadviser may abstain from voting from time to time when it determines that the costs associated with voting a proxy outweigh the benefits derived from exercising the right to vote or in other situations where voting may not be practical or desirable. These conflicts procedures are intended to reduce, but they will not necessarily eliminate, any influence on the proxy voting by conflicts of interest.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies (if any) relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended December 31, 2020 will be available without charge by calling the Fund at 800.334.2143; or (ii) at www.feim.com/individual-investors. This information also is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES
FEF Distributors, LLC serves as the principal underwriter in the continuous public offering of the Fund’s shares pursuant to a distribution contract (the “Distribution Contract”) with the Fund, which is subject to annual approval by the Board. FEF Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). FEF Distributors, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser. Because of this affiliation with the Adviser, the interests of the Distributor may conflict with the interests of Fund investors. FEF Distributors, LLC’s principal business address is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105.
The Distribution Contract will continue in effect with respect to the Fund for successive one-year periods, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved: (i) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Contract or the Management Agreement; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
The Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor and certain of the Distributor’s affiliates against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the 1933 Act, as amended. To the extent consistent with applicable law, the Distributor has agreed to indemnify the Fund and each Trustee against certain liabilities under the 1933 Act, as amended, and in connection with the services rendered to the Fund.
The Distributor acts as the distributor of Common Shares for the Fund on a best efforts basis, subject to various conditions, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Contract. The Distributor is not obligated to sell any specific amount of Common Shares of the Fund.
The Fund has been granted exemptive relief (the “Exemptive Relief”) by the SEC that permits the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees.
Pursuant to the Exemptive Relief, the Fund maintains a Multi-Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act. Although the Fund is not an open-end investment company, it has undertaken to comply with the terms of Rule 18f-3 as a condition of the Exemptive Relief (which relief permits it to have, among other things, a multi-class structure and distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees). Under the Multi-Class Plan, shares of each class of the Fund represent an equal pro rata interest in the Fund and, generally, have identical voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications and terms and conditions, except that: (a) each class has a different designation; (b) each class of shares bears any class-specific expenses; and (c) each class has separate
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voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class, and shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class.
The Fund will pay the Distributor a Rule 12b-1 fee to cover expenses incurred by the Distributor for providing shareholder liaison services, including assistance with subscriptions and other shareholder questions on Class A Shares at the annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s outstanding Class A Shares. The Fund will also pay the Distributor a distribution fee of up to 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s outstanding Class A Shares, which may be used to cover expenses incurred by the Distributor for providing sales and promotional activities under the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan, including the printing and distribution of sales literature and prospectuses sent to prospective investors. Authorized dealers to whom substantially the entire sales charge is reallowed may be deemed to be underwriters, according to the definition under the 1933 Act. Pursuant to the Distribution and Services Agreements between the Distributor and the Fund, the Fund agrees to indemnify the Distributor against certain liabilities under the 1933 Act. Any distribution-related (Rule 12b-1) fee may be used in whole or in part to finance distribution activities, including sales compensation, and/or shareholder account liaison and servicing activities.
The Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan will be a compensation plan, which means that the Fund pays the Distributor for distributor services based on the net assets of the covered shares. The Distributor pays financial services firms’ fees for distributing the applicable shares. The Class I shares of the Fund will not participate in the Plan.
The Fund may enter into arrangements with financial intermediaries to provide sub-transfer agent services and other related services (e.g., client statements, tax reporting, order-processing and client relations) that otherwise could be handled by the Fund’s transfer agent, DST Systems, Inc. As a result, these third parties may charge fees (sometimes called “sub-transfer agency fees”) to the Fund for these services so long as such compensation does not exceed certain limits set from time to time by the Board of Trustees in consultation with management. The Fund may compensate the institution rendering such services on a per-account basis, as an asset-based fee, based on transaction fees or other charges, or on a cost reimbursement basis, or in some cases, a combination of these inputs. The aggregate amount of sub-transfer agency fees may be substantial and may exceed the actual costs incurred in engaging in these services. Accordingly, financial intermediaries may realize a profit in connection with such services. (The Adviser, the Distributor or an affiliate may make additional payments to intermediaries for these and other services, and their payments may be based on the same or other methods of calculation. See “Revenue Sharing” below.) Sub-transfer agency fees can comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s ongoing expenses. While the Adviser and the Distributor consider these sub-transfer agency fees to be payments for services rendered, they represent an additional business relationship between these sub-transfer agents and the Fund that often results, at least in part, from past or present sales of Fund shares by the sub-transfer agents or their affiliates. While sub-transfer agency fees and service levels are set in the market, there generally is limited comparative information available about them. The Fund and the Adviser also face certain conflicts of interest when considering these relationships in that the counterparty is both a prospective service provider and, typically, a distribution partner. The Adviser’s practice of paying sub-transfer agency fees above agreed limits as revenue sharing (as discussed further below) also creates conflicts of interest for the parties when considering sub-transfer agency relationships, and that is so both generally and in terms of the allocation of those fees between the Fund and the Adviser.
Revenue Sharing
The Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate may, from time to time, out of its (or their) own resources, make substantial cash payments—sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing”—to broker-dealers or financial intermediaries for various reasons. The revenue sharing payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund’s shares or the amount a Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Although a broker-dealer or financial intermediary may seek revenue sharing payments to offset costs incurred by the firm in servicing its clients who have invested in a Fund, the aggregate amount of these payments to broker-dealers or financial intermediaries may be substantial and may exceed the actual costs incurred in engaging in these promotional activities or services. Accordingly, broker-dealers or financial intermediaries may realize a profit in connection with such activities or services.
Revenue sharing payments may support the delivery of services to the Fund or to shareholders in the Fund, including, without limitation, transaction processing and sub-accounting services. These payments also may serve as an incentive to sell shares of the Fund and/or to promote retention of customer assets in the Fund. As such, they may be made to firms that provide various marketing support or other promotional services relating to the Fund, including, without limitation, advertising, access on the part of the Distributor’s personnel to sales meetings, sales representatives
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and/or management representatives of the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, as well as inclusion of the Fund in various promotional and sales programs. Marketing support services also may include business planning assistance, educating broker-dealer personnel about the Fund and shareholder financial planning assistance. To the extent that broker-dealers or financial intermediaries receiving revenue sharing payments sell more shares of a Fund, the Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate benefit from the increase in Fund assets as a result of the distribution fees (if applicable) and management fees they receive from the Fund, respectively. However, the Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate does not consider a broker-dealer or financial intermediary’s sale of shares of a Fund when selecting brokers or dealers to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund.
Revenue sharing also may include any other payment requirement of a broker-dealer or another third-party intermediary, including certain agreed upon “finder’s fees” as described in greater detail in the Prospectuses. All such payments are paid by the Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate of either out of its (or their) own resources and are in addition to any Rule 12b-1 payments described elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information. Revenue sharing payments may be structured, among other means, (i) as a percentage of sales; (ii) as a percentage of net assets; (iii) as a flat fee per transaction; (iv) as a fixed dollar amount; or (v) as some combination of any of these. In many cases, they therefore may be viewed as encouraging sales activity or retention of assets in the Fund. Generally, any revenue sharing or other payments of the type just described will have been requested by the party receiving them, often as a condition of distribution, but are subject to negotiation as to their structure and scope. Various factors are used to determine whether to make revenue sharing payments. Possible considerations include, without limitation, the types of services provided by the broker-dealer or financial intermediary, sales of Fund shares, the redemption rates on accounts of clients of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary or overall asset levels of the Fund held for or by clients of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary, the willingness of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary to allow the Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate to provide educational and training support for the broker-dealer’s or financial intermediary’s sales personnel relating to the Fund, as well as the overall quality of the services provided by the broker-dealer or financial intermediary
The Distributor, the Adviser and/or an affiliate of either also pays from its (or their) own resources for travel and other expenses, including lodging, entertainment and meals, incurred by brokers or broker representatives related to diligence or informational meetings in which broker representatives meet with investment professionals employed by a Fund’s investment adviser, as well as for costs of organizing and holding such meetings. The Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate also may make payments to or on behalf of brokers or their representatives for other types of events, including sales or training seminars, and may provide certain small gifts and/or entertainment as permitted by applicable rules. The Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliate also may pay fixed fees for the listing of a Fund on a broker-dealer’s or financial intermediary’s system. This compensation is not included in, and is made in addition to, the compensation described in the preceding paragraph.
As of April 6, 2021, the parties with whom the Distributor, the Adviser and/or an affiliate of either have entered into written agreements to make revenue sharing payments with respect to the Fund are as follows (such payments not including, for this purpose, “finders’ fees” paid, the sub-transfer agency payments described above, and payments for entertainment, training and education activities for the brokers and broker representatives, their investment professionals and/or their clients or potential clients). The Distributor, the Adviser and/or an affiliate may revise the terms of any existing revenue sharing arrangement and may enter into additional revenue sharing arrangements with other broker-dealers or financial intermediaries.
|
Parties Having Revenue Sharing Agreements with the Distributor, the Adviser or an Affiliate |
None. |
The above-listed revenue sharing counterparties may change from time to time.
Shareholders or prospective investors should be aware that revenue sharing arrangements or other payments to intermediaries could create incentives on the part of the parties receiving the payments to consider selling more shares of the Fund relative to mutual funds either not making payments of this nature or making smaller such payments. A shareholder or prospective investor with questions regarding revenue sharing or other such payments may obtain more details by contacting his or her broker representative or other financial intermediary directly.
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Custodial Risks for Shares Held Through Financial Intermediaries
As described above, investors may purchase the Fund’s shares either through the Distributor or from selected securities dealers or other intermediaries authorized to effect those transactions. The manner in which these intermediary firms custody an investor’s Fund shares or provide instructions to the Fund concerning an investor’s shareholder account with the Fund will vary by firm. In addition, information or securities, such as Fund shares, held in the custody of an intermediary firm may be subject to risks of, among other things, misappropriation, cyber-attacks or other similar risks associated with internet security.
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
The methods of buying and selling shares and the sales charges applicable to purchases of shares of the Fund are described in the Prospectus.
REPURCHASE OF COMMON SHARES
In order to provide some liquidity to shareholders, the Fund makes quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Common Shares at NAV. Although the policy permits repurchases of between 5% and 25% of the Fund’s outstanding Common Shares, for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Common Shares at NAV subject to approval of the Board. Notices of each quarterly repurchase offer are sent to shareholders at least 21 days before the “Repurchase Request Deadline” (i.e., the date by which shareholders can tender their Common Shares in response to a repurchase offer). The Fund determines the NAV applicable to repurchases no later than the 14 days after the Repurchase Request Deadline (or the next business day, if the 14th day is not a business day)(the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). The Fund expects to distribute payment to shareholders between one and three business days after the Repurchase Pricing Date and will distribute such payment no later than 7 calendar days after such date. The Fund’s Common Shares are not listed on any securities exchange, and the Fund anticipates that no secondary market will develop for its Common Shares. Investors should consider Common Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. Accordingly, you may not be able to sell Common Shares when and/or in the amount that you desire. Thus, Common Shares are appropriate only as a long-term investment. In addition, the Fund’s repurchase offers may subject the Fund and shareholders to special risks.
The section entitled “Periodic Repurchase Offers” in the Prospectus discusses the type and timing of notice for repurchase offers, the effects of oversubscribed repurchase offers, the determination of the repurchase price, payment by the Fund for Common Shares tendered in a repurchase offer, the effect of repurchase policies on the liquidity of the Fund, the consequences of repurchase offers and other details regarding the repurchase offers, including associated risks. The Fund’s fundamental policies with respect to repurchase offers are discussed in “Investment Restrictions” in this Statement of Additional Information.
See “Risks—Repurchase Offers Risk” in the Prospectus for a description of the risks associated with the Fund’s repurchase offers. In addition, the repurchase of Common Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to shareholders. For a discussion of these tax consequences, see “Taxation” below.
In addition to the Fund’s policy to make periodic repurchase offers as described above, the Board may consider additional repurchases of its Common Shares on the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares, or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company (described below). The Fund cannot assure you that its Board will decide to take or propose any of these actions.
Subject to its investment limitations, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Fund’s net income and gains. Any share repurchase, tender offer or borrowing that might be approved by the Board would have to comply with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and other applicable law.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement, the Subadviser is responsible for placing all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities of the Fund. The Subadviser has no formula for the distribution of the Fund’s brokerage business; rather it places orders for the purchase and sale of securities with the primary objective of obtaining the best overall qualitative execution under the circumstances for the Fund and the Subadviser’s other clients. The cost of
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securities transactions for the Fund will consist primarily of brokerage commissions or dealer or underwriter spreads. Fixed-income securities and money market instruments are generally traded on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes.
Occasionally, assets may be purchased directly from the issuer. For securities traded primarily in the OTC market, the Subadviser will, where possible, deal directly with dealers who make a market in the securities unless better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such dealers usually act as principals for their own account. The Fund’s investments in direct lending loans, and in some cases, middle market “club” loans, will generally be directly originated and will not involve a broker or dealer.
Selection of Brokers, Dealers or Other Counterparties to Effect Trades. In selecting brokers, dealers or other counterparties to implement transactions, the Subadviser will give consideration to a number of factors, including:
| • | | Quality of execution, including accurate and timely execution, clearance and cooperation in resolving errors and disputes; |
| • | | Ability to obtain competitive pricing; |
| • | | Reputation, financial strength (creditworthiness) and stability; |
| • | | Reliability, both historically and as an ongoing matter; |
| • | | Relevant regulatory history; |
| • | | Willingness to execute difficult transactions; |
| • | | Willingness and ability to commit capital; |
| • | | Access to underwritten offerings of securities; |
| • | | Willingness to provide liquidity in secondary market; |
| • | | Desired timing of the transaction and size of trade; |
| • | | Confidentiality of trading activity, particularly in less liquid sectors; |
| • | | Market intelligence and knowledge regarding trading activity; and |
| • | | Ability to settle trades. |
Depending on the nature of the transaction or the type of investment, the Subadviser generally will not consider each of these factors for every transaction made on behalf of the Fund. Consideration of these factors by the Subadviser, either in terms of a particular transaction or the Subadviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and any other accounts managed by the Subadviser, could result in the Fund paying a commission or spread on a transaction that is in excess of the amount of commission or spread another broker, dealer or other counterparty might have charged for executing the same transactions.
Allocation of Trades by the Subadviser. The Subadviser and its affiliates manage a number of accounts other than the Fund. Although investment determinations for the Fund will be made by the Subadviser independently from the investment determinations that it makes for any other account, investments deemed appropriate for the Fund by the Subadviser also may be deemed appropriate by them for other accounts. Therefore, the same security may be purchased or sold at or about the same time for both the Fund and other accounts. In such circumstances, the Subadviser may determine that orders for the purchase or sale of the same security for the Fund and one or more other accounts should be combined. In this event, the transactions will be priced and allocated in a manner deemed by the Subadviser to be equitable and in the best interests of the Fund and such other accounts. While in some instances, combined orders could adversely affect the price or volume of a security, the Fund believes that its participation in such transactions on balance will produce better overall results for the Fund.
Holdings of Securities of the Fund’s Regular Brokers and Dealers
The Fund is newly-organized and did not acquire or hold any securities of its regular broker-dealers in the prior fiscal year.
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DISTRIBUTIONS
See “Distributions” in the Prospectus for information relating to distributions to Fund shareholders.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND SHARES
Common Shares
The Fund is a statutory trust organized under the laws of Delaware pursuant to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of September 4, 2020. The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares. Each Common Share has one vote and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of this offering, will be fully paid and non-assessable. The Fund’s Board of Trustees does not intend to grant Common Shareholders any right to receive any distributions from the Fund unless all accrued interest, fees and dividends, if any, with respect to the Fund’s leverage have been paid, unless certain asset coverage tests with respect to the leverage employed by the Fund are satisfied after giving effect to the distributions and unless certain other requirements imposed by any rating agencies rating any Preferred Shares issued by the Fund have been met. See “—Preferred Shares” below. All Common Shares are equal as to distributions, assets and voting privileges and have no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Fund will send annual and semi-annual reports, including financial statements, when available, to all Common Shareholders.
The Fund has no present intention of offering any additional shares other than the Common Shares it may issue under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Any additional offerings of shares will require approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Any additional offering of Common Shares will be subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, which provides that shares may not be issued at a price below the then current NAV, exclusive of the sales load, except in connection with an offering to existing Common Shareholders or with the consent of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.
The Fund’s NAV per share generally increases when interest rates decline, and decreases when interest rates rise. The Fund’s NAV will be reduced immediately following the offering of Common Shares by the amount of the sales load and the amount of the organizational costs and offering expenses paid by the Fund. See “Summary of Fund Expenses” in the Prospectus.
The Common Shares are not, and are not expected to be, listed for trading on any national securities exchange nor is there expected to be any secondary trading market in the Common Shares.
Preferred Shares
The Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that the Board of Trustees of the Fund may authorize and issue Preferred Shares, with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, without the approval of the Common Shareholders. Common Shareholders have no preemptive right to purchase any Preferred Shares that might be issued.
While the Fund does not anticipate doing so, it may issue Preferred Shares in an aggregate amount of up to 40% of its Managed Assets. The use of leverage can create risks. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to change the foregoing percentage limitation and may issue Preferred Shares to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, which currently limits the aggregate liquidation preference of all outstanding Preferred Shares to 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, less liabilities and indebtedness of the Fund. The Fund cannot assure you, however, that Preferred Shares will not be issued. The terms of any Preferred Shares, including dividend rate, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, restrictions on the declaration of dividends, maintenance of asset ratios and restrictions while dividends are in arrears will be determined by the Board of Trustees, subject to applicable law and the Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The Fund also believes that it is likely that the liquidation preference, voting rights and redemption provisions of any Preferred Shares will be similar to those stated below.
In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the holders of any Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the holders of Preferred Shares will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund.
The 1940 Act requires that the holders of any Preferred Shares, voting separately as a single class, have the right to elect at least two trustees at all times. The remaining trustees will be elected by Common Shareholders and Preferred
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Shares, voting together as a single class. In addition, subject to the prior rights, if any, of the holders of any other class of senior securities outstanding, the holders of any Preferred Shares have the right to elect a majority of the Trustees of the Fund at any time two years’ dividends on any Preferred Shares are unpaid. The 1940 Act also requires that, in addition to any approval by shareholders that might otherwise be required, the approval of the holders of a majority of any outstanding Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class, would be required to adopt any plan of reorganization that would adversely affect the Preferred Shares.
As a result of these voting rights, the Fund’s ability to take any such actions may be impeded to the extent that there are any Preferred Shares outstanding. The Board of Trustees presently intends that, except as otherwise indicated in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information and except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, holders of Preferred Shares will have equal voting rights with Common Shareholders (one vote per share, unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act) and will vote together with Common Shareholders as a single class.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of any outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be required to amend, alter or repeal any of the preferences, rights or powers of holders of Preferred Shares so as to affect materially and adversely such preferences, rights or powers, or to increase or decrease the authorized number of Preferred Shares. The class vote of holders of Preferred Shares described above will in each case be in addition to any other vote required to authorize the action in question.
The terms of any Preferred Shares issued by the Fund are expected to provide that (i) they are redeemable by the Fund in whole or in part at the original purchase price per share plus accrued dividends per share; (ii) the Fund may tender for or purchase Preferred Shares; and (iii) the Fund may subsequently resell any Preferred Shares so tendered for or purchased. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred Shares by the Fund will reduce the leverage applicable to the Common Shares, while any resale of such Preferred Shares by the Fund will increase that leverage.
The discussion above describes the possible offering of Preferred Shares by the Fund. If the Board of Trustees determines to proceed with such an offering, the terms of the Preferred Shares may be the same as, or different from, the terms described above, subject to applicable law and the terms of the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The Board of Trustees, without the approval of the Common Shareholders may authorize an offering of Preferred Shares, and may fix the terms of the Preferred Shares to be offered.
ANTI-TAKEOVER AND OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST
The Declaration of Trust and the Bylaws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to convert the Fund to open-end status. The Trustees are elected for indefinite terms and do not stand for reelection. The anti-takeover provisions in the Declaration of Trust promote stability in the governance of the Fund and limit the risk that the Fund will be subject to changes in control, operational changes or other changes that may not be in the best interests of shareholders.
The Declaration of Trust requires the affirmative vote of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of the Fund to approve, adopt or authorize an amendment to the Declaration of Trust that makes the Shares a “redeemable security” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, unless such amendment has been approved by a majority of the Trustees then in office, in which case approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, is required, notwithstanding any provisions of the By-laws. Upon the adoption of a proposal to convert the Fund from a “closed-end company” to an “open-end company”, as those terms are defined by the 1940 Act, and the necessary amendments to the Declaration of Trust to permit such a conversion of the Fund’s outstanding Shares entitled to vote, the Fund shall, upon complying with any requirements of the 1940 Act and state law, become an “open-end” investment company. Such affirmative vote or consent shall be in addition to the vote or consent of the holders of the Shares otherwise required by law, or any agreement between the Fund and any national securities exchange.
The Trustees may from time to time grant other voting rights to shareholders with respect to these and other matters in the By-laws, certain of which are required by the 1940 Act.
The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of the assumption of control of the Fund by a third party and/or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. The Trustees has considered the foregoing provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, including holders of the Shares.
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The foregoing is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Declaration of Trust and the Bylaws, both of which are on file with the SEC.
NET ASSET VALUE
The Fund’s NAV per Share is computed by dividing the total current value of the assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding at the time of such computation. The Fund computes its NAV per Share as of the close of trading on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading.
Portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. In circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, the Board of Trustees has adopted methods for determining the fair value of such securities and other assets. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, as determined in good faith pursuant to the Fund’s valuation policy and consistently applied valuation process. The Board of Trustees has delegated day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the Fund’s valuation policy, as amended from time to time, to the Adviser and the Subadviser, and has authorized the use of independent third-party pricing and valuation services that have been approved by the Board of Trustees.
Valuations of Fund investments are disclosed in reports publicly filed with the SEC. The Advisers will provide the Board of Trustees with periodic reports, no less than quarterly, that discuss the functioning of the valuation process, if applicable to that period, and that identify issues and valuation problems that have arisen, if any.
Under certain circumstances, the NAV per Share of a class of the Fund’s Shares may be different from the per share NAV of another class of shares as a result of the different daily expense accruals applicable to each class of shares.
TAXATION
Set forth below is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax aspects concerning the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Common Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to Common Shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold Common Shares as capital assets. A U.S. shareholder is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, a U.S. corporation, a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person, or any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source. This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to special classes of taxpayers including, without limitation, financial institutions, insurance companies, pass-through entities (or investors therein), U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold Common Shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of Common Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country or other taxing jurisdiction.
Taxation of the Fund
The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code.
To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things: (i) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies; and (b) net income derived from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of
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their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each a “Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership”); and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, with respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is represented by the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly Traded Partnerships.
As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and its net tax-exempt income for such taxable year. The Fund intends to distribute to shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain.
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (iii) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.
A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of any calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to Common Shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.
If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including its net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits (including distributions of net capital gain) would be taxed to Common Shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate Common Shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate Common Shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.
Distributions
Distributions to Common Shareholders of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to Common Shareholders as ordinary income to the extent that such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the Common Shareholder has owned Common Shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a Common Shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Common Shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Common Shares, the excess will be treated by the Common Shareholder as gain from a sale of the Common Shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate Common Shareholders.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional Common Shares pursuant to the Plan. Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Common Shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash. The additional Common Shares received
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by a Common Shareholder pursuant to the Plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the Common Shares were credited to the Common Shareholder’s account.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain or a portion thereof for investment and be taxed at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to Common Shareholders, who will be treated as if each received a distribution of his pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each Common Shareholder will (i) be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis for its Common Shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues preferred shares, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its Common Shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Common Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions.
Sale or other Taxable Disposition of Common Shares
Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of Common Shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below), a Common Shareholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the Common Shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Shares sold. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the Common Shareholder’s holding period for the Common Shares. Generally, a Common Shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the Common Shares have been held for more than one year. For non-corporate taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation.
No loss will be allowed on the sale or other taxable disposition of Common Shares if the owner acquires (including pursuant to the Plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such Common Shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Losses realized by a Common Shareholder on the sale or other taxable disposition of Common Shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts designated as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such Common Shares.
From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding Common Shares. Common Shareholders who tender all Common Shares held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their Common Shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a Common Shareholder tenders fewer than all of its Common Shares or fewer than all Common Shares tendered are repurchased, such Common Shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its Common Shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering Common Shareholders, and Common Shareholders who tender some but not all of their Common Shares or fewer than all of whose Common Shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a Common Shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Common Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Nature of Fund’s Investments
Certain of the Fund’s hedging and derivatives transactions are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary
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income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above.
These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to Common Shareholders and the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.
Below Grade Investments
The Fund expects to invest a substantial portion of its Managed Assets in below investment grade (high-yield) instruments, commonly known as “high-yield” or “junk” instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, to preserve its status as a RIC and to distribute sufficient income to not become subject to U.S. federal income tax.
Original Issue Discount
Investments by the Fund in debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero coupon securities, debt instruments with pay-in-kind interest, step-up bonds or other discount securities) will result in income to the Fund equal to the accrued original issue discount each year during which the Fund holds the securities, even if the Fund receives no corresponding cash interest payments. If the Fund purchases debt instruments as part of a package of investments where the Fund also invests in common stock, other equity securities or warrants, the Fund might be required to accrue original issue discount in an amount equal to the value of such common stock, other equity securities or warrants (even if the face amount of such debt instruments does not exceed the Fund’s purchase price for such package of investments). Original issue discount is included in determining the amount of income which the Fund must distribute to maintain its qualification for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs and to avoid the payment of U.S. federal income tax and the nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. Because such income may not be matched by a corresponding cash distribution to the Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of other securities to be able to make distributions to Common Shareholders.
Market Discount Securities
In general, the Fund will be treated as having acquired a security with market discount if its stated redemption price at maturity (or, in the case of a security issued with original issue discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Fund’s initial tax basis in the security by more than a statutory de minimis amount. The Fund will be required to treat any principal payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any securities acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. If this election is not made, all or a portion of any deduction for interest expense incurred to purchase or carry a market discount security may be deferred until the Fund sells or otherwise disposes of such security.
Currency Fluctuations
Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.
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Foreign Taxes
The Fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. Common Shareholders will generally not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund.
Preferred Shares or Borrowings
If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred shares or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on Common Shares in certain circumstances. Limits on the Fund’s payments of dividends on Common Shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore, jeopardize the Fund’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and possibly subject the Fund to the 4% excise tax. The Fund will endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend payments.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the Common Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Foreign Shareholders
U.S. taxation of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate or a foreign corporation, as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder.
If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding, in each case to the extent the Fund properly reports such dividends to shareholders. For these purposes, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the source if received directly by a foreign shareholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. A foreign shareholder whose income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or taxable disposition of Common Shares.
However, a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements will nevertheless be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% on such capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains and gains realized upon the sale or taxable disposition of Common Shares.
If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income, any capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of Common Shares will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations. Foreign corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code.
The Fund may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless the foreign shareholder certifies his or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.
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The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Additional Withholding Requirements
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% United States federal withholding tax may apply to any ordinary dividends and other distributions that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such non-financial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or nonfinancial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of Common Shares.
Other Taxation
Common Shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Common Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
PERFORMANCE RELATED AND COMPARATIVE INFORMATION
Total Return. From time to time, the Fund may advertise its average annual total returns. Returns may be calculated both on a before-tax and an after-tax basis (and are so presented in the Prospectus with respect to the Fund’s largest and/or oldest share class). Returns are based on past performance and are not an indication of future performance.
Unless otherwise noted, results shown will reflect any fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements in effect during the periods presented.
As noted above, returns may also be calculated on certain after-tax bases under similar assumptions and using similar formulae as specified by the SEC. For example, returns may be calculated after taxes on distributions, which assume reinvestment of the amount of any distributions less applicable taxes on such distributions. Returns may also be calculated after taxes on distributions and the sale (redemption) of Fund shares. After-tax returns assume the highest individual federal income tax rate for each year included in the calculation. The effect of applicable tax credits, such as the foreign tax credit, is taken into account in accordance with federal tax law. Such returns do not reflect the effect of state and local taxes, nor do they reflect the phase-outs of certain federal exemptions, deductions, and credits at various income levels, or the impact of the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, actual after-tax returns depend on each investor’s individual tax situation, which may differ from the returns presented. For instance, after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their funds in tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”).
Comparison of Portfolio Performance. From time to time the Fund may discuss in sales literature and advertisements, specific performance grades or rankings or other information as published by recognized such as Morningstar, Inc. or Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., or by publications of general interest such as Barron’s, Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, The Wall Street Journal or Worth. Criteria associated with the performance grades or rankings may vary widely. Any given performance grade or ranking should not be considered representative of the Fund’s performance for any future period.
Portfolio Turnover. Purchases and sales of portfolio instruments will be made whenever appropriate, in the investment adviser’s view, to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The rate of portfolio turnover is calculated by dividing the lesser of the cost of purchases or the proceeds from sales of portfolio instruments (excluding short-term
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U.S. government obligations and other short-term investments) for the particular fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio instruments (excluding short-term U.S. government obligations and short-term investments) owned by the Fund during the particular fiscal year. Although higher portfolio turnover rates are likely to result in higher brokerage commissions paid by the Fund, higher levels of realized capital gains and more short-term capital gain (taxable to individuals at ordinary income tax rates) than lower portfolio turnover rates, portfolio turnover is not a limiting factor when management deems portfolio changes appropriate to achieve the Fund’s stated objective.
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT AND DIVIDEND DISBURSEMENT AGENT
The primary custodian of the assets of the Fund is JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.’s principal business address is 4 Chase Metrotech Center, Floor 16, Brooklyn, New York, 11245. The custodian performs custodial and fund accounting services as well as sub-administrative and compliance services on behalf of the Fund. DST Systems, Inc. serves as the Fund’s transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursement agent and shareholder servicing agent, as well as agent for the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017-6204, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accountant. PwC audits the Fund’s financial statements and renders its report thereon.
COUNSEL
Certain legal matters will be passed on for the Fund by Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to the Common Shares offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC in Washington, D.C. The Fund’s prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Fund and the Common Shares offered hereby, reference is made to the Fund’s Registration Statement. Statements contained in the Fund’s prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SEC’s principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Fund’s audited financial statements appearing in the Fund’s annual shareholder report for the year ended December 31, 2020, are incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information and have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of PwC, independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, whose report is included in such annual shareholder report.
The annual shareholder report is available without charge at www.feim.com or by calling 800.334.2143 to request a paper copy.
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