[LOGO] Z
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information:
Zweig Funds Shareholder Services
(800) 272-2700
Patricia Baronowski
The Altman Group
(212) 400-2604
THE ZWEIG FUND, INC. DISCLOSES SOURCES OF DISTRIBUTION
- SECTION 19A NOTICE
NEW YORK, January 8, 2009 - The Board of Directors of The Zweig Fund, Inc.
(NYSE: ZF) declared a distribution of $0.084 per share to shareholders of record
on December 31, 2008, payable January 12, 2009. The Fund has a Managed
Distribution Plan to pay 10 percent of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") on an
annualized basis. The Board believes that regular, fixed cash payouts will
enhance shareholder value and serve the long-term interests of shareholders.
The following is a required Section 19A notice:
You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from
the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed
Distribution Plan.
This notice discloses information on the sources of the distribution as required
by SEC Rule 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Fund's SEC
Exemptive Order under Section 19(b) as follows:
Distribution Estimates
January 2009 (QTD) Year-to-date (YTD) /(1)/
------------------------ ------------------------
Percentage Percentage
Per Share of Current Per Share of Current
(Sources) Amount Distribution Amount Distribution
- ------------------------------------------- --------- ------------ --------- ------------
Net Investment Income $0.011 13.5% $0.040 8.6%
Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains -- 0.0% -- 0.0%
Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains -- 0.0% -- 0.0%
Return of Capital (or other Capital Source) 0.073 86.5% 0.419 91.4%
------ ----- ------ -----
Total Distribution $0.084 100.0% $0.459 100.0%
====== ===== ====== =====
/(1)/ YTD February 1, 2008 to January 6, 2009. (The distribution paid on
January 10, 2008 was reportable for tax on Form 1099 in 2007)
The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized
capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of
capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the
money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital
distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and
should not be confused with "yield" or "income."
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only
estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual
amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon
the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may
be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form
1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these
distributions for federal income tax purposes.
Information regarding the Fund's performance and distribution rates is set forth
below. Please note that all performance figures are based on the Fund's NAV and
not the market price of the Fund's shares. Performance figures are not meant to
represent individual shareholder performance.
Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5-year period ended December 31, 2008 /(2)/ 0.83%
Current Fiscal YTD Annualized Distribution Rate /(3)/ 14.77%
YTD Cumulative Total Return on NAV /(4)/ -29.75%
YTD Cumulative Distribution Rate /(5)/ 14.77%
/(2)/ Average Annual Total Return on NAV is the annual compound return for the
five year period. It reflects the change in the Fund's NAV and
reinvestment of all distributions.
/(3)/ Current Fiscal YTD Annualized Distribution Rate is the Cumulative
Distribution Rate annualized as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of
December 31, 2008.
/(4)/ YTD Cumulative Total Return on NAV is the percentage change in the Fund's
NAV from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008, including distributions
paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.
/(5)/ YTD Cumulative Distribution Rate is the dollar value of distributions from
January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008 as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as
of December 31, 2008.
The Zweig Fund, Inc. is a closed-end fund with an investment objective of
increasing capital primarily through investment in equity securities consistent
with the preservation of capital and reduction of risk as determined by the
fund's investment adviser. The Zweig closed-end funds are advised by Zweig
Advisers LLC. For more information on the Fund, please contact Shareholder
Services at 800.272.2700 or visit us on the web at www.virtus.com.
ZF Cusip: 989834106
01/09