Michael K. Hoffman
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Four Times Square
New York, New York 10036
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Title of Securities
Being Registered
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Amount Being
Registered
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Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share
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Aggregate
Offering Price
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Amount of
Registration Fee
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Common shares of beneficial interest, $.01 par value
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(1)
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(2)
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$200,000,000(3)(4)
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$23,220(5)
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This is only a summary of information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the Fund’s Common Shares. You should carefully read the more detailed information contained in this Prospectus and any related Prospectus Supplement, especially the information set forth under the headings “Investment Objective and Policies” and “Risks.” You may also wish to request a company of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, dated, 2011 (the “SAI”), which contains additional information about the Fund.
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The Fund
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Fiduciary/Claymore MLP Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that commenced investment operations on December 28, 2004. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return with an emphasis on current distributions paid to shareholders. The Fund’s investment adviser is Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”). Fiduciary Asset Management Inc. (“FAMCO” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s sub-adviser and is responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio of securities. The Fund’s common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, are called “Common Shares” and the holders of Common Shares are called “Common Shareholders” throughout this Prospectus.
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The Offering
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The Fund may offer, from time to time, up to $218,859,845 aggregate initial offering price of Common Shares, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. The Fund will offer Common Shares at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this Prospectus (each a “Prospectus Supplement”).
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The Fund may offer Common Shares (1) directly to one or more purchasers, (2) through agents that the Fund may designate from time to time, or (3) to or through underwriters or dealers. The Prospectus Supplement relating to a particular offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of Common Shares, and will set forth any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between the Fund and agents or underwriters or among underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. The Fund may not sell Common Shares through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of this Prospectus and a Prospectus Supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of Common Shares. See “Plan of Distribution.”
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Use of Proceeds
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Unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement, the Fund intends to invest the net proceeds of an offering of Common Shares in accordance with its investment objective and policies as stated herein. It is currently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of an offering of Common Shares in accordance with its investment objective and policies within three months after the completion of any such offering. Pending such investment, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in cash, cash equivalents or other securities, including U.S. government securities or high quality, short-term debt securities. The Fund may also use the proceeds for working capital purposes, including the payment of distributions, interest and operating expenses, although the Fund currently has no intent to issue Common Shares primarily for these purposes.
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Investment Objective and Policies
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The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return with an emphasis on current distributions paid to shareholders. The “total return” sought by the Fund includes appreciation in the net asset value of the Fund’s Common Shares and all distributions made by the Fund to its Common Shareholders, regardless of the tax characterization of such distributions. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
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The Fund has been structured to seek to provide an efficient vehicle through which Common Shareholders may invest in a portfolio of publicly traded securities of master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) and MLP Affiliates (as defined below) (collectively with MLPs, “MLP entities”). MLPs combine the tax benefits of limited partnerships with the liquidity of publicly traded securities. The Fund anticipates that a significant portion of the distributions received by the Fund from the MLPs in which it invests will consist of tax-deferred return of capital. If this expectation is not realized, the Fund will have a larger corporate income tax expense than expected, which will result in less cash available to distribute to Common Shareholders. While the Fund will generally seek to maximize the portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders that will consist of tax-deferred return of capital, no assurance can be given in this regard.
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Portfolio Investment Parameters
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Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined below) in MLP entities, and invests at least 65% of its Managed Assets in equity securities of MLP entities. “Managed Assets” of the Fund means the total assets of the Fund, including the assets attributable to the proceeds from any financial leverage, minus liabilities, other than liabilities related to any financial leverage. “MLP Affiliates” includes affiliates of MLPs that own primarily general partner interests or, in some cases, subordinated units, registered or unregistered common units, or other limited partner units in an MLP. “Equity securities” of MLP entities include MLP common units, MLP subordinated units, MLP general partner interests, MLP preferred units and equity securities of MLP Affiliates, including I-Shares. The market capitalization of equity securities of particular MLP entities currently ranges from approximately $449 million to $37 billion. However, the Fund may invest in equity securities of MLP entities without regard for their market capitalization. A substantial portion of the MLP entities in which the Fund invests are engaged primarily in the energy, natural resources and real estate sectors of the economy. For as long as the word “MLP” is in the name of the Fund, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in MLP entities.
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The Fund may also invest in common stocks of large capitalization companies, including companies engaged in the energy, natural resources and real estate sectors. To seek to generate current gains, the Fund may employ an option strategy of writing (selling) covered call options on common stocks held in the Fund’s portfolio.
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The Fund may invest up to 40% of its Managed Assets in unregistered or otherwise restricted securities, which may consist of equity securities of MLP entities and other securities of public and non-public companies, provided that the Fund will not invest more than 20% of its Managed Assets in restricted securities issued by non-public companies.
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The Fund may invest a total of up to 25% of its Managed Assets in debt securities of MLP entities and other issuers, including debt securities rated below investment grade (that is, rated Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), BB or lower by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group (“S&P”), comparably rated by another statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, as determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). The Fund will typically purchase below investment grade securities which, at the time of acquisition, are rated at least B3 by Moody’s, B- by S&P, comparably rated by another statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality. The Fund may invest in debt securities without regard for their maturity.
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The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in equity securities of issuers other than MLP entities.
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The Fund’s Investments
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Master Limited Partnerships. An MLP is an entity receiving partnership taxation treatment under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and whose partnership interests or “units” are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. To qualify as an MLP for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an entity must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources such as interest, dividends, real estate rents, gain from the sale or disposition of real property, income and gain from mineral or natural resources activities, income and gain from the transportation or storage of certain fuels, gain from the sale or disposition of a capital asset held for the production of income described in the foregoing, and, in certain circumstances, income and gain from commodities or futures, forwards and options with respect to commodities. Mineral or natural resources activities include exploration, development, production, mining, refining, marketing and transportation (including pipelines), of oil and gas, minerals, geothermal energy, fertilizer, timber or industrial source carbon dioxide. An MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners. The general partner manages the partnership, has an ownership stake in the partnership and is eligible to receive an incentive distribution. The limited partners provide capital to the partnership, have a limited (if any) role in the operation and management of the partnership and receive cash distributions. Currently, most MLPs operate in the energy, natural resources or real estate sectors. Due to their partnership structure, MLPs generally do not pay income taxes. Thus, unlike investors in corporate securities, direct MLP investors are generally not subject to double taxation (i.e. corporate level tax and tax on corporate dividends).
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MLP Equity Securities. Equity securities issued by MLPs currently consist of common units, subordinated units and preferred units.
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MLP Common Units. MLP common units are typically listed and traded on national securities exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), the American Stock Exchange (the “AMEX”) and the NASDAQ Stock Market (the “NASDAQ”). The Fund will typically purchase MLP common units through open market transactions, but may also acquire MLP common units through direct placements. Holders of MLP common units have limited control and voting rights. Holders of MLP common units are entitled to receive minimum quarterly distributions, including arrearage rights, from the MLP. Minimum quarterly distributions to holders of common units must be satisfied before any distributions may be paid to subordinated unit holders or incentive distributions may be paid to the general partner.
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MLP Subordinated Units. MLP subordinated units are not typically listed on an exchange or publicly traded. The Fund will typically purchase MLP subordinated units through negotiated transactions directly with affiliates of MLPs and institutional holders of such units or will purchase newly-issued subordinated units directly from MLPs. Holders of MLP subordinated units are entitled to receive minimum quarterly distributions after payments to holders of common units have been satisfied and prior to incentive distributions to the general partner. MLP subordinated units do not provide arrearage rights. Most MLP subordinated units are convertible into common units after the passage of a specified period of time or upon the achievement by the MLP of specified financial goals.
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MLP Preferred Units. MLP preferred units are typically not listed on an exchange or publicly traded. The Fund will typically purchase MLP preferred units through negotiated transactions directly with MLPs, affiliates of MLPs and institutional holders of such units. Holders of MLP preferred units can be entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights, depending on the structure of each separate security.
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I-Shares. I-Shares represent an ownership interest issued by an MLP Affiliate. The MLP Affiliate uses the proceeds from the sale of I-Shares to purchase limited partnership interests in the MLP in the form of I-units. Thus, I-Shares represent an indirect interest in MLP limited partnership interest. I-units have similar features as MLP common units in terms of voting rights, liquidation preference and distribution. I-Shares themselves have limited voting rights and are similar in that respect to MLP common units. I-Shares differ from MLP common units primarily in that instead of receiving cash distributions, holders of I-Shares will receive distributions of additional I-Shares in an amount equal to the cash distributions received by common unit holders. I-Shares are traded on the NYSE or the AMEX. | ||||
General Partner Interests. General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by the original sponsors of an MLP, such as its founders, corporate partners and entities that sell assets to the MLP. A holder of general partner interests can be liable in certain | ||||
circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder’s investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights in, and in many cases control over, the operations of the MLP. General partner interests are not publicly traded, but may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of an MLP’s aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically receive incentive distribution rights, which provide them with a larger proportionate share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions increase. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unit holders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unit holders.
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Equity Securities of MLP Affiliates and Other Equity Securities. The Fund may invest in (i) equity securities issued by MLP Affiliates, including the general partners of MLPs, and (ii) equity securities of issuers other than MLP entities, including common stocks of issuers engaged primarily in the energy, natural resources and real estate sectors. Such issuers may be organized and/or taxed as corporations and therefore may not offer the advantageous tax characteristics of MLP units. The Fund intends to purchase equity securities through market transactions, but may also acquire equity securities through direct placements.
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Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its Managed Assets in unregistered or otherwise restricted securities. “Restricted securities” are securities that are unregistered, held by control persons of the issuer or are subject to contractual restrictions on resale. The Fund will typically acquire restricted securities in directly negotiated transactions.
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In connection with its investments in restricted securities generally, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in restricted securities issued by non-public companies. In some instances, such an investment may be made with the expectation that the assets of such non-public company will be contributed to a newly-formed MLP entity or sold to or merged with an existing MLP entity in the future.
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Debt Securities. The Fund may invest a total of up to 25% of its Managed Assets in debt securities of MLP entities and other issuers, including debt securities rated below investment grade (that is, rated Ba or lower by Moody’s, BB or lower by S&P, comparably rated by another statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, as determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). The Fund will typically purchase below investment grade securities which, at the time of acquisition, are rated at least B3 by Moody’s, B- by S&P, comparably rated by another statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality.
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Royalty Trusts. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its Managed Assets in royalty trusts. Royalty trusts are publicly traded investment vehicles
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that gather income on royalties and pay out almost all cash flows to shareholders as distributions. Royalty trusts typically have no physical operations and no management or employees. Typically royalty trusts own the rights to royalties on the production and sales of a natural resource, including oil, gas, minerals and timber. Royalty trusts are, in some respects, similar to certain MLPs and include risks similar to those MLPs.
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Energy Sector Investments. Many MLP entities operate within the energy sector. Therefore, a substantial portion of the MLP entities in which the Fund may invest are engaged primarily in the energy sector of the economy. Energy sector MLP entities in which the Fund may invest engage in transporting, processing, storing, distributing or marketing natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal, or exploring, developing, managing or producing such commodities or products.
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Other Sector Investments. The Fund may invest in MLP entities in the natural resources and real estate sectors and may invest in MLP entities operating in any other sector of the economy. MLP entities and other companies operating in the natural resources sector include companies principally engaged in owning or developing non-energy natural resources (including timber and minerals) and industrial materials, or supplying goods or services to such companies. MLP entities and other companies operating in the real estate sector include companies which may develop land, own or manage residential, commercial and undeveloped properties, own mortgage securities and provide financing to owners and developers of multi-family housing or other real estate or building ventures.
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Covered Call Option Strategy. The Fund may employ an option strategy of writing (selling) covered call options on a portion of the securities, including common stocks and MLP common units, in the Fund’s portfolio to seek to augment its income and gains by generating option premiums while possibly offsetting a portion of a market decline in the underlying security. Call options are contracts representing the right to purchase a security at a specified price (the “strike price”) at or before (depending on the type of option) a specified future date (the “expiration date”). The price of the option is determined from trading activity in the broad options market, and generally reflects the relationship between the current market price for the underlying security and the strike price, as well as the time remaining until the expiration date. The Fund may not sell “naked” call options, i.e. options representing more shares of the security than are held in the portfolio. The Fund anticipates that it may employ its option strategy on a consistent and on-going basis, although it expects that the Fund may pursue such strategy to a greater extent during the period in which the Fund is investing the proceeds from this offering in securities of MLP entities.
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Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. Such investments in securities of foreign issuers may include investments in American Depositary Receipts, or “ADRs,” and may include
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unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts. ADRs are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer that are issued by depositary banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere.
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Diversification. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its Managed Assets, at the time of purchase, in securities of any single issuer.
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Strategic Transactions. The Fund may, but is not required to, use various strategic transactions in futures, options and other derivatives contracts (other than the covered call option strategy described above) for purposes such as to seek to earn income, facilitate portfolio management and mitigate risks. Such strategic transactions are generally accepted under modern portfolio management practices and are regularly used by many investment companies and other institutional investors. Such transactions entail certain execution, market, liquidity, hedging and tax risks. See “Risks—Derivatives Risks.”
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Use of Financial Leverage
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The Fund may seek to enhance the level of the Fund’s current distributions through the use of financial leverage. The Fund may leverage through the issuance of preferred shares (“Preferred Shares”). The Fund may also borrow or issue debt securities (“Borrowings,” and collectively with the Preferred Shares, “Financial Leverage”). The amounts of the Fund’s Financial Leverage outstanding may vary over time and such amounts will be reported in the Fund’s audited and unaudited financial statements contained in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. The Fund has entered into a committed facility agreement with BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage, Inc., pursuant to which the Fund may borrow up to $225 million. On November 30, 2010, outstanding Borrowings under the committed facility agreement were approximately $170 million, which represented 26% of the Fund’s Managed Assets as of such date. The issuance of additional Common Shares would enable the Fund to increase the amount of Financial Leverage while maintaining the percentage of the Fund’s Managed Assets attributable to Financial Leverage. The Fund may utilize Financial Leverage up to the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. The Fund may also borrow for temporary purposes, such as the settlement of transactions, in accordance with the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. So long as the net rate of return on the Fund’s investments purchased with the proceeds of Financial Leverage exceeds the cost of such Financial Leverage, such excess amounts will be available to pay higher distributions to holders of the Fund’s Common Shares. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period during which it is employed. See “Use of Financial Leverage” and “Risks—Financial Leverage Risk.” As used in this Prospectus, the term “Managed Assets” includes any assets attributable to the proceeds of Financial Leverage.
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Advantages over Direct Investment in MLP Entities
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The Fund has been structured to seek to provide an efficient vehicle through which the Fund’s shareholders may invest in a portfolio of publicly traded securities of MLP entities. An investment in the Fund
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offers investors several advantages as compared to direct investments in MLP entities, including the following: | |||||
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The Fund allows shareholders to invest, through a single investment vehicle, in a portfolio that includes a number of MLP entities
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The Fund may purchase securities of MLP entities through direct placements. Purchasing restricted or unrestricted securities of MLP entities through direct placements may offer the potential for increased returns as compared to purchasing securities of MLP entities through open market transactions. Such opportunities, however, are typically available only to institutional investors, such as the Fund.
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Common Shareholders will receive a single IRS Form 1099. Direct investors in MLPs receive an IRS Schedule K-1 from each MLP in which they are invested.
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An investment in the Fund will not cause a shareholder to be required to file state income tax returns in any state in which such investor is not otherwise required to file a tax return. Direct investors in an MLP are considered limited partners of the MLP and may be required to file state income tax returns in each state in which the MLP operates.
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Common Shareholders are not limited by the passive activity loss rules in their ability to use any losses resulting from their purchase and sale of Common Shares to offset other gains. The passive activity loss rules limit the ability of certain direct investors in MLPs to use their allocable share of any losses generated by an MLP.
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For Common Shareholders who are tax-exempt investors, including employee benefit plans and IRA accounts, distributions received from the Fund will generally not be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) unless such investor’s Common Shares are debt-financed. Income received by tax-exempt investors directly from MLPs is generally treated as UBTI.
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Subject to certain holding period and other requirements, distributions by the Fund that are taxable as dividends (i.e., distributions out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits) will be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and, in the case of dividends paid in taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2012, will be treated as “qualified dividend income” for shareholders taxed as individuals.
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Common Shareholders will bear the Fund’s operating costs, including management fees, custody and administration charges, and the costs of operating as an investment company. | |||||
Tax Considerations
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The Fund is treated as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund generally is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the graduated rates applicable to corporations (currently at a maximum rate of 35%). Because of the Fund’s concentration in MLP investments, the Fund is not eligible to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code.
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The types of MLPs in which the Fund intends to invest historically have made cash distributions to their limited partners in excess of the amount of their taxable income allocable to their limited partners. This is the result of a variety of factors, including significant non-cash deductions, such as accelerated depreciation. The portion, if any, of the cash distributions received by the Fund with respect to its investment in the equity securities of an MLP that exceeds the Fund’s allocable share of the MLP’s net taxable income will not be treated as taxable income to the Fund, but rather will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the Fund’s basis in such MLP equity securities.
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The Fund expects to pay cash distributions to its shareholders in excess of the Fund’s taxable income. Distributions by the Fund of cash or property in respect of the Common Shares will be treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Subject to certain holding period and other requirements, any such dividend will be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. The favorable U.S. federal tax treatment of certain ordinary income dividends as “qualified dividend income” is set to expire for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, unless further Congressional action is taken. If the Fund’s distributions exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, such excess will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in the Common Shares (thus reducing a shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Shares), and thereafter as capital gain assuming the Common Shares are held as a capital asset. While the Fund will generally seek to maximize the portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders that will consist of tax-deferred return of capital, no assurance can be given in this regard. Upon the sale of Common Shares, a shareholder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Shares sold. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
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Distributions
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The Fund intends to pay substantially all of its net investment income to Common Shareholders through quarterly distributions. Net investment income of the Fund will consist of cash and paid-in-kind distributions from MLP entities, dividends from common stocks, interest from debt securities, gains from option writing and income from other investments of the Fund; less operating expenses, taxes on the Fund’s taxable income and realized gains and the costs of any Financial Leverage utilized by the Fund.
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The Fund will make distributions that will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as (i) first, taxable dividends to the extent of your allocable share of the Fund’s earnings and profits, (ii) second, tax-deferred return of capital to the extent of your tax basis in your shares of the Fund (for the portion of those distributions that exceed the Fund’s earnings and profits) and (iii) third, taxable gains (for the balance of those distributions). The Fund anticipates that a significant portion of the distributions received by the Fund from the MLPs in which it invests will consist of tax-deferred return of capital. While the Fund will generally seek to maximize the portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders that will consist of tax-deferred return of capital, no assurance can be given in this regard.
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If you will be holding the Common Shares in your own name or if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that participates in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”), unless you elect to receive cash, all dividends and distributions that are declared by the Fund will be automatically reinvested in additional Common Shares of the Fund pursuant to the Plan. If you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that does not participate in the Plan, you will not be able to participate in the Plan and any dividend reinvestment may be effected on different terms than those described herein. Consult your financial adviser for more information. See “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
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Management of the Fund
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Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC serves as the Fund’s investment adviser, pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Fund. As compensation for its services, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets (from which the Adviser pays to the Sub-Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 0.50% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets).
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Fiduciary Asset Management Inc. serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement with the Fund and the Adviser. As compensation for its services, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 0.50% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets.
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Listing and Symbol
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The Fund’s currently outstanding Common Shares are, and the Common Shares offered by this Prospectus, will be, subject to notice of issuance, listed on the NYSE under the symbol “FMO.”
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Special Risk Considerations
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Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. An investment in the Common Shares of the Fund represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. The value of those securities may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The value of the securities owned by the Fund will affect the value of the Common Shares. At any point in time, your Common Shares may be worth less than your original investment, including the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.
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Risks of Investing in MLP Units. An investment in MLP units involves risks that differ from a similar investment in equity securities, such as common stock, of a corporation. Holders of MLP units have the rights typically afforded to limited partners in a limited partnership. As compared to common shareholders of a corporation, holders of MLP units have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. There are certain tax risks associated with an investment in MLP units. Additionally, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of an MLP; for example a conflict may arise as a result of incentive distribution payments.
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Tax Risks. Much of the benefit the Fund derives from its investment in equity securities of MLPs is a result of MLPs generally being treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner of a partnership, in computing its U.S. federal income tax liability, will include its allocable share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law, or a change in the business of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP and causing any such distributions received by the Fund to be taxed as dividend income. Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the after-tax return to the Fund with respect to its investment in such MLPs would be materially reduced, which could cause a substantial decline in the value of the Common Shares.
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To the extent that the Fund invests in the equity securities of an MLP, the Fund will be a partner in such MLP. Accordingly, the Fund will be required to include in its taxable income the Fund’s allocable share of the income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses recognized by each such MLP, regardless of whether the MLP distributes cash to the Fund. Historically, MLPs have been able to offset a significant portion of their income with tax deductions. The portion, if any, of a distribution received by the Fund from an MLP that is offset by the MLP’s tax deductions is essentially treated as tax-deferred return of capital. However, any such deferred tax will be reflected in the Fund’s adjusted basis in the equity securities of the MLP, which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the Fund for tax purposes on the sale of any such equity securities. In addition, the Fund will incur a current income tax liability on the portion of a distribution from the MLP that is not offset by the MLP’s tax deductions. The percentage of an MLP’s distributions that is offset by the MLP’s tax deductions will fluctuate over time. For example, new acquisitions by MLPs generate accelerated depreciation and other tax deductions, and therefore a decline in acquisition activity by the MLPs owned by the Fund could increase the Fund’s current tax liability. If the percentage of the
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distributions received by the Fund that is offset by tax deductions declines, or the Fund’s portfolio turnover increases, the portion of the distributions paid by the Fund that is treated as tax-deferred return of capital and/or capital gain, as the case may be, would be reduced and the portion treated as taxable dividend income would be increased. This generally would result in lower after-tax distributions to shareholders.
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Changes in tax laws or regulations, or future interpretations of such laws or regulations, could adversely affect the Fund or the MLP entities in which the Fund invests. In addition, the favorable U.S. federal tax treatment of certain qualified dividends is set to expire for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, unless further Congressional action is taken. If no action is taken, dividends paid by the Fund to certain non-corporate U.S. shareholders (including individuals) will be fully taxable at ordinary income rates. Long-term capital gains for certain non-corporate U.S. Shareholders (including individuals) are scheduled to increase to 20% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.
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Deferred Tax Risk. As a limited partner in the MLPs, the Fund includes its allocable share of the MLP’s taxable income in computing its own taxable income. Because the Fund is treated as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will incur tax expenses. In calculating the Fund’s net asset value, the Fund will account for its deferred tax liability and/or asset. The Fund’s net deferred tax liability or asset in the financial statements of the Fund reflect (i) taxes on unrealized gains/(losses), which are attributable to the temporary difference between fair market value and tax basis of the Fund’s assets, (ii) the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and (iii) the net tax benefit of accumulated net operating losses.
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The Fund will accrue a deferred income tax liability, at an assumed federal, state and local income tax rate, for its future tax liability associated with the capital appreciation of its investments and the distributions received by the Fund on equity securities of MLPs considered to be return of capital. Any deferred tax liability will reduce the Fund’s net asset value. Upon the sale of an equity security in an MLP, the Fund generally will be liable for any previously deferred taxes. No assurance can be given that such taxes will not exceed the Fund’s deferred tax assumptions for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value per share, which would result in an immediate reduction of the Fund’s net asset value per share.
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The Fund will accrue a deferred tax asset which reflects an estimate of the Fund’s future tax benefit associated with realized and unrealized net operating losses and capital losses. Any deferred tax asset will increase the Fund’s net asset value. To the extent the Fund has a deferred tax asset, consideration is given as to whether or not a valuation allowance is required. The need to establish a valuation allowance for a deferred tax asset is assessed periodically by the Fund based on the criterion established by the Financial Accounting
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Standards Board, Accounting Standards Codification 740 (ASC 740, formerly SFAS No. 109) that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In the assessment for a valuation allowance, consideration is given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax asset. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability (which are highly dependent on future MLP cash distributions), the duration of statutory carryforward periods and the associated risk that operating loss carryforwards may expire unused.
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The Fund’s deferred tax liability and/or asset is estimated using estimates of effective tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years such taxes are realized. For purposes of estimating the Fund’s deferred tax liability and/or asset for financial statement reporting and determining its net asset value, the Fund will be required to rely, to some extent, on information provided by the MLPs in which it invests. Such information may not be received in a timely manner. The Fund’s estimates regarding its deferred tax liability and/or asset are made in good faith, however, the estimate of deferred tax used to calculate the Funds net asset value could vary dramatically from the Fund’s actual tax liability and, as a result, the determination of the Fund’s actual tax liability may have a material impact on the Fund’s net asset value. From time to time, the Fund may modify its estimates or assumptions regarding its deferred tax liability and/or asset as new information becomes available. Modifications of such estimates or assumptions or changes in applicable tax law could result in increases or decreases in the Fund’s net asset value per share, which could be material.
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Affiliated Party Risk. Certain MLPs in which the Fund may invest depend upon their parent or sponsor entities for the majority of their revenues. Were their parent or sponsor entities to fail to make such payments or satisfy their obligations, the revenues and cash flows of such MLPs and ability of such MLPs to make distributions to unit holders, such as the Fund, would be adversely affected.
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Equity Securities Risk. A substantial percentage of the Fund’s assets will be invested in equity securities, including MLP common units, MLP subordinated units, MLP preferred units, equity securities of MLP Affiliates, including I-Shares, and common stocks of other issuers. Equity risk is the risk that MLP units or other equity securities held by the Fund will fall due to general market or economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, changes in interest rates, and the particular circumstances and performance of particular companies whose securities the Fund holds. The price of an equity security of an issuer may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market; or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the equity securities held by the Fund. In addition, MLP units or other equity securities held by the Fund may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated distributions or dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition.
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MLP subordinated units typically are convertible to MLP common units at a one-to-one ratio. The price of MLP subordinated units is typically tied to the price of the corresponding MLP common unit, less a discount. The size of the discount depends upon a variety of factors, including the likelihood of conversion, the length of time remaining until conversion and the size of the block of subordinated units being purchased or sold. | ||||
I-Shares represent an indirect investment in MLP I-units. Prices and volatilities of I-Shares tend to correlate to the price of common units. Holders of I-Shares are subject to the same risks as holders of MLP common units. | ||||
Concentration Risk. Because the Fund is focused in MLP entities in the energy, natural resources and real estate sectors of the economy, the Fund may be more susceptible to risks associated with such sectors. The Fund will concentrate its investments in the industry or group of industries that make up the energy sector. A downturn in the energy sector could have a larger impact on the Fund than on an investment company that does not concentrate in such sector. At times, the performance of securities of companies in the energy sector may lag the performance of other sectors or the broader market as a whole. | ||||
Energy Sector Risks. Many MLP entities operate within the energy sector. Therefore, the Fund will concentrate its investments in the industry or group of industries that make up the energy sector. As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the energy sector. There are several risks associated with investments in MLP entities and companies operating in the energy sector, including the following: | ||||
Commodity Price Risk. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector may be affected by fluctuations in the prices of energy commodities, including, for example, natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and coal, in the short-and long-term. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices may be influenced by changes in general economic conditions or political circumstances (especially of key energy producing and consuming countries); market conditions; weather patterns; domestic production levels; volume of imports; energy conservation; domestic and foreign governmental regulation; international politics; policies of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”); taxation; tariffs; and the availability and costs of local, intrastate and interstate transportation methods. Companies engaged in crude oil and natural gas exploration, development or production, natural gas gathering and processing, crude oil refining and transportation and coal mining or sales may be directly affected by their respective natural resources commodity prices. The volatility of commodity prices may also indirectly affect certain companies engaged in the transportation, processing, storage or distribution of such commodities. Some companies that own the underlying commodities may be unable to effectively mitigate or manage direct margin exposure to commodity price levels. The energy
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sector as a whole may also be impacted by the perception that the performance of energy sector companies is directly linked to commodity prices.
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Supply and Demand Risk. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector may be impacted by the levels of supply and demand for energy commodities. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector could be adversely affected by reductions in the supply of or demand for energy commodities. The volume of production of energy commodities and the volume of energy commodities available for transportation, storage, processing or distribution could be affected by a variety of factors, including depletion of resources; depressed commodity prices; catastrophic events; labor relations; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; equipment malfunctions and maintenance difficulties; import volumes; international politics, policies of OPEC; and increased competition from alternative energy sources. Alternatively, a decline in demand for energy commodities could result from factors such as adverse economic conditions (especially in key energy-consuming countries); increased taxation; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; increased fuel economy; increased energy conservation or use of alternative energy sources; legislation intended to promote the use of alternative energy sources; or increased commodity prices.
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Depletion Risk. MLP entities and other energy companies engaged in the exploration, development, management or production of energy commodities face the risk that commodity reserves are depleted over time. Such companies seek to increase their reserves through expansion of their current businesses, acquisitions, further development of their existing sources of energy commodities, exploration of new sources of energy commodities or by entering into long-term contracts for additional reserves; however, there are risks associated with each of these potential strategies. If such companies fail to acquire additional reserves in a cost-effective manner and at a rate at least equal to the rate at which their existing reserves decline, their financial performance may suffer. Additionally, failure to replenish reserves could reduce the amount and affect the tax characterization of the distributions paid by such companies.
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Regulatory Risk. The energy sector is highly regulated. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to significant regulation of nearly every aspect of their operations by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Examples of governmental regulations which impact MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector include regulation of the construction, maintenance and operation of facilities, environmental regulation, safety regulation, labor regulation, trade regulation and the regulation of the prices charged for products and services. Compliance with these regulations is enforced by numerous governmental
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agencies and authorities through administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Stricter laws or regulations or stricter enforcement policies with respect to existing regulations would likely increase the costs of regulatory compliance and could have an adverse effect on the financial performance of MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector. MLP entities may be adversely affected by additional regulatory requirements enacted in response to environmental disasters, which may impose additional costs or limit certain operations by MLPs operating in various sectors.
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Environmental Risk. There is an inherent risk that MLPs may incur environmental costs and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle. For example, an accidental release from wells or gathering pipelines could subject them to substantial liabilities for environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage, and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations. Moreover, the possibility exists that stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could significantly increase the compliance costs of MLPs, and the cost of any remediation that may become necessary. MLPs may not be able to recover these costs from insurance. Specifically, the operations of wells, gathering systems, pipelines, refineries and other facilities are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These include, for example: (i) the federal Clean Air Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to air emissions, (ii) the federal Clean Water Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to discharges of pollutants into regulated bodies of water, (iii) the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state laws and regulations that impose requirements for the handling and disposal of waste from facilities; and (iv) the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”), also known as “Superfund,” and comparable state laws and regulations that regulate the cleanup of hazardous substances that may have been released at properties currently or previously owned or operated by MLPs or at locations to which they have sent waste for disposal. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may trigger a variety of administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, including the assessment of monetary penalties, the imposition of remedial requirements, and the issuance of orders enjoining future operations. Certain environmental statutes, including RCRA, CERCLA, the federal Oil Pollution Act and analogous state laws and regulations, impose strict, joint and several liability for costs required to clean up and restore sites where hazardous substances have been disposed of or otherwise released. Moreover, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the
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release of hazardous substances or other waste products into the environment. Voluntary initiatives and mandatory controls have been adopted or are being discussed both in the United States and worldwide to reduce emissions of “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuels, and methane, the major constituent of natural gas, which many scientists and policymakers believe contribute to global climate change. These measures and future measures could result in increased costs to certain companies in which the Fund may invest to operate and maintain facilities and administer and manage a greenhouse gas emissions program and may reduce demand for fuels that generate greenhouse gases and that are managed or produced by companies in which the Fund may invest. In the wake of a Supreme Court decision holding that the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has some legal authority to deal with climate change under the Clean Air Act, the EPA and the Department of Transportation jointly wrote regulations to cut gasoline use and control greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. These measures, and other programs addressing greenhouse gas emissions, could reduce demand for energy or raise prices, which may adversely affect the total return of certain of the Fund’s investments.
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Acquisition Risk. Energy sector MLP entities owned by the Fund may depend on their ability to make acquisitions that increase adjusted operating surplus per unit in order to increase distributions to unit holders. The ability of such MLP entities to make future acquisitions is dependent on their ability to identify suitable targets, negotiate favorable purchase contracts, obtain acceptable financing and outbid competing potential acquirers. To the extent that such MLP entities are unable to make future acquisitions, or such future acquisitions fail to increase the adjusted operating surplus per unit, their growth and ability to make distributions to unit holders will be limited. There are risks inherent in any acquisition, including erroneous assumptions regarding revenues, acquisition expenses, operating expenses, cost savings and synergies; assumption of liabilities; indemnification; customer losses; key employee defections; distraction from other business operations; and unanticipated difficulties in operating or integrating new product areas and geographic regions.
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Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates could increase the costs of capital thereby increasing operating costs and reducing the ability of MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector to carry out acquisitions or expansions in a cost-effective manner. As a result, rising interest rates could negatively affect the financial performance of MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector in which the Fund invests. Rising interest rates may also impact the price of the securities of MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector as the yields on alternative investments increase.
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Weather Risk. Weather plays a role in the seasonality of some MLP Entities’ cash flows. MLP Entities in the propane industry, for example, rely on the winter season to generate almost all of their earnings. In an unusually warm winter season, propane MLP Entities experience decreased demand for their product. Although most MLP Entities can reasonably predict seasonal weather demand based on normal weather patterns, extreme weather conditions, such as the hurricanes that severely damaged cities along the Gulf Coast in recent years, demonstrate that no amount of preparation can protect an MLP Entity from the unpredictability of the weather. The damage done by extreme weather also may serve to increase many MLP Entities’ insurance premiums.
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Catastrophic Event Risk. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to many dangers inherent in the production, exploration, management, transportation, processing and distribution of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum and petroleum products and other hydrocarbons. These dangers include leaks, fires, explosions, damage to facilities and equipment resulting from natural disasters, inadvertent damage to facilities and equipment and terrorist acts. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has issued warnings that energy assets, specifically U.S. pipeline infrastructure, may be targeted in future terrorist attacks. These dangers give rise to risks of substantial losses as a result of loss or destruction of commodity reserves; damage to or destruction of property, facilities and equipment; pollution and environmental damage; and personal injury or loss of life. Any occurrence of such catastrophic events could bring about a limitation, suspension or discontinuation of the operations of MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector. MLP entities and other companies operating in the energy sector may not be fully insured against all risks inherent in their business operations and therefore accidents and catastrophic events could adversely affect such companies’ financial conditions and ability to pay distributions to shareholders.
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2012 U.S. Federal Budget. The proposed U.S. federal budget for fiscal year 2012 calls for the elimination of approximately $46 billion in tax incentives widely used by oil, gas and coal companies and the imposition of new fees on certain energy producers. The elimination of such tax incentives and imposition of such fees could adversely affect MLP entities in which the Fund invests and/or the energy sector generally.
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Industry Specific Risks. MLP-related entities and energy companies are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve. | ||||
Midstream. Midstream MLPs entities and energy companies that provide crude oil, refined product and natural gas services are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors
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including, fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, and economic conditions, among others. Pipeline companies are subject to the demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil or refined products in the markets they serve, changes in the availability of products for gathering, transportation, processing or sale due to natural declines in reserves and production in the supply areas serviced by the companies’ facilities, sharp decreases in crude oil or natural gas prices that cause producers to curtail production or reduce capital spending for exploration activities, and environmental regulation. Demand for gasoline, which accounts for a substantial portion of refined product transportation, depends on price, prevailing economic conditions in the markets served, and demographic and seasonal factors. Companies that own interstate pipelines that transport natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil or refined petroleum products are subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) with respect to the tariff rates they may charge for transportation services. An adverse determination by FERC with respect to the tariff rates of such a company could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of those companies and their ability to pay cash distributions or dividends. In addition, FERC has a tax allowance policy, which permits such companies to include in their cost of service an income tax allowance to the extent that their owners have an actual or potential tax liability on the income generated by them. If FERC’s income tax allowance policy were to change in the future to disallow a material portion of the income tax allowance taken by such interstate pipeline companies, it would adversely impact the maximum tariff rates that such companies are permitted to charge for their transportation services, which would in turn adversely affect the results of operations and cash flows of those companies and their ability to pay cash distributions or dividends to their unit holders or shareholders. Gathering and processing companies are subject to natural declines in the production of oil and natural gas fields, which utilize their gathering and processing facilities as a way to market their production, prolonged declines in the price of natural gas or crude oil, which curtails drilling activity and therefore production, and declines in the prices of natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products, which cause lower processing margins. In addition, some gathering and processing contracts subject the gathering or processing company to direct commodities price risk.
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Upstream. Exploration, development and production companies are particularly vulnerable to declines in the demand for and prices of crude oil and natural gas. Reductions in prices for crude oil and natural gas can cause a given reservoir to become
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uneconomic for continued production earlier than it would if prices were higher, resulting in the plugging and abandonment of, and cessation of production from, that reservoir. In addition, lower commodity prices not only reduce revenues but also can result in substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data, the accuracy of assumptions regarding future commodity prices and future exploration and development costs and engineering and geological interpretations and judgments. Different reserve engineers may make different estimates of reserve quantities and related revenue based on the same data. Actual oil and gas prices, development expenditures and operating expenses will vary from those assumed in reserve estimates, and these variances may be significant. Any significant variance from the assumptions used could result in the actual quantity of reserves and future net cash flow being materially different from those estimated in reserve reports. In addition, results of drilling, testing and production and changes in prices after the date of reserve estimates may result in downward revisions to such estimates. Substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates could have a material adverse effect on a given exploration and production company’s financial position and results of operations. In addition, due to natural declines in reserves and production, exploration and production companies must economically find or acquire and develop additional reserves in order to maintain and grow their revenues and distributions.
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Oil and Gas Production. In addition to other risks described herein, companies involved in the transportation, gathering, processing, exploration, development or production of crude oil, natural gas and/or refined petroleum products are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors including, fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events and economic conditions, among others. In addition the oil and gas industries may be adversely affected by increased regulations, increased operating costs and reductions in the supply of and/or demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the reaction thereto. Continued financial deterioration of BP plc as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have wide-ranging and unforeseen impacts on the oil industry and the broader energy sector.
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Propane. Propane MLP entities are subject to earnings variability based upon weather conditions in the markets they serve, fluctuating commodity prices, increased use of alternative fuels, increased governmental or environmental regulation, and accidents or catastrophic events, among others.
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Coal. MLPs entities and energy companies with coal assets are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors including, fluctuating commodity prices, the level of their customers’ coal stockpiles, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, mining accidents or catastrophic events, health claims and economic conditions, among others. They are also subject to supply variability based on geological conditions that reduce the productivity of mining operations, the availability of regulatory permits for mining activities and the availability of coal that meets the standards of the Clean Air Act.
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Marine Transportation. Marine transportation companies are exposed to the highly cyclical nature of the tanker industry and may be subject to volatile changes in charter rates and vessel values, which may adversely affect the earnings of tanker companies. Fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values result from changes in the supply and demand for tanker capacity and changes in the supply and demand for oil and oil products. Changes in demand for transportation of oil over longer distances and the supply of tankers to carry that oil may materially affect the revenues, profitability and cash flows of tanker companies. The successful operation of vessels in the charter market depends upon, among other things, obtaining profitable spot charters and minimizing time spent waiting for charters and traveling unladen to pick up cargo. The value of tanker vessels may fluctuate and could adversely affect the value of tanker company securities in our portfolio. Declining tanker values could affect the ability of tanker companies to raise cash by limiting their ability to refinance their vessels, thereby adversely impacting tanker company liquidity. Tanker company vessels are at risk of damage or loss because of events such as mechanical failure, collision, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, cargo loss and bad weather. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries, including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy, terrorism, labor strikes, boycotts and government requisitioning of vessels. These sorts of events could interfere with shipping lanes and result in market disruptions and a significant loss of tanker company earnings.
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Other Sector Risks. The Fund also may invest in securities of MLP entities in the natural resources sector and the real estate sector, among other sectors, which may subject the Fund to additional risks associated with investments in those sectors. | ||||
Natural Resources Sector Risks. The natural resources sector includes companies principally engaged in owning or developing non-energy natural resources (including timber and minerals) and industrial materials, or supplying goods or
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services to such companies. The Fund’s investments in MLP entities and other companies operating in the natural resources sector will be subject to the risk that prices of these securities may fluctuate widely in response to the level and volatility of commodity prices; exchange rates; import controls; domestic and global competition; environmental regulation and liability for environmental damage; mandated expenditures for safety or pollution control; the success of exploration projects; depletion of resources; tax policies; and other governmental regulation. Investments in the natural resources sector can be significantly affected by changes in the supply of or demand for various natural resources. The value of investments in the natural resources sector may be adversely affected by a change in inflation.
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Real Estate Sector Risks. The Fund may invest in MLP entities or other companies operating in the real estate sector, which may develop land; own or manage residential, commercial and undeveloped properties; own mortgage securities; and provide financing to owners and developers of multi-family housing or other real estate or building ventures. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities of MLP entities and other companies operating in the real estate sector, the Fund’s performance may be linked to the performance of the real estate markets. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. Changes in interest rates or inflation may adversely affect the value of investments in the real estate sector. Other factors such as catastrophic events; lack of adequate insurance; and environmental issues may contribute to the risks in a real estate investment.
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Small Capitalization Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of MLP entities and other issuers that have comparatively smaller capitalizations relative to issuers whose securities are included in major benchmark indices, which present unique investment risks. These companies often have limited product lines, markets, distribution channels or financial resources; and the management of such companies may be dependent upon one or a few key people. The market movements of equity securities issued by MLP entities with smaller capitalizations may be more abrupt or erratic than the market movements of equity securities of larger, more established companies or the stock market in general. Historically, smaller capitalization companies have sometimes gone through extended periods when they did not perform as well as larger companies. In addition, equity securities of smaller capitalization companies generally are less liquid than those of larger companies. This means that the Fund could have greater difficulty selling such securities at the time and price that the Fund would like. | ||||
Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in unregistered or otherwise restricted securities. The term “restricted securities” refers to securities that are unregistered, held by control persons of the issuer or are subject to contractual restrictions on their resale. Restricted | ||||
securities are often purchased at a discount from the market price of unrestricted securities of the same issuer reflecting the fact that such securities may not be readily marketable without some time delay. Such securities are often more difficult to value and the sale of such securities often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of liquid securities trading on national securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets. Contractual restrictions on the resale of securities result from negotiations between the issuer and purchaser of such securities and therefore vary substantially in length and scope. To dispose of a restricted security that the Fund has a contractual right to sell, the Fund may first be required to cause the security to be registered. A considerable period may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell, during which time the Fund would bear market risks.
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Risks Associated with an Investment in Initial Public Offerings. Securities purchased in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) are often subject to the general risks associated with investments in companies with small market capitalizations, and typically to a heightened degree. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in an IPO may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in IPOs, or to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. The Fund’s investment performance during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when it is able to do so. IPO securities may be volatile, and the Fund cannot predict whether investments in IPOs will be successful.
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Risks Associated with a Private Investment in Public Equity Transactions. Investors in private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) transactions purchase securities directly from a publicly traded company in a private placement transaction, typically at a discount to the market price of the company’s common stock. Because the sale of the securities is not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the securities are “restricted” and cannot be immediately resold by the investors into the public markets. Until the Fund can sell such securities into the public markets, its holdings will be less liquid and any sales will need to be made pursuant to an exemption under the Securities Act.
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Cash Flow Risk. The Fund expects that a substantial portion of the cash flow it receives will be derived from its investments in equity securities of MLP entities. The amount and tax characterization of cash available for distribution by an MLP entity depends upon the amount of cash generated by such entity’s operations. Cash available for distribution by MLP entities will vary widely from quarter to quarter and is affected by various factors affecting the entity’s operations. In addition to the risks described herein, operating costs,
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capital expenditures, acquisition costs, construction costs, exploration costs and borrowing costs may reduce the amount of cash that an MLP entity has available for distribution in a given period.
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Distribution Risk. The Fund will seek to maximize the portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders that will consist of tax-deferred return of capital. To the extent that the Fund’s cash flow is derived primarily from MLP distributions that consist of tax-deferred return of capital, the Fund’s anticipates that a significant portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders will consist of tax-deferred return of capital. However, to the extent that the Fund receives taxable distributions from MLPs or other issuers in which it invests, or earns income or gain on the sale of portfolio securities or in connection with derivatives transactions, the portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders treated as taxable dividend income could be increased. In addition, if the Fund generates current earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in a particular taxable year, a distribution by the Fund to its shareholders in that year will be wholly or partially taxable even if the Fund has an overall deficit in its accumulated earnings and profits and/or net operating loss or capital loss carryforwards that reduce or eliminate corporate income taxes in that taxable year. There can be no assurance as to what portion of any future distribution will consist of tax-deferred return of capital or taxable dividend income.
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Risks Associated with Options on Securities. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund forgoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out an option position. If trading were suspended in an option purchased by the Fund, the Fund would not be able to close out the option. If the Fund were unable to close out a covered call option that it had written on a security, it would not be able to sell the underlying security unless the option expired without exercise.
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Liquidity Risk. MLP common units and equity securities of MLP Affiliates, including I-Shares, and other issuers often trade on national securities exchanges, including the NYSE, the AMEX and the NASDAQ. However, certain securities, including those of issuers with smaller capitalizations, may trade less frequently. The market movements of such securities with limited trading volumes may be
|
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more abrupt or erratic. As a result of the limited liquidity of such securities, the Fund could have greater difficulty selling such securities at the time and price that the Fund would like and may be limited in its ability to make alternative investments.
|
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Valuation Risk. Market prices generally will be unavailable for some of the Fund’s investments, including MLP subordinated units, direct ownership of general partner interests and restricted or unregistered securities of certain MLP entities and private companies. The value of such securities will be determined by fair valuations determined by the Board of Trustees or its designee in accordance with procedures governing the valuation of portfolio securities adopted by the Board of Trustees. Proper valuation of such securities may require more reliance on the judgment of the Sub-Adviser than for valuation of securities for which an active trading market exists.
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Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities, such as preferred and debt securities, and certain equity securities will decline in value because of a rise in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. The net asset value and market price of the Common Shares will tend to decline as a result of the Fund’s investment in such securities if market interest rates rise.
|
|||
During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a fixed-income security may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities. This is known as call or prepayment risk. Preferred and debt securities frequently have call features that allow the issuer to repurchase the security prior to its stated maturity. An issuer may redeem such a security if the issuer can refinance it at a lower cost due to declining interest rates or an improvement in the credit standing of the issuer. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of a lower likelihood of prepayments. This may lock in a below market interest rate, increase the security’s duration and reduce the value of the security. This is known as extension risk.
|
|||
In typical interest rate environments, prices of fixed income securities with longer maturities generally fluctuate more in response to changes in interest rates than do the prices of fixed income securities with shorter-term maturities. Because the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in fixed-income securities without regard to their maturities, to the extent the Fund invests in fixed income securities with longer maturities, the net asset value and market price of the Common Shares would fluctuate more in response to changes in interest rates than if the Fund were to invest such portion of its assets in shorter-term fixed income securities.
|
|||
Market interest rates for investment grade fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest are significantly below historical average rates for such securities. Interest rates below historical average rates may result in increased risk that these rates will rise in the future (which would cause the value of the Fund’s net assets to
|
|||
decline) and may increase the degree to which asset values may decline in such events.
|
|||
Lower Grade Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities rated below investment grade (that is, rated Ba or lower by Moody’s; BB or lower by S&P; comparably rated by another statistical rating organization; or, if unrated, as determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable credit quality), which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” Investment in securities of below-investment grade quality involves substantial risk of loss. Securities of below investment grade quality are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due and therefore involve a greater risk of default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and issuer-specific developments. Securities of below investment grade quality display increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment. The market values for debt securities of below-investment grade quality tend to be more volatile and such securities tend to be less liquid than investment grade debt securities.
|
|||
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year. The Fund cannot predict its annual portfolio turnover rate with accuracy; however, under normal market conditions it is not expected to exceed 30%. Portfolio turnover rate will not be considered as a limiting factor in the execution of the Fund’s investment decisions. High portfolio turnover may result in the Fund’s recognition of gains that will be taxable as ordinary income and may increase the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, which will result in a greater portion of distributions to Common Shareholders being treated as dividends. Additionally, high portfolio turnover results in correspondingly higher brokerage commissions and transaction costs borne by the Fund.
|
|||
Foreign Securities. Investing in securities of foreign companies (or foreign governments) may involve certain risks not typically associated with investing in domestic companies. The prices of foreign securities may be affected by factors not present with securities traded in the U.S. markets, including, political and economic conditions, less stringent regulation and higher volatility. As a result, many foreign securities may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. securities. Dividend and interest income may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes, which may adversely affect the net return on such investments. The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers may consist of investments in ADRs. ADRs are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer that are issued by depositary banks and generally trade on an established market, in the United States or elsewhere. Although ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies, they continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
|
|||
Derivatives Risk. In addition to the risks associated with the option strategies described above, the Fund may participate in certain derivative transactions. Such transactions entail certain execution,
|
|||
market, liquidity, hedging and tax risks. Participation in the options or futures markets involves investment risks and transaction costs to which the Fund would not be subject absent the use of these strategies (other than its covered call option writing strategy and put option writing strategy). If the Sub-Adviser’s prediction of movements in the direction of the securities and interest rate markets is inaccurate, the consequences to the Fund may leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used such strategies.
|
|||
Market Discount Risk. The Fund’s Common Shares have a limited trading history and have traded both at a premium and at a discount in relation to NAV. The Fund cannot predict whether the Common Shares will trade in the future at a premium or discount to NAV. The Fund’s Common Shares have recently traded at a substantial premium to NAV per share, which may not be sustainable. If the Common Shares are trading at a premium to net asset value at the time you purchase Common Shares, the NAV per share of the Common Shares purchased will be less than the purchase price paid. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from NAV, but in some cases have traded above NAV. Continued development of alternative vehicles for investment in securities of MLP entities may contribute to reducing or eliminating any premium or may result in the Common Shares trading at a discount. The risk of the Common Shares trading at a discount is a risk separate from the risk of a decline in the Fund’s NAV as a result of the Fund’s investment activities. The Fund’s NAV will be reduced immediately following an offering of the Common Shares due to the costs of such offering, which will be borne entirely by the Fund. The sale of Common Shares by the Fund (or the perception that such sales may occur) may have an adverse effect on prices of Common Shares in the secondary market. An increase in the number of Common Shares available may put downward pressure on the market price for Common Shares. The Fund may, from time to time, seek the consent of holders of Common Shares to permit the issuance and sale by the Fund of Common Shares at a price below the Fund’s then current NAV, subject to certain conditions, and such sales of Common Shares at price below NAV, if any, may increase downward pressure on the market price for Common Shares. These sales, if any, also might make it more difficult for the Fund to sell additional Common Shares in the future at a time and price it deems appropriate.
|
|||
Whether Common Shareholder will realize a gain or loss upon the sale of Common Shares depends upon whether the market value of the Common Shares at the time of sale is above or below the price the Common Shareholder paid, taking into account transaction costs for the Common Shares, and is not directly dependent upon the Fund’s NAV. Because the market value of the Common Shares will be determined by factors such as the relative demand for and supply of the shares in the market, general market conditions and other factors outside the Fund’s control, the Fund cannot predict whether the Common Shares will trade at, below or above NAV, or at, below or above the public offering price for the Common Shares.
|
|||
Dilution Risk. The voting power of current Common Shareholders will be diluted to the extent that current Common Shareholders do not purchase Common Shares in any future offerings of Common Shares or do not purchase sufficient Common Shares to maintain their percentage interest. If the Fund is unable to invest the proceeds of such offering as intended, the Fund’s per Common Share distribution may decrease and the Fund may not participate in market advances to the same extent as if such proceeds were fully invested as planned. If the Fund sells Common Shares at a price below NAV pursuant to the consent of holders of Common Shares, shareholders will experience a dilution of the aggregate NAV per Common Share because the sale price will be less than the Fund’s then-current NAV per Common Share. This dilution will be experienced by all shareholders, irrespective of whether they purchase Common Shares in any such offering. See “Description of Capital Structure—Common Shares—Issuance of Additional Common Shares.”
|
|||
Other Investment Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies, including exchange-traded funds. As a stockholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s investment management fees with respect to the assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to the same leverage risks described in this Prospectus.
|
|||
Royalty Trust Risk. Royalty trusts are, in some respects, similar to certain MLPs and include risks similar to those MLPs, including commodity price volatility risk, cash flow risk and depletion risk.
|
|||
Financial Leverage. Although the use of Financial Leverage by the Fund may create an opportunity for increased after-tax total return for the Common Shares, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains earned on securities purchased with Financial Leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of Financial Leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if Financial Leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or gains from the securities purchased with such proceeds does not cover the cost of Financial Leverage, the return to the Fund will be less than if Financial Leverage had not been used.
|
|||
Financial Leverage involves risks and special considerations for shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value, market price and dividends on the Common Shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt or in the dividend rates on any Financial Leverage that the Fund must pay will reduce the return to the Common Shareholders; and the effect of Financial Leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the Common Shares than if the Fund
|
|||
were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the Common Shares.
|
|||
It is also possible that the Fund will be required to sell assets, possibly at a loss (or at a gain which could give rise to corporate level tax), in order to redeem or meet payment obligations on any leverage. Such a sale would reduce the Fund’s net asset value and also make it difficult for the net asset value to recover. The Fund in its best judgment nevertheless may determine to continue to use Financial Leverage if it expects that the benefits to the Fund’s shareholders of maintaining the leveraged position will outweigh the current reduced return.
|
|||
Because the fees received by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser are based on the Managed Assets of the Fund (including the proceeds of any Financial Leverage), the Adviser and Sub-Adviser have a financial incentive for the Fund to utilize Financial Leverage, which may create a conflict of interest between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and the Common Shareholders. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period during which it is employed.
|
|||
Recent economic and market event have contributed to severe market volatility and caused severe liquidity strains in the credit markets. If dislocations in the credit markets continue, the Fund’s leverage costs may increase and there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to renew or replace existing leverage on favorable terms or at all. If the cost of leverage is no longer favorable, or if the Fund is otherwise required to reduce its leverage, the Fund may not be able to maintain distributions on common shares at historical levels and common shareholders will bear any costs associated with selling portfolio securities.
|
|||
Competition Risk. Since the time of the Fund’s initial public offering a number of alternative vehicles for investment in a portfolio of MLPs and their affiliates, including other publicly traded investment companies and private funds, have emerged. In addition, recent tax law changes have increased the ability of regulated investment companies or other institutions to invest in MLPs. These competitive conditions may adversely impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective, which in turn could adversely impact its ability to make dividend payments.
|
|||
Legislation Risk. At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund or the issuers of such assets. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on entities in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the issuers of the assets held in the Fund to achieve their business goals, and hence, for the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
|
|||
Affiliated Transaction Restrictions. From time to time, the Fund may “control” or may be an “affiliate”, each as defined in the 1940 Act, of one or more portfolio companies. In general, under the 1940 Act, the Fund would “control” a portfolio company if it owned 25% or more of
|
|||
its outstanding voting securities and would be an “affiliate” of a portfolio company if it owned 5% or more of its outstanding voting securities. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between investment companies and their affiliates (including the Adviser and Sub-Adviser), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. Under these restrictions, the Fund and any portfolio company that the Fund controls are generally prohibited from knowingly participating in a joint transaction, including co-investments in a portfolio company, with an affiliated person, including any trustees or officers of the Fund, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser or any entity controlled or advised by any of them. These restrictions also generally prohibit the Fund’s affiliates, principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters from knowingly purchasing from or selling to the Fund or any portfolio company controlled by the Fund certain securities or other property and from lending to and borrowing from the Fund or any portfolio company controlled by the Fund monies or other properties. The Fund and its affiliates may be precluded from co-investing in private placements of securities, including in any portfolio companies controlled by the Fund. The Fund, its affiliates and portfolio companies controlled by the Fund may from time to time engage in certain joint transactions, purchases, sales and loans in reliance upon and in compliance with the conditions of certain positions promulgated by the SEC. There can be no assurance that the Fund would be able to satisfy these conditions with respect to any particular transaction. As a result of these prohibitions, restrictions may be imposed on the size of positions or the type of investments that the Fund could make.
|
|||
Delay in Investing the Proceeds of this Offering. Although the Fund currently intends to invest the proceeds from any sale of the Common Shares offered hereby as soon as practicable following the completion of such offering, such investments may be delayed if suitable investments are unavailable at the time. The trading market and volumes for MLP entities and energy company shares may at times be less liquid than the market for other securities. Prior to the time the proceeds of this offering are invested, such proceeds may be invested in cash, cash equivalents or other securities, pending investment in MLP entities or energy company securities. Income received by the Fund from these securities would subject the Fund to corporate tax before any distributions to Common Shareholders. As a result, the return and yield on the Common Shares following any offering pursuant to this Prospectus may be lower than when the Fund is fully invested in accordance with its objective and policies. See “Use of Proceeds.”
|
|||
Non-Diversified Status. The Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and will not elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a result, there are no regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act or the Code that limit the proportion of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in securities of a single issue. Accordingly, the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in a
|
|||
more limited number of issuers than a diversified fund. There are currently approximately 74 publicly traded MLPs. The Fund will select its investments in MLPs from this small pool of issuers together with securities issued by any newly public MLPs, and will invest in securities of other MLP entities and securities of issuers other than MLP entities, consistent with its investment objective and policies. An investment in the Fund may present greater risk to an investor than an investment in a diversified portfolio because changes in the financial condition or market assessment of a single issuer may cause greater fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s Common Shares.
|
|||
Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In acting as the Fund’s sub-adviser, responsible for management of the Fund’s portfolio securities, the Sub-Adviser will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results.
|
|||
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. Continuing U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afganistan, instability in the Middle East and terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world have contributed to increased market volatility, may have long-term effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets and may cause further economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser do not know how long the financial markets will continue to be affected by these events and cannot predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the U.S. and global economies and securities markets. Global political and economic insatiability could affect the operations of MLP entities and other companies in the energy and natural resources sectors in unpredictable ways, including through disruptions of natural resources supplies and markets and the resulting volatility in commodity prices. Recent political and military instability in a variety of countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa has heightened these risks.
|
|||
Recent Market and Economic Developments. Global financial markets have experienced periods of unprecedented turmoil. The debt and equity capital markets in the United States were negatively impacted by significant write-offs in the financial services sector relating to subprime mortgages and the re-pricing of credit risk in the broader market, among other things. These events, along with the deterioration of the housing market, the failure of major financial institutions and the concerns that other financial institutions as well as the global financial system were also experiencing severe economic distress materially and adversely impacted the broader financial and credit markets and reduced the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial firms in particular. These events contributed to severe market volatility and caused severe liquidity strains in the credit markets. Volatile financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Fund.
|
|||
Recently markets have witnessed more stabilized economic activity as expectations for an economic recovery increased. However, risks to a robust resumption of growth persist: a weak consumer weighed down by too much debt and increasing joblessness, the growing size of the federal budget deficit and national debt, and the threat of inflation. A return to unfavorable economic conditions or sustained economic slowdown may place downward pressure on oil and natural gas prices and may adversely affect the ability of MLPs to sustain their historical distribution levels, which in turn, may adversely affect the Fund. MLPs that have historically relied heavily on outside capital to fund their growth have been impacted by the contraction in the capital markets. The continued recovery of the MLP sector is dependent on several factors, including the recovery of the financial sector, the general economy and the commodity markets.
|
|||
The current financial market situation, as well as various social, political, and psychological tensions in the United States and around the world, may continue to contribute to increased market volatility, may have long-term effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets; and may cause further economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. The prolonged continuation or further deterioration of the current U.S. and global economic downturn could adversely impact the Fund’s portfolio. The Sub-Adviser does not know how long the financial markets will continue to be affected by these events and cannot predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets in the Fund’s portfolio. The Sub-Adviser intends to monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund’s portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. Given the risks described above, an investment in Common Shares may not be appropriate for all prospective investors. A prospective investor should carefully consider his or her ability to assume these risks before making an investment in the Fund.
|
|||
Government Intervention in Financial Markets. The instability in the financial markets discussed above has led the U.S. Government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments. Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The long-term implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
|
|||
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), which was signed into law in July 2010, has resulted in significant revisions to the U.S. financial regulatory framework. The Dodd-Frank Act covers a broad range of topics,
|
|||
including, among many others, a reorganization of federal financial regulators; a process designed to ensure financial system stability and the resolution of potentially insolvent financial firms; new rules for derivatives trading; the creation of a consumer financial protection watchdog; the registration and regulation of managers of private funds; the regulation of credit rating agencies; and new federal requirements for residential mortgage loans. The regulation of various types of derivative instruments pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act may adversely affect MLPs and other issuers in which the Fund invests that utilize derivatives strategies for hedging or other purposes. The ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, and resulting regulation, is not yet certain and issuers in which the Fund invests may also be affected by the new legislation and regulation in ways that are currently unforeseeable.
|
||||
Anti-Takeover Provisions in the Fund’s Governing Documents
|
The Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Bylaws (the “Governing Documents”) include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to an open-end fund. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the Common Shares. See “Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Fund’s Governing Documents” and “Risks—Anti-Takeover Provisions.”
|
|||
Custodian, Administrator and Transfer Agent
|
The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a custody agreement. Under the custody agreement, the custodian holds the Fund’s assets in compliance with the 1940 Act. For its services, the custodian will receive a monthly fee based upon, among other things, the average value of the total assets of the Fund, plus certain charges for securities transactions.
|
|||
The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Fund’s, dividend disbursing agent, agent under the Fund’s Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan Agent”), transfer agent and registrar with respect to the Common Shares of the Fund.
|
||||
Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC serves as the Fund’s administrator. Pursuant to an administrative agreement, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC provides certain administrative, bookkeeping and accounting services to the Fund.
|
||||
Shareholder Transaction Expenses
|
||||
Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price)
|
—
|
%(1)
|
||
Offering Expenses Borne by the Fund (as a percentage of offering price)
|
—
|
%(1)(2)
|
||
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees(3)
|
None
|
Annual Expenses
|
Percentage of Net Assets Attributable to Common Shares(4)
|
Management Fees (5) (6)
|
1.34%
|
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds (7)
|
0.44%
|
Other Expenses (8)
|
0.20%
|
Current Income Tax Expense
|
0.22%
|
Deferred Income Tax Expense (9)
|
16.89%
|
Total Annual Expenses (10)
|
19.09%
|
(1)
|
If Common Shares to which this Prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, the Prospectus Supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund.
|
|
(2)
|
The Adviser has incurred on behalf of the Fund all costs associated with the Fund’s effective registration statement and this offering. The Fund has agreed to reimburse the Adviser for such expenses at a rate of 0.60% of the offering price of the Common Shares sold pursuant to the effective registration statement. In connection with any offering, the Fund will reimburse offering expenses incurred by the Adviser on its behalf in an amount up to the lesser of the Fund’s actual offering costs or 0.60% of the total offering price of the Common Shares sold in such offering.
|
|
(3)
|
Common Shareholders will pay brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
|
|
(4)
|
Based upon net assets attributable to common shares as of November 30, 2010.
|
|
(5)
|
The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets (net assets plus any assets attributable to Financial Leverage). The fee shown above is based upon outstanding Financial Leverage of 26% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. If Financial Leverage of more than 26% of the Fund’s Managed Assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher. Management fees calculated based on management fees earned for the year ended November 30, 2010 divided by average net assets attributable to Common Shareholders for the year ended November 30, 2010.
|
|
(6)
|
The Adviser has agreed to waive the advisory fees payable with respect to the assets attributable to Common Shares issued pursuant to the Fund’s shelf registration statement (including Common Shares issued pursuant to this Prospectus) for the first three months after such Common Shares are issued and to waive half the advisory fees payable with respect to the assets attributable to such Common Shares for the subsequent three months.
|
|
(7)
|
Based upon the Fund’s outstanding Borrowings as of November 30, 2010 of approximately $170 million and the borrowing rate on the facility as of November 30, 2010, of 1.25%. The Fund has entered into a committed facility agreement with BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage, Inc., pursuant to which the Fund may borrow up to $225 million.
|
|
(8)
|
Other expenses are estimated based upon those incurred during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010. Other expenses do not include income or expense/(benefit) related to realized or unrealized investment gains or losses.
|
(9)
|
For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010, the Fund accrued approximately $81 million in net deferred tax expense primarily related to unrealized appreciation on investments. Deferred income tax expense represents an estimate of the Fund’s potential tax expense if it were to recognize the unrealized appreciation/depreciation of portfolio assets that occurred during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010, based on the market value and basis of the Fund’s assets as of November 30, 2010. An estimate of deferred income tax expense/(benefit) is dependent upon the Fund’s net investment gains/losses and realized and unrealized gains/losses on investments and such expenses may vary greatly from year to year depending on the nature of the Fund’s investments, the performance of those investments and general market conditions. Therefore, any estimate of deferred income tax expense/(benefit) cannot be reliably predicted from year to year. Actual income tax expense (if any) will be incurred over many years, depending on if and when investment gains/losses are realized, the then-current basis of the Fund’s assets, the level of net loss carry-forwards and other factors. The Fund’s deferred income tax expense/(benefit) for the current fiscal year or any future fiscal year may vary greatly from the deferred income tax expense estimated based on the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010. The Fund’s deferred income tax expense/(benefit) as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares at the end of each fiscal year, from inception through November 30, 2010, has been as follows:
|
Deferred Income Tax Expense/(Benefit)
|
||
Period December 28, 2004 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2005
|
5.52
|
%
|
Year ended November 30, 2006
|
11.91
|
%
|
Year ended November 30, 2007
|
5.81
|
%
|
Year ended November 30, 2008
|
(52.31
|
)%
|
Year ended November 30, 2009
|
19.49
|
%
|
Year ended November 30, 2010
|
16.89
|
%
|
(10)
|
The table presented in this footnote presents the Fund’s annual operating expenses as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares, excluding Deferred Income Tax Expense/(Benefit).
|
Annual Expenses
|
Percentage of Net Assets Attributable to Common Shares
|
Management Fees (4)
|
1.34%
|
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds (5)
|
0.44%
|
Other Expenses (6)
|
0.20%
|
Current Income Tax Expense
|
0.22%
|
Total Annual Expenses (Excluding
|
|
Deferred Income Tax Expense/(Benefit))
|
2.20%
|
Cumulative Expenses Paid for the Period of:
|
||||||||||||||||
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
|||||||||||||
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders (1)(2)
|
$ | 177 | $ | 461 | $ | 670 | $ | 984 |
(1)
|
The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs.
|
|
(2)
|
An illustration of the expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares assuming (1) “Total annual expenses” of 2.20% (excluding the Fund’s estimate of Deferred Income Tax Expense for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010) of net assets attributable to Common Shares and (2) a 5% annual return*:
|
Cumulative Expenses Paid for the Period of:
|
||||||||||||||||
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
|||||||||||||
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders (1)
|
$ | 22 | $ | 69 | $ | 118 | $ | 253 |
*
|
The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses or returns. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be higher or lower than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example. The example assumes that the estimated “Other expenses” set forth in the Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value.
|
Per share operating performance
for a share outstanding throughout the period
|
For the Year Ended November 30, 2010
|
For the Year Ended November 30, 2009
|
For the Year Ended November 30, 2008
|
For the Year Ended November 30, 2007
|
For the Year Ended November 30, 2006
|
|||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
$ | 15.00 | $ | 12.09 | $ | 23.11 | $ | 22.49 | $ | 19.78 | ||||||||||
Income from investment operations
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment loss (a) (b)
|
(0.36 | ) | (0.44 | ) | (0.70 | ) | (0.67 | ) | (0.33 | ) | ||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain/loss (b)
|
6.41 | 4.76 | (8.85 | ) | 2.66 | 4.29 | ||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations
|
6.05 | 4.32 | (9.55 | ) | 1.99 | 3.96 | ||||||||||||||
Common shares’ offering expenses charged to paid-in capital
|
(0.02 | ) | – | * | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
Distributions to Common Shareholders (e)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
From and in excess of net investment income
|
— | — | (0.08 | ) | — | — | ||||||||||||||
Return of capital
|
(1.34 | ) | (1.41 | ) | (1.39 | ) | (1.37 | ) | (1.25 | ) | ||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period
|
$ | 19.69 | $ | 15.00 | $ | 12.09 | $ | 23.11 | $ | 22.49 | ||||||||||
Market value, end of period
|
$ | 20.96 | $ | 16.24 | $ | 11.42 | $ | 22.66 | $ | 21.87 | ||||||||||
Total investment return (c)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value
|
41.57 | % | 38.03 | % | -43.55 | % | 8.53 | % | 20.70 | % | ||||||||||
Market value
|
38.56 | % | 57.32 | % | -45.67 | % | 9.70 | % | 29.68 | % | ||||||||||
Ratios and supplemental data
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (thousands)
|
$ | 479,171 | $ | 282,089 | $ | 221,155 | $ | 418,438 | $ | 406,295 | ||||||||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets applicable to Common Shares:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net operating expense ratio, including fee waivers
|
1.52 | % | 1.76 | % | 1.79 | % | 1.62 | % | 1.69 | % | ||||||||||
Interest expense
|
0.56 | % | 1.23 | % | 1.83 | % | 2.13 | % | 2.17 | % | ||||||||||
Current and deferred tax expense/(benefit)
|
22.37 | % | 23.33 | % | (31.96 | )% | 5.65 | % | 13.03 | % | ||||||||||
Total net expense ratio
|
24.45 | % | 26.32 | % | (28.34 | )% | 9.40 | % | 16.89 | % | ||||||||||
Gross operating expense ratio, excluding fee waivers
|
1.60 | % | 1.76 | % | 1.79 | % | 1.62 | % | 1.69 | % | ||||||||||
Interest expense
|
0.56 | % | 1.23 | % | 1.83 | % | 2.13 | % | 2.17 | % | ||||||||||
Current and deferred tax expense/(benefit)
|
22.37 | % | 23.33 | % | (31.96 | )% | 5.65 | % | 13.03 | % | ||||||||||
Total gross expense ratio
|
24.53 | % | 26.32 | % | (28.34 | )% | 9.40 | % | 16.89 | % | ||||||||||
Net investment income/(loss), excluding interest expense and tax expense/benefit
|
(1.48 | )% | (2.14 | )% | (1.71 | )% | (0.62 | )% | 0.55 | % | ||||||||||
Net investment income/(loss), including interest expense and tax expense/benefit
|
(24.41 | )% | (26.70 | )% | 28.42 | % | (8.40 | )% | (14.66 | )% | ||||||||||
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
15 | % | 30 | % | 22 | % | 11 | % | 21 | % | ||||||||||
Senior Indebtedness
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Total borrowings outstanding (in thousands)
|
$ | 170,000 | $ | 110,263 | $ | 72,263 | $ | 175,000 | $ | 150,000 | ||||||||||
Asset coverage per $1,000 of indebtedness (d)
|
$ | 3,819 | $ | 3,558 | $ | 4,060 | $ | 3,391 | $ | 3,709 |
*
|
Less than $0.01.
|
(a)
|
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
|
(b)
|
The character of dividends received for each period is based upon estimates made at the time the distribution was received. Any necessary adjustments are reflected in the following fiscal year when the actual character is known. See Note 2(b) of the Notes to Financial Statements for additional information.
|
(c)
|
Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of a common share at the beginning of the period and a sale on the last day of the period reported either at net asset value (“NAV”) or market price per share. Dividends and distributions are assumed to be reinvested at NAV for NAV returns or the prices obtained under the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan for market value returns. Total investment return does not reflect brokerage commissions. A return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.
|
(d)
|
Calculated by subtracting the Fund’s total liabilities (not including the borrowings) from the Fund’s total assets and dividing by the total borrowings.
|
(e)
|
See Notes to Financial Statements (Note 2(c)).
|
Fiscal Period Ended
|
Title of Security
|
Total Principal Amount Outstanding
|
Asset Coverage Per $1,000 of Principal Amount
|
|||
November 30, 2005
|
Borrowings
|
$150,000,000
|
$3,383
|
|||
November 30, 2006
|
Borrowings
|
$150,000,000
|
$3,709
|
|||
November 30, 2007
|
Borrowings
|
$175,000,000
|
$3,391
|
|||
November 30, 2008
|
Borrowings
|
$72,262,708
|
$4,060
|
|||
November 30, 2009
|
Borrowings
|
$110,262,708
|
$3,558
|
|||
November 30, 2010
|
Borrowings
|
$170,000,000
|
$3,819
|
NYSE Market Price Per Share
|
NAV per Common Share on Date of Market Price High and Low(1)
|
Premium/(Discount) on Date of Market Price High and Low(2)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
During Quarter Ended
|
High
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
||||||||||||||||||
During Quarter Ended
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
February 28, 2011
|
$ | 23.73 | $ | 20.61 | $ | 21.09 | $ | 19.60 | 12.52 | % | 5.15 | % | ||||||||||||
November 30, 2010
|
$ | 20.96 | $ | 18.95 | $ | 19.69 | $ | 18.37 | 6.45 | % | 3.16 | % | ||||||||||||
August 31, 2010
|
$ | 20.70 | $ | 18.23 | $ | 18.42 | $ | 16.26 | 12.38 | % | 12.12 | % | ||||||||||||
May 31, 2010
|
$ | 20.57 | $ | 17.56 | $ | 17.43 | $ | 15.47 | 18.01 | % | 13.51 | % | ||||||||||||
February 28, 2010
|
$ | 19.08 | $ | 16.37 | $ | 16.55 | $ | 14.97 | 15.29 | % | 9.35 | % | ||||||||||||
November 30, 2009
|
$ | 17.00 | $ | 14.77 | $ | 14.54 | $ | 13.59 | 16.92 | % | 8.68 | % | ||||||||||||
August 31, 2009
|
$ | 16.79 | $ | 13.88 | $ | 13.65 | $ | 12.80 | 23.00 | % | 8.44 | % | ||||||||||||
May 31, 2009
|
$ | 14.81 | $ | 10.74 | $ | 13.14 | $ | 11.69 | 12.71 | % | (8.13 | )% | ||||||||||||
February 28, 2009
|
$ | 14.74 | $ | 10.69 | $ | 13.56 | $ | 11.37 | 8.70 | % | (5.98 | )% |
(1)
|
Based on the Fund’s computations
|
|
(2)
|
Calculated based on the information presented. Percentages are rounded.
|
•
|
The Fund allows shareholders to invest, through a single investment vehicle, in a portfolio that includes a number of MLP entities.
|
|
•
|
The Fund may purchase securities of MLP entities through direct placements. Purchasing restricted or unrestricted securities of MLP entities through direct placements may offer the potential for increased returns as compared to purchasing securities of MLP entities through open market transactions. Such opportunities, however, are typically available only to institutional investors, such as the Fund.
|
|
•
|
Common Shareholders will receive a single IRS Form 1099. Direct investors in MLPs receive an IRS Schedule K-1 from each MLP in which they are invested.
|
|
•
|
An investment in the Fund will not cause a shareholder to be required to file state income tax returns in any state in which such investor is not otherwise required to file a tax return. Direct investors in an MLP are considered limited partners of the MLP and may be required to file state income tax returns in each state in which the MLP operates.
|
|
•
|
Common Shareholders are not limited by the passive activity loss rules in their ability to use any losses resulting from their purchase and sale of Common Shares to offset other gains. The passive activity loss rules limit the ability of certain direct investors in MLPs to use their allocable share of any losses generated by an MLP.
|
|
•
|
For Common Shareholders who are tax-exempt investors, including employee benefit plans and IRA accounts, distributions received from the Fund will generally not be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) unless such investor’s Common Shares are debt-financed. Income received by tax-exempt investors directly from MLPs is generally treated as UBTI.
|
|
•
|
Subject to certain holding period and other requirements, distributions by the Fund that are taxable as dividends (i.e., distributions out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits) will be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and, in the case of dividends paid in taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2012, will be treated as “qualified dividend income” for shareholders taxed as individuals. The special rules treating ordinary income dividends payable to individuals as “qualified dividend income” are set to expire for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, unless further Congressional action is taken.
|
Assumed portfolio total return
|
(10.00
|
)%
|
(5.00
|
)%
|
0.00
|
%
|
5.00
|
%
|
10.00
|
%
|
||||||
Common Share total return
|
(13.99
|
)%
|
(7.22
|
)%
|
(0.44
|
)%
|
6.33
|
%
|
13.10
|
%
|
•
|
dependence on the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of interest rates and securities prices;
|
|
•
|
imperfect correlation between the price of options and futures contracts and options thereon and movements in the prices of the securities being hedged;
|
|
•
|
the fact that skills needed to use these strategies are different from those needed to select portfolio securities;
|
|
•
|
the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at any time;
|
|
•
|
the possible need to defer closing out certain hedged positions to avoid adverse tax consequences;
|
|
•
|
the possible inability of the Fund to purchase or sell a security at a time that otherwise would be favorable for it to do so, or the possible need for the Fund to sell a security at a disadvantageous time due to a need for the Fund to maintain “cover” or to segregate securities in connection with the hedging techniques; and
|
|
•
|
the creditworthiness of counterparties.
|
•
|
no assurance that futures contracts or options on futures can be offset at favorable prices;
|
•
|
possible reduction of the return of the Fund due to their use for hedging;
|
|
•
|
possible reduction in value of both the securities hedged and the hedging instrument;
|
|
•
|
possible lack of liquidity due to daily limits on price fluctuations;
|
|
•
|
imperfect correlation between the contracts and the securities being hedged; and
|
|
•
|
losses from investing in futures transactions that are potentially unlimited and the segregation requirements for such transactions.
|
Title of Class
|
Amount Authorized
|
Amount Held by the Fund or for its Account
|
Amount Outstanding
|
|||
Common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share
|
Unlimited
|
0
|
24,334,852
|
•
|
the merger or consolidation of the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund with or into any Principal Shareholder;
|
|
•
|
the issuance of any securities of the Fund to any Principal Shareholder for cash (other than pursuant of any automatic dividend reinvestment plan);
|
|
•
|
the sale, lease or exchange of all or any substantial part of the assets of the Fund to any Principal Shareholder, except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for the purpose of such computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period; or
|
|
•
|
the sale, lease or exchange to the Fund or any subsidiary of the Fund, in exchange for securities of the Fund, of any assets of any Principal Shareholder, except assets having an aggregate fair market value of less than $1,000,000, aggregating for purposes of such computation all assets sold, leased or exchanged in any series of similar transactions within a twelve-month period.
|
•
|
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
|
|
•
|
a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation created in or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
|
|
•
|
an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
|
|
•
|
a trust (x) if a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of such trust or (y) that has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
|
•
|
the names of any agents, underwriters or dealers
|
|
•
|
any sales loads or other items constituting underwriters’ compensation;
|
|
•
|
any discounts, commissions, or fees allowed or paid to dealers or agents;
|
|
•
|
the public offering or purchase price of the offered Common Shares and the net proceeds the Fund will receive from the sale; and
|
|
•
|
any securities exchange on which the offered Common Shares may be listed.
|
•
|
An overallotment in connection with an offering creates a short position in the common stock for the underwriter’s own account.
|
|
•
|
An underwriter may place a stabilizing bid to purchase the Common Shares for the purpose of pegging, fixing, or maintaining the price of the Common Shares.
|
|
•
|
Underwriters may engage in syndicate covering transactions to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the Common Shares by bidding for, and purchasing, the Common Shares or any other securities in the open market in order to reduce a short position created in connection with the offering.
|
|
•
|
The managing underwriter may impose a penalty bid on a syndicate member to reclaim a selling concession in connection with an offering when the Common Shares originally sold by the syndicate member is purchased in syndicate covering transactions or otherwise
|
Page
|
|
The Fund
|
B-2
|
Investment Objective and Policies
|
B-2
|
Investment Restrictions
|
B-13
|
Management of the Fund
|
B-14
|
Portfolio Transactions
|
B-25
|
Net Asset Value
|
B-26
|
Taxation
|
B-27
|
General Information
|
B-30
|
Financial Statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
B-32
|
Appendix A: Description of Securities Ratings
|
AA-1
|
Appendix B: Proxy Voting Procedures
|
BB-1
|
Page
|
|
The Fund
|
B–2
|
Investment Objective and Policies
|
B–2
|
Investment Restrictions
|
B–13
|
Management of the Fund
|
B–14
|
Portfolio Transactions
|
B–25
|
Net Asset Value
|
B–26
|
Taxation
|
B–27
|
General Information
|
B–30
|
Financial Statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
B–32
|
Appendix A—Description of Securities Ratings
|
AA–1
|
Appendix B—Proxy Voting Procedures
|
BB–1
|
General Partner
|
||||
Common Units
|
Subordinated Units
|
I-Shares
|
Interests
|
|
Conversion
|
Not applicable
|
One-to-one ratio into
|
None
|
None
|
Rights
|
common units
|
|||
Distribution Priority
|
First right to minimum
|
Second right to
|
Equal in amount and
|
Same as common
|
quarterly distribution
|
minimum quarterly
|
priority to common
|
units; entitled to
|
|
specified in partnership
|
distribution; no
|
units but paid in
|
incentive distribution
|
|
agreement; arrearage
|
arrearage rights
|
additional I-Shares at
|
rights
|
|
rights
|
current market value of
|
|||
I-Shares
|
||||
Distribution Rate
|
Minimum as specified
|
Equal in amount to
|
Equal in amount to
|
Participate pro rata
|
in partnership
|
common units;
|
common units
|
with common units
|
|
agreement; after
|
participate pro rata
|
and with subordinated
|
||
minimum quarterly
|
with common units
|
units up to minimum
|
||
distributions are met,
|
above the minimum
|
quarterly distribution;
|
||
participate pro rata
|
quarterly distribution
|
entitled to incentive
|
||
with subordinated units
|
distribution at target
|
|||
levels above minimum
|
||||
quarterly distribution
|
||||
Investors
|
Primarily retail
|
Founders and
|
Primarily institutional
|
Founders and
|
sponsoring parent
|
sponsoring parent
|
|||
entities, corporate
|
entities, corporate
|
|||
general partners of
|
general partners of
|
|||
MLPs, entities that sell
|
MLPs, entities that sell
|
|||
assets to MLPs, and
|
assets to MLPs, and
|
|||
investors such as the
|
investors such as the
|
|||
fund
|
Fund
|
|||
Liquidation Priority
|
Intended to receive
|
Second right to return
|
Same as common units
|
After payment of
|
return of all capital
|
of capital; pro rata with
|
(indirect right through
|
required amounts to
|
|
first
|
common units
|
I-Share issuer)
|
limited partners
|
|
thereafter
|
||||
Taxes
|
Ordinary income to the
|
Same as common units
|
Full distribution
|
Ordinary income to
|
extent of taxable
|
treated as return of
|
extent that (1) taxable
|
||
income allocated to
|
capital; since
|
income is allocated to
|
||
holder; tax-deferred
|
distribution is in
|
holder (including all
|
||
return of capital
|
shares, total basis is
|
incentive distributions)
|
||
thereafter to extent of
|
not reduced
|
and (2) tax
|
||
holder’s basis;
|
depreciation is
|
|||
remainder as capital
|
insufficient to cover
|
|||
gain
|
fair market value
|
|||
depreciation owed to
|
||||
limited partners
|
||||
Trading
|
Listed on New York
|
Typically not publicly
|
Listed on New York
|
Not publicly traded;
|
Stock Exchange,
|
traded
|
Stock Exchange or the
|
can be owned by
|
|
American Stock
|
American Stock
|
publicly traded entity
|
||
Exchange and
|
Exchange
|
|||
NASDAQ Stock
|
||||
Market
|
General Partner
|
||||
Common Units
|
Subordinated Units
|
I-Shares
|
Interests
|
|
Voting Rights
|
Limited to certain
|
Same as common units
|
No direct MLP voting
|
Typically Board
|
significant decisions;
|
rights
|
participation; votes on
|
||
no annual election of
|
MLP operating
|
|||
directors
|
strategy and direction
|
|||
·
|
Interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments).
|
·
|
Total return swaps. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from the designated underlying asset(s), which may include securities, baskets of securities, or securities indices, during the specified period, in return for receiving payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from the other designated underlying asset(s).
|
·
|
Currency swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the two parties’ respective commitments to pay or receive fluctuations with respect to a notional amount of two different currencies (e.g., an exchange of payments with respect to fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Japanese yen).
|
·
|
Credit default swaps. When the Fund is the buyer of a credit default swap contract, the Fund is entitled to receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation from the counterparty to the contract in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, the Fund would normally pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the Fund would have spent the stream of payments and received no benefit from the contract. When the Fund is the seller of a credit default swap contract, it
|
|
normally receives a stream of payments but is obligated to pay upon default of the referenced debt obligation. As the seller, the Fund would add the equivalent of leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Credit default swaps involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly. In addition to general market risks, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risks. The Fund may enter into credit default swap contracts and baskets thereof for investment and risk management purposes, including diversification.
|
Number of
|
|||||
Term of
|
Portfolios
|
||||
Office(1) and
|
Principal
|
in Fund
|
Other Directorships
|
||
Name,
|
Position Held
|
Length of
|
Occupation
|
Complex(2)
|
Held by Trustee
|
Business Address
|
with the
|
Time
|
During Past Five
|
Overseen
|
During the Past
|
and Age
|
Fund
|
Served
|
Years
|
by Trustee
|
Five Years
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES:
|
|||||
Randall C. Barnes
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Private Investor
|
56
|
None.
|
2455 Corporate
|
since 2004
|
(2001-present). Formerly,
|
|||
West Drive
|
Senior Vice President,
|
||||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
Treasurer, PepsiCo, Inc.
|
||||
Year of birth: 1951
|
(1993-1997), President,
|
||||
Pizza Hut International
|
|||||
(1991-1993) and Senior
|
|||||
Vice President, Strategic
|
|||||
Planning and New Business
|
|||||
Development (1987-1990)
|
|||||
of PepsiCo, Inc. (1987-1990).
|
|||||
Howard H. Kaplan
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Partner of Stinson Morrison
|
1
|
None.
|
2455 Corporate
|
since 2004
|
Hecker LLP, a law firm
|
|||
West Drive
|
providing legal advice in
|
||||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
corporate, transaction and
|
||||
Year of birth: 1969
|
litigation matters (2007-
|
||||
present). Formerly, principal
|
|||||
of Blumenfeld, Kaplan &
|
|||||
Sandweiss P.C., a law firm
|
|||||
providing legal advice in
|
|||||
virtually all aspects of business
|
|||||
law and litigation (1994-2007).
|
|||||
Robert B. Karn III
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Consultant (1998-present).
|
47
|
Director of Peabody
|
2455 Corporate
|
since 2004
|
Previously, Managing Partner,
|
Energy Company (2003-
|
||
West Drive
|
Financial and Economic
|
present) and GP Natural
|
|||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
Consulting, St. Louis office of
|
Resource Partners LLC
|
|||
Year of birth: 1942
|
Arthur Andersen,
|
(2002-present).
|
|||
LLP (1965-1998).
|
|||||
Ronald A. Nyberg
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Partner of Nyberg &
|
54
|
None.
|
2455 Corporate
|
since 2004
|
Cassioppi, LLC, a law firm
|
|||
West Drive
|
specializing in corporate law,
|
||||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
estate planning and business
|
||||
Year of birth: 1953
|
transactions (2000-present).
|
||||
Formerly, Executive Vice
|
|||||
President, General Counsel and
|
|||||
Corporate Secretary of Van
|
|||||
Kampen Investments (1982-1999).
|
Number of
|
|||||
Term of
|
Portfolios
|
||||
Office(1) and
|
Principal
|
in Fund
|
Other Directorships
|
||
Name,
|
Position Held
|
Length of
|
Occupation
|
Complex(2)
|
Held by Trustee
|
Business Address
|
with the
|
Time
|
During Past Five
|
Overseen
|
During the Past
|
and Age
|
Fund
|
Served
|
Years
|
by Trustee
|
Five Years
|
John M. Roeder
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Financial consultant (1999-
|
1
|
Director, LMI Aerospace
|
2455 Corporate
|
since 2005
|
present). Formerly, Director
|
(2003-present).
|
||
West Drive
|
in Residence at The Institute
|
||||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
for Excellence in Corporate
|
||||
Year of birth: 1942
|
Governance of the University
|
||||
of Texas at Dallas School of
|
|||||
Management (2005-2007).
|
|||||
Formerly, Office Managing,
|
|||||
Partner, Arthur Andersen,
|
|||||
LLP (1966-1999).
|
|||||
Ronald E.
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Portfolio Consultant (2010-
|
53
|
None.
|
Toupin , Jr.
|
since 2004
|
present). Formerly, Vice
|
|||
2455 Corporate
|
President, Manager and
|
||||
West Drive
|
Portfolio Manager of Nuveen
|
||||
Lisle, Illinois 60532
|
Asset Management (1998-1999),
|
||||
Year of birth: 1958
|
Vice President of Nuveen
|
||||
Investment Advisory Corp.
|
|||||
(1992-1999), Vice President
|
|||||
and Manager of Nuveen Unit
|
|||||
Investment Trusts (1991-1999),
|
|||||
and Assistant Vice President
|
|||||
and Portfolio Manager of Nuveen
|
|||||
Unit Investment Trusts
|
|||||
(1988-1999), each of John Nuveen
|
|||||
& Company, Inc. (asset manager)
|
|||||
(1982-1999).
|
|||||
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
|
|||||
Joseph E.
|
Trustee
|
Trustee
|
Executive Managing Director
|
1
|
None.
|
Gallagher, Jr.*
|
since 2004
|
and Chief Operating Officer
|
|||
8235 Forsyth Blvd.,
|
of Fiduciary Asset Management
|
||||
Suite 700
|
Inc. (1994-present). Member
|
||||
St. Louis, MO 63105
|
of the St. Louis Chapter of the
|
||||
Year of birth: 1956
|
National Association for
|
||||
Business Economics.
|
*
|
Mr. Gallagher is an interested person of the Fund because he is an officer of the Sub-Adviser.
|
(1)
|
Each Trustee serves a three year term concurrent with the class of Trustees for which he serves.
|
—Messrs. Barnes and Gallagher serve as Class I Trustees. The Class I Trustees of the Fund will next stand for election at
|
|
the Fund’s 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.
|
|
—Messrs. Kaplan and Nyberg serve as Class II Trustees. The Class II Trustees of the Fund will next stand for election at
|
|
the Fund’s 2013 annual meeting of shareholders.
|
|
—Messrs. Roeder, Toupin and Karn serve as Class III Trustees. The Class III Trustees of the Fund will next stand for
|
|
election at the Fund’s 2011 annual meeting of shareholders.
|
|
(2)
|
As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Complex” consists of 14 closed-end funds, including the Fund, and 42 exchange-
|
traded funds advised or serviced by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Fund Complex is overseen by multiple boards of
|
|
trustees.
|
Term of Office(2)
|
|||
Name, Business
|
and Length of
|
Principal Occupations
|
|
Address(1) and Age
|
Position
|
Time Served
|
During the Past Five Years
|
Kevin M. Robinson
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
Since 2008
|
Senior Managing Director and General Counsel
|
Year of birth: 1959
|
and Chief Legal Officer
|
of Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors,
|
|
LLC and Guggenheim Funds Services Group,
|
|||
Inc. (2007-present). Chief Executive Officer,
|
|||
Chief Legal Officer and/or trustee of certain
|
|||
funds in the Fund Complex. Formerly,
|
|||
Associate General Counsel of NYSE Euronext,
|
|||
Inc. (2000- 2007).
|
|||
John Sullivan
|
Chief Financial Officer,
|
Since 2011
|
Senior Managing Director of Guggenheim
|
Year of birth: 1955
|
Chief Accounting
|
Funds Investment Advisors, LLC and
|
|
Officer and Treasurer
|
Guggenheim Funds Distributors, Inc. (2010-
|
||
present). Chief Financial Officer, Chief
|
|||
Accounting Officer and Treasurer of certain
|
|||
funds in the Fund Complex. Formerly, Chief
|
|||
Compliance Officer, Van Kampen Funds
|
|||
(2004–2010). Head of Fund Accounting,
|
|||
Morgan Stanley Investment Management
|
|||
(2002–2004). Chief Financial Officer,
|
|||
Treasurer, Van Kampen Funds (1996-2004).
|
|||
Bruce Saxon
|
Chief Compliance
|
Since 2006
|
Vice President, Fund Compliance Officer of
|
Year of birth: 1957
|
Officer
|
Guggenheim Funds Services Group, Inc. (2006-
|
|
present). Formerly, Chief Compliance
|
|||
Officer/Assistant Secretary of Harris Investment
|
|||
Management, Inc. (2003-2006). Director-
|
|||
Compliance of Harrisdirect LLC (1999-2003).
|
|||
Mark E. Mathiasen
|
Secretary
|
Since 2007
|
Vice President, Assistant General Counsel of
|
Year of birth: 1978
|
Guggenheim Funds Services Group, Inc. (2007-
|
||
present). Secretary of certain funds in the Fund
|
|||
Complex. Previously, Law Clerk, Idaho State
|
|||
Courts (2003-2006).
|
|||
James Howley
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Since 2004
|
Vice President, Fund Administration (2004-
|
Year of birth: 1972
|
present) of Guggenheim Funds Investment
|
||
Advisors, LLC and Guggenheim Funds
|
|||
Distributors, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of certain
|
|||
funds in the Fund Complex. Previously,
|
|||
Manager, Mutual Fund Administration of Van
|
|||
Kampen Investments, Inc (2000-2004).
|
|||
Mark J. Furjanic
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Since 2008
|
Vice President, Fund Administration–Tax
|
Year of birth: 1959
|
(2005-present) of Guggenheim Funds
|
||
Investment Advisors, LLC and Guggenheim
|
|||
Funds Distributors, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer
|
|||
of certain funds in the Fund Complex.
|
|||
Formerly, Senior Manager (1999-2005) for
|
|||
Ernst & Young LLP.
|
Term of Office(2)
|
|||
Name, Business
|
and Length of
|
Principal Occupations
|
|
Address(1) and Age
|
Position
|
Time Served
|
During the Past Five Years
|
Donald P. Swade
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Since 2008
|
Vice President, Fund Administration (2006-
|
Year of birth: 1972
|
present) of Guggenheim Funds Investment
|
||
Advisors, LLC and Guggenheim Funds
|
|||
Distributors, Inc.; Assistant Treasurer of certain
|
|||
funds in the Fund Complex. Formerly,
|
|||
Manager-Mutual Fund Financial
|
|||
Administration (2003-2006) for Morgan
|
|||
Stanley/Van Kampen Investments.
|
|||
Elizabeth H. Hudson
|
Assistant Secretary
|
Since 2009
|
Assistant General Counsel of Guggenheim
|
Year of birth: 1980
|
Funds Services Group, Inc. (2009-present);
|
||
Secretary of certain funds in the Fund Complex.
|
|||
Formerly, associate at Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLP
|
|||
(nka K&L Gates LLP) (2007-2008).
|
|||
James J. Cunnane, Jr.
|
Vice President
|
Since 2007
|
Chief Investment Officer, and formerly
|
8235 Forsyth Blvd.,
|
Managing Director, and Senior Portfolio
|
||
Ste. 700
|
Manager, of Fiduciary Asset Management Inc.
|
||
St. Louis, MO 63105
|
(1996-present).
|
||
Year of Birth: 1970
|
|||
Quinn T. Kiley
|
Vice President
|
Since 2009
|
Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio
|
8235 Forsyth Blvd.,
|
Manager of Fiduciary Asset Management Inc.
|
||
Ste. 700
|
(2005-present).
|
||
St. Louis, MO 63105
|
|||
Year of Birth: 1973
|
(3)
|
The business address of each officer of the Fund is 2455 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, Illinois 60532, unless otherwise
|
noted.
|
|
(4)
|
Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees and until his or her successor is appointed and qualified or until his
|
or her resignation or removal.
|
Aggregate
|
Pension or Retirement
|
Total Compensation
|
||
Estimated
|
Benefits Accrued
|
Estimated Annual
|
from the Fund and
|
|
Compensation
|
as Part of
|
Benefits Upon
|
Fund Complex(3)
|
|
Name(1)
|
from the Fund
|
Fund Expenses(2)
|
Retirement(2)
|
Paid to Trustee
|
Independent Trustees:
|
||||
Randall C. Barnes
|
$28,500
|
None
|
None
|
$275,000
|
Howard H. Kaplan
|
$28,500
|
None
|
None
|
$28,500
|
Robert B. Karn III
|
$30,000
|
None
|
None
|
$65,313
|
Ronald A. Nyberg
|
$30,000
|
None
|
None
|
$368,563
|
John M. Roeder
|
$28,500
|
None
|
None
|
$28,500
|
Ronald E. Toupin
|
$33,000
|
None
|
None
|
$310,813
|
(1)
|
Trustees not entitled to compensation are not included in the table.
|
(2)
|
The Fund does not accrue or pay retirement or pension benefits to Trustees as of the date of this SAI.
|
(3)
|
As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Complex” consists of 14 closed-end funds, including the Fund, and 42 exchange-
|
traded funds advised or serviced by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Fund Complex is overseen by multiple boards
|
|
of trustees.
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
|
||
Securities in All Registered Investment
|
||
Dollar Range of
|
Companies Overseen by Trustee in
|
|
Name
|
Equity Securities in the Fund
|
Fund Complex(1)
|
Independent Trustees:
|
||
Randall C. Barnes
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
over $100,000
|
Howard H. Kaplan
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
Robert B. Karn III
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
Ronald A. Nyberg
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
over $100,000
|
John M. Roeder
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
Ronald E. Toupin
|
None
|
None
|
Interested Trustees:
|
||
Joseph E. Gallagher, Jr.
|
None
|
None
|
(1)
|
As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Complex” consists of 14 closed-end funds, including the Fund, and 42 exchange-
|
traded funds advised or serviced by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Fund Complex is overseen by multiple boards
|
|
of trustees.
|
·
|
Base Salary. The primary portfolio managers are paid a base salary which is set at a level determined to be appropriate based upon the portfolio managers’ experience and responsibilities through the use of independent compensation surveys of the investment management industry.
|
·
|
Annual Bonus. The portfolio managers’ annual bonus is determined by the CEO of the Sub- Adviser pursuant to a specific company formula. It is not based on the performance of the registrant or other managed accounts. The monies paid are directly derived from a “pool” created from the Sub-Adviser’s earnings. The bonus is payable in a combination of cash and restricted Piper Jaffray Companies stock.
|
·
|
The portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs generally available to all employees.
|
Advisory Fees.
|
|||
Fiscal Year Ended November 30,
|
|||
2010
|
2009
|
2008
|
|
The Adviser received advisory fees of:
|
$4,926,995
|
$3,296,771
|
$5,179,724
|
Sub-Advisory Fees.
|
|||
Fiscal Year Ended November 30,
|
|||
2010
|
2009
|
2008
|
|
The Sub-Adviser received advisory fees of:
|
$2,463,498
|
$1,648,386
|
$2,589,862
|
Administration Fees.
|
|||
Fiscal Year Ended November 30,
|
|||
2010
|
2009
|
2008
|
|
Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC
|
|||
received administration fees of:
|
$111,929
|
$80,935
|
$116,293
|
Fiscal Year Ended November 30:
|
All Brokers
|
Affiliated Brokers
|
2010
|
$353,000
|
$0
|
2009
|
$399,000
|
$0
|
2008
|
$460,000
|
$0
|
Fiscal Year 2010 Percentages:
|
||
Commissions with affiliate to total transactions
|
0%
|
|
Value of brokerage transactions with affiliate to total transactions
|
0%
|
·
|
Likelihood of payment capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
|
·
|
Nature of and provisions of the obligation;
|
·
|
Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.
|
AAA
|
An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
|
AA
|
An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
|
A
|
An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
|
BBB
|
An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
|
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
|
BB
|
An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
B
|
An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
CCC
|
An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
CC
|
An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
|
C
|
A ‘C’ rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the ‘C’ rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
|
D
|
An obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.
|
|
The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus Plus (+)(+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
|
NR
|
This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a
|
rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
|
A-1
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s
|
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain
|
|
obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
|
A-2
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
|
A-3
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
B
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of ‘B-1’, ‘B-2’, and ‘B-3’ may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the ‘B’ category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
B-1
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘B-1’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
|
B-2
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘B-2’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
|
B-3
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘B-3’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.
|
C
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
|
D
|
A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
|
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa
|
through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the
|
modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic
|
rating category.
|
Medium-Term Note Ratings
|
Moody’s assigns long-term ratings to individual debt securities issued from medium-term note (MTN)
|
programs, in addition to indicating ratings to MTN programs themselves. Notes issued under MTN programs with
|
such indicated ratings are rated at issuance at the rating applicable to all pari passu notes issued under the same
|
program, at the program’s relevant indicated rating, provided such notes do not exhibit any of the characteristics
|
listed below:
|
·
|
Notes containing features that link interest or principal to the credit performance of any third party or parties (i.e., credit-linked notes);
|
·
|
Notes allowing for negative coupons, or negative principal;
|
·
|
Notes containing any provision that could obligate the investor to make any additional payments;
|
·
|
Notes containing provisions that subordinate the claim.
|
(i)
|
Notifying affected clients of the conflict of interest (if practical), and seeking a waiver of the
|
conflict to permit FAMCO to vote the proxies under its usual policy;
|
|
(ii)
|
Abstaining from voting the proxies; or
|
(iii)
|
Forwarding the proxies to clients so that clients may vote the proxies themselves.
|
I. Recordkeeping | |
18. FAMCO or a service provider maintains, in accordance with Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act: |
(i)
|
Copies of all proxy voting policies and procedures;
|
(ii)
|
Copies of proxy statements received (unless maintained elsewhere as described below);
|
(iii)
|
Records of proxy votes cast on behalf of clients;
|
(iv)
|
Documents prepared by FAMCO that are material to a decision on how to vote or memorializing
|
the basis for a decision;
|
|
(v)
|
Written client requests for proxy voting information, and (vi) written responses by FAMCO to
|
written or oral client requests.
|
Per Share
|
Total(1)
|
|
Public offering price
|
$ |
$
|
Underwriting discount
|
$ |
$
|
Proceeds, before expenses, to the Fund(2)
|
$ |
$
|
(1)
|
[The Fund has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional Common Shares at
|
the public offering price, less underwriting discount, within days of the date of this Prospectus
|
|
Supplement solely to cover over-allotments, if any. If such option is exercised in full, the total public offering
|
|
price, total underwriting discount, and total proceeds, before expenses, to the Fund will be $, $ and $
|
|
, respectively. See “Underwriters.” ]
|
|
(2)
|
The Adviser has incurred on behalf of the Fund all costs associated with the Fund's effective registration
|
statement and this offering. The Fund has agreed to reimburse the Adviser for such expenses at a rate of
|
|
0.60% of the offering price of the Common Shares sold pursuant to the effective registration statement. In
|
|
connection with this offering, the Fund will reimburse offering expenses incurred by the Adviser on its
|
|
behalf in an amount up to the lesser of the Fund's actual offering costs or 0.60% of the total offering price of
|
|
the Common Shares sold in the offering, which is expected to be $ ($ if the underwriters'
|
|
over-allotment option is exercised in full).
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
Page
|
|
Prospectus Supplement
|
|
Prospectus Supplement Summary
|
S-4
|
Summary of Fund Expenses
|
S-6
|
Capitalization
|
S-8
|
Use of Proceeds
|
S-9
|
Recent Developments
|
S-9
|
Underwriters
|
S-10
|
Legal Matters
|
S-10
|
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
S-10
|
Additional Information
|
S-10
|
Prospectus
|
|
Prospectus Summary
|
1
|
Summary of Fund Expenses
|
34
|
Financial Highlights
|
37
|
Senior Securities
|
38
|
The Fund
|
39
|
Use of Proceeds
|
39
|
Market and Net Asset value Information
|
39
|
Investment Objective and Policies
|
40
|
The Fund’s Investments
|
41
|
Use of Financial Leverage
|
48
|
Risks
|
52
|
Management of the Fund
|
67
|
Net Asset Value
|
69
|
Distributions
|
71
|
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan
|
71
|
Description of Capital Structure
|
72
|
Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Fund’s Governing Document
|
75
|
Closed-End Fund Structure
|
76
|
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
|
77
|
Plan of Distribution
|
81
|
Custodian, Administrator and Transfer Agent
|
83
|
Legal Matters
|
83
|
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
83
|
Additional Information
|
83
|
Privacy Principles of the Fund
|
84
|
Table of Contents of the Statement of Additional Information
|
85
|
The Fund
|
Fiduciary/Claymore MLP Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) is a non- diversified, closed-end management investment company that commenced investment operations on December 28, 2004. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return with an emphasis on current distributions paid to shareholders. The Fund anticipates that, due to the tax characterization of cash distributions made by MLPs in which the Fund invests, a significant portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders will consist of tax-deferred return of capital.
The Fund’s common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, are called “Common Shares” and the holders of Common Shares are called “Common Shareholders” throughout this Prospectus Supplement and the accompanying Prospectus.
|
|||
Management of the Fund
|
Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s investment adviser, pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Fund. As compensation for its services, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets (from which the Adviser pays to the Sub-Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 0.50% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets).
Fiduciary Asset Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement with the Fund and the Adviser, and is responsible for the management of the Fund’s investment portfolio. As compensation for its services, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to 0.50% of the Fund’s average Managed Assets.
|
|||
Listing and Symbol
|
The Fund’s currently outstanding Common Shares are and the Common Shares offered by this Prospectus Supplement and the accompanying Prospectus will be, subject to notice of issuance, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “FMO.” As of , the last reported sale price for the Fund’s Common Shares was $ . The net asset value (“NAV”) per share of the Fund’s Common Shares at the close of business on , 2011, was $ .
|
|||
|
||||
Distributions
|
The Fund has paid distributions to Common Shareholders every fiscal quarter since inception. Payment of future distributions is subject to approval by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, as well as meeting the covenants of any outstanding borrowings and the asset coverage requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund’s next regularly scheduled quarterly distribution will be for the quarter ending and, if approved by
|
|||
the Board of Trustees, is expected to be paid to common shareholders on or about . The distributions the Fund has paid since inception are as follows:
|
|||
Payment Date
|
Distribution per Common Share
|
||
The Fund anticipates that, due to the tax characterization of cash distributions made by MLPs in which the Fund invests, a significant portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders will consist of tax-deferred return of capital. See “Distributions” in the accompanying Prospectus.
|
|||
The Offering
|
Common Shares Offered by the Fund
Common Shares Outstanding After the Offering
The number of Common Shares offered and outstanding after the offering assumes the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the Fund will issue an additional Common Shares and will have Common Shares outstanding after the Offering.
|
||
The Fund’s Common Shares have recently traded at a premium to net asset value (“NAV”) per share and the price of the Common Shares is expected to be above net asset value per share. Therefore, investors in this offering are likely to experience immediate dilution of their investment. Furthermore, shares of closed-end investment companies, such as the Fund, frequently trade at a price below their NAV. The Fund cannot predict whether its Common Shares will trade at a premium or a discount to NAV.
|
|||
Risks
|
See “Risks” beginning on page 52 of the accompanying Prospectus for a discussion of factors you should consider carefully before deciding to invest in the Fund’s Common Shares.
|
||
Use of Proceeds
|
The Fund intends to invest the net proceeds of the offering in accordance with its investment objective and policies as stated in the accompanying Prospectus. It is currently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of the offering in accordance with its investment objective and policies within three months of the receipt of such proceeds. Pending such investment, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in cash, cash equivalents or other securities, including U.S. government securities or high quality, short-term debt securities. The Fund may also use the proceeds for working capital purposes, including the payment of distributions, interest and operating expenses, although the Fund currently has no intent to use proceeds for these purposes.
|
||
U.S. Federal Income Tax
Consideration
|
The Fund is treated as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund generally is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the graduated rates applicable to corporations (currently at a maximum rate of 35%). See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying Prospectus.
|
Shareholder Transaction Expenses
|
|
Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price)
|
%
|
Offering Expenses Borne by the Fund (as a percentage of offering price)
|
%(1)
|
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees (2)
|
None
|
Percentage of Net Assets
|
|
Annual Expenses
|
Attributable to Common Shares(3)
|
Management Fees (4) (5)
|
%
|
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds (6)
|
%
|
Other Expenses (7)
|
%
|
Current Income Tax Expense
|
%
|
Deferred Income Tax Expense (8)
|
%
|
Total Annual Expenses (9)
|
%
|
(1)
|
The Adviser has incurred on behalf of the Fund all costs associated with the Fund's effective registration
|
statement and this offering. The Fund has agreed to reimburse the Adviser for such expenses at a rate of
|
|
0.60% of the offering price of the Common Shares sold pursuant to the effective registration statement. In
|
|
connection with this offering, the Fund will reimburse offering expenses incurred by the Adviser on its
|
|
behalf in an amount up to the lesser of the Fund's actual offering costs or 0.60% of the total offering price of
|
|
the Common Shares sold in the offering, which is expected to be $ ($ if the underwriters'
|
|
over-allotment option is exercised in full).
|
|
(2)
|
Common Shareholders will pay brokerage charges if they direct the Plan Agent to sell Common Shares held
|
in a dividend reinvestment account. See “Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
|
|
(3)
|
Based upon net assets attributable to common shares as of .
|
(4)
|
The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee, payable monthly, in an amount equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average
|
daily Managed Assets (net assets plus any assets attributable to Financial Leverage). The fee shown above is
|
|
based upon outstanding Financial Leverage of % of the Fund’s Managed Assets. If Financial Leverage
|
|
of more than % of the Fund’s Managed Assets is used, the management fees shown would be higher.
|
|
(5)
|
The Adviser agreed to waive the advisory fees payable with respect to the assets attributable to Common
|
Shares issued pursuant to the Fund’s shelf registration statement (including Common Shares sold in this
|
|
offering) for the first three months after such Common Shares are issued and to waive half the advisory fees
|
|
payable with respect to the assets attributable to such Common Shares for the subsequent three months.
|
|
After giving effect to the such waiver, the Fund’s Management Fees as a Percentage of Net Assets
|
|
Attributable to Common Shares would be %.
|
|
(6)
|
Based upon the Fund’s outstanding Borrowings as of of approximately $ million and the borrowing
|
rate on the facility as of , of %. The Fund has entered into a committed facility agreement with
|
|
BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage, Inc., pursuant to which the Fund may borrow up to $ million.
|
|
(7)
|
Other expenses are estimated based upon those incurred during the fiscal year ended . Other expenses
|
do not include income or expense/(benefit) related to realized or unrealized investment gains or losses.
|
|
(8)
|
For the fiscal year ended , the Fund accrued approximately $ million in net deferred tax expense
|
primarily related to unrealized appreciation on investments. Deferred income tax expense represents an
|
|
estimate of the Fund’s potential tax expense if it were to recognize the unrealized appreciation/depreciation
|
|
of portfolio assets that occurred during the fiscal year ended , based on the market value and basis of
|
|
the Fund’s assets as of . An estimate of deferred income tax expense/(benefit) is dependent upon the Fund’s
|
|
net investment gains/losses and realized and unrealized gains/losses on investments and such |
Deferred Income Tax
|
|
Expense/(Benefit)
|
|
Period December 28, 2004 (commencement of operations)
|
|
through November 30, 2005
|
5.52%
|
Year ended November 30, 2006
|
11.91%
|
Year ended November 30, 2007
|
5.81%
|
Year ended November 30, 2008
|
(52.31)%
|
Year ended November 30, 2009
|
19.49%
|
Year ended November 30, 2010
|
16.89%
|
(9)
|
The table presented in this footnote presents the Fund’s annual operating expenses as a percentage of net
|
assets attributable to Common Shares, excluding Deferred Income Tax Expense/(Benefit).
|
Percentage of Net Assets
|
|
Annual Expenses
|
Attributable to Common Shares
|
Management Fees (4)
|
%
|
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds (5)
|
%
|
Other Expenses (6)
|
%
|
Current Income Tax Expense
|
%
|
Total Annual Expenses (Excluding
|
|
Deferred Income Tax Expense/(Benefit))
|
%
|
Cumulative Expenses Paid for the Period of:
|
||||
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
|
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders (1)(2)
|
$ |
$
|
$ |
$
|
(1)
|
The example above does not include sales loads or estimated offering costs.
|
|
(2)
|
An illustration of the expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares assuming (1)
|
|
“Total annual expenses” of % (excluding the Fund’s estimate of Deferred Income Tax Expense for the
|
||
fiscal year ended ) of net assets attributable to Common Shares, (2) the Sales Load of $ and
|
||
estimated offering costs of $ and (3) a 5% annual return*: |
Cumulative Expenses Paid for the Period of:
|
||||
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
|
Total Expenses paid by Common Shareholders (1)
|
$ |
$
|
$ |
$
|
*
|
The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses or returns. Actual expenses
|
may be higher or lower than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be higher or
|
|
lower than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example. The example assumes that the estimated “Other
|
|
expenses” set forth in the Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are
|
|
reinvested at net asset value.
|
As Further
|
|||
As Adjusted
|
Adjusted
|
||
Actual
|
(unaudited)
|
(unaudited)
|
|
Short-Term Debt:
|
|||
Borrowings
|
$ |
$
|
|
Common Shareholder’s Equity:
|
|||
Common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01
|
|||
per share; unlimited shares authorized, shares
|
|||
issued and outstanding (actual), shares issued
|
|||
and outstanding (as adjusted), and shares issued
|
|||
and outstanding (as further adjusted)
|
|||
Additional paid-in capital
|
|||
Net unrealized appreciation on investments, net of tax
|
|||
Accumulated net realized gain on investments, net of tax
|
|||
Accumulated net investment loss, net of tax
|
|||
Net assets
|
|
(g)
|
(i)
|
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC (the “Investment Adviser”)(7)
|
|
(ii)
|
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement among Registrant, the Investment Adviser and Fiduciary Asset Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”)(7)
|
|
(h)
|
(i)
|
Form of Underwriting Agreement and/or Sales Agreement++
|
|
(i)
|
Not applicable
|
|
(j)
|
Form of Custody Agreement(2)
|
|
(k)
|
(i)
|
Form of Stock Transfer Agency Agreement(2)
|
|
(ii)
|
Form of Fund Accounting Agreement(2)
|
|
(iii)
|
Form of Administration Agreement(4)
|
|
(iv)
|
(1)
|
Committed Facility Agreement (the “Committed Facility Agreement”) between Registrant and BNP Prime Brokerage, Inc. (“BNP Prime Brokerage”)(4)
|
|
(2)
|
Amendment Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2008, to the Committed Facility Agreement(4)
|
|
(3)
|
Letter, dated as of February 2, 2009, pursuant to the Committed Facility Agreement(5)
|
|
(3)
|
Amendment Agreement, dated as of January 22, 2010, to the Committed Facility Agreement(7)
|
|
(4)
|
Amendment Agreement, dated as of May 14, 2010, to the Committed Facility Agreement(8)
|
|
(5)
|
Amendment Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2011, to the Committed Facility Agreement(*)
|
|
(v)
|
Account Agreement between Registrant and BNP Prime Brokerage(4)
|
|
(vi)
|
Special Custody and Pledge Agreement among Registrant, BNP Prime Brokerage and The Bank of New York Mellon(4)
|
|
(l)
|
Opinion and Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP(*)
|
|
(m)
|
Not applicable
|
|
(n)
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm(*)
|
|
(o)
|
Not applicable
|
|
(p)
|
Form of Initial Subscription Agreement(2)
|
|
(q)
|
Not applicable
|
|
(r)
|
(i)
|
Code of Ethics of the Registrant and the Investment Adviser(*)
|
|
(ii)
|
Code of Ethics of the Sub-Adviser(*)
|
|
(s)
|
Power of Attorney(*)
|
(1)
|
Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed November 22, 2004 (File No. 333-119674).
|
(2)
|
Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed December 8, 2004 (File No. 333-119674).
|
(3)
|
Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed January 30, 2008 (File No. 333-148949).
|
(4)
|
Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed March 24, 2009 (File No. 333-148949).
|
(5)
|
Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed September 1, 2009 (File No. 333-148949).
|
(6)
|
Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed November 6, 2009 (File No. 333-148949).
|
(7)
|
Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed February 26, 2010 (File No. 333-148949).
|
(8)
|
Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed July 6, 2010 (File No. 333-148949).
|
NYSE Listing Fees
|
$35,000
|
SEC Registration Fees
|
$23,220
|
Printing/engraving expenses
|
$80,000
|
Accounting fees
|
$90,000
|
Legal fees
|
$350,000
|
FINRA fees
|
$13,000
|
Miscellaneous
|
$8,780
|
Total
|
$600,000
|
Title of Class
|
Number of Record Shareholders
as of March 10, 2011
|
|
Common shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share
|
40
|
|
1.
|
Registrant undertakes to suspend the offering of Common Shares until the prospectus is amended, if subsequent to the effective date of this registration statement, its net asset value declines more than ten percent from its net asset value, as of the effective date of the registration statement or its net asset value increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus.
|
|
2.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
3.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
4.
|
Registrant undertakes:
|
|
(a)
|
to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
|
|
(1)
|
to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
|
|
(2)
|
to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and
|
|
(3)
|
to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
|
|
(b)
|
that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
|
|
(c)
|
to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
|
|
(d)
|
that, for the purpose of determining liability under the 1933 Act to any purchaser, if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C: Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 497(b), (c), (d) or (e) under the 1933 Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than prospectues filed in reliance on Rule 430A under the 1933 Act, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supercede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
|
|
(e)
|
that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the 1933 Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities: The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:
|
|
(1)
|
any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 497 under the 1933 Act;
|
|
(2)
|
the portion of any advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the 1933 Act relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and
|
|
(3)
|
any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.
|
|
5.
|
Registrant undertakes that:
|
|
(a)
|
for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant under Rule 497(h) under the 1933 Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and
|
|
(b)
|
for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
|
|
6.
|
Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any Statement of Additional Information.
|
Principal Executive Officer:
|
|||
/s/ Kevin M. Robinson
|
|||
Kevin M. Robinson
|
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer
|
||
Principal Financial Officer:
|
|||
/s/ John Sullivan
|
|||
John Sullivan
|
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer
|
||
Trustees:
|
|||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Randall C. Barnes | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Joseph E. Gallagher, Jr. | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Howard H. Kaplan | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Robert B. Karn III | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Ronald A. Nyberg | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
John M. Roeder | |||
*
|
Trustee
|
||
Ronald E. Toupin, Jr. | |||
* Signed by Mark E. Mathiasen pursuant to a power of attorney filed herewith.
|
|||
By: /s/ Mark E. Mathiasen
Mark E. Mathiasen
Attorney-In-Fact
March 16, 2011
|