Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2

 

PROSPECTUS

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$50,000,000

 

Nuveen California Dividend Advantage

Municipal Fund 2

 

MUNIFUND TERM PREFERRED SHARES

 

5,000,000 Shares, 2.05% Series 2015

 

Liquidation Preference $10 Per Share

 


 

The Offering.    Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2 is offering 5,000,000 MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, 2.05% Series 2015 (“Series 2015 MTP Shares”), with a liquidation preference of $10 per share (“MTP Shares”). The Fund intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of MTP Shares to refinance and redeem a portion of the Fund’s outstanding Municipal Auction Rate Cumulative Preferred Shares (“MuniPreferred shares”), and to maintain the Fund’s leveraged capital structure. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates or their customers own or are obligated to repurchase in the future MuniPreferred shares and, as a result, may benefit from any such redemption. See “Prospectus Summary—The Offering.”

 


 

The Fund.    The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objectives are to provide current income exempt from regular federal and California income tax and to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the Fund’s investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued.

 


 

Listing.    Application has been made to list the MTP Shares on the New York Stock Exchange so that trading on such exchange will begin within 30 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to notice of issuance. Prior to the expected commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the underwriters do not intend to make a market in the MTP Shares. Consequently, it is anticipated that, prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, an investment in the MTP Shares will be illiquid and holders of MTP Shares may not be able to sell such shares as it is unlikely that a secondary market for the MTP Shares will develop. If a secondary market does develop prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, holders of MTP Shares may be able to sell such shares only at substantial discounts from their liquidation preference. The trading or “ticker” symbol is “NVX Pr C.”

 


 

Investing in MuniFund Term Preferred Shares involves risks. See “Risks” beginning on page 48.

 


 

PRICE $10 A SHARE

 


 

      

Price to Public


    

Underwriting Discounts

and  Commissions1


    

Proceeds
to the Fund2


Per Share

     $10.00      $0.15      $9.85

Total

     $50,000,000      $750,000      $49,250,000

1  

Total expenses of issuance and distribution, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, are estimated to be $350,000.

2  

The Fund has granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to 750,000 additional MTP Shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, within 30 days of the date of this prospectus solely to cover over-allotments, if any. If such option is exercised in full, the Price to Public, Underwriting Discounts and Commissions and Proceeds to the Fund will be $57,500,000, $862,500 and $56,637,500, respectively. See “Underwriters” on page 68 of this prospectus.

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators have not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Book-Entry Only.    It is expected that the MTP Shares will be delivered to the underwriters in book-entry form only, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company, on or about October 22, 2010.

 

CUSIP No. 67069X 401

 


Sole Structuring Coordinator    Joint Book Runners     

 

 

MORGAN STANLEY       BOFA MERRILL LYNCH      CITI       UBS INVESTMENT BANK      WELLS FARGO SECURITIES 

Co-Managers

NUVEEN INVESTMENTS, LLC

 

October 19, 2010

 


(continued from previous page)

 

Investment Strategies.    Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined below) in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in investment grade securities that, at the time of investment, are rated within the four highest grades (Baa or BBB or better) by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s investment adviser, Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that at the time of investment are rated below investment grade or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. No more than 10% of the Fund’s Managed Assets may be invested in municipal securities rated below B3/B- or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. Securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds. Managed Assets are net assets, including assets attributable to any principal amount of any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) and any Preferred Stock (as defined herein) outstanding. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. See “The Fund’s Investments.”

 


 

Fixed Dividend Rate:   Series 2015 MTP Shares    2.05% per annum

 

The Fixed Dividend Rate may be adjusted in the event of a change in the credit rating of the MTP Shares, as described herein. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods.”

 

Dividends.    Dividends on the MTP Shares will be payable monthly. The first dividend period for the MTP Shares will commence on the first date of original issuance of MTP Shares and end on November 30, 2010 and each subsequent dividend period will be a calendar month (or the portion thereof occurring prior to the redemption of such MTP Shares). Dividends will be paid on the first business day of the month next following a dividend period and upon redemption of the MTP Shares, except that dividends paid with respect to any dividend period consisting of the month of December in any year will be paid on the last business day of December. Except for the first dividend period, dividends with respect to any monthly dividend period will be declared and paid to holders of record of MTP Shares as their names shall appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on the 15th day of such monthly dividend period (or if such day is not a business day, the next preceding business day). Dividends with respect to the first dividend period for the MTP Shares will be declared and paid to holders of record of such MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on November 29, 2010.

 

Redemption.    The Fund is required to redeem the MTP Shares on November 1, 2015 unless earlier redeemed or repurchased by the Fund. In addition, MTP Shares are subject to optional and mandatory redemption in certain circumstances. As of November 1, 2011, the Series 2015 MTP Shares will be subject to redemption at the option of the Fund, subject to payment of a premium through October 31, 2012, and at par thereafter. The Series 2015 MTP Shares also will be subject to redemption, at the option of the Fund, at par in the event of certain changes in the credit rating of the MTP Shares, as described herein. See “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption.”

 

Tax Exemption.    The dividend rate for MTP Shares assumes that each month’s distribution is comprised solely of dividends exempt from regular federal and California income taxes, although a portion of those dividends may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.


(continued from previous page)

 

From time to time, the Fund may be required to allocate capital gains and/or ordinary income to a given month’s distribution on MTP Shares. To the extent that it does so, the Fund will contemporaneously make a separate, supplemental distribution of an amount that, when combined with the total amount of regular tax-exempt income, capital gains and ordinary income in the monthly distribution, is intended to make the two distributions equal on an after-tax basis (determined based upon the maximum marginal federal income tax rates in effect at the time of such payment) to the amount of the monthly distribution if it had been entirely comprised of dividends exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Alternatively (particularly in cases where the amount of capital gains or ordinary income to be allocated to the MTP Shares is small), the Fund will satisfy the requirement to allocate capital gains or ordinary income to MTP Shares by making a supplemental distribution of such gains or income to holders of MTP Shares, over and above the monthly dividend that is fully exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. If, in connection with a redemption of MTP Shares, the Fund allocates capital gains or ordinary income to a distribution on MTP Shares without having made either a contemporaneous supplemental distribution of an additional amount or an alternative supplemental distribution of capital gains and/or ordinary income, it will cause an additional amount to be distributed to holders of MTP Shares whose interests are redeemed, which amount, when combined with the total amount of regular tax-exempt income, capital gains and ordinary income allocated in the distribution, is intended to make the distribution and the additional amount equal on an after-tax basis (determined based upon the maximum marginal federal income tax rates in effect at the time of such payment) to the amount of the distribution if it had been entirely comprised of dividends exempt from regular federal income tax. Investors should consult with their own tax advisors before making an investment in the MTP Shares. See “Tax Matters” and “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods—Distribution with respect to Taxable Allocations.”

 

Priority of Payment.    MTP Shares will be senior securities that represent stock of the Fund and are senior, with priority in all respects, to the Fund’s common shares as to payments of dividends and as to distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund. MTP Shares will have equal priority as to payments of dividends and as to distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund with other preferred shares currently outstanding. The Fund may issue additional preferred shares on parity with MTP Shares, subject to certain limitations. The Fund may not issue additional classes of shares that are senior to MTP Shares and other outstanding preferred shares of the Fund as to payments of dividends or as to distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund. See “Description of MTP Shares.” The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not issue debt securities that rank senior to MTP Shares. In addition, as a fundamental policy, the Fund may not borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency purposes, or for repurchase of its shares, subject to certain restrictions. See “Investment Restrictions” in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Redemption and Paying Agent.    The redemption and paying agent for MTP Shares will be State Street Bank and Trust Company, Canton, Massachusetts.

 

Adviser.    Nuveen Asset Management, the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for determining the Fund’s overall investment strategies and their implementation.

 


 

You should read this prospectus, which contains important information about the Fund, before deciding whether to invest in MTP Shares and retain it for future reference. A Statement of

Additional Information, dated October 19, 2010, and as it may be supplemented, containing additional information about the Fund has been filed with the Securities and Exchange


(continued from previous page)

 

Commission and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this prospectus. You may request a free copy of the Statement of Additional Information, the table of contents of which is on page 71 of this prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, when available, and other information about the Fund, and make shareholder inquiries by calling (800) 257-8787 or by writing to the Fund, or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this prospectus. You also may obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information (and other information regarding the Fund) from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

 


 

MTP Shares do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Page

 

Prospectus Summary

    1   

Financial Highlights

    18   

The Fund

    22   

Use of Proceeds

    22   

Capitalization

    23   

Description of MTP Shares

    25   

The Fund’s Investments

    40   

Portfolio Composition

    42   

Risks

    48   

How the Fund Manages Risk

    57   

Management of the Fund

    57   

Legal Proceedings

    60   
Net Asset Value     61   
Description of Borrowings     61   
Description of Outstanding Shares     61   
Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws     62   
    Page

 
Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund     64   
Tax Matters     64   
Underwriters     68   
Custodian, Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Redemption and Paying Agent     70   
Legal Opinions     70   
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     70   
Miscellaneous     71   
Available Information     71   
Table of Contents for the Statement of Additional Information     72   
Appendix A—Factors Affecting Municipal Securities in California     A-1   

 

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference to this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus. We are offering to sell MTP Shares and seeking offers to buy MTP Shares, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of MTP Shares.


 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This is only a summary. You should review the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), including the Fund’s Statement Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares (the “Statement”), attached as Appendix A to the SAI, prior to making an investment in the Fund, especially the information set forth under the heading “Risks.” Capitalized terms used but not defined in this prospectus shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Statement.

 

The Fund

Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2 (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s common shares, $0.01 par value, are traded on the NYSE Amex under the symbol “NVX.” See “Description of Outstanding Shares—Common Shares.” The Fund commenced investment operations on March 27, 2001. As of September 30, 2010, the Fund had 14,746,722 common shares outstanding and 3,751 preferred shares outstanding. Preferred shares previously offered by the Fund are referred to as “MuniPreferred” shares or auction rate preferred shares (“ARPS”). MTP Shares, as defined below, and any other preferred shares, including MuniPreferred shares, that may then be outstanding are collectively referred to as “Preferred Stock.”

 

The Offering

The Fund is offering 5,000,000 MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, 2.05% Series 2015 (“Series 2015 MTP Shares” or “MTP Shares”), at a purchase price of $10 per share. MTP Shares are being offered by the underwriters listed under “Underwriters.” The Fund has granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to 750,000 additional MTP Shares to cover over-allotments. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the information throughout this prospectus does not take into account the possible issuance to the underwriters of additional MTP Shares pursuant to their right to purchase additional MTP Shares to cover over-allotments. The Fund intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of MTP Shares to refinance and redeem a portion of the outstanding MuniPreferred shares, and to maintain the Fund’s leveraged capital structure. Certain underwriters and their affiliates, including Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Banc of America Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, currently own or are obligated to repurchase in the future outstanding MuniPreferred shares. In addition, customers of certain underwriters and their affiliates currently own outstanding MuniPreferred shares. Upon the successful completion of this offering, these outstanding MuniPreferred shares may be redeemed or purchased by the Fund with the net proceeds of the offering as set forth in “Use of Proceeds.” Although such a redemption or purchase would be done in accordance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) in a manner that did not favor these underwriters, affiliates or customers, the underwriters or their affiliates may nonetheless be deemed to obtain a material benefit from the offering of the MTP Shares due to such redemption or purchase including, for certain of

 

1


 

the underwriters and their affiliates, potentially substantial financial relief and/or relief related to legal and regulatory matters associated with currently illiquid MuniPreferred shares.

 

The first issuance date of the MTP Shares upon the closing of this offering is referred to herein as the “Date of Original Issue.” MTP Shares will be senior securities that constitute stock of the Fund and are senior, with priority in all respects, to the Fund’s common shares as to payments of dividends and as to distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund. MTP Shares will have equal priority as to payments of dividends and as to distributions of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund and will be in parity in all respects with MuniPreferred shares outstanding. The Fund may not issue additional classes of shares that are senior to Preferred Stock as to payments of dividends and as to distribution of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund.

 

Who May Want to Invest

You should consider your investment goals, time horizons and risk tolerance before investing in MTP Shares. An investment in MTP Shares is not appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. MTP Shares are designed as an intermediate-term investment to help achieve the after-tax income and capital preservation goals of investors, and not as a trading vehicle. MTP Shares may be an appropriate investment for you if you are seeking:

 

  ·  

Current income exempt from regular federal and California income taxes;

 

  ·  

Consistent monthly dividends;

 

  ·  

Return of your capital investment after a limited term of five years;

 

  ·  

A security that benefits from significant over-collateralization and related protective provisions;

 

  ·  

Municipal market exposure through the Fund (rather than a single municipal issuer) that diversifies credit risk by investing in many securities and various essential-service sectors;

 

  ·  

Potential for daily liquidity and transparency afforded by New York Stock Exchange listing, once the MTP Shares begin trading on such exchange as anticipated; and

 

  ·  

An intermediate-term fixed income investment with potentially less price volatility than longer-dated fixed income securities.

 

However, keep in mind that you will need to assume the risks associated with an investment in MTP Shares and the Fund. See “Risks.”

 

2


 

Fixed Dividend Rate

MTP Shares pay a dividend at a fixed rate of 2.05% per annum of the $10 liquidation preference per share (the “Fixed Dividend Rate”). The Fixed Dividend Rate is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances (but will not in any event be lower than the 2.05% Fixed Dividend Rate). See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods—Fixed Dividend Rate,” “—Adjustments to Fixed Dividend Rate—Ratings” and “—Default Period.”

 

Dividend Payments

The holders of MTP Shares will be entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends and distributions on each such share, when, as and if declared by, or under authority granted by, the Board of Trustees, out of funds legally available for payment. Dividends on the MTP Shares will be payable monthly. The first dividend period for the MTP Shares will commence on the Date of Original Issue of MTP Shares and end on November 30, 2010 and each subsequent dividend period will be a calendar month (or the portion thereof occurring prior to the redemption of such MTP Shares) (each dividend period a “Dividend Period”). Dividends will be paid on the first Business Day of the month next following a Dividend Period and upon redemption of the MTP Shares, except that dividends paid with respect to any Dividend Period consisting of the month of December in any year will be paid on the last Business Day of December (each payment date a “Dividend Payment Date”). Except for the first Dividend Period, dividends with respect to any monthly Dividend Period will be declared and paid to holders of record of MTP Shares as their names shall appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on the 15th day of such monthly Dividend Period (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day). Dividends with respect to the first Dividend Period of the Series 2015 MTP Shares will be declared and paid to holders of record of such MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on November 29, 2010. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods.”

 

“Business Day” means any calendar day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.

 

On account of the foregoing provisions, only the holders of MTP Shares on the record date for a Dividend Period will be entitled to receive dividends and distributions payable with respect to such Dividend Period, and holders of MTP Shares who sell shares before such a record date and purchasers of MTP Shares who purchase shares after such a record date should take the effect of the foregoing provisions into account in evaluating the price to be received or paid for such MTP Shares.

 

Term Redemption

The Fund is required to provide for the mandatory redemption of all outstanding Series 2015 MTP Shares on November 1, 2015 at a redemption price equal to $10 per share plus an amount equal to

 

3


 

accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not earned or declared but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the redemption date (the “Term Redemption Price”). No amendment, alteration or repeal of the obligations of the Fund to redeem all of the Series 2015 MTP Shares on November 1, 2015 can be effected without the prior unanimous vote or consent of the holders of Series 2015 MTP Shares. See “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption.”

 

Mandatory Redemption for

Asset Coverage and Effective

Leverage Ratio

Asset Coverage.    If the Fund fails to have Asset Coverage (as defined below) of at least 225% as of the close of business on any Business Day on which such Asset Coverage is required to be calculated and such failure is not cured as of the close of business on the date that is 30 calendar days following such Business Day (the “Asset Coverage Cure Date”), the Fund will redeem within 30 calendar days of the Asset Coverage Cure Date shares of Preferred Stock equal to the lesser of (i) the minimum number of shares of Preferred Stock that will result in the Fund having Asset Coverage of at least 230% and (ii) the maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock that can be redeemed out of monies expected to be legally available; and, at the Fund’s sole option, the Fund may redeem a number of shares of Preferred Stock (including shares of Preferred Stock required to be redeemed) that will result in the Fund having Asset Coverage of up to and including 285%. The Preferred Stock to be redeemed may include at the Fund’s sole option any number or proportion of MTP Shares. If MTP Shares are to be redeemed in such an event, they will be redeemed at a redemption price equal to their $10 liquidation preference per share plus accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not declared, but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the date fixed for such redemption (the “Mandatory Redemption Price”).

 

 

Effective Leverage Ratio.    If the Effective Leverage Ratio (as defined below) of the Fund exceeds 50% as of the close of business on any Business Day on which such ratio is required to be calculated and such failure is not cured as of the close of business on the date that is 30 calendar days following such Business Day (the “Effective Leverage Ratio Cure Date”), the Fund will within 30 calendar days following the Effective Leverage Ratio Cure Date cause the Fund to have an Effective Leverage Ratio that does not exceed 50% by (A) engaging in transactions involving or relating to the floating rate securities not owned by the Fund and/or the inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund, including the purchase, sale or retirement thereof, (B) redeeming a sufficient number of shares of Preferred Stock, which at the Fund’s sole option may include any number or proportion of MTP Shares, in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock, or (C) engaging in any combination of the actions contemplated by (A) and (B) above. Any MTP Shares so redeemed will be redeemed at a price per share equal to the

 

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Mandatory Redemption Price. See “Portfolio Composition—Municipal Securities—Inverse Floating Rate Securities” and “—Floating Rate Securities.”

 

Optional Redemption

As of November 1, 2011, Series 2015 MTP Shares will be subject to optional redemption (in whole or from time to time, in part) at the sole option of the Fund out of monies legally available therefor, at the redemption price per share equal to the sum of the $10 liquidation preference per share plus (i) an initial premium of 1.00% of the liquidation preference (with such premium declining by 0.5% every six months so that by November 1, 2012 there will cease to be a premium) and (ii) an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not earned or declared but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the date fixed for such redemption. See “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption— Optional Redemption.” The period from the Date of Original Issue to the date that the MTP Shares are subject to such optional redemption is referred to herein as the “Non-Call Period.” In addition to the optional redemption described above, the MTP Shares will also be subject to optional redemption on any Business Day during a Rating Downgrade Period with respect to such MTP Shares at the redemption price per share equal to the sum of the $10 liquidation preference per share (without any additional premium) plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not earned or declared, but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the date fixed for redemption. A “Rating Downgrade Period” means any period during which the MTP Shares are rated A+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), A1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and A+ or lower by Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”). See “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption.”

 

Federal and California State Income Taxes

Because under normal circumstances the Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from regular federal and California income taxes, the dividends designated by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends received by a holder of MTP Shares will be similarly exempt. The dividends received by a holder of MTP Shares may be subject to other state and local taxes. A portion of the income from the Fund’s portfolio securities, and in turn the exempt-interest dividends paid to holders of MTP Shares, may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, so MTP Shares may not be a suitable investment if you are subject to this tax. Taxable income or gain earned by the Fund will be allocated proportionately to holders of Preferred Stock and common shares, based on the percentage of total Preferred Stock dividends relative to common share dividends.

 

5


 

The Fund has elected to be treated, and intends to continue to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and generally does not expect to be subject to federal income tax.

 

Ratings

It is a condition of the underwriters’ obligation to purchase MTP Shares that MTP Shares will be rated, as of the Date of Original Issue, at certain minimum levels by Rating Agencies (as defined in this prospectus) designated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. There can be no assurance that such ratings will be maintained at the level originally assigned through the term of the MTP Shares. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn in the Rating Agencies’ discretion. The Fund, however, will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause at least one Rating Agency (as defined in this prospectus) to publish a credit rating with respect to MTP Shares for so long as MTP Shares are outstanding. The Fixed Dividend Rate will be subject to an increase in the event that the ratings of the MTP Shares by the Rating Agencies are each downgraded below such minimum levels or if no Rating Agency is then rating the shares. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods—Adjustment to Fixed Dividend Rate—Ratings.” The Board of Trustees of the Fund has the right to terminate the designation of any of the Rating Agencies for purposes of the MTP Shares, provided that at least one Rating Agency continues to maintain a rating with respect to the MTP Shares. In such event, any rating of such terminated Rating Agency, to the extent it would have been taken into account in any of the provisions of the MTP Shares which are described in this prospectus or included in the Statement, will be disregarded, and only the ratings of the then-designated Rating Agencies will be taken into account.

 

On August 31, 2010 S&P published a Request for Comment concerning its new proposal (the “S&P Proposal”) to change its methods and assumptions for rating certain “market value securities,” including those issued by registered closed-end funds such as the MTP Shares to be issued by the Fund. The S&P Proposal defined “market value securities” as those whose source of repayment is liquidation proceeds generated from open market sales of assets (in the Fund’s case, portfolio securities), rather than cash flow generated by assets held to maturity. S&P has requested comments on the S&P Proposal and the comment period ends October 29, 2010. S&P stated that after the comment period expires, it will review the comments and publish updated criteria methodology and assumptions, which would be applicable to all outstanding S&P ratings of market value securities. The updated criteria, if adopted by S&P, may be the same as proposed or may differ based upon comments received by S&P. Under the current S&P Proposal, when rating market value securities (including MTP Shares) issued by the Fund, S&P would substantially increase the reductions in value, or “haircuts,” applied to the Fund’s portfolio securities compared with its present methodology. Due to these increased haircuts, any market value securities issued by the

 

6


 

Fund (including MTP Shares) in the future may be ineligible for a AAA rating from S&P. In addition, any market value securities (including the MTP Shares offered hereby) that had a rating of AAA from S&P prior to the adoption of the proposed criteria may be unable to maintain such rating after the adoption of such criteria, if adopted as proposed. In the event that S&P downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would not change. However, if each of the other Rating Agencies also downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would increase. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods—Adjustments to Fixed Dividend Rate—Ratings.” Nevertheless, a downgrade by S&P could adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of the MTP Shares. There can be no assurance S&P will or will not take any action with respect to the S&P Proposal or that any such action would not result in a downgrade of MTP Shares. Further, there can be no assurance that any other Rating Agency will not also alter its rating criteria resulting in downgrades of ratings, which could further adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of MTP Shares.

 

Asset Coverage

If the Fund fails to maintain at least 225% “asset coverage” as of the close of business on each Business Day, the MTP Shares may become subject to mandatory redemption as provided above. “Asset coverage” for Preferred Stock is calculated pursuant to Section 18(h) of the 1940 Act, as in effect on the date of the Statement, and is determined on the basis of values calculated as of a time within 48 hours (only including Business Days) preceding each daily determination (“Asset Coverage”). See “Description of MTP Shares—Asset Coverage.”

 

The Fund estimates that on the Date of Original Issue, the Asset Coverage, based on the composition of its portfolio as of May 31, 2010, and after giving effect to (i) the issuance of MTP Shares offered hereby ($50,000,000 aggregate liquidation preference of MTP Shares), and (ii) $1,100,000 of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering costs for such MTP Shares and assuming the redemption of $48,900,000 liquidation preference of MuniPreferred shares, will be 328%. The Fund’s net investment income coverage—calculated by dividing the Fund’s net investment income by the distributions from net investment income to preferred shareholders—has averaged approximately 1,139% from March 27, 2001 through May 31, 2010. Net investment income coverage has varied significantly year over year since the Fund’s inception, and there is no assurance that historical coverage levels can be maintained.

 

Effective Leverage Ratio

If the Fund’s Effective Leverage Ratio exceeds 50% as of the close of business on any Business Day, the MTP Shares may become subject to mandatory redemption as provided above.

 

The “Effective Leverage Ratio” on any date means the quotient of the sum of (A) the aggregate liquidation preference of the Fund’s “senior

 

7


 

securities” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) that are stock, excluding, without duplication, (1) any such senior securities for which the Fund has issued a notice of redemption and either has delivered Deposit Securities to the paying agent for such Preferred Stock or otherwise has adequate Deposit Securities on hand for the purpose of such redemption and (2) the Fund’s outstanding Preferred Stock that is to be redeemed with net proceeds from the sale of the MTP Shares, for which the Fund has delivered Deposit Securities to the paying agent for such Preferred Stock or otherwise has adequate Deposit Securities on hand for the purpose of such redemption; (B) the aggregate principal amount of the Fund’s “senior securities representing indebtedness” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act); and (C) the aggregate principal amount of floating rate securities not owned by the Fund that correspond to the associated inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund; divided by the sum of (A) the market value (determined in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures) of the Fund’s total assets (including amounts attributable to senior securities), less the amount of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than liabilities for the aggregate principal amount of senior securities representing indebtedness, including floating rate securities); and (B) the aggregate principal amount of floating rate securities not owned by the Fund that correspond to the associated inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund.

 

Voting Rights

Except as otherwise provided in the Fund’s Declaration of Trust or as otherwise required by law, (i) each holder of MTP Shares shall be entitled to one vote for each MTP Share held by such holder on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Fund and (ii) the holders of outstanding Preferred Stock and of common shares shall vote together as a single class; provided that holders of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class, shall elect at least two of the Fund’s trustees and will elect a majority of the Fund’s trustees to the extent the Fund fails to pay dividends on any Preferred Stock in an amount equal to two full years of dividends on that stock. See “Description of MTP Shares—Voting Rights.”

 

Liquidation Preference

The liquidation preference of MTP Shares will be $10 per share (the “Liquidation Preference”). In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of MTP Shares will be entitled to receive a liquidation distribution per share equal to the Liquidation Preference plus an amount equal to all unpaid dividends and distributions accumulated to (but excluding) the date fixed for distribution or payment (whether or not earned or declared by the Fund, but excluding interest thereon). See “Description of MTP Shares—Liquidation Rights.”

 

Investment Objectives and Policies

The Fund’s investment objectives are to provide current income exempt from regular federal and California income tax and to

 

8


 

enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that Nuveen Asset Management believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests its net assets in a portfolio of municipal securities that are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in investment grade securities that, at the time of investment, are rated within the four highest grades (Baa or BBB or better) by at least one NRSRO or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that at the time of investment are rated below investment grade or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. No more than 10% of the Fund’s Managed Assets may be invested in municipal securities rated below B3/B- or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. Municipal securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds. See “Risks—General Risks of Investing in the Fund—Credit and Below Investment Grade Risk.” Managed Assets are net assets, including assets attributable to any principal amount of any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) and any Preferred Stock outstanding. During temporary defensive periods and in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in short-term investments including high quality, short-term securities that may be either tax-exempt or taxable. A portion of the dividends from MTP Shares may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. See “The Fund’s Investments.”

 

Investment Adviser

Nuveen Asset Management is the Fund’s investment adviser, responsible for determining the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation. See “Management of the Fund—Investment Adviser and Portfolio Managers.”

 

Nuveen Investments, LLC, a registered broker-dealer affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management that is involved in the offering of the Fund’s MTP Shares, has received notice of certain charges that may be brought against it by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the marketing of MuniPreferred shares. See “Underwriters.”

 

9


 

Legal Proceedings

Certain Nuveen leveraged closed-end funds (not including the Fund) were named as nominal defendants in putative shareholder derivative action complaints filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division (the “Complaints”). The Complaints, filed on behalf of purported holders of the funds’ common shares, also name Nuveen Asset Management as a defendant, together with current and former officers and a trustee of each of the funds (together with the nominal defendants, collectively, the “Defendants”). The Complaints allege that the Defendants breached their fiduciary duties by favoring the interests of holders of each fund’s ARPS over those of its common shareholders in connection with each fund’s ARPS refinancing and/or redemption activities. See “Legal Proceedings.”

 

Listing

Application has been made to list the MTP Shares on the New York Stock Exchange so that trading on such exchange will begin within 30 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to notice of issuance. Prior to the expected commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the underwriters do not intend to make a market in the MTP Shares. Consequently, it is anticipated that, prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, an investment in the MTP Shares will be illiquid and holders of MTP Shares may not be able to sell such shares as it is unlikely that a secondary market for the MTP Shares will develop. If a secondary market does develop prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, holders of MTP Shares may be able to sell such shares only at substantial discounts from their liquidation preference. The trading or “ticker” symbol is “NVX Pr C.”

 

Redemption and Paying Agent

The Fund has entered into an amendment to its Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company, Canton, Massachusetts (the “Redemption and Paying Agent”) for the purpose of causing the Fund’s transfer agent and registrar to serve as transfer agent and registrar, dividend disbursing agent, and redemption and paying agent with respect to MTP Shares.

 

Risks

Risk is inherent in all investing. Therefore, before investing in MTP Shares you should consider certain risks carefully. The primary risks of investing in the Fund, and in MTP Shares in particular, are:

 

Risks of Investing in MTP Shares

 

  ·  

Interest Rate Risk—MTP Shares.    MTP Shares pay dividends at a fixed dividend rate. Prices of fixed income investments vary inversely with changes in market yields. The market yields on intermediate term securities comparable to MTP Shares may increase, which would likely result in a decline in the secondary market price of MTP Shares prior to its term redemption. See also “—Secondary Market and Delayed Listing Risk.”

 

10


 

  ·  

Secondary Market and Delayed Listing Risk.    Because the Fund has no prior trading history for exchange-listed preferred shares, it is difficult to predict the trading patterns of MTP Shares, including the effective costs of trading MTP Shares. Moreover, MTP Shares will not be listed on a stock exchange until up to 30 days after the date of this prospectus and during this time period an investment in MTP Shares will be illiquid. Even after the MTP Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange as anticipated, there is a risk that the market for MTP Shares may be thinly traded and relatively illiquid compared to the market for other types of securities, with the spread between the bid and asked prices considerably greater than the spreads of other securities with comparable terms, credit ratings and tax-advantaged income features.

 

  ·  

Ratings Risk.    The Fund expects that, at issuance, the MTP Shares will be rated at certain minimum levels by Rating Agencies designated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees and that such ratings will be a requirement of issuance of such shares by the underwriters pursuant to an underwriting agreement. There can be no assurance that the MTP Shares will receive any particular rating from any of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch (each, a “Rating Agency”), or that any such ratings will be maintained at the level originally assigned through the term of MTP Shares. In the event that one or more of the Rating Agencies do not issue a rating on the MTP Shares at all or at the minimum level required, the issuance and sale of MTP Shares in this offering may not be completed. Ratings do not eliminate or mitigate the risks of investing in MTP Shares. A rating issued by a Rating Agency is only the opinion of the entity issuing the rating at that time, and is not a guarantee as to quality, or an assurance of the future performance, of the rated security (in this case, MTP Shares). In addition, the manner in which the Rating Agency obtains and processes information about a particular security may affect the Rating Agency’s ability to timely react to changes in an issuer’s circumstances (in this case, the Fund) that could influence a particular rating. A Rating Agency could downgrade MTP Shares, which may make MTP Shares less liquid in the secondary market and reduce market prices. As described above under “Ratings,” S&P is currently considering adopting the S&P Proposal, which may result in S&P downgrading the MTP Shares after such proposal becomes effective. In the event that S&P downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would only increase if each of the other Rating Agencies also downgrades the MTP Shares. Nevertheless, a downgrade by S&P could adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of the MTP Shares. There can be no assurance that S&P will or will not take any action with respect to the S&P Proposal or that any such action would not result in a downgrade of MTP Shares. Further, there can be no assurance that any other Rating Agency will not also alter its rating criteria resulting in downgrades of ratings, which could further adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of MTP Shares.

 

11


 

  ·  

Early Redemption Risk.    The Fund may voluntarily redeem MTP Shares or may be forced to redeem MTP Shares to meet regulatory requirements and the asset coverage requirements of the MTP Shares. Such redemptions may be at a time that is unfavorable to holders of MTP Shares. The Fund expects to voluntarily redeem MTP Shares before the Term Redemption Date to the extent that market conditions allow the Fund to issue other preferred shares or debt securities at a rate that is lower than the Fixed Dividend Rate on MTP Shares. For further information, see “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption” and “Description of MTP Shares—Asset Coverage.”

 

  ·  

Tax Risk.    To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to regulated investment companies, among other things, the Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to stockholders, and such distributions would be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The value of MTP Shares may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies. Because dividends from MTP Shares are generally not expected to be subject to regular federal or California income taxation, the attractiveness of such shares in relation to other investment alternatives is affected by changes in federal or California income tax rates or changes in the tax-exempt treatment of dividends on MTP Shares. A portion of the dividends from MTP Shares may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. See “Tax Matters.” See also the opinion of counsel included as Appendix C to the SAI.

 

  ·  

Credit Crisis and Liquidity Risk.    General market uncertainty and extraordinary conditions in the credit markets, including the municipal market, may impact the liquidity of the Fund’s investment portfolio, which in turn, during extraordinary circumstances, could impact the Fund’s distributions and/or the liquidity of the Term Redemption Liquidity Account (as described under “Description of MTP Shares”). Further, there may be market imbalances of sellers and buyers of MTP Shares during periods of extreme illiquidity and volatility. Such market conditions may lead to periods of thin trading in any secondary market for MTP Shares and may make valuation of MTP Shares uncertain. As a result, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly such that an MTP Shares investor may have greater difficulty selling his or her MTP Shares. Less liquid and more volatile trading environments could result in sudden and significant valuation increases or declines in MTP Shares.

 

  ·  

Inflation Risk.    Inflation is the reduction in the purchasing power of money resulting from the increase in the price of goods and services.

 

12


 

Inflation risk is the risk that the inflation-adjusted (or “real”) value of an investment in MTP Shares or the income from that investment will be worth less in the future. As inflation occurs, the real value of MTP Shares and dividends on MTP Shares declines.

 

  ·  

Reinvestment Risk—MTP Shares.    Given the five-year term and potential for early redemption of MTP Shares, holders of MTP Shares may face an increased reinvestment risk, which is the risk that the return on an investment purchased with proceeds from the sale or redemption of MTP Shares may be lower than the return previously obtained from an investment in MTP Shares.

 

General Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

  ·  

Credit and Below Investment Grade Risk.    Credit risk is the risk that one or more municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in price, or the issuer thereof will fail to pay interest or principal when due, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. Credit risk is increased when a portfolio security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer deteriorates. The Fund may invest up to 20% (measured at the time of investment) of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that are rated below investment grade or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. If a municipal security satisfies the rating requirements described above at the time of investment and is subsequently downgraded below that rating, the Fund will not be required to dispose of the security. If a downgrade occurs, Nuveen Asset Management will consider what action, including the sale of the security, is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Municipal securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due, and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and business developments than investment grade municipal securities. Also, to the extent that the rating assigned to a municipal security in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by any NRSRO, the market price and liquidity of such security may be adversely affected. The market values for municipal securities of below investment grade quality tend to be volatile, and these securities are less liquid than investment grade municipal securities. For these reasons, an investment in the Fund, compared with a portfolio consisting solely of investment grade securities, may experience the following:

 

   

increased price sensitivity resulting from a deteriorating economic environment and changing interest rates;

 

   

greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality;

 

13


 

   

adverse issuer specific events that are more likely to render the issuer unable to make interest and/or principal payments; and

 

   

the possibility that a negative perception of the below investment grade market develops, resulting in the price and liquidity of below investment grade securities becoming depressed, and this negative perception could last for a significant period of time.

 

  ·  

Municipal Securities Market Risk.    Investing in the municipal securities market involves certain risks. The municipal securities market is one in which dealer firms make markets in bonds on a principal basis using their proprietary capital, and during the recent market turmoil these firms’ capital became severely constrained. As a result, some firms were unwilling to commit their capital to purchase and to serve as a dealer for municipal securities. The amount of public information available about the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the Fund’s investment performance may therefore be more dependent on Nuveen Asset Management’s analytical abilities than if the Fund were to invest in stocks or taxable bonds. As noted above, the secondary market for municipal securities also tends to be less well-developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to sell its municipal securities at attractive prices or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them.

 

  ·  

Concentration in California Issuers.    The Fund’s policy of investing primarily in municipal obligations of issuers located in California makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic, political or regulatory occurrences affecting such issuers.

 

  ·  

Risks Specific to California.    California (the “State”) appears to be slowly recovering from the most significant economic downturn in its history since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Since the beginning of 2009, the State’s economy has grown slowly. The recent recession brought a broad decline in economic activity and rise in unemployment across many sectors of the California economy, resulting in a State unemployment rate of 12.4% as of August 2010, which is among the highest in the nation. Along with the rest of the nation, California could face high rates of unemployment for an extended period of time.

 

In the recession and its aftermath, State tax revenues declined precipitously, resulting in large budget gaps and cash shortfalls. The State implemented substantial spending reductions, program eliminations, revenue increases, and other solutions in order to close an estimated $60 billion budget gap over the combined 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years. The State adopted reforms in nearly every area of government to better contain costs in the

 

14


 

future. On October 8, 2010, after a 100-day impasse since the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year, the State Legislature enacted a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year that closes a $19.3 billion budget gap through $8.4 billion in expenditure reductions, $5.4 billion in federal funds, and $5.5 billion in other budget solutions. Because the California state constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote by the State Legislature for the passage of any budget proposal and tax increase, legislative agreement to future budget resolutions during these weak economic conditions will likely continue to involve difficult and protracted political negotiations. There can be no assurances that the fiscal stress and cash pressures currently facing the State will not continue or become more difficult, or that continuing declines in State tax receipts or other consequences of the current economic situation will not further materially adversely affect the financial condition of the State.

 

The credit ratings on the California’s general obligation bonds are among the lowest of any state in the country because of the State’s fiscal difficulties. As of September 2010, S&P, Moody’s and Fitch rated the State’s general obligation bonds with credit ratings of A-, A1 and A-, respectively. See “Risks—General Risks of Investing in the Fund—Concentration Risk” and Appendix A of this prospectus (“Factors Affecting Municipal Securities in California”).

 

  ·  

Interest Rate Risk—The Fund.    Generally, when market interest rates rise, bond prices fall, and vice versa. Interest rate risk is the risk that the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. In typical market interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term municipal securities generally fluctuate more than prices of shorter-term municipal securities as interest rates change.

 

  ·  

Inverse Floating Rate Securities Risk.    The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in inverse floating rate securities. Typically, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust (sometimes called a “tender option bond trust”) formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal securities. See “Portfolio Composition—Municipal Securities—Inverse Floating Rate Securities.” In general, income on inverse floating rate securities will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates decrease. Investments in inverse floating rate securities may subject the Fund to the risks of reduced or eliminated interest payments and losses of principal. In addition, inverse floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value at a greater rate than the underlying interest rate, which effectively leverages the Fund’s investment. As a result, the market value of such securities generally will be more volatile than that of fixed rate securities.

 

 

The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund. In Nuveen

 

15


 

Asset Management’s discretion, the Fund may enter into a separate shortfall and forbearance agreement with the third party sponsor of a special purpose trust. The Fund may enter into such recourse agreements (i) when the liquidity provider to the special purpose trust requires such an agreement because the level of leverage in the special purpose trust exceeds the level that the liquidity provider is willing to support absent such an agreement; and/or (ii) to seek to prevent the liquidity provider from collapsing the special purpose trust in the event that the municipal obligation held in the trust has declined in value. Such an agreement would require the Fund to reimburse the third party sponsor of the trust, upon termination of the trust issuing the inverse floater, the difference between the liquidation value of the bonds held in the trust and the principal amount due to the holders of floating rate securities. In such instances, the Fund may be at risk of loss that exceeds its investment in the inverse floating rate securities.

 

  The Fund’s investments in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund may be highly leveraged. The structure and degree to which the Fund’s inverse floating rate securities are highly leveraged will vary based upon a number of factors, including the size of the trust itself and the terms of the underlying municipal security held in a special purpose trust. An inverse floating rate security generally is considered highly leveraged if the principal amount of the short-term floating rate interests issued by the related special purpose trust is in excess of three times the principal amount of the inverse floating rate securities owned by the trust (the ratio of the principal amount of such short-term floating rate interests to the principal amount of the inverse floating rate securities is referred to as the “gearing”). In the event of a significant decline in the value of an underlying security, the Fund may suffer losses in excess of the amount of its investment (up to an amount equal to the value of the municipal securities underlying the inverse floating rate securities) as a result of liquidating special purpose trusts or other collateral required to maintain the Fund’s anticipated effective leverage ratio.

 

  The economic effect of leverage through the Fund’s purchase of inverse floating rate securities creates an opportunity for increased net income and returns, but also creates the possibly that the Fund’s long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of leverage exceeds the return on the inverse floating rate securities purchased by the Fund.

 

 

Inverse floating rate securities have varying degrees of liquidity based upon the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in a special purpose trust. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is more volatile than the underlying securities due to leverage. The leverage attributable to such inverse floating rate securities may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of

 

16


 

leverage. In certain circumstances, the likelihood of an increase in the volatility of net asset value and market price of the common shares may be greater for the Fund to the extent that it relies on inverse floating rate securities to achieve a significant portion of its desired effective leverage ratio. The Fund may be required to sell its inverse floating rate securities at less than favorable prices, or liquidate other Fund portfolio holdings in certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

If the Fund has a need for cash and the securities in a special purpose trust are not actively trading due to adverse market conditions;

 

   

If special purpose trust sponsors (as a collective group or individually) experience financial hardship and consequently seek to terminate their respective outstanding special purpose trusts; and

 

   

If the value of an underlying security declines significantly (to a level below the notional value of the floating rate securities issued by the trust) and if additional collateral has not been posted by the Fund.

 

  ·  

Insurance Risk.    The Fund may purchase municipal securities that are additionally secured by insurance, bank credit agreements, or escrow accounts. The credit quality of the companies that provide such credit enhancements will affect the value of those securities. Many significant providers of insurance for municipal securities have recently incurred significant losses and as a result, such losses have reduced the insurers’ capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such insurance if they are called to do so in the future. The insurance feature of a municipal security does not guarantee the full payment of principal and interest through the life of an insured obligation or the market value of the insured obligation. See “Risks—General Risks of Investing in the Fund—Insurance Risk.”

 

  ·  

Reinvestment Risk—the Fund.    With respect to the Fund, reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called bonds at market interest rates that are below the Fund’s portfolio’s current earnings rate.

 

  ·  

Anti-Takeover Provisions.    The Fund’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.”

 

For additional risks of investing in MTP Shares and general risks of the Fund, see “Risks.”

 

Governing Law

The Declaration of Trust and the Statement are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

17


 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The following Financial Highlights table is intended to help a prospective investor understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single common share or MuniPreferred share of the Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in common shares of the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends). The information with respect to the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, whose report for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, along with the financial statements of the Fund including the Financial Highlights for each of the periods indicated therein, are included in the Fund’s 2010 Annual Report. A copy of the 2010 Annual Report may be obtained from www.sec.gov or by visiting www.nuveen.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this prospectus. Past results are not indicative of future performance.

 

The following per share data and ratios have been derived from information provided in the financial statements.

 

18


 

 

 

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19


 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Information contained in the table below under the headings “Per Share Operating Performance” and “Ratios/Supplemental Data” shows the operating performance of the Fund since the commencement of operations.

 

Selected data for a common share outstanding throughout each period:

 

     Year Ended February 28,

    Year Ended August 31,

 
PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE    2010

    2009(b)

    2008

    2007

 

Beginning Common Share Net Asset Value

   $ 12.91      $ 14.39      $ 14.69      $ 15.36   
    


 


 


 


Investment Operations:

                                

Net Investment Income

     1.07        0.51        1.01        0.96   

Net Realized/Unrealized Gain (Loss)

     1.43        (1.47     (0.37     (0.62

Distributions from Net Investment Income to Preferred Shareholders†

     (0.04     (0.11     (0.25     (0.25

Distributions from Capital Gains to Preferred Shareholders†

     0.00        (0.01     0.00        0.00   
    


 


 


 


Total

     2.46        (1.08     0.39        0.09   
    


 


 


 


Less Distributions:

                                

Net Investment Income to Common Shareholders

     (0.88     (0.36     (0.69     (0.76

Capital Gains to Common Shareholders

     0.00        (0.04     0.00        0.00   
    


 


 


 


Total

     (0.88     (0.40     (0.69     (0.76
    


 


 


 


Discount from Common Shares Repurchased and Retired

     0.00 ****      0.00 ****      0.00        0.00   
    


 


 


 


Offering Costs and Preferred Share Underwriting Discounts

     0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00   
    


 


 


 


Ending Common Share Net Asset Value

   $ 14.49      $ 12.91      $ 14.39      $ 14.69   
    


 


 


 


Ending Market Value

   $ 13.56      $ 10.51      $ 12.67      $ 13.73   

Total Returns:

                                

Based on Market Value*

     38.29     (13.83 )%      (2.80 )%      (3.39 )% 

Based on Common Share Net Asset Value*

     19.52     (7.40 )%      2.76     0.46

Ratios/Supplemental Data

                                

Ending Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares (000)

   $ 213,687      $ 190,824      $ 212,890      $ 217,332   

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares Before Reimbursement††:

                                

Expenses Including Interest(a)

     1.20     1.37 %***      1.25     1.25

Expenses Excluding Interest

     1.16     1.32 %***      1.16     1.17

Net Investment Income

     7.58     7.85 %***      6.56     5.97

Ratios to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares After Reimbursement††**:

                                

Expenses Including Interest(a)

     1.04     1.14 %***      0.99     0.91

Expenses Excluding Interest

     1.01     1.09 %***      0.90     0.83

Net Investment Income

     7.74     8.08 %***      6.83     6.31

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     4     7     20     21

Preferred Shares at End of Period:

                                

Aggregate Amount Outstanding (000)

   $ 93,775      $ 110,000      $ 110,000      $ 110,000   

Liquidation and Market Value Per Share

   $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000   

Asset Coverage Per Share

   $ 81,968      $ 68,369      $ 73,384      $ 74,394   

  *   Total Return Based on Market Value is the combination of changes in the market price per share and the effect of reinvested dividend income and reinvested capital gains distributions, if any, at the average price paid per share at the time of reinvestment. The last dividend declared in the period, which is typically paid on the first business day of the following month, is assumed to be reinvested at the ending market price. The actual reinvestment price for the last dividend declared in the period may take place over several days, and in some instances may not be based on the market price, so the actual reinvestment price may be different from the price used in the calculation. Total returns are not annualized.
       Total Return Based on Common Share Net Asset Value is the combination of changes in Common share net asset value, reinvested dividend income at net asset value and reinvested capital gains distributions at net asset value, if any. The last dividend declared in the period, which is typically paid on the first business day of the following month, is assumed to be reinvested at the ending net asset value. The actual reinvestment price for the last dividend declared in the period may often be based on the Fund's market price (and not its net asset value), and therefore may be different from the price used in the calculation. Total returns are not annualized.
  **   After expense reimbursement from the Adviser, where applicable. Expense ratios do not reflect the reduction of custodian fee credits earned on the Fund’s net cash on deposit with the custodian bank, where applicable.

 

20


 

 

Year Ended August 31,

 
2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

    2002

    2001(c)

 
$ 15.63      $ 14.97      $ 14.18      $ 14.79      $ 15.11      $ 14.33   



 


 


 


 


 


                                             
  0.97        0.98        0.99        1.00        1.06        0.34   
  (0.19     0.71        0.77        (0.62     (0.40     0.90   

 

(0.21

    (0.12     (0.06     (0.07     (0.11     (0.05

 

0.00

  

    0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00   



 


 


 


 


 


  0.57        1.57        1.70        0.31        0.55        1.19   



 


 


 


 


 


                                             
  (0.84     (0.91     (0.91     (0.89     (0.87     (0.29
  0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.03     0.00        0.00   



 


 


 


 


 


  (0.84     (0.91     (0.91     (0.92     (0.87     (0.29



 


 


 


 


 


  0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00   



 


 


 


 


 


  0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.12



 


 


 


 


 


$ 15.36      $ 15.63      $ 14.97      $ 14.18      $ 14.79      $ 15.11   



 


 


 


 


 


$ 14.95      $ 15.19      $ 14.08      $ 13.24      $ 14.28      $ 15.21   
                                             
  4.19     14.98     13.60     (0.95 )%      (0.27 )%      3.40
  3.82     10.80     12.11     2.16     3.90     7.55
                                             
$ 227,160      $ 231,140      $ 221,395      $ 209,722      $ 218,814      $ 223,440   
                                             
  1.16     1.16     1.18     1.18     1.19     1.05 %*** 
  1.16     1.16     1.18     1.18     1.19     1.05 %*** 
  5.94     5.94     6.24     6.30     6.82     5.23 %*** 
                                             
  0.74     0.71     0.72     0.73     0.73     0.62 %*** 
  0.74     0.71     0.72     0.73     0.73     0.62 %*** 
  6.35     6.39     6.70     6.75     7.28     5.65 %*** 
  9     3     13     40     32     40
                                             
$ 110,000      $ 110,000      $ 110,000      $ 110,000      $ 110,000      $ 110,000   
$ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000   
$ 76,627      $ 77,532      $ 75,317      $ 72,664      $ 74,731      $ 75,782   

***   Annualized.
****   Rounds to less than $.01 per share.
  The amounts shown are based on Common share equivalents.
††   Ratios do not reflect the effect of dividend payments to Preferred shareholders; Net Investment Income ratios reflect income earned and expenses incurred on assets attributable to Preferred shares.
(a)   The expense ratios in the above table reflect, among other things, interest expense deemed to have been paid by the Fund on the floating rate certificates issued by the special purpose trusts for the self-deposited inverse floaters held by the Fund, as described in Footnote 1 – Inverse Floating Rate Securities, in the most recent shareholder report.
(b)   For the six months ended February 28, 2009.
(c)   For the period March 27, 2001 (commencement of operations) through August 31, 2001.

 

21


 

THE FUND

 

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 1, 1999 pursuant to a Declaration of Trust governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the “Declaration of Trust”). The Fund’s common shares are listed on the NYSE Amex under the symbol “NVX.” The Fund’s principal office is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and its telephone number is (800) 257-8787.

 

The table below provides information on MuniPreferred shares since 2001.

 

Period Ended


 

Amount Outstanding
Exclusive of  Treasury
Securities


   

Asset Coverage
Per Share*


   

Involuntary Liquidation
Preference Per Share


   

Asset Coverage
Ratio**


 
August 31, 2001     4,400      $ 75,782      $ 25,000        303
August 31, 2002     4,400      $ 74,731      $ 25,000        299
August 31, 2003     4,400      $ 72,664      $ 25,000        291
August 31, 2004     4,400      $ 75,317      $ 25,000        301
August 31, 2005     4,400      $ 77,532      $ 25,000        310
August 31, 2006     4,400      $ 76,627      $ 25,000        307
August 31, 2007     4,400      $ 74,394      $ 25,000        298
August 31, 2008     4,400      $ 73,384      $ 25,000        294
February 28, 2009     4,400      $ 68,369      $ 25,000        273
February 28, 2010     3,751      $ 81,968      $ 25,000        328
May 31, 2010     3,751      $ 82,714      $ 25,000        331

  *   Calculated by dividing net assets (including net assets attributable to preferred shares) at period end by the number of MuniPreferred shares outstanding at period end.
  **   Calculated by dividing Asset Coverage Per Share by Involuntary Liquidation Preference Per Share.

 

The following provides information about the Fund’s outstanding shares as of September 30, 2010.

 

Title of Class


   Amount Authorized

     Amount Held by the
Fund or for its
Account


     Amount Outstanding

 

Common

     unlimited                 14,746,722   

MuniPreferred

     unlimited                     

Series M

     10,000                 1,875   

Series F

     10,000                 1,876   

MTP

     unlimited                     

Series 2015

                       

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

The net proceeds of the offering will be approximately $48,900,000 or $56,287,500 if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full, after payment of the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering costs. The Fund intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of MTP Shares to refinance and redeem a portion of the Fund’s outstanding MuniPreferred shares, and to maintain the Fund’s leveraged capital structure. To the extent the underwriters purchase additional shares to cover over-allotments, the proceeds to the Fund from such additional purchase will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies. Such redemption of the MuniPreferred shares is expected to occur within four weeks of the closing of the offering.

 

22


 

CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth the capitalization of the Fund as of May 31, 2010, and as adjusted to give effect to (i) the issuance of all MTP Shares offered hereby (assuming that the underwriters’ overallotment option is not exercised) and (ii) the redemption of 1,956 of the outstanding MuniPreferred shares with the proceeds of the issuance of MTP Shares. Fewer than 1,956 of the Fund’s outstanding MuniPreferred shares may be redeemed. The “as adjusted” information is illustrative only.

 

     Actual
May 31, 2010


    As Adjusted
May 31, 2010


 
     (Unaudited)     (Unaudited)  
MuniPreferred shares, $25,000 stated value per share, at liquidation value; unlimited shares authorized (3,751 shares outstanding and 1,795 shares outstanding, as adjusted, respectively)*    $ 93,775,000      $ 44,875,000   
    


 


MTP Shares, $10 stated value per share, at liquidation value; unlimited shares authorized; (no shares outstanding and 5,000,000 shares outstanding, as adjusted, respectively)*    $      $ 50,000,000   
    


 


COMMON SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:

                
Common shares, $.01 par value per share; unlimited shares authorized, 14,746,722 shares outstanding*    $ 147,467      $ 147,467   

Paid-in surplus**

     209,634,495        209,634,495   

Undistributed net investment income

     3,529,781        3,529,781   
Accumulated net realized gain (loss) from investments and derivative transactions      (2,929,086     (2,929,086
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments and derivative transactions      6,103,280        6,103,280   
    


 


Net assets applicable to common shares    $ 216,485,937      $ 216,485,937   
    


 



  *   None of these outstanding shares are held by or for the account of the Fund.
  **   Assumes a total of $1,100,000 of underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering costs of the MTP Shares’ issuance will be capitalized and amortized over the life of the MTP Shares.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL PORTFOLIO INFORMATION

 

Set forth below are selected historical data (unaudited) relating to the Fund and its portfolio holdings at each period noted.

 

     May 31,
2010

    February 28,

    August 31,
2008


 
OPERATING PERFORMANCE RATIOS      2010

    2009

   

Asset Coverage(a)

     331     328     273     294

Net Investment Income Coverage(b)

     2,600     2,675     464     404

Structural Leverage(c)

     30     30     37     34

Effective Leverage(d)

     38     39     41     39

(a)   Based on 1940 Act requirements that are described in this prospectus under the heading “Description of MTP Shares – Restrictions on Dividend, Redemption and Other Payments.”
(b)   Calculated by dividing “Net Investment Income” by “Distributions from Net Investment Income to Preferred Shareholders.”
(c)   Based on the inverse of the Asset Coverage Ratio (meaning the ratio of the Fund’s total debt, if any, and the involuntary liquidation preference of Preferred Stock to the Fund’s total assets less liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities).
(d)   Effective Leverage Ratio is previously defined in the prospectus summary under the heading “Effective Leverage Ratio.”

 

23


PORTFOLIO DATA    May 31,
2010


    February 28,

    August  31,
2008

 
     2010

    2009

   

Total Managed Assets (000s)(a)

   $ 310,261      $ 307,462      $ 300,824      $ 322,890   

Number of Issuers(b)

     88        86        84        83   

Number of Issuers in Default

     —          —          —          —     

Average Issuer Holding (000s)(c)

   $ 3,597      $ 3,630      $ 3,580      $ 3,871   

Top 10 Issuers (as % of Total Investments)

     38.21     39.06     43.33     41.97

Average Effective Maturity on Securities (years)

     14.84        14.68        14.24        15.31   

Average Duration (years)

     6.70        7.07        7.64        7.64   

AMT Bonds (as % of Total Investments)

     8.71     9.24     10.28     10.39

Inverse Floaters (as % of Total Investments)(d)

     6.84     6.60     3.86     3.12

(a)   Net assets applicable to common shares plus Preferred Stock at liquidation value.
(b)   Issuer is defined as the legal entity or obligor that develops, registers and sells municipal securities for the purpose of financing its operations.
(c)   Calculated by dividing the market value of the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio by the number of issuers.
(d)   Inverse floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as “inverse floaters”) are securities whose interest rates bear an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. See “Portfolio Composition—Municipal Securities—Inverse Floating Rate Securities.”

 

CREDIT QUALITY (AS % OF TOTAL MUNICIPAL
BONDS)(a),(b)
   May 31,
2010


    February 28,

    August  31,
2008

 
     2010

    2009

   

AAA/U.S. Guaranteed

     33     34     39     40

AA

     27     20     29     29

A

     19     23     14     15

BBB

     12     13     11     9

BB or lower

     1     2     1     1

N/R

     8     8     6     6
    


 


 


 


       100     100     100     100
    


 


 


 



(a)   The percentages shown in the table above may reflect the ratings on certain bonds whose insurer has experienced downgrades.
(b)   Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest its net assets in a portfolio of municipal securities that are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes.

 

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION (AS % OF TOTAL
INVESTMENTS)
  May 31,
2010


    February 28,

    August 31,
2008


 
        2010    

        2009    

   

Consumer Staples

    5.0     5.1     3.9     4.9

Education and Civic Organizations

    5.4     5.4     5.5     8.6

Health Care

    13.8     13.6     9.8     11.1

Housing/Multifamily

    3.5     3.6     3.3     3.5

Housing/Single Family

    1.0     1.0     0.9     0.5

Industrials

    1.0     1.1     1.0     1.1

Long-Term Care

    1.4     1.4     1.4     1.6

Tax Obligation/General

    8.0     7.3     9.0     6.6

Tax Obligation/Limited

    12.5     12.4     15.3     15.2

Transportation

    8.6     7.8     7.6     7.2

U.S. Guaranteed

    26.2     27.6     31.0     28.7

Utilities

    6.2     6.3     4.8     4.8

Water and Sewer

    7.4     7.4     6.5     6.2
   


 


 


 


      100.0     100.0     100.0     100.0
   


 


 


 


 

24


 

DESCRIPTION OF MTP SHARES

 

The following is a brief description of the terms of MTP Shares, including specific terms of Series 2015 MTP Shares. This is not a complete description and is subject to and entirely qualified by reference to the Fund’s Declaration of Trust and the Statement. These documents are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to the Fund’s registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the Statement also is attached as Appendix A to the SAI. Copies may be obtained as described under “Available Information.” Many of the terms in this section have a special meaning. Any capitalized terms in this section that are not defined have the meaning assigned to them in the Statement.

 

General

 

At the time of issuance the MTP Shares will be fully paid and non-assessable and have no preemptive, conversion, or exchange rights or rights to cumulative voting. MTP Shares will rank equally with shares of all other Preferred Stock of the Fund including outstanding MuniPreferred shares, if any, and with any other series of preferred shares of the Fund that might be issued in the future, as to payment of dividends and the distribution of the Fund’s assets upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Fund. MTP Shares and all other Preferred Stock of the Fund are senior as to dividends and distributions to the Fund’s common shares. The Fund may issue additional series of Preferred Stock in the future that will be classified as MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, and any such series, together with the MTP Shares, are herein collectively referred to as “MuniFund Term Preferred Shares.”

 

Except in certain limited circumstances, holders of MTP Shares will not receive certificates representing their ownership interest in such shares, and the MTP Shares will be represented by a global certificate to be held by the Securities Depository for the MTP Shares. The Depository Trust Company will initially act as Securities Depository with respect to the MTP Shares.

 

Dividends and Dividend Periods

 

General.    The following is a general description of dividends and dividend periods. The holders of MTP Shares will be entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends and distributions on such shares, when, as and if declared by, or under authority granted by, the Board of Trustees, out of funds legally available for payment and in preference to dividends and distributions on common shares of the Fund, calculated separately for each Dividend Period for such MTP Shares at the Dividend Rate for such MTP Shares in effect during such Dividend Period, on an amount equal to the Liquidation Preference for such MTP Shares. The Dividend Rate is computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dividends so declared and payable will be paid to the extent permitted under state law and the Declaration of Trust, and to the extent available, in preference to and priority over any dividend declared and payable on the common shares.

 

Fixed Dividend Rate.    The Fixed Dividend Rate is an annual rate of 2.05% for Series 2015 MTP Shares. The Fixed Dividend Rate for MTP Shares may be adjusted in certain circumstances, including a change in the credit rating of such MTP Shares and/or upon the occurrence of certain events resulting in a “Default Period” (as defined below) (the Fixed Dividend Rate as it may be adjusted is referred to as the “Dividend Rate”).

 

Payment of Dividends and Dividend Periods.    Dividends on the MTP Shares will be payable monthly. The first Dividend Period for the MTP Shares will commence on the Date of Original Issue of MTP Shares and end on November 30, 2010 and each subsequent Dividend Period will be a calendar month (or the portion thereof occurring prior to the redemption of such MTP Shares). Dividends will be paid on the Dividend Payment Date—the first Business Day of the month next following a Dividend Period and upon redemption of the MTP Shares, except that dividends paid with respect to any Dividend Period consisting of the month of December in any year will be paid on the last Business Day of December. Except for the first Dividend Period, dividends with respect to any monthly Dividend Period will be declared and paid to holders of record of MTP Shares as their names shall appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on the 15th day of such monthly

 

25


Dividend Period (or if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day). Dividends with respect to the first Dividend Period of the Series 2015 MTP Shares will be declared and paid to holders of record of such MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund at the close of business on November 29, 2010. Dividends payable on any MTP Shares for any period of less than a full monthly Dividend Period, including in connection with the first Dividend Period for such shares or upon any redemption of such shares on any redemption date other than on a Dividend Payment Date, will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months and the actual number of days elapsed for any period of less than one month.

 

On account of the foregoing provisions, only the holders of MTP Shares on the record date for a Dividend Period will be entitled to receive dividends and distributions payable with respect to such Dividend Period, and holders of MTP Shares who sell shares before such a record date and purchasers of MTP Shares who purchase shares after such a record date should take the effect of the foregoing provisions into account in evaluating the price to be received or paid for such MTP Shares.

 

Adjustment to Fixed Dividend Rate—Ratings.    If the highest credit rating assigned on any date to outstanding MTP Shares by any of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch is equal to one of the ratings set forth in the table below, the Dividend Rate applicable to such outstanding MTP Shares for such date will be computed or adjusted by multiplying the Fixed Dividend Rate by the applicable percentage (expressed as a decimal) set forth opposite the applicable highest credit rating so assigned on such date to such outstanding MTP Shares by any such Rating Agency as set forth in the table below.

 

Dividend Rate Adjustment Schedule

 

S&P


  

Moody’s


  

Fitch


  

Applicable Percentage


“AAA”    “Aaa”    “AAA”    100%
“AA+” to “AA-”    “Aa1” to “Aa3”    “AA+” to “AA-”    110%
“A+” to “A-”    “A1” to “A3”    “A+” to “A-”    125%
“BBB+” to “BBB-”    “Baa1” to “Baa3”    “BBB+” to “BBB-”    150%
“BB+” and lower    “Ba1” and lower    “BB+” and lower    200%

 

If no Rating Agency is rating outstanding MTP Shares, the Dividend Rate applicable to the MTP Shares for such date shall be adjusted by multiplying the Fixed Dividend Rate for such shares by 200%.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Fund has the right to terminate the designation of any of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch as a Rating Agency for purposes of the MTP Shares, provided that at least one Rating Agency continues to maintain a rating with respect to the MTP Shares. In such event, any rating of such terminated Rating Agency, to the extent it would have been taken into account in any of the provisions of the MTP Shares which are described in this prospectus or included in the Statement, will be disregarded, and only the ratings of the then-designated Rating Agencies will be taken into account. If a Rating Agency replaces any credit rating used in the determination of the Dividend Rate with a replacement credit rating, references to the replaced credit rating shall thereafter refer to the replacement credit rating. No adjustment to the Dividend Rate shall result in the Dividend Rate being less than the Fixed Dividend Rate.

 

Adjustment to Fixed Dividend Rate—Default Period.    The Dividend Rate will be adjusted to the Default Rate in the following circumstances. Subject to the cure provisions below, a “Default Period” with respect to MTP Shares will commence on a date the Fund fails to deposit with the Redemption and Paying Agent by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the (i) applicable Dividend Payment Date, Deposit Securities sufficient to pay the full amount of any dividend on MTP Shares payable on such Dividend Payment Date (a “Dividend Default”) or (ii) applicable Redemption Date (as defined below), Deposit Securities sufficient to pay the full amount of the redemption price payable on such Redemption Date (a “Redemption Default” and, together with a Dividend Default, referred to as a “Default”). Subject to the cure provisions in the next paragraph below, a Default Period with respect to a Dividend Default or a Redemption Default shall end on the Business Day on which, by 12:00 noon, New York City time, an amount equal to all unpaid dividends and any unpaid redemption price shall have

 

26


been deposited irrevocably in trust in same-day funds with the Redemption and Paying Agent. In the case of a Default, the applicable dividend rate for each day during the Default Period will be equal to the Default Rate. The “Default Rate” for any calendar day shall be equal to the applicable Dividend Rate in effect on such day plus five percent (5%) per annum.

 

No Default Period with respect to a Dividend Default or Redemption Default will be deemed to commence if the amount of any dividend or any redemption price due (if such default is not solely due to the willful failure of the Fund) is deposited irrevocably in trust, in same-day funds with the Redemption and Paying Agent by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Business Day that is not later than three Business Days after the applicable Dividend Payment Date or Redemption Date, together with an amount equal to the Default Rate applied to the amount and period of such non-payment based on the actual number of calendar days comprising such period divided by 360.

 

Mechanics of Payment of Dividends.    Not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Dividend Payment Date, the Fund is required to deposit with the Redemption and Paying Agent sufficient funds for the payment of dividends in the form of Deposit Securities. Deposit Securities will generally consist of (i) cash or cash equivalents; (ii) direct obligations of the United States or its agencies or instrumentalities that are entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States (“U.S. Government Obligations”); (iii) securities that constitute municipal securities as described in this prospectus, including municipal bonds and notes, other securities issued to finance and refinance public projects, and other related securities and derivative instruments creating exposure to municipal bonds, notes and securities that provide for the payment of income that is exempt from federal income taxes (“Municipal Obligations”) that have credit ratings from at least one NRSRO that is the highest applicable rating generally ascribed by such NRSRO to Municipal Obligations with substantially similar terms; (iv) investments in money market funds registered under the 1940 Act that qualify under Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and certain similar investment vehicles that invest in Municipal Obligations, U.S. Government Obligations or any combination thereof; or (v) any letter of credit from a bank or other financial institution that has a credit rating from at least one NRSRO that is the highest applicable rating generally ascribed by such NRSRO to bank deposits or short-term debt of similar banks or other financial institutions, in each case either that is a demand obligation payable to the holder on any Business Day or that has a maturity date, mandatory redemption date or mandatory payment date, preceding the relevant Redemption Date, Dividend Payment Date or other payment date. The Fund does not intend to establish any reserves for the payment of dividends.

 

All Deposit Securities paid to the Redemption and Payment Agent for the payment of dividends will be held in trust for the payment of such dividends to the holders of MTP Shares. Dividends will be paid by the Redemption and Payment Agent to the holders of MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund. Dividends that are in arrears for any past Dividend Period may be declared and paid at any time, without reference to any regular Dividend Payment Date. Such payments are made to holders of MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund on such date, not exceeding 15 calendar days preceding the payment date thereof, as may be fixed by the Board of Trustees. Any payment of dividends in arrears will first be credited against the earliest accumulated but unpaid dividends. No interest or sum of money in lieu of interest will be payable in respect of any dividend payment or payments on any MTP Shares which may be in arrears. See “—Adjustment to Fixed Dividend Rate—Default Period.”

 

Upon failure to pay dividends for at least two years, the holders of MTP Shares will acquire certain additional voting rights. See “—Voting Rights” below. Such rights shall be the exclusive remedy of the holders of MTP Shares upon any failure to pay dividends on MTP Shares.

 

Distributions with respect to Taxable Allocations.

 

Holders of MTP Shares will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Trustees, out of funds legally available therefor, additional distributions payable with respect to Taxable Allocations (as defined below) that are paid with respect to such shares in accordance with one of the procedures described in the following three paragraphs as set forth below.

 

27


 

Each year, the Fund will allocate exempt interest dividends, ordinary income dividends, and capital gain distributions, between its common shares and Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class during or with respect to such year. See “Tax Matters—Federal Income Tax Treatment of Holders of MTP Shares.” The Fund may provide notice to the Redemption and Paying Agent prior to the commencement of any Dividend Period for MTP Shares of the amount of a Taxable Allocation that will be made in respect of such MTP Shares for such Dividend Period (a “Notice of Taxable Allocation”). Such Notice of Taxable Allocation will state the amount of the dividends payable in respect of MTP Shares for such Dividend Period that will be treated as a Taxable Allocation and the amount of any Additional Amount Payments (as defined below) to be paid in respect of such Taxable Allocation. If the Fund provides a Notice of Taxable Allocation with respect to dividends payable on MTP Shares for a Dividend Period, the Fund will, in addition to and in conjunction with the payment of such dividends payable, make a supplemental distribution in respect of each MTP Share for such Dividend Period of an additional amount equal to the Additional Amount Payment payable in respect of the Taxable Allocation paid on such MTP Share for such Dividend Period. In general, the Fund intends to provide Notices of Taxable Allocations as contemplated by this paragraph.

 

If the Fund does not provide a Notice of Taxable Allocation as provided above with respect to a Taxable Allocation that is made in respect of MTP Shares, the Fund may make one or more supplemental distributions on such MTP Shares equal to the amount of such Taxable Allocation. Any such supplemental distribution in respect of such shares may be declared and paid on any date, without reference to any regular Dividend Payment Date, to the holders of such MTP Shares as their names appear on the registration books of the Fund on such date, not exceeding 15 calendar days preceding the payment date of such supplemental distribution, as may be fixed by the Board of Trustees.

 

If in connection with a redemption of MTP Shares, the Fund makes a Taxable Allocation without having either given advance notice thereof or made one or more supplemental distributions as described above, the Fund will direct the Redemption and Paying Agent to send an Additional Amount Payment in respect of such Taxable Allocation to each holder of such shares at such holder’s address as the same appears or last appeared on the record books of the Fund.

 

The Fund will not be required to pay Additional Amount Payments with respect to any MTP Shares with respect to any net capital gains or other taxable income determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be allocable in a manner different from the manner used by the Fund.

 

The term “Taxable Allocation” as used above means, with respect to MTP Shares, the allocation of any net capital gains or other income taxable for federal income tax purposes to a dividend paid in respect of such shares. The term “Additional Amount Payment” means a payment to a holder of MTP Shares of an amount which, when taken together with the aggregate amount of Taxable Allocations made to such holder to which such Additional Amount Payment relates, would cause such holder’s dividends in dollars (after federal income tax consequences) from the aggregate of such Taxable Allocations and the related Additional Amount Payment to be equal to the dollar amount of the dividends that would have been received by such holder if the amount of such aggregate Taxable Allocations would have been excludable (for federal income tax purposes) from the gross income of such holder. Such Additional Amount Payment will be calculated (i) without consideration being given to the time value of money; (ii) assuming that no holder of MTP Shares is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax with respect to dividends received from the Fund; and (iii) assuming that each Taxable Allocation and each Additional Amount Payment (except to the extent such Additional Amount Payment is designated as an exempt-interest dividend under Section 852(b)(5) of the Code) would be taxable in the hands of each holder of MTP Shares at the maximum marginal regular federal individual income tax rate applicable to ordinary income or net capital gains, as applicable, or the maximum marginal regular federal corporate income tax rate applicable to ordinary income or net capital gains, as applicable, whichever is greater, in effect at the time such Additional Amount Payment is paid.

 

28


 

Restrictions on Dividend, Redemption and Other Payments

 

No full dividends and distributions will be declared or paid on MTP Shares for any Dividend Period, or a part of a Dividend Period, unless the full cumulative dividends and distributions due through the most recent dividend payment dates for all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock (including shares of other series of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares) have been, or contemporaneously are, declared and paid through the most recent dividend payment dates for each share of Preferred Stock. If full cumulative dividends and distributions due have not been paid on all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock of any series, any dividends and distributions being declared and paid on MTP Shares will be declared and paid as nearly pro rata as possible in proportion to the respective amounts of dividends and distributions accumulated but unpaid on the shares of each such series of Preferred Stock on the relevant dividend payment date. No holders of MTP Shares will be entitled to any dividends and distributions in excess of full cumulative dividends and distributions as provided in the Statement.

 

For so long as any MuniFund Term Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund will not: (x) declare any dividend or other distribution (other than a dividend or distribution paid in common stock of the Fund) in respect of the common stock of the Fund, (y) call for redemption, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any such common stock, or (z) pay any proceeds of the liquidation of the Fund in respect of such common stock, unless, in each case, (A) immediately thereafter, the Fund shall be in compliance with the 200% asset coverage limitations set forth under the 1940 Act, (B) all cumulative dividends and distributions of shares of all series of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares of the Fund and all other series of Preferred Stock ranking on a parity with the MTP Shares due on or prior to the date of the applicable dividend, distribution, redemption, purchase or acquisition shall have been declared and paid (or shall have been declared and sufficient funds or Deposit Securities as permitted by the terms of such Preferred Stock for the payment thereof shall have been deposited irrevocably with the applicable paying agent) and (C) the Fund shall have deposited Deposit Securities with the Redemption and Paying Agent in accordance with the requirements described herein with respect to outstanding MuniFund Term Preferred Shares of any series to be redeemed pursuant to a Term Redemption or Asset Coverage or Effective Leverage Mandatory Redemption resulting from the failure to comply with the Asset Coverage or Effective Leverage Ratio as described below for which a Notice of Redemption shall have been given or shall have been required to be given in accordance with the terms described herein on or prior to the date of the applicable dividend, distribution, redemption, purchase or acquisition.

 

Except as required by law, the Fund will not redeem any MTP Shares unless all accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions on all outstanding MTP Shares and other series of Preferred Stock ranking on a parity with the MTP Shares with respect to dividends and distributions for all applicable past dividend periods (whether or not earned or declared by the Fund) (x) shall have been or are contemporaneously paid or (y) shall have been or are contemporaneously declared and Deposit Securities or sufficient funds (in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock) for the payment of such dividends and distributions shall have been or are contemporaneously deposited with the Redemption and Paying Agent or other applicable paying agent, provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent the purchase or acquisition of outstanding MTP Shares pursuant to the an otherwise lawful purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding MTP Shares and any other series of Preferred Stock for which all accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions have not been paid.

 

As a fundamental policy, the Fund may not issue debt securities that rank senior to MTP Shares other than for temporary or emergency purposes. See the SAI, “Investment Restrictions.” Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not (i) declare any dividend with respect to any preferred shares if, at the time of such declaration (and after giving effect thereto), asset coverage with respect to any borrowings of the Fund that are senior securities representing indebtedness (as defined in the 1940 Act), would be less than 200% (or such other percentage as may in the future be specified in or under the 1940 Act as the minimum asset coverage for senior securities representing indebtedness of a closed-end investment company as a condition of declaring dividends on its preferred shares) or (ii) declare any other distribution on the preferred shares or purchase or redeem preferred shares if at the time of the declaration or redemption (and after giving effect thereto), asset coverage with respect to such borrowings that are senior securities representing indebtedness would be less than 300% (or such higher

 

29


percentage as may in the future be specified in or under the 1940 Act as the minimum asset coverage for senior securities representing indebtedness of a closed-end investment company as a condition of declaring distributions, purchases or redemptions of its shares). Notwithstanding the 1940 Act’s requirements, MTP Shares have a higher Asset Coverage (as defined for purposes of the MTP Shares) of at least 225% instead of 200%. “Senior securities representing indebtedness” generally means any bond, debenture, note or similar obligation or instrument constituting a security (other than shares of capital stock) and evidencing indebtedness and could include the Fund’s obligations under any borrowings. For purposes of determining asset coverage for senior securities representing indebtedness in connection with the payment of dividends or other distributions on or purchases or redemptions of stock, the term “senior security” does not include any promissory note or other evidence of indebtedness issued in consideration of any loan, extension or renewal thereof, made by a bank or other person and privately arranged, and not intended to be publicly distributed. The term “senior security” also does not include any such promissory note or other evidence of indebtedness in any case where such a loan is for temporary purposes only and in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund at the time when the loan is made; a loan is presumed under the 1940 Act to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 calendar days and is not extended or renewed; otherwise it is presumed not to be for temporary purposes. For purposes of determining whether the 200% and 300% statutory asset coverage requirements described above apply in connection with dividends or distributions on or purchases or redemptions of preferred shares, such asset coverages may be calculated on the basis of values calculated as of a time within 48 hours (only including Business Days) next preceding the time of the applicable determination.

 

Asset Coverage

 

If the Fund fails to maintain Asset Coverage of at least 225% as of the close of business on each Business Day, the MTP Shares may become subject to mandatory redemption as provided below. Asset Coverage means “asset coverage” of a class of senior security which is a stock, as defined for purposes of Section 18(h) of the 1940 Act as in effect on the date of the Statement, determined on the basis of values calculated as of a time within 48 hours (only including Business Days) next preceding the time of such determination. For purposes of this determination, no MTP Shares or other Preferred Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding for purposes of the computation of Asset Coverage if, prior to or concurrently with such determination, either (A) sufficient Deposit Securities or other sufficient funds (in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock) to pay the full redemption price for such Preferred Stock (or the portion thereof to be redeemed) shall have been deposited in trust with the paying agent for such Preferred Stock and the requisite notice of redemption for such Preferred Stock (or the portion thereof to be redeemed) shall have been given or (B) sufficient Deposit Securities or other sufficient funds (in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock) to pay the full redemption price for such Preferred Stock (or the portion thereof to be redeemed) shall have been segregated by the Fund and its custodian from the assets of the Fund in the same manner as described under “—Term Redemption Liquidity Account and Liquidity Requirement” below with respect to the Liquidity Requirement applicable to the MTP Shares. In such event, the Deposit Securities or other sufficient funds so deposited or segregated shall not be included as assets of the Fund for purposes of the computation of Asset Coverage.

 

Effective Leverage Ratio

 

If the Fund’s Effective Leverage Ratio exceeds 50% as of the close of business on any Business Day, the MTP Shares may become subject to mandatory redemption as provided below. The “Effective Leverage Ratio” on any date means the quotient of the sum of (A) the aggregate liquidation preference of the Fund’s “senior securities” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) that are stock for purposes of the 1940 Act, excluding, without duplication, (1) any such senior securities for which the Fund has issued a notice of redemption and either has delivered Deposit Securities or sufficient funds (in accordance with the terms of such senior securities) to the paying agent for such senior securities or otherwise has adequate Deposit Securities or sufficient funds on hand for the purpose of such redemption and (2) any such senior securities that are to be redeemed with net proceeds from the sale of the MTP Shares, for which the Fund has delivered Deposit Securities or sufficient funds to the paying agent for such Preferred Stock or otherwise has adequate Deposit Securities or sufficient funds on hand for the purpose of such

 

30


redemption; (B) the aggregate principal amount of the Fund’s “senior securities representing indebtedness” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act); and (C) the aggregate principal amount of floating rate securities not owned by the Fund that correspond to the associated inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund; divided by the sum of (A) the market value (determined in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures) of the Fund’s total assets (including amounts attributable to senior securities), less the amount of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than liabilities for the aggregate principal amount of senior securities representing indebtedness, including floating rate securities); and (B) the aggregate principal amount of floating rate securities not owned by the Fund that correspond to the associated inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund.

 

Redemption

 

Term Redemption.    The Fund is required to provide for the mandatory redemption (the “Term Redemption”) of all of the Series 2015 MTP Shares on November 1, 2015 (the “Term Redemption Date”), at a redemption price equal to the Liquidation Preference per share plus an amount equal to accumulated but unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not earned or declared but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the Term Redemption Date (the “Term Redemption Price”).

 

Mandatory Redemption for Asset Coverage and Effective Leverage Ratio.

 

Asset Coverage.    If the Fund fails to have Asset Coverage of at least 225% as provided in the Statement and such failure is not cured as of the close of business on the Asset Coverage Cure Date, the Fund will fix a redemption date and proceed to redeem the number of shares of Preferred Stock as described below at a price per share equal to the liquidation price per share of the applicable Preferred Stock, which in the case of the MTP Shares is equal to the Liquidation Preference per Share plus accumulated but unpaid dividends and distributions thereon (whether or not earned or declared but excluding interest thereon) to (but excluding) the date fixed for redemption by the Board of Trustees (the “Mandatory Redemption Price”). The Fund will redeem out of funds legally available the number of shares of Preferred Stock (which may include at the sole option of the Fund any number or proportion of MTP Shares) equal to the lesser of (i) the minimum number of shares of Preferred Stock, the redemption of which, if deemed to have occurred immediately prior to the opening of business on the Asset Coverage Cure Date, would result in the Fund having Asset Coverage of at least 230% and (ii) the maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock that can be redeemed out of funds expected to be legally available in accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Fund and applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, in the event that shares of Preferred Stock are redeemed pursuant to the Statement, the Fund may at its sole option, but is not required to, redeem a sufficient number of MTP Shares that, when aggregated with other shares of Preferred Stock redeemed by the Fund, permits the Fund to have with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock (including MTP Shares) remaining outstanding after such redemption, Asset Coverage on such Asset Coverage Cure Date of as much as 285%. The Fund will effect a redemption on the date fixed by the Fund, which date will not be later than 30 calendar days after the Asset Coverage Cure Date, except that if the Fund does not have funds legally available for the redemption of all of the required number of MTP Shares and other shares of Preferred Stock which have been designated to be redeemed or the Fund otherwise is unable to effect such redemption on or prior to 30 calendar days after the Asset Coverage Cure Date, the Fund will redeem those MTP Shares and other shares of Preferred Stock which it was unable to redeem on the earliest practicable date on which it is able to effect such redemption.

 

If fewer than all of the outstanding MTP Shares are to be redeemed pursuant to the Asset Coverage mandatory redemption provisions above, the MTP Shares to be redeemed will be selected either (i) pro rata among MTP Shares, (ii) by lot or (iii) in such other manner as the Board of Trustees of the Fund may determine to be fair and equitable.

 

Effective Leverage Ratio.    If the Fund fails to comply with the Effective Leverage Ratio (as defined above) requirement as of the close of business on any Business Day on which such compliance is determined and such failure is not cured as of the close of business on the Effective Leverage Ratio Cure Date, the Fund will within 30 days following the Effective Leverage Ratio Cure Date cause the Fund to have an Effective Leverage Ratio of

 

31


50% or less by (A) engaging in transactions involving or relating to the floating rate securities not owned by the Fund and/or the inverse floating rate securities owned by the Fund, including the purchase, sale or retirement thereof, (B) redeeming in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration of Trust a sufficient number of shares of Preferred Stock, which at the Fund’s sole option may include any number or proportion of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, or (C) engaging in any combination of the actions contemplated by clauses (A) and (B). Any MTP Shares so redeemed will be redeemed at a price per share equal to the Mandatory Redemption Price.

 

On the Redemption Date for a redemption contemplated by clause (B) in the paragraph above, the Fund will not redeem more than the maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock that can be redeemed out of funds expected to be legally available therefor in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration of Trust and applicable law. If the Fund is unable to redeem the required number of MTP Shares and other shares of Preferred Stock which have been designated to be redeemed in accordance with clause (B) in the paragraph above due to the unavailability of legally available funds, the Fund will redeem those MTP Shares and other shares of Preferred Stock which it was unable to redeem on the earliest practicable date on which it is able to effect such redemption.

 

If fewer than all of the outstanding MTP Shares are to be redeemed pursuant to the Effective Leverage Ratio mandatory redemption provisions above, the MTP Shares to be redeemed will be selected either (A) pro rata among MTP Shares, (B) by lot or (C) in such other manner as the Board of Trustees of the Fund may determine to be fair and equitable.

 

Optional Redemption.    On any Business Day following the expiration of the Non-Call Period for MTP Shares or on any Business Day during a Rating Downgrade Period for MTP Shares, including a Business Day during the Non-Call Period for such MTP Shares (any such Business Day, an “Optional Redemption Date”), the Fund may redeem in whole or from time to time in part outstanding MTP Shares, at a redemption price equal to the Liquidation Preference, plus an amount equal to all unpaid dividends and distributions accumulated to (but excluding) the Optional Redemption Date (whether or not earned or declared by the Fund, but excluding interest thereon), plus the applicable Optional Redemption Premium per share (as calculated below) (the “Optional Redemption Price”). The “Optional Redemption Premium” with respect to each MTP Share will be an amount equal to:

 

  ·  

if the Optional Redemption Date does not occur during a Rating Downgrade Period but occurs on or after November 1, 2011 and prior to May 1, 2012, 1.00% of the Liquidation Preference;

 

  ·  

if the Optional Redemption Date does not occur during a Rating Downgrade Period but occurs on or after May 1, 2012 and prior to November 1, 2012, 0.5% of the Liquidation Preference; or

 

  ·  

if the Optional Redemption Date either occurs during a Rating Downgrade Period or occurs on or after November 1, 2012, 0.00% of the Liquidation Preference.

 

If fewer than all of the outstanding MTP Shares are to be redeemed pursuant to the optional redemption provisions above, the MTP Shares to be redeemed will be selected either (i) pro rata among MTP Shares, (ii) by lot or (iii) in such other manner as the Board of Trustees of the Fund may determine to be fair and equitable. Subject to the provisions of the Statement and applicable law, the Fund’s Board of Trustees will have the full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which MTP Shares will be redeemed from time to time.

 

The Fund may not on any date deliver a notice of redemption to redeem any MTP Shares pursuant to the optional redemption provisions described above unless on such date the Fund has available Deposit Securities for the Optional Redemption Date contemplated by such notice of redemption having a Market Value not less than the amount (including any applicable premium) due to holders of MTP Shares by reason of the redemption of such MTP Shares on such Optional Redemption Date.

 

Redemption Procedures.    The Fund will file a notice of its intention to redeem with the Securities and Exchange Commission so as to provide the 30 calendar day notice period contemplated by Rule 23c-2 under the 1940 Act, or such shorter notice period as may be permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff.

 

32


 

If the Fund shall determine or be required to redeem, in whole or in part, MTP Shares, it will deliver a notice of redemption (a “Notice of Redemption”) by overnight delivery, by first class mail, postage prepaid or by electronic means to the holders of such MTP Shares to be redeemed, or request the Redemption and Paying Agent, on behalf of the Fund, to promptly do so by overnight delivery, by first class mail or by electronic means. A Notice of Redemption will be provided not more than 45 calendar days prior to the date fixed for redemption in such Notice of Redemption (the “Redemption Date”). Each Notice of Redemption will state: (i) the Redemption Date; (ii) the number of MTP Shares to be redeemed; (iii) the CUSIP number(s) of such MTP Shares; (iv) the applicable Redemption Price of MTP Shares to be redeemed on a per share basis; (v) if applicable, the place or places where the certificate(s) for such MTP Shares (properly endorsed or assigned for transfer, if the Board of Trustees of the Fund will so require and the Notice of Redemption states) are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; (vi) that dividends on MTP Shares to be redeemed will cease to accumulate from and after the redemption date; and (vii) the provisions of the Statement under which such redemption is made. If fewer than all MTP Shares held by any holder are to be redeemed, the Notice of Redemption mailed to such holder shall also specify the number of MTP Shares to be redeemed from such holder or the method of determining such number. The Fund may provide in any Notice of Redemption relating to a redemption contemplated to be effected pursuant to a Statement that such redemption is subject to one or more conditions precedent and that the Fund will not be required to effect such redemption unless each such condition has been satisfied. No defect in any Notice of Redemption or delivery thereof will affect the validity of redemption proceedings except as required by applicable law.

 

If the Fund gives a Notice of Redemption, then at any time from and after the giving of such Notice of Redemption and prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the Redemption Date (so long as any conditions precedent to such redemption have been met or waived by the Fund), the Fund will (i) deposit with the Redemption and Paying Agent Deposit Securities having an aggregate Market Value at the time of deposit no less than the redemption price of the MTP Shares to be redeemed on the Redemption Date and (ii) give the Redemption and Paying Agent irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the applicable redemption price to the holders of MTP Shares called for redemption on the Redemption Date. The Fund may direct the Redemption and Paying Agent with respect to the investment of any Deposit Securities consisting of cash so deposited prior to the Redemption Date, provided that the proceeds of any such investment will be available at the opening of business on the Redemption Date as same day funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Redemption Date is the Term Redemption Date, then such deposit of Deposit Securities (which may come in whole or in part from the Term Redemption Liquidity Account described below) will be made no later than 15 calendar days prior to the Term Redemption Date.

 

Upon the date of the deposit of Deposit Securities by the Fund for purposes of redemption of MTP Shares, all rights of the holders of MTP Shares so called for redemption shall cease and terminate except the right of the holders thereof to receive the Term Redemption Price, Mandatory Redemption Price or Optional Redemption Price thereof, as applicable (any of the foregoing referred to herein as the “Redemption Price”), and such MTP Shares shall no longer be deemed outstanding for any purpose whatsoever (other than the transfer thereof prior to the applicable Redemption Date and other than the accumulation of dividends thereon in accordance with the terms of the MTP Shares up to (but excluding) the applicable Redemption Date). The Fund will be entitled to receive, promptly after the Redemption Date, any Deposit Securities in excess of the aggregate Redemption Price of MTP Shares called for redemption on the Redemption Date. Any Deposit Securities so deposited that are unclaimed at the end of 90 calendar days from the Redemption Date will, to the extent permitted by law, be repaid to the Fund, after which the holders of MTP Shares so called for redemption shall look only to the Fund for payment of the Redemption Price. The Fund will be entitled to receive, from time to time after the Redemption Date, any interest on the Deposit Securities so deposited.

 

On or after a Redemption Date, each holder of MTP Shares in certificated form (if any) that are subject to redemption will surrender the certificate(s) evidencing such MTP Shares to the Fund at the place designated in the Notice of Redemption and will then be entitled to receive the Redemption Price, without interest, and in the case of a redemption of fewer than all MTP Shares represented by such certificate(s), a new certificate representing MTP Shares that were not redeemed.

 

33


 

Notwithstanding the other redemption provisions described herein, except as otherwise required by law, the Fund will not redeem any MTP Shares unless all accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions on all outstanding MTP Shares and shares of other series of Preferred Stock ranking on a parity with the MTP Shares with respect to dividends and distributions for all applicable past dividend periods (whether or not earned or declared by the Fund) (x) shall have been or are contemporaneously paid or (y) shall have been or are contemporaneously declared and Deposit Securities or sufficient funds (in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock) for the payment of such dividends and distributions shall have been or are contemporaneously deposited with the Redemption and Paying Agent as set forth herein, provided that the Fund will not be prevented from the purchase or acquisition of outstanding MTP Shares pursuant to an otherwise lawful purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding MTP Shares and any other series of Preferred Stock for which all accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions have not been paid.

 

If any redemption for which a Notice of Redemption has been provided is not made by reason of the absence of legally available funds of the Fund in accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Fund and applicable law, such redemption shall be made as soon as practicable to the extent such funds become available. No Redemption Default will be deemed to have occurred if the Fund has failed to deposit in trust with the Redemption and Paying Agent the applicable Redemption Price with respect to any shares where (1) the Notice of Redemption relating to such redemption provided that such redemption was subject to one or more conditions precedent and (2) any such condition precedent has not been satisfied at the time or times and in the manner specified in such Notice of Redemption. Notwithstanding the fact that a Notice of Redemption has been provided with respect to any MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, dividends may be declared and paid on such MuniFund Term Preferred Shares in accordance with their terms if Deposit Securities for the payment of the Redemption Price of such MuniFund Term Preferred Shares shall not have been deposited in trust with the Redemption and Paying Agent for that purpose.

 

The Fund may, in its sole discretion and without a shareholder vote, modify the redemption procedures with respect to notification of redemption for the MTP Shares, provided that such modification does not materially and adversely affect the holders of MTP Shares or cause the Fund to violate any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

Term Redemption Liquidity Account and Liquidity Requirement

 

On or prior to May 1, 2015 ( the “Liquidity Account Initial Date”), the Fund will cause its custodian to segregate, by means of appropriate identification on its books and records or otherwise in accordance with its custodian’s normal procedures, from the other assets of the Fund (the “Term Redemption Liquidity Account”) Deposit Securities or any other security or investment owned by the Fund that is rated not less than A3 by Moody’s, A- by S&P, A- by Fitch or an equivalent rating by any other NRSRO (each a “Liquidity Account Investment” and collectively the “Liquidity Account Investments”) with a Market Value (as defined in the Statement) equal to at least 110% of the Term Redemption Amount (as defined below) with respect to such MTP Shares. The “Term Redemption Amount” for MTP Shares is equal to the Term Redemption Price to be paid on the Term Redemption Date, based on the number of MTP Shares then outstanding, assuming for this purpose that the Dividend Rate in effect at the Liquidity Account Initial Date will be the Dividend Rate in effect until the Term Redemption Date. If, on any date after the Liquidity Account Initial Date, the aggregate Market Value of the Liquidity Account Investments included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account for MTP Shares as of the close of business on any Business Day is less than 110% of the Term Redemption Amount, then the Fund will cause the custodian and Nuveen Asset Management to take all such necessary actions, including segregating assets of the Fund as Liquidity Account Investments, so that the aggregate Market Value of the Liquidity Account Investments included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account is at least equal to 110% of the Term Redemption Amount not later than the close of business on the next succeeding Business Day. With respect to assets of the Fund segregated as Liquidity Account Investments with respect to the MTP Shares, Nuveen Asset Management, on behalf of the Fund, will be entitled to instruct the custodian on any date to release any Liquidity Account Investments from such segregation and to substitute therefor other Liquidity Account Investments not so

 

34


segregated, so long as (i) the assets of the Fund segregated as Liquidity Account Investments at the close of business on such date have a Market Value (as defined in the Statement) equal to 110% of the Term Redemption Amount and (ii) the assets of the Fund segregated as Deposit Securities at the close of business on such date have a Market Value equal to the Liquidity Requirement (if any) (as set forth below) that is applicable to such date. The Fund will cause the custodian not to permit any lien, security interest or encumbrance to be created or permitted to exist on or in respect of any Liquidity Account Investments included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account, other than liens, security interests or encumbrances arising by operation of law and any lien of the custodian with respect to the payment of its fees or repayment for its advances.

 

The Market Value of the Deposit Securities held in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account for the MTP Shares, from and after the 15th day of the calendar month that is the number of months preceding the month of the Term Redemption Date specified in the table set forth below, will not be less than the percentage of the Term Redemption Amount for the MTP Shares set forth below opposite such number of months (the “Liquidity Requirement”), but in all cases subject to the cure provisions of described below:

 

Number of Months
Preceding


   Value of Deposit
Securities as Percentage
of Term Redemption
Amount


 

5

     20

4

     40

3

     60

2

     80

1

     100

 

If the aggregate Market Value of the Deposit Securities included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account for the MTP Shares as of the close of business on any Business Day is less than the Liquidity Requirement for such Business Day, then the Fund will cause the segregation of additional or substitute Deposit Securities in respect of the Term Redemption Liquidity Account, so that the aggregate Market Value of the Deposit Securities included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account is at least equal to the Liquidity Requirement not later than the close of business on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

The Deposit Securities included in the Term Redemption Liquidity Account may be applied by the Fund, in its discretion, towards payment of the Term Redemption Price. Upon the deposit by the Fund with the Redemption and Paying Agent of Deposit Securities having an initial combined Market Value sufficient to effect the redemption of the MTP Shares on the Term Redemption Date, the requirement of the Fund to maintain the Term Redemption Liquidity Account as described above will lapse and be of no further force and effect.

 

Liquidation Rights

 

In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders, after satisfying claims of creditors but before any distribution or payment shall be made in respect of the common stock, a liquidation distribution equal to the Liquidation Preference of $10 per share, plus an amount equal to all unpaid dividends and distributions accumulated to (but excluding) the date fixed for such distribution or payment (whether or not earned or declared by the Fund, but excluding interest thereon), and such holders shall be entitled to no further participation in any distribution or payment in connection with any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

 

If, upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, whether voluntary or involuntary, the assets of the Fund available for distribution among the holders of all MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, and any other outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, shall be insufficient to permit the payment in full to such holders of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares of the Liquidation Preference plus accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions and the amounts due upon liquidation with respect to such other shares of Preferred

 

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Stock, then the available assets shall be distributed among the holders of such MuniFund Term Preferred Shares and such other series of Preferred Stock ratably in proportion to the respective preferential liquidation amounts to which they are entitled. In connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund whether voluntary or involuntary, unless and until the Liquidation Preference on each outstanding MuniFund Term Preferred Share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends and distributions has been paid in full to the holders of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, no dividends, distributions or other payments will be made on, and no redemption, repurchase or other acquisition by the Fund will be made by the Fund in respect of, the common stock of the Fund.

 

Neither the sale of all or substantially all of the property or business of the Fund, nor the merger, consolidation or reorganization of the Fund into or with any other business or statutory trust, corporation or other entity, nor the merger, consolidation or reorganization of any other business or statutory trust, corporation or other entity into or with the Fund will be a dissolution, liquidation or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, for purposes of the provisions relating to liquidation set forth in the Statement.

 

Voting Rights

 

Except as otherwise provided in the Fund’s Declaration of Trust, the Statement, or as otherwise required by applicable law, each holder of MTP Shares will be entitled to one vote for each MTP Share held by such holder on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Fund and the holders of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares, will vote together with holders of shares of common stock of the Fund as a single class. Under applicable rules of the NYSE Amex, the Fund is currently required to hold annual meetings of shareholders.

 

In addition, the holders of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares, will be entitled, as a class, to the exclusion of the holders of all other securities and classes of common stock of the Fund, to elect two trustees of the Fund at all times. The holders of outstanding shares of common stock and Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, voting together as a single class, will elect the balance of the trustees of the Fund.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) at the close of business on any dividend payment date for dividends on any outstanding share of Preferred Stock, including any outstanding MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, accumulated dividends (whether or not earned or declared) on the shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares, equal to at least two full year’s dividends shall be due and unpaid and sufficient cash or specified securities shall not have been deposited with the Redemption and Paying Agent or other applicable paying agent for the payment of such accumulated dividends; or (ii) at any time holders of any shares of Preferred Stock are entitled under the 1940 Act to elect a majority of the trustees of the Fund (a period when either of the foregoing conditions exists, a “Voting Period”), then the number of members constituting the Board of Trustees of the Fund will automatically be increased by the smallest number that, when added to the two trustees elected exclusively by the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares, as described above, would constitute a majority of the Board as so increased by such smallest number; and the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares, will be entitled as a class on a one-vote-per-share basis, to elect such additional trustees. The terms of office of the persons who are trustees at the time of that election will not be affected by the election of the additional trustees. If the Fund thereafter shall pay, or declare and set apart for payment, in full all dividends payable on all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, for all past dividend periods, or the Voting Period is otherwise terminated, (i) the voting rights stated above shall cease, subject always, however, to the revesting of such voting rights in the holders of shares of Preferred Stock upon the further occurrence of any of the events described herein, and (ii) the terms of office of all of the additional trustees so elected will terminate automatically. Any Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, issued after the date hereof will vote with MTP Shares as a single class on the matters described above, and the issuance of any other Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, by the Fund may reduce the voting power of the holders of MTP Shares.

 

As soon as practicable after the accrual of any right of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock to elect additional trustees as described above, the Fund will call a special meeting of such holders and notify the

 

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Redemption and Paying Agent and/or such other person as is specified in the terms of such Preferred Stock to receive notice, (i) by mailing or delivery by electronic means or (ii) in such other manner and by such other means as are specified in the terms of such Preferred Stock, a notice of such special meeting to such holders, such meeting to be held not less than 10 nor more than 30 calendar days after the date of the delivery by electronic means or mailing of such notice. If the Fund fails to call such a special meeting, it may be called at the expense of the Fund by any such holder on like notice. The record date for determining the holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitled to notice of and to vote at such special meeting shall be the close of business on the fifth Business Day preceding the calendar day on which such notice is mailed. At any such special meeting and at each meeting of holders of shares of Preferred Stock held during a Voting Period at which trustees are to be elected, such holders, voting together as a class (to the exclusion of the holders of all other securities and classes of capital stock of the Fund), will be entitled to elect the number of additional trustees prescribed above on a one-vote-per-share basis.

 

Except as otherwise permitted by the terms of the Statement, so long as any MuniFund Term Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund will not, without the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least a majority of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares of all series outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Declaration of Trust or the Statement, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to materially and adversely affect any preference, right or power of the MuniFund Term Preferred Shares or the holders thereof; provided, however, that (i) a change in the capitalization of the Fund as described under the heading “—Issuance of Additional Preferred Stock” will not be considered to materially and adversely affect the rights and preferences of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, and (ii) a division of a MuniFund Term Preferred Share will be deemed to affect such preferences, rights or powers only if the terms of such division materially and adversely affect the holders of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares. For purposes of the foregoing, no matter shall be deemed to adversely affect any preference, right or power of a MuniFund Term Preferred Share of such Series or the holder thereof unless such matter (i) alters or abolishes any preferential right of such MuniFund Term Preferred Share, or (ii) creates, alters or abolishes any right in respect of redemption of such MuniFund Term Preferred Share (other than as a result of a division of a MuniFund Term Preferred Share). So long as any MuniFund Term Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund will not, without the affirmative vote or consent of at least 66 2/3% of the holders of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, file a voluntary application for relief under federal bankruptcy law or any similar application under state law for so long as the Fund is solvent and does not foresee becoming insolvent.

 

Except as otherwise permitted by the terms of the Statement, so long as any MTP Shares are outstanding, the Fund will not, without the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least a majority of the MTP Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the appendix to the Statement relating to the MTP Shares, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to materially and adversely affect any preference, right or power set forth in such appendix of the MTP Shares or the holders thereof; provided, however, that (i) a change in the capitalization of the Fund as described under the heading “—Issuance of Additional Preferred Stock” will not be considered to materially and adversely affect the rights and preferences of the MTP Shares, and (ii) a division of an MTP Share will be deemed to affect such preferences, rights or powers only if the terms of such division materially and adversely affect the holders of the MTP Shares; and provided, further, that no amendment, alteration or repeal of the obligations of the Fund to (x) pay the Term Redemption Price on the Term Redemption Date for the MTP Shares or (y) accumulate dividends at the Dividend Rate for the MTP Shares will be effected without, in each case, the prior unanimous vote or consent of the holders of the MTP Shares. For purposes of the foregoing, no matter shall be deemed to adversely affect any preference, right or power of a MTP Share or the holder thereof unless such matter (i) alters or abolishes any preferential right of such MTP Share, or (ii) creates, alters or abolishes any right in respect of redemption of such MTP Share.

 

Unless a higher percentage is provided for in the Declaration of Trust of the Fund, (i) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a “majority of the shares of Preferred Stock,” including the MuniFund Term Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, will be required to approve any conversion of the Fund

 

37


from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, (ii) to approve any plan of “reorganization” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(33) of the 1940 Act) adversely affecting such shares of Preferred Stock or (iii) to approve any other action requiring a vote of security holders of the Fund under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act. For purposes of the foregoing, the vote of a “majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock” means the vote at an annual or special meeting duly called of (i) 67% or more of such shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of such shares are present or represented by proxy at such meeting, or (ii) more than 50% of such shares, whichever is less.

 

For purposes of determining any rights of the holders of MTP Shares to vote on any matter, whether such right is created by the Statement, by the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, by statute or otherwise, no holder of MTP Shares will be entitled to vote any MTP Shares and no MTP Shares will be deemed to be “outstanding” for the purpose of voting or determining the number of shares required to constitute a quorum if, prior to or concurrently with the time of determination of shares entitled to vote or the time of the actual vote on the matter, as the case may be, the requisite Notice of Redemption with respect to such MTP Shares will have been given in accordance with the Statement, and the Redemption Price for the redemption of such MTP Shares will have been irrevocably deposited with the Redemption and Paying Agent for that purpose. No MTP Shares held by the Fund will have any voting rights or be deemed to be outstanding for voting or for calculating the voting percentage required on any other matter or other purposes.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Rating Agency Guidelines discussed below, as they may be amended from time to time by the respective Rating Agency, may be amended by the respective Rating Agency without the vote, consent or approval of the Fund, the Board of Trustees of the Fund and any holder of shares of Preferred Stock, including any MTP Shares, or any other shareholder of the Fund.

 

Unless otherwise required by law or the Declaration of Trust, holders of MTP Shares will not have any relative rights or preferences or other special rights with respect to voting other than those specifically set forth in the “Voting Rights” section of the Statement. The holders of MTP Shares will have no rights to cumulative voting. In the event that the Fund fails to declare or pay any dividends on MTP Shares, the exclusive remedy of the holders will be the right to vote for additional trustees as discussed above; provided that the foregoing does not affect the obligation of the Fund to accumulate and, if permitted by applicable law and the Statement, pay dividends at the Default Rate as discussed above.

 

Rating Agencies

 

The Fund will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause at least one Rating Agency to issue a credit rating with respect to MTP Shares for so long as such MTP Shares are outstanding (which credit rating may consist of a credit rating on the MuniFund Term Preferred Shares generally or the Preferred Stock generally). “Rating Agency” means any of Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, as designated by the Board of Trustees from time to time to be a Rating Agency for purposes of the Statement. The Board of Trustees has initially designated Moody’s, S&P and Fitch to be Rating Agencies. The Fund will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with any applicable Rating Agency Guidelines. Rating Agency Guidelines are guidelines of any Rating Agency, as they may be amended or modified from time to time, compliance with which is required to cause such Rating Agency to continue to issue a rating with respect to MTP Shares for so long as such MTP Shares are outstanding. The Board of Trustees may elect to terminate the designation of any Rating Agency previously designated by the Board of Trustees to act as a Rating Agency for purposes of the Statement (provided that at least one Rating Agency continues to maintain a rating with respect to the MTP Shares), and may elect to replace any Rating Agency previously designated as a Rating Agency by the Board of Trustees with any other Rating Agency not so designated at such time, if such replacement Rating Agency has at the time of such replacement (i) issued a rating for the MTP Shares and (ii) entered into an agreement with the Fund to continue to issue such rating subject to the Rating Agency’s customary conditions. A copy of the current Rating Agency Guidelines will be provided to any holder of MTP Shares promptly upon request therefor made by such holder to the Fund by writing the Fund at 333 West Wacker Dr., Chicago, Illinois 60606.

 

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On August 31, 2010 S&P published a Request for Comment concerning its new proposal to change its methods and assumptions for rating certain “market value securities,” including those issued by registered closed-end funds such as the MTP Shares to be issued by the Fund. The S&P Proposal defined “market value securities” as those whose source of repayment is liquidation proceeds generated from open market sales of assets (in the Fund’s case, portfolio securities), rather than cash flow generated by assets held to maturity. S&P has requested comments on the S&P Proposal and the comment period ends October 29, 2010. S&P stated that after the comment period expires, it will review the comments and publish updated criteria methodology and assumptions, which would be applicable to all outstanding S&P ratings of market value securities. The updated criteria, if adopted by S&P, may be the same as proposed or may differ based upon comments received by S&P. Under the current S&P Proposal, when rating market value securities (including MTP Shares) issued by the Fund, S&P would substantially increase the reductions in value, or “haircuts,” applied to the Fund’s portfolio securities compared with its present methodology. Due to these increased haircuts, any market value securities issued by the Fund (including MTP Shares) in the future may be ineligible for a AAA rating from S&P. In addition, any market value securities (including the MTP Shares offered hereby) that had a rating of AAA from S&P prior to the adoption of the proposed criteria may be unable to maintain such rating after the adoption of such criteria, if adopted as proposed. In the event that S&P downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would not change. However, if each of the other Rating Agencies also downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would increase. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods—Adjustments to Fixed Dividend Rate—Ratings.” Nevertheless, a downgrade by S&P could adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of the MTP Shares. There can be no assurance S&P will or will not take any action with respect to the S&P Proposal or that any such action would not result in a downgrade of MTP Shares. Further, there can be no assurance that any other Rating Agency will not also alter its rating criteria resulting in downgrades of ratings, which could further adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of MTP Shares.

 

Issuance of Additional Preferred Stock

 

So long as any MTP Shares are outstanding, the Fund may, without the vote or consent of the holders thereof, authorize, establish and create and issue and sell shares of one or more series of a class of senior securities of the Fund representing stock under Section 18 of the 1940 Act, ranking on a parity with MuniFund Term Preferred Shares as to payment of dividends and distributions of assets upon dissolution, liquidation or the winding up of the affairs of the Fund, in addition to then outstanding MTP Shares, including additional series of MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, and authorize, issue and sell additional shares of any such series of Preferred Stock then outstanding or so established and created, including additional MTP Shares, in each case in accordance with applicable law, provided that the Fund will, immediately after giving effect to the issuance of such additional Preferred Stock and to its receipt and application of the proceeds thereof, including to the redemption of Preferred Stock with such proceeds, have Asset Coverage of at least 225%.

 

Actions on Other than Business Days

 

Unless otherwise provided herein or in the Statement, if the date for making any payment, performing any act or exercising any right is not a Business Day, such payment will be made, act performed or right exercised on the next succeeding Business Day, with the same force and effect as if made or done on the nominal date provided therefor, and, with respect to any payment so made, no dividends, interest or other amount will accrue for the period between such nominal date and the date of payment.

 

Modification

 

The Board of Trustees, without the vote of the holders of MTP Shares, may interpret, supplement or amend the provisions of the Statement or any appendix thereto to supply any omission, resolve any inconsistency or ambiguity or to cure, correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision, including any provision that becomes defective after the date hereof because of impossibility of performance or any provision that is inconsistent with any provision of any other Preferred Stock of the Fund.

 

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THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS

 

Investment Objectives and Policies

 

The Fund’s investment objectives are:

 

  ·  

to provide current income exempt from regular federal and California income tax; and

 

  ·  

to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the Fund’s investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued.

 

A portion of the dividends from MTP Shares may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in investment grade securities that, at the time of investment, are rated within the four highest grades (Baa or BBB or better) by at least one NRSRO or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that at the time of investment are rated below investment grade or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. No more than 10% of the Fund’s Managed Assets may be invested in municipal securities rated below B3/B- or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. Securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds. Managed Assets are net assets, including assets attributable to any principal amount of any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) and any Preferred Stock outstanding. The foregoing credit quality policies apply only at the time a security is purchased, and the Fund is not required to dispose of a security in the event that a rating agency downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, Nuveen Asset Management may consider such factors as its assessment of the credit quality of the issuer of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by other rating agencies. A general description of Moody’s, S&P’s and Fitch’s ratings of municipal securities is set forth in Appendix B to the SAI. The Fund may also invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies that invest primarily in municipal bonds of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.

 

The Fund may purchase municipal bonds that are additionally secured by insurance, bank credit agreements, or escrow accounts. The credit quality of companies which provide such credit enhancements will affect the value of those securities. Although the insurance feature reduces certain financial risks, the premiums for insurance and the higher market price paid for insured obligations may reduce the Fund’s income. Insurance generally will be obtained from insurers with a claims-paying ability rated BBB or better by an NRSRO at the time of purchase. The insurance feature does not guarantee the market value of the insured obligations or the net asset value of the common shares.

 

Underrated municipal securities are those municipal securities whose ratings do not, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, reflect their true value. They may be underrated because of the time that has elapsed since their last ratings, or because rating agencies have not fully taken into account positive factors, or for other reasons. Undervalued municipal securities are those securities that, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, are worth more than their market value. They may be undervalued because there is a temporary excess of supply in that particular sector (such as hospital bonds, or bonds of a particular municipal issuer). Nuveen Asset Management may buy such a security even if the value of that security is consistent with the value of other securities in that sector. Municipal securities also may be undervalued because there has been a general decline in the market price of municipal securities for reasons that do not apply to the particular municipal securities that Nuveen Asset Management considers undervalued. Nuveen Asset Management believes that the prices of these municipal securities should ultimately reflect their true value.

 

40


 

The Fund also may invest up to 15% of its net assets in inverse floating rate securities. The economic effect of leverage through the Fund’s purchase of inverse floating rate securities creates an opportunity for increased net income and returns, but also creates the possibly that the Fund’s long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of leverage exceeds the return on the inverse floating rate securities purchased by the Fund.

 

During temporary defensive periods and in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in short-term investments including high quality, short-term securities that may be either tax exempt or taxable. The Fund intends to invest in taxable short-term investments only in the event that suitable tax-exempt short-term investments are not available at reasonable prices and yields. Investment in taxable short-term investments would result in a portion of your dividends being subject to regular federal income taxes. For more information, see the SAI.

 

The Fund cannot change its investment objectives without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common shares and Preferred Stock, voting together, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock, voting separately. For this purpose, “a majority of the outstanding shares” means the vote of (1) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.

 

The Fund is diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act. Consequently, as to 75% of its assets, the Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single issuer.

 

See Appendix A to this prospectus for a general description of the economic and credit characteristics of municipal issuers in California.

 

Certain Trading Strategies of the Fund

 

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions.    The Fund may buy and sell municipal securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date. On such transactions, the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the purchaser enters into the commitment. Beginning on the date the Fund enters into a commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, the Fund is required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain in a separate account liquid assets, consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times of at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment. Income generated by any such assets which provide taxable income for federal income tax purposes is includable in the taxable income of the Fund and, to the extent distributed, will be taxable distributions to shareholders. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery or forward basis may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the bonds prior to settlement and at the time of delivery the market value may be less than their cost.

 

Portfolio Turnover.    The Fund may buy and sell municipal securities to accomplish its investment objectives in relation to actual and anticipated changes in interest rates. The Fund also may sell one municipal security and buy another of comparable quality at about the same time to take advantage of what Nuveen Asset Management believes to be a temporary price disparity between the two bonds that may result from imbalanced supply and demand. The Fund also may engage in a limited amount of short-term trading, consistent with its investment objectives. The Fund may sell securities in anticipation of a market decline (a rise in interest rates) or buy securities in anticipation of a market rise (a decline in interest rates) and later sell them, but the Fund will not engage in trading solely to recognize a gain. The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objectives by prudently selecting municipal securities with a view to holding them for investment. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, the Fund expects, though it cannot guarantee, that its annual portfolio turnover rate generally will not exceed 100% under normal circumstances. For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 4%. There are no limits on the rate of portfolio turnover, and investments may be sold without regard to length of time held when investment considerations warrant such action. A higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly

 

41


greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. In addition, high portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.

 

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

 

Municipal Securities

 

General.    The Fund may invest in various municipal securities, including municipal bonds and notes, other securities issued to finance and refinance public projects, and other related securities and derivative instruments creating exposure to municipal bonds, notes and securities that provide for the payment of interest income that is exempt from federal and California income tax. Municipal securities are generally debt obligations issued by state and local governmental entities and may be issued by U.S. territories to finance or refinance public projects such as roads, schools, and water supply systems. Municipal securities may also be issued for private activities, such as housing, medical and educational facility construction, or for privately owned transportation, electric utility and pollution control projects. Municipal securities may be issued on a long term basis to provide permanent financing. The repayment of such debt may be secured generally by a pledge of the full faith and credit taxing power of the issuer, a limited or special tax, or any other revenue source including project revenues, which may include tolls, fees and other user charges, lease payments, and mortgage payments. Municipal securities may also be issued to finance projects on a short term interim basis, anticipating repayment with the proceeds on long term debt. Municipal securities may be issued and purchased in the form of bonds, notes, leases or certificates of participation; structured as callable or non-callable; with payment forms including fixed coupon, variable rate, zero coupon, capital appreciation bonds, tender option bonds, and residual interest bonds or inverse floating rate securities; or acquired through investments in pooled vehicles, partnerships or other investment companies. Inverse floating rate securities are securities that pay interest at rates that vary inversely with changes in prevailing short-term tax-exempt interest rates and represent a leveraged investment in an underlying municipal security, which may increase the effective leverage of the Fund.

 

The municipal securities in which the Fund will invest are generally issued by the State of California, a municipality of California, or a political subdivision of either, and pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by Nuveen Asset Management to be reliable), is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes, although the interest may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued by U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico or Guam) that are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes.

 

Yields on municipal securities depend on many factors, including the condition of the general money market and the municipal security market, the size of a particular offering, and the maturity and rating of a particular municipal security. Moody’s, S&P’s and Fitch’s ratings represent their opinions of the quality of a particular municipal security, but these ratings are general and are not absolute quality standards. Therefore, municipal securities with the same maturity, coupon, and rating may have different yields, while municipal securities with the same maturity and coupon and different ratings may have the same yield. The market value of municipal securities will vary with changes in interest rates and in the ability of their issuers to make interest and principal payments.

 

Obligations of municipal security issuers are subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. These obligations also may be subject to future federal or state laws or referenda that extend the time to payment of interest and/or principal, or that constrain the enforcement of these obligations or the power of municipalities to levy taxes. Legislation or other conditions may materially affect the power of a municipal security issuer to pay interest and/or principal when due.

 

Municipal Leases and Certificates of Participation.    The Fund may purchase municipal securities that represent lease obligations and certificates of participation in such leases. These carry special risks because the issuer of the securities may not be obligated to appropriate money annually to make payments under the lease. A

 

42


municipal lease is an obligation in the form of a lease or installment purchase that is issued by a state or local government to acquire equipment and facilities. Income from such obligations generally is exempt from state and local taxes in the state of issuance. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which normally provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the governmental issuer) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of debt. The debt issuance limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases or contracts of “non-appropriation” clauses that relieve the governmental issuer of any obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for such purpose by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. In addition, such leases or contracts may be subject to the temporary abatement of payments in the event the issuer is prevented from maintaining occupancy of the leased premises or utilizing the leased equipment or facilities. Although the obligations may be secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the disposition of the property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure might prove difficult, time consuming and costly, and result in a delay in recovering, or the failure to recover fully, the Fund’s original investment. To the extent that the Fund invests in unrated municipal leases or participates in such leases, the credit quality rating and risk of cancellation of such unrated leases will be monitored on an ongoing basis. In order to reduce this risk, the Fund will only purchase municipal securities representing lease obligations where Nuveen Asset Management believes the issuer has a strong incentive to continue making appropriations until maturity.

 

A certificate of participation represents an undivided interest in an unmanaged pool of municipal leases, an installment purchase agreement or other instruments. The certificates are typically issued by a municipal agency, a trust or other entity that has received an assignment of the payments to be made by the state or political subdivision under such leases or installment purchase agreements. Such certificates provide the Fund with the right to a pro rata undivided interest in the underlying municipal securities. In addition, such participations generally provide the Fund with the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days’ notice, of all or any part of the Fund’s participation interest in the underlying municipal securities, plus accrued interest.

 

Municipal Notes.    Municipal securities in the form of notes generally are used to provide for short-term capital needs, in anticipation of an issuer’s receipt of other revenues or financing, and typically have maturities of up to three years. Such instruments may include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes and construction loan notes. Tax anticipation notes are issued to finance the working capital needs of governments. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various tax revenues, such as income, sales, property, use and business taxes, and are payable from these specific future taxes. Revenue anticipation notes are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues available under federal revenue sharing programs. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide interim financing until long-term bond financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the funds needed for repayment of the bond anticipation notes. Tax and revenue anticipation notes combine the funding sources of both tax anticipation notes and revenue anticipation notes. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing. Mortgage notes insured by the Federal Housing Authority secure these notes; however, the proceeds from the insurance may be less than the economic equivalent of the payment of principal and interest on the mortgage note if there has been a default. The anticipated revenues from taxes, grants or bond financing generally secure the obligations of an issuer of municipal notes. An investment in such instruments, however, presents a risk that the anticipated revenues will not be received or that such revenues will be insufficient to satisfy the issuer’s payment obligations under the notes or that refinancing will be otherwise unavailable.

 

Pre-Refunded Municipal Securities.    The principal of, and interest on, pre-refunded municipal securities are no longer paid from the original revenue source for the securities. Instead, the source of such payments is typically an escrow fund consisting of U.S. Government securities. The assets in the escrow fund are derived from the proceeds of refunding bonds issued by the same issuer as the pre-refunded municipal securities. Issuers of municipal securities use this advance refunding technique to obtain more favorable terms with respect to securities that are not yet subject to call or redemption by the issuer. For example, advance refunding enables an issuer to refinance debt at lower market interest rates, restructure debt to improve cash flow or eliminate

 

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restrictive covenants in the indenture or other governing instrument for the pre-refunded municipal securities. However, except for a change in the revenue source from which principal and interest payments are made, the pre-refunded municipal securities remain outstanding on their original terms until they mature or are redeemed by the issuer.

 

Private Activity Bonds.    Private activity bonds, formerly referred to as industrial development bonds, are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide privately operated housing facilities, airport, mass transit or port facilities, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas or electricity. Other types of private activity bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute municipal securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.

 

Inverse Floating Rate Securities.    Inverse floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as “inverse floaters”) are securities whose interest rates bear an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. Generally, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal bonds. The special purpose trust typically sells two classes of beneficial interests or securities: floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as short-term floaters or tender option bonds) and inverse floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as inverse floaters or residual interest securities). Both classes of beneficial interests are represented by certificates. The short-term floating rate securities have first priority on the cash flow from the municipal bonds held by the special purpose trust. Typically, a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution, grants the floating rate security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. As consideration for providing the option, the financial institution receives periodic fees. The holder of the short-term floater effectively holds a demand obligation that bears interest at the prevailing short-term, tax-exempt rate. However, the institution granting the tender option will not be obligated to accept tendered short-term floaters in the event of certain defaults or a significant downgrade in the credit rating assigned to the bond issuer. For its inverse floating rate investment, the Fund receives the residual cash flow from the special purpose trust. Because the holder of the short-term floater is generally assured liquidity at the face value of the security, the Fund as the holder of the inverse floater assumes the interest rate cash flow risk and the market value risk associated with the municipal bond deposited into the special purpose trust. The volatility of the interest cash flow and the residual market value will vary with the degree to which the trust is leveraged. This is expressed in the ratio of the total face value of the short-term floaters in relation to the value of the inverse floaters that are issued by the special purpose trust. All voting rights and decisions to be made with respect to any other rights relating to the municipal bonds held in the special purpose trust are passed through to the Fund, as the holder of the residual inverse floating rate securities.

 

Because increases in the interest rate on the short-term floaters reduce the residual interest paid on inverse floaters, and because fluctuations in the value of the municipal bond deposited in the special purpose trust affect the value of the inverse floater only, and not the value of the short-term floater issued by the trust, inverse floaters’ value is generally more volatile than that of fixed rate bonds. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is generally more volatile than the underlying bonds due to the leveraging effect of this ownership structure. These securities generally will underperform the market of fixed rate bonds in a rising interest rate environment (i.e., when bond values are falling), but tend to out-perform the market of fixed rate bonds when interest rates decline or remain relatively stable. Although volatile, inverse floaters typically offer the potential for yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity. Inverse floaters have varying degrees of liquidity based upon the liquidity of the underlying bonds deposited in a special purpose trust.

 

The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund. In Nuveen Asset Management’s discretion, the Fund may enter into a separate shortfall and forbearance agreement with the third party sponsor of a special purpose trust. The Fund may enter into such recourse agreements (i) when the liquidity provider to the special purpose trust requires such an agreement

 

44


because the level of leverage in the trust exceeds the level that the liquidity provider is willing to support absent such an agreement; and/or (ii) to seek to prevent the liquidity provider from collapsing the trust in the event that the municipal obligation held in the trust has declined in value. Such an agreement would require the Fund to reimburse the third party sponsor of such inverse floater, upon termination of the trust issuing the inverse floater, the difference between the liquidation value of the bonds held in the trust and the principal amount due to the holders of floating rate interests. Such agreements may expose the Fund to a risk of loss that exceeds its investment in the inverse floating rate securities. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the special purpose trust could be liquidated and the Fund could incur a loss.

 

The Fund’s investments in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund may be highly leveraged. The structure and degree to which the Fund’s inverse floating rate securities are highly leveraged will vary based upon a number of factors, including the size of the trust itself and the terms of the underlying municipal security held in a special purpose trust. An inverse floating rate security generally is considered highly leveraged if the principal amount of the short-term floating rate interests issued by the related special purpose trust is in excess of three times the principal amount of the inverse floating rate securities owned by the trust (the ratio of the principal amount of such short-term floating rate interests to the principal amount of the inverse floating rate securities is referred to as the “gearing”). In the event of a significant decline in the value of an underlying security, the Fund may suffer losses in excess of the amount of its investment (up to an amount equal to the value of the municipal securities underlying the inverse floating rate securities) as a result of liquidating special purpose trusts or other collateral required to maintain the Fund’s anticipated effective leverage ratio.

 

The Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets with its custodian in accordance with the 1940 Act to cover its obligations with respect to its investments in special purpose trusts. See also “Segregation of Assets” in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

The Fund invests in both inverse floating rate securities and floating rate securities (as discussed below) issued by the same special purpose trust.

 

Floating Rate Securities.    The Fund may also invest in floating rate securities, as described above, issued by special purpose trusts. Floating rate securities may take the form of short-term floating rate securities or the option period may be substantially longer. Generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal securities with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option, which may vary from weekly, to monthly, to extended periods of one year or multiple years. Since the option feature has a shorter-term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying bond deposited in the trust, the Fund as the holder of the floating rate securities relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the option as well as the credit strength of that institution. As further assurance of liquidity, the terms of the trust provide for a liquidation of the municipal bond deposited in the trust and the application of the proceeds to pay off the floating rate securities. The trusts that are organized to issue both short-term floating rate securities and inverse floaters generally include liquidation triggers to protect the investor in the floating rate securities.

 

Special Taxing Districts.    Special taxing districts are organized to plan and finance infrastructure developments to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bond financing methods such as tax increment finance, tax assessment, special services district and Mello-Roos bonds, are generally payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities. They often are exposed to real estate development-related risks and can have more taxpayer concentration risk than general tax-supported bonds, such as general obligation bonds.

 

Further, the fees, special taxes, or tax allocations and other revenues that are established to secure such financings are generally limited as to the rate or amount that may be levied or assessed and are not subject to

 

45


increase pursuant to rate covenants or municipal or corporate guarantees. The bonds could default if development failed to progress as anticipated or if larger taxpayers failed to pay the assessments, fees and taxes as provided in the financing plans of the districts.

 

Zero Coupon Bonds

 

A zero coupon bond is a bond that does not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. When held to its maturity, its return comes from the difference between the purchase price and its maturity value. A zero coupon bond is normally issued and traded at a deep discount from face value. Zero coupon bonds allow an issuer to avoid or delay the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments and, as a result, may involve greater credit risk than bonds that pay interest currently or in cash. The market prices of zero coupon bonds are affected to a greater extent by changes in prevailing levels of interest rates and thereby tend to be more volatile in price than securities that pay interest periodically. In addition, the Fund would be required to distribute the income on any of these instruments as it accrues, even though the Fund will not receive all of the income on a current basis or in cash. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments, including when it may not be advisable to do so, to make income distributions to its shareholders.

 

Structured Notes

 

The Fund may utilize structured notes and similar instruments for investment purposes and also for hedging purposes. Structured notes are privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a benchmark asset, market or interest rate (an “embedded index”), such as selected securities, an index of securities or specified interest rates, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. The terms of such structured instruments normally provide that their principal and/or interest payments are to be adjusted upwards or downwards (but not ordinarily below zero) to reflect changes in the embedded index while the structured instruments are outstanding. As a result, the interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending upon a variety of factors, including the volatility of the embedded index and the effect of changes in the embedded index on principal and/or interest payments. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the referenced index or indices or other assets. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss. These types of investments may generate taxable income.

 

Other Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including exchange-traded funds (often referred to as “ETFs”)) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund may invest in investment companies that are advised by Nuveen Asset Management or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or pursuant to exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a stockholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Fund common shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies.

 

Nuveen Asset Management will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in the investment company relative to available municipal security investments. In addition, because the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and subject to leverage risk, the Fund may indirectly be subject to those risks. See “Risks—General Risks of Investing in the Fund—Other Investment Companies Risk.”

 

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Derivatives

 

The Fund may invest in derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objectives. Such instruments include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate and credit default swaps), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts, or other derivative instruments. Nuveen Asset Management uses derivatives to seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risks of its investments in fixed income securities or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. See the SAI for additional information.

 

Portfolio Investments

 

As used in this prospectus, the term “municipal securities” includes municipal securities with relatively short-term maturities. Some of these short-term securities may be variable or floating rate securities. The Fund, however, emphasizes investments in municipal securities with long- or intermediate-term maturities. The Fund buys municipal securities with different maturities and intends to maintain an average portfolio maturity of 15 to 30 years, although this may be shortened depending on market conditions. As a result, the Fund’s portfolio may include long-term and intermediate-term municipal securities. If the long-term municipal security market is unstable, the Fund may temporarily invest up to 100% of its assets in temporary investments. Temporary investments are high quality, generally uninsured, short-term municipal securities that may either be tax-exempt or taxable. The Fund will buy taxable temporary investments only if suitable tax-exempt temporary investments are not available at reasonable prices and yields. The Fund will invest only in taxable temporary securities that are U.S. Government securities or corporate debt securities rated within the highest grade by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, and that mature within one year from the date of purchase or carry a variable of floating rate of interest. The Fund’s policies on securities ratings only apply when the Fund buys a security, and the Fund is not required to sell securities that have been downgraded. See Appendix B to the SAI for a description of securities ratings. The Fund also may invest in taxable temporary investments that are certificates of deposit from U.S. banks with assets of at least $1 billion, or repurchase agreements. The Fund intends to allocate taxable income on temporary investments, if any, proportionately between common shares and Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, based on the percentage of total dividends distributed to each class for that year.

 

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RISKS

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in any investment company security involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the following risks that you assume when you invest in MTP Shares. The section below does not describe all of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund. Additional risks and uncertainties may also adversely affect and impact the Fund.

 

Risks of Investing in MTP Shares

 

Interest Rate Risk—MTP Shares.    MTP Shares pay dividends at a fixed dividend rate. Prices of fixed income investments vary inversely with changes in market yields. The market yields on intermediate term securities comparable to MTP Shares may increase, which would likely result in a decline in the secondary market price of MTP Shares prior to its term redemption. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods” and “Risks—Risks of Investing in MTP Shares—Secondary Market and Delayed Listing Risk.”

 

Secondary Market and Delayed Listing Risk.    Because the Fund has no prior trading history for exchange-listed preferred shares, it is difficult to predict the trading patterns of MTP Shares, including the effective costs of trading MTP Shares. During a period of up to 30 days from the date of this prospectus, the MTP Shares will not be listed on any securities exchange. During this period, the underwriters do not intend to make a market in MTP Shares. Consequently, an investment in MTP Shares during this period will likely be illiquid and holders of MTP Shares may not be able to sell such shares as it is unlikely that a secondary market for MTP Shares will develop during this period. If a secondary market does develop during this period, holders of MTP Shares may be able to sell such shares only at substantial discounts from liquidation preference. Application has been made to list the MTP Shares on the New York Stock Exchange so that trading on such exchange will begin within 30 days from the date of this prospectus, subject to notice of issuance. If the Fund is unable to list MTP Shares on a national securities exchange, holders of MTP Shares may be unable to sell such shares at all, or if they are able to, only at substantial discounts from liquidation preference. Even after the MTP Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange as anticipated, there is a risk that the market for MTP Shares may be thinly traded and relatively illiquid compared to the market for other types of securities, with the spread between the bid and asked prices considerably greater than the spreads of other securities with comparable terms, credit ratings and tax-advantaged income features.

 

Ratings Risk.    The Fund expects that, at issuance, the MTP Shares will be rated at certain minimum levels by Rating Agencies designated by the Fund’s Board of Trustees and that such ratings will be a requirement of issuance of such shares by the underwriters pursuant to an underwriting agreement. There can be no assurance that the MTP Shares will receive any particular rating from any Rating Agency, or that any such ratings will be maintained at the level originally assigned through the term of MTP Shares. In the event that one or more of the Rating Agencies do not issue a rating on the MTP Shares at all or at the minimum level required, the issuance and sale of MTP Shares in this offering may not be completed. Ratings do not eliminate or mitigate the risks of investing in MTP Shares. A rating issued by a Rating Agency (including Moody’s, S&P and Fitch) is only the opinion of the entity issuing the rating at that time, and is not a guarantee as to quality, or an assurance of the future performance, of the rated security (in this case, MTP Shares). In addition, the manner in which the Rating Agency obtains and processes information about a particular security may affect the Rating Agency’s ability to timely react to changes in an issuer’s circumstances (in this case, the Fund) that could influence a particular rating. A Rating Agency could downgrade MTP Shares, which may make MTP Shares less liquid in the secondary market and reduce market prices. As described above under “Description of MTP Shares—Ratings Agencies,” S&P is currently considering adopting the S&P Proposal, which may result in S&P downgrading the MTP Shares after such proposal becomes effective. In the event that S&P downgrades the MTP Shares, the Fixed Dividend Rate would only increase if each of the other Rating Agencies also downgrades the MTP Shares. Nevertheless, a downgrade by S&P could adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of the MTP Shares. There can be no assurance that S&P will or will not take any action with respect to the S&P Proposal or that any such action would not result in a downgrade of MTP Shares. Further, there can be no assurance that any other

 

48


Rating Agency will not also alter its rating criteria resulting in downgrades of ratings, which could further adversely affect the market pricing and liquidity of MTP Shares.

 

Early Redemption Risk.    The Fund may voluntarily redeem MTP Shares or may be forced to redeem MTP Shares to meet regulatory requirements and the asset coverage requirements of the MTP Shares. Such redemptions may be at a time that is unfavorable to holders of MTP Shares. The Fund expects to voluntarily redeem MTP Shares before the Term Redemption Date to the extent that market conditions allow the Fund to issue other preferred shares or debt securities at a rate that is lower than the Fixed Dividend Rate on MTP Shares. For further information, see “Description of MTP Shares—Redemption” and “Description of MTP Shares—Asset Coverage.”

 

Tax Risk.    To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to regulated investment companies, among other things, the Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to stockholders, and such distributions would be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The value of MTP Shares may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies. Because dividends from MTP Shares are generally not expected to be subject to regular federal or California income taxation, the attractiveness of such shares in relation to other investment alternatives is affected by changes in federal or California income tax rates or changes in the tax-exempt treatment of dividends on MTP Shares. A portion of the dividends from MTP Shares may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, the Fund intends to treat MTP Shares as stock in the Fund for federal income tax purposes. Because there is no direct legal authority on the classification of instruments similar to MTP Shares, investors should be aware that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) could assert a contrary position—meaning that the IRS could classify MTP Shares as debt. If the IRS prevailed on such a position, the Fund would not be able to pass through tax-exempt income to holders of MTP Shares, and dividends paid on MTP Shares (including dividends already paid) could become taxable. See “Tax Matters.” See also the opinion of counsel included as Appendix C to the SAI.

 

Income Shortfall Risk.    The municipal securities held in the Fund’s portfolio generally pay interest based on long-term yields. Long-term, as well as intermediate-term and short-term interest rates may fluctuate. If the interest rates paid on the municipal securities held by the Fund fall below the Fixed Dividend Rate, the Fund’s ability to pay dividends on MTP Shares could be jeopardized.

 

Subordination Risk.    While holders of MTP Shares will have equal liquidation and distribution rights to any other Preferred Stock that might be issued by the Fund, they will be subordinated to the rights of holders of senior indebtedness, if any, of the Fund. Therefore, dividends, distributions and other payments to holders of MTP Shares in liquidation or otherwise may be subject to prior payments due to the holders of senior indebtedness. In addition, the 1940 Act may provide debt holders with voting rights that are superior to the voting rights of Preferred Stock holders, including holders of MTP Shares. Currently, the Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not issue debt securities that rank senior to MTP Shares. See the SAI, “Investment Restrictions.” If the Fund enters into borrowings in accordance with its fundamental investment policies, delayed delivery purchases and/or forward delivery contracts, the rights of lenders and counterparties in those transactions will also be senior to those of holders of MTP Shares.

 

Credit Crisis and Liquidity Risk.    General market uncertainty and extraordinary conditions in the credit markets, including the municipal market, may impact the liquidity of the Fund’s investment portfolio, which in turn, during extraordinary circumstances, could impact the Fund’s distributions and/or the liquidity of the Term Redemption Liquidity Account (as described under “Description of MTP Shares”). Further, there may be market imbalances of sellers and buyers of MTP Shares during periods of extreme illiquidity and volatility. Such market conditions may lead to periods of thin trading in any secondary market for MTP Shares and may make valuation of MTP Shares uncertain. As a result, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly such that an MTP Shares investor may have greater difficulty selling his or her MTP Shares. Less liquid and more volatile trading environments could result in sudden and significant valuation increases or declines in MTP Shares.

 

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Inflation Risk.    Inflation is the reduction in the purchasing power of money resulting from the increase in the price of goods and services. Inflation risk is the risk that the inflation-adjusted (or “real”) value of an investment in MTP Shares or the income from that investment will be worth less in the future. As inflation occurs, the real value of MTP Shares and dividends on MTP Shares declines.

 

Reinvestment Risk—MTP Shares.    Given the five-year term and potential for early redemption of MTP Shares, holders of MTP Shares may face an increased reinvestment risk, which is the risk that the return on an investment purchased with proceeds from the sale or redemption of MTP Shares may be lower than the return previously obtained from an investment in MTP Shares.

 

Other Dividend Risks.    In addition to the interest rate risks noted above, the Fund may otherwise be unable to pay dividends on MTP Shares in extraordinary circumstances.

 

General Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

Credit and Below Investment Grade Risk.    Credit risk is the risk that one or more municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in price, or the issuer thereof will fail to pay interest or principal when due, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. Credit risk is increased when a portfolio security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer deteriorates. The Fund may invest up to 20% (measured at the time of investment) of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that are rated below investment grade or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. If a municipal security satisfies the rating requirements described above at the time of investment and is subsequently downgraded below that rating, the Fund will not be required to dispose of the security. If a downgrade occurs, Nuveen Asset Management will consider what action, including the sale of the security, is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Municipal securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due, and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and business developments than investment grade municipal securities. Also, to the extent that the rating assigned to a municipal security in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by any NRSRO, the market price and liquidity of such security may be adversely affected. The market values for municipal securities of below investment grade quality tend to be volatile, and these securities are less liquid than investment grade municipal securities. For these reasons, an investment in the Fund, compared with a portfolio consisting solely of investment grade securities, may experience the following:

 

  ·  

increased price sensitivity resulting from a deteriorating economic environment and changing interest rates;

 

  ·  

greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality;

 

  ·  

adverse issuer specific events that are more likely to render the issuer unable to make interest and/or principal payments; and

 

  ·  

the possibility that a negative perception of the below investment grade market develops, resulting in the price and liquidity of below investment grade securities becoming depressed, and this negative perception could last for a significant period of time.

 

Municipal Securities Market Risk.    Investing in the municipal securities market involves certain risks. The municipal securities market is one in which dealer firms make markets in bonds on a principal basis using their proprietary capital, and during the recent market turmoil these firms’ capital became severely constrained. As a result, some firms were unwilling to commit their capital to purchase and to serve as a dealer for municipal securities. The amount of public information available about the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the Fund’s investment performance may therefore be more dependent on Nuveen Asset Management’s analytical abilities than if the Fund were to invest in stocks or taxable bonds. As noted above the secondary market for municipal securities also tends to be less well-developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to sell its municipal

 

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securities at attractive prices or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Municipal securities may contain redemption provisions, which may allow the securities to be called or redeemed prior to their stated maturity, potentially resulting in the distribution of principal and a reduction in subsequent interest distributions.

 

The ability of municipal issuers to make timely payments of interest and principal may be diminished during general economic downturns and as governmental cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local governments. If the current national economic recession continues, the ability of municipalities to collect revenue and service their obligations could be materially and adversely affected. The taxing power of any government entity may be limited by provisions of state constitutions or laws and an entity’s credit will depend on many factors, including the entity’s tax base, the extent to which the entity relies on federal or state aid, and other factors which are beyond the entity’s control. In addition, laws enacted in the future by Congress or state legislatures or referenda could extend the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or impose other constraints on enforcement of such obligations, or on the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Issuers of municipal securities might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, the Fund could experience delays in collecting principal and interest and the Fund may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in the payment of interest or repayment of principal, or both, the Fund may take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities, which may increase the Fund’s operating expenses. Any income derived from the Fund’s ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt.

 

Revenue bonds issued by state or local agencies to finance the development of low-income, multi-family housing involve special risks in addition to those associated with municipal securities generally, including that the underlying properties may not generate sufficient income to pay expenses and interest costs. These bonds are generally non-recourse against the property owner, may be junior to the rights of others with an interest in the properties, may pay interest that changes based in part on the financial performance of the property, may be prepayable without penalty and may be used to finance the construction of housing developments which, until completed and rented, do not generate income to pay interest. Additionally, unusually high rates of default on the underlying mortgage loans may reduce revenues available for the payment of principle or interest on such mortgage revenue bonds.

 

Interest Rate Risk—The Fund.    Generally, when market interest rates rise, bond prices fall, and vice versa. Interest rate risk is the risk that the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. In typical market interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term municipal securities generally fluctuate more than prices of shorter-term municipal securities as interest rates change.

 

Concentration Risk.    As described above, the Fund will invest its Managed Assets in a portfolio of municipal securities that are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. The Fund is therefore more susceptible to political, economic or regulatory factors affecting issuers of such securities. The information set forth below and the related information in Appendix A of this prospectus are derived from sources that are generally available to investors. The information is intended to give a recent historical description and is not intended to indicate future or continuing trends in the financial or other positions of California. It should be noted that the creditworthiness of obligations issued by local California issuers may be unrelated to the creditworthiness of obligations issued by the State of California, and that there is no obligation on the part of the State to make payment on such local obligations in the event of default.

 

The State experienced a severe economic recession which began in the first quarter of 2008 and ended at some point in the second half of 2009. Personal income fell in the first three quarters of 2009 before increasing moderately in the fourth quarter of 2009. Taxable sales fell sharply in the first half of 2009 before increasing substantially in the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. The State’s unemployment rate increased from 5.9 percent in January 2008 to 12.4 percent in August 2010. The rate of increase has slowed in 2010.

 

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In response to the most severe economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression, the State implemented substantial spending reductions, program eliminations, revenue increases, and other solutions in order to close an estimated $60 billion budget gap over the combined 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years. The State adopted reforms in nearly every area of government to better contain costs in the future.

 

The State appears to be slowly emerging from the recession, but economic growth remains modest and unemployment levels are still very high. In January 2010, California’s projected budget gap for fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11 was $19.9 billion. The deterioration of the State’s fiscal condition since adoption of the budget plan made in February and revised in July 2009 for the 2009-10 fiscal year (“Amended 2009 Budget Act”) was due to a combination of lower than projected revenues, failure to achieve expected savings (due in part to adverse court decisions) and population and caseload growth. A special session of the State Legislature in February 2010 enacted several bills that addressed about $2.1 billion of this gap. Further reduced revenue estimates ($0.6 billion) and higher expenditure estimates ($0.7 billion) added about $1.3 billion to the gap, so that the Governor’s revised budget for fiscal year 2010-11 released on May 14, 2010 (“2010-11 May Revision”) projected the remaining budget gap at $19.1 billion. This figure is comprised of a current year shortfall of $7.7 billion, a fiscal year 2010-11 shortfall of $10.2 billion and a $1.2 billion reserve for fiscal year 2010-11.

 

The 2010-11 May Revision proposed additional solutions to close the remaining budget gap. Additional federal funds (over and above the $2.2 billion already approved) account for $3.4 billion in solutions, a reduction from the $6.9 billion of additional federal funds contained in the Governor’s proposed budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year released on January 8, 2010 (“2010-11 Governor’s Budget”). Spending reductions account for $12.4 billion in solutions. Additional solutions include $1.3 billion in alternative funding and $2.1 billion in fund shifts and other revenues. In response, legislative leaders proposed two different budget plans, one of which calls for significant tax increases, and another which would rely on a borrowing plan using certain significant non-General Fund revenues. The Legislature rejected both budget plans on August 31, 2010 because of political differences. On October 8, 2010, after a 100-day impasse since the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year, the State Legislature enacted a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year (“2010 Budget Act”) that closes a revised budget gap of $19.3 billion through $8.4 billion in expenditure reductions, $5.4 billion in federal funds, and $5.5 billion in other budget solutions. The 2010 Budget Act holds general fund spending essentially flat compared to the prior fiscal year, $86.6 billion in 2010-11 compared to $86.3 billion in 2009-10, which marks a level of spending substantially lower than the level of spending in fiscal year 2005-06, adjusted for inflation and population growth.

 

The sharp drop in revenues over the last two fiscal years also resulted in a significant depletion of cash resources to pay the State’s obligations. For a period of one month, in February 2009, the State deferred making certain payments from the General Fund in order to conserve cash resources for high priority obligations, such as education and debt service. By July 2009, as new budget gaps were identified and with the failure to adopt corrective actions, the State’s cash resources had dwindled to such an extent that, commencing July 2, 2009, the State Controller began to issue registered warrants (or “IOUs”) for certain lower priority obligations in lieu of warrants (checks), which could not be immediately cashed. The registered warrants, the issuance of which did not require the consent of the recipients thereof, bore interest. The registered warrants were all called for redemption on September 4, 2009 once the State was able to access the public credit markets for cash management purposes following enactment of the Amended 2009 Budget Act. No registered warrants were used to make high-priority payments, including debt service on bonds, payments to schools, or employee payrolls. The issuance of state registered warrants in 2009 was only the second time the State has issued State registered warrants since the 1930s.

 

Legislation enacted during the fiscal emergency special session in early March 2010 provides the State with additional tools to manage cash during key months of the budget year by authorizing the short-term deferral of certain State payments, primarily to schools and local governments. The 2010 Budget Act also includes additional cash measures to assist the State Controller in managing cash immediately after budget enactment. These additional cash management tools will aid the State in managing large sum payments that were suspended during the 100-day budget impasse but are now due upon budget enactment. Specifically, the cash management

 

52


legislation included in the budget package provides for a short-term payment deferral for pension contribution for schools and potential deferrals to schools and higher education to assist the State in meeting its priority payments. See “Appendix A—Factors Affecting Municipal Securities in California—State Cash Management.”

 

The State Controller released on September 9, 2010 the monthly report on State cash receipts, disbursements and balances through August, 2010 of the 2010-11 fiscal year. The Controller reported that the State will be able to meet its payment obligations in the near term, with revenues rising above the 2010-11 May Revision estimates by $264.6 million, or 3.9 percent. The Controller stated at the time that the State would have a sufficient cash supply such that the State will not need to issue a second round of IOUs in the immediate future. Earlier projections had showed the State without enough cash on hand to cover all of its bills in late October 2010, which could have forced the Controller to begin issuing IOUs in early September. But August cash totals were high enough to remove the immediate threat of IOUs. The enactment of a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year under the 2010 Budget Act permits the State to begin its regular cash-flow borrowing and mitigates the need to issue IOUs. Personal income tax revenues came in above estimates by $119.5 million (4.1%). Corporate taxes were down $151 million (-117%), and sales taxes came in $124.8 million above (3.8%) estimates.

 

According to the State Department of Finance monthly economic update for August 2010, the year 2010 began with better news than 2009 did, but there were no signs of a robust recovery. Housing markets and construction activity appear to have bottomed out. Labor market conditions, though improved, were disappointing. There were offsetting job losses and gains in January and February. The unemployment rate remained elevated in February. In terms of labor market conditions, six of 11 major industry sectors grew in June. Manufacturing added 7,300 jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities, 5,600; professional and business services, 1,500; education and health services, 800; and mining and logging, 600; and leisure and hospitality, 400. During the first six months of 2010, California gained 71,100 nonfarm jobs. Since the national recession began in December 2007, California has lost 1,300,000 industry jobs.

 

The pace of home building accelerated in June, jumping up 16 percent from May. Residential permits were issued at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 43,500 units, up over 29 percent from a year earlier. Single-family permits were down 9.6 percent, while permits in the more volatile multi-family sector were up 144 percent. New home permits during the first half of 2010 were up 23.6 percent from the same months of 2009. However, this is still down nearly 80 percent from the pace set during the first half of 2005.

 

Preliminary General Fund agency cash for July was $257 million above the 2010-11 May Revision forecast of $5.077 billion. Personal income tax revenues to the General Fund were $49 million below the month’s forecast of $3.112 billion. Withholding receipts were $82 million lower than the projected level of $3.02 billion. Other receipts met the forecast of $360 million and refunds came in $32 million under the estimate of $212 million. Proposition 63 requires that 1.76 percent of total monthly personal income tax collections be transferred to the Mental Health Services Fund (MHSF). The amount transferred to the MHSF in July was $1 million below the month’s estimate of $56 million. Sales and use tax receipts were $212 million above the month’s forecast of $1.445 billion. Based on an analysis of the first several days of August cash, it appears that a substantial portion of the July gain is due to timing as early August receipts were modestly below projection.

 

The longest and deepest recession in the post-Depression era may appear to be over but there is a risk that the economy’s recovery may not be robust and even that a “double-dip” recession may occur. If the recovery continues to take hold, it will probably be moderate and prolonged by historical standards.

 

The pension funds managed by the State’s principal retirement systems, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, have sustained significant investment losses during the economic downturn and currently have substantial unfunded liabilities which will require increased contributions from the General Fund in future years. The State also has an unfunded liability relating to retirees’ post-employment healthcare benefits which was estimated to be $51.8 billion as of June 30, 2009.

 

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The credit ratings on the California’s general obligation bonds are among the lowest of any State in the country because of the State’s fiscal difficulties. As of September 2010, S&P, Moody’s and Fitch rated the State’s general obligation bonds with credit ratings of A-, A1 and A-, respectively. See “Appendix A—Factors Affecting Municipal Securities in California”.

 

California’s current economic problems heighten the risk of investing in bonds issued by the State and its political subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities and authorities, including the risk of potential issuer default. There is a heightened risk that there could be an interruption in payments to bondholders in some cases. This possibility, along with the risk of a further downgrade in the credit rating of the State’s general obligation debt, could result in a reduction in the market value of the bonds held by the Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s net asset values or the distributions paid by the Fund.

 

The foregoing information constitutes only a brief summary of some of the general factors that may impact certain issuers of California Municipal Obligations and does not purport to be a complete or exhaustive description of all adverse conditions to which the issuers of such securities held by the Fund are subject. Additionally, many factors, including national economic, social and environmental policies and conditions, which are not within the control of the issuers of California Municipal Obligations could affect or could have an adverse impact on the financial condition of the issuers. The Fund is unable to predict whether or to what extent such factors or other factors may affect the issuers of California Municipal Obligations, the market value or marketability of such securities or the ability of the respective issuers of such securities acquired by the Fund to pay interest on or principal of such securities. This information has not been independently verified. See Appendix A to this prospectus for a further discussion of factors affecting municipal securities in California.

 

Inverse Floating Rate Securities Risk.    The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in inverse floating rate securities. Typically, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust (sometimes called a “tender option bond trust”) formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal securities. See “Portfolio Composition—Municipal Securities—Inverse Floating Rate Securities.” In general, income on inverse floating rate securities will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates decrease. Investments in inverse floating rate securities may subject the Fund to the risks of reduced or eliminated interest payments and losses of principal.

 

Inverse floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value at a greater rate than the underlying interest rate, which effectively leverages the Fund’s investment. As a result, the market value of such securities generally will be more volatile than that of fixed rate securities.

 

The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund. In Nuveen Asset Management’s discretion, the Fund may enter into a separate shortfall and forbearance agreement with the third party sponsor of a special purpose trust. The Fund may enter into such recourse agreements (i) when the liquidity provider to the special purpose trust requires such an agreement because the level of leverage in the special purpose trust exceeds the level that the liquidity provider is willing to support absent such an agreement; and/or (ii) to seek to prevent the liquidity provider from collapsing the special purpose trust in the event that the municipal obligation held in the trust has declined in value. Such an agreement would require the Fund to reimburse the third party sponsor of the trust, upon termination of the trust issuing the inverse floater, the difference between the liquidation value of the bonds held in the trust and the principal amount due to the holders of floating rate securities. In such instances, the Fund may be at risk of loss that exceeds its investment in the inverse floating rate securities.

 

The Fund’s investments in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund may be highly leveraged. The structure and degree to which the Fund’s inverse floating rate securities are highly leveraged will vary based upon a number of factors, including the size of the trust itself and the terms of the underlying municipal security held in a special purpose trust. An inverse floating rate security generally is considered highly leveraged if the principal amount of the short-term floating rate interests issued by the related special purpose trust is in excess of three times the principal amount of the inverse floating rate securities owned by the trust (the ratio of the principal amount of such short-term floating rate interests to the principal amount of the

 

54


inverse floating rate securities is referred to as the “gearing”). In the event of a significant decline in the value of an underlying security, the Fund may suffer losses in excess of the amount of its investment (up to an amount equal to the value of the municipal securities underlying the inverse floating rate securities) as a result of liquidating special purpose trusts or other collateral required to maintain the Fund’s anticipated effective leverage ratio.

 

The economic effect of leverage through the Fund’s purchase of inverse floating rate securities creates an opportunity for increased net income and returns, but also creates the possibly that the Fund’s long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of leverage exceeds the return on the inverse floating rate securities purchased by the Fund.

 

Inverse floating rate securities have varying degrees of liquidity based upon the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in a special purpose trust. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is more volatile than the underlying securities due to leverage. The leverage attributable to such inverse floating rate securities may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of leverage. In certain circumstances, the likelihood of an increase in the volatility of net asset value and market price of the common shares may be greater for the Fund to the extent that it relies on inverse floating rate securities to achieve a significant portion of its desired effective leverage ratio. The Fund may be required to sell its inverse floating rate securities at less than favorable prices, or liquidate other Fund portfolio holdings in certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

  ·  

If the Fund has a need for cash and the securities in a special purpose trust are not actively trading due to adverse market conditions;

 

  ·  

If special purpose trust sponsors (as a collective group or individually) experience financial hardship and consequently seek to terminate their respective outstanding special purpose trusts; and

 

  ·  

If the value of an underlying security declines significantly (to a level below the notional value of the floating rate securities issued by the trust) and if additional collateral has not been posted by the Fund.

 

Taxability Risk.    The Fund will invest in municipal securities in reliance at the time of purchase on an opinion of bond counsel to the issuer that the interest paid on those securities will be excludable from gross income for regular federal income tax purposes, and Nuveen Asset Management will not independently verify that opinion. Subsequent to the Fund’s acquisition of such a municipal security, however, the security may be determined to pay, or to have paid, taxable income. As a result, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Fund as “exempt-interest dividends” could be adversely affected, subjecting the Fund’s shareholders to increased federal income tax liabilities.

 

Under highly unusual circumstances, the IRS may determine that a municipal bond issued as tax-exempt should in fact be taxable. If the Fund held such a bond, it might have to distribute taxable ordinary income dividends or reclassify as taxable income previously distributed as exempt-interest dividends.

 

Distributions of ordinary taxable income (including any net short-term capital gain) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (and not eligible for favorable taxation as “qualified dividend income”), and capital gain dividends will be subject to capital gains taxes. In certain circumstances, the Fund will make payments to holders of MTP Shares to offset the tax effects of a taxable distribution. See “Tax Matters.”

 

Other Investment Companies Risk.    The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies. Such securities may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. Utilization of leverage is a speculative investment technique and involves certain risks. An investment in securities of other investment companies that are leveraged may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities will be diminished.

 

Deflation Risk.    Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time, which may have an adverse effect on the market valuation of companies, their assets and revenues. In addition, deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

55


 

Insurance Risk.    The Fund may purchase municipal securities that are additionally secured by insurance, bank credit agreements or escrow accounts. The credit quality of the companies that provide such credit enhancements will affect the value of those securities. Many significant providers of insurance for municipal securities have recently incurred significant losses as a result of exposure to sub-prime mortgages and other lower credit quality investments that have experienced recent defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration. As a result, such losses have reduced the insurers’ capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such insurance if they are called upon to do so in the future. As of September 15, 2010, there are no longer any bond insurers rated AAA by all of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch and at least one rating agency has placed all bond insurers, except Berkshire Hathaway Assurance Company, on “negative credit watch,” “credit watch evolving,” “credit outlook developing,” or “rating withdrawn.” These events may presage one or more rating reductions for any other insurer in the future. While an insured municipal security will typically be deemed to have the rating of its insurer, if the insurer of a municipal security suffers a downgrade in its credit rating or the market discounts the value of the insurance provided by the insurer, the rating of the underlying municipal security will be more relevant and the value of the municipal security would more closely, if not entirely, reflect such rating. In such a case, the value of insurance associated with a municipal security would decline and the insurance may not add any value. As concern has increased about the balance sheets of insurers, prices on insured bonds—especially those bonds issued by weaker underlying credits—declined. Most insured bonds are currently being valued according to their fundamentals as if they were uninsured. The insurance feature of a municipal security does not guarantee the full payment of principal and interest when due through the life of an insured obligation, the market value of the insured obligation or the net asset value of the common shares represented by such insured obligation.

 

Counterparty Risk.    Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives, insured municipal securities or other transactions supported by another party’s credit will affect the value of those instruments. Certain entities that have served as counterparties in the markets for these transactions have recently incurred significant financial hardships including bankruptcy and losses as a result of exposure to sub-prime mortgages and other lower quality credit investments that have experienced recent defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration. As a result, such hardships have reduced these entities’ capital and called into question their continued ability to perform their obligations under such transactions. By using such derivatives or other transactions, the Fund assumes the risk that its counterparties could experience similar financial hardships. In the event of insolvency of a counterparty, the Fund may sustain losses or be unable to liquidate a derivatives position.

 

Call Risk or Prepayment Risk.    During periods of declining interest rates or for other purposes, issuers may exercise their option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest in lower-yielding securities. This is known as call or prepayment risk.

 

Reinvestment Risk—the Fund.    With respect to the Fund, reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called bonds at market interest rates that are below the Fund’s portfolio’s current earnings rate.

 

Reliance on Investment Adviser.    The Fund is dependent upon services and resources provided by its investment adviser, Nuveen Asset Management, and therefore the investment adviser’s parent, Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”). Nuveen Investments, through its own business or the financial support of its affiliates, may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or ensure that future borrowings will be available in an amount sufficient to enable it to pay its indebtedness or to fund its other liquidity needs. For additional information on Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Investments, see “Management of the Fund—Additional Information Related to the Investment Adviser and Nuveen Investments.”

 

Certain Affiliations.    Certain broker-dealers may be considered to be affiliated persons of the Fund, Nuveen Asset Management and/or Nuveen Investments. Absent an exemption from the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulatory relief, the Fund generally is precluded from effecting certain principal transactions with affiliated brokers, and its ability to purchase securities being underwritten by an affiliated

 

56


broker or a syndicate including an affiliated broker, or to utilize affiliated brokers for agency transactions, is subject to restrictions. This could limit the Fund’s ability to engage in securities transactions and take advantage of market opportunities.

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions.    The Fund’s Declaration of Trust and By-laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status.

 

HOW THE FUND MANAGES RISK

 

The Fund has adopted certain investment limitations designed to limit investment risk and maintain portfolio diversification. These limitations are fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding common shares and Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, voting together as a single class, and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock voting as a separate class.

 

The Fund may not:

 

  ·  

Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry, other than municipal securities issued by states and local governments and their instrumentalities or agencies (not including those backed only by the assets and revenues of non-governmental users), and municipal securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its instrumentalities or agencies; and

 

  ·  

Invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer (not including securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies, or the investment of 25% of the Fund’s total assets).

 

See the SAI for additional fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund.

 

In addition, Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, in connection with establishing and maintaining ratings on the Fund’s MTP Shares, restrict the Fund’s ability to borrow money, sell securities short, lend securities, buy and sell futures contracts, and write put or call options. The Fund does not expect that these restrictions will adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objectives. These restrictions are not fundamental policies and the Fund may change them without shareholder approval.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The Fund’s Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of the Fund, including supervision of the duties performed by Nuveen Asset Management. The names and business addresses of the Fund’s trustees and officers and their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years are set forth under “Management of the Fund” in the SAI.

 

Investment Adviser and Portfolio Managers

 

Nuveen Asset Management will be responsible for the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation. Nuveen Asset Management also is responsible for managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services.

 

Nuveen Asset Management, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, a registered investment adviser, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. Founded in 1898, Nuveen Investments and its affiliates had approximately $150 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2010, of which approximately $73.8 billion was in municipal securities. Regarding this approximately $73.8 billion of tax-exempt municipal securities, approximately $35.8 billion, $17.9 billion, $16.4 billion and $1.1 billion represent assets relating to closed-end municipal bond funds, open-end municipal bond funds, retail municipal

 

57


managed accounts and institutional municipal managed accounts, respectively. At such time as the Fund receives an exemptive order permitting it to do so, or as otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, the Fund may, without obtaining approval of the shareholders, retain an unaffiliated subadviser to perform some or all of the portfolio management functions on the Fund’s behalf.

 

Scott R. Romans, PhD, joined Nuveen Investments in 2000 as a senior analyst in the education sector. In 2003, he was assigned management responsibility for several closed- and open-ended municipal bond funds most of which are state funds covering California and other western states. He has been Senior Vice President of Nuveen Asset Management since 2010, Portfolio Manager since 2003, and was, formerly, Vice President (2004-2010), Assistant Vice President (2003-2004) and Senior Analyst (2000-2003). Currently, he manages investments for 30 Nuveen-sponsored investment companies. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.

 

Additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by him or her and other information is provided in the SAI. The SAI is available free of charge by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.nuveen.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this prospectus or the SAI.

 

Nuveen Investments

 

On November 13, 2007, Nuveen Investments was acquired by an investor group led by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, a private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois (the “MDP Acquisition”). The investor group led by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC includes affiliates of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”), which has since been acquired by Bank of America Corporation (“Bank of America”). As a result of the MDP Acquisition, Merrill Lynch currently owns a 32% non-voting equity stake in Nuveen Investments, owns a $30 million position in the $250 million revolving loan facility of Nuveen Investments and holds two of ten seats on the board of directors of Nuveen Investments. Because these arrangements may give rise to certain conflicts of interest involving Nuveen Asset Management and Bank of America (including Merrill Lynch), Nuveen Asset Management has adopted polices and procedures intended to address these potential conflicts. Certain underwriters or their affiliates, including Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, also own an interest in Nuveen Investments.

 

Additional Information Related to the Investment Adviser and Nuveen Investments

 

The Fund is dependent upon services and resources provided by its adviser Nuveen Asset Management and therefore the investment adviser’s parent Nuveen Investments. Nuveen Investments significantly increased its level of debt in connection with the MDP Acquisition. As of June 30, 2010, Nuveen Investments had outstanding approximately $3.9 billion in aggregate principal amount of indebtedness, with approximately $360 million of available cash on hand. Nuveen Investments believes that monies generated from operations and cash on hand will be adequate to fund debt service requirements, capital expenditures and working capital requirements for the foreseeable future; however, Nuveen Investments’ ability to continue to fund these items and to service debt may be affected by general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, legal and regulatory factors and by its ability to refinance outstanding indebtedness with scheduled maturities beginning in 2013. The risks, uncertainties and other factors related to Nuveen Investments’ business, the effects of which may cause its assets under management, earnings, revenues, and/or profit margins to decline, are described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are publicly available.

 

Investment Management Agreement

 

Pursuant to an investment management agreement between Nuveen Asset Management and the Fund, the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee for the services and facilities provided by Nuveen Asset Management, payable on a monthly basis, based on the sum of a fund-level fee and a complex-level fee, as described below, according to the following schedule:

 

58


 

Fund-Level Fee.    The fund-level fee shall be applied according to the following schedule:

 

Fund-Level Average Daily Managed Assets


   Fund-Level Fee Rate

 

For the first $125 million

     0.4500

For the next $125 million

     0.4375

For the next $250 million

     0.4250

For the next $500 million

     0.4125

For the next $1 billion

     0.4000

For net assets over $2 billion

     0.3750

 

For the first ten years of the Fund’s operations, Nuveen Asset Management has agreed to reimburse the Fund, as a percentage of average daily net assets, for fees and expenses in the amounts and for the time periods set forth below:

 

Year Ending

March 31,

               

Year Ending

March 31,

      

2001*

     .30           

2007

     .25

2002

     .30            2008      .20

2003

     .30            2009      .15

2004

     .30            2010      .10

2005

     .30            2011      .05

2006

     .30                      

  *   From the commencement of operations.

 

Nuveen Asset Management has not agreed to reimburse the Fund for any portion of its fees and expenses beyond March 31, 2011.

 

Complex Level Fee.    The effective rates of the complex-level fee at various specified complex-wide asset levels are as indicted in the following table:

 

Complex-Level Asset Breakpoint Level(1)


   Effective
Rate At
Breakpoint Level


 

$55 billion

     0.2000

$56 billion

     0.1996

$57 billion

     0.1989

$60 billion

     0.1961

$63 billion

     0.1931

$66 billion

     0.1900

$71 billion

     0.1851

$76 billion

     0.1806

$80 billion

     0.1773

$91 billion

     0.1691

$125 billion

     0.1599

$200 billion

     0.1505

$250 billion

     0.1469

$300 billion

     0.1445

  (1)   Breakpoints apply up to the dollar amounts listed above. The complex-level fee is based on the aggregate daily managed assets (as “managed assets” is defined in each Nuveen Fund’s investment management agreement with Nuveen Asset Management, which generally includes assets attributable to any preferred shares that may be outstanding and any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) and the portion of assets in special purpose trusts of which the Fund owns inverse floater certificates that has been effectively financed by the special purpose trust’s issuance of floating rate certificates) of the Nuveen Funds. The complex-level fee was based on approximately $70.3 billion as of June 30, 2010.

 

59


 

In addition to Nuveen Asset Management’s management fee, the Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its operations, including compensation of its trustees (other than those affiliated with Nuveen Asset Management), custodian, transfer agency and dividend disbursing expenses, legal fees, expenses of its independent registered accounting firm, expenses of repurchasing shares, expenses of issuing any MTP Shares, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies, listing fees and taxes, if any. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of distributions to shareholders.

 

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ continuation of the Fund’s investment management agreement will be provided in Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders for the periods during which such continuations occur.

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

Thirty Nuveen leveraged closed-end funds (not including the Fund) each received a demand letter from a law firm on behalf of purported holders of the fund’s common shares. Each letter alleged that Nuveen Asset Management (the fund’s investment adviser) and the fund’s officers and Board of Directors or Trustees, as applicable (the “Board of Trustees”) breached their fiduciary duties by favoring the interests of holders of the fund’s auction rate preferred shares (“ARPS”) over those of its common shareholders in connection with each fund’s ARPS refinancing and/or redemption activities, and demanded that the Board take action to remedy those alleged breaches. In response to the demand letters, each fund’s Board of Trustees established a Demand Committee of certain of its disinterested and independent members to investigate the claims. The Demand Committee retained independent counsel to assist it in conducting its investigation. Based upon its investigation, the Demand Committee found that it was not in the best interests of each fund or its shareholders to take the actions suggested in the demand letters, and recommended that the full Board reject the demands made in the demand letters. After reviewing the findings and recommendation of the Demand Committee, the full Board of each fund unanimously adopted the Demand Committee’s recommendation.

 

Subsequently, twenty of the funds that received demand letters (not including the Fund) were named as nominal defendants in a putative shareholder derivative action complaint captioned Safier and Smith v. Nuveen Asset Management, et al. that was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division (the “Cook County Chancery Court”) on July 27, 2010, and three additional funds (not including the Fund) were named as nominal defendants in a similar complaint captioned Curbow v. Nuveen Asset Management, et al. filed in the Cook County Chancery Court on August 12, 2010 (collectively, the “Complaints”). The Complaints, filed on behalf of purported holders of each fund’s common shares, also name Nuveen Asset Management as a defendant, together with current and former officers and a trustee of each of the funds (together with the nominal defendants, collectively, the “Defendants”). The Complaints contain the same basic allegations contained in the demand letters. The suits seek a declaration that the Defendants have breached their fiduciary duties, an order directing the Defendants not to redeem any ARPS at their liquidation value using fund assets, indeterminate monetary damages in favor of the funds and an award of plaintiffs’ costs and disbursements in pursuing the action. Nuveen Asset Management believes that the Complaints are without merit, and intends to defend vigorously against these charges.

 

The Fund itself is not named as a party in the Complaints; however, it is possible that plaintiffs may seek to add the Fund as a nominal defendant and that Nuveen Asset Management, in its capacity as investment adviser to the Fund, together with current and former officers and trustees of the Fund, in such capacity, may be added as defendants.

 

Nuveen Asset Management believes that the Complaints (or one or more amended Complaints that might include the Fund) will not have a material adverse effect on the ability of Nuveen Asset Management to perform its obligations under its investment advisory contract with any of the Nuveen leveraged closed-end funds (including the Fund).

 

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NET ASSET VALUE

 

The Fund’s custodian calculates the Fund’s net asset value. The custodian uses prices for portfolio securities from a pricing service the Fund’s Board of Trustees has approved. The pricing service values portfolio securities at the mean between the quoted bid and asked price or the yield equivalent when quotations are readily available. Securities for which quotations are not readily available (which will constitute the majority of the Fund’s portfolio securities) are valued at fair value as determined by the Board of Trustees in reliance upon data supplied by the pricing service. The pricing service uses methods that consider yields or prices of municipal securities of comparable quality, type of issue, coupon, maturity, and ratings; dealers’ indications of value; and general market conditions. The pricing service may use electronic data processing techniques or a matrix system, or both. The Fund’s officers review the pricing service’s procedures and valuations, under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

 

DESCRIPTION OF BORROWINGS

 

The Fund’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the Fund, without prior approval of holders of common stock or Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, to borrow money. In this connection, the Fund may issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness (including bank borrowings or commercial paper) and may secure any such borrowings subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Any borrowings will rank senior to the Fund’s shares of Preferred Stock, including the MTP Shares. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not issue debt securities that rank senior to MTP Shares, except for emergency or temporary purposes.

 

Limitations.    Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after issuing any borrowings that are senior securities representing indebtedness (as defined in the 1940 Act), must have an Asset Coverage of at least 300%. With respect to any such borrowings, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, bears to the aggregate amount of any such borrowings that are senior securities representing indebtedness, issued by the Fund. Certain types of borrowings may also result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements relating to asset coverages or portfolio composition or otherwise. In addition, the Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies which may issue ratings for Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, or indebtedness, if any, such as commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund. Such restrictions may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

 

Distribution Preference.    The rights of lenders to the Fund to receive interest on and repayment of principal of any such borrowings will be senior to those of the holders of Preferred Stock (including MTP Shares), and the terms of any such borrowings may contain provisions which limit certain activities of the Fund, including the payment of dividends to holders of Preferred Stock in certain circumstances.

 

Voting Rights.    The 1940 Act does (in certain circumstances) grant to the lenders to the Fund certain voting rights in the event of default in the payment of interest on or repayment of principal. In the event that such provisions would impair the Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund, subject to its ability to liquidate its portfolio, intends to repay the borrowings.

 

DESCRIPTION OF OUTSTANDING SHARES

 

Common Shares

 

The Fund’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of common shares of beneficial interest. All common shares have equal rights to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. Common shares are, when issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and have no pre-emptive or conversion rights except as the trustees may determine or rights to cumulative voting. At any time when Preferred Stock is outstanding, common shareholders will not be entitled to receive any cash distributions

 

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from the Fund unless all accrued dividends on Preferred Stock have been paid, and unless Asset Coverage with respect to Preferred Stock would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions. The Fund pays monthly dividends, typically on the first business day of the following month.

 

The common shares are listed on the NYSE Amex. The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the Fund’s shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing.

 

MuniPreferred Shares

 

The Fund’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of preferred shares. The Fund currently has outstanding MuniPreferred shares. Each share of Preferred Stock ranks on parity with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. Under the 1940 Act, the MTP Shares are considered to be a separate series of the Fund’s existing class of Preferred Stock, and are not considered to be a separate class of securities.

 

The Fund’s outstanding MuniPreferred shares have a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, plus all accumulated but unpaid dividends (whether or not earned or declared) to the date of final distribution. MuniPreferred shares are, when issued, (i) fully paid and non-assessable, (ii) not convertible into common shares or other capital stock of the Fund, (iii) have no preemptive rights and (iv) not subject to any sinking fund. MuniPreferred shares are subject to optional and mandatory redemption in certain circumstances. MuniPreferred shares are auction rate securities, meaning that auctions in the securities were held on a periodic basis and interest on the shares was paid at the end of each auction period based on a Dutch auction process. In February 2008, the auction market failed and has not since recovered. The failure of the auction rate market has rendered the MuniPreferred shares virtually illiquid.

 

Prior to the general failure of the auction markets, MuniPreferred shares paid dividends based on a rate set at the auctions, which were normally held weekly. In most instances, dividends were also paid weekly on the day following the end of the rate period. The rate set at the auctions did not exceed a “maximum rate.” In instances where auctions have failed, the dividend rates for the MuniPreferred shares reset weekly at a “maximum rate”, which is determined by a formula, and is based on the greater of 110% of short-term municipal bond rates or “AA” taxable commercial paper.

 

A detailed description of the Fund’s MuniPreferred shares, including a description of the “maximum rate” formula, is included in the Fund’s Amendment and Restatement of Statement Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of MuniPreferred Shares that is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS

 

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for debts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such limited liability be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Fund or the trustees. The Declaration of Trust further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The Fund believes that the likelihood of such circumstances is remote.

 

The Declaration of Trust and By-Laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to convert the Fund to open-end status. The By-Laws require the Board of Trustees elected by the holders of common and Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, be divided into three classes, with the term of one class expiring at each annual meeting of shareholders. See the Statement of Additional Information under “Management of the Fund.” This provision of the By-Laws could delay for up to

 

62


two years the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. Holders of Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees, serving for a one year term. In addition, the Declaration of Trust requires a vote by holders of at least two-thirds of the common shares and Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, except as described below, to authorize (1) a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, (2) a merger or consolidation of the Fund, or a series or class of the Fund, with any other corporation, association, trust or other organization or a reorganization or recapitalization of the Fund or a series or class of the Fund, (3) a sale, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets (other than in the regular course of the Fund’s investment activities), (4) in certain circumstances, a termination or liquidation of the Fund, or a series or class of the Fund or (5) a removal of trustees by shareholders, and then only for cause, unless, with respect to (1) through (4), such transaction has already been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Fund’s common shares and Preferred Stock outstanding at the time, voting together as a single class, is required; provided, however, that where only a particular class or series is affected (or, in the case of removing a trustee, when the trustee has been elected by only one class), only the required vote by the applicable class or series will be required. Approval of shareholders is not required, however, for any transaction, whether deemed a merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise whereby the Fund issues shares in connection with the acquisition of assets (including those subject to liabilities) from any other investment company or similar entity. In the case of the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company, or in the case of any of the foregoing transactions constituting a plan of reorganization that adversely affects the holders of any outstanding Preferred Stock, the action in question will also require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Preferred Stock outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, or, if such action has been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Preferred Stock outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class. None of the foregoing provisions may be amended except by the vote of at least two-thirds of the common shares and Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class. The votes required to approve the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company or to approve transactions constituting a plan of reorganization that adversely affects the holders of any outstanding Preferred Stock are higher than those required by the 1940 Act. The Board of Trustees believes that the provisions of the Declaration of Trust relating to such higher votes are in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that the obligations of the Fund are not binding upon the Fund’s trustees individually, but only upon the assets and property of the Fund, and that the trustees shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. Nothing in the Declaration of Trust, however, protects a trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

 

The provisions of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws described above 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 by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of a merger or the assumption of control by a third party. They provide, however, the advantage of potentially requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid and facilitating the continuity of the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. The Fund’s Board of Trustees has considered the foregoing anti-takeover provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

Preemptive Rights.    The Declaration of Trust provides that common shareholders shall have no right to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any shares or securities of the Fund, other than such right, if any, as the Fund’s Board of Trustees in its discretion may determine. As of the date of this prospectus, no preemptive rights have been granted by the Board of Trustees.

 

 

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Reference should be made to the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the full text of these provisions.

 

REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

 

The Fund is a closed-end investment company and as such its shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem shares in the Fund held by such shareholders. Instead, the common shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including dividend levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), net asset value, dividend stability, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Because shares of closed-end investment companies may frequently trade at prices lower than net asset value, the Fund’s Board of Trustees has currently determined that, at least annually, it will consider action that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from net asset value in respect of common shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares at net asset value or submitting the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company to a vote of shareholders. The Fund cannot assure you that its Board of Trustees will decide to take any of these actions, or that share repurchases or tender offers will actually reduce market discount. The Fund will be unable to repurchase its common shares if it does not meet certain asset coverage requirements relating to outstanding Preferred Stock.

 

If the Fund converted to an open-end investment company, it would be required to redeem all Preferred Stock including MTP Shares then outstanding (requiring in turn that it liquidate a portion of its investment portfolio), and the common shares and MTP Shares would no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or elsewhere. If approved by the applicable vote of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, the conversion to an open-end fund would require the vote of the majority of the outstanding common shares and Preferred Stock voting together and the Preferred Stock voting as a separate class. In contrast to a closed-end investment company, shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder) at their net asset value, less any redemption charge that is in effect at the time of redemption. See the SAI under “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” for a discussion of the voting requirements applicable to the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company.

 

Before deciding whether to take any action if the common shares trade below net asset value, the Board of Trustees would consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders, and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Fund’s common shares should trade at a discount, the Board of Trustees of the Fund may determine that, in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders, no action should be taken. See the SAI under “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” for a further discussion of possible action to reduce or eliminate such discount to net asset value.

 

TAX MATTERS

 

The discussion below, and the discussion in the SAI under the caption “Tax Matters,” is based on the opinion of K&L Gates LLP (“Tax Counsel”) on the anticipated U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding, and disposing of MTP Shares. Tax Counsel’s opinions are based on the current provisions and interpretations of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the accompanying Treasury regulations and on current judicial and administrative rulings. All of these authorities are subject to change and any change can apply retroactively.

 

Upon issuance of MTP Shares, and subject to certain assumptions and conditions, and based upon certain representations made by the Fund, including representations regarding the nature of the Fund’s assets and the conduct of the Fund’s business, Tax Counsel will deliver its opinion concluding that for federal income tax

 

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purposes MTP Shares will qualify as stock in the Fund and distributions made with respect to the MTP Shares will qualify as exempt-interest dividends to the extent designated by the Fund and not otherwise limited under Section 852(b)(5)(A) of the Code (under which the total amount of dividends that may be treated as exempt-interest dividends is limited, based on the total amount of tax-exempt income generated by the Fund). The Fund’s qualification and taxation as a regulated investment company depend upon the Fund’s ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual annual operating results, certain requirements in the federal tax laws. Tax Counsel will not review the Fund’s compliance with those requirements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of the Fund’s operations for any particular taxable year will satisfy such requirements.

 

The following is intended to be a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in MTP Shares. The discussion generally applies only to holders of MTP Shares who are U.S. holders. You will be a U.S. holder if you are an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, a U.S. domestic corporation, or any other person that is subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis in respect of an investment in MTP Shares. This summary deals only with U.S. holders that hold MTP Shares as capital assets. It does not address considerations that may be relevant to you if you are an investor that is subject to special tax rules, such as a financial institution, insurance company, regulated investment company, real estate investment trust, investor in pass-through entities, U.S. holder of MTP Shares whose “functional currency” is not the United States dollar, tax-exempt organization, dealer in securities or currencies, trader in securities or commodities that elects mark to market treatment, person who holds MTP Shares in a qualified tax-deferred account such as an IRA, or person that will hold MTP Shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for federal income tax purposes. It is not intended to be a complete discussion of all such federal income tax consequences, nor does it purport to deal with all categories of investors. This discussion reflects applicable tax laws of the United States as of the date of this prospectus, which tax laws may change or be subject to new interpretation by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service, possibly with retroactive effect. INVESTORS ARE THEREFORE ADVISED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS BEFORE MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND.

 

Federal Income Tax Treatment of the Fund

 

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to any federal income tax.

 

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities issued by States, cities and local authorities and certain possessions and territories of the United States (such as Puerto Rico or Guam) or in municipal securities whose income is otherwise exempt from regular federal income taxes. Thus, substantially all of the Fund’s dividends to the holders of common shares and MTP Shares will qualify as “exempt-interest dividends.” A shareholder treats an exempt-interest dividend as interest on state and local bonds exempt from regular federal income tax. Some or all of an exempt-interest dividend, however, may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax imposed on the shareholder. Different federal alternative tax rules apply to individuals and to corporations. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides an exemption from the federal alternative minimum tax applicable to individuals for interest on private activity bonds and, for purposes of calculating a corporate taxpayer’s adjusted current earnings, an exemption for interest on all tax-exempt bonds, with both exemptions limited to bonds that are issued after December 31, 2008 and before January 1, 2011, including refunding bonds issued during that period to refund bonds originally issued after December 31, 2003 and before January 1, 2009.

 

In addition to exempt-interest dividends, the Fund also may distribute amounts that are treated as long-term capital gain or ordinary income to its shareholders. The Fund will allocate distributions to shareholders that are treated as tax-exempt interest and as long-term capital gain and ordinary income, if any, proportionately among the common and MTP Shares. In certain circumstances, the Fund will make payments to holders of MTP Shares to offset the tax effects of a taxable distribution. See “Description of MTP Shares—Dividends and Dividend Periods” in this prospectus.

 

 

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The SAI contains a more detailed summary of the federal tax rules that apply to the Fund and its shareholders. Legislative, judicial or administrative action may change the tax rules that apply to the Fund or its shareholders. Any change may be retroactive for Fund transactions.

 

Federal Income Tax Treatment of Holders of MTP Shares

 

Under present law, Tax Counsel is of the opinion that MTP Shares of the Fund will constitute equity of the Fund, and thus distributions with respect to MTP Shares (other than distributions in redemption of MTP Shares subject to Section 302(b) of the Code) will generally constitute dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as calculated for federal income tax purposes. Because the treatment of a corporate security as debt or equity is determined on the basis of the facts and circumstances of each case, and no controlling precedent exists for the MTP Shares, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not question Tax Counsel’s opinion and the Fund’s treatment of MTP Shares as equity. If the IRS were to succeed in such a challenge, holders of MTP Shares could be characterized as receiving taxable interest income rather than exempt-interest or other dividends, possibly requiring them to file amended income tax returns and retroactively to recognize additional amounts of ordinary income or to pay additional tax, interest, and penalties.

 

Except in the case of exempt-interest dividends and capital gain dividends, if any, dividends paid by the Fund generally will be taxable to holders at ordinary income tax rates. Dividends derived from net capital gain and designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends will be treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of holders regardless of the length of time such holders have held their shares. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits, if any, will first reduce a shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in his or her shares and, after the adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to a holder who holds such shares as a capital asset. A holder of MTP Shares will be required to report the dividends declared by the Fund for each day on which such holder is the shareholder of record. The Fund intends to notify holders of MTP Shares in advance if it will allocate to them income that is not exempt from regular federal income tax. In certain circumstances, the Fund will make payments to holders of MTP Shares to offset the tax effects of the taxable distribution.

 

The IRS currently requires that a regulated investment company that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains). Accordingly, the Fund intends to designate dividends made with respect to common shares and Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares, as consisting of particular types of income (e.g., exempt-interest dividends, net capital gain, or ordinary income) in accordance with each class’s proportionate share of the total dividends paid by the Fund during the year.

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, a distribution will be treated as having been paid on December 31 if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such months and is paid by the Fund in January of the following year. Accordingly, such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared.

 

California Tax Matters

 

The following is based upon the advice of K&L Gates LLP, special counsel to the Fund.

 

The Fund’s regular monthly dividends will not be subject to California personal income tax to the extent they are paid out of income earned on obligations that, when held by individuals, pay interest that is exempt from taxation by California under California law (e.g., obligations of California and its political subdivisions) or federal law, so long as at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets consists of such obligations and the Fund designates such tax-exempt distributions pursuant to certain written notice requirements to its shareholders. The portion of the Fund’s monthly dividends that is attributable to income other than as described in the preceding sentence will be subject to the California income tax. The Fund expects to earn no or only a minimal amount of such non-exempt income. If you are an individual California resident, you will be subject to California personal income tax to the extent the Fund distributes any realized capital gains, or if you sell or exchange shares and realize a capital gain on the transaction.

 

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The Fund’s dividends may not qualify for exemption under the personal income tax laws of states other than California. Shareholders are advised to consult with their own tax advisors for more detailed information concerning California tax matters or the tax laws of their state and locality of residence. Please refer to the Statement of Additional Information for more detailed information.

 

Other State and Local Tax Matters

 

While exempt-interest dividends are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes, they may not be exempt from other state or local income or other taxes. Some states exempt from state income tax that portion of any exempt-interest dividend that is derived from interest a regulated investment company receives on its holdings of securities of that state and its political subdivisions and instrumentalities. Therefore, the Fund will report annually to its shareholders the percentage of interest income the Fund earned during the preceding year on tax-exempt obligations and the Fund will indicate, on a state-by-state basis, the source of this income. You should consult with your tax adviser about state and local tax matters.

 

Sale of Shares

 

The sale of MTP Shares by holders will generally be a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes. A holder of MTP Shares who sells such shares will generally recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the net proceeds resulting from the sale and such holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares sold. A portion of any such gain will generally be characterized as dividend income to the extent it is attributable to declared but unpaid dividends. If such MTP Shares are held as a capital asset at the time of the sale, the gain or loss will generally be a capital gain or loss. Similarly, a redemption by the Fund (including a redemption resulting from liquidation of the Fund), if any, of all MTP Shares actually and constructively held by a shareholder generally will give rise to capital gain or loss under Section 302(b) of the Code if the shareholder does not own (and is not regarded under certain federal income tax rules of constructive ownership as owning) any common shares in the Fund, and provided that the redemption proceeds do not represent declared but unpaid dividends. Other redemptions may also give rise to capital gain or loss, but certain conditions imposed by Section 302(b) of the Code must be satisfied to achieve such treatment.

 

Losses realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund held for six months or less are disallowed to the extent of any distribution of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares, and, if not disallowed, such losses are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or designated amounts of undistributed capital gain that are treated as received) with respect to such shares.

 

Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent that substantially identical shares are reacquired within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of such shares. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

Backup Withholding

 

The Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a portion of all distributions (including redemption proceeds) payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number, who fail to make required certifications or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding (or if the Fund has been so notified). The current rate of backup withholding is 28%. Certain corporate and other shareholders specified in the Code and the regulations thereunder are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

 

Investors are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the application to their own circumstances of the above-described general federal income taxation rules and with respect to other federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences to them before making an investment in MTP Shares.

 

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UNDERWRITERS

 

Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, the underwriters named below, for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Banc of America Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as representatives, have severally agreed to purchase, and the Fund has agreed to sell to them, severally, the number of MTP Shares indicated below:

 

Name


          Number of MTP
Shares


 

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated

              980,000   

Banc of America Securities LLC

              980,000   

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

              980,000   

UBS Securities LLC

              980,000   

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

              980,000   

Nuveen Investments, LLC

              100,000   
             


Total

              5,000,000   
             


 

The underwriters are offering the MTP Shares subject to their acceptance of the MTP Shares from the Fund and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the MTP Shares offered by this prospectus are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by their counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the MTP Shares offered by this prospectus if any such MTP Shares are taken.

 

The underwriters initially propose to offer part of the MTP Shares directly to the public at the public offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus and part to certain dealers at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $0.10 per MTP Share under the public offering price. Any underwriter may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession not in excess of $0.05 per MTP Share to other underwriters or to certain dealers. After the initial offering of the MTP Shares, the offering price and other selling terms may from time to time be varied by the representatives. The underwriting discounts and commissions of $0.15 per MTP Share are equal to 1.5% of the public offering price. Investors must pay for any MTP Shares purchased on or before October 22, 2010.

 

The Fund has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to an aggregate of 750,00 additional MTP Shares at the public offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with the offering of the MTP Shares offered by this prospectus. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter will become obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase about the same percentage of the additional MTP Shares as the number listed next to the underwriter’s name in the preceding table bears to the total number of MTP Shares listed in the preceding table. If the underwriters’ option is exercised in full, the total price to the public would be $57,500,000, the total underwriting discounts and commissions would be $862,500 and total proceeds to the Fund would be $56,637,500.

 

The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions the Fund will pay in connection with this offering. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the underwriters of their overallotment option. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the MTP Shares covered by the underwriters over-allotment option described below.

 

     Per
MTP Share


     Without
Option


     With
Option


 

Underwriting discounts and commissions

   $ 0.15       $ 750,00       $ 862,500   

 

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Application has been made to list the MTP Shares, subject to official notice of issuance, on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NVX Pr C.” Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for MTP Shares. It is anticipated that trading on the New York Stock Exchange will begin within 30 days from the date of this prospectus. During such period, the underwriters do not intend to make a market in MTP Shares. Consequently, it is anticipated that, prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, an investment in MTP Shares will be illiquid and holders of MTP Shares may not be able to sell such shares as it is unlikely that a secondary market for MTP Shares will develop. If a secondary market does develop prior to the commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, holders of MTP Shares may be able to sell such shares only at substantial discounts from liquidation preference.

 

The Fund and Nuveen Asset Management have each agreed that, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated on behalf of the underwriters, the Fund will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus:

 

  ·  

offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for senior securities; or

 

  ·  

enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the MTP Shares,

 

whether any such transaction described above is to be settled by delivery of MTP Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; or file any registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the offering of any MTP Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for MTP Shares.

 

In order to facilitate the offering of the MTP Shares, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the MTP Shares. Specifically, the underwriters may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position in the MTP Shares for their own account. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the MTP Shares, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, MTP Shares in the open market. Finally, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the MTP Shares in the offering, if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed MTP Shares in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the MTP Shares above independent market levels. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities, and may end any of these activities at any time.

 

The Fund anticipates that the representatives and certain other underwriters may from time to time act as brokers and dealers in connection with the execution of its portfolio transactions after they have ceased to be underwriters and, subject to certain restrictions, may act as such brokers while they are underwriters. From time to time, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated has provided, and continues to provide, investment banking services to the Fund, Nuveen Asset Management and its affiliates for which it has received customary fees and expenses. The underwriters may, from time to time, engage in transactions with or perform services for the Fund, Nuveen Asset Management and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business. As a result of the acquisition of Nuveen Investments by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, Banc of America Securities LLC is a remote affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management (and the Fund), and certain underwriters or their affiliates, including Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, also have an ownership interest in Nuveen Investments. See “Management of the Fund—Nuveen Investments.”

 

Certain underwriters and their affiliates, including Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Banc of America Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, currently own or are obligated to repurchase in the future outstanding MuniPreferred shares. In addition, customers of certain underwriters and their affiliates currently own outstanding MuniPreferred shares. In connection with an inquiry by FINRA into the activities of

 

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Nuveen Investments, LLC, a registered broker-dealer affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management that is involved in the offering of the Fund’s MTP Shares, in marketing and distributing MuniPreferred shares and FundPreferred shares (the latter being preferred shares issued by certain Nuveen non-municipal closed-end funds), FINRA staff members have notified Nuveen Investments, LLC that they have made a preliminary determination to recommend that disciplinary action be brought against Nuveen Investments, LLC. The potential charges recommended by the FINRA staff in such action would allege that certain MuniPreferred share and FundPreferred share marketing materials provided by Nuveen Investments, LLC were false and misleading from 2006 to 2008, and also would allege failures by Nuveen Investments, LLC relating to its supervisory system with respect to the marketing of MuniPreferred and FundPreferred shares. The FINRA staff has provided Nuveen Investments, LLC an opportunity to make a written submission to FINRA to aid its consideration of whether to revise and/or go forward with the staff’s preliminary determination to recommend disciplinary action. Nuveen Investments, LLC has made such a submission responding to the potential allegations and asserting its defenses. Nuveen Investments, LLC anticipates continuing to discuss these matters with the FINRA staff. Upon the successful completion of this offering, these outstanding MuniPreferred shares may be redeemed or purchased by the Fund with the net proceeds of the offering as set forth in “Use of Proceeds.” Although such a redemption or purchase would be done in accordance with the 1940 Act in a manner that did not favor these underwriters, affiliates or customers, the underwriters or their affiliates may nonetheless be deemed to obtain a material benefit from the offering of the MTP Shares due to such redemption or purchase including, for certain of the underwriters and their affiliates, potentially substantial financial relief and/or relief related to legal and regulatory matters associated with currently illiquid MuniPreferred shares.

 

The Fund, Nuveen Asset Management and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

The address of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated is 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036.

 

CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT, DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND REDEMPTION AND PAYING AGENT

 

The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services and dividend disbursing agent and redemption and paying agent is also State Street, 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021. State Street has subcontracted the transfer agency servicing of the Fund to Computershare, Inc.

 

LEGAL OPINIONS

 

Certain legal matters in connection with MTP Shares will be passed upon for the Fund by K&L Gates LLP, Washington, DC, and for the Underwriters by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York. K&L Gates LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP may rely as to certain matters of Massachusetts law on the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

The financial statements of the Fund appearing in the Fund’s Annual Report for the year ended February 28, 2010 are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information. The financial statements have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. Ernst & Young LLP provides auditing services to the Fund. The principal business address of Ernst & Young LLP is 155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

 

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MISCELLANEOUS

 

To the extent that a holder of MTP Shares is directly or indirectly a beneficial owner of more than 10% of any class of the Fund’s outstanding shares (meaning for purposes of holders of MTP Shares, more than 10% of the Fund’s outstanding Preferred Stock), such a 10% beneficial owner would be subject to the short-swing profit rules that are imposed pursuant to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (and related reporting requirements). These rules generally provide that such a 10% beneficial owner may have to disgorge any profits made on purchases and sales, or sales and purchases, of the Fund’s Preferred Stock (including MTP Shares) within any six month time period. Investors should consult with their own counsel to determine the applicability of these rules.

 

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

The Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act and is required to file reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents can be inspected and copied for a fee at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s public reference room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Reports, proxy statements, and other information about the Fund can be inspected at the offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

This prospectus does not contain all of the information in the Fund’s Registration Statement, including amendments, exhibits, and schedules. Statements in this prospectus about the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by this reference.

 

Additional information about the Fund and MTP Shares can be found in the Fund’s Registration Statement (including amendments, exhibits, and schedules) on Form N-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a web site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the Fund’s Registration Statement, other documents incorporated by reference, and other information the Fund has filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including proxy statements and reports filed under the Exchange Act. Additional information may be found on the Internet at http://www.nuveen.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this prospectus.

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Investment Objectives and Policies

     3   

Investment Restrictions

     4   

Portfolio Composition

     6   

Management of the Fund

     16   

Investment Adviser

     36   

Portfolio Manager

     37   

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

     39   

Description of Shares

     40   

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     40   

Tax Matters

     42   

Experts

     48   

Custodian, Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Redemption and Paying Agent

     48   

Additional Information

     48   

Financial Statements

     49   

Appendix A—Statement of Preferences

     A-1   

Appendix B—Ratings of Investments

     B-1   

Appendix C—Tax Opinion

     C-1   

 

72


 

Appendix A—Factors Affecting Municipal Securities in California

 

The following information constitutes only a brief summary of some of the general factors that may impact certain issuers of municipal bonds and does not purport to be a complete or exhaustive description of all adverse conditions to which the issuers of municipal bonds held by the Fund are subject. Additionally, many factors, including national economic, social and environmental policies and conditions, which are not within the control of the issuers of the municipal bonds, could affect or could have an adverse impact on the financial condition of the issuers. The Fund is unable to predict whether or to what extent such factors or other factors may affect the issuers of the municipal securities, the market value or marketability of the municipal securities or the ability of the respective issuers of the municipal bonds acquired by the Fund to pay interest on or principal of the municipal securities. This information has not been independently verified.

 

The Fund invests a high proportion of its assets in California municipal securities. The payment of interest on and preservation of principal in these securities are dependent upon the continuing ability of California issuers and/or obligors of state, municipal and public authority debt obligations to meet their obligations thereunder. In addition to general economic pressures, certain California constitutional amendments, legislative measures, executive orders, administrative regulations and voter initiatives could adversely affect a California issuer’s ability to raise revenues to meet its financial obligations.

 

As used below, “California Tax-Exempt Securities” include issues secured by a direct payment obligation of the State of California and obligations of other issuers that rely in whole or in part on California revenues to pay their obligations, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel, is exempt from federal income tax and California personal income tax. Property tax revenues and part of the State’s General Fund surplus are distributed to counties, cities and their various taxing entities; whether and to what extent a portion of the State’s General Fund will be so distributed in the future is unclear.

 

California State Economic and Budgetary Considerations

 

The California economy and its general fiscal condition affect the ability of the State and local governments to raise and redistribute revenues to assist issuers of municipal securities to make timely payments on their obligations. California is the most populous state in the nation with a total population estimated at 37.0 million as of 2009. California has a diverse economy, with major employment in the agriculture, manufacturing, high technology, services, trade, entertainment and construction sectors. At the end of August 2010, the State unemployment rate was 12.4%, which was among the highest state unemployment rates in the country and was one of the highest unemployment rates in California since February 1983. Through August 2010, the California construction industry lost 405,300 jobs, a drop of 42.7% from its peak in February 2006, and the California financial activities sector lost 167,000 jobs, a decrease of 17.7% from its peak in May 2006. From August 2009 through August 2010, ten of California’s 11 major industry sectors lost jobs while the only major industry sector to add jobs was educational and health services.

 

2010 Budget Act

 

On October 8, 2010, after a 100-day impasse since the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year, the State Legislature enacted a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year (“2010 Budget Act”) that closes a revised billion budget gap of $19.3 billion through $8.4 billion in State spending reductions, $5.4 billion in federal funds, and $5.5 billion in other budget solutions. The 2010 Budget Act holds general fund spending essentially flat compared to the prior fiscal year, $86.6 billion in 2010-11 compared to $86.3 billion in 2009-10, which marks a level of spending substantially lower than the level of spending in fiscal year 2005-06, adjusted for inflation and population growth. In signing the 2010 Budget Act, the Governor exercised his line-item veto authority to reduce General Fund spending by an additional $963 million to raise the reserve for the 2010-11 fiscal year from $375 million to $1.3 billion. The $5.5 billion comprised of other budgetary solutions include, for example, revenue projections for higher State revenues of $399 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $961 million in fiscal year 2010-11,

 

A-1


implementation and continuation of certain State tax measures, such as extension of the NOL suspension and delay of carrybacks, and special loans from designated funds to the State’s General Fund.

 

In response to the Governor’s call for long-term reforms to the State’s budgeting and pension systems essential to the State’s long-term fiscal health and stability, the State Legislature approved, as part of the 2010 Budget Act, to place a budget reform measure on the March 2012 state-wide election that would substantially strengthen the State’s “Rainy Day Fund” that would strengthen deposit requirements in good budget years to provide a greater cushion for bad budget years, including requiring that 3 percent of current year revenues to be deposited in the Rainy Day Fund every September and permitting withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund only when revenues are not sufficient to fund current services budget. The approved pension reform measure rolls back unsustainable pension benefits for newly hired State employees by, among other things, revising retirement formulas used to calculate pension payments, which will increase the retirement age entitled for full benefits for most new employees, and increasing pension contributions.

 

On January 8, 2010, the Governor proposed his 2010-11 budget, which included a $19.9 billion budget package to address the then estimated combined budget deficit of $18.9 billion for the remainder of the 2009-10 and coming 2010-11 fiscal years. In doing so, the Governor declared a fiscal emergency, calling the State Legislature into special session to begin taking action on the $19.9 billion proposal to address the deficit and create a $1.0 billion reserve. Approximately 40 percent of the proposed budget solutions rely on funding or flexibility to be provided by actions of the federal government. Another 40 percent consist of spending cuts and the remaining 10 percent consist of various fund shifts, including a transportation tax proposal and proposals to balance the budget through use of designated funds for childhood development and mental health programs, which must be approved by State voters. State voters rejected similar measures in the special election held in May 2009.

 

During the special session, which ended March 11, 2010, the Legislature passed legislation intended to reduce the budget gap by about $3.2 billion. About $2.1 billion of the savings (Assembly Bill X8 2) was intended to be obtained through expenditure reductions accomplished through appropriations targeted in fiscal year 2010-11. These intended reductions principally involved prison healthcare costs and employee compensation savings. On March 8, 2010, the Governor vetoed Assembly Bill X8 2. In his veto message, the Governor stated that the bill did not address immediate spending reductions, and only included intended reductions for a budget which had not yet been adopted; he also indicated that some of the intended reductions were unrealistic. The remaining $1.1 billion of the $3.2 billion described above will be achieved through legislation, signed by the Governor on March 22, 2010, that eliminates the sales tax on gasoline and replaces it with a higher excise tax a portion of which, together with other existing revenues, will be applied to offset General Fund costs for certain transportation expenses.

 

The Governor released the revised budget for fiscal year 2010-11 on May 14, 2010 (the “2010-11 May Revision”), which, based on various factors including revised revenue estimates and the solutions adopted in the special session, lowered the projected budget gap to $19.1 billion. The 2010-11 May Revision proposed to close the $19.1 billion anticipated budget deficit through expenditure reductions of $12.4 billion and $6.5 billion in federal and alternative funding, shifting of existing funds, and other revenues. In response to the Governor’s budget proposals, legislative leaders responded with two different budget plans, one of which calls for significant tax increases, and another which would rely on a borrowing plan using certain significant non-General Fund revenues. The Legislature rejected both budget plans on August 31, 2010 because of political differences.

 

November 2010 Initiatives and the State’s Budget Planning

 

The Legislature has placed an $11 billion water bond proposal on the November 2010 ballot. In addition, the November 2010 ballot will include nine initiatives. If approved by the voters, a number of these measures could directly affect the Legislature’s budget plans. Some would improve the budget situation, even as others could reverse budget-balancing decisions

 

A-2


 

A measure designed to protect local government revenues would apply to all legislative actions taken after October 20, 2009 and could potentially reverse budget decisions. For instance, it might affect several major budget solutions which include using revenues from fuel taxes to pay transportation debt service and to provide loans to the General Fund—uses that generally would not be permitted under the measure. Conversely, several proposed measures would improve the State’s fiscal condition by adding additional revenues. One measure would reverse recent budget actions that lower corporate tax revenues. In addition, a measure to impose a vehicle surcharge would allow a reduction in costs to operate state parks, and a measure to legalize marijuana-related activities could increase State tax revenues.

 

Future Deficits

 

Since many of the budget balancing actions are either one-time actions, or involve loans which have to be repaid, or are based on temporary revenue increases or the non-recurring receipt of federal stimulus funds, budget gaps of several billions of dollars a year are expected to recur in fiscal year 2011-12 and in subsequent years. The Department of Finance projected that, assuming adoption of a State budget for the fiscal year 2010-11 based on the Governor’s 2010-11 Budget as updated in the 2010- 11 May Revision (including fiscal year 2009-10 adjustments), and various assumptions concerning revenues in future years, the State would, in the absence of taking additional steps to balance its budget, face an “operating deficit” (expenditures exceeding revenues in the same fiscal year) of $6.3 billion in fiscal year 2011-12, $6.3 billion in fiscal year 2012-13 and $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2013-14. These projections assume, for instance, that transfers to the Budget Stabilization Account created under Proposition 58 will be suspended in each of these coming years, and that the State will ultimately prevail in the pending and threatened litigation concerning budget actions.

 

The State is in the process of studying the recently enacted federal health care reform and its implications. Among other things, the law: (1) expands Medi-Cal coverage beginning January 1, 2014; (2) requires specified rate increases for primary care and outpatient services beginning in 2013; and (3) prohibits California from restricting eligibility primarily for the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs (other health programs may also be affected, pending further review) before the new coverage requirements go into effect in 2014. Health care reform may result in a significant net increase of General Fund program costs in fiscal year 2013-14 and beyond. The net impact of health care reform on the General Fund will depend on a variety of factors, including levels of participation and potential savings resulting from the reform.

 

The financial condition of the State is subject to a number of other risks in the future, including, in particular, potential significant increases in required State contributions to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, increased financial obligations related to Other Post-Employment Benefits, potential adverse decisions in litigation and increased debt service.

 

Amended 2009 Budget Act

 

The breadth and depth of the recession resulted in a dramatic reduction in State tax revenues, as compared to projections made in connection with the adoption of the 2008 Budget Act. In November and December 2008, the Governor estimated a combined budget shortfall for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years of $41.6 billion, the largest budget deficit in the history of the State. The sharp drop in revenues at the start of the 2008-09 fiscal year significantly depleted the cash resources available to pay the State’s obligations. By February 2009, the State faced an unprecedented cash crisis that forced the California State Controller to delay a variety of State payments in order to preserve cash for education, debt service, and other obligations deemed by the State constitution and federal law as having first claim to available funds. On February 1, 2009 the Controller started to defer for 30 days payments from the State General Fund of personal income and bank and corporate tax refunds, as well as payments for specified State operations, local assistance, vendors who do business with the State, trial courts and programs for the mentally ill, blind, disabled, and elderly. The deteriorating State economic and fiscal conditions caused the Governor to order unpaid furloughs of State employees each month, commencing on February 1, 2009, as well as layoffs of State agency and department employees to reduce General Fund payroll expenditures by up to 10 percent. Litigation has challenged the furlough program. See “Budget-Related Litigation.” During the

 

A-3


month of February 2009, a total of almost $3.0 billion in payments were deferred, including $2.2 billion of tax refunds. With the passage of the Initial 2009 Budget Act in February 2009 (discussed below), the State started to release the deferred payments in the beginning of March 2009, and by the end of March, the State had made up the $3.0 billion in delayed payments, including $2.2 billion in tax refunds.

 

The Governor and the State Legislature began working on enacting legislation to address the $41.6 billion budget shortfall in November 2008 in a fiscal emergency special session, which was followed by two additional special sessions in December 2008. Because the California constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote in the legislature to pass budgets and tax increases, budgetary measures that ultimately included amendments to the Budget Act of 2008 (which sets forth the California State budget for the fiscal year 2008-09), the Budget Act of 2009 (which sets forth the California State budget for the fiscal year 2009-10), and related budget legislation (collectively, “Initial 2009 Budget Act”) were not enacted until such measures were adopted by the Legislature on February 19, 2009 and signed by the Governor on February 20, 2009. The Initial 2009 Budget Act addressed the projected $41.6 billion budget deficit for fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10 by reducing State expenditures by $15.7 billion, temporarily increasing taxes to raise approximately $12.5 billion in revenues, borrowing $5.4 billion principally through the securitization of lottery revenues in the amount of $5.0 billion, and by taking into account $8.0 billion in Federal stimulus funds. A reduction of $8.4 billion in the minimum guarantee of Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges (“K-14 schools”), accounted for over half of the $15.7 billion of expenditure reductions. The other expenditure reductions consisted primarily of higher education ($1.3 billion) and employee compensation ($1.2 billion). The temporary tax increases included a one-cent increase in the State sales tax, an increase of 0.50 percent on vehicle license fees, a 0.125 percent across-the-board increase in personal income tax rates, and a reduction in the personal income tax exemption credit for dependents. Despite the passage of the Initial 2009 Budget Act, the Governor still projected in February 2009 operating deficits for the fiscal years of 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 in the amounts of $11.7 billion, $9.9 billion, and $13.4 billion, respectively, because of current fiscal and budgetary considerations.

 

Less than a month after the adoption of the Initial 2009 Budget Act, on March 13, 2009, the Department of Finance stated that General Fund revenues for February 2009 were already $898 million lower than the projections assumed in the budgetary measure because of continued deteriorating economic and fiscal outlooks. These shortfalls arose primarily from $427 million in lower than expected personal income tax revenues, $334 million in lower than expected sales and use tax revenues, and $138 million in lower than expected corporate tax revenues.

 

The Initial 2009 Budget Act contained triggers that eliminated certain planned temporary tax increases if the State were to receive at least $10.0 billion of Federal stimulus funds allocable to the existing budget, as determined by the State Director of Finance and the Treasurer by April 1, 2009. On March 27, 2009, the State Director of Finance and the Treasurer, pursuant and subject to the applicable State law, determined that the State would receive less than $10.0 billion of Federal stimulus funds allocable to the existing budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, which was an amount insufficient to avoid the trigger tax increases and expenditure cuts.

 

Moreover, under the California constitution, some of the enacted provisions of the Initial 2009 Budget Act had to be ratified as ballot propositions by State voters. A statewide special election was held on May 19, 2009 for State voters to decide whether to adopt such budget measures. These propositions included the temporary tax increases that were to take effect in 2009 and set to expire in 2010 and 2011, unless State voters approved Proposition 1A to extend the temporary tax increases until 2012 (2013 in the case of the increase in vehicle license fees). Proposition 1A also included a budgetary reform measure that, if approved by State voters in the special election, would have limited State spending in accordance with a long-term trend line and created a substantial “rainy day” fund of up to 12.5% of General Fund revenue for use only during times when revenue is insufficient to fund a moderate, population-and-inflation based growth in spending. State voters also decided in the May 2009 special election whether to adopt Proposition 1C, the $5.0 billion securitization measure, which would have securitized lottery revenues to offset General Fund expenditures in 2009-10; Proposition 1D, which

 

A-4


would have provided for the use of certain tobacco taxes, imposed pursuant to Proposition 10, to pay costs otherwise payable from the State’s General Fund; and Proposition 1E, which would have provided for the use of a portion of the proceeds of an income tax surcharge on incomes above $1 million, imposed pursuant to Proposition 63, to pay costs otherwise payable from the General Fund. State voters voted against five of the six propositions, including these four propositions, effectively creating a $5.8 billion shortfall with respect to the Initial 2009 Budget Act.

 

State law also requires the Governor to update the Governor’s Budget projections and budgetary proposals by May 14 of each year (“May Revision”), and as part of the Governor’s May Revision to the originally adopted 2009-10 budget, the Department of Finance on May 14, 2009 projected a new separate shortfall of $15.4 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year due to continued State economic weakness and deteriorating fiscal conditions. Therefore, as of the end of May 2009, the State faced a new projected budget deficit of $21.3 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year due to the decision by State voters to reject the various propositions in the May 19, 2009 special election and the continued deterioration in State economic and fiscal conditions. By the beginning of July 2009, given further economic and revenue weakness, this projected shortfall increased to a total of $26.3 billion, which was later revised to $24.2 billion. On July 28, 2009, the California legislature adopted a new budget solution (“Amended 2009 Budget Act”) to address the anticipated $24.2 billion shortfall and bring the 2009-10 budget back into balance. The Amended 2009 Budget Act included $16.1 billion in additional spending cuts and $8.1 billion in various revenue enhancing measures.

 

The Amended 2009 Budget Act provided for a $500 million reserve at June 30, 2010, which was depleted by May 2010 because of less than full realization of some of the budgetary assumptions. Moreover, on September 30, 2009, the State Supreme Court denied the State’s petition for review of the appeals court decision in the case title Shaw v. Chiang, which had overturned provisions in the 2007 Budget Act authorizing use of certain sales and use taxes on vehicle fuels to offset certain transportation related costs in the General Fund. (The matter has been remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with the appeals court decision.) See “Litigation.” The Amended 2009 Budget Act included use of such sales and use taxes for similar purposes, totaling up to $1 billion. On September 30, 2009, the Department of Finance obtained preliminary data on revenue collections for personal income taxes in the month of September suggesting a shortfall in quarterly estimate payments of nearly $1 billion, or about 33 percent below Department of Finance projections. On October 9, 2009, the California State Controller released a monthly report covering California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements in September that indicated total General Fund revenue was nearly $1.1 billion below the Amended 2009 Budget Act estimates. Since many of the actions taken to balance the Amended 2009 Budget Act were either one-time actions, involve loans which have to be repaid, or are based on temporary revenue increases or the limited receipt of federal stimulus funds. The Department of Finance has projected that, using expenditure obligations under existing law and various assumptions concerning revenues in future years, the state would, in the absence of taking additional steps to balance its budget, face an “operating deficit” (expenditures exceeding revenues in the same fiscal year) of $7.4 billion in fiscal year 2010-11, $15.5 billion in 2011-12 and $15.1 billion in 2012-13.

 

State Cash Management

 

General. The majority of the State’s General Fund revenues are received in the latter part of the fiscal year. Expenditures from the General Fund occur more evenly throughout the fiscal year. The State’s cash flow management program customarily addresses this timing difference by making use of internal borrowing and by issuing short-term notes in the capital markets. As further described herein, external borrowing is typically done with revenue anticipation notes (“RANs”) that are payable later in the fiscal year in which they are issued. The State also is authorized under certain circumstances to issue revenue anticipation warrants (“RAWs”) that are payable in the succeeding fiscal year, as well as registered refunding warrants (“Refunding RAWs”) issued to refund RAWs.

 

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RANs and RAWs are both payable from any “Unapplied Money” in the General Fund of the State on their maturity date, subject to the prior application of such money in the General Fund to make Priority Payments. “Priority Payments” are payments as and when due to: (i) support the public school system and public institutions of higher education (as provided in Section 8 of Article XVI of the State Constitution); (ii) pay principal of and interest on general obligation bonds and general obligation commercial paper notes of the State; (iii) reimburse local governments for certain reductions in ad valorem property taxes (as required by Section 25.5 of Article XIII of the State Constitution), or make required payments for borrowings secured by such repayment obligation; (iv) provide reimbursement from the General Fund to any special fund or account to the extent such reimbursement is legally required to be made to repay borrowings therefrom pursuant to California Government Code Sections 16310 or 16418; and (v) pay State employees’ wages and benefits, State payments to pension and other State employee benefit trust funds, State Medi-Cal claims, lease payments to support lease revenue bonds, and any amounts determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be required by federal law or the State Constitution to be paid with state warrants that can be cashed immediately.

 

The State has employed additional cash management measures during fiscal years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, including:

 

   

The State Controller delaying certain types of disbursements from the General Fund.

 

   

Enacting legislation during the fiscal year increasing the State’s internal borrowing capability, and increasing the General Fund’s internal borrowings.

 

   

Deferring some of the State’s disbursements until later in the fiscal year, when more cash receipts are expected, or into the succeeding fiscal year.

 

As discussed above, the State was required to issue IOUs for a time in July and August 2009 because of insufficient cash resources. The State Controller announced in September, 2010 that, as of the immediate time being, the State would not need to resort to issuing a second round of IOUs in the absence of a budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year. The adoption of a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year under the 2010 Budget Act mitigates the need to issue IOUs as the State is now able to start its regular cash-flow borrowing to meet payment obligations.

 

Internal Borrowing. The General Fund is currently authorized by law to borrow from more than 700 of the State’s approximately 1,300 other funds in the State Treasury (the “Special Funds”). Total borrowing from Special Funds must be approved by the PMIB, and is currently limited by the PMIB to approximately $21 billion. The Legislature may from time to time adopt legislation establishing additional authority to borrow from Special Funds. The State has historically made extensive use of its internal borrowing capability to provide cash resources to the General Fund. One fund from which moneys may be borrowed to provide additional cash resources to the General Fund is the Budget Stabilization Account (“BSA”), a reserve fund established in 2004 by Proposition 58. However, during fiscal year 2009-10, there were no funds available in the BSA. The State also may transfer funds into the General Fund from the State’s Special Funds for Economic Uncertainties, which is not a Special Fund.

 

External Borrowing. As noted above, issuance of RANs is a normal part of the State’s annual cash flow management program. RANs have been issued in 22 of the last 23 fiscal years. In fiscal year 2008-09, the State issued $5.5 billion of RANs which matured and were paid prior to June 30, 2009. On September 29, 2009, the State issued $8.8 billion of RANs which matured in May and June 2010.

 

Payment Deferrals. From time to time, the Legislature changes by statute the due date for various payments, including those owed to public schools, universities and local governments, until a later date in the fiscal year, or even into the following fiscal year, in order to more closely align the State’s revenues with its expenditures. This technique has been used several times through the enactment of budget bills in fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10. Some of these statutory deferrals were made permanent, and others were implemented

 

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only for one fiscal year. One effect of these deferrals has been to reduce the State’s need for external borrowing to bridge its cash flow deficit during the fiscal year.

 

In addition, State law gives the State Controller some flexibility as to how quickly the State must pay its bills. For instance, income tax refunds for personal income taxes are not legally due until 45 days after the return filing deadline, which is normally April 15. Accordingly, while the State has typically paid tax refunds as returns are filed, it can conserve cash by withholding refund payments until after the April 15 due date. Payments to vendors generally must be made within 45 days of receipt of an invoice. The State may delay payment until the end of this period, or it may even choose to make these payments later and pay interest. These delays are only used if the State Controller foresees a relatively short-term cash flow shortage. Such an instance occurred in February 2009, when the State Controller delayed making about $2.9 billion of tax refunds, and another $1.3 billion of vendor and other payments. Enactment of the Initial 2009 Budget Act in February 2009 allowed all the delayed payments to be made up in March 2009. The State does not delay making payments for which, under state or federal law, a definitive due date is set.

 

On March 1, 2010 the Governor signed a bill to provide additional cash management flexibility to State fiscal officials (Chapter 1, Statutes of 2009-10 Eighth Extraordinary Session, the “cash management bill”). The cash management bill authorizes the Controller to delay making payments during March 2010 totaling about $1.1 billion for several programs, including higher education, trial court operations (but not payroll) and contribution to the State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS).

 

The cash management bill also authorizes deferral of certain payments during fiscal year 2010-11 including payments to K-12 schools (not to exceed $2.5 billion in the aggregate at any one time), SR/SSP reimbursements to the federal government, certain local government social services, transportation payments and Proposition 63 mental health payments (not to exceed $1 billion in the aggregate at one time), higher education, STRS payment modifications and trial operations (not including payroll). Many of these deferrals may be made in July 2010, October 2010 and March 2011, not to exceed 60, 90 and 60 days, respectively. However, depending on actual cash flow conditions at the time, the Controller, Treasurer and Director of Finance may either accelerate or delay the deferrals up to 30 days, or reduce the amounts deferred. In total, as of the 2010-11 May Revision, the Department of Finance estimates these deferrals will improve the State’s cash position by up to $4.8 billion in certain months, thereby reducing the need for external cash management borrowing or other measures. Certain small cities and counties, community college districts and school districts that can demonstrate hardship, will not be subject to these deferrals. The cash management bill expressly provides that no deferrals may affect State payroll or payments of debt service on State bonds, lease rental payments which support revenue bonds, or certain other payments that are used to support debt service.

 

Cash Management in Fiscal Year 2009-10. The State entered fiscal year 2009-10 on July 1, 2009 with severely depleted cash resources as a result of having to pay significant obligations before June 30, 2009, including repayment of $5.5 billion of RANs issued in fiscal year 2008-09. In addition, significant payments to public schools had been deferred from the end of fiscal year 2008-09 into the first few weeks of July 2009. The State had projected in May 2009 that revenues would be lower than expected and that it faced a $22 billion budget gap. However, by July 1, 2009, additional budget solutions for fiscal year 2009-10 had not been adopted.

 

Faced with reduced cash resources, as described above, the State Controller started to issue registered warrants (or IOUs) on July 2, 2009, for certain obligations of the State not having payment priority under law. The State Controller was able to manage cash resources, as described above, to ensure that higher priority payments, such as for schools and debt service, were made on time in July and August 2009. On July 28, 2009, the Governor signed the Amended 2009 Budget Act, which included a number of provisions for cash management purposes.

 

With the adoption of the Amended 2009 Budget Act, the State was able to undertake its normal external borrowing program for fiscal year 2009-10. In order to provide an immediate increase in cash resources, the State

 

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issued $1.5 billion of 2009 Interim RANs (the “Interim Notes”) on August 27, 2009, which were scheduled to mature on October 5, 2009. This permitted early redemption of the outstanding registered warrants ($2.6 billion) as of September 4, 2009. (The Interim Notes were subsequently repaid in full on September 29, 2009 with a portion of the proceeds of the 2009-10 Series A Notes.)

 

The 2010-11 May Revision projected that the State would have sufficient cash resources to repay all of its $8.8 billion of 2009-10 Series A Notes in June of 2010 as scheduled, and they were all retired as of June 23, 2010. Cash flow projections prepared following the 2010-11 May Revision show an available balance of cash and unused borrowable resources at June 30, 2010 of about $6.2 billion, after repayment of the RANs. In late January 2010, the State Controller issued a report projecting a small negative cash balance (under $200 million) on or about April 1, 2010.—Reports of cash receipts for the months of January, February and March 2010 showed improved cash balances, and the Department of Finance, State Controller’s Office, and State Treasurer’s Office worked together to manage cash resources through the early April 2010 period by identifying additional borrowable resources and obtaining legislative approval for certain cash deferrals as described above under “Payment Deferrals.” Although cash receipts for the month of April 2010 were $3.6 billion below projections (partly offset by May 2010 cash receipts which were $500 million above projections), the Controller’s Office reported in July 2010 sufficient cash resources to cover State expenditures through the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year ending on June 30, 2010.

 

Cash Management in Fiscal Year 2010-11. The State Controller issued a report on June 2, 2010, based on revenue and spending estimates from the 2010-11 May Revision and actual cash receipts and expenditures through April 30, 2010, containing cash projections for the remainder of the 2010 calendar year. The report contains two separate projections, one assuming a timely adopted budget including solutions equivalent to those in the 2010-11 May Revision, and another assuming a budget adopted on October 1. Although a late budget would ultimately reduce the budgetary benefit of any solutions, as a cash matter it would have the positive effect of limiting certain expenditures early in the fiscal year. Cash flow projections prepared following the 2010-11 May Revision assume external borrowing of $10 billion in August 2010 (assuming a budget has been adopted in a timely manner), although the Department of Finance notes that this number will be subject to further refinement as the terms of a budget act for fiscal year 2010-11 are finalized. The Controller’s report noted that the State’s relatively positive projected cash position in the early months of fiscal year 2010-11 is not indicative of a return to fiscal health. Rather, the State’s cash position has improved as a result of (1) the cash deferral legislation passed in March 2010, described above under “Payment Deferrals” and (2) continued heavy reliance on internal borrowing by the General Fund from various Special Funds.

 

The State Controller released on September 9, 2010 the monthly report on State cash receipts, disbursements and balances through August, 2010 of the 2010-11 fiscal year. The Controller reported that the State will be able to meet its payment obligations in the near term, with revenues rising above the Governor’s May Revision estimates by $264.6 million, or 3.9 percent. The Controller stated at the time that the State would have a sufficient cash supply such that the State will not need to issue a second round of IOUs in the immediate future. Earlier projections had showed the State without enough cash on hand to cover all of its bills in late October 2010, which could have forced the Controller to begin issuing IOUs in early September. But August cash totals were high enough to remove the immediate threat of IOUs. The enactment of a State budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year under the 2010 Budget Act permits the State to begin its regular cash-flow borrowing and mitigates the need to issue IOUs.

 

Obligations of the State of California

 

The State Treasurer is responsible for the sale of debt obligations of the State and its various authorities and agencies. The State has always paid the principal of and interest on its general obligation bonds, general obligation commercial paper notes, lease-purchase obligations and short-term obligations, including revenue anticipation notes and revenue anticipation warrants, when due.

 

General Obligation Bonds. The State Constitution prohibits the creation of general obligation indebtedness of the State unless a bond measure is approved by a majority of the electorate voting at a general election or a

 

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direct primary. General obligation bond acts provide a continuing appropriation from the General Fund of all debt service payments on general obligation bonds, subject only to the prior application of moneys in the General Fund to the support of the public school system and public institutions of higher education. Under the State Constitution, the appropriation to pay debt service on the general obligation bonds cannot be repealed until the principal and interest on the bonds has been paid. Certain general obligation bond programs, called “self-liquidating bonds,” receive revenues from specified sources so that moneys from the General Fund are not expected to be needed to pay debt service, but the General Fund is liable as a back-up if the specified revenue source is not sufficient. The principal self-liquidating bond programs are the ERBs, supported by a special sales tax, and veterans general obligation bonds, supported by mortgage repayments from housing loans made to military veterans.

 

General obligation bonds are typically authorized for infrastructure and other capital improvements at the State and local level. Pursuant to the State Constitution, general obligation bonds cannot be used to finance State budget deficits (except as already authorized by ERBs, as described below).

 

As of May 1, 2010, the State had outstanding $78,439,139,000 aggregate principal amount of long-term general obligation bonds, of which $68,917,429,000 were payable primarily from the State’s General Fund, and $9,521,710,000 were self-liquidating bonds payable first from other special revenue funds. As of May 1, 2010, there were unused voter authorizations for the future issuance of $42,909,259,000 of long-term general obligation bonds, some of which may first be issued as commercial paper notes. Of this unissued amount, $1,331,210,000 is for general obligation bonds payable first from other revenue sources.

 

Legislation enacted November 4, 2009 authorizes submission to the voters at the statewide election on November 2, 2010 of a ballot measure to approve the issuance of $11.14 billion in general obligation bonds for a wide variety of purposes relating to improvement of California’s water supply systems, drought relief, and groundwater protection. The bill specifies that not more than one-half of the bonds may be sold before July 1, 2015. Additional bond measures may be included on the November 2, 2010 election ballot.

 

Variable Rate General Obligation Bonds. The general obligation bond law permits the State to issue as variable rate indebtedness up to 20 percent of the aggregate amount of long-term general obligation bonds outstanding. As of May 1, 2010, the State had outstanding $5,294,440,000 principal amount of variable rate general obligation bonds (which includes a portion of the ERBs described below), representing about 6.7 percent of the State’s total outstanding general obligation bonds as of that date.

 

Under State law, except for the ERBs, the State must pay the principal of any general obligation bonds which are subject to optional or mandatory tender, and which are not remarketed or, if applicable, purchased by financial institutions which provide liquidity support to the State. The State has not entered into any interest rate hedging contracts in relation to any of its variable rate bonds.

 

Commercial Paper Program. Pursuant to legislation enacted in 1995, voter-approved general obligation indebtedness may be issued either as long-term bonds or, for some but not all bond issues, as commercial paper notes. Commercial paper notes may be renewed or may be refunded by the issuance of long-term bonds. It is currently the State’s policy to use commercial paper notes to provide flexibility for bond programs, such as to provide interim funding of voter approved projects and to facilitate refunding of variable rate bonds into fixed rate bonds. Prior to late 2008, commercial paper notes were used primarily to repay internal loans from the State’s Pooled Money Investment Account (“PMIA”), as a step toward issuance of long-term bonds. However, the internal loan program is no longer being used for general obligation bond programs and all such loans have been repaid from sale of long-term general obligation bonds. Pursuant to the terms of the bank credit agreement presently in effect, the general obligation commercial paper program may have up to $2 billion in aggregate principal amount at any time. This maximum amount may be increased or decreased in the future. As of May 7, 2010, $1,292,170,000 aggregate principal amount of general obligation commercial paper notes were outstanding, most of which relates back to retirement of PMIA loan expenditures in 2008.

 

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Lease-Purchase (Lease-Revenue) Obligations. In addition to general obligation bonds, the State has acquired and constructed capital facilities through the use of lease-revenue borrowing (also referred to as lease-purchase borrowing). Under these arrangements, the State Public Works Board, another State or local agency or a joint powers authority issued bonds to pay for the construction of facilities such as office buildings, university buildings, court houses or correctional institutions. These facilities are leased to a State agency, the California State University, the University of California and the Judicial Council under a long-term lease that provides the source of payment of the debt service on the lease-revenue bonds. In some cases, there was not a separate bond issue, but a trustee directly created certificates of participation in the state’s lease obligation, which were then marketed to investors. Under applicable court decisions, such lease arrangements do not constitute the creation of “indebtedness” within the meaning of the State Constitutional provisions that require voter approval. The State had 810,071,627,519 in lease-revenue obligations outstanding as of May 1, 2010. The State Public Works Board, which is authorized to sell lease revenue bonds, had $9,839,701,000 authorized and unissued as of May 1, 2010.

 

Non-Recourse Debt. Certain State agencies and authorities issue revenue obligations for which the General Fund has no liability. Revenue bonds represent obligations payable from State revenue-producing enterprises and projects, which are not payable from the General Fund, and conduit obligations payable only from revenues paid by private users of facilities financed by the revenue bonds. The enterprises and projects include transportation projects, various public works projects, public and private educational facilities (including the California State University and University of California systems), housing, health facilities and pollution control facilities. State agencies and authorities had approximately $56 billion aggregate principal amount of revenue bonds and notes which are non-recourse to the General Fund outstanding as of December 31, 2009.

 

Build America Bonds. In February 2009, the Congress enacted certain new municipal bond provisions as part of the ARRA (stimulus bill). One provision allows municipal issuers such as the State to issue “Build America Bonds” (“BABs”) for new infrastructure investments. BABs are bonds whose interest is subject to federal income tax, but the U.S. Treasury will repay to the State an amount equal to 35 percent of the interest cost on any BABs issued during 2009 and 2010. This results in a net interest expense lower than what the State would have had to pay for tax-exempt bonds of similar maturity. The subsidy payments from general obligation bonds are General Fund revenues to the State, while subsidy payments for lease revenue bonds are deposited into a fund which is made available to the State Public Works Board for any lawful purpose. In neither instance are the subsidy payments specifically pledged to repayment of the BABs to which they relate.

 

Between April 2009 and November 2009, the State issued a significant amount of BABs, including $7.89 billion of general obligation bonds and $250 million of lease revenue bonds. The aggregate amount of the subsidy payments to be received from fiscal year 2010-11 through the maturity of these bonds (mostly 20 to 30 years) is approximately $5.6 billion for the general obligation BABs (which does not include this current sale) and $170 million for the lease revenue BABs. The State expects to issue additional BABs during calendar year 2010 in addition to the current sale. The Obama Administration has proposed making the BABs program permanent, although at a lower subsidy rate. In late March 2010 the House of Representatives passed a law which extends the BAB program for three years, at successively lower subsidy rates, but higher than what was proposed by the Obama Administration; this proposal has not yet been acted on by the Senate.

 

Future Issuance Plans; General Fund Debt Ratio. Between November, 2006 and August, 2009, voters and the Legislature authorized more than $60 billion of new general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds, which are paid solely from the General Fund. This new authorization substantially increased the current amount of such General Fund supported debt outstanding to more than $72 billion, while still leaving authorized and unissued about $58 billion of such bonds as of February 1, 2010. In order to address the expenditure needs for these new authorizations, along with those which existed before 2006, the State has increased the volume of issuance of both of these categories of bonds substantially, compared to previous years, starting in fiscal year 2007-08. The amounts and timing of future issuance of general obligation and lease revenue bonds will depend on a variety of factors, including the actual timing of expenditure needs for the various programs for which such bonds are to be issued, the amount and timing of interim financing provided to the programs, the interest rate and other market

 

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conditions at the time of issuance, and the timing and amounts of additional general obligation bonds or lease revenue bonds that may be approved.

 

Disruptions in financial markets and uncertainties about the State’s budget condition have caused significant disruptions in the State’s bond issuance program during fiscal year 2008-09. Because of these factors, the State did not issue any new general obligation bonds between July 2008 and March 2009. In March 2009, it issued $6.54 billion of new tax-exempt bonds, the largest new money general obligation bond issue in the State’s history (excluding ERBs). A few weeks later, the State took advantage of the new federal rules to issue $6.86 billion of federally taxable general obligations bonds, of which $5.3 billion were BABs. A significant part of the proceeds from the over $13 billion of bonds issued in the spring of 2009 was used to retire internal borrowings used to fund construction projects, which had built up because of the long hiatus in bond issuance. An additional $6.546 billion of tax exempt and taxable general obligation bonds ($2.66 billion BABs were issued in the fall of 2009, together with $1.549 billion of lease revenue bonds ($250 million BABs).

 

The combination of unusual circumstances resulted in public offerings of a record $19.7 billion of general obligation bonds during calendar year 2009. The 2010-11 Governor’s Budget projects issuance of about $13.2 billion of general obligation and lease revenue bonds in that fiscal year. These are preliminary estimates, and the actual amount of bonds sold for the balance of fiscal year 2009-10 and in fiscal year 2010-11 will depend on many factors, including more detailed review of program needs, budget priorities and market conditions. As of the beginning of September 2010, the State had issued or sold in calendar 2010 $5.9 billion of general obligation bonds.

 

Based on the current Department of Finance projections of program expenditure needs, without taking into account any future authorizations which may occur, the State Treasurer has estimated that the aggregate amount of outstanding debt supported by the General Fund, including general obligation, lease revenue, and Proposition 1A bonds, based on current voter and legislative authorizations, is estimated to peak at approximately $110.1 billion by fiscal year 2015-16, compared to the current outstanding amount of about $74.6 billion. The annual debt service costs on this amount of debt is estimated by the State Treasurer to increase to approximately $9.76 billion in fiscal year 2012-13 compared to about $6.09 billion budgeted in fiscal year 2009-10. The projected amounts for fiscal year 2010-11 through 2011-12 include the interest, and for fiscal year 2012-13, the interest and principal payable on the $1.90 billion of bonds issued in connection with Proposition 1A of 2004. After fiscal year 2012-13, projected peak debt service is $9.95 billion in fiscal year 2019-20. (These estimates do not include ERBs, described below, or veterans general obligation bonds supported by mortgage repayments from housing loans made to military veterans, nor do they take into account potential benefits from future refunding opportunities.)

 

In light of the substantial drop in General Fund revenues since fiscal year 2007-08 and the projections of substantial new bond sales in the future, the ratio of debt service on general obligation, lease-revenue, and Proposition 1A bonds supported by the General Fund, to annual General Fund revenues and transfers (the “General Fund Debt Ratios”), can be expected to increase significantly in future years. Based on the revised estimates contained in the 2010- 11 May Revision, in fiscal year 2009-10, the General Fund Debt Ratio is estimated to equal approximately 6.91 percent based on the assumed debt issuance referred to in the preceding paragraph, and the assumed growth in General Fund revenues and transfers contained in the 2010-11 May Revision, through fiscal year 2013-14, the State’s General Fund Debt Ratio is projected to peak at 10.58 percent in fiscal year 2012-13, the year in which the Proposition 1A bonds mature. In the fiscal year following the maturity of the Proposition 1A bonds, fiscal year 2013-14, the State’s General Fund Debt Ratio is projected to decline to 9.34 percent. The State’s General Fund Debt Ratio after fiscal year 2013-14 will depend on the State’s future General Fund revenues which will in turn depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to economic, population and inflation growth. Based on the State’s current debt issuance projections and an assumed combined average annual General Fund revenue growth rate of between 2 percent to 5 percent, the State’s General Fund Debt Ratio in fiscal year 2019-20 is projected to range from 7.26 percent to 8.67 percent. The General Fund Debt Ratio is calculated based on actual gross debt service, without adjusting for receipts from

 

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the U.S. Treasury for the State’s current outstanding general obligation and lease-revenue BABs, and an assumed interest rate of 6.25 percent and 6.75 percent for future issuances of general obligation and lease revenue bonds, respectively.

 

Economic Recovery Bonds. The California Economic Recovery Bond Act (“Proposition 57”) was approved by the voters on March 2, 2004. Proposition 57 authorized the issuance of up to $15 billion in ERBs to finance the negative General Fund reserve balance as of June 30, 2004, and other General Fund obligations undertaken prior to June 30, 2004. Repayment of the ERBs is secured by a pledge of revenues from a one-quarter cent increase in the State’s sales and use tax that became effective July 1, 2004. In addition, as voter-approved general obligation bonds, the ERBs are secured by the State’s full faith and credit and payable from the General Fund in the event the dedicated sales and use tax revenue is insufficient to repay the bonds.

 

In May and June, 2004, the State issued $10.896 billion principal amount of ERBs, resulting in the deposit of net proceeds to the General Fund of approximately $11.254 billion. In order to relieve cash flow and budgetary shortfalls identified in the 2008-09 Governor’s Budget, the State issued approximately $3.179 billion of additional ERBs on February 14, 2008, generating net proceeds of $3.313 billion which were transferred to the General Fund. No further ERBs can be issued under Proposition 57, except for any refunding bonds which may be issued in the future. (The Department of Finance had determined that the full $15 billion voter authorization could not be issued because of the previous repayment of certain June 30, 2004 obligations eligible for financing pursuant to Proposition 57.)

 

Because of the sharp reduction in taxable sales as a result of the recent economic recession, the Special Sales Tax Revenues (“SSTRs”) collected from the one-quarter cent tax dedicated to repayment of the ERB debt decreased to a level that did not provide adequate coverage above the required debt service amounts for the 2004 and 2008 ERBs. This resulted in downgrades of the ratings of the ERBs and would have required debt service to be paid from reserve funds for at least some period of time. In order to restore adequate coverage, the State restructured the ERB debt through the issuance of approximately $3.435 billion ERB refunding bonds on November 5, 2009. The restructuring reduced annual debt service costs to come into alignment with reduced tax revenues, with a coverage target of at least 1.3 times. The ratings for all ERBs have been raised to levels above the State’s general obligation bond ratings.

 

Three different sources of funds are required to be applied to the early retirement (generally by purchase or redemption) of ERBs: (i) all proceeds from the dedicated quarter cent sales tax in excess of the amounts needed, on a semi-annual basis, to pay debt service and other required costs of the bonds, (ii) all proceeds from the sale of specified surplus State property, and (iii) fifty percent of each annual deposit, up to $5 billion in the aggregate, of deposits in the BSA. As of January 2010 funds from these sources have been used for early retirement of approximately $3.5 billion of bonds during fiscal years 2005-06 through 2009-10, including $1.495 billion which was transferred from the BSA in fiscal year 2006-07 ($472 million) and fiscal year 2007-08 ($1.023 billion). The State reported that approximately $122 million of surplus tax revenues will be used to retire ERBs on June 24, 2010.

 

The Governor suspended each of the fiscal years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 BSA transfers due to the condition of the General Fund.

 

Cash Flow Borrowings. As part of its cash management program, the State has regularly issued short-term obligations to meet cash flow needs. As noted above, the State has issued RANs in 22 of the last 23 fiscal years to partially fund timing differences between receipts and disbursements, as the majority of General Fund revenues are received in the last part of the fiscal year. RANs mature prior to the end of the fiscal year of issuance. If additional external cash flow borrowings are required, the State has issued RAWs, which can mature in a subsequent fiscal year. See “Cash Management—General.”

 

Obligations of State Agencies. A number of California State agencies and authorities issue obligations secured or payable from specified revenue streams. These obligations are not payable from California’s General

 

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Fund and carry different ratings than the State’s general obligation bonds. The California Department of Water Resources has been one of the largest issuers of revenue bonds in recent years, with $8.4 billion of outstanding bonds secured by power and water users as of May 2010. The California Housing Finance Agency has issued approximately $8.2 billion of bonds secured by mortgage loans made for single family and multi-family housing units as of June 2009. None of these revenue bonds is backed by the State’s faith and credit or taxing power.

 

There are a number of other State agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the State that issue Municipal Obligations, some of which may be conduit revenue obligations payable from payments from private borrowers. These entities are subject to various economic risks and uncertainties, and the credit quality of the securities issued by them may vary considerably from the credit quality of obligations backed by the full faith and credit of California.

 

General Obligation Bond Ratings

 

As of September 2010, the following ratings for the State of California general obligation bonds have been received from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”) and Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”):

 

Fitch

     Moody’s         S&P   

A-

     A1         A-   

 

These ratings are among the lowest of any of the 50 states. These ratings apply to the State only and are not indicative of the ratings assigned to local governments, such as counties, cities, school districts and other local agencies.

 

Any explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained only from the rating agency furnishing such ratings. There is no assurance that such ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely if, in the judgment of the particular rating agency, circumstances so warrant.

 

Issues Affecting Local Governments and Special Districts

 

The primary units of local government in California are the 58 counties, which range in population from approximately 1,200 in Alpine County to approximately 10 million in Los Angeles County. Counties are responsible for the provision of many basic services, including indigent health care, welfare, jails, and public safety in unincorporated areas. There are also 480 incorporated cities in California and thousands of special districts formed for education, utilities, and other services.

 

Limitation on Property Taxes. Certain California debt obligations may be obligations of issuers that rely in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, on ad valorem property taxes as a source of revenue. The taxing powers of California local governments and districts are limited by Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, enacted by the voters in 1978 and commonly known as “Proposition 13.” Briefly, Article XIIIA limits the rate of ad valorem property taxes to 1% of the full cash value of real property and generally restricts the reassessment of property to 2% per year, except upon new construction or change of ownership (subject to a number of exemptions). Taxing entities may, however, raise ad valorem taxes above the 1% limit to pay debt service on voter-approved bond indebtedness.

 

Under Article XIIIA, the basic 1% ad valorem tax levy is applied against the assessed value of property as of the owner’s date of acquisition (or as of March 1, 1975, if acquired earlier), subject to certain adjustments. This system has resulted in widely varying amounts of tax on similarly situated properties. Several lawsuits were filed challenging the acquisition-based assessment system of Proposition 13, but it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992.

 

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Article XIIIA prohibits local governments from raising revenues through ad valorem taxes above the 1% limit; it also requires voters of any governmental unit to give two-thirds approval to levy any “special tax.”

 

Limitations on Other Taxes, Fees and Charges. On November 5, 1996, the voters of the State approved Proposition 218, called the “Right to Vote on Taxes Act.” Proposition 218 added Articles XIIIC and XIIID to the State Constitution, which contain a number of provisions affecting the ability of local agencies to levy and collect both existing and future taxes, assessments, fees and charges.

 

Article XIIIC requires that all new or increased local taxes be submitted to the voters before they become effective. Taxes for general governmental purposes require a majority vote and taxes for specific purposes require a two-thirds vote.

 

Article XIIID contains several new provisions making it generally more difficult for local agencies to levy and maintain “assessments” for municipal services and programs. Article XIIID also contains several new provisions affecting “fees” and “charges”, defined for purposes of Article XIIID to mean “any levy other than an ad valorem tax, a special tax, or an assessment, imposed by a local government upon a parcel or upon a person as an incident of property ownership, including a user fee or charge for a property related service.” All new and existing property related fees and charges must conform to requirements prohibiting, among other things, fees and charges which generate revenues exceeding the funds required to provide the property related service or are used for unrelated purposes. There are new notice, hearing and protest procedures for levying or increasing property related fees and charges, and, except for fees or charges for sewer, water and refuse collection services (or fees for electrical and gas service, which are not treated as “property related” for purposes of Article XIIID), no property related fee or charge may be imposed or increased without majority approval by the property owners subject to the fee or charge or, at the option of the local agency, two-thirds voter approval by the electorate residing in the affected area.

 

In addition to the provisions described above, Article XIIIC removes limitations on the initiative power in matters of local taxes, assessments, fees and charges. Consequently, local voters could, by future initiative, repeal, reduce or prohibit the future imposition or increase of any local tax, assessment, fee or charge. It is unclear how this right of local initiative may be used in cases where taxes or charges have been or will be specifically pledged to secure debt issues.

 

The interpretation and application of Proposition 218 will ultimately be determined by the courts with respect to a number of matters, and it is not possible at this time to predict with certainty the outcome of such cases.

 

Appropriations Limits. The State and its local governments are subject to an annual “appropriations limit” imposed by Article XIIIB of the California Constitution, enacted by the voters in 1979 and significantly amended by Propositions 98 and 111 in 1988 and 1990, respectively. Article XIIIB prohibits the State or any covered local government from spending “appropriations subject to limitation” in excess of the appropriations limit imposed. “Appropriations subject to limitation” are authorizations to spend “proceeds of taxes,” which consist of tax revenues and certain other funds, including proceeds from regulatory licenses, user charges or other fees, to the extent that such proceeds exceed the cost of providing the product or service, but “proceeds of taxes” exclude most State subventions to local governments. No limit is imposed on appropriations of funds which are not “proceeds of taxes,” such as reasonable user charges or fees, and certain other non-tax funds, including bond proceeds.

 

Among the expenditures not included in the Article XIIIB appropriations limit are (1) the debt service cost of bonds issued or authorized prior to January 1, 1979, or subsequently authorized by the voters, (2) appropriations to comply with mandates of courts or the federal government, (3) appropriations for certain capital outlay projects, (4) appropriations by the State of post-1989 increases in gasoline taxes and vehicle weight fees, and (5) appropriations made in certain cases of emergency.

 

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The appropriations limit for each year is adjusted annually to reflect changes in cost of living and population, and any transfers of service responsibilities between government units. The definitions for such adjustments were liberalized in 1990 to follow more closely growth in the State’s economy.

 

“Excess” revenues are measured over a two-year cycle. Local governments must return any excess to taxpayers by rate reductions. The State must refund 50% of any excess, with the other 50% paid to schools and community colleges. With more liberal annual adjustment factors since 1988, and depressed revenues in the early 1990’s because of the recession, few governments have been operating near their spending limits, but this condition may change over time. Local governments may by voter approval exceed their spending limits for up to four years.

 

Because of the complex nature of Articles XIIIA, XIIIB, XIIIC and XIIID of the California Constitution, the ambiguities and possible inconsistencies in their terms, and the impossibility of predicting future appropriations or changes in population and cost of living, and the probability of continuing legal challenges, it is not currently possible to determine fully the impact of these Articles on California debt obligations or on the ability of the State or local governments to pay debt service on such obligations. It is not possible, at the present time, to predict the outcome of any pending litigation with respect to the ultimate scope, impact or constitutionality of these Articles or the impact of any such determinations upon State agencies or local governments, or upon their ability to pay debt service on their obligations. Further initiatives or legislative changes in laws or the California Constitution may also affect the ability of the State or local issuers to repay their obligations.

 

Litigation

 

The State is a party to numerous legal proceedings where adverse decisions could have a material impact on State finances. Included in this litigation are the following matters, although not exhaustive of all pending matters:

 

Budget-Related Litigation

 

Actions Challenging Governor’s Line-Item Vetoes. Two cases challenge the $489 million in line-item vetoes the Governor made to the Amended 2009-10 Budget Act: Steinberg v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509721), and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Case No. A125750.) Both actions maintain that because the Legislature only reduced existing appropriations in the budget revision bill without making any new appropriations, the Governor was not entitled to use his line-item veto power. Both cases seek writ relief directing the State Controller to enforce the existing appropriations as reduced by the Legislature and to declare the line-item vetoes void. Briefing in the St. John’s case should be complete by the end of October. The Court of Appeal gave permission to the Steinberg petitioners to intervene in the St. John’s action. The appellate court denied the writ and upheld the vetoes in the St. John’s action. Petitioners could request review of the ruling by the California Supreme Court. The petition in the Steinberg action is still pending in the Superior Court and petitioners may attempt to revive it. On June 9, 2010, the California Supreme Court granted review of the Court of Appeal decision upholding the Governor’s vetoes of spending in the Amended 2009 Budget Act. There is no time yet set for hearing or decision in this case but the Supreme Court has set an accelerated briefing schedule with all briefings due by July 14, 2010.

 

Action Challenging Proposed Sale of State Compensation Insurance Fund Assets. In Poizner v. Genest, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000310- CU-WM-GDS), the State Insurance Commissioner challenges the proposed sale of a portion of SCIF, a public enterprise providing workers’ compensation insurance to California employers, asserting that the proposed sale would violate the California Constitution.

 

Action Challenging Budget Bill. In Lord, et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509770), petitioners are a correctional officer and the employee organization designated

 

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as the exclusive bargaining representative of the officer and other correctional law employees. Petitioners allege that a State budget implementation bill enacted in July 2009, A.B.X4 12, violates the California Constitution provision which requires that a statute embrace one subject expressed in its title. The bill includes budget-related changes to statutes intended to reduce State expenses and increase State revenues, including deferral of payment of State employee compensation for the month of June 2010 from June 30 to July 1, authorization to sell a portion of SCIF’s assets and liabilities, and elimination of a rural health care subsidy paid to the petitioner and other State employees. Petitioners seek a declaration that the bill is unconstitutional. On July 28, 2010, the San Francisco County Superior Court ruled in favor of the petitioners and held that Section 12 of the implementation bill violates the single subject rule. If the court’s decision is upheld on appeal, the case could invalidate the entire bill.

 

Action Challenging Required Contribution by Redevelopment Agencies. Petitioners in California Redevelopment Association, et al., v. Genest, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000359), challenge the constitutionality of legislation that required that local redevelopment agencies remit a total of $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2009-10 and $350 million in fiscal year 2010-11 to county education funds. Petitioners are asking the trial court to enjoin implementation of the legislation. A second case challenging the constitutionality of this legislation and seeking to enjoin its implementation was filed by seven counties in County of Los Angeles, et al. v. Genest, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000362). On April 9, 2010 the petitioners of County of Los Angeles, et al. v. Genest, et al. joined the California redevelopment agencies’ challenge of the legislation in California Redevelopment Association, et al. v. Genest, et al to petition for a preliminary injunction or stay against the legislation. On May 4, 2010, a Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the State in the case. This ruling upheld a provision in the Amended 2009 Budget Act which required redevelopment agencies around the State to transfer $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2009-10 and $350 million in fiscal year 2010-11 to support public school funding within their jurisdictions (thereby relieving the State General Fund from an equal amount of payments under Proposition 98). The decision has been appealed by the redevelopment agencies and the counties in both actions; however, substantially all of the transfers have been made.

 

Actions Regarding Furlough of State Employees. In several cases, petitioners challenge the Governor’s executive orders directing the furlough without pay of State employees. The first order, issued on December 19, 2008, directed furloughs for two days per month, effective February 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. The second, issued on July 1, 2009, required a third furlough day per month, effective through June 30, 2010. On March 2, 2010, the Governor filed a petition in the California Supreme Court seeking to transfer certain of these cases that are currently pending in the appellate court to the Supreme Court for decision, and to stay all pending trial court actions challenging the executive orders and resulting furloughs (California Supreme Court, Case No. S180643).

 

In four cases, the trial court upheld the Governor’s authority to order furloughs. Professional Engineers in California Government (“PECG”), et al., v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2008-80000126-CU-WM-GDS); California Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers in State Employment (“CASE”) v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000134-CU-WM-GDS); Service Employees International Union, Local 1000 (“SEIU”) v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000135-CU-WM-GDS); and California Correctional Peace Officers Association (“CCPOA”). v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009- 80000137-CU-WM-GDS). Three of the petitioners, PECG, CASE, and SEIU, have appealed. (Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, Case Nos. C061011, C061009, and C061020, respectively).

 

Three pending cases involve the application of the furlough order to employees of SCIF. In CASE v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509205), the trial court ruled that the furlough order did not apply to attorneys employed by SCIF. The State appealed and on March 19, 2010, the appellate court ruled against the state and upheld the trial court ruling (Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Case No. A125292). In SEIU v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509580), plaintiff challenged the order as applied to other SCIF employees based on SCIF’s governing

 

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statutes which prohibit the State from “adjusting” its staffing levels. The trial court ruled that the furlough order did not apply to the SCIF employees. The State is appealing this decision. (Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Case No. A126525). In International Union of Operating Engineers, Locals 3, 12, 39 and 501 v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CGC-09-492675), plaintiffs are challenging the order as applied to other SCIF employees in different unions based on the SCIF governing statute.

 

In California Association of Psychiatric Technicians (“CAPT”) v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000148-CU-WM-GDS); CDF Firefighters v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-00032732); -CU-WMGDS), CASE v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509629) challenges the July 1, 2009 executive order implementing the third furlough day.

 

In CCPOA v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-09-441544), petitioner alleges that the furloughs violate Government Code 19826 because its members (correctional officers) cannot take their furlough days off during the same pay period in which their salaries are reduced because of operational needs. The trial court found in favor of CCPOA and directed the State to pay CCPOA members for all hours worked. The State filed a notice of appeal and the trial court’s order is stayed pending further briefing in the appellate court (Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Case No. A127292).

 

In Newton v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (U.S. District Court, Northern District, Case No. 09-CV-05887 JCS), correctional officers allege that the furloughs violate the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

 

In California Professional Public Employees Association, et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000308), petitioners allege the State is violating Labor Code Section 212 by permitting some employees to “accrue furlough days.” In California Correctional Supervisor’s Organization v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-00063209-CU-OE-GDS), plaintiff alleges that the furloughs violate the State Labor Code when correctional supervisors work furlough days but are not paid wages for those days during the same pay period.

 

Walker, et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000150 CU-WM-GDS) alleges that the furlough order is invalid because it does not comply with State law requirements for promulgating regulations.

 

In SEIU v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509782), petitioners allege the furloughs violate the State Emergency Services Act and undermine the Legislature’s budgetary authority.

 

In CASE v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-09-453982); Union of American Physicians and Dentists (“UAPD”) v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-09-456684); SEIU v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-09-456750); California Association of Professional Scientists (“CAPS”), et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509695); and International Union of Operating Engineers v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC423409); and PECG v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-10-494800, the employee organizations allege that the Governor illegally furloughed employees who are paid from special funds because the deficit stems from general fund deficiencies and therefore furloughing employees who are paid with special funds will not result in any benefit or cost In the case brought by CAPS, the trial court ruled in favor the State. In the matters brought by CASE, UAPD and SEIU, the trial court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding the furloughs were improper, and final judgment was entered on February 25, 2010. The judgment applies to all employees of agencies sued in the three lawsuits, and includes an award of back pay. An appeal in these cases was filed by the

 

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State (Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Case Nos. A127775, A127776, A127777), and the judgment was stayed due to the appeal. On March 24, 2010, the trial court judge lifted the stay with respect to the furloughs and ordered that furloughs cease with respect to the specially funded departments and agencies named in these cases. The portion of the judgment with respect to back pay remains stayed pending appeal. The matter brought by PECG is pending in the trial court.

 

In Association of California State Supervisors (ACSS) v. Schwarzenegger et al. (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-10-501997) and International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) v. Schwarzenegger (Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG-10-503805), the plaintiffs challenge the furloughs as allegedly violating provisions of State law.

 

In Board of Administration of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System v. Schwarzenegger (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509754), plaintiff alleges that the furloughs unlawfully interfere with its ability to carry out its constitutional obligation to its participants and beneficiaries. The trial court ruled in favor of the State.

 

In California Medical Association v. Schwarzenegger, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-09-509896), plaintiff challenges the Governor’s furlough orders, and asserts that the furloughs interfere with the California Medical Board’s timely performance of its regulatory functions. The trial court found in the State’s favor in this case. In Acosta v. Henning, et al. (San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CPF-08-508192), plaintiffs assert that the furloughs interfere with the ability of the California Employment Development Department and the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board to timely perform their functions.

 

In a separate action, Schwarzenegger, et al. v. Chiang, et al. (Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2009-80000158-CU-WM-GDS), the Governor is seeking an order to compel the State Controller to implement the reduction in wages as a result of the reduced work time (furlough) with respect to employees of other statewide elected executive branch officers, including the Lieutenant Governor, State Controller, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Insurance Commissioner, and Attorney General. The trial court ruled in favor of the Governor, and the State Controller, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board of Equalization appealed (Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, Case No. C061648).

 

Prison Healthcare Reform and Reduction of Prison Population

 

The adult prison health care delivery system includes medical health care, mental health care and dental health care. The annual budget for this system, which is operated by the CDCR and affects approximately 33 prisons throughout the State, exceeds $2 billion. There are three significant cases pending in federal district courts challenging the constitutionality of prison health care. Plata v. Schwarzenegger (U.S. District Court, Northern District, Case No. C-01-1351 TEH) is a class action regarding the adequacy of medical health care; Coleman v. Schwarzenegger (U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Case No. CIV-S-90-0520 LKK JFM P) is a class action regarding mental health care; and Perez v. Tilton (U.S. District Court, Northern District, Case No. C 05-05241 JSW) is a class action regarding dental health care. A fourth case, Armstrong v. Schwarzenegger (U.S. District Court, Northern District, Case No. C 94-02307 CW) is a class action on behalf of inmates with disabilities alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In Plata, the district court appointed a Receiver, who took office in April, 2006, to run and operate the medical health care portion of the health care delivery system. The Plata Receiver and the Special Master appointed by the Coleman court, joined by the court representatives appointed by the Perez and Armstrong courts, meet routinely to coordinate efforts in these cases. To date, ongoing costs of remedial activities have been incorporated into the State’s budget process. However, at this time, it is unknown what financial impact this litigation would have on the State’s General Fund, particularly in light of the unprecedented step of appointing a Receiver of medical health care. The Receiver has filed a motion in the Plata case, asking the court to hold the Governor and

 

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State Controller in contempt of court for failing to fund prison healthcare capital projects the Receiver wishes to construct and to order the State to pay $8 billion to fund such projects. On October 27, 2008, the district court ordered the State to transfer $250 million to the Receiver. The court indicated it would proceed later with the additional amounts requested by the Receiver. The State appealed that order and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the State’s appeal for lack of jurisdiction, stating that the order to pay $250 million was an interim order in the contempt proceedings. The district court has also denied the State’s motion to terminate the Receiver, and the State has appealed that order.

 

In Plata and Coleman, discussed above, a three-judge panel was convened to consider plaintiffs’ motion for a prisoner-release order. The motions alleged that prison overcrowding was the primary cause of unconstitutional medical and mental health care. After a trial, the panel ordered the State to prepare a plan for the release of approximately 46,000 prisoners over two years. The State has filed a prisoner release plan with the three-judge panel and filed an appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court that was denied certiorari on January 19, 2010. On June 14, 2010, the United States Supreme Court granted the State’s petition for review of the decision by a three-judge federal court which ordered a reduction of the State prison population. It is expected that the case will be heard and decided during the Supreme Court’s 2010-11 Term.

 

The specific litigation matters described above are provided as an example only and do not comprise a complete listing of material ongoing or pending litigation involving the State, its agencies, subdivisions and instrumentalities.

 

Other Considerations

 

Federal Stimulus Bill. Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 (the “ARRA”), which provides approximately $787 billion of economic stimulus actions in the form of direct payments from the federal government and tax relief to individuals and businesses nationwide. The stimulus bill provides about $330 billion in aid to states, about $170 billion for federal projects and non-State aid, and about $287 billion of tax relief.

 

The California Recovery Task Force reported that of the estimated $85 billion that California is expected to receive from the Recovery Act, over $42 billion has been awarded as of June 30, 2010. Of the $42 billion, more than $18.5 billion are awards to safety-net programs such as Medi-Cal, unemployment insurance, and food stamps. Another $10 billion are awards from the Federal Government directly to local governments, non-profits, and other entities in California. The remaining $13.5 billion are awards directly to California state government entities for programmatic spending to create jobs.

 

The 2010-11 May Revision includes an estimated $5.0 billion in fiscal year 2009-10 and $5.6 billion in fiscal year 2010-11 federal funds to offset General Fund expenditures. The majority of these federal funds are ARRA funds.

 

Major Seismic Activity. Most of California is within an active geologic region subject to major seismic activity. In 1989 and 1994, northern California and southern California, respectively, experienced major earthquakes causing billions of dollars in damages. Any obligation in the Fund could be affected by an interruption of revenues because of damaged facilities, or, consequently, income tax deductions for casualty losses or property assessment reductions. Compensatory financial assistance could be constrained by the inability of (i) an issuer to have obtained earthquake insurance coverage rates; (ii) an insurer to perform on its contracts of insurance in the event of widespread losses; or (iii) the federal or California state government to appropriate sufficient funds within their respective budget limitations.

 

Conclusions

 

It is not possible to predict how these or other economic considerations, State budgetary and fiscal conditions, legislative and voter initiatives, State constitutional amendments, and other relevant factors may

 

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affect the long-term ability of the State of California, or of California municipal issuers, to pay interest or repay principal on their obligations. There is no assurance that any California issuer will make full or timely payments of principal or interest or remain solvent. For example, in December 1994, Orange County, California, together with its pooled investment funds, which included investment funds from other local governments, filed for bankruptcy. More recently, in May 2008, the City of Vallejo, California, filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy because its tax revenues, which dropped precipitously with housing values, could no longer cover basic city services. Los Angeles County, the nation’s largest county, in the recent past has also experienced financial difficulty and its financial condition will continue to be affected by the large number of County residents who are dependent on government services, and by a structural deficit in its health department. Furthermore, certain tax-exempt securities in which the Fund may invest may be obligations payable solely from the revenues of specific institutions, or may be secured by specific properties, which are subject to provisions of California law that could adversely affect the holders of such obligations. For example, the revenues of California health care institutions may be subject to State laws, and California law limits the remedies of a creditor secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on real property.

 

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Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2

 

 

 

EPR-NVXMTP-1010D

 


 

NUVEEN CALIFORNIA DIVIDEND ADVANTAGE MUNICIPAL FUND 2

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Nuveen California Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2 (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company.

This Statement of Additional Information relating to MuniFund Term Preferred Shares, 2.05% Series 2015 (“Series 2015 MTP Shares”) of the Fund (“MTP Shares”) does not constitute a prospectus, but should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus relating thereto dated October 19, 2010 (the “Prospectus”). This Statement of Additional Information does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing MTP Shares. Investors should obtain and read the Fund’s Prospectus prior to purchasing such shares. A copy of the Fund’s Prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders when available, and other information about the Fund may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 257-8787, by writing to the Fund or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of the Fund’s Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information. You may also obtain a copy of the Fund’s Prospectus on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Statement of Additional Information have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.

This Statement of Additional Information is dated October 19, 2010.

 

1


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Investment Objectives and Policies

     3   

Investment Restrictions

     4   

Portfolio Composition

     6   

Management of the Fund

     16   

Investment Adviser

     36   

Portfolio Manager

     37   

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

     39   

Description of Shares

     40   

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     40   

Tax Matters

     42   

Experts

     48   

Custodian, Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Redemption and Paying Agent

     48   

Additional Information

     48   

Financial Statements

     49   

Appendix A—Statement of Preferences

     A-1   

Appendix B—Ratings of Investments

     B-1   

Appendix C—Tax Opinion

     C-1   

 

2


 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

The Fund’s investment objectives are to provide current income exempt from regular federal and California income tax and to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the Fund’s investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued. The Fund’s investment objectives and its policy to invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes are fundamental policies of the Fund. The Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its portfolio that may be invested in municipal securities subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of federal tax law, and the Fund expects that a substantial portion of the income it produces will be includable in alternative minimum taxable income.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income taxes. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in investment grade securities that, at the time of investment, are rated within the four highest grades (Baa or BBB or better) by at least one NRSRO or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s investment adviser, Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that at the time of investment are rated below investment grade or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. No more than 10% of the Fund’s Managed Assets may be invested in municipal securities rated below B3/B- or that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by Nuveen Asset Management. Securities of below investment grade quality are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds. Managed Assets are net assets, including assets attributable to any principal amount of any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) and any Preferred Stock outstanding. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The foregoing credit quality policies apply only at the time a security is purchased, and the Fund is not required to dispose of a security in the event that a rating agency downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, Nuveen Asset Management may consider such factors as its assessment of the credit quality of the issuer of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by other rating agencies. The Fund may also invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies that invest primarily in municipal bonds of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. A portion of the dividends from MTP Shares may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Underrated municipal securities are those municipal securities whose ratings do not, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, reflect their true value. They may be underrated because of the time that has elapsed since their last ratings, or because rating agencies have not fully taken into account positive factors, or for other reasons. Undervalued municipal securities are those securities that, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, are worth more than their market value. They may be undervalued because there is a temporary excess of supply in that particular sector (such as hospital bonds, or bonds of a particular municipal issuer). Nuveen Asset Management may buy such a security even if the value of that security is consistent with the value of other securities in that sector. Municipal securities also may be undervalued because there has been a general decline in the market price of municipal securities for reasons that do not apply to the particular municipal securities that Nuveen Asset Management considers undervalued. Nuveen Asset Management believes that the prices of these municipal securities should ultimately reflect their true value.

The Fund also may invest up to 15% of its net assets in inverse floating rate securities. The economic effect of leverage through the Fund’s purchase of inverse floating rate securities creates an opportunity for increased net income and returns, but also creates the possibly that the Fund’s long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of leverage exceeds the return on the inverse floating rate securities purchased by the Fund.

 

3


 

During temporary defensive periods and in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in short-term investments including high quality, short-term securities that may be either tax exempt or taxable. The Fund intends to invest in taxable short-term investments only in the event that suitable tax-exempt short-term investments are not available at reasonable prices and yields. Investment in taxable short-term investments would result in a portion of your dividends being subject to regular federal income taxes.

The Fund cannot change its investment objectives without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common shares and Preferred Stock, voting together, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock, voting separately. For this purpose, “a majority of the outstanding shares” means the vote of (1) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.

A general description of the ratings of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch of municipal securities is set forth in Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information.

A more complete description of the Fund’s investment objectives and policies is set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Except as described below, the Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common shares and Preferred Stock, voting together, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock, voting separately:

1. Under normal circumstances, invest less than 80% of the Fund’s net assets, including assets attributable to any principal amount of any borrowings (including the issuance of commercial paper or notes) or any preferred shares outstanding (“Managed Assets”) in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal and California income tax;

2. Issue senior securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, other than MuniPreferred shares, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and except as otherwise described in the prospectus;

3. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency purposes or for repurchase of its shares, and then only in an amount not exceeding one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings);

4. Act as underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities;

5. Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry; provided, however, that such limitation shall not apply to municipal bonds other than those municipal bonds backed only by the assets and revenues of non-governmental users;

6. Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in municipal bonds secured by real estate or interests therein or foreclosing upon and selling such security;

7. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities);

8. Make loans, other than by entering into repurchase agreements and through the purchase of municipal bonds or short-term investments in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations; or

9. Purchase any securities (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities), if as a result more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets

 

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would then be invested in securities of a single issuer or if as a result the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer; provided that, with respect to 50% of the Fund’s assets, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in the securities of any one issuer.

For the purpose of applying the limitation set forth in subparagraph (9) above, a governmental issuer shall be deemed the single issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a non-governmental issuer, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental issuer, then such non-governmental issuer would be deemed to be the single issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity. Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank. When a municipal security is insured by bond insurance, it shall not be considered a security that is issued or guaranteed by the insurer; instead, the issuer of such municipal security will be determined in accordance with the principles set forth above. The foregoing restrictions do not limit the percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in municipal securities insured by any given insurer.

The Fund is diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act. Consequently, as to 75% of its assets, the Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single issuer.

Subject to certain exemptions, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest only up to 10% of its total assets in the aggregate in shares of other investment companies and only up to 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, provided the investment does not represent more than 3% of the voting stock of the acquired investment company at the time such shares are purchased. As a stockholder in any investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and will remain subject to payment of the Fund’s management, advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Holders of common shares of the Fund 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 be leveraged and therefore will be subject to the same leverage risks described herein.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may not:

1. Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

2. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemptive relief obtained thereunder.

3. Enter into futures contracts or related options or forward contracts, if more than 30% of the Fund’s net assets would be represented by futures contracts or more than 5% of the Fund’s net assets would be committed to initial margin deposits and premiums on futures contracts and related options.

4. Purchase securities when borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets if and so long as MuniPreferred Shares are outstanding.

5. Purchase securities of companies for the purpose of exercising control, except that the Fund may invest up to 5% of its net assets in tax-exempt or taxable fixed-income securities or equity securities for the purpose of acquiring control of an issuer whose municipal bonds (a) the Fund already owns and (b) have deteriorated or are expected shortly to deteriorate significantly in credit quality, provided Nuveen Asset Management determines that such investment should enable the Fund to better maximize the value of its existing investment in such issuer.

The restrictions and other limitations set forth above will apply only at the time of purchase of securities and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities.

 

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The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by either guidelines of one or more NRSROs that may issue ratings for Preferred Stock, including MTP Shares or, if issued, commercial paper or notes, or, if the Fund borrows from a lender, by the lender. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. If these restrictions were to apply, it is not anticipated that these covenants or guidelines would impede Nuveen Asset Management from managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. A copy of the current Rating Agency Guidelines will be provided to any holder of MTP Shares promptly upon request therefor made by such holder to the Fund by writing the Fund at 333 West Wacker Dr., Chicago, Illinois 60606.

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

In addition to and supplementing the Prospectus, the Fund’s portfolio will be composed principally of the investments described below.

The term “municipal securities” includes municipal securities with relatively short-term maturities. Some of these short-term securities may be variable or floating rate securities. The Fund, however, emphasizes investments in municipal securities with long- or intermediate-term maturities. The Fund buys municipal securities with different maturities and intends to maintain an average portfolio maturity of 15 to 30 years, although this may be shortened depending on market conditions. As a result, the Fund’s portfolio may include long-term and intermediate-term municipal securities. If the long-term municipal bond market is unstable, the Fund may temporarily invest up to 100% of its assets in temporary investments. Temporary investments are high quality, generally uninsured, short-term municipal securities that may either be tax-exempt or taxable. The Fund will buy taxable temporary investments only if suitable tax-exempt temporary investments are not available at reasonable prices and yields. The Fund will invest only in taxable temporary securities that are U.S. Government securities or corporate debt securities rated within the highest grade by Moody’s or S&P, and that mature within one year from the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest. The Fund’s policies on securities ratings only apply when the Fund buys a security, and the Fund is not required to sell securities that have been downgraded. See Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information for a description of securities ratings. The Fund also may invest in taxable temporary investments that are certificates of deposit from U.S. banks with assets of at least $1 billion, or repurchase agreements. The Fund intends to allocate taxable income on temporary investments, if any, proportionately between common shares and Preferred Stock, based on the percentage of total dividends distributed to each class for that year.

MUNICIPAL SECURITIES

Included within the general category of municipal securities described in the Prospectus are participations in lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations (hereinafter collectively called “Municipal Lease Obligations”) of municipal authorities or entities. Although Municipal Lease Obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality’s taxing power is pledged, a Municipal Lease Obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality’s covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the Municipal Lease Obligation. However, certain Municipal Lease Obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, the Fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default will be limited solely to the repossession of the leased property, without recourse to the general credit of the lessee, and disposition or releasing of the property might prove difficult. The Fund seeks to minimize these risks by only investing in those “non-appropriation” Municipal Lease Obligations where (a) the nature of the leased equipment or property is such that its ownership or use is essential to a governmental function of the municipality, (b) the lease payments will commence amortization of principal at an early date that results in an average life of seven years or less for the Municipal Lease Obligation, (c) appropriate covenants will be obtained from the municipal obligor prohibiting the substitution or purchase of similar equipment if lease payments are not appropriated, (d) the lease obligor has maintained good market acceptability in the past, (e) the investment is

 

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of a size that will be attractive to institutional investors and (f) the underlying leased equipment has elements of portability or use, or both, that enhance its marketability in the event foreclosure on the underlying equipment were ever required.

Certain municipal securities may carry variable or floating rates of interest whereby the rate of interest is not fixed but varies with changes in specified market rates or indexes, such as a bank prime rate or a tax-exempt money market index. As used in the Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information, the term municipal securities also includes obligations, such as tax-exempt notes, municipal commercial paper and Municipal Lease Obligations, having relatively short-term maturities, although the Fund emphasizes investments in municipal securities with long-term maturities.

Obligations of issuers of municipal securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, as amended. In addition, Congress, state legislatures or referenda may in the future enact laws affecting the obligations of these issuers by extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. There is also the possibility that, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its Municipal Obligations may be materially affected.

The Fund has no intention to file a voluntary application for relief under Federal bankruptcy law or any similar application under state law for so long as the Fund is solvent and does not foresee becoming insolvent.

FINANCIAL FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS

The Fund may invest in derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objectives. Such instruments include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate and credit default swaps), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts, or other derivative instruments. Nuveen Asset Management uses derivatives to seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risks of its investments in fixed income securities or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. The Fund may attempt to hedge all or a portion of its investment portfolio against market risk by engaging in transactions in financial futures contracts, options on financial futures or options that either are based on an index of long-term municipal securities (i.e., those with remaining maturities averaging 20-30 years) or relate to debt securities whose prices Nuveen Asset Management anticipates to correlate with the prices of the municipal securities the Fund owns. To accomplish such hedging, the Fund may take an investment position in a futures contract or in an option which is expected to move in the opposite direction from the position being hedged. Hedging may be utilized to reduce the risk that the value of securities the Fund owns may decline on account of an increase in interest rates and to hedge against increases in the cost of the securities the Fund intends to purchase as a result of a decline in interest rates. The use of futures and options for hedging purposes can be expected to result in taxable income or gain. The Fund currently intends to allocate any taxable income or gain proportionately between its Common Shares and its Preferred Stock. See “Tax Matters.”

The sale of financial futures or the purchase of put options on financial futures or on debt securities or indexes is a means of hedging against the risk of rising interest rates, whereas the purchase of financial futures or of call options on financial futures or on debt securities or indexes is a means of hedging the Fund’s portfolio against an increase in the price of securities such Fund intends to purchase. Writing a call option on a futures contract or on debt securities or indexes may serve as a hedge against a modest decline in prices of municipal securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, and writing a put option on a futures contract or on debt securities or indexes may serve as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of municipal securities the Fund intends to acquire. The writing of these options provides a hedge to the extent of the premium received in the writing transaction.

The Fund will not purchase futures unless it has segregated or earmarked cash, government securities or high grade liquid debt equal to the contract price of the futures less any margin on deposit, or unless the purchase of a put option covers the long futures position. The Fund will not sell futures unless the Fund owns the

 

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instruments underlying the futures or owns options on such instruments or owns a portfolio whose market price may be expected to move in tandem with the market price of the instruments or index underlying the futures. If the Fund engages in transactions involving the purchase or writing of put and call options on debt securities or indexes, the Fund will not purchase these options if more than 5% of its assets would be invested in the premiums for these options and it will only write “covered” or “secured” options, where the Fund holds the securities or cash required to be delivered upon exercise, with such cash being maintained in a segregated account. These requirements and limitations may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in hedging transactions. So long as any Rating Agency is rating the Fund’s Preferred Stock, the Fund will only engage in futures or options transactions in accordance with the then-current guidelines of such rating agencies, and only after it has received written confirmation from Moody’s and S&P, as appropriate, that these transactions would not impair the ratings then assigned by Moody’s and S&P to such shares.

Description of Financial Futures and Options. A futures contract is a contract between a seller and a buyer for the sale and purchase of specified property at a specified future date for a specified price. An option is a contract that gives the holder of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy (in the case of a call option) specified property from, or to sell (in the case of a put option) specified property to, the writer of the option for a specified price during a specified period prior to the option’s expiration. Financial futures contracts and options cover specified debt securities (such as U.S. Treasury securities) or indexes designed to correlate with price movements in certain categories of debt securities. At least one exchange trades futures contracts on an index designed to correlate with the long-term municipal bond market. Financial futures contracts and options on financial futures contracts are traded on exchanges regulated by the CFTC. Options on certain financial instruments and financial indexes are traded on securities markets regulated by the SEC. Although futures contracts and options on specified financial instruments call for settlement by delivery of the financial instruments covered by the contracts, in most cases positions in these contracts are closed out in cash by entering into offsetting liquidating or closing transactions. Index futures and options are designed for cash settlement only.

Risks of Futures and Options Transactions. There are certain risks associated with the use of financial futures and options to hedge investment portfolios. There may be an imperfect correlation between price movements of the futures and options and price movements of the portfolio securities being hedged. Losses may be incurred in hedging transactions, which could reduce the portfolio gains that might have been realized if the hedging transactions had not been entered into. The ability to close out positions in futures and options depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market, which may not exist for all futures and options at all times. If the Fund engages in futures transactions or in the writing of options on futures, it will be required to maintain initial margin and maintenance margin and may be required to make daily variation margin payments in accordance with applicable rules of the exchanges and the CFTC. If the Fund purchases a financial futures contract or a call option or writes a put option in order to hedge the anticipated purchase of municipal securities, and if the Fund fails to complete the anticipated purchase transaction, the Fund may have a loss or a gain on the futures or options transaction that will not be offset by price movements in the municipal securities that were the subject of the anticipatory hedge. The cost of put options on debt securities or indexes effectively increases the cost of the securities subject to them, thereby reducing the yield otherwise available from these securities. If the Fund decides to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts for hedging purposes, the Fund will be required to establish an account for such purposes with one or more CFTC-registered futures commission merchants. A futures commission merchant could establish initial and maintenance margin requirements for the Fund that are greater than those which would otherwise apply to the Fund under applicable rules of the exchanges and the CFTC.

Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may buy repurchase agreements as temporary investments. A repurchase agreement is a contract in which the seller of securities (U.S. government securities or municipal bonds) agrees to repurchase the same securities from the buyer at a specified price on a future date. The repurchase price determines the yield during the Fund’s holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans whose collateral is the underlying security that is the subject of the repurchase agreement. Income from repurchase agreements is taxable and required to be allocated between common shares and Preferred Stock. See “Tax

 

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Matters.” The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with registered securities dealers or domestic banks that, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, present minimal credit risks. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the other party to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time of the transaction always equals or exceeds the repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of principal and interest. If the other party defaults, the collateral may be sold, but the Fund may lose money if the value of the collateral declines and may have to pay the costs of the sale or experience delays in selling the collateral. If the seller files for bankruptcy, the Fund may not be able to sell the collateral quickly or at all. Nuveen Asset Management will monitor the value of the collateral at the time the Fund enters into a repurchase agreement and during the term of the repurchase agreement to determine that at all times that value of the collateral equals or exceeds the repurchase price. If the value of the collateral is less than the repurchase price, Nuveen Asset Management will demand additional collateral from the other party to increase the value of the collateral to at least the redemption price plus interest.

SEGREGATION OF ASSETS

As a closed-end investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, and various interpretive provisions of the Securities and Exchange Commission and its staff. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund must “set aside” (often referred to as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other Securities and Exchange Commission or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivatives instruments. In the case of forward currency contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle, for example, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts’ full notional value while the positions are open. With respect to forward currency contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts’ full notional value. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions from time to time articulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff regarding asset segregation.

The Fund generally will use its assets to cover its obligations as required by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, and applicable positions of the Securities and Exchange Commission and its staff. As a result of their segregation, such assets may not be used for other operational purposes. Nuveen Asset Management will monitor the Fund’s use of derivatives and will take action as necessary for the purpose of complying with the asset segregation policy stated above. Such actions may include the sale of the Fund’s portfolio investments.

The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts. With respect to such investments, the Fund will segregate or earmark assets in an amount equal to at least 100% of the face amount of the floating rate securities issued by such trust.

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS

Short-Term Taxable Fixed Income Securities. For temporary defensive purposes or to keep cash on hand fully invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in cash equivalents and short-term taxable fixed-income securities, although the Fund intends to invest in taxable short-term investments only in the event that suitable tax-exempt short-term investments are not available at reasonable prices and yields. Short-term taxable fixed income investments are defined to include, without limitation, the following:

(1) U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government agency securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, and the Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit

 

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Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies, and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities. Consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

(2) Certificates of Deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. The issuer of a certificate of deposit agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current Federal Deposit Insurance Company regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured.

(3) Repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities. At the time the Fund purchases securities pursuant to a repurchase agreement, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver such securities to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the securities at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period, since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers’ acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. Nuveen Asset Management monitors the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. Nuveen Asset Management does so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.

(4) Commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for such notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. Nuveen Asset Management will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity measures) and will continuously monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund’s liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. Investments in commercial paper will be limited to commercial paper rated in the highest categories by a major rating agency and which mature within one year of the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.

Short-Term Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities. Short-term tax-exempt municipal securities are securities that are exempt from regular federal income tax and mature within three years or less from the date of issuance. Short-term tax-exempt municipal income securities are defined to include, without limitation, the following:

Bond Anticipation Notes (“BANs”) are usually general obligations of state and local governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long- term debt obligations or bonds. The ability of an issuer to meet its obligations on its BANs is primarily dependent on the issuer’s access to the long-term municipal bond market and the likelihood that the proceeds of such bond sales will be used to pay the principal and interest on the BANs.

 

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Tax Anticipation Notes (“TANs”) are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from specific future tax revenues. TANs are usually general obligations of the issuer. A weakness in an issuer’s capacity to raise taxes due to, among other things, a decline in its tax base or a rise in delinquencies, could adversely affect the issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding TANs.

Revenue Anticipation Notes (“RANs”) are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the notes. In general, they also constitute general obligations of the issuer. A decline in the receipt of projected revenues, such as anticipated revenues from another level of government, could adversely affect an issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding RANs. In addition, the possibility that the revenues would, when received, be used to meet other obligations could affect the ability of the issuer to pay the principal and interest on RANs.

Construction Loan Notes are issued to provide construction financing for specific projects. Frequently, these notes are redeemed with funds obtained from the Federal Housing Administration.

Bank Notes are notes issued by local government bodies and agencies, such as those described above to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings. The purposes for which the notes are issued are varied but they are frequently issued to meet short-term working capital or capital-project needs. These notes may have risks similar to the risks associated with TANs and RANs.

Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (“Municipal Paper”) represent very short-term unsecured, negotiable promissory notes issued by states, municipalities and their agencies. Payment of principal and interest on issues of municipal paper may be made from various sources, to the extent the funds are available therefrom. Maturities of municipal paper generally will be shorter than the maturities of TANs, BANs or RANs. There is a limited secondary market for issues of Municipal Paper.

Certain municipal securities may carry variable or floating rates of interest whereby the rate of interest is not fixed but varies with changes in specified market rates or indices, such as a bank prime rate or a tax-exempt money market index.

While the various types of notes described above as a group represent the major portion of the short-term tax-exempt note market, other types of notes are available in the marketplace and the Fund may invest in such other types of notes to the extent permitted under its investment objectives, policies and limitations. Such notes may be issued for different purposes and may be secured differently from those mentioned above.

ILLIQUID SECURITIES

The Fund may invest in municipal securities and other instruments that, at the time of investment, are illiquid (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities may include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine which securities are liquid or illiquid. The Board of Trustees has delegated to Nuveen Asset Management the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any security held by the Fund, although it has retained oversight and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. No definitive liquidity criteria are used. The Board of Trustees has directed Nuveen Asset Management when making liquidity determinations to look for such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security; and the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other relevant factors.

 

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The assets used to cover OTC derivatives used by the Fund will be considered illiquid until the OTC derivatives are sold to qualified dealers who agree that the Fund may repurchase them at a maximum price to be calculated by a formula set forth in an agreement. The “cover” for an OTC derivative subject to this procedure would be considered illiquid only to the extent that the maximum repurchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the derivative.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegatee. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets is invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities that are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as are deemed advisable by Nuveen Asset Management, if any, to protect liquidity.

INVERSE FLOATING RATE SECURITIES AND FLOATING RATE SECURITIES

Inverse Floating Rate Securities. Inverse floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as “inverse floaters”) are securities whose interest rates bear an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. Generally, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal bonds. The special purpose trust typically sells two classes of beneficial interests or securities: floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as short-term floaters or tender option bonds) and inverse floating rate securities (sometimes referred to as inverse floaters or residual interest securities). Both classes of beneficial interests are represented by certificates. The short-term floating rate securities have first priority on the cash flow from the municipal bonds held by the special purpose trust. Typically, a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution, grants the floating rate security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. As consideration for providing the option, the financial institution receives periodic fees. The holder of the short-term floater effectively holds a demand obligation that bears interest at the prevailing short-term, tax-exempt rate. However, the institution granting the tender option will not be obligated to accept tendered short-term floaters in the event of certain defaults or a significant downgrade in the credit rating assigned to the bond issuer. For its inverse floating rate investment, the Fund receives the residual cash flow from the special purpose trust. Because the holder of the short-term floater is generally assured liquidity at the face value of the security, the Fund as the holder of the inverse floater assumes the interest rate cash flow risk and the market value risk associated with the municipal bond deposited into the special purpose trust. The volatility of the interest cash flow and the residual market value will vary with the degree to which the trust is leveraged. This is expressed in the ratio of the face value of the short-term floaters in relation to the inverse floaters that are issued by the special purpose trust. The Fund expects to make limited investments in inverse floaters, with leverage ratios that may vary between one and three times. However, the Fund is permitted to invest in highly leveraged inverse floating rate securities. In addition, all voting rights and decisions to be made with respect to any other rights relating to the municipal bonds held in the special purpose trust are passed through to the Fund, as the holder of the residual inverse floating rate securities.

Because increases in either the interest rate on the securities or the value of indexes (with which inverse floaters maintain their inverse relationship) reduce the residual interest paid on inverse floaters, inverse floaters’ value is generally more volatile than that of fixed rate bonds. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is more volatile than the underlying securities due to leverage. These securities generally will underperform the market of fixed rate bonds in a rising interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market of fixed rate bonds when interest rates decline or remain relatively stable. Although volatile, inverse floaters typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity.

 

12


 

Inverse floaters have varying degrees of liquidity based upon, among other things, the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in a special purpose trust. The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts that have recourse to the Fund. In Nuveen Asset Management’s discretion, the Fund may enter into a separate shortfall and forbearance agreement with the third party sponsor of a special purpose trust. The Fund may enter into such recourse agreements (i) when the liquidity provider to the special purpose trust requires such an agreement because the level of leverage in the trust exceeds the level that the liquidity provider is willing to support absent such an agreement; and/or (ii) to seek to prevent the liquidity provider from collapsing the trust in the event that the municipal obligation held in the trust has declined in value. Such an agreement would require the Fund to reimburse the third party sponsor of such inverse floater, upon termination of the trust issuing the inverse floater, the difference between the liquidation value of the bonds held in the trust and the principal amount due to the holders of floating rate interests. Such agreements may expose the Fund to a risk of loss that exceeds its investment in the inverse floating rate securities. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the special purpose trust could be liquidated and the Fund could incur a loss.

The Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets with its custodian in accordance with the 1940 Act to cover its obligations with respect to its investments in special purpose trusts. See also “Segregation of Assets” in the Statement of Additional Information.

Floating Rate Securities. The Fund may also invest in floating rate securities, as described above, issued by special purpose trusts. Floating rate securities may take the form of short-term floating rate securities or the option period may be substantially longer. Generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal securities with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option, which may vary from weekly, to monthly, to extended periods of one year or multiple years. Since the option feature has a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying bond deposited in the trust, the Fund as the holder of the floating rate security relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the option as well as the credit strength of that institution. As further assurance of liquidity, the terms of the trust provide for a liquidation of the municipal security deposited in the trust and the application of the proceeds to pay off the floating rate security. The trusts that are organized to issue both short-term floating rate securities and inverse floaters generally include liquidation triggers to protect the investor in the floating rate security.

AUCTION RATE SECURITIES

Municipal securities also include auction rate municipal securities and auction rate preferred securities issued by closed-end investment companies that invest primarily in municipal securities (collectively, “auction rate securities”). In recent market environments, auction failures have been widespread, which has adversely affected the liquidity and price of auction rate securities. Provided that the auction mechanism is successful, auction rate securities usually permit the holder to sell the securities in an auction at par value at specified intervals. The dividend is reset by “Dutch” auction in which bids are made by broker-dealers and other institutions for a certain amount of securities at a specified minimum yield. The dividend rate set by the auction is the lowest interest or dividend rate that covers all securities offered for sale. While this process is designed to permit auction rate securities to be traded at par value, there is a risk that an auction will fail due to insufficient demand for the securities. Moreover, between auctions, there may be no secondary market for these securities, and sales conducted on a secondary market may not be on terms favorable to the seller. Thus, with respect to liquidity and price stability, auction rate securities may differ substantially from cash equivalents, notwithstanding the frequency of auctions and the credit quality of the security. The Fund’s investments in auction rate securities of closed-end funds are subject to the limitations prescribed by the 1940 Act. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management and other fees paid by such closed-end funds in addition to the advisory fees payable directly by the Fund.

 

13


 

WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS

The Fund may buy and sell municipal securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date. On such transactions, the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the purchaser enters into the commitment. Beginning on the date the Fund enters into a commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, the Fund is required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain in a separate account liquid assets, consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times of at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment. Income generated by any such assets which provide taxable income for federal income tax purposes is includable in the taxable income of the Fund and, to the extent distributed, will be taxable distributions to shareholders. The Fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities on a forward basis (i.e., where settlement will occur more than 60 days from the date of the transaction) only to the extent that the Fund specifically collateralizes such obligations with a security that is expected to be called or mature within 60 days before or after the settlement date of the forward transaction. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward basis may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the bonds prior to settlement and at the time of delivery the market value may be less than their cost.

OTHER INVESTMENTS

Zero Coupon Securities. The Fund’s investments in debt securities may be in the form of a zero coupon bond. Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest for the entire life of the obligation. When held to its maturity, its return comes from the difference between the purchase price and its maturity value. These instruments are typically issued and traded at a deep discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on such factors as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of zero coupon bonds generally are more volatile than the market prices of debt instruments that pay interest currently and in cash and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality. In order to satisfy a requirement for qualification to be taxed as a “regulated investment company” under the Code (as defined under “Tax Matters”), an investment company, such as the Fund, must distribute each year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (as described under “Tax Matters”), including the original issue discount accrued on zero coupon bonds. Because the Fund will not on a current basis receive cash payments from the issuer of these securities in respect of any accrued original issue discount, in some years the Fund may have to distribute cash obtained from selling other portfolio holdings of the Fund in order to avoid unfavorable tax consequences. In some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements to the Fund’s shareholders even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the Fund to sell securities at such time. Under many market conditions, investments in zero coupon bonds may be illiquid, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.

Structured Notes. The Fund may utilize structured notes and similar instruments for investment purposes and also for hedging purposes. Structured notes are privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a benchmark asset, market or interest rate (an “embedded index”), such as selected securities, an index of securities or specified interest rates, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. The terms of such structured instruments normally provide that their principal and/or interest payments are to be adjusted upwards or downwards (but not ordinarily below zero) to reflect changes in the embedded index while the structured instruments are outstanding. As a result, the interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending upon a variety of factors, including the volatility of the embedded index and the effect of changes in the embedded index on principal and/or interest payments. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the referenced index or indices or other assets. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss. These types of investments may generate taxable income.

 

14


 

OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

The Fund may invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including ETFs) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund generally expects that it may invest in other investment companies either during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash, or during periods when there is a shortage of attractive municipal securities available in the market. The Fund may invest in investment companies that are advised by Nuveen Asset Management or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or pursuant to exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Fund common shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invested in other investment companies.

Nuveen Asset Management will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in the investment company relative to available municipal security instruments. In addition, because the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and subject to the same leverage risk, the Fund may indirectly be subject to those risks described in the Fund’s Prospectus. Market value will tend to fluctuate more than the yield generated by unleveraged shares.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund may buy and sell municipal securities to accomplish its investment objective(s) in relation to actual and anticipated changes in interest rates. The Fund also may sell one municipal bond and buy another of comparable quality at about the same time to take advantage of what Nuveen Asset Management believes to be a temporary price disparity between the two bonds that may result from imbalanced supply and demand. The Fund also may engage in a limited amount of short-term trading, consistent with its investment objectives. The Fund may sell securities in anticipation of a market decline (a rise in interest rates) or buy securities in anticipation of a market rise (a decline in interest rates) and later sell them, but the Fund will not engage in trading solely to recognize a gain. The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objectives by prudently selecting municipal securities with a view to holding them for investment. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, the Fund expects, though it cannot guarantee, that its annual portfolio turnover rate generally will not exceed 100% under normal circumstances. For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 4%. There are no limits on the rate of portfolio turnover, and investments may be sold without regard to length of time held when investment considerations warrant such action. A higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. In addition, high portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.

 

15


 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement with Nuveen Asset Management (“the management agreement”), is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The number of trustees of the Fund is nine, one of whom is an “interested person” (as the term “interested person” is defined in the 1940 Act) and eight of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as “independent trustees”). None of the independent trustees has ever been a director, trustee or employee of, or consultant to, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Asset Management or their affiliates. The Board of Trustees is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, the Class I trustees serving until the 2010 annual meeting, the Class II trustees serving until the 2011 annual meeting and the Class III trustees serving until the 2012 annual meeting, in each case until their respective successors are elected and qualified, as described below. Currently, Judith M. Stockdale and Carole E. Stone are slated in Class I, John P. Amboian, David J. Kundert and Terence J. Toth are slated in Class II and Robert P. Bremner and Jack B. Evans are slated in Class III. Messrs. Hunter and Schneider are elected by holders of Preferred Shares for a term of one year. The officers of the Fund serve annual terms and are elected on an annual basis. The names, business addresses and birthdates of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Fund are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 75 Nuveen-sponsored open-end funds (the “Nuveen Mutual Funds”) and 129 Nuveen-sponsored closed-end funds (collectively with the Nuveen Mutual Funds, the “Nuveen Funds”).

 

Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
    

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

 

Independent Trustees:

     

Robert P. Bremner*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(8/22/40)

   Chairman of
the Board
and Trustee
   Term—Class III
Length of service—

Since 1996

   Private Investor and Management Consultant; Treasurer and Director, Humanities Council, Washington, D.C.      204         N/A   

 

16


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

Jack B. Evans

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/22/48)

   Trustee    Term—Class III
Length of service—

Since 1999

   President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System; Director, Gazette Companies; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., (a regional financial services firm).      204       See
Principal
Occupation
description

 

17


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

William C. Hunter

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(3/6/48)

   Trustee    Term—one year
Length of service—

Since 2004

   Dean, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa (since 2006); Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation; Director (since 2005) of Beta Gamma Sigma International Society; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003).      204       See
Principal
Occupation
description

 

18


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

 

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
   

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

David J. Kundert*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/28/42)

  Trustee   Term—Class II
Length of service—
Since 2005
  Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company; retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; member of the Board of Regents, Luther College; member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; member of Board of Directors, Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens; member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation.     204      See
Principal
Occupation
description

William J. Schneider*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/24/44)

  Trustee   Term—one year
Length of service—
Since 1996
  Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners Ltd., a real estate investment company; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired) of Miller-Valentine Group; member, University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council; formerly, member, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Association; formerly, Director, Dayton Development Coalition; formerly, member, Business Advisory Council, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank.     204      See
Principal
Occupation
description

 

19


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by

Trustee
    

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

Judith M. Stockdale

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(12/29/47)

   Trustee    Term—Class I
Length of service—
Since 1997
   Executive Director, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (since 1994); prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994).      204       See
Principal
Occupation
description

Carole E. Stone*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/28/47)

   Trustee    Term—Class I
Length of service—
Since 2007
   Director, C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange (since 2006); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010); formerly, Chair, New York Racing Association Oversight Board (2005-2007).      204       See
Principal
Occupation
description

 

20


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
    

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee

Terence J. Toth*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/29/59)

   Trustee    Term—Class II
Length of service—
Since 2008
   Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (since 2008); Managing Partner, Promus Capital Management (since 2008); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); member: Goodman Theatre Board (since 2004) Chicago Fellowship Board (since 2005), University of Illinois Leadership Council Board (since 2007) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008); formerly, member: Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007); Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004).      204       See
Principal
Occupation
description

 

21


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Funds

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
 

Interested Trustee :

        

John P. Amboian**

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/14/61)

   Trustee    Term—Class II
Length of service—
Since 2008
   Chief Executive Officer (since 2007), Director (since 1999) and Chairman (since 2007) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer (since 2007) of Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Investments Advisors, Inc.      204        
 
 
 
See
Principal
Occupation
description
  
  
  
  

 

* Also serves as a trustee of the Nuveen Diversified Commodity Fund, an exchange-traded commodity pool managed by Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC, an affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management.
** Mr. Amboian is an “interested person” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of his positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”) and certain of its subsidiaries.

 

22


 

Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  

Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer

 

Officers of the Fund:

     

Gifford R. Zimmerman

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/9/56)

   Chief
Administrative
Officer
   Term—Until

August 2011—

Length of
Service—
Since 1988

   Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Investments, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002) and Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management; Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers Inc. (since 2002); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC and Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006), and Nuveen HydePark Group, LLC and Nuveen Investment Solutions, Inc. (since 2007) and of Winslow Capital Management, Inc. (since 2010); Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst.      204   

Williams Adams IV

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/9/55)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—Since
2007
   Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products of Nuveen Investments, LLC, (since 1999), prior thereto, Managing Director of Structured Investments; Managing Director (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC.      129   

Cedric H. Antosiewicz

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1/11/62)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—Since
2007
   Managing Director, (since 2004), previously, Vice President (1993-2004) of Nuveen Investments LLC.      129   

 

23


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

  

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

  

Term of Office and
Length of
Time Served with
Fund

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  

Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer

 

Nizida Arriaga

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/1/68)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—
Since 2009
   Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments, LLC (since 2010); formerly, Vice President (2007-2010); previously, Portfolio Manager, Allstate Investments, LLC (1996-2006); Chartered Financial Analyst.      204   

Michael T. Atkinson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(2/3/66)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—
Since 2002
   Vice President of Nuveen Investments, LLC (since 2002); Vice President of Nuveen Asset Management (since 2005).      204   

Margo L. Cook

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(4/11/64)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—
Since 2009
   Executive Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; previously, Head of Institutional Asset Management (2007-2008) of Bear Stearns Asset Management; Head of Institutional Asset Mgt (1986-2007) of Bank of NY Mellon; Chartered Financial Analyst.      204   

Lorna C. Ferguson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/24/45)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2011—
Length of
Service—
Since 1998
   Managing Director (since 2004) of Nuveen Investments LLC; Managing Director (since 2005) of Nuveen Asset Management.      204