Filed Pursuant to Rule 497(c)
Registration No. 333-117187
PIMCO FLOATING RATE STRATEGY FUND
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
October 26, 2004
PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund (the Fund) is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company.
This Statement of Additional Information relating to common shares of the Fund (Common Shares) is not a prospectus, and should be read in conjunction with the Funds prospectus relating thereto dated October 26, 2004 (the Prospectus). This Statement of Additional Information does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing Common Shares, and investors should obtain and read the Prospectus prior to purchasing such shares. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (877) 819-2224. You may also obtain a copy of the Prospectus on the web site (http://www.sec.gov) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Statement of Additional Information have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.
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ANTI-TAKEOVER AND OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST |
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APPENDIX A - Performance Related Comparative and Other Information |
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This Statement of Additional Information is dated October 26, 2004.
The net proceeds of the offering of Common Shares of the Fund will be approximately $705,220,000 (or $811,003,000 if the Underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) after payment or reimbursement of estimated organizational and offering costs.
PA Fund Management LLC (the Manager), the Funds investment manager, has agreed to pay (i) the amount by which the Funds offering costs (other than the sales load, but inclusive of the reimbursement of underwriter expenses of $.00667 per share) exceed $.04 per Common Share and (ii) all of the Funds organizational expenses, except that the Fund has agreed to reimburse the Manager for such organizational expenses to the extent that the aggregate of all such organizational expenses and all offering costs (other than the sales load, but inclusive of the reimbursement of underwriter expenses of $.00667 per share) does not exceed $.04 per Common Share.
It is presently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds in floating rate debt instruments and other securities that meet its investment objective and policies within six months after the completion of the offering. The Fund anticipates that it may take up to six months to complete this initial investment process due to potential limited availability of suitable Senior Loans in the marketplace as well as additional time required for PIMCO to analyze and assess counterparties and contractual and other features associated with Senior Loans, which are typically more detailed and complex than those associated with more traditional debt instruments. Pending such investment, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in high grade, short-term securities, credit-linked trust certificates, and/or index futures contracts or similar derivative instruments designed to give the Fund exposure to the markets in which it intends to invest while PIMCO selects specific securities. During the period in which the Fund is investing the net proceeds of the offering, it may not be in a position to achieve its investment objective.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
The investment objective and general investment policies of the Fund are described in the Prospectus. Additional information concerning the characteristics of certain of the Funds investments is set forth below.
Floating Rate Debt Instruments
As described in the Prospectus, the Fund will ordinarily invest in floating rate debt instruments, a substantial portion of which will be senior floating rate loans (Senior Loans). Floating rate debt instruments are debt instruments that pay interest at rates which adjust whenever a specified interest rate changes and/or which reset on predetermined dates (such as the last day of a month or calendar quarter). These floating rate debt instruments may include, in addition to Senior Loans, instruments such as catastrophe bonds, bank capital securities, unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, money market instruments and certain types of mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities. Due to their floating rate features, these instruments will generally pay higher levels of income in a rising interest rate environment and lower levels of income as interest rates decline. For the same reason, the market value of a floating rate debt instrument is generally expected to have less sensitivity to fluctuations in
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market interest rates than a longer term fixed rate debt instrument, although the value of a floating rate instrument may nonetheless decline as interest rates rise and due to other factors, such as changes in credit quality.
Senior Loans
The Fund expects to ordinarily invest a substantial portion of its assets in Senior Loans. Senior Loans include senior floating rate loans and institutionally traded senior floating rate debt obligations issued by asset-backed pools and other issues, and interests therein. Loan interests generally take the form of direct interests acquired during a primary distribution and may also take the form of assignments of, novations of, or participations in a Senior Loan acquired in secondary markets. Loan interests may be acquired from U.S or foreign commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies or other financial institutions who have made loans or are members of a lending syndicate or from other holders of loan interests.
Senior Loans typically pay interest at rates which are re-determined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate (such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, LIBOR) plus a premium. Although Senior Loans are typically of below investment grade quality, they tend to have more favorable recovery rates than other types of below investment grade quality debt obligations. Senior Loans generally (but not always) hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a borrower and are often secured with collateral. A Senior Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the Agent) for a lending syndicate of financial institutions (Lenders). The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the other Lenders in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Lenders.
The Fund may purchase assignments and participations in commercial loans, as well as debtor-in-possession loans. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. Loan participations typically represent direct participations in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates. The Fund may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the Fund assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate or other borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. The participation interests in which the Fund intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.
Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness (such as may be the case in an assignment), the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund may have to rely on the Agent or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower.
Purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the corporate or other borrower for payment of principal and interest. If the Fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the Funds share price and yield could be adversely affected. Senior Loans that are fully secured offer the Fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured Senior Loan would satisfy the borrowers obligation, or that such collateral could be liquidated.
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The Fund may invest in loan participations with credit quality comparable to that of many issuers of its other debt securities investments. Indebtedness of companies whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks, and may be highly speculative. Some companies may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. Consequently, when investing in indebtedness of companies with poor credit, the Fund bears a substantial risk of losing the entire amount invested.
The Fund limits the amount of its total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry. See Investment Restrictions. For purposes of these limits, the Fund generally will treat the corporate or other borrower as the issuer of indebtedness held by the Fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as a financial intermediary between the Fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the Fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, the Fund shall treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as issuers for the purposes of the Funds sub-classification as a diversified company under the 1940 Act, for purposes of the Funds industry concentration policy set forth in paragraph (1) under Investment Restrictions Fundamental Investment Restriction below and for the purposes of meeting the issuer diversification test under Section 851 of the Code. See Tax Matters below. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict the Funds ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.
Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what PIMCO believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining the Funds net asset value than if that value were based on available market quotations. PIMCO will determine the liquidity of the Funds investments by reference to market conditions and contractual provisions. Investments in loan participations are considered to be debt obligations for purposes of the Funds investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets.
Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institutions interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to the Fund. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is conceivable that, under emerging legal theories of lender liability, the Fund could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, the Fund relies on PIMCOs research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentations could adversely affect the Fund.
From time to time, PIMCO and its affiliates may borrow money from various banks in connection with their business activities. Such banks may also sell Senior Loans to or acquire them from the Fund or may be intermediate participants with respect to Senior Loans in which the Fund owns interests. Such banks may also act as Agents for Senior Loans held by the Fund.
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Lending Fees. In the process of buying, selling and holding Senior Loans, the Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When the Fund buys a Senior Loan it may receive a facility fee and when it sells a Senior Loan it may pay a facility fee. On an ongoing basis, the Fund may receive a commitment fee based on the undrawn portion of the underlying line of credit portion of the Senior Loan. In certain circumstances, the Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower. Other fees received by the Fund may include covenant waiver fees and covenant modification fees.
Borrower Covenants. A borrower under a Senior Loan typically must comply with various restrictive covenants contained in a loan agreement or note purchase agreement between the borrower and the Lender or lending syndicate (the Loan Agreement). Such covenants, in addition to requiring the scheduled payment of interest and principal, may include restrictions on dividend payments and other distributions to stockholders, provisions requiring the borrower to maintain specific minimum financial ratios and limits on total debt. In addition, the Loan Agreement may contain a covenant requiring the borrower to prepay the Senior Loan with any free cash flow. Free cash flow is generally defined as net cash flow after scheduled debt service payments and permitted capital expenditures, and includes the proceeds from asset dispositions or sales of securities. A breach of a covenant which is not waived by the Agent, or by the lenders directly, as the case may be, is normally an event of acceleration; i.e., the Agent, or the lenders directly, as the case may be, has the right to call the outstanding Senior Loan. The typical practice of an Agent or a Lender in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve a risk of fraud by the borrower. In the case of a Senior Loan in the form of a participation, the agreement between the buyer and seller may limit the rights of the holder of a Senior Loan to vote on certain changes which may be made to the Loan Agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. However, the holder of the participation will, in almost all cases, have the right to vote on certain fundamental issues such as changes in principal amount, payment dates and interest rate.
Administration of Loans. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the Loan Agreement. In such cases, the Agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the Loan Agreement. The Fund will generally rely upon the Agent or an intermediate participant to receive and forward to the Fund its portion of the principal and interest payments on the Senior Loan. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a participation agreement the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund will rely on the Agent and the other members of the lending syndicate to use appropriate credit remedies against the borrower. The Agent is typically responsible for monitoring compliance with covenants contained in the Loan Agreement based upon reports prepared by the borrower. The seller of the Senior Loan usually does, but is often not obligated to, notify holders of Senior Loans of any failures of compliance. The Agent may monitor the value of the collateral, if any, and if the value of such collateral declines, may accelerate the Senior Loan, may give the borrower an opportunity to provide additional collateral or may seek other protection for the benefit of the participants in the Senior Loan. The Agent is compensated by the borrower for providing these services under a Loan Agreement, and such compensation may include special fees paid upon structuring and funding the Senior Loan and other fees paid on a continuing basis. With respect to Senior Loans for which the Agent does not perform such administrative and
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enforcement functions, PIMCO will perform such tasks on behalf of the Fund, although a collateral bank will typically hold any collateral on behalf of the Fund and the other lenders pursuant to the applicable Loan Agreement.
A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receivership, or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy proceedings. A successor Agent would generally be appointed to replace the terminated Agent, and assets held by the Agent under the Loan Agreement should remain available to holders of Senior Loans. However, if assets held by the Agent for the benefit of the Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a Senior Loan, or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other intermediate participants similar risks may arise.
Prepayments. Senior Loans usually require, in addition to scheduled payments of interest and principal, the prepayment of the Senior Loan from free cash flow, as defined above. The degree to which borrowers prepay Senior Loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the borrower and competitive conditions among lenders, among others. As such, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the actual outstanding debt on which the Fund derives interest income will be reduced. However, the Fund may receive both a prepayment penalty fee from the prepaying borrower and a facility fee upon the purchase of a new Senior Loan with the proceeds from the prepayment of the former. Prepayments generally will not materially affect the Funds performance because the Fund should be able to reinvest prepayments in other Senior Loans that have similar or identical yields and because receipt of such fees may mitigate any adverse impact on the Funds yield.
Bridge Financings. The Fund may acquire interests in Senior Loans which are designed to provide temporary or bridge financing to a borrower pending the sale of identified assets or the arrangement of longer-term loans or the issuance and sale of debt obligations. The Fund may also invest in Senior Loans of borrowers who have obtained bridge loans from other parties. A borrowers use of bridge loans involves a risk that the borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the borrowers perceived creditworthiness.
Secured Senior Loans. To the extent that the collateral, if any, securing a Senior Loan consists of the stock of the borrowers subsidiaries or other affiliates, the Fund will be subject to the risk that this stock will decline in value. Such a decline, whether as a result of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, could cause the Senior Loan to be undercollateralized or unsecured. In most credit agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In addition, the Fund may invest in Senior Loans guaranteed by, or fully secured by assets of, shareholders or owners, even if the Senior Loans are not otherwise collateralized by assets of the borrower. There may be temporary periods when the principal asset held by a borrower is the stock of a related company, which may not legally be pledged to secure a secured Senior Loan. On occasions when such stock cannot be pledged, the secured Senior Loan will be temporarily unsecured until the stock can be pledged or is exchanged for or replaced by other assets, which will be pledged as security for such Senior Loan. However, the borrowers ability to dispose of
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such securities, other than in connection with such pledge or replacement, will be strictly limited for the protection of the holders of secured Senior Loans.
If a borrower becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the Funds security interest in any loan collateral or subordinate the Funds rights under a secured Senior Loan to the interests of the borrowers unsecured creditors. Such action by a court could be based, for example, on a fraudulent conveyance claim to the effect that the borrower did not receive fair consideration for granting the security interest in the loan collateral to the Fund. For secured Senior Loans made in connection with a highly leveraged transaction, consideration for granting a security interest may be deemed inadequate if the proceeds of such loan were not received or retained by the borrower, but were instead paid to other persons, such as shareholders of the borrower, in an amount which left the borrower insolvent or without sufficient working capital. There are also other events, such as the failure to perfect a security interest due to faulty documentation or faulty official filings, which could lead to the invalidation of the Funds security interest in any loan collateral. If the Funds security interest in loan collateral is invalidated or a secured Senior Loan is subordinated to other debt of a borrower in bankruptcy or other proceedings, it is unlikely that the Fund would be able to recover the full amount of the principal and interest due on the secured Senior Loan.
The Fund may also invest in Senior Loans that are not secured by collateral or otherwise.
High Yield Securities (Junk Bonds)
The Fund may invest without limit and ordinarily expects to invest a substantial portion of its assets in Senior Loans and other debt securities that are, at the time of purchase, rated below investment grade (below Baa3 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), below BBB- by either Standard & Poors (S&P) or Fitch, Inc. (Fitch), or below a comparable rating by Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (Dominion)) or unrated but judged by PIMCO to be of comparable quality. These securities are sometimes referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds. The Fund will not invest more than 10% of its total assets in securities that are, at the time of purchase, rated CCC+/Caa1 or lower by each agency rating the security or that are unrated but judged by PIMCO to be of comparable quality.
Many of the Senior Loans in which the Fund invests will be high yield securities. See Senior Loans.
Investments in high yield securities generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade category also may be considered to possess some speculative characteristics by certain rating agencies. In addition, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality securities.
High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than investment grade securities. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in high yield
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security prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of an issuer to make principal and interest payments on its debt obligations. If an issuer of high yield securities defaults, in addition to risking non-payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The market prices of high yield securities structured as zero-coupon, step-up or payment-in-kind securities will normally be affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore tend to be more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest currently and in cash.
The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for investment grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the net asset value of the shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities, especially in a thinly-traded market. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for investment grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available. During periods of thin trading in these markets, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly and the Fund may have greater difficulty selling its portfolio securities. The Fund will be more dependent on PIMCOs research and analysis when investing in high yield securities. PIMCO seeks to minimize the risks of investing through in-depth credit analysis and attention to current developments in interest rates and market conditions.
A general description of the ratings of securities by Moodys, S&P, Fitch and Dominion is set forth in Appendix A to the Prospectus. The ratings of Moodys, S&P, Fitch and Dominion represent their opinions as to the quality of the securities they rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations with the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. For these reasons, the use of credit ratings as the sole method of evaluating high yield securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated. PIMCO does not rely solely on credit ratings when selecting securities for the Fund, and develops its own independent analysis of issuer credit quality.
The Funds 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 or PIMCO downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, PIMCO may consider such factors as PIMCOs 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. However, analysis of creditworthiness may be more complex for issuers of Senior Loans and other high yield securities than for issuers of higher quality debt securities.
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Distressed Securities
Securities in which the Fund invests may be subject to significant risk of an issuers inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations and also may be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market perception of the creditworthiness of an issuer and general market liquidity. If PIMCOs evaluation of the anticipated outcome of an investment situation should prove incorrect, such Fund investments could experience a loss.
Bonds
The Fund may invest in a variety of bonds and related debt obligations of varying maturities (with predominantly low durations) issued by U.S. corporations, foreign corporations, domestic banks, foreign banks and other business entities. Bonds include bills, notes, debentures, money market instruments and similar instruments and securities. Bonds generally are used by corporations and other issuers to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a variable or fixed rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. Certain bonds are perpetual in that they have no maturity date.
The Funds investments in bonds are often subject to a number of risks described in the Prospectus and elaborated upon elsewhere in this section of the Statement of Additional Information, including credit risk, high yield risk, interest rate risk, issuer risk, foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk, inflation risk, liquidity risk, smaller company risk and management risk.
Event-Linked Bonds
The Fund may invest in event-linked bonds. Event-linked bonds, which are sometimes referred to as catastrophe bonds, are debt obligations for which the return of principal and payment of interest is contingent on the non-occurrence of a specific trigger event, such as a hurricane or an earthquake. They may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities. If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, the Fund may lose a portion or all of its principal invested in the bond. If no trigger event occurs, the Fund will recover its principal plus interest. For some event-linked bonds, the trigger event or losses may be based on company-wide losses, index-portfolio losses, industry indexes or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. Often event-linked bonds provide for extensions of maturity that are mandatory, or optional at the discretion of the issuer, in order to process and audit loss claims in those cases when a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. In addition to the specified trigger events, event-linked bonds may also expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks including but not limited to issuer (credit) default, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations and adverse tax consequences.
Event-linked bonds are a relatively new type of financial instrument. As such, there is no significant trading history of these securities, and there can be no assurance that a liquid market in these instruments will develop. Lack of a liquid market may impose the risk of higher transaction costs and the possibility that the Fund may be forced to liquidate positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. Event-linked bonds are typically rated.
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Inflation-Indexed Bonds
The Fund may invest in inflation-indexed bonds, which are debt obligations whose value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers utilize a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.
Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of approximately five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if the Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and the rate of inflation over the first six months was 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole years inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semi-annual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).
If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. The Fund may also invest in other inflation-related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal amount.
The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if the rate of inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.
While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds inflation measure.
The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there
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can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.
For federal income tax purposes, any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be original issue discount which is taxable as ordinary income in the year accrued, even though investors do not receive their principal, including any increases thereto, until maturity. See Tax MattersDiscount Obligations and Payment-in-Kind Securities below.
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in mortgage-related securities, and may also invest in other asset-backed securities (unrelated to mortgage loans) that are offered to investors currently or in the future. Mortgage-related securities are interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgage loans, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. Like other debt obligations, the ability of the Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend in part upon the ability of PIMCO to forecast certain macro-economic factors correctly. See Mortgage Pass-Through Securities below. Certain debt obligations are also secured with collateral consisting of mortgage-related securities. See Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) below.
The mortgage-related securities in which the Fund will invest will typically pay variable rates of interest, although the Fund may invest in fixed rate obligations as well.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. Commercial mortgage-backed securities include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. The market for commercial mortgage-backed securities developed more recently and in terms of total outstanding principal amount of issues is relatively small compared to the market for residential single-family mortgage-backed securities. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. Mortgage pass-through securities are securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans secured by residential or commercial real property. Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt obligations, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed or variable amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a pass-through of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential or commercial mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (the GNMA)) are described as modified pass-through.
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These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment.
The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may have the effect of shortening or extending the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities (arising from prepayments of principal due to the sale of the underlying property, refinancing, or foreclosure, net of fees and costs which may be incurred) may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. Also, if a security subject to prepayment has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Like other fixed rate debt obligations, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed rate mortgage-related security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of fixed rate mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other debt obligations. Investments in mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities with variable rates of interest would minimize the Funds sensitivity to such interest rate volatility. However, adjustable rate mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are also subject to some interest rate risk. For example, because interest rates on most adjustable rate mortgage- and other asset-backed securities only reset periodically (e.g., monthly or quarterly), changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause some fluctuations in the market value of these securities, including declines in value as interest rates rise. In addition, to the extent that unanticipated rates of prepayment on underlying mortgages increase the effective maturity of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of such security can be expected to increase.
Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the GNMA) or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (the FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (the FHLMC). The principal governmental guarantor of mortgage-related securities is the GNMA. GNMA is a wholly-owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (the FHA), or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA).
Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include the FNMA and the FHLMC. FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. It is subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved sellers/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks, and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Instead, they are
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supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agencys obligations, and therefore involve increased credit risk.
FHLMC was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks and now owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates (PCs) which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMCs national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Instead, they are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agencys obligations, and therefore involve increased credit risk.
Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in such pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers. There can be no assurance that the private insurers or guarantors can meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
Mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, are not subject to the Funds industry concentration restriction (see Investment Restrictions) by virtue of the exclusion from that restriction available to all U.S. Government securities. In the case of privately issued mortgage-related securities, the Fund takes the position that mortgage-related securities do not represent interests in any particular industry or group of industries. The assets underlying such securities may be represented by a portfolio of first lien residential mortgages (including both whole mortgage loans and mortgage participation interests) or portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC. Mortgage loans underlying a mortgage-related security may in turn be insured or guaranteed by the FHA or the VA. In the case of private issue mortgage-related securities whose underlying assets are neither U.S. Government securities nor U.S. Government insured mortgages, to the extent that real properties securing such assets may be located in the same geographical region, the security may be subject to a greater risk of default than other comparable securities in the event of adverse economic, political or business developments that may affect such region and, ultimately, the ability of residential homeowners to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying mortgages.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). A CMO is a hybrid between a mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, semi-annually. CMOs may be collateralized by whole
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mortgage loans, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, or FNMA, and their income streams.
CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer maturity classes receive principal only after the first class has been retired. An investor is partially guarded against a sooner than desired return of principal because of the sequential payments.
In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation (issuer) issues multiple series (e.g., A, B, C, Z) of CMO bonds (the Bonds). Proceeds of the Bond offering are used to purchase mortgages or mortgage pass-through certificates (the Collateral). The Collateral is pledged to a third party trustee as security for the Bonds. Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to pay principal on the Bonds in the order A, B, C, Z. The Series A, B and C Bonds all bear current interest. Interest on the Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and a like amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B or C Bond currently being paid off. When the Series A, B and C Bonds are paid in full, interest and principal on the Series Z Bond begin to be paid currently. With some CMOs, the issuer serves as a conduit to allow loan originators (primarily builders or savings and loan associations) to borrow against their loan portfolios.
CMOs that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or by any of its agencies or instrumentalities will be considered U.S. Government securities by the Fund, while other CMOs, even if collateralized by U.S. Government securities, will have the same status as other privately issued securities for purposes of applying the Funds diversification tests.
FHLMC Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. FHLMC CMOs are debt obligations of FHLMC issued in multiple classes having different maturity dates which are secured by the pledge of a pool of conventional mortgage loans purchased by FHLMC. Unlike FHLMC PCs, payments of principal and interest on the CMOs are made semi-annually, as opposed to monthly. The amount of principal payable on each semi-annual payment date is determined in accordance with FHLMCs mandatory sinking fund schedule, which in turn, is equal to approximately 100% of FHA prepayment experience applied to the mortgage collateral pool. All sinking fund payments in the CMOs are allocated to the retirement of the individual classes of bonds in the order of their stated maturities. Payments of principal on the mortgage loans in the collateral pool in excess of the amount of FHLMCs minimum sinking fund obligation for any payment date are paid to the holders of the CMOs as additional sinking fund payments. Because of the pass-through nature of all principal payments received on the collateral pool in excess of FHLMCs minimum sinking fund requirement, the rate at which principal of the CMOs is actually repaid is likely to be such that each class of bonds will be retired in advance of its scheduled maturity date.
If collection of principal (including prepayments) on the mortgage loans during any semi-annual payment period is not sufficient to meet FHLMCs minimum sinking fund obligation on
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the next sinking fund payment date, FHLMC agrees to make up the deficiency from its general funds.
Criteria for the mortgage loans in the pool backing the FHLMC CMOs are identical to those of FHLMC PCs. FHLMC has the right to substitute collateral in the event of delinquencies and/or defaults.
Other Mortgage-Related Securities. Other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including CMO residuals and stripped mortgage-backed securities. Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
CMO Residuals. CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the prepayment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to prepayments on the related underlying mortgage assets. In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. The Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in a CMO residual.
CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. The CMO residual market has developed fairly recently and CMO residuals currently may not have the liquidity of other more established securities trading in other markets. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not, have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act). CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed illiquid. As used in this Statement of Additional Information, the term CMO residual does not include residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits.
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Other Asset-Backed Securities. Similarly, PIMCO expects that other asset-backed securities (unrelated to mortgage loans) will be offered to investors in the future and may be purchased by the Fund. Several types of asset-backed securities have already been offered to investors, including Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETCs), Certificates for Automobile ReceivablesSM (CARSSM) and Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs).
Although any entity may issue EETCs, to date, U.S. airlines are the primary issuers. An airline EETC is an obligation secured directly by aircraft or aircraft engines as collateral. Airline EETCs generally have credit enhancement in the form of over-collateralization and cross-subordination (i.e., multiple tranches and multiple aircraft as collateral). They also generally have a dedicated liquidity facility provided by a third-party insurer to insure that coupon payments are made on a timely basis until collateral is liquidated in the event of a default by the lessor of the collateral. Aircraft EETCs issued by registered U.S. carriers also benefit from a special section of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which allows the aircraft to be sold by the trust holding the collateral to repay note holders without participating in bankruptcy proceedings. EETCs tend to be less liquid than bonds.
CARSSM represent undivided fractional interests in a trust whose assets consist of a pool of motor vehicle retail installment sales contracts and security interests in the vehicles securing the contracts. Payments of principal and interest on CARSSM are passed through monthly to certificate holders, and are guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trustee or originator of the trust. An investors return on CARSSM may be affected by early prepayment of principal on the underlying vehicle sales contracts. If the letter of credit is exhausted, the trust may be prevented from realizing the full amount due on a sales contract because of state law requirements and restrictions relating to foreclosure sales of vehicles and the obtaining of deficiency judgments following such sales or because of depreciation, damage or loss of a vehicle, the application of federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, or other factors. As a result, certificate holders may experience delays in payments or losses if the letter of credit is exhausted.
The Fund may invest in CDOs, which includes collateralized bond obligations (CBOs), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.
For both CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the residual or equity tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.
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The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with debt instruments discussed elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information and the Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to, (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments, (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default, (iii) the Fund may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes, and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies, PIMCO also may invest in other types of asset-backed securities. Other asset-backed securities may be collateralized by the fees earned by service providers. The value of asset-backed securities may be substantially dependent on the servicing of the underlying asset pools and are therefore subject to risks associated with the negligence by, or defalcation of, their servicers. In certain circumstances, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying collateral. The insolvency of entities that generate receivables or that utilize the assets may result in added costs and delays in addition to losses associated with a decline in the value of the underlying assets.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the applicable requirements of the Code. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management and other expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the expenses paid by the Fund. Debt securities issued by REITs are, for the most part, general and unsecured obligations and are subject to risks associated with REITs.
Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. An equity REIT may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT. A mortgage REIT may be affected by changes in interest rates and the ability of the issuers of its portfolio mortgages to repay their obligations. REITs are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are not diversified. REITs are generally dependent upon maintaining cash flows to repay borrowings and to make distributions to shareholders and are subject to the risk of default by lessees or borrowers. REITs
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whose underlying assets are concentrated in properties used by a particular industry, such as health care, are also subject to risks associated with such industry.
REITs (especially fixed rate mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks that apply generally to mortgage-related securities and other debt instruments, as described above.
REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically REITs have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index.
Bank Capital Securities and Obligations
The Fund may invest in bank capital securities. Bank capital securities are issued by banks to help fulfill their regulatory capital requirements. There are three common types of bank capital: Lower Tier II, Upper Tier II and Tier I. To the extent that the Fund invests in bank capital, it expects to primarily invest in floating rate Upper Tier II and Tier I bank capital. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Upper Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock. Upper Tier II securities are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and have a cumulative interest deferral feature. This means that under certain conditions, the issuer bank can withhold payment of interest until a later date. However, such deferred interest payments generally earn interest. Tier I securities often take the form of trust preferred securities.
The Fund may also invest in other bank obligations including certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, and fixed time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates that are issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are accepted by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are generally no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits. The Fund may also hold funds on deposit with its custodian bank in an interest-bearing account for temporary purposes.
Subject to the Funds limitation on concentration of no more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of issuers in a particular industry, the Fund may invest without limit in U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign bank obligations denominated in foreign currencies, subject to the restriction that a maximum of 10% of the Funds total assets may be invested in securities located in emerging markets. Obligations of foreign banks involve certain risks associated with investing in foreign securities described under Foreign (Non-U.S.) Securities below. Foreign banks are not generally subject to examination by any U.S. Government agency or instrumentality.
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Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities
The Fund may also enter into, or acquire participations in, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are borrowing arrangements in which the lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. A revolving credit facility differs from a delayed funding loan in that as the borrower repays the loan, an amount equal to the repayment may be borrowed again during the term of the revolving credit facility. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities usually provide for floating or variable rates of interest. These commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise be desirable to do so (including a time when the companys financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid).
The Fund may invest in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may be subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to resell such instruments. As a result, the Fund may be unable to sell such investments at an opportune time or may have to resell them at less than fair market value. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are considered to be debt obligations for the purposes of the Funds investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets by the Fund.
Commercial Paper
Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by corporations such as banks or bank holding companies and finance companies. The Fund may invest in commercial paper of any credit quality consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies, including unrated commercial paper for which PIMCO has made a credit quality assessment. See Appendix A to the Prospectus for a description of the ratings assigned by Moodys, S&P, Fitch and Dominion to commercial paper. The rate of return on commercial paper may be linked or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.
U.S. Government Securities
U.S. Government securities are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The U.S. Government does not guarantee the net asset value of the Funds shares. Some U.S. Government securities, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and securities guaranteed by the GNMA, are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA and the FHLMC, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agencys obligations; and still others, such as those of the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Although U.S. Government sponsored enterprises such as Federal Home Loan Banks, FNMA, FHLMC, and the Student Loan Marketing Association may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, and include increased credit risks. U.S. Government securities include securities that have no coupons, or have been stripped of
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their unmatured interest coupons, individual interest coupons from such securities that trade separately, and evidences of receipt of such securities. Such securities may pay no cash income, and are purchased at a deep discount from their value at maturity. See Zero-Coupon Bonds, Step-Ups and Payment-In-Kind Securities. Custodial receipts issued in connection with so-called trademark zero-coupon securities, such as CATs and TIGRs, are not issued by the U.S. Treasury, and are therefore not U.S. Government securities, although the underlying bond represented by such receipt is a debt obligation of the U.S. Treasury. Other zero-coupon Treasury securities (e.g., STRIPs and CUBEs) are direct obligations of the U.S. Government.
Preferred Stock
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as holders of a companys common stock, and thus also represent an ownership interest in that company. The Fund will ordinarily invest in preferred stocks that pay variable rates of return, but may also invest in fixed rate preferred stocks. See below. The value of a companys preferred stock may fall as a result of factors relating directly to that companys products or services. A preferred stocks value may also fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of preferred stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a companys preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of the preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Preferred stocks of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than those of larger companies.
Adjustable Rate and Auction Preferred Stocks. Typically, the dividend rate on an adjustable rate preferred stock is determined prospectively each quarter by applying an adjustment formula established at the time of issuance of the stock. Although adjustment formulas vary among issues, they typically involve a fixed premium or discount relative to rates on specified debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. Typically, an adjustment formula will provide for a fixed premium or discount adjustment relative to the highest base yield of three specified U.S. Treasury securities: the 90-day Treasury bill, the 10-year Treasury note and the 20-year Treasury bond. The premium or discount adjustment to be added to or subtracted from this highest U.S. Treasury base rate yield is fixed at the time of issue and cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of the stock. The dividend rate on other preferred stocks in which the Fund may invest, commonly known as auction preferred stocks, is adjusted at intervals that may be more frequent than quarterly, such as every 49 days, based on bids submitted by holders and prospective purchasers of such stocks and may be subject to stated maximum and minimum dividend rates. The issues of most adjustable rate and auction preferred stocks currently outstanding are perpetual, but are redeemable after a specified date at the option of the issuer. Certain issues supported by the credit of a high-rated financial institution provide for mandatory redemption prior to expiration of the credit arrangement. No redemption can occur if full cumulative dividends are not paid. Although the dividend rates on adjustable and auction
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preferred stocks are generally adjusted or reset frequently, the market values of these preferred stocks may still fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. Market values of adjustable preferred stocks also may substantially fluctuate if interest rates increase or decrease once the maximum or minimum dividend rate for a particular stock is approached.
Fixed Rate Preferred Stocks. Some fixed rate preferred stocks in which the Fund may invest, known as perpetual preferred stocks, offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual preferred stocks act like long-term bonds, can be more volatile than other types of preferred stocks that have a maturity date and may have heightened sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The Fund may also invest in sinking fund preferred stocks. These preferred stocks also offer a fixed return, but have a maturity date and are retired or redeemed on a predetermined schedule. The shorter duration of sinking fund preferred stocks makes them perform somewhat like intermediate-term bonds and they typically have lower yields than perpetual preferred stocks.
Zero-Coupon Bonds, Step-Ups and Payment-In-Kind Securities
Zero-coupon securities are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligations. Like zero-coupon bonds, step-up bonds pay no interest initially but eventually begin to pay a coupon rate prior to maturity, which rate may increase at stated intervals during the life of the security. Payment-in-kind securities (PIKs) pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. Each of these instruments is typically issued and traded at a deep discount from its face amount. 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, step-ups and PIKs 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 as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), an investment company, such as the Fund, must distribute each year at least 90% of its net investment income, including the original issue discount accrued on zero-coupon bonds, step-ups and PIKs. 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 some circumstances, such sales might be necessary in order to satisfy cash distribution requirements 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, step-ups and PIKs may be illiquid, making it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
Convertible Securities and Synthetic Convertible Securities
The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which are debt securities that may be converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of common stock. Convertible securities have general characteristics similar to both debt securities and equity securities. PIMCO will generally evaluate these instruments based primarily on their debt
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characteristics. Because most convertible securities are fixed rate instruments, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stocks and, therefore, also will react to variations in the general market for equity securities.
The Fund may also invest in synthetic convertible securities, which differ from convertible securities in certain respects. Unlike a true convertible security, which is a single security having a unitary market value, a synthetic convertible comprises two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the market value of a synthetic convertible security is the sum of the values of its debt component and its convertibility component. Synthetic convertible securities can be variable or fixed rate instruments. For these reasons, the values of a synthetic convertible and a true convertible security may respond differently to market fluctuations.
Convertible securities generally have higher yields than common stocks. There can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. A convertible security, in addition to providing current income, offers the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock.
Municipal Bonds
The Fund may invest in municipal bonds which pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer (or on the basis of other authority believed by PIMCO to be reliable), is exempt from federal income taxes (municipal bonds), although dividends that the Fund pays that are attributable to such interest will not be tax-exempt to shareholders of the Fund.
Municipal bonds share the attributes of debt obligations in general, but are generally issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal bonds that the Fund may purchase include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to former federal tax law. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuers general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Tax-exempt private activity bonds and industrial development bonds generally are also revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuers general revenues. The credit and quality of private activity bonds and industrial development bonds are usually related to the credit of the user of the facilities. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal of such bonds is the responsibility of the user (and/or any guarantor).
Municipal bonds are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Prices and yields on municipal bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money-market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the
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municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal bonds may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. Obligations of issuers of municipal bonds are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. Congress or state legislatures may seek to extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or to impose other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their municipal bonds may be materially affected or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable.
The Fund may also invest in residual interest municipal bonds (RIBS) whose interest rates bear an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. RIBS are created by dividing the income stream provided by the underlying bonds to create two securities, one short-term and one long-term. The interest rate on the short-term component is reset by an index or auction process normally every seven to 35 days. After income is paid on the short-term securities at current rates, the residual income from the underlying bond(s) goes to the long-term securities. Therefore, rising short-term interest rates result in lower income for the longer-term portion, and vice versa. The longer-term bonds can be very volatile and may be less liquid than other municipal bonds of comparable maturity. An investment in RIBS typically will involve greater risk than an investment in a fixed rate bond. Because increases in the interest rate on the other security or index reduce the residual interest paid on a RIB, the value of a RIB is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. RIBS have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. RIBS have varying degrees of liquidity that approximate the liquidity of the underlying bond(s), and the market price for these securities is volatile. 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, RIBS typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity. The Fund may also invest in RIBS for the purpose of increasing the Funds leverage as a more flexible alternative to the issuance of any preferred shares of beneficial interest that the Fund may issue (the Preferred Shares). Should short-term and long-term interest rates rise, the combination of the Funds investment in RIBS and its use of other forms of leverage (including through the issuance of Preferred Shares or the use of other derivative instruments) likely will adversely affect the Funds net asset value per share and income, distributions and total returns to shareholders. Trusts in which RIBS may be held could be terminated, in which case the residual bond holder would take possession of the underlying bond(s) on an unleveraged basis.
Foreign (Non-U.S.) Securities
The Fund may invest some or all of its assets in U.S. dollar-denominated debt obligations of corporate and other foreign (non-U.S.) issuers, including obligations of foreign banks (see Bank Obligations above), foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, international agencies and supra-national government entities. The Fund may
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invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
The foreign securities in which the Fund may invest include Eurodollar obligations and Yankee Dollar obligations. Eurodollar obligations are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and time deposits issued outside the U.S. capital markets by foreign branches of U.S. banks and by foreign banks. Yankee Dollar obligations are U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued in the U.S. capital markets by foreign banks. Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar obligations are generally subject to the same risks that apply to domestic debt issues, notably credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, Eurodollar (and to a limited extent, Yankee Dollar) obligations are subject to certain sovereign risks. One such risk is the possibility that a sovereign country might prevent capital, in the form of U.S. dollars, from flowing across its borders. Other risks include adverse political and economic developments; the extent and quality of government regulation of financial markets and institutions; the imposition of foreign withholding taxes; and the expropriation or nationalization of foreign issuers.
The Fund may invest in American Depository Receipts (ADRs), European Depository Receipts (EDRs) or Global Depository Receipts (GDRs). ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts issued generally by domestic banks and represent the deposit with the bank of a security of a foreign issuer. EDRs are foreign currency-denominated receipts similar to ADRs and are issued and traded in Europe, and are publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. GDRs may be offered privately in the United States and also trade in public or private markets in other countries. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be issued as sponsored or unsponsored programs. In sponsored programs, an issuer has made arrangements to have its securities trade in the form of ADRs, EDRs or GDRs. In unsponsored programs, the issuer may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Although regulatory requirements with respect to sponsored and unsponsored programs are generally similar, in some cases it may be easier to obtain financial information from an issuer that has participated in the creation of a sponsored program.
The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds. Brady Bonds are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the Brady Plan). Brady Plan debt restructurings have been implemented in a number of countries, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in the over-the-counter secondary market. Brady Bonds are not considered to be U.S. Government securities. U.S. dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are generally collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds having the same maturity as the Brady Bonds. Interest payments on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized on a one-year or longer rolling-forward basis by cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one years interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter. Certain Brady
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Bonds are entitled to value recovery payments in certain circumstances, which in effect constitute supplemental interest payments but generally are not collateralized. Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: (i) the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; (ii) the collateralized interest payments; (iii) the uncollateralized interest payments; and (iv) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (the uncollateralized amounts constitute the residual risk).
Most Mexican Brady Bonds issued to date have principal repayments at final maturity fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other currencies) and interest coupon payments collateralized on an 18-month rolling-forward basis by funds held in escrow by an agent for the bondholders. A significant portion of the Venezuelan Brady Bonds and the Argentine Brady Bonds issued to date have repayments at final maturity collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other currencies) and/or interest coupon payments collateralized on a 14-month (for Venezuela) or 12-month (for Argentina) rolling-forward basis by securities held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as collateral agent.
Brady Bonds involve various risk factors including residual risk and the history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds. There can be no assurance that Brady Bonds in which the Fund may invest will not be subject to restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit, which may cause the Fund to suffer a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings.
Investing in the securities of foreign issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These include: differences in accounting; auditing and financial reporting standards; generally higher commission rates on foreign portfolio transactions; the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a country); political instability which can affect U.S. investments in foreign countries; and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital. In addition, foreign securities and dividends and interest payable on those securities may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from payments on those securities. Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the value of those securities which are denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Emerging Market Securities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in issuers located in emerging markets. PIMCO generally considers an emerging market to be one located in any country that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by the World Bank or its related organizations, or the United Nations or its subsidiaries. The risks of investing in foreign securities are particularly high when securities of issuers based in or denominated in currencies of developing or emerging market countries are involved. Investing in emerging market countries involves certain risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, and imposes risks greater than, or in addition to, risks of investing in foreign, developed countries. These risks include: greater risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; currency devaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations; greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability (including the risk of war); more substantial government involvement in the economy; less government supervision and regulation
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of the securities markets and participants in those markets; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on the Funds ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; unavailability of currency hedging techniques in certain emerging market countries; the fact that companies in emerging market countries may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; the difference in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; the risk that it may be more difficult to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a court outside the United States; and greater price volatility, substantially less liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization of securities markets. In addition, a number of emerging market countries restrict, to various degrees, foreign investment in securities, and high rates of inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. Also, any change in the leadership or politics of emerging market countries, or the countries that exercise a significant influence over those countries, may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities.
Sovereign Debt. The Fund may invest in sovereign debt issued by foreign developed and emerging market governments and their respective sub-divisions, agencies or instrumentalities, government sponsored enterprises and supra-national government entities. Supra-national entities include international organizations that are organized or supported by one or more government entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and by international banking institutions and related governmental agencies. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of the debt. A governmental entitys willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entitys policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also depend on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a governmental entitys implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtors obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtors ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt (including the Fund) may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.
The Funds investments in foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and hedging activities will likely produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. This difference may cause a portion of the Funds income distributions to constitute returns of capital
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for tax purposes or require the Fund to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Subject to the limitations discussed above and in the Prospectus, the Fund also may purchase and sell foreign currency options and foreign currency futures contracts and related options (see Derivative Instruments below), and may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward foreign currency exchange contracts (forwards) with terms generally of less than one year. The Fund may engage in these transactions in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates in the purchase and sale of securities. The Fund may also use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. Suitable currency hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and PIMCO may decide not to use hedging transactions that are available.
A forward involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect the Fund against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Although forwards are intended to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, at the same time, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currencies increase. Forwards will be used primarily to adjust the foreign exchange exposure of the Fund with a view to protecting the outlook, and the Fund might be expected to enter into such contracts under the following circumstances:
Lock In. When PIMCO desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge. If a particular currency is expected to decrease against another currency, the Fund may sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency that is expected to increase against the currency sold in an amount approximately equal to some or all of the Funds portfolio holdings denominated in the currency sold.
Direct Hedge. If PIMCO wants to eliminate substantially all of the risk of owning a particular currency, and/or if PIMCO believes that the Fund can benefit from price appreciation in a given countrys debt obligations but does not want to hold the currency, it may employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In either case, the Fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio security is denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated a contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield advantage offered by the foreign security, but the Fund would hope to benefit from an increase (if any) in the value of the debt obligation.
Proxy Hedge. PIMCO might choose to use a proxy hedge, which may be less costly than a direct hedge. In this case, the Fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose
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value is believed to be closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated. Interest rates prevailing in the country whose currency was sold would be expected to be close to those in the United States and lower than those of securities denominated in the currency of the original holding. This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies and the relationships can be very unstable at times.
Costs of Hedging. When the Fund purchases a foreign bond with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost if the Fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the cost of hedging. Proxy hedging attempts to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back to the U.S. dollar.
It is important to note that hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from the Funds dividend distribution and are not reflected in its yield.
Tax Consequences of Hedging. Under applicable tax law, the Funds hedging activities may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Code. Those provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund and could affect whether dividends paid by the Fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Foreign Currency Exchange-Related Securities
Foreign Currency Warrants. Foreign currency warrants, such as Currency Exchange WarrantsSM (CEWsSM), are warrants that entitle their holders to receive from their issuer an amount of cash (generally, for warrants issued in the United States, in U.S. dollars) that is calculated pursuant to a predetermined formula and based on the exchange rate between a specified foreign currency and the U.S. dollar as of the exercise date of the warrant. Foreign currency warrants generally are exercisable upon their issuance and expire as of a specific date and time. Foreign currency warrants have been issued in connection with U.S. dollar-denominated debt offerings by major issuers in an attempt to reduce the foreign currency exchange risk that, from the point of view of the prospective purchasers of the securities, is inherent in the international debt obligation marketplace. Foreign currency warrants may attempt to reduce the foreign exchange risk assumed by purchasers of a security by, for example, providing for a supplement payment in the event that the U.S. dollar depreciates against the value of a major foreign currency such as the Japanese yen. The formula used to determine the amount payable upon exercise of a foreign currency warrant may make the warrant worthless unless the applicable foreign currency exchange rate moves in a particular direction (e.g., unless the U.S. dollar appreciates or depreciates against the particular foreign currency to which the warrant is linked or indexed). Foreign currency warrants are severable from the debt obligations with which they may be offered, and may be listed on exchanges. Foreign currency warrants may be exercisable only in certain minimum amounts, and an investor wishing to exercise warrants who possesses less than the minimum number required for exercise may be required either to sell the warrants or to purchase additional warrants, thereby incurring additional transaction costs. In the case of any exercise of warrants, there may be a time delay between the time a holder of warrants gives instructions to exercise and the time the exchange rate relating to exercise is determined, during which time the exchange rate could change significantly, thereby
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affecting both the market and cash settlement values of the warrants being exercised. The expiration date of the warrants may be accelerated if the warrants should be delisted from an exchange or if their trading should be suspended permanently, which would result in the loss of any remaining time values of the warrants (i.e., the difference between the current market value and the exercise value of the warrants), and, if the warrants were out-of-the-money, in a total loss of the purchase price of the warrants. Warrants are generally unsecured obligations of their issuers and are not standardized foreign currency options issued by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Unlike foreign currency options issued by the OCC, the terms of foreign exchange warrants generally will not be amended in the event of government or regulatory actions affecting exchange rates or in the event of the imposition of other regulatory controls affecting the international currency markets. The initial public offering price of foreign currency warrants is generally considerably in excess of the price that a commercial user of foreign currencies might pay in the interbank market for a comparable option involving significantly larger amounts of foreign currencies. Foreign currency warrants are subject to significant foreign exchange risk, including risks arising from complex political or economic factors.
Principal Exchange Rate Linked Securities. Principal exchange rate linked securities (PERLsSM) are debt obligations the principal on which is payable at maturity in an amount that may vary based on the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and a particular foreign currency at or about that time. The return on standard principal exchange rate linked securities is enhanced if the foreign currency to which the security is linked appreciates against the U.S. dollar, and is adversely affected by increases in the foreign exchange value of the U.S. dollar; reverse principal exchange rate linked securities are like standard securities, except that their return is enhanced by increases in the value of the U.S. dollar and adversely impacted by increases in the value of foreign currency. Interest payments on the securities are generally made in U.S. dollars at rates that reflect the degree of foreign currency risk assumed or given up by the purchaser of the notes (i.e., at relatively higher interest rates if the purchaser has assumed some of the foreign exchange risk, or relatively lower interest rates if the issuer has assumed some of the foreign exchange risk, based on the expectations of the current market). Principal exchange rate linked securities may in limited cases be subject to acceleration of maturity (generally, not without the consent of the holders of the securities), which may have an adverse impact on the value of the principal payment to be made at maturity.
Performance Indexed Paper. Performance indexed paper (PIPsSM) is U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper the yield of which is linked to certain foreign exchange rate movements. The yield to the investor on performance indexed paper is established at maturity as a function of spot exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a designated currency as of or about that time (generally, the index maturity two days prior to maturity). The yield to the investor will be within a range stipulated at the time of purchase of the obligation, generally with a guaranteed minimum rate of return that is below, and a potential maximum rate of return that is above, market yields on U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper, with both the minimum and maximum rates of return on the investment corresponding to the minimum and maximum values of the spot exchange rate two business days prior to maturity.
Derivative Instruments
The Fund may, but is not required to, use a variety of derivative instruments for hedging or risk management purposes or as part of its investment strategies. Also, as part of its strategy to
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invest in floating rate assets, the Fund may enter into derivatives in connection with investments in fixed rate securities to effectively convert the fixed rate interest payments into floating rate payments. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to individual debt instruments, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities or related indexes. The Fund may use derivatives to gain exposure to floating rate or high yield securities and other securities in which the Fund may invest (including pending investment of the proceeds of this offering). Examples of derivative instruments that the Fund may use include, but are not limited to, options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements (including total return and credit default swaps) and short sales. The Fund may also engage in credit spread trades. A credit spread trade is an investment position relating to a difference in the prices or interest rates of two bonds or other securities, where the value of the investment position is determined by changes in the difference between such prices or interest rates, as the case may be, of the respective securities. The Fund may also have exposure to derivatives, such as interest rate or credit-default swaps, through investment in credit-linked trust certificates and other securities issued by special purpose or structured vehicles. The Fund may also use derivatives to add leverage to the portfolio, but only as a substitute for leverage obtained through Preferred Shares. If other types of financial instruments, including other types of options, futures contracts or futures options are traded in the future, the Fund may also use those instruments, provided that their use is consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies.
Like the other investments of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to successfully utilize derivative instruments may depend in part upon the ability of PIMCO to assess the issuers credit characteristics and other macro-economic factors correctly. If PIMCO incorrectly forecasts such factors and has taken positions in derivative instruments contrary to prevailing market trends, the Fund could be exposed to the risk of loss.
The Fund might not employ any of the strategies described below, and no assurance can be given that any strategy used will succeed. If PIMCO incorrectly forecasts market values or other economic factors in utilizing a derivatives strategy for the Fund, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances. The use of these strategies involves certain special risks, including a possible imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of derivative instruments and price movements of related investments. While some strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in related investments or otherwise, due to the possible inability of the Fund to purchase or sell a portfolio security at a time that otherwise would be favorable or the possible need to sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time because the Fund is required to maintain asset coverage or offsetting positions in connection with transactions in derivative instruments, and the possible inability of the Fund to close out or to liquidate its derivatives positions. Income earned by the Fund from many derivative strategies will be treated as capital gain and, if not offset by net realized capital loss, will be distributed to shareholders in taxable distributions.
Options on Securities, Swap Agreements and Indexes. The Fund may purchase and sell both put and call options on securities, swap agreements or indexes in standardized contracts traded on domestic or other securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, or quoted on
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NASDAQ or on an over-the-counter market, and agreements, sometimes called cash puts, which may accompany the purchase of a new issue of debt obligations from a dealer.
An option on a security (or an index) is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the security underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security. Upon exercise, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. (An index is designed to reflect features of a particular securities market, a specific group of financial instruments or securities, or certain economic indicators.)
The Fund may (but is not required to) cover its obligations when it writes call options or put options. In the case of a call option on a debt obligation or other security, the option is covered if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, in such amount are segregated by its custodian) upon conversion or exchange of other securities held by the Fund. For a call option on an index, the option is covered if the Fund maintains with its custodian assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, in an amount equal to the contract value of the index. A call option is also covered if the Fund holds a call on the same security or index as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees. A put option on a security or an index is covered if the Fund segregates assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees equal to the exercise price. A put option is also covered if the Fund holds a put on the same security or index as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees. Obligations under written call and put options so covered will not be construed to be senior securities for purposes of the Funds investment restrictions concerning senior securities and borrowings.
If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes on the expiration date a capital gain equal to the premium the Fund received at the time the option was written. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange-traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires.
The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the
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premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series. The Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index and the time remaining until the expiration date.
The premium paid for a put or call option purchased by the Fund is an asset of the Fund. The premium received for an option written by the Fund is recorded as a deferred credit. The value of an option purchased or written is marked to market daily and is valued at the closing price on the exchange on which it is traded or, if not traded on an exchange or no closing price is available, at the mean between the last bid and asked prices.
The Fund may write straddles (covered or uncovered) consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same underlying security. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is in the money.
Risks Associated with Options on Securities and Indexes. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and on indexes. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objective. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events.
During the option period, the covered call writer has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but, as long as its obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose its entire investment in the option. Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more or less than the price of the related security.
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There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out an option position. If the Fund were unable to close out an option that it had purchased on a security, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit or the option may expire worthless. If the Fund were unable to close out a covered call option that it had written on a security, it would not be able to sell the underlying security unless the option expired without exercise. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the exercise price of the call.
If trading were suspended in an option purchased by the Fund, the Fund would not be able to close out the option. If restrictions on exercise were imposed, the Fund might be unable to exercise an option it has purchased. Except to the extent that a call option on an index written by the Fund is covered by an option on the same index purchased by the Fund, movements in the index may result in a loss to the Fund; however, such losses may be mitigated by changes in the value of the Funds securities during the period the option was outstanding.
Foreign Currency Options. The Fund may buy or sell put and call options on foreign currencies for investment purposes or as a hedge against changes in the value of the U.S. dollar (or another currency) in relation to a foreign currency in which the Funds securities may be denominated. The Fund may buy or sell put and call options on foreign currencies either on exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires. Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of the Fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in futures contracts and options thereon (futures options), including with respect to interest rates, securities indexes, currencies, debt obligations (to the extent they are available) and U.S. Government and agency securities, as well as purchase put and call options on such futures contracts.
A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of the security or other financial instrument at a specified price and time. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract was originally written. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, physical delivery of these securities is not always made. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments, including, without limitation: U.S. Treasury bonds; U.S. Treasury notes; GNMA Certificates; three-month U.S. Treasury bills; 90-day commercial paper; bank certificates of deposit; Eurodollar certificates of deposit; the Australian dollar; the Canadian dollar; the British pound; the Japanese yen; the Swiss franc; the Mexican peso; and certain multinational currencies, such as the euro. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future.
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The Fund may purchase and write call and put futures options. Futures options possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and indexes (discussed above). A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true.
The Fund may enter into futures contracts and futures options that are standardized and traded on a U.S. or other exchange, board of trade, or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system, and the Fund may also enter into OTC options on futures contracts.
When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by the Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its custodian (or broker, if legally permitted) a specified amount of assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees (initial margin). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. The Fund expects to earn taxable interest income on its initial margin deposits. A futures contract held by the Fund is valued daily at the official settlement price of the exchange on which it is traded. Each day the Fund pays or receives cash, called variation margin, equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. This process is known as marking to market. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by the Fund but is instead a settlement between the Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing weekly net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions.
The Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option, and other futures positions held by the Fund.
Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying securities, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations.
The Fund may write straddles (covered or uncovered) consisting of a call and a put written on the same underlying futures contract. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund
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will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is in the money.
The Fund is operated by a person who has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the commodity Exchange Act (the CEA), and, therefore, such person is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under the CEA.
Limitations on Use of Futures and Futures Options. When purchasing a futures contract, the Fund will maintain with its custodian (and mark to market on a daily basis) assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract. Alternatively, the Fund may cover its position by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price as high as or higher than the price of the contract held by the Fund.
When selling a futures contract, the Fund will maintain with its custodian (and mark to market on a daily basis) assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, that are equal to the market value of the instruments underlying the contract. Alternatively, the Fund may cover its position by owning the instruments underlying the contract (or, in the case of an index futures contract, a portfolio with a volatility substantially similar to that of the index on which the futures contract is based), or by holding a call option permitting the Fund to purchase the same futures contract at a price no higher than the price of the contract written by the Fund (or at a higher price if the difference is maintained in liquid assets with the Funds custodian).
When selling a call option on a futures contract, the Fund will maintain with its custodian (and mark to market on a daily basis) assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, that, when added to the amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, equal the total market value of the futures contract underlying the call option. Alternatively, the Fund may cover its position by entering into a long position in the same futures contract at a price no higher than the strike price of the call option, by owning the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by holding a separate call option permitting the Fund to purchase the same futures contract at a price not higher than the strike price of the call option sold by the Fund.
When selling a put option on a futures contract, the Fund will maintain with its custodian (and mark to market on a daily basis) assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, that equal the purchase price of the futures contract, less any margin on deposit. Alternatively, the Fund may cover the position either by entering into a short position in the same futures contract, or by owning a separate put option permitting it to sell the same futures contract so long as the strike price of the purchased put option is the same as or higher than the strike price of the put option sold by the Fund.
To the extent that securities with maturities greater than one year are used to segregate assets to cover the Funds obligations under futures contracts and related options, such use will not eliminate the leverage risk arising from such use, which may tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Funds portfolio, and may require liquidation of portfolio positions when it is not advantageous to do so.
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The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company also may limit the extent to which the Fund may enter into futures, futures options or forward contracts. See Tax Matters.
Risks Associated with Futures and Futures Options. There are several risks associated with the use of futures contracts and futures options as hedging techniques. A purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in the Fund securities being hedged. In addition, there are significant differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given hedge not to achieve its objective. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for futures and futures options on securities, including technical influences in futures trading and futures options, and differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading in such respects as interest rate levels, maturities, and creditworthiness of issuers. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends.
Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to that in which the underlying U.S. Government securities reacted. To the extent, however, that the Fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of such futures will not vary in direct proportion to the value of the Funds holdings of debt obligations. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous days settlement price at the end of the current trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a futures contract or a futures option position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. In addition, many of the contracts discussed above are relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist.
Additional Risks of Options on Securities, Futures Contracts, Options on Futures Contracts and Forward Currency Exchange Contracts and Options thereon. Options on securities, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and options on currencies may be
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traded on foreign exchanges. Such transactions may not be regulated as effectively as similar transactions in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities. Some foreign exchanges may be principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and a trader may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Funds ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States and (v) lesser trading volume. In addition, unless the Fund hedges against fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which trading is done on foreign exchanges, any profits that the Fund might realize in trading could be eliminated by adverse changes in the exchange rate, or the Fund could incur losses as a result of those changes. The Funds use of such instruments may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments.
Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into total return swap agreements, credit default swap agreements and other swap agreements made with respect to interest rates, currencies, indexes of securities and other assets or measures of risk or return. The Fund may also enter into options on swap agreements (swaptions). These transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a basket of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or cap; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified rate, or floor; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels. The Fund may use interest rate caps, floors and collars to a substantial degree in connection with its leveraging strategies. See Certain Interest Rate Transactions below and Investment Objective and StrategiesCertain Interest Rate Transactions in the Prospectus. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions.
Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, the Funds current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or
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received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). The Funds current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). The Fund may (but is not required to) cover any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty through the segregation of assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be senior securities for purposes of the Funds investment restriction concerning senior securities and borrowings.
Whether the Funds use of swap agreements or swaptions will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on PIMCOs ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The Fund will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. The swaps market is a relatively new market and is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
Certain swap agreements are exempt from most provisions of the CEA and, therefore, are not regulated as futures or commodity option transactions under the CEA.
Credit Default Swaps
The Fund may enter into credit default swap contracts for both investment and risk management purposes. As the seller in a credit default swap contract, the Fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or foreign issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, the Fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the Fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
The Fund may also purchase credit default swap contracts in order to hedge against the risk of default of debt securities held in its portfolio, in which case the Fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would generate income only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other
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indication of financial instability). It would also involve credit risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default.
Credit-Linked Trust Certificates
Among the income-producing securities in which the Fund may invest are credit-linked trust certificates, which are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under State law which, in turn, invests in a basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to the high yield or another fixed income market. For instance, the Fund may invest in credit-linked trust certificates as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to the high yield markets and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income-producing securities are not available, including during the period when the net proceeds of this offering and any offering of Preferred Shares are being invested.
Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit-linked trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. For instance, the trust may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the trust would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the trust would be obligated to pay to the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the Fund would receive as an investor in the trust. Please see Investment Objective and PoliciesCredit Default Swaps in this Statement of Additional Information for additional information about credit default swaps. The Funds investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts which issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). Therefore, the certificates will be subject to the risks described under Other Investment Companies below, and will not be subject to applicable investment limitations and other regulation imposed by the 1940 Act (although the Fund will remain subject to such limitations and regulation, including with respect to its investments in the certificates). Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed such as a hedge fund might be. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. See Risks Liquidity Risk in the Prospectus. If market quotations are not readily available for the certificates, they will be valued by the Fund at fair value as determined by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at its direction. See Net Asset Value in the Prospectus.
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Structured Notes and Other Hybrid Instruments
The Fund may invest in structured notes, which 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, such as selected securities, an index of securities or specified interest rates, or the differential performance of two assets or markets, such as indexes reflecting bonds. Depending on the terms of the note, the Fund may forgo all or part of the interest and principal that would be payable on a comparable conventional note. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the referenced index(es) or other asset(s). Application of a multiplier involves leverage which will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss. The Fund may use structured notes to add leverage to the portfolio (as a substitute for Preferred Shares) and for investment as well as risk management purposes. Like other sophisticated strategies, the Funds use of structured notes may not work as intended. Although structured instruments are not necessarily illiquid, PIMCO believes that currently most structured instruments are illiquid.
The Fund may invest in other types of hybrid instruments which combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most debt obligations) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including duration management and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events that cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a floating rate or fixed rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. See Other Investment Companies below.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements and economically similar transactions in order to add leverage to the portfolio (as a substitute for Preferred Shares) or for hedging or cash management purposes. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio-eligible security by the Fund, coupled with its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund continues to receive any principal and interest payments on the underlying security during the term of the
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agreement. Reverse repurchase agreements involve leverage risk and the risk that the market value of securities retained by the Fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities sold by the Fund which it is obligated to repurchase. The Fund may (but is not required to) segregate assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements. To the extent that positions in reverse repurchase agreements are not so covered, such transactions would be subject to the Funds limitations on borrowings, which would, among other things, restrict the aggregate of such transactions (plus any other borrowings) to one-third of the Funds total assets.
The Fund also may effect simultaneous purchase and sale transactions that are known as sale-buybacks. A sale-buyback is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement, except that in a sale-buyback, the counterparty who purchases the security is entitled to receive any principal or interest payments made on the underlying security pending settlement of the Funds repurchase of the underlying security.
Mortgage Dollar Rolls
A mortgage dollar roll is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement in certain respects. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells a mortgage-related security, such as a security issued by GNMA, to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to repurchase a similar security (but not the same security) in the future at a pre-determined price. A dollar roll can be viewed, like a reverse repurchase agreement, as a collateralized borrowing in which the Fund pledges a mortgage-related security to a dealer to obtain cash. However, unlike reverse repurchase agreements, the dealer with which the Fund enters into a dollar roll transaction is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by the Fund, but only securities which are substantially identical. To be considered substantially identical, the securities returned to the Fund generally must: (1) be collateralized by the same types of underlying mortgages; (2) be issued by the same agency and be part of the same program; (3) have a similar original stated maturity; (4) have identical net coupon rates; (5) have similar market yields (and therefore price); and (6) satisfy good delivery requirements, meaning that the aggregate principal amounts of the securities delivered and received back must be within 2.5% of the initial amount delivered.
As with reverse repurchase agreements, to the extent that positions in dollar roll agreements are not covered by segregated liquid assets at least equal to the amount of any forward purchase commitment, such transactions would be subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Furthermore, because dollar roll transactions may be for terms ranging between one and six months, dollar roll transactions may be deemed illiquid.
Repurchase Agreements
For the purposes of maintaining liquidity and achieving income, the Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with domestic commercial banks or registered broker/dealers. A repurchase agreement is a contract under which the Fund would acquire a security for a relatively short period (usually not more than one week) subject to the obligation of the seller to repurchase and the Fund to resell such security at a fixed time and price (representing the Funds cost plus interest). In the case of repurchase agreements with broker-dealers, the value of the underlying securities (or collateral) will be at least equal at all times to the total amount of the repurchase obligation, including the interest factor. The Fund bears a risk of loss in the event
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that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. This risk includes the risk of procedural costs or delays in addition to a loss on the securities if their value should fall below their repurchase price. PIMCO will monitor the creditworthiness of the counter parties.
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis. When such purchases are outstanding, the Fund will segregate until the settlement date assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees, in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Fund has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made, although the Fund may earn income on securities it has segregated.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations, and takes such fluctuations into account when determining its net asset value. Because the Fund is not required to pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with the Funds other investments. If the Fund remains substantially fully invested at a time when when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment purchases are outstanding, the purchases may result in a form of leverage.
When the Fund has sold a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund does not participate in future gains or losses with respect to the security. If the other party to a transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the Fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity or could suffer a loss. The Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a transaction after it is entered into, and may sell when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment securities before they are delivered, which may result in a capital gain or loss. There is no percentage limitation on the extent to which the Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis.
Borrowing
The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. The Fund may from time to time borrow money to add leverage to the portfolio as a substitute for the leverage obtained with Preferred Shares. The Fund may also borrow money for temporary administrative purposes.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund generally is not permitted to engage in borrowings unless immediately after a borrowing the value of the Funds total assets less liabilities (other than the borrowing) is at least 300% of the principal amount of such borrowing (i.e., such principal amount may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Funds total assets). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Funds total assets, less liabilities other than borrowing, is at least 300% of such principal amount. If the Fund borrows it intends, to the extent possible, to prepay all or a portion of the principal amount of the borrowing to the extent necessary in order to
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maintain the required asset coverage. Failure to maintain certain asset coverage requirements could result in an event of default and entitle the holders of Preferred Shares (Preferred Shareholders) and holders of any other senior securities of the Fund to elect a majority of the Trustees of the Fund.
As described in the Prospectus, the Fund may also enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, issuing debt securities or using reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, credit default swap contracts and other derivatives, as well as when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions. However, these forms of leverage will only be used, if at all, as a substitute for, rather than in addition to, the leverage obtained through the issuance of Preferred Shares. See Preferred Shares and Related Leverage in the Prospectus.
As described above, the Fund will, under certain circumstances, cover its commitment under these instruments by the segregation of assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures adopted by the Trustees, equal in value to the amount of the Funds commitment, or by entering into offsetting transactions or owning positions covering its obligations. In such cases, the instruments will not be considered senior securities under the 1940 Act for purposes of the asset coverage requirements otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund or the Funds issuance of Preferred Shares. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Funds portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Short Sales
The Fund may make short sales of securities as part of its overall portfolio management strategy and to offset potential declines in long positions in securities in the Funds portfolio. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline.
When the Fund makes a short sale on a security, it must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale as collateral for its obligation to deliver the security upon conclusion of the sale. The Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to pay over any accrued interest and dividends on such borrowed securities.
If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above. The successful use of short selling may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.
To the extent that the Fund engages in short sales, it will provide collateral to the broker-dealer. A short sale is against the box to the extent that the Fund contemporaneously owns, or
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has the right to obtain at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short. The Fund may engage in so-called naked short sales where it does not own or have the immediate right to acquire the security sold short at no additional cost, in which case the Funds losses could theoretically be unlimited.
Rule 144A Securities
The Fund may invest without limit in securities that are eligible for purchase and sale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (Rule 144A Securities). Rule 144A permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund, to trade in privately placed securities that have not been registered for sale under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities may be subject to liquidity risk.
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may invest without limit in illiquid securities (determined using the Securities and Exchange Commissions standard applicable to open-end investment companies, i.e., securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the securities). Illiquid securities are considered to include, among other things, written over-the-counter options, securities or other liquid assets being used as cover for such options, repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, certain loan participation interests, fixed time deposits which are not subject to prepayment or provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits), and other securities whose disposition is restricted under the federal securities laws (other than securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and certain commercial paper that PIMCO has determined to be liquid under procedures approved by the Board of Trustees). PIMCO will determine the liquidity of the Funds investments by reference to market conditions and contractual provisions.
Illiquid securities may include privately placed securities, which are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered under the federal securities laws. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold, others may be illiquid, and their sale may involve substantial delays and additional costs.
Portfolio Trading and Turnover Rate
Portfolio trading may be undertaken to accomplish the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, a security may be sold and another of comparable quality purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what PIMCO believes to be a temporary price disparity between the two securities. Temporary price disparities between two comparable securities may result from supply and demand imbalances where, for example, a temporary oversupply of certain bonds may cause a temporarily low price for such bonds, as compared with other bonds of like quality and characteristics. The Fund may also engage in short-term trading consistent with its investment objective. Securities may be sold in anticipation of a market decline (a rise in interest rates) or purchased in anticipation of a market rise (a decline in interest rates) and later sold, or to recognize a gain.
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A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover. PIMCO manages the Fund without regard generally to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The use of certain derivative instruments with relatively short maturities may tend to exaggerate the portfolio turnover rate for the Fund. Trading in debt obligations does not generally involve the payment of brokerage commissions, but does involve indirect transaction costs. The use of futures contracts may involve the payment of commissions to futures commission merchants. High portfolio turnover (e.g., greater than 100%) involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. The higher the rate of portfolio turnover of the Fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by the Fund generally will be. Transactions in the Funds portfolio securities may result in realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains which are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates). The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Funds performance.
The portfolio turnover rate of the Fund is calculated by dividing (a) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the particular fiscal year by (b) the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the particular fiscal year. In calculating the rate of portfolio turnover, there is excluded from both (a) and (b) all securities, including options, whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition were one year or less.
Warrants to Purchase Securities
The Fund may invest in warrants to purchase debt securities. Debt obligations with warrants attached to purchase equity securities have many characteristics of convertible bonds and their prices may, to some degree, reflect the performance of the underlying stock. Debt obligations also may be issued with warrants attached to purchase additional debt securities at the same coupon rate. A decline in interest rates would permit the Fund to buy additional bonds at the favorable rate or to sell the warrants at a profit. If interest rates rise, the warrants would generally expire with no value.
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in securities of open- or closed-end investment companies to the extent that such investments are consistent with the Funds investment objective and policies and permissible under the 1940 Act. The Fund may invest in other investment companies either during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash, such as the period shortly after the Fund receives the proceeds of the offering of its Common Shares or Preferred Shares, during periods when there is a shortage of attractive variable rate and other debt instruments available in the market, or when PIMCO believes share prices of other investment companies offer attractive values. The Fund may invest in investment companies that are advised by PIMCO or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or pursuant to exemptive relief from the SEC. As a stockholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment companys expenses and would remain subject to payment of the Funds management fees with respect to assets so invested. Holders of the Common Shares would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. PIMCO will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an
46
investment in an investment company relative to available debt instruments. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to the same leverage risks described in the Prospectus and herein. As described in the Prospectus in the section entitled RisksLeverage Risk, the net asset value and market value of leveraged shares will be more volatile and the yield to shareholders will tend to fluctuate more than the yield generated by unleveraged shares.
Securities Loans
Subject to the Funds Investment Restrictions listed below, the Fund may make secured loans of its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions amounting to no more than one-third of its total assets. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consist of possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. However, such loans will be made only to broker-dealers that are believed by PIMCO to be of relatively high credit standing. Securities loans are made to broker-dealers pursuant to agreements requiring that loans be continuously secured by collateral consisting of U.S. Government securities, cash or cash equivalents (negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances or letters of credit) maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal at all times to the market value of the securities lent. The borrower pays to the Fund, as the lender, an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on the securities lent. The Fund may invest only the cash collateral received in interest-bearing, short-term securities or receive a fee from the borrower. In the case of cash collateral, the Fund typically pays a rebate to the lender. Although voting rights or rights to consent with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Fund, as the lender, retains the right to call the loans and obtain the return of the securities loaned at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so in order that the securities may be voted by the Fund if the holders of such securities are asked to vote upon or consent to matters materially affecting the investment. The Fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities involved. When engaged in securities lending, the Funds performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned and will also reflect the receipt of either interest, through investment of cash collateral by the Fund in permissible investments, or a fee, if the collateral is U.S. Government securities.
Participation on Creditors Committees
The Fund may from time to time participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled issuers of securities held by the Fund. Such participation may subject the Fund to expenses such as legal fees and may make the Fund an insider of the issuer for purposes of the federal securities laws, and therefore may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund on such committees also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under the federal bankruptcy laws or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund would participate on such committees only when PIMCO believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of securities held by the Fund.
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Short-Term Investments / Temporary Defensive Strategies
Upon PIMCOs recommendation, for temporary defensive purposes and in order to keep the Funds cash fully invested, including the period during which the net proceeds of the offering are being invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in other than floating rate assets, including longer-term, fixed rate investment grade debt securities, credit-linked trust certificates and/or index futures contracts or similar derivative instruments. Such investments may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Fundamental 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 Common Shares and, if issued, Preferred Shares voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a separate class:
(1) Concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
(2) With respect to 75% of the Funds total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer, except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities issued by other investment companies, if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.
(3) Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase securities secured by real estate or interests therein, or securities issued by companies which invest in real estate, or interests therein.
(4) Purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts or oil, gas or mineral programs. This restriction shall not prohibit the Fund, subject to restrictions described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information, from purchasing, selling or entering into futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, or any interest rate, securities-related or other hedging instrument, including swap agreements and other derivative instruments, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws.
(5) Borrow money or issue any senior security, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
(6) Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
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(7) Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent that in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under the federal securities laws.
Currently, under the 1940 Act, the Fund generally is not permitted to engage in borrowings unless immediately after a borrowing the value of the Funds total assets less liabilities (other than the borrowing) is at least 300% of the principal amount of such borrowing (i.e., such principal amount may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Funds total assets). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Funds total assets, less liabilities other than the borrowing, is at least 300% of such principal amount.
Currently, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may generally not lend money or property to any person, directly or indirectly, if such person controls or is under common control with the Fund, except for a loan from the Fund to a company which owns all of the outstanding securities of the Fund, except directors and qualifying shares.
For purposes of the foregoing and Description of SharesPreferred SharesVoting Rights below, majority of the outstanding, when used with respect to particular shares of the Fund (whether voting together as a single class or voting as separate classes), means (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, or (ii) more than 50% of such shares, whichever is less.
Unless otherwise indicated, all limitations applicable to the Funds investments (as stated above and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information) apply only at the time a transaction is entered into. Any subsequent change in a rating assigned by any rating service to a security (or, if unrated, deemed by PIMCO to be of comparable quality), or change in the percentage of the Funds total assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in the average maturity or duration of the Funds investment portfolio, resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in the Funds total assets, will not require the Fund to dispose of an investment until PIMCO determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences to the Fund. In the event that rating agencies assign different ratings to the same security, PIMCO will determine which rating it believes best reflects the securitys quality and risk at that time, which may be the higher of the several assigned ratings.
Under the 1940 Act, a senior security does not include any promissory note or evidence of indebtedness where such loan is for temporary purposes only and in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the total assets of the issuer at the time the loan is made. A loan is presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within sixty days and is not extended or renewed.
The Fund would be deemed to concentrate in a particular industry if it invested 25% or more of its total assets in that industry. The Funds industry concentration policy does not preclude it from focusing investments in issuers in a group of related industrial sectors (such as different types of utilities).
The Fund may not change its policy to normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of floating rate debt instruments, securities with durations of less than or equal to one year, and fixed rate securities
49
with respect to which the Fund has entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed rate interest payments into floating rate interest payments without providing Fund shareholders with at least 60 days written notice of such change.
To the extent the Fund covers its commitment under a reverse repurchase agreement, credit default swap or other derivative instrument by the segregation of assets determined by PIMCO to be liquid in accordance with procedures adopted by the Trustees, equal in value to the amount of the Funds commitment, such instrument will not be considered a senior security for purposes of the asset coverage requirements otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund or the Funds issuance of Preferred Shares.
The Fund interprets its policies with respect to borrowing and lending to permit such activities as may be lawful for the Fund, to the full extent permitted by the 1940 Act or by exemption from the provisions therefrom pursuant to exemptive order of the SEC.
The Fund intends to apply for ratings for its Preferred Shares from Moodys, S&P and/or Fitch. In order to obtain and maintain the required ratings, the Fund may be required to comply with investment quality, diversification and other guidelines established by Moodys, S&P and/or Fitch. Such guidelines will likely be more restrictive than the restrictions set forth above. The Fund does not anticipate that such guidelines would have a material adverse effect on Common Shareholders or its ability to achieve its investment objective. The Fund presently anticipates that any Preferred Shares that it intends to issue would be initially given the highest ratings by Moodys (Aaa), S&P (AAA) and/or Fitch (AAA), but no assurance can be given that such ratings will be obtained. No minimum rating is required for the issuance of Preferred Shares by the Fund. Moodys, S&P and Fitch receive fees in connection with their ratings issuances.
Trustees and Officers
The business of the Fund is managed under the direction of the Funds Board of Trustees. Subject to the provisions of the Funds Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the Declaration), its Bylaws and Massachusetts law, the Trustees have all powers necessary and convenient to carry out this responsibility, including the election and removal of the Funds officers.
The Trustees and officers of the Fund, their ages, the position they hold with the Fund, their term of office and length of time served, a description of their principal occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the fund complex (as defined in SEC regulations) that the Trustee oversees and any other directorships held by the Trustee are listed in the two tables immediately following. Except as shown, each Trustees and officers principal occupation and business experience for the last five years have been with the employer(s) indicated, although in some cases the Trustee may have held different positions with such employer(s). Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of the persons listed below is c/o PA Fund Management LLC, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105.
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Independent Trustees
Name, Address and Age |
Position(s) |
Term of |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee | |||||
Robert E. Connor* Age 70 |
Trustee | Since September, 2004. | Trustee, Fixed Income SHares, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund; Director, Municipal Advantage Fund, Inc.; Corporate Affairs Consultant. Formerly, Senior Vice President, Corporate Office, Smith Barney. | 21 | None. |
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Name, Address and Age |
Position(s) Held with Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee | |||||
John J. Dalessandro II Age 66 |
Trustee | Since September, 2004. |
President and Director, J.J. Dalessandro II Ltd., registered broker-dealer and member of the New York Stock Exchange; Trustee, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund.. | 16 | None. | |||||
Hans W. Kertess Age 65 |
Trustee | Since September, 2004 |
President, H. Kertess & Co.; Trustee, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO High Income Fund, Nicholas Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO Municipal California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund; Formerly, Managing Director and Consultant, Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets. | 16 | None. |
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* In addition to the positions noted, Mr. Connor formerly provided occasional editorial consulting services, as an independent contractor, of Smith Barney an affiliate of Citigroup Inc.
In accordance with the Funds staggered board (see Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Declaration of Trust), the Common Shareholders of the Fund will elect Trustees to fill the vacancies of Trustees whose terms expire at each annual meeting of Common Shareholders, unless any Preferred Shares are outstanding, in which event Preferred Shareholders, voting as a separate class, will elect two Trustees and the remaining Trustees (i.e., at any meeting at which such trustees are standing for election in accordance with the staggered board structure) shall be elected by Common Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders, voting together as a single class. Preferred Shareholders will be entitled to elect a majority of the Funds Trustees under certain circumstances.
Officers
Name, Address and Age |
Position(s) Held with Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years | |||
Brian S. Shlissel Age 39 |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Since inception (July, 2004). |
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, PA Fund Management LLC; President and Chief Executive Officer, PIMCO Advisors VIT (formerly OCC Accumulation Trust); President and Chief Executive Officer, Fixed Income SHares, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, Municipal Advantage Fund, Inc., PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund. | |||
Lawrence G. Altadonna Age 38 |
Treasurer; Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
Since inception ( July, 2004). |
Senior Vice President, PA Fund Management LLC; Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, Municipal Advantage Fund, Inc., PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO |
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Name, Address and Age |
Position(s) Held with Fund |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years | |||
Floating Rate Strategy Fund; Treasurer, Fixed Income SHares; Assistant Treasurer, PIMCO Advisors VIT (formerly OCC Accumulation Trust). Formerly, Director of Fund Administration, Prudential Investments. | ||||||
Newton B. Schott, Jr. 2187 Atlantic Street Stamford, CT 06902 Age 61 |
Vice President, Secretary |
Since inception ( July, 2004). |
Managing Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Secretary and General Counsel, PAD; Managing Director, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, PA Fund Management LLC; President, Vice President and Secretary, PIMCO Funds: Multi-Manager Series, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III, Municipal Advantage Fund, Inc., PIMCO High Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund; Secretary, Fixed Income SHares. | |||
Raymond Kennedy 840 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, CA 92660 Age 42 |
Vice President |
Since inception ( July, 2004). |
Managing Director, PIMCO; co-portfolio manager of the Fund and other investment vehicles managed by PIMCO; joined PIMCO in 1996; Vice President, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund. | |||
Youse Guia 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Age 32 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
Since October, 2004 |
Senior Vice President, Group Compliance Manager, Allianz Global Investors of America L.P. Formerly, Vice President, Group Compliance Manager, (since 2002). Audit Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (1996-2002). |
For interested Trustees and officers, positions held with affiliated persons or principal underwriters of the Fund are listed in the following table:
Name |
Positions Held with Affiliated Persons or Principal Underwriters of the Fund | |
Brian S. Shlissel |
See above. | |
Lawrence Altadonna |
See above. | |
Newton B. Schott, Jr. |
See above. | |
Raymond Kennedy |
See above. | |
Youse Guia |
See above. |
Committees of the Board of Trustees
Audit Oversight Committee
The Fund has established an Audit Oversight Committee in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Funds Audit Oversight
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Committee provides oversight with respect to the internal and external accounting and auditing procedures of the Fund and, among other things, determines the selection of independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and considers the scope of the audit, approves all audit and permitted non-audit services proposed to be performed by the registered public accounting firm on behalf of the Fund, and services to be performed by the registered public accounting firm for certain affiliates, including the Manager and PIMCO, and the entities in a control relationship with the Manager or PIMCO that provide services to the Fund where the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund. Messrs. Connor and Kertess, each of whom is an Independent Trustee, serve on this committee.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing and recommending qualified candidates to the Board in the event that a position is vacated or created. The Nominating Committee will review and consider nominees recommended by shareholders to serve as Trustee, provided any such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Fund, c/o Newton B. Schott, Jr., Secretary, at the address of the principal executive offices of the Fund. The Nominating Committee has full discretion to reject nominees recommended by shareholders, and there is no assurance that any such person so recommended and considered by a committee will be nominated for election to the Board. Messrs. Connor and Kertess, each of whom is an Independent Trustee, serve on this committee.
Valuation Committee
The Board has a Valuation Committee, to which the Board has delegate the responsibility to determine or cause to be determined the fair value of the Funds portfolio securities and other assets when market quotations are not readily available. The Valuation Committee reviews and approves procedures for the fair valuation of the Funds portfolio securities and periodically reviews information from the Manager and PIMCO regarding fair value and liquidity determinations made pursuant to the Board-approved procedures, and makes related recommendations to the full Board and assists the full Board in resolving particular fair valuation and other valuation matters. Messrs. Connor and Kertess, each of whom is an Independent Trustee, serve on this committee.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee meets as the Board deems necessary to review and make recommendations regarding compensation payable to the Trustees of the Fund who are not directors, officers, partners or employees of the Manager, PIMCO or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Manager or PIMCO. Messrs. Connor and Kertess, each of whom is an Independent Trustee, serve on this committee.
Securities Ownership
For each Trustee, the following table discloses the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee in the Fund and, on an aggregate basis, in any registered investment companies overseen by the Trustee within the Funds family of investment companies as of December 31, 2003:
55
Name of Trustee |
Dollar Range of Equity |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies | ||
Robert E. Connor |
None. | None. | ||
John J. Dalessandro II |
None. | None. | ||
Hans W. Kertess |
None. | None. |
For independent Trustees and their immediate family members, the following table provides information regarding each class of securities owned beneficially in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund as of December 31, 2003:
Name of Trustee |
Name of Owners |
Company |
Title of Class |
Value of |
Percent of Class | |||||
Robert E. Connor |
None. | |||||||||
John J. Dalessandro II |
None. | |||||||||
Hans W. Kertess |
None. |
As of October 19, 2004, the Funds officers and Trustees as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding Common Shares.
As of October 19, 2004, the following persons owned of record the number of Common Shares noted below, representing the indicated percentage of the Funds outstanding shares as of such date.
Shareholder |
Number of Common Shares |
Percentage of the Funds October 19, 2004 |
|||
Allianz Global Investors of America L.P. 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10105 |
5,236 | 100 | % |
Compensation
Messrs. Connor, Dalessandro and Kertess also serve as Trustees of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II, PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III, PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund III and PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund III (together, the Municipal Funds), Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund and the PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund, fifteen closed-end funds for which the Manager serves as investment manager and PIMCO or Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management LLC, each an affiliate of the Manager, serves as portfolio manager. Mr. Connor is a director or trustee, as the case may be, of one open-end investment company (comprising four separate investment portfolios) and one closed-end
56
investment company advised by the Manager. As indicated above, certain of the officers of the Fund are affiliated with the Manager and/or PIMCO.
The Municipal Funds, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund, Nicholas-Applegate Convertible & Income Fund II, PIMCO Corporate Opportunity Fund, PIMCO High Income Fund, PIMCO Corporate Income Fund, PIMCO Floating Rate Income Fund and the Fund (together, the PA Closed-End Funds) are expected to hold joint meetings of their Boards of Trustees whenever possible. Each Trustee, other than any Trustee who is a director, officer, partner or employee of the Manager, PIMCO or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Manager or PIMCO, receives compensation for their attendance at joint meetings and their service on Board committees. For their service as Trustees of the PA Closed-End Funds, Messrs. Connor, Dalessandro and Kertess receive $25,000 for each joint meeting for the first four joint meetings in each year and $5,000 for each additional joint meeting in such year if the meetings are attended in person. Messrs. Connor and Dalessandro receive $1,000 per joint meeting if the meetings are attended telephonically. For their services as members of various Audit Oversight Committees, Messrs. Connor and Kertess will each receive $1,000, respectively, per meeting for each of those PA Closed-End Funds for which they serve as Trustee. Mr. Kertess receives $500 per fund for each of the PA Closed-End Funds for which he serves as Co-chair of the Audit Committee. Trustees will also be reimbursed for meeting-related expenses.
Each Trustees compensation and other costs of joint meetings will be allocated pro rata among the PA Closed-End Funds for which such Trustee serves as Trustee based on such Funds relative net assets, including assets attributable to any Preferred Shares.
It is estimated that the Trustees will receive the amounts set forth in the following table from the Fund for its initial fiscal year ending August 31, 2005. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2003, the Trustees received the compensation set forth in the following table for serving as trustees of other funds in the Fund Complex. Each officer and Trustee who is a director, officer, partner or employee of the Manager, PIMCO or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Manager or PIMCO serves without any compensation from the Fund.
Name of Trustee |
Estimated Compensation from the Fund for the Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2005* |
Total Compensation from the Fund Complex Paid to the Trustees for the Calendar Year Ending December 31, 2003 | ||||
Robert E. Connor |
$ | 12,000 | $ | 142,350 | ||
John J. Delassandro II |
$ | 12,000 | $ | 124,000 | ||
Hans W. Kertess |
$ | 12,000 | $ | 84,445 |
* | Since the Fund has not completed its first full fiscal year, compensation is estimated based upon future payments to be made by the Fund during the current fiscal year and upon estimated relative net assets of those PA Closed-End Funds for which the particular Trustee serves. |
The Fund has no employees. Its officers are compensated by the Manager and/or PIMCO.
Codes of Ethics
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The Fund, the Manager and PIMCO have each adopted a separate code of ethics governing personal trading activities of, as applicable, all Trustees and officers of the Fund, and directors, officers and employees of the Manager and PIMCO, who, in connection with their regular functions, play a role in the recommendation of any purchase or sale of a security by the Fund or obtain information pertaining to such purchase or sale or who have the power to influence the management or policies of the Fund, the Manager or PIMCO, as applicable. Such persons are prohibited from effecting certain transactions, allowed to effect certain exempt transactions (including with respect to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund), and are required to preclear certain security transactions with the applicable compliance officer or his designee and to report certain transactions on a regular basis. The Fund, the Manager and PIMCO have each developed procedures for administration of their respective codes. Text-only versions of the codes of ethics can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SECs internet web site at www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy those documents by visiting the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 942-8090. In addition, copies of the codes of ethics may be obtained, after mailing the appropriate duplicating fee, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 450 5th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20549-0102 or by e-mail request at publicinfo@sec.gov.
INVESTMENT MANAGER AND PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Investment Manager
The Manager serves as investment manager to the Fund pursuant to an investment management agreement (the Investment Management Agreement) between it and the Fund. The Manager is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Allianz Global Investors of America L.P. (ADAM of America). ADAM of America was organized as a limited partnership under Delaware law in 1987. ADAM of Americas sole general partner is Allianz-Paclife Partners LLC. Allianz-Paclife Partners LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with three members, ADAM U.S. Holding LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Pacific Asset Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the managing member, and Pacific Life Insurance Company (Pacific Life), a California stock life insurance company. Pacific Asset Management LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Life, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Mutual Holding Company. Pacific Life owns an indirect minority equity interest in ADAM of America. The sole member of ADAM U.S. Holding LLC is Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America LLC. Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America LLC has two members, Allianz of America, Inc. (Allianz of America), a Delaware corporation which owns a 99.9% non-managing interest, and Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America Holding Inc., a Delaware corporation which owns a 0.01% managing interest. Allianz of America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allianz Aktiengesellschaft (Allianz AG). Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America Holding Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allianz Dresdner Asset Management Aktiengesellschaft, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allianz AG. Allianz AG indirectly holds a controlling interest in ADAM of America. Allianz AG is a European-based, multinational insurance and financial services holding company. Allianz AGs address is Koeniginstrasse 28, D-80802, Munich, Germany. Pacific Lifes address is 700 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660. ADAM of Americas address is 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 100, Newport Beach, California 92660.
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The general partner of ADAM of America has substantially delegated its management and control of ADAM of America to an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of ADAM of America is comprised of William S. Thompson, Jr. and David C. Flattum.
The Manager is located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105. As of September 30, 2004, the Manager had approximately $33.6 billion in assets under management. As of September 30, 2004, ADAM of America and its subsidiaries, including PIMCO, had approximately $526 billion in assets under management.
Allianz of America, Inc. (AZOA) has entered into a put/call arrangement for the possible disposition of Pacific Lifes indirect interest in ADAM of America. Pursuant to this agreement, in any month subsequent to March 2004, Pacific Life and AZOA can put or call, respectively, all of the Class remaining E Units. The repurchase price for the Class E Units is calculated based on the financial performance of Pacific Investment Management Company over the preceding four calendar quarters prior to repurchase, but the amount can increase or decrease in value by a maximum of 2% per year from the per unit amount as defined in the agreement, calculated as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year.
As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, significant institutional shareholders of Allianz AG currently include Munchener Ruckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Munich Re). Allianz AG in turn owns Dresdner Bank AG. Munich Re, as well as certain broker-dealers that might be controlled by or affiliated with these entities or Dresdner Bank AG, such as Dresdner Klienwort Wasserstein and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, may be considered to be affiliated persons of the Manager and PIMCO. (Broker-dealer affiliates of such significant institutional shareholders are sometimes referred to herein as Affiliated Brokers.) Absent an SEC exemption or other relief, the Fund generally is precluded from effecting principal transactions with the Affiliated Brokers, and its ability to purchase securities being underwritten by an Affiliated Broker or a syndicate including an Affiliated Broker is subject to restrictions. Similarly, the Funds ability to utilize the Affiliated Brokers for agency transactions is subject to the restrictions of Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act. PIMCO does not believe that the restrictions on transactions with the Affiliated Brokers described above will materially adversely affect its ability to provide services to the Fund, the Funds ability to take advantage of market opportunities, or the Funds overall performance.
The Manager, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for managing, either directly or through others selected by the Manager, the investments of the Fund. The Manager also furnishes to the Board of Trustees periodic reports on the investment performance of the Fund. As more fully discussed below, the Manager has retained PIMCO to serve as the Funds portfolio manager.
Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, subject to such policies as the Trustees of the Fund may determine, the Manager, at its expense, will furnish continuously an investment program for the Fund and will make investment decisions on behalf of the Fund and place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities subject always to the Funds investment objective, policies and restrictions; provided that, so long as PIMCO serves as the portfolio manager for the Fund, the Managers obligation under the Investment Management Agreement with respect to the Fund is, subject always to the control of the Trustees, to determine and review with PIMCO the investment policies of the Fund.
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Subject to the control of the Trustees, the Manager also manages, supervises and conducts the other affairs and business of the Fund, furnishes office space and equipment, provides bookkeeping and certain clerical services (excluding determination of the net asset value of the Fund, shareholder accounting services and the accounting services for the Fund) and pays all salaries, fees and expenses of officers and Trustees of the Fund who are affiliated with the Manager. As indicated under Portfolio TransactionsBrokerage and Research Services, the Funds portfolio transactions may be placed with broker-dealers which furnish the Manager and PIMCO, without cost, certain research, statistical and quotation services of value to them or their respective affiliates in advising the Fund or their other clients. In so doing, the Fund may incur greater brokerage commissions and other transactions costs than it might otherwise pay.
Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Fund has agreed to pay the Manager an annual management fee, payable on a monthly basis, at the annual rate of .75% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets for the services and facilities it provides. Total managed assets means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to Preferred Shares and any borrowings that may be outstanding) minus accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings). All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.
Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, the Fund pays, in addition to the investment management fee described above, all expenses not assumed by the Manager, including, without limitation, fees and expenses of Trustees who are not interested persons of the Manager or the Fund, interest charges, taxes, brokerage commissions, expenses of issue of shares, fees and expenses of registering and qualifying the Fund and its classes of shares for distribution under federal and state laws and regulations, charges of custodians, auditing and legal expenses, expenses of determining net asset value of the Fund, reports to shareholders, expenses of meetings of shareholders, expenses of printing and mailing prospectuses, proxy statements and proxies to existing shareholders, and its proportionate share of insurance premiums and professional association dues or assessments. The Fund is also responsible for such nonrecurring expenses as may arise, including litigation in which the Fund may be a party, and other expenses as determined by the Trustees. The Fund may have an obligation to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect to such litigation.
Portfolio Manager
PIMCO serves as portfolio manager for the Fund pursuant to a portfolio management agreement (the Portfolio Management Agreement) between PIMCO and the Manager. Under the Portfolio Management Agreement, subject always to the control of the Trustees and the supervision of the Manager, PIMCOs obligation is to furnish continuously an investment program for the Fund, to make investment decisions on behalf of the Fund and to place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and all other investments for the Fund.
The Manager (and not the Fund) will pay a portion of the fees it receives to PIMCO in return for PIMCOs services. For the period from the commencement of Fund operations through October 31, 2009 (i.e., roughly the first five years of Fund operations), the fee will be paid monthly at the annual rate of .39% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets, provided, however, that the amounts payable for each month shall be reduced to reflect that PIMCO will bear 65% of the fees payable by the Manager to certain underwriters (other than Merrill Lynch,
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Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated) for such month as described under Underwriting in the Prospectus. Beginning November 1, 2009 and thereafter, the Manager will pay a monthly fee to PIMCO at the annual rate of .55% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets, provided, however, that the amounts payable for each month shall be reduced by the amount of all fees payable by the Manager to certain underwriters other than Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated for such month as described under Underwriting in the Prospectus (such that the Manager retains from its management fee, on an annual basis, .05% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets, after having paid PIMCO and the underwriters).
Originally organized in 1971, reorganized as a Delaware general partnership in 1994 and reorganized as a Delaware limited liability company in 2000, PIMCO provides investment management and advisory services to private accounts of institutional and individual clients and to mutual funds. The membership interests of PIMCO as of December 1, 2002, were held 91% by ADAM of America and 9% by the managing directors of PIMCO. As of September 30, 2004, PIMCO had approximately $415 billion in assets under management. PIMCO is located at 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660.
Certain Terms of the Investment Management and Portfolio Management Agreements
The Investment Management Agreement and the Portfolio Management Agreement are subject to the approval of the Trustees of the Fund (including all of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Manager or PIMCO). The Investment Management Agreement and Portfolio Management Agreement will each continue in force with respect to the Fund for two years from their respective dates, and from year to year thereafter, but only so long as their continuance is approved at least annually by (i) vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Manager, PIMCO or the Fund, and (ii) the majority vote of either the full Board of Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of all classes of the Fund. Each of the Investment Management Agreement and Portfolio Management Agreement automatically terminates on assignment. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated on not less than 60 days notice by the Manager to the Fund or by the Fund to the Manager. The Portfolio Management Agreement may be terminated on not less than 60 days notice by the Manager to PIMCO or by PIMCO to the Manager, or by the Fund at any time by notice to the Manager and PIMCO.
The Investment Management Agreement and the Portfolio Management Agreement each provide that the Manager or PIMCO, as applicable, shall not be subject to any liability in connection with the performance of its services thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
Basis for Approval of the Investment Management and Portfolio Management Agreements
In determining to approve the Investment Management Agreement and the Portfolio Management Agreement, the Trustees met with the relevant investment advisory personnel from the Manager and PIMCO and considered information relating to the education, experience and number of investment professionals and other personnel who would provide services under the applicable agreement. See Management of the Fund in the Prospectus and this Statement of
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Additional Information. The Trustees also took into account the time and attention to be devoted by senior management to the Fund and the other funds in the complex. The Trustees evaluated the level of skill required to manage the Fund and concluded that the human resources to be available at the Manager and PIMCO were appropriate to fulfill effectively the duties of the Manager and PIMCO on behalf of the Fund under the applicable agreement. The Trustees also considered the business reputation of the Manager and PIMCO, their financial resources and professional liability insurance coverage and concluded that they would be able to meet any reasonably foreseeable obligations under the applicable agreement.
The Trustees received information concerning the investment philosophy and investment process to be applied by PIMCO in managing the Fund. In this connection, the Trustees considered PIMCOs in-house research capabilities as well as other resources available to PIMCOs personnel, including research services available to PIMCO as a result of securities transactions effected for the Fund and other investment advisory clients. The Trustees concluded that PIMCOs investment process, research capabilities and philosophy were well suited to the Fund, given the Funds investment objective and policies.
The Trustees considered the scope of the services provided by the Manager and PIMCO to the Fund under the Investment Management Agreement and Portfolio Management Agreement, respectively, relative to services provided by third parties to other mutual funds. The Trustees noted that the Managers and PIMCOs standard of care was comparable to that found in most investment company advisory agreements. See Certain Terms of the Investment Management and Portfolio Management Agreements above. The Trustees concluded that the scope of the Managers and PIMCOs services to be provided to the Fund was consistent with the Funds operational requirements, including, in addition to its investment objective, compliance with the Funds investment restrictions, tax and reporting requirements and related shareholder services.
The Trustees considered the quality of the services to be provided by the Manager and PIMCO to the Fund. The Trustees also evaluated the procedures of the Manager and PIMCO designed to fulfill their fiduciary duty to the Fund with respect to possible conflicts of interest, including their codes of ethics (regulating the personal trading of their officers and employees) (see Management of the FundCode of Ethics above), the procedures by which PIMCO allocates trades among its various investment advisory clients, the integrity of the systems in place to ensure compliance with the foregoing and the record of PIMCO in these matters. The Trustees also received information concerning standards of the Manager and PIMCO with respect to the execution of portfolio transactions. See Portfolio Transactions below.
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In approving the agreements, the Trustees also gave substantial consideration to the fees payable under the agreements. The Trustees reviewed information concerning fees paid to investment advisers of similar bond funds. The Trustees also considered the fees of the Fund as a percentage of assets at different asset levels and possible economies of scale to the Manager. The Trustees evaluated the Managers profitability with respect to the Fund, concluding that such profitability was not inconsistent with levels of profitability that had been determined by courts not to be excessive. In evaluating the Funds advisory fees, the Trustees also took into account the complexity of investment management for the Fund relative to other types of funds.
Proxy Voting Policies
The Fund and its Board of Trustees have delegated to the Manager, and the Manager has in turn delegated to PIMCO, responsibility for voting any proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund in accordance with PIMCOs proxy voting policies and procedures. A copy of the proxy voting policies and procedures to be followed by PIMCO on behalf of the Fund, including procedures to be used when a vote represents a conflict of interest, is attached hereto as Appendix B (Proxy Voting Policies).
Investment Decisions and Portfolio Transactions
Investment decisions for the Fund and for the other investment advisory clients of the Manager and PIMCO are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objective. Investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular client involved (including the Fund). Some securities considered for investments by the Fund may also be appropriate for other clients served by the Manager and PIMCO. Thus, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain clients even though it could have been bought or sold for other clients at the same time. If a purchase or sale of securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund and one or more of these clients served by the Manager or PIMCO is considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities will be allocated among the Fund and clients in a manner deemed fair and reasonable by the Manager or PIMCO, as applicable. The Manager or PIMCO may aggregate orders for the Fund with simultaneous transactions entered into on behalf of its other clients so long as price and transaction expenses are averaged either for that transaction or for the day. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more clients are selling the security. In some instances, one client may sell a particular security to another client. It also sometimes happens that two or more clients simultaneously purchase or sell the same security, in which event each days transactions in such security are, insofar as possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such clients in a manner which the Manager or PIMCO believes is equitable to each and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each. There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more clients will have an adverse effect on other clients.
Brokerage and Research Services
There is generally no stated commission in the case of debt securities, which are traded in the over-the-counter markets, but the price paid by the Fund usually includes an undisclosed
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dealer commission or mark-up. In underwritten offerings, the price paid by the Fund includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Transactions on U.S. stock exchanges and other agency transactions involve the payment by the Fund of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions vary among different brokers. Also, a particular broker may charge different commissions according to such factors as the difficulty and size of the transaction.
Subject to the supervision of the Manager, PIMCO places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, options, futures contracts and other instruments for the Fund and buys and sells such securities, options, futures contracts and other instruments for the Fund through a substantial number of brokers and dealers. In so doing, PIMCO uses its best efforts to obtain for the Fund the most favorable price and execution available, except to the extent it may be permitted to pay higher brokerage commissions as described below. In seeking the most favorable price and execution, PIMCO, having in mind the Funds best interests, considers all factors it deems relevant, including, by way of illustration, price, the size of the transaction, the nature of the market for the security, the amount of the commission, the timing of the transaction taking into account market prices and trends, the reputation, experience and financial stability of the broker-dealer involved and the quality of service rendered by the broker-dealer in other transactions.
Subject to the supervision of the Manager, PIMCO places orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio investments for the Funds account with brokers or dealers selected by it in its discretion. In effecting purchases and sales of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund, PIMCO will seek the best price and execution of the Funds orders. In doing so, the Fund may pay higher commission rates than the lowest available when PIMCO believes it is reasonable to do so in light of the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker effecting the transaction, as discussed below.
It has for many years been a common practice in the investment advisory business for advisers of investment companies and other institutional investors to receive research services from broker-dealers which execute portfolio transactions for the clients of such advisers. Consistent with this practice, PIMCO may receive research services from many broker-dealers with which PIMCO places the Funds portfolio transactions. PIMCO may also receive research or research credits from brokers which are generated from underwriting commissions when purchasing new issues of debt securities or other assets for the Fund. These services, which in some cases may also be purchased for cash, include such matters as general economic and security market reviews, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities. Some of these services are of value to PIMCO in advising various of its clients (including the Fund), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing the Fund. Neither the management fee paid by the Fund to the Manager nor the portfolio management fee paid by the Manager to PIMCO is reduced because PIMCO and its affiliates receive such services.
As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, PIMCO may cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer which provides brokerage and research services (as defined in such Act) to PIMCO an amount of disclosed commission for effecting a securities transaction for the Fund in excess of the commission which another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction.
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The Fund may use broker-dealers that are affiliates (or affiliates of affiliates) of the Fund, the Manager and/or PIMCO, subject to certain restrictions discussed above under Investment Manager and Portfolio ManagerInvestment Manager.
References to PIMCO in this section would apply equally to the Manager if the Manager were to assume portfolio management responsibilities for the Fund and place orders for the purchase and sale of the Funds portfolio investments.
As described in the Prospectus, initial distributions to Common Shareholders are expected to be declared approximately 45 days, and paid approximately 60 to 90 days, from the completion of the offering of the Common Shares, depending on market conditions. Because the Fund invests predominantly in floating rate assets, the amount of the Funds monthly distributions to shareholders is expected to vary with fluctuations in market interest rates. The Fund may initially, and from time to time thereafter, distribute less than the entire amount of net investment income earned in a particular period. Such undistributed net investment income would be available to supplement future distributions, including distributions that might otherwise have been reduced by a decrease in the Funds monthly net income due to fluctuations in investment income or expenses, or due to an increase in the dividend rate on the Funds outstanding Preferred Shares. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income actually earned by the Fund during such period. Undistributed net investment income will be added to the Funds net asset value and, correspondingly, distributions from undistributed net investment income will be deducted from the Funds net asset value.
For tax purposes, the Fund is currently required to allocate net capital gain and other taxable income, if any, between and among Common Shares and any series of Preferred Shares in proportion to total distributions paid to each class for the year in which such net capital gain or other taxable income is realized. For information relating to the impact of the issuance of Preferred Shares on the distributions made by the Fund to Common Shareholders, see the Prospectus under Preferred Shares and Related Leverage.
While any Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund may not declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless at the time of such declaration (1) all accumulated dividends on the Preferred Shares have been paid and (2) the net asset value of the Funds portfolio (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of any outstanding Preferred Shares. This latter limitation on the Funds ability to make distributions on its Common Shares could cause the Fund to incur income and excise tax and, under certain circumstances, impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a regulated investment company. See Tax Matters.
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Common Shares
The Funds Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. The Common Shares will be issued with a par value of $0.00001 per share. All Common Shares of the Fund have equal rights as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation of the Fund. The Common Shares will, when issued, be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed in Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Declaration of TrustShareholder Liability below, non-assessable, and will have no pre-emptive or conversion rights or rights to cumulative voting. At any time when the Funds Preferred Shares are outstanding, Common Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any distributions from the Fund unless all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares have been paid, and unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to such distributions. See Preferred Shares below.
The Fund will apply for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the Common Shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing.
Shares of closed-end investment companies may frequently trade at prices lower than net asset value. Shares of closed-end investment companies have during some periods traded at prices higher than net asset value and during other periods traded at prices lower than net asset value. There can be no assurance that Common Shares or shares of other similar funds will trade at a price higher than net asset value in the future. Net asset value will be reduced immediately following the offering of Common Shares after payment of the sales load and organization and offering expenses and immediately following any offering of Preferred Shares by the costs of that offering paid by the Fund. Net asset value fluctuations are expected to be greater if, as expected, the Fund has a leveraged capital structure. Whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of Common Shares will not depend upon the Funds net asset value but will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the Common Shares at the time of sale is above or below the original purchase price for the shares. Since the market price of the Funds Common Shares will be determined by factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot predict whether the Common Shares will trade at, below, or above net asset value or at, below or above the initial public offering price. Accordingly, the Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and investors in the Common Shares should not view the Fund as a vehicle for trading purposes. See Repurchase of Common Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund and the Prospectus under Preferred Shares and Related Leverage and Description of SharesCommon Shares.
Preferred Shares
The Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Preferred Shares. The Preferred Shares may be issued in one or more classes or series, with such par value and rights as determined by the Board of Trustees of the Fund, by action of the Board of Trustees without the approval of the Common Shareholders.
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The Funds Board of Trustees has indicated its intention to authorize an offering of Preferred Shares (representing approximately 38% of the Funds capital immediately after the time the Preferred Shares are issued) within approximately one to six months after completion of the offering of the Common Shares, subject to market conditions and to the Boards continuing belief that leveraging the Funds capital structure through the issuance of Preferred Shares is likely to achieve the benefits to the Common Shareholders described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information. Although the terms of the Preferred Shares, including their dividend rate, voting rights, liquidation preference and redemption provisions, will be determined by the Board of Trustees (subject to applicable law and the Declaration) if and when it authorizes a Preferred Shares offering, the Board has stated that the initial series of Preferred Shares would likely pay cumulative dividends at relatively short-term periods (such as 7 days), by providing for the periodic redetermination of the dividend rate through an auction or remarketing procedure. The liquidation preference, preference on distribution, voting rights and redemption provisions of the Preferred Shares are expected to be as stated below.
As used in this Statement of Additional Information and in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted, the Funds net assets include assets of the Fund attributable to any outstanding Preferred Shares, with no deduction for the liquidation preference of the Preferred Shares. Solely for financial reporting purposes, however, the Fund is required to exclude the liquidation preference of Preferred Shares from net assets, so long as the Preferred Shares have redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Fund. For all regulatory and tax purposes, the Funds Preferred Shares will be treated as stock (rather than indebtedness).
Limited Issuance of Preferred Shares. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund could issue Preferred Shares with an aggregate liquidation value of up to one-half of the value of the Funds total net assets (total assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act), measured immediately after issuance of the Preferred Shares. Liquidation value means the original purchase price of the shares being liquidated plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless the liquidation value of the Preferred Shares is less than one-half of the value of the Funds total net assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution) immediately after the distribution. To the extent that the Fund has outstanding any senior securities representing indebtedness (such as through the use of reverse repurchase agreements, credit default swaps and other derivative instruments that constitute senior securities), the aggregate amount of such senior securities will be added to the total liquidation value of any outstanding Preferred Shares for purposes of these asset coverage requirements. The liquidation value of the Preferred Shares is expected to be approximately 38% of the value of the Funds total net assets. The Fund intends to purchase or redeem Preferred Shares, if necessary, to keep the liquidation value of the Preferred Shares plus the aggregate amount of other senior securities representing indebtedness at or below one-half of the value of the Funds total net assets.
Distribution Preference. The Preferred Shares will have complete priority over the Common Shares as to distribution of assets.
Liquidation Preference. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, Preferred Shareholders will be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per
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share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared) before any distribution of assets is made to the Common Shareholders. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, Preferred Shareholders will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund. A consolidation or merger of the Fund with or into any Massachusetts business trust or corporation or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Fund shall not be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund.
Voting Rights. In connection with any issuance of Preferred Shares, the Fund must comply with Section 18(i) of the 1940 Act which requires, among other things, that Preferred Shares be voting shares. Except as otherwise provided in the Declaration or the Funds Bylaws or otherwise required by applicable law, Preferred Shareholders will vote together with Common Shareholders as a single class.
In connection with the election of the Funds Trustees, Preferred Shareholders, voting as a separate class, will also be entitled to elect two of the Funds Trustees (at any shareholder meeting at which such trustees are standing for election under the staggered board structure), and the remaining Trustees shall be elected by Common Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders, voting together as a single class. In addition, if at any time dividends on the Funds outstanding Preferred Shares shall be unpaid in an amount equal to two full years dividends thereon, the holders of all outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect a majority of the Funds Trustees until all dividends in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, shall be required to approve any action requiring a vote of security holders under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act including, among other things, changes in the Funds investment objective, the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end company, or changes in the investment restrictions described as fundamental policies under Investment Restrictions. The class or series vote of Preferred Shareholders described above shall in each case be in addition to any separate vote of the requisite percentage of Common Shares and Preferred Shares necessary to authorize the action in question.
The foregoing voting provisions will not apply with respect to the Funds Preferred Shares if, at or prior to the time when a vote is required, such shares shall have been (1) redeemed or (2) called for redemption and sufficient funds shall have been deposited in trust to effect such redemption.
Redemption, Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares by the Fund. The terms of the Preferred Shares may provide that they are redeemable at certain times, in whole or in part, at the original purchase price per share plus accumulated dividends, that the Fund may tender for or purchase Preferred Shares and that the Fund may subsequently resell any shares so tendered for or purchased. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred Shares by the Fund will reduce the leverage applicable to Common Shares, while any resale of shares by the Fund will increase such leverage.
The discussion above describes the present intention of the Board of Trustees of the Fund with respect to a possible offering of Preferred Shares. If the Board of Trustees determines to
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authorize such an offering, the terms of the Preferred Shares may be the same as, or different from, the terms described above, subject to applicable law and the Declaration.
ANTI-TAKEOVER AND OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST
Shareholder Liability
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Fund or the Trustees. The Declaration also provides for indemnification out of the Funds property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable on account of being or having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which such disclaimer is inoperative or the Fund is unable to meet its obligations, and thus should be considered remote.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
As described below, the Declaration includes provisions that could have the effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board of Trustees, and could have the effect of depriving shareholders of opportunities to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund.
The Funds Trustees are divided into three classes (Class I, Class II and Class III), having initial terms of one, two and three years, respectively. At each annual meeting of shareholders, the term of one class will expire and each Trustee elected to that class will hold office for a term of three years. The classification of the Board of Trustees in this manner could delay for an additional year the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. In addition, the Declaration provides that a Trustee may be removed only for cause and only (i) by action of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares of the classes or series of shares entitled to vote for the election of such Trustee, or (ii) by at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the remaining Trustees.
Except as provided in the next paragraph, the affirmative vote or consent of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the Board of Trustees and at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the shares of the Fund outstanding and entitled to vote thereon are required to authorize any of the following transactions (each a Material Transaction): (1) a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Fund or any series or class of shares of the Fund with or into any other person or company, or of any such person or company with or into the Fund or any such series or class of shares; (2) the issuance or transfer by the Fund or any series or class of shares (in one or a series of transactions in any twelve-month period) of any securities of the Fund or such series or class to any other person or entity for cash, securities or other property (or combination thereof) having an aggregate fair market value of $1,000,000 or more, excluding sales of securities of the Fund or such series or class in connection with a public offering, issuances of securities of the Fund or such series or class pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan adopted by the Fund and issuances of securities of the Fund or such series or class upon the exercise of any stock
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subscription rights distributed by the Fund; or (3) a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition by the Fund or any series or class of shares (in one or a series of transactions in any twelve-month period) to or with any person of any assets of the Fund or such series or class having an aggregate fair market value of $1,000,000 or more, except for transactions in securities effected by the Fund or such series or class in the ordinary course of its business. The same affirmative votes are required with respect to any shareholder proposal as to specific investment decisions made or to be made with respect to the Funds assets or the assets of any series or class of shares of the Fund.
Notwithstanding the approval requirements specified in the preceding paragraph, the Declaration requires no vote or consent of the Funds shareholders to authorize a Material Transaction if the transaction is approved by a vote of both a majority of the Board of Trustees and seventy-five percent (75%) of the Continuing Trustees (as defined below), so long as all other conditions and requirements, if any, provided for in the Funds Bylaws and applicable law (including any shareholder voting rights under the 1940 Act) have been satisfied.
In addition, the Declaration provides that the Fund may be terminated at any time by vote or consent of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the Funds shares or, alternatively, by vote or consent of both a majority of the Board of Trustees and seventy-five percent (75%) of the Continuing Trustees (as defined below).
In certain circumstances, the Declaration also imposes shareholder voting requirements that are more demanding than those required under the 1940 Act in order to authorize a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company. See Repurchase of Common Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund below.
As noted, the voting provisions described above could have the effect of depriving Common Shareholders of an opportunity to sell their Common Shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. In the view of the Funds Board of Trustees, however, these provisions offer several possible advantages, including: (1) requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid for the amount of Common Shares required to obtain control; (2) promoting continuity and stability; and (3) enhancing the Funds ability to pursue long-term strategies that are consistent with its investment objective and management policies. The Board of Trustees has determined that the voting requirements described above, which are generally greater than the minimum requirements under the 1940 Act, are in the best interests of the Funds Common Shareholders generally.
A Continuing Trustee, as used in the discussion above, is any member of the Funds Board of Trustees who either (i) has been a member of the Board for a period of at least thirty-six months (or since the commencement of the Funds operations, if less than thirty-six months) or (ii) was nominated to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then members of the Board.
The foregoing is intended only as a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Declaration and the Funds Bylaws, both of which have been filed as exhibits to the Funds registration statement on file with the SEC.
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Liability of Trustees
The Declaration provides that the obligations of the Fund are not binding upon the Trustees of the Fund 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, however, protects a Trustee against any liability to which he 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.
REPURCHASE OF COMMON 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 their shares. Instead, the Funds 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 changes in the floating rates of interest on the Funds investments and expenses), net asset value, call protection, price, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Shares of a closed-end investment company may frequently trade at prices lower than net asset value. The Funds Board of Trustees regularly monitors the relationship between the market price and net asset value of the Common Shares. If the Common Shares were to trade at a substantial discount to net asset value for an extended period of time, the Board may consider the repurchase of its Common Shares on the open market or in private transactions, or the making of a tender offer for such shares. There can be no assurance, however, that the Board of Trustees will decide to take or propose any of these actions, or that share repurchases or tender offers, if undertaken, will reduce market discount. The Fund has no present intention to repurchase its Common Shares and would do so only in the circumstances described in this section.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time when the Funds Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its Common Shares unless (1) all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares have been paid and (2) at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition, the net asset value of the Funds portfolio (determined after deducting the acquisition price of the Common Shares) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding Preferred Shares (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon).
Subject to its investment limitations, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Funds net income. Any share repurchase, tender offer or borrowing that might be approved by the Board of Trustees would have to comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
The Funds Board of Trustees may also from time to time consider submitting to the holders of the shares of beneficial interest of the Fund a proposal to convert the Fund to an open-end investment company. In determining whether to exercise its sole discretion to submit this issue to shareholders, the Board of Trustees would consider all factors then relevant, including the relationship of the market price of the Common Shares to net asset value, the extent to which the Funds capital structure is leveraged and the possibility of re-leveraging, the spread, if any,
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between the yields on securities in the Funds portfolio and interest and dividend charges on Preferred Shares issued by the Fund and general market and economic conditions.
The Declaration requires the affirmative vote or consent of holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of each class of the Funds shares entitled to vote on the matter to authorize a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, unless the conversion is authorized by both a majority of the Board of Trustees and seventy-five percent (75%) of the Continuing Trustees (as defined above under Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Declaration of TrustAnti-Takeover Provisions). This seventy-five percent (75%) shareholder approval requirement is higher than is required under the 1940 Act. In the event that a conversion is approved by the Trustees and the Continuing Trustees as described above, the minimum shareholder vote required under the 1940 Act would be necessary to authorize the conversion. Currently, the 1940 Act would require approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares and, if issued, Preferred Shares voting together as a single class, and the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a separate class, in order to authorize a conversion.
If the Fund converted to an open-end company, it would be required to redeem all Preferred Shares then outstanding (requiring in turn that it liquidate a portion of its investment portfolio), and the Funds Common Shares likely would no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares on any business day (except in certain circumstances as authorized by or under the 1940 Act) at their net asset value, less such redemption charge, if any, as might be in effect at the time of redemption. In order to avoid maintaining large cash positions or liquidating favorable investments to meet redemptions, open-end companies typically engage in a continuous offering of their shares. Open-end companies are thus subject to periodic asset in-flows and out-flows that can complicate portfolio management.
The repurchase by the Fund of its shares at prices below net asset value will result in an increase in the net asset value of those shares that remain outstanding. However, there can be no assurance that share repurchases or tenders at or below net asset value will result in the Funds shares trading at a price equal to their net asset value. Nevertheless, the fact that the Funds shares may be the subject of repurchase or tender offers at net asset value from time to time, or that the Fund may be converted to an open-end company, may reduce any spread between market price and net asset value that might otherwise exist.
In addition, a purchase by the Fund of its Common Shares will decrease the Funds total assets. This would likely have the effect of increasing the Funds expense ratio. Any purchase by the Fund of its Common Shares at a time when Preferred Shares are outstanding will increase the leverage applicable to the outstanding Common Shares then remaining. See the Prospectus under RisksLeverage Risk.
Before deciding whether to take any action if the Funds 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 Funds 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 Funds shares should trade at a discount, the Board of Trustees may determine that, in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders, no action should be taken.
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Taxation of the Fund. The Fund intends to elect to be treated and to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders, the Fund must, among other things:
(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies;
(b) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paidgenerally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and net tax-exempt interest income, for such year; and
(c) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Funds taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Funds total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Funds total assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. Government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses. In the case of the Funds investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat a financial intermediary as an issuer for the purposes of meeting this diversification requirement.
If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below).
If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Some portions of such distributions may be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and reduced rates of taxation on qualified dividend income in the case of individuals. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
The Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net tax-exempt interest, and may distribute its
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net capital gain. The Fund may also retain for investment its net capital gain. If the Fund does retain any net capital gain or any investment company taxable income, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who, if subject to federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholders gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.
Treasury regulations permit a regulated investment company, in determining its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, to elect to treat all or part of any net capital loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net foreign currency loss incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year.
If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year at least an amount equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount for which it is subject to income tax. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by the Fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November or December of that preceding year. The Fund intends generally to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
Fund Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends (Capital Gain Dividends) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Capital losses may be carried forward to each of the eight taxable years succeeding the loss year. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, the Fund may designate distributions of investment income derived from dividends of U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations as qualified dividend income, provided holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund. Qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided the shareholder meets the same holding period and other requirements with respect to qualified dividend income. Fund
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dividends representing distributions of interest income and short-term capital gains cannot be designated as qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the reduced rates. In light of this, the Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.
Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before a shareholders investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares through the Dividend Reinvestment Plan. A shareholder whose distributions are reinvested in shares will be treated as having received a dividend equal to either (i) the fair market value of the new shares issued to the shareholder, or (ii) if the shares are trading below net asset value, the amount of cash allocated to the shareholder for the purchase of shares on its behalf in the open market. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains.
The long-term capital gain rates applicable to most shareholders will be 15% (with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% ordinary income tax brackets) for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008.
Dividends of net investment income designated by the Fund and received by corporate shareholders of the Fund will qualify for the 70% dividends received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. It is not expected that any significant percentage of the Funds distributions will so qualify.
The Internal Revenue Service 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) based upon the percentage of total dividends distributed to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, the Fund intends each year to allocate Capital Gain Dividends between and among its Common Shares and any series of its Preferred Shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Dividends qualifying and not qualifying for the dividends received deduction or reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income will similarly be allocated between and among the two (or more) classes.
Return of Capital Distributions. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income) in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of such shareholders tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. Where one or more such distributions occur in any taxable year of the Fund, the available earnings and profits will be allocated, first, to the distributions made to the holders of Preferred Shares, and only thereafter to distributions made to holders of Common Shares. As a result, the holders of Preferred Shares will receive a disproportionate share of the distributions treated as dividends, and the holders of the Common Shares will receive a disproportionate share of the distributions treated as a return of capital.
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Although the Fund may generate tax-exempt income, it does not expect to satisfy the criteria necessary to pass through the tax-free nature of the income to its shareholders.
Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Funds realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when the Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Sale or Redemption of Shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
From time to time the Fund may make a tender offer for its Common Shares. It is expected that the terms of any such offer will require a tendering shareholder to tender all Common Shares and dispose of all Preferred Shares held, or considered under certain attribution rules of the Code to be held, by such shareholder. Shareholders who tender all Common Shares and dispose of all Preferred Shares held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a shareholder tenders fewer than all of its Common Shares, or retains a substantial portion of its Preferred Shares, such shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its Common Shares. In such a case, there is a remote risk that non-tendering shareholders will be treated as having received taxable distributions from the Fund. Likewise, if the Fund redeems some but not all of the Preferred Shares held by a Preferred Shareholder and such shareholder is treated as having received a taxable dividend upon such redemption, there is a remote risk that Common Shareholders and non-redeeming Preferred Shareholders will be treated as having received taxable distributions from the Fund. To the extent that the Fund recognizes net gains on the liquidation of portfolio securities to meet such tenders of Common Shares, the Fund will be required to make additional distributions to its Common Shareholders.
Original Issue Discount and Payment-in-Kind Securities. Some of the debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be (and all zero-coupon debt obligations acquired by the Fund will be) treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (OID) is treated as interest income and is included in taxable income (and required to be distributed) over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. Increases in the principal amount of an inflation indexed bond will be treated as OID. In addition, payment-in-
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kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.
Some of the debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the accrued market discount on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
Some debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt obligations. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Higher-Risk Securities. The Fund may invest to a significant extent in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Issuer Deductibility of Interest. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by the Fund may not be deductible to the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend for purposes of the corporate dividends received deduction. In such cases, if the issuer of the high yield discount obligations is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by the Fund may be eligible for the dividends received deduction to the extent of the deemed dividend portion of such accrued interest.
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Interest paid on debt obligations owned by the Fund, if any, that are considered for tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.
Certain Investments in REITs. The Fund may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs). Under Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but may apply retroactively, a portion of the Funds income from a REIT that is attributable to the REITs residual interest in a REMIC (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. These regulations are also expected to provide that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest directly. Dividends paid by REITs generally will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.
In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a disqualified organization (as defined in the Code) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Fund does not intend to invest directly in residual interests in REMICs or to invest in REITS in which a substantial portion of the assets will consist of residual interests in REMICs or in residual interests in REMICs.
Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements. The Funds transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap agreements, straddles and foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Funds securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Fund will monitor its transactions, will make appropriate tax elections and will make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules.
Certain of the Funds hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Funds book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess generally will be treated as described under Return of Capital Distributions. If the Funds book income is less than taxable income, the
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Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
Foreign Currency Transactions. The Funds transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
Foreign Taxation. Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. As the Fund may not pass through its foreign taxes to shareholders, shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes.
Shares Purchased Through Tax-Qualified Plans. Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Under U.S. federal tax law, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid on shares beneficially held by a person who is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (or a foreign person), are, in general, subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% of the gross dividend, which rate may, in some cases, be reduced by an applicable tax treaty. Dividends are subject to withholding even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, Capital Gain Dividends will not be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax. If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the Act), signed by President Bush on October 22, 2004 modifies the tax treatment of certain distributions from the Fund to foreign persons. Under the Act, effective for taxable years if the Fund beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2008, the Fund will no longer be required to withhold any amounts that are properly designated by the Fund with respect to distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses nor with respect to distributions of U.S. source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by a foreign person. In addition, distributions that are attributable to gain from U.S. real property interests (including interests in REITs that are not domestically controlled and U.S. real property holding companies) will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax when paid to a foreign shareholder and will give rise to an obligation on the part of the foreign shareholder to file a U.S. tax return. Gain from the sale of a REIT or regulated investment company that is domestically controlled (generally, a REIT or regulated investment company that is less than 50% owned by foreign persons) or from interests representing 5% or less of a publicly-traded
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class of shares will not be considered gain from a U.S. real property interest. This provision will first apply to the Fund in its taxable year beginning September 1, 2005.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.
If you are eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by you in the United States.
A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal tax on income referred to above.
Backup Withholding. The Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding tax rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010.
In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from the backup withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Common Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
General. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of shares of the Fund, as well as the effects of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.
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PERFORMANCE RELATED AND COMPARATIVE INFORMATION
The Fund may quote certain performance-related information and may compare certain aspects of its portfolio and structure to other substantially similar closed-end funds as categorized by Lipper, Inc. (Lipper), Morningstar Inc. or other independent services. Comparison of the Fund to an alternative investment should be made with consideration of differences in features and expected performance. The Fund may obtain data from sources or reporting services, such as Bloomberg Financial (Bloomberg) and Lipper, that the Fund believes to be generally accurate.
The Fund, in its advertisements, may refer to pending legislation from time to time and the possible impact of such legislation on investors, investment strategy and related matters. At any time in the future, yields and total return may be higher or lower than past yields and there can be no assurance that any historical results will continue.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. At the time Common Shareholders sell their shares, they may be worth more or less than their original investment. See Appendix A for additional performance related, comparative and other information.
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT AND DIVIDEND DISBURSEMENT AGENT
State Street Bank and Trust Co., 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri 64105, serves as custodian for assets of the Fund. The custodian performs custodial and fund accounting services.
PFPC Inc., 400 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, serves as the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursement agent for the Common Shares, as well as agent for the Dividend Reinvestment Plan relating to the Common Shares.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017, serves as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides audit services, tax return preparation and assistance and consultation in connection with review of SEC filings to the Fund.
Ropes & Gray LLP, One International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, passes upon certain legal matters in connection with shares offered by the Fund, and also acts as counsel to the Fund.
A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including any amendments thereto (the Registration Statement), relating to the shares of the Fund offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC, Washington, D.C. The Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Fund and the shares offered or to be offered hereby, reference is made to the Funds Registration Statement. Statements contained in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such
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reference. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SECs principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholder and Board of Trustees of
PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund
In our opinion, the accompanying statement of net assets presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund (the Fund) at October 19, 2004 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. This financial statement is the responsibility of the Funds management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our audit. We conducted our audit of this financial statement in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
New York, New York
October 20, 2004
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PIMCO FLOATING RATE STRATEGY FUND
Statement of Net Assets
October 19, 2004
Assets: |
|||
Cash |
$ | 100,008 | |
Net Assets |
$ | 100,008 | |
Net Assets (5,236 shares of $0.00001 par value shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding; unlimited shares authorized) |
$ | 100,008 | |
Net asset value per share |
$ | 19.10 | |
Notes to Statement of Net Assets:
1. Organization
PIMCO Floating Rate Strategy Fund (the Fund) was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 30, 2004. The Fund has had no operations to date other than matters relating to its organization and registration as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the sale and issuance to Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America, L.P. (ADAM) of 5,236 shares of beneficial interest at an aggregate purchase price of $100,008. PA Fund Management LLC (the Investment Manager) serves as the Funds investment manager, and is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of ADAM and an indirect, majority-owned subsidiary of Allianz AG, a publicly traded German insurance and financial services company The Investment Manager has agreed to pay the Funds organizational expenses of approximately $25,000, except the Fund has agreed to reimburse the Investment Manager for such organizational expenses to the extent that the aggregate of all such organizational expenses and all offering costs (other than the sales load, but inclusive of the reimbursement of underwriter expenses of $.00667 per share) does not exceed $0.04 per common share issued. The Funds offering costs are estimated to be $825,000 assuming 25,000,000 shares of beneficial interest are sold in the Funds initial public offering. Offering costs will be charged to paid-in capital at the time such shares of beneficial interest are issued. The Investment Manager has agreed to pay the amount by which the Funds offering costs (other than the sales load, but inclusive of the reimbursement of underwriter expenses of $.00667 per share) exceed $0.04 per common share issued. The actual number of shares that are sold in the initial public offering, and associated offering costs, may differ significantly from the above estimates.
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2. Accounting Policies
The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates. In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations which provide general indemnifications. The Funds maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. However, the Fund expects the risk of any loss to be remote.
3. Investment Manager and Related Parties
The Fund has entered into an Investment Management Agreement (the Agreement) with the Investment Manager to serve as investment manager to the Fund. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Fund will pay the Investment Manager an annual management fee, payable monthly, at the annual rate of 0.75% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets. Total managed assets refers to the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to any Preferred Shares and any borrowings that may be outstanding) minus accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings). The Investment Manager has retained its affiliate, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), to manage the Funds investments. The Investment Manager (not the Fund) will pay a portion of the fees it receives as Investment Manager to PIMCO in return for its services, at the annual rate of 0.39% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets, provided, however, that the amounts payable for each month shall be reduced to reflect that PIMCO will bear 65% of the fees payable by the Investment Manager to certain underwriters (other than Merrill Lynch & Co.). Commencing November 1, 2009 and thereafter, the Investment Manager will pay a monthly fee to PIMCO at the annual rate 0.55% of the Funds average weekly totaled managed assets, provided, however, that the amounts payable for each month shall be reduced by the amount of all fees payable by the Investment Manager to certain underwriters other than Merrill Lynch & Co. for such month, such that the Investment Manager retains from its management fee, 0.05% of the Funds average weekly total managed assets, on annual basis, after having paid PIMCO and the underwriters.
4. Federal Income Taxes
The Fund intends to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies. Accordingly, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required. In addition, by distributing substantially all of its ordinary income and long-term capital gains, if any, during each calendar year, the Fund intends not to be subject to U.S. federal excise tax.
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PERFORMANCE RELATED,
COMPARATIVE AND OTHER INFORMATION
The Fund, the Manager and/or PIMCO may disclose in its statutory prospectus information concerning the performance of the Manager and/or PIMCO as adviser to clients other than the Fund. The Manager and/or PIMCO also may provide current or prospective private account clients, in connection with standardized performance information for the Fund, performance information for the Fund gross of fees and expenses for the purpose of assisting such clients in evaluating similar performance information provided by other investment managers or institutions. Comparative information may be compiled or provided by independent ratings services or by news organizations. Any performance information, whether related to the Fund, the Manager or PIMCO, should be considered in light of the Funds investment objective and policies, characteristics and quality of the Fund, and the market conditions during the time period indicated, and should not be considered to be representative of what may be achieved in the future. Performance information for the Fund may be compared to various unmanaged indexes.
Experienced Investment Team
Bill Gross, PIMCOs Founder and Chief Investment Officer, heads the firms Investment Committee, which oversees investment policy decisions for all PIMCO portfolios, including the Fund. Primary day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities are shared by:
| Raymond Kennedy, CFA and lead portfolio manager overseeing bank loan trading, collateralized debt obligations and the high yield team; 17 years of investment experience. He oversees the Funds management team. |
| Mark Hudoff, portfolio manager in the high yield area; 17 years of investment experience. |
| Jason Rosiak, portfolio manager focusing on high yield corporate bonds and bank loans; 9 years of investment experience. |
The Fund many include in marketing materials the historical month-end yield of senior floating rate loans represented by the CSFB Leveraged Loan Index (the CSFB Index), the historical
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month-end interest rate of 3-month LIBOR and 3-month U.S. Treasury bills, for the 10-year period ended August 31, 2004. The information provided is as of a recent date and would not predict what the yields of senior floating rate loans, 3-month LIBOR rate, or the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill rate will be on future dates or in future periods, which are likely to change on a continuous basis due to changes in market interest rates, changes to the securities represented in the CSBF Index and economic and other factors.
It should be noted that the difference (or spread) between the yields of the CSFB Index and the 3-month LIBOR and 3-month U.S. Treasury bill rates reflected in the chart is attributable in large part to credit and other risks associated with the senior floating rate loans represented in the Index, which do not apply to the 3-month LIBOR rate or to U.S. Treasury bills. Similar risks will apply to an investment in the Fund.
The CSFB Index is a representative index of tradable, senior, secured, U.S. dollar-denominated syndicated floating rate bank loans, which are made to non-investment grade borrowers. For periods through December 1999, the Index performance reflects that of the DLJ Leveraged Loan Index, the predecessor to the CSFB Index. It is not possible to invest directly in the CSFB Index. The yields shown for the CSFB Index do not reflect any management fees, account charges or other fees and expenses that will apply to the Fund. The securities that the Fund will own will not match, and are not intended to be representative of, those of the CSFB Index. Not all of the senior floating rate loans in which the Fund invests will be secured by collateral. The Fund expects to invest in floating rate debt instruments other than senior floating rate loans and may also invest significantly in fixed rate instruments and other investments not represented in the CSFB Index.
LIBOR is an abbreviation for the London Interbank Offered Rate published by the British Bankers Association (BBA), and is the interest rate offered by a specific group of London banks for U.S. dollar deposits of a stated maturityin the case of the 3-month LIBOR, for a stated maturity of 3 months. LIBOR is used as a base index for setting rates for adjustable rate financial instruments, including adjustable rate mortgages.
LIBOR is compiled by the BBA and released to the market shortly after 11.00 a.m., London time, each business day, based on an average of the rates published by panel banks selected by the BBA.
3-Month Treasury Bills are represented by the historical 3-Month Treasury Bill rate, source: Bloomberg. U.S. Treasury bills are guaranteed by the U.S. Government as to timely payment of interest and principal, and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. Senior loans represented in the CSFB Index and senior loans and other securities in which the Fund will invest are not similarly guaranteed by the U.S. government or any governmental agency.
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PROXY VOTING POLICIES
PACIFIC INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The following are general proxy voting policies and procedures (Policies and Procedures) adopted by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (Advisers Act).1 PIMCO serves as the investment adviser to a wide range of domestic and international clients, including investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act) and separate investment accounts for other clients.2 These Policies and Procedures are adopted to ensure compliance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act, other applicable fiduciary obligations of PIMCO and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and interpretations of its staff. In addition to SEC requirements governing advisers, PIMCOs Policies and Procedures reflect the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities applicable to investment advisers with respect to accounts subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as set forth in the Department of Labors rules and regulations.3
PIMCO will implement these Policies and Procedures for each of its respective clients as required under applicable law, unless expressly directed by a client in writing to refrain from voting that clients proxies. PIMCOs authority to vote proxies on behalf of its clients is established by its advisory contracts, comparable documents or by an overall delegation of discretionary authority over its clients assets. Recognizing that proxy voting is a rare event in the realm of fixed income investing and is typically limited to solicitation of consent to changes in features of debt securities, these Policies and Procedures also apply to any voting rights and/or consent rights of PIMCO, on behalf of its clients, with respect to debt securities, including but not limited to, plans of reorganization, and waivers and consents under applicable indentures.4
Set forth below are PIMCOs Policies and Procedures with respect to any voting or consent rights of advisory clients over which PIMCO has discretionary voting authority. These Policies and Procedures may be revised from time to time.
1 | These Policies and Procedures are adopted by PIMCO pursuant to Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act, effective August 6, 2003. See Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, IA Release No. 2106 (January 31, 2003). |
2 | These Policies and Procedures address proxy voting considerations under U.S. law and regulations and do not address the laws or requirements of other jurisdictions. |
3 | Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2, 29 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994). If a client is subject to ERISA, PIMCO will be responsible for voting proxies with respect to the clients account, unless the client has expressly retained the right and obligation to vote the proxies, and provided prior written notice to PIMCO of this retention. |
4 | For purposes of these Policies and Procedures, proxy voting includes any voting rights, consent rights or other voting authority of PIMCO on behalf of its clients. |
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General Statements of Policy
These Policies and Procedures are designed and implemented in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised in the best interests of PIMCOs clients. Each proxy is voted on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration any relevant contractual obligations as well as other relevant facts and circumstances.
PIMCO may abstain from voting a client proxy under the following circumstances: (1) when the economic effect on shareholders interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant; or (2) when the cost of voting the proxies outweighs the benefits.
Conflicts of Interest
PIMCO seeks to resolve any material conflicts of interest by voting in good faith in the best interest of its clients. If a material conflict of interest should arise, PIMCO will seek to resolve such conflict in the clients best interest by pursuing any one of the following courses of action:
1. | convening an ad-hoc committee to assess and resolve the conflict;5 |
2. | voting in accordance with the instructions/consent of a client after providing notice of and disclosing the conflict to that client; |
3. | voting the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third-party service provider; |
4. | suggesting that the client engage another party to determine how the proxies should be voted; |
5. | delegating the vote to an independent third-party service provider; or |
6. | voting in accordance with the factors discussed in these Policies and Procedures. |
PIMCO will document the process of resolving any identified material conflict of interest.
Reporting Requirements and the Availability of Proxy Voting Records
Except to the extent required by applicable law or otherwise approved by PIMCO, PIMCO will not disclose to third parties how it voted a proxy on behalf of a client. However, upon request from an appropriately authorized individual, PIMCO will disclose to its clients or the entity delegating the voting authority to PIMCO for such clients (e.g., trustees or consultants retained by the client), how PIMCO voted such clients proxy. In addition, PIMCO provides its clients with a copy of these Policies and Procedures or a concise summary of these Policies and Procedures: (i) in Part II of Form ADV; (ii) together with a periodic account statement in a separate mailing; or (iii) any other means as determined by PIMCO. The summary will state that these Policies and Procedures are available upon request and will inform clients that information about how PIMCO voted that clients proxies is available upon request.
5 | Any committee must be comprised of personnel who have no direct interest in the outcome of the potential conflict. |
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PIMCO Record Keeping
PIMCO or its agent maintains proxy voting records as required by Rule 204-2(c) of the Advisers Act. These records include: (1) a copy of all proxy voting policies and procedures; (2) proxy statements (or other disclosures accompanying requests for client consent) received regarding client securities (which may be satisfied by relying on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the SECs Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system or a third party provided that the third party undertakes to provide a copy promptly upon request); (3) a record of each vote cast by PIMCO on behalf of a client; (4) a copy of any document created by PIMCO that was material to making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for that decision; and (5) a copy of each written client request for proxy voting records and any written response from PIMCO to any (written or oral) client request for such records. Additionally, PIMCO or its agent maintains any documentation related to an identified material conflict of interest.
Proxy voting books and records are maintained by PIMCO or its agent in an easily accessible place for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in the offices of PIMCO or its agent.
Review and Oversight
PIMCOs proxy voting procedures are described below. PIMCOs Compliance Group will provide for the supervision and periodic review, no less than on a quarterly basis, of its proxy voting activities and the implementation of these Policies and Procedures.
Because PIMCO has contracted with State Street Investment Manager Solutions, LLC (IMS West) to perform portfolio accounting, securities processing and settlement processing on behalf of PIMCO, certain of the following procedures involve IMS West in administering and implementing the proxy voting process. IMS West will review and monitor the proxy voting process to ensure that proxies are voted on a timely basis.
1. Transmit Proxy to PIMCO. IMS West will forward to PIMCOs Middle Office Group each proxy received from registered owners of record (e.g., custodian bank or other third party service providers).
2. Conflicts of Interest. PIMCOs Middle Office Group will review each proxy to determine whether there may be a material conflict between PIMCO and its client. As part of this review, the group will determine whether the issuer of the security or proponent of the proposal is a client of PIMCO, or if a client has actively solicited PIMCO to support a particular position. If no conflict exists, this group will forward each proxy to the appropriate portfolio manager for consideration. However, if a conflict does exist, PIMCOs Middle Office Group will seek to resolve any such conflict in accordance with these Policies and Procedures.
3. Vote. The portfolio manager will review the information, will vote the proxy in accordance with these Policies and Procedures and will return the voted proxy to PIMCOs Middle Office Group.
4. Review. PIMCOs Middle Office Group will review each proxy that was submitted to and completed by the appropriate portfolio manager. PIMCOs Middle Office Group will
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forward the voted proxy back to IMS West with the portfolio managers decision as to how it should be voted.
5. Transmittal to Third Parties. IMS West will document the portfolio managers decision for each proxy received from PIMCOs Middle Office Group in a format designated by the custodian bank or other third party service provider. IMS West will maintain a log of all corporate actions, including proxy voting, which indicates, among other things, the date the notice was received and verified, PIMCOs response, the date and time the custodian bank or other third party service provider was notified, the expiration date and any action taken.
6. Information Barriers. Certain entities controlling, controlled by, or under common control with PIMCO (Affiliates) may be engaged in banking, investment advisory, broker-dealer and investment banking activities. PIMCO personnel and PIMCOs agents are prohibited from disclosing information regarding PIMCOs voting intentions to any Affiliate. Any PIMCO personnel involved in the proxy voting process who are contacted by an Affiliate regarding the manner in which PIMCO or its delegate intend to vote on a specific issue must terminate the contact and notify the Compliance Group immediately.
Categories of Proxy Voting Issues
In general, PIMCO reviews and considers corporate governance issues related to proxy matters and generally supports proposals that foster good corporate governance practices. PIMCO considers each proposal on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration various factors and all relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. PIMCO may vote proxies as recommended by management on routine matters related to the operation of the issuer and on matters not expected to have a significant economic impact on the issuer and/or shareholders, because PIMCO believes the recommendations by the issuer generally are in shareholders best interests, and therefore in the best economic interest of PIMCOs clients. The following is a non-exhaustive list of issues that may be included in proxy materials submitted to clients of PIMCO, and a non-exhaustive list of factors that PIMCO may consider in determining how to vote the clients proxies.
Board of Directors
1. Independence. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on director independence issues: (i) majority requirements for the board and the audit, nominating, compensation and/or other board committees; and (ii) whether the issuer adheres to and/or is subject to legal and regulatory requirements.
2. Director Tenure and Retirement. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on limiting the term of outside directors: (i) the introduction of new viewpoints on the board; (ii) a reasonable retirement age for the outside directors; and (iii) the impact on the boards stability and continuity.
3. Nominations in Elections. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on uncontested elections: (i) composition of the board; (ii) nominee availability and attendance at meetings; (iii) any investment made by the nominee in the issuer; and (iv) long-term corporate performance and the price of the issuers securities.
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4. Separation of Chairman and CEO Positions. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals requiring that the positions of chairman of the board and the chief executive officer not be filled by the same person: (i) any potential conflict of interest with respect to the boards ability to review and oversee managements actions; and (ii) any potential effect on the issuers productivity and efficiency.
5. D&O Indemnification and Liability Protection. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals that include director and officer indemnification and liability protection: (i) indemnifying directors for conduct in the normal course of business; (ii) limiting liability for monetary damages for violating the duty of care; (iii) expanding coverage beyond legal expenses to acts that represent more serious violations of fiduciary obligation than carelessness (e.g. negligence); and (iv) providing expanded coverage in cases where a directors legal defense was unsuccessful if the director was found to have acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed was in the best interests of the company.
6. Stock Ownership. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals on mandatory share ownership requirements for directors: (i) the benefits of additional vested interest in the issuers stock; (ii) the ability of a director to fulfill his duties to the issuer regardless of the extent of his stock ownership; and (iii) the impact of limiting the number of persons qualified to be directors.
Proxy Contests and Proxy Contest Defenses
1. Contested Director Nominations. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals for director nominees in a contested election: (i) background and reason for the proxy contest; (ii) qualifications of the director nominees; (iii) managements track record; (iv) the issuers long-term financial performance within its industry; (v) assessment of what each side is offering shareholders; (vi) the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met; and (vii) stock ownership positions of the director nominees.
2. Reimbursement for Proxy Solicitation Expenses. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on reimbursement for proxy solicitation expenses: (i) identity of the persons who will pay the expenses; (ii) estimated total cost of solicitation; (iii) total expenditures to date; (iv) fees to be paid to proxy solicitation firms; and (v) when applicable, terms of a proxy contest settlement.
3. Ability to Alter the Size of the Board by Shareholders. PIMCO may consider whether the proposal seeks to fix the size of the board and/or require shareholder approval to alter the size of the board.
4. Ability to Remove Directors by Shareholders. PIMCO may consider whether the proposal allows shareholders to remove directors with or without cause and/or allow shareholders to elect directors and fill board vacancies.
5. Cumulative Voting. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on cumulative voting proposals: (i) the ability of significant stockholders to elect a director of their choosing; (ii) the ability of minority shareholders to concentrate their support in favor of a director(s) of their choosing; and (iii) any potential limitation placed on the directors ability to work for all shareholders.
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6. Supermajority Shareholder Requirements. PIMCO may consider all relevant factors, including but not limited to limiting the ability of shareholders to effect change when voting on supermajority requirements to approve an issuers charter or bylaws, or to approve a merger or other significant business combination that would require a level of voting approval in excess of a simple majority.
Tender Offer Defenses
1. Classified Boards. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on classified boards: (i) providing continuity to the issuer; (ii) promoting long-term planning for the issuer; and (iii) guarding against unsolicited takeovers.
2. Poison Pills. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on poison pills: (i) supporting proposals to require a shareholder vote on other shareholder rights plans; (ii) ratifying or redeeming a poison pill in the interest of protecting the value of the issuer; and (iii) other alternatives to prevent a takeover at a price clearly below the true value of the issuer.
3. Fair Price Provisions. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals with respect to fair price provisions: (i) the vote required to approve the proposed acquisition; (ii) the vote required to repeal the fair price provision; (iii) the mechanism for determining fair price; and (iv) whether these provisions are bundled with other anti-takeover measures (e.g., supermajority voting requirements) that may entrench management and discourage attractive tender offers.
Capital Structure
1. Stock Authorizations. PIMCO may consider the following factors to help distinguish between legitimate proposals to authorize increases in common stock for expansion and other corporate purchases and those proposals designed primarily as an anti-takeover device: (i) the purpose and need for the stock increase; (ii) the percentage increase with respect to the authorization currently in place; (iii) voting rights of the stock; and (iv) overall capitalization structure of the issuer.
2. Issuance of Preferred Stock. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on the issuance of preferred stock: (i) whether the new class of preferred stock has unspecified voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights; (ii) whether the issuer expressly states that the stock will not be used as a takeover defense or carry superior voting rights; (iii) whether the issuer specifies the voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock appear reasonable; and (iv) whether the stated purpose is to raise capital or make acquisitions in the normal course of business.
3. Stock Splits. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on stock splits: (i) the percentage increase in the number of shares with respect to the issuers existing authorized shares; and (ii) the industry that the issuer is in and the issuers performance in that industry.
4. Reversed Stock Splits. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on reverse stock splits: (i) the percentage increase in the shares with respect to the issuers existing authorized stock; and (ii) issues related to delisting the issuers stock.
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Executive and Director Compensation
1. Stock Option Plans. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on stock option plans: (i) whether the stock option plan expressly permits the repricing of options; (ii) whether the plan could result in earnings dilution of greater than a specified percentage of shares outstanding; (iii) whether the plan has an option exercise price below the market price on the day of the grant; (iv) whether the proposal relates to an amendment to extend the term of options for persons leaving the firm voluntarily or for cause; and (v) whether the stock option plan has certain other embedded features.
2. Director Compensation. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on director compensation: (i) whether director shares are at the same market risk as those of the issuers shareholders; and (ii) how stock option programs for outside directors compare with the standards of internal stock option programs.
3. Golden and Tin Parachutes. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on golden and/or tin parachutes: (i) whether they will be submitted for shareholder approval; and (ii) the employees covered by the plan and the quality of management.
State of Incorporation
State Takeover Statutes. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on proposals to opt out of a state takeover statute: (i) the power the statute vests with the issuers board; (ii) the potential of the statute to stifle bids; and (iii) the potential for the statute to empower the board to negotiate a better deal for shareholders.
Mergers and Restructurings
1. Mergers and Acquisitions. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on a merger and/or acquisition: (i) anticipated financial and operating benefits as a result of the merger or acquisition; (ii) offer price; (iii) prospects of the combined companies; (iv) how the deal was negotiated; and (v) changes in corporate governance and the potential impact on shareholder rights. PIMCO may also consider what impact the merger or acquisition may have on groups/organizations other than the issuers shareholders.
2. Corporate Restructurings. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes a spin-off, PIMCO may consider the tax and regulatory advantages, planned use of sale proceeds, market focus, and managerial incentives. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes an asset sale, PIMCO may consider the impact on the balance sheet or working capital and the value received for the asset. With respect to a proxy proposal that includes a liquidation, PIMCO may consider managements efforts to pursue alternatives, the appraisal value of assets, and the compensation plan for executives managing the liquidation.
Investment Company Proxies
For a client that is invested in an investment company, PIMCO votes each proxy of the investment company on a case-by-case basis and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that proxies are voted consistent with all applicable investment policies of the client and in accordance with any resolutions or other instructions approved by authorized persons of the client.
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For a client that is invested in an investment company that is advised by PIMCO or its affiliates, if there is a conflict of interest which may be presented when voting for the client (e.g., a proposal to approve a contract between PIMCO and the investment company), PIMCO will resolve the conflict by doing any one of the following: (i) voting in accordance with the instructions/consent of the client after providing notice of and disclosing the conflict to that client; (ii) voting the proxy in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third-party service provider; or (iii) delegating the vote to an independent third-party service provider.
1. Election of Directors or Trustees. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on the director or trustee nominees of a mutual fund: (i) board structure, director independence and qualifications, and compensation paid by the fund and the family of funds; (ii) availability and attendance at board and committee meetings; (iii) investments made by the nominees in the fund; and (iv) the funds performance.
2. Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on converting a closed-end fund to an open-end fund: (i) past performance as a closed-end fund; (ii) the market in which the fund invests; (iii) measures taken by the board to address any discount of the funds shares; (iv) past shareholder activism; (v) board activity; and (vi) votes on related proposals.
3. Proxy Contests. PIMCO may consider the following factors related to a proxy contest: (i) past performance of the fund; (ii) the market in which the fund invests; (iii) measures taken by the board to address past shareholder activism; (iv) board activity; and (v) votes on related proposals.
4. Investment Advisory Agreements. PIMCO may consider the following factors related to approval of an investment advisory agreement: (i) proposed and current fee arrangements/schedules; (ii) fund category/investment objective; (iii) performance benchmarks; (iv) share price performance as compared with peers; and (v) the magnitude of any fee increase and the reasons for such fee increase.
5. Policies Established in Accordance with the 1940 Act. PIMCO may consider the following factors: (i) the extent to which the proposed changes fundamentally alter the investment focus of the fund and comply with SEC interpretation; (ii) potential competitiveness; (iii) regulatory developments; and (iv) current and potential returns and risks.
6. Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Non-fundamental Restriction. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change a fundamental restriction to a non-fundamental restriction: (i) reasons given by the board and management for the change; and (ii) the projected impact of the change on the funds portfolio.
7. Distribution Agreements. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a proposal to approve a distribution agreement: (i) fees charged to comparably sized funds with similar investment objectives; (ii) the distributors reputation and past performance; and (iii) competitiveness of the fund among other similar funds in the industry.
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8. Names Rule Proposals. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on a proposal to change a fund name, consistent with Rule 35d-1 of the 1940 Act: (i) whether the fund invests a minimum of 80% of its assets in the type of investments suggested by the proposed name; (ii) the political and economic changes in the target market; and (iii) current asset composition.
9. Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a proposal to dispose of fund assets, terminate, or liquidate the fund: (i) strategies employed to salvage the fund; (ii) the funds past performance; and (iii) the terms of the liquidation.
10. Changes to Charter Documents. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change a funds charter documents: (i) degree of change implied by the proposal; (ii) efficiencies that could result; (iii) state of incorporation; and (iv) regulatory standards and implications.
11. Changing the Domicile of a Fund. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a proposal to change the domicile of a fund: (i) regulations of both states; (ii) required fundamental policies of both states; and (iii) the increased flexibility available.
12. Change in Funds Subclassification. PIMCO may consider the following when voting on a change in a funds subclassification from diversified to non-diversified or to permit concentration in an industry: (i) potential competitiveness; (ii) current and potential returns; (iii) risk of concentration; and (iv) consolidation in the target industry.
Distressed and Defaulted Securities
1. Waivers and Consents. PIMCO may consider the following when determining whether to support a waiver or consent to changes in provisions of indentures governing debt securities which are held on behalf of clients: (i) likelihood that the granting of such waiver or consent will potentially increase recovery to clients; (ii) potential for avoiding cross-defaults under other agreements; and (iii) likelihood that deferral of default will give the obligor an opportunity to improve its business operations.
2. Voting on Chapter 11 Plans of Liquidation or Reorganization. PIMCO may consider the following when determining whether to vote for or against a Chapter 11 plan in a case pending with respect to an obligor under debt securities which are held on behalf of clients: (i) other alternatives to the proposed plan; (ii) whether clients are treated appropriately and in accordance with applicable law with respect to their distributions; (iii) whether the vote is likely to increase or decrease recoveries to clients.
Miscellaneous Provisions
1. Such Other Business. Proxy ballots sometimes contain a proposal granting the board authority to transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting. PIMCO may consider the following factors when developing a position on proxy ballots that contain a proposal granting the board authority to transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting: (i) whether the board is limited in what actions it may legally take
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within such authority; and (ii) PIMCOs responsibility to consider actions before supporting them.
2. Equal Access. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on equal access: (i) the opportunity for significant company shareholders to evaluate and propose voting recommendations on proxy proposals and director nominees, and to nominate candidates to the board; and (ii) the added complexity and burden of providing shareholders with access to proxy materials.
3. Charitable Contributions. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on charitable contributions: (i) the potential benefits to shareholders; and (ii) the potential impact on the issuers resources that could have been used to increase shareholder value.
4. Special Interest Issues. PIMCO may consider the following factors when voting on special interest issues: (i) the long-term benefit to shareholders of promoting corporate accountability and responsibility on social issues; (ii) managements responsibility with respect to special interest issues; (iii) any economic costs and restrictions on management; (iv) a clients instruction to vote proxies in a specific manner and/or in a manner different from these Policies and Procedures; and (v) the responsibility to vote proxies for the greatest long-term shareholder value.
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