N-2/A 1 d331735dn2a.htm NUVEEN PREFERRED AND INCOME TERM FUND Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 22, 2012

Securities Act File No. 333-181125

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22699

 

 

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form N-2

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

x REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

x Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1

 

¨ Post-Effective Amendment No.

and

 

x REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

 

x Amendment No. 1

 

 

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Declaration of Trust

333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606

Address of Principal Executive Offices (Number, Street, City, State, Zip Code)

(800) 257-8787

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code

Kevin J. McCarthy

Vice President and Secretary

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Name and Address (Number, Street, City, State, Zip Code) of Agent for Service.

 

 

Copies of Communications to:

David P. Glatz   Eric F. Fess  

Sarah E. Cogan

K&L Gates LLP

70 W. Madison St.

Suite 3100

Chicago, IL 60602

 

Chapman and Cutler LLP

111 W. Monroe

Chicago, IL 60603

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:

As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

 

If any of the securities being registered on this form are offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box.  ¨

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

¨  when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c)

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Title of Securities Being Registered   

Amount Being

Registered

    

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price

Per Unit

    

Proposed

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering Price (1)

    

Amount of

Registration Fee (2)

 

Common Shares, $0.01 par value

     1,000 Shares       $ 25.00       $ 25,000       $ 2.87   

 

 

(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
(2) All of which has previously been paid.

The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that the Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL NOR DOES IT SEEK AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

Subject to Completion

Preliminary Prospectus dated June 22, 2012

 

PROSPECTUS

LOGO

                         Shares

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

Common Shares

$25.00 per Share

 

Investment Objective.    Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and total return. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective.

The Fund intends to liquidate and distribute substantially all of its net assets to shareholders on or before August 31, 2024.

Fund Strategies.    The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities. The Fund’s portfolio will be actively managed, seeking to capitalize on historically wide preferred credit spreads (the difference between current yields on preferred securities and U.S. Treasury bonds and other fixed-income benchmarks) currently available in the market. The Fund’s strategy will focus opportunistically on financial services companies. The Fund’s investment adviser and subadviser believe that pending regulatory reform scheduled to be implemented over the term of the Fund may result in further strengthening of the capital base of financial institutions, among other changes, which in turn may create significant investment opportunity for the Fund’s strategy.

Portfolio Contents.    Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined on page 6) in preferred and other income producing securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including debt securities, hybrid securities and convertible securities. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies and at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher); however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time.

(continued on following page)

No Prior History.    Because the Fund is newly organized, its common shares have no history of public trading. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This risk of loss due to the discount may be greater for investors who expect to sell their shares in a relatively short period after completion of the public offering.

It is anticipated that the Fund’s common shares will be approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance, under the trading or “ticker” symbol “JPI.”

This prospectus concisely sets forth information about the Fund that a prospective investor should know before investing, and should be retained for future reference. Investing in the Fund’s common shares involves certain risks. You could lose some or all of your investment. See “Risks” beginning on page 32 of this Prospectus. Certain of these risks are summarized in “Prospectus Summary — Special Risk Considerations” beginning on page 10 of this Prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

             Per Share                         Total(1)           

Public Offering Price

   $ 25.000         $     

Sales Load(2)

   $ 1.125         $     

Estimated Offering Expenses

   $ 0.050         $     

Proceeds, After Expenses, to the Fund(3)

   $ 23.825         $            

(notes on following page)

The underwriters expect to deliver the common shares to purchasers on or about                 , 2012.

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Securities   UBS Investment Bank   Nuveen Securities
  RBC Capital Markets  

 

BB&T Capital Markets   Comerica Securities   Henley & Company LLC   J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC
Janney Montgomery Scott   Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.   Maxim Group LLC   Newbridge Securities Corporation
Wedbush Securities Inc.                           Wunderlich Securities   Ziegler

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                 , 2012


(notes from previous page)

 

(1) The Fund has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to                      additional common shares at the public offering price, less the sales load, within 45 days of the date of this Prospectus solely to cover over-allotments, if any. If such option is exercised in full, the total public offering price, sales load, estimated offering expenses and proceeds, after expenses, to the Fund will be $             $             $             and $            , respectively.
(2) Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (and not the Fund) has agreed to pay, from its own assets, a structuring fee to each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (and not the Fund) may also pay certain qualifying underwriters a structuring fee, a sales incentive fee or other additional compensation in connection with the offering. These fees are not reflected under sales load in the table above. See “Underwriting — Additional Compensation to be Paid by Nuveen Fund Advisors.”
(3) The Fund will pay offering costs (other than the sales load) up to an aggregate of $0.05 per common share sold in this offering. Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. has agreed to (i) reimburse all organizational expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay the amount by which the Fund’s offering costs (other than the sales load) exceed $0.05 per common share. The aggregate offering costs (other than the sales load) to be paid by the Fund currently are estimated to be $            . See “Use of Proceeds.”

(continued from previous page)

Portfolio Contents.    A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies. The Fund also may use derivative transactions to provide investment exposure or as a hedging technique. The Fund will invest 100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Defined Term.    The Fund has a defined term of 12 years. On or before August 31, 2024, the Fund intends to cease its investment operations, liquidate its portfolio, retire or redeem leverage facilities and distribute substantially all of its net assets to shareholders of record as of the date of termination. The Fund’s defined term may be extended for one period of up to 12 months by a vote of the Board of Trustees, if the Fund’s Board of Trustees determines it is in the best interest of the shareholders to do so. The Fund’s investment objective and policies are not designed to return to investors who purchase common shares in this offering their initial investment on the termination date, and such initial investors and any investors that purchase common shares after the completion of this offering may receive more or less than their original investment upon termination.

Leverage.    The Fund anticipates using leverage to seek to enhance its potential to produce a high level of current income and total return. The use of leverage involves increased risk, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and net asset value in relation to market changes. The Fund may use derivatives such as interest rate swaps to fix the rate after expenses (or “all-in” rate) paid on a significant portion of the Fund’s leverage, in an effort to lower leverage costs over an extended period.

If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use leverage obtained from borrowings from a financial institution (referred to as “structural leverage”) in an amount equal to approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets. There is no assurance that the Fund will use leverage. The Fund’s leverage strategy may not work as planned or achieve its goal. See “Leverage.”


Adviser and Subadviser.    Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (“Nuveen Fund Advisors” or the “Investment Adviser”) will be responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage. Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Subadviser”), the Fund’s subadviser, will be responsible for investing the Fund’s Managed Assets. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management are both subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments, Inc.

You should read this Prospectus, which contains important information about the Fund, before deciding whether to invest, and retain it for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information, dated             , 2012, as supplemented through the effective date of this Prospectus, containing additional information about the Fund, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Prospectus. You may request a free copy of the Statement of Additional Information, the table of contents of which is on page 62 of this Prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, when available, and other information about the Fund, and make shareholder inquiries by calling (800) 257-8787 or by writing to the Fund, or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this Prospectus. You also may obtain a copy of the Statement of Additional Information (and other information regarding the Fund) from the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

 

 

The Fund’s common shares do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Prospectus Summary

     1  

Summary of Fund Expenses

     18  

The Fund

     20   

Use of Proceeds

     20   

The Fund’s Investments

     20  

Leverage

     28   

Risks

     32   

Management of the Fund

     44   

Net Asset Value

     46   

Distributions

     48   

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

     49   

Description of Shares and Debt

     50   

Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws

     52   

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     54   

Tax Matters

     54   

Underwriting

     58   

Custodian and Transfer Agent

     61   

Legal Opinions and Experts

     61   

Table of Contents for the Statement of Additional Information

     62   

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus. The Fund has not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Fund is not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this Prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this Prospectus. The Fund’s business, financial condition and prospects may have changed since that date.


PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This is only a summary. You should review the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) prior to making an investment in the Fund, especially the information set forth under the heading “Risks.”

 

The Fund

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company.

 

The Offering

The Fund is offering              common shares of beneficial interest at $25.00 per share through a group of underwriters (the “Underwriters”) led by Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Nuveen Securities, LLC. Certain Underwriters, their affiliates or employees, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC, have, and other Underwriters participating in this offering or their affiliates may have, a minority ownership interest in Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”), the parent company of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (“Nuveen Fund Advisors” or the “Investment Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Subadviser”), the Fund’s subadviser. See “Management of the Fund — Investment Adviser and Subadviser.” The common shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are called “Common Shares” in this Prospectus. In this Prospectus, holders of Common Shares are referred to as “Common Shareholders.” You must purchase at least 100 Common Shares in this offering. The Fund has given the Underwriters an option to purchase up to              additional Common Shares to cover any over-allotments. See “Underwriting.” Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to (i) reimburse all organizational expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay all offering costs of the Fund (other than sales load) that exceed $0.05 per Common Share.

 

Who May Want to Invest

You should consider your financial situation and needs, other investments, investment goals, investment experience, time horizons, liquidity needs and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. The Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund may be an appropriate investment for income-oriented investors seeking the following features and the potential for:

 

   

attractive monthly distributions;

 

   

a portfolio focused on investment grade quality preferred securities;

 

   

additional returns from the recovery and growth of the financial services sector;

 

   

a defined term of 12 years;

 

 

1


   

overall portfolio diversification within a fixed income allocation; and

 

   

access to the preferred securities investment expertise of Nuveen Asset Management.

 

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

 

Investment Objective

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and total return. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective. See “The Fund’s Investments” and “Risks.”

 

Fund Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities. The Fund’s portfolio will be actively managed, seeking to capitalize on historically wide preferred credit spreads (the difference between current yields on preferred securities and U.S. Treasury bonds and other fixed-income benchmarks) currently available in the market. The Fund’s strategy will focus opportunistically on financial services companies.

 

  Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management believe that pending regulatory reform scheduled to be implemented over the term of the Fund may result in further strengthening of the capital base of financial institutions, among other changes, which in turn may create significant investment opportunity for the Fund’s strategy. See “— Defined Term.”

 

Portfolio Contents

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets (as defined on page 6) in preferred and other income producing securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including debt securities, hybrid securities and convertible securities. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies and at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher); however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). For purposes of identifying companies in the financial services sector, the Fund will use industry classifications such as those provided by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s (The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)), Bloomberg, Barclays or similar sources commonly used in the financial industry. As a result, if one or more of these classifications include a company “in” the financial services sector, the Fund will consider such company as “in” the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in other sectors or industries, such as energy, industrials, utilities, pipelines, health care and telecommunications.

 

 

2


  Preferred securities generally pay fixed or adjustable rate distributions to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company’s assets, but are junior to most forms of such company’s debt, including both senior and subordinated debt. Preferred securities are typically rated between three and five notches below the senior debt ratings of any particular issuer. As such, preferred securities are in most cases issued by firms with investment grade quality senior debt ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. The weighted average senior debt rating of the companies underlying the Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to be A+, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies.

 

  The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by other investment companies that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund is a non-diversified fund and as a result may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. See “Risks — Non-Diversified Fund Risk.” The Fund may invest in companies located anywhere in the world. The Fund will invest 100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities.

 

  The Fund also may invest in certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments may include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate and credit default swaps), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts, or other derivative instruments. The Fund may use derivative instruments to, among other things, seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risk of the Fund’s investments or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. See “The Fund’s Investments — Derivatives and Other Portfolio Components.”

 

Investment Policies

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest subject to the following policies:

 

   

at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities;

 

   

up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies;

 

   

at least 60% of its Managed Assets in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher) at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities rated below B-/B3 at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of issuers in emerging market countries;

 

 

3


   

100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies, including exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly; and

 

   

up to 15% of its Managed Assets in securities and other instruments that, at the time of purchase, are illiquid.

 

  For purposes of investment rating limitations in this Prospectus, a security is considered to have the highest rating assigned to it by a rating agency or, in the case of an unrated security, to have the same rating as rated securities judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality. Investment rating limitations are considered to apply only at the time of purchase and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities. For purposes of the investment policies provided above: (i) such policies only apply at the time of purchase; (ii) the Fund is under no obligation to sell securities as a result of changes in market values or ratings; and (iii) the Board of Trustees of the Fund the (“Board of Trustees”) may change a policy without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice to Common Shareholders.

 

  Non-U.S. domiciled companies are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in a country other than the U.S., (ii) organized under the laws of a country other than the U.S. and (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in a country other than the U.S.

 

Fund Benchmarks

For comparative purposes, the Fund utilizes the BofA Merrill Lynch Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index (“ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index”) as its primary benchmark. The ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index is an unmanaged index consisting of a set of investment grade exchange traded preferred stocks with outstanding market values of at least $100 million that are covered by Merrill Lynch Fixed Income Research. The index includes certain publicly issued, $25- and $1,000-par securities with at least one year to maturity.

 

  The Fund also may use a blended combination of one or more indices, including the ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index and the Barclays USD Capital Securities Index, to analyze certain aspects of the Fund’s performance. See “Investment Objective and Policies — Fund Benchmarks” in the SAI.

 

Defined Term

The Fund has a defined term of 12 years. On or before August 31, 2024, the Fund intends to cease its investment operations,

 

 

4


 

liquidate its portfolio, retire or redeem leverage facilities and distribute substantially all of its net assets to shareholders of record as of the date of termination. The Fund’s defined term may be extended for one period of up to 12 months by a vote of the Board of Trustees, if the Fund’s Board of Trustees determines it is in the best interest of the shareholders to do so. The Fund’s term may not be extended further than one period without a shareholder vote.

 

  The Fund’s defined term of 12 years seeks to capitalize on historically wide preferred securities credit spreads and Nuveen Asset Management’s outlook for financial services companies. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management believe historically wide preferred credit spreads coupled with the regulatory and reform mandates for banking and other financial services companies that are scheduled to be implemented over the term of the Fund may create significant opportunities for the Fund’s focused investment strategy, including potential credit spread compression and more favorable valuations over the Fund’s investment horizon.

 

  As the Fund approaches its termination date, its portfolio composition will likely change as more of the Fund’s holdings mature or are called, or are sold, reflecting the active management strategy. To enhance flexibility and liquidity in managing the portfolio, and depending upon market conditions at that time, the Fund may invest in shorter term and lower yielding securities, which may reduce investment income and, therefore, the monthly dividends during the period prior to termination. The Fund may make more than one final liquidating distribution to shareholders.

 

  The Fund’s investment objective and policies are not designed to return to investors who purchase Common Shares in this offering their initial investment on the termination date. Upon the termination of the Fund, the final distribution to shareholders will be based upon the Fund’s net asset value at the termination date and such initial investors and any investors that purchase Common Shares after the completion of this offering may receive more or less than their original investment. See “Risks — Defined Term Risk.

 

Leverage

The Fund will seek to enhance its distributable income and total return potential by using “structural leverage” (as defined below). The use of leverage involves increased risk, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and net asset value in relation to market changes. See “Risks — Leverage Risk.”

 

 

The Fund may utilize the following forms of “structural leverage”: (a) borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions, and/or the issuance of debt securities, including fixed and floating rate notes or liquidity-supported variable rate demand obligations (collectively, “Borrowings”); and (b) the issuance of preferred

 

 

5


 

shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”) or other senior securities. The Fund does not intend to use structural leverage until after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective. If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use structural leverage obtained from Borrowings from a financial institution. To the extent the Fund employs leverage, the Fund’s total assets, including assets attributable to the principal amount of any Borrowings and any Preferred Shares or other senior securities issued by the Fund that may be outstanding, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage) are referred to as “Managed Assets.”

 

  If current market conditions persist, the Fund expects that initially, after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund’s effective leverage ratio will equal approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets from structural leverage as discussed above. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets.

 

 

The Fund anticipates that the interest on Borrowings may be at a fixed or floating rate, but generally will be based on short-term adjustable rates. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the Fund’s portfolio investments exceeds the then current interest rate on any Borrowings, the investment of the proceeds of Borrowings will generate more income than will be needed to make interest payments. If so, the excess income will be available to pay higher distributions to Common Shareholders. Given the current economic and debt market environment with historically low short-term to intermediate-term interest rates, the Fund intends to use derivatives such as interest rate swaps, with terms that may range from one to ten years, to fix the rate after expenses (commonly referred to as the “all-in” rate) paid on a significant portion of the Fund’s leverage. The interest rate swap program, if implemented, will seek to achieve potentially lower leverage costs over an extended period. This strategy would enhance Common Shareholder returns if short-term interest rates were to rise over time to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate over the term of the swap. This strategy, however, will add to leverage costs initially (because the swap costs are likely to be higher than current benchmark adjustable short-term rates) and

 

 

6


 

would increase overall leverage costs over the entirety of any such time period, in the event that short-term interest rates do not rise sufficiently during that period to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate for that time period.

 

  The Fund pays a management fee to Nuveen Fund Advisors (which in turn pays a portion of such fee to the Fund’s subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management) based on a percentage of Managed Assets. Managed Assets include the proceeds realized and managed from the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will be responsible for using leverage to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. Nuveen Fund Advisors will base its decision regarding whether and how much leverage to use for the Fund on its assessment of whether such use of leverage will advance the Fund’s investment objective. However, the fact that a decision to increase the Fund’s leverage will have the effect, all other things being equal, of increasing Managed Assets and therefore Nuveen Fund Advisors’ and Nuveen Asset Management’s fees means that Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may have a conflict of interest in determining whether to increase the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will seek to manage that potential conflict by only increasing the Fund’s use of leverage when it determines that such increase is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, and by periodically reviewing the Fund’s performance and use of leverage with the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

  The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders. See “Leverage” and “Risks — Leverage Risk.” There is no assurance that the Fund will use leverage. The Fund’s leverage strategy may not work as planned or achieve its goals

 

Distributions

Commencing with the Fund’s first distribution, the Fund will seek to pay regular monthly cash distributions to Common Shareholders at a level rate (stated in terms of a fixed cents per Common Share distribution rate) based on the projected performance of the Fund. The Fund’s ability to maintain a level Common Share distribution rate will depend on a number of factors, including interest payable on the Fund’s outstanding leverage.

 

 

As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Common Shares and the Fund’s distribution policy could change. Over time, the Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income (after it pays accrued interest on any outstanding leverage). In addition, at least annually, the Fund intends to distribute net capital gain and taxable ordinary income, if any, to Common Shareholders so long as the net capital gain and taxable ordinary income are not necessary to pay accrued interest on the Fund’s outstanding leverage. The Fund expects to declare its initial Common Share distribution approximately 30 to 60 days, and to pay that

 

 

7


 

distribution approximately 60 to 90 days, from the completion of this offering, depending on market conditions.

 

  At the same time that it pays a monthly distribution, the Fund will post on its website (www.nuveen.com/cef), and provide to Common Shareholders, a written notice of the estimated sources and U.S. federal income tax characteristics of the Fund’s distribution on a year-to-date basis, in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”). These estimates may, and likely will, vary over time based on the activities of the Fund and changes in the value of portfolio investments. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after December 31 in each year, and reported to Common Shareholders on Form 1099-DIV early the following year.

 

  As explained more fully below in “Tax Matters,” at least annually, the Fund may elect to retain rather than distribute all or a portion of any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) otherwise allocable to Common Shareholders and pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained gain. As provided under U.S. federal income tax law, if the Fund elects to report such retained gain as undistributed capital gain, Common Shareholders of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include their attributable share of the retained net capital gain in their income for the year as long-term capital gain (regardless of their holding period in the Common Shares), and will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit for the U.S. federal income tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund. Under the Fund’s distribution policy (but not for U.S. federal income tax purposes), the Fund may treat the cash value of tax credit amounts in connection with retained capital gains as a substitute for equivalent cash distributions. See “Distributions” and “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

 

  The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of its monthly distributions at any time and may do so without prior notice to Common Shareholders.

 

Automatic Reinvestment

Distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Common Shares under the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan unless a Common Shareholder elects to receive cash. See “Distributions,” “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” and “Tax Matters.”

 

Investment Adviser and Subadviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors will be the Fund’s investment adviser, responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage.

 

 

Nuveen Fund Advisors, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. Founded in 1898, Nuveen Investments and its affiliates had approximately $227 billion of

 

 

8


 

assets under management as of March 31, 2012. According to Morningstar Fundamental Data, Nuveen Investments is the leading sponsor of closed-end funds as measured by the number of funds (133) and the amount of fund assets under management (approximately $53.2 billion) as of March 31, 2012.

 

  Nuveen Asset Management, a registered investment adviser, is the Fund’s subadviser responsible for investing the Fund’s Managed Assets. Nuveen Asset Management is a subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors.

 

  The Fund will pay Nuveen Fund Advisors an annual management fee, payable monthly in arrears, in a maximum amount equal to 0.90% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets. This maximum fee is equal to the sum of two components — a “fund-level fee,” based only on the amount of assets within the Fund, and a “complex-level fee,” based upon the aggregate amount of all eligible assets of all Nuveen Funds (as defined in “Management of the Fund — Investment Management and Subadvisory Agreements — Complex-level Fee”). The fund-level fee is a maximum of 0.70% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets, with lower fees for assets that exceed $500 million. The complex-level fee begins at a maximum of 0.20% of average daily Managed Assets, based upon complex-wide eligible assets of $55 billion, with lower fees for eligible assets above that level. For more information, see “Management of the Fund — Investment Management and Subadvisory Agreements.” Based on eligible assets as of March 31, 2012, the complex-level fee would be 0.1735% of Managed Assets, and the total fee to Nuveen Fund Advisors would be 0.8735% of Managed Assets (assuming Managed Assets of $500 million or less).

 

  Pursuant to an investment subadvisory agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management, Nuveen Fund Advisors will pay Nuveen Asset Management a maximum portfolio management fee equal to 50% of the investment management fee paid to Nuveen Fund Advisors. For more information on fees and expenses, including fees attributable to Common Shares, see “Management of the Fund.”

 

  Certain Underwriters, their affiliates or employees, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC, have, and other Underwriters participating in this offering or their affiliates may have, a minority ownership interest in Nuveen Investments. For additional information, see “Underwriting.”

 

Listing

It is anticipated that the Common Shares will be approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), subject to notice of issuance. See “Description of Shares and Debt — Common Shares.” The trading or “ticker” symbol of the Common Shares is expected to be “JPI.”

 

 

9


Custodian and Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company will serve as the Fund’s custodian and transfer agent. See “Custodian and Transfer Agent.”

 

Special Risk Considerations

Investment in the Fund involves special risk considerations, which are summarized below. The Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. See “Risks” for a more complete discussion of the special risk considerations of an investment in the Fund.

 

  No Prior History.    The Fund is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with no history of operations.

 

  Market Discount from Net Asset Value and Expected Reductions in Net Asset Value.    Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund frequently trade at prices lower than their net asset value, which creates a risk of loss for investors when they sell shares purchased in the initial public offering. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value could decrease as a result of investment activities. Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by 4.50% (the amount of the sales load as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.875, before deducting offering expenses. Net asset value of the Fund and net asset value per Common Share are then further reduced by the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund (estimated to be up to an additional $0.05 per Common Share) making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.825, immediately after this offering is completed. The Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and you should not view the Fund as a vehicle for short-term trading purposes.

 

  Investment and Market Risk.    An investment in the Common Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Your investment in Common Shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.

 

 

Preferred Securities Risks.    Generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board. Generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights. In the case of certain preferred securities issued by trusts or special purpose entities, holders

 

 

10


 

generally have no voting rights, except if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing. In such an event, rights of preferred security holders generally would include the right to appoint and authorize a trustee to enforce the trust or special purpose entity’s rights as a creditor under the agreement with its operating company. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws or regulatory or major corporate action. A redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the Fund.

 

  The preferred securities market is comprised predominately of securities issued by companies in the financial services industry. Therefore, preferred securities present substantially increased risks at times of financial turmoil, which could affect financial services companies more than companies in other sectors and industries.

 

  The Fund may invest in preferred securities the federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the Internal Revenue Service. It could be more difficult for the Fund to comply with the tax requirements applicable to regulated investment companies if the tax characterization of the Fund’s investments or the tax treatment of the income from such investments were successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service. See “Tax Matters.”

 

  Concentration and Financial Services Industry Risk.    The Fund will invest at least 25% of its Managed Assets in securities of financial services companies. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including REITs. This policy makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting those companies. Concentration of investments in financial services companies includes the following risks:

 

   

financial services companies may suffer a setback if regulators change the rules under which they operate;

 

   

unstable interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financial services sector;

 

   

financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that sector;

 

 

11


   

financial services companies have been affected by increased competition, which could adversely affect the profitability or viability of such companies; and

 

   

financial services companies have been significantly and negatively affected by the downturn in the subprime mortgage lending market and the resulting impact on the world’s economies.

 

  Non-Diversified Fund Risk.    Because the Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, it can invest a greater portion of its assets in obligations of a single issuer than a “diversified” fund. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible than a diversified fund to any single corporate, economic, political, geographic or regulatory occurrence.

 

  Defined Term Risk.    Because the assets of the Fund will be liquidated in connection with its termination, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities when it otherwise would not, including at times when market conditions are not favorable, which may cause the Fund to lose money. The Fund’s investment objective and policies are not designed to return to investors who purchase Common Shares in this offering their initial investment on the termination date. When terminated, the Fund’s final distribution will be based upon its net asset value at the end of the term and such initial investors and any investors that purchase Common Shares after the completion of this offering may receive more or less than their original investment.

 

  Legislation and Regulatory Risk.    At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund or the issuers of such assets. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on the entities and/or securities in which the Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

  In addition, as new rules and regulations resulting from the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) are implemented and new international capital and liquidity requirements are introduced under the Basel III Accords (“Basel III”), the market may not react the way Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management expects. Whether the Fund achieves its investment objective may depend on, among other things, whether Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecast market reactions to this and other legislation. In the event Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast market reaction, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective and a Common Shareholder’s shares may be worth less than his or her original investment.

 

 

12


  Leverage Risk.    The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders, including potential interest rate risks and the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of, and distributions on, the Common Shares. If the value of the Fund’s portfolio declines while the Fund is using leverage, the net asset value per Common Share will decline by a greater amount. If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use structural leverage obtained from Borrowings from a financial institution. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. After the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, the effective leverage of the Fund is expected to equal approximately 30% of Managed Assets. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets.

 

  The Fund will pay (and Common Shareholders will bear) any costs and expenses relating to the Fund’s use of leverage, which will result in a reduction in the net asset value of the Common Shares. The Fund may, based on its assessment of market conditions, increase or decrease its level of leverage. Such changes may impact net investment income and the value of the Common Shares in the secondary market. There can be no assurance that the Fund will use leverage, or that the Fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. Furthermore, the amount of fees paid to Nuveen Fund Advisors (which in turn pays a portion of its fees to Nuveen Asset Management) for investment advisory services will be higher if the Fund uses leverage because the fees will be calculated based on the Fund’s Managed Assets. This may create an incentive for Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management to leverage the Fund.

 

  Interest Rate Risk.    Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed rate securities such as preferred and debt securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Longer-term fixed rate securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. The Fund’s investment in such securities means that the net asset value and market price of Common Shares will tend to decline if market interest rates rise. Currently, market interest rates are at or near record historical lows.

 

 

Call Risk.    The Fund may invest in preferred securities and debt instruments, which are subject to call risk. Preferred securities and

 

 

13


 

debt instruments may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or “called,” before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its preferred securities or debt instruments if they can be refinanced by issuing new instruments which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer will call its high-yielding preferred securities or debt instruments. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

 

  Issuer Credit Risk.    Issuers of preferred securities and debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may default on their obligations to pay dividends, principal or interest when due. This non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of a preferred security or debt instrument experiencing non-payment and, potentially, a decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. There can be no assurance that liquidation of collateral would satisfy the issuer’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled dividend, interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of an issuer, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing a preferred security or debt instrument. To the extent that the credit rating assigned to a security in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded, the market price and liquidity of such security may be adversely affected. Preferred securities are subordinated borrowing to bonds and debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and assets upon liquidation, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.

 

  Below Investment Grade Risk.    Instruments of below investment grade are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds or high yield debt. These securities have higher price volatility and default risk than investment grade instruments of comparable terms and duration. Issuers of lower grade instruments may be highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. The prices of these lower grade instruments are typically more sensitive to negative developments, such as a decline in the issuer’s revenues or a general economic downturn, than are the prices of higher rated instruments. The secondary market for lower rated instruments may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated instruments, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. Distressed and defaulted securities generally present the same risks as investments in below investment grade instruments. However, in most cases, these risks are of a greater magnitude because of the uncertainties of investing in an issuer undergoing financial distress.

 

 

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  Non-U.S. Securities Risk.    The Fund may invest up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies through the direct investment in securities of such companies and through depositary receipts. Investments in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies involve special risks not presented by investments in securities of U.S. companies, including the following: less publicly available information about non-U.S. domiciled companies or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices; many non-U.S. markets may be smaller, less liquid and more volatile; potential adverse effects of fluctuations in controls on the value of the Fund’s investments; the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession; the impact of economic, political, social or diplomatic events; possible seizure of a company’s assets; restrictions imposed by non-U.S. countries limiting the ability of non-U.S. domiciled issuers to make payments of principal and/or interest; and withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests a significant amount of its assets in companies located in one region and to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers in emerging markets.

 

  To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts, the Fund will be subject to many of the same risks as when investing directly in non-U.S. securities. The holder of an unsponsored depositary receipt may have limited voting rights and may not receive as much information about the issuer of the underlying securities as would the holder of a sponsored depositary receipt.

 

  Derivatives Risk, including the Risk of Swaps.    The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the investments underlying the derivatives. If the Fund enters into a derivative transaction, it could lose more than the principal amount invested. Whether the Fund’s use of derivatives is successful will depend on, among other things, whether Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecast market conditions, liquidity, market values, interest rates and other applicable factors. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast these and other factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be unfavorably affected.

 

 

The Fund may enter into debt-related derivatives instruments, including interest rate swaps, as well as other types of derivatives. Like most derivative instruments, the use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of swaps requires an understanding by Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset

 

 

15


 

Management of not only the rate or index, but also of the swap itself. The derivatives market is subject to a changing regulatory environment. It is possible that regulatory or other developments in the derivatives market could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to successfully use derivative instruments.

 

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

 

  Income Risk:    The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, the Fund generally will have to invest the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see “— Call Risk” above) in lower-yielding securities. A decline in income received by the Fund from its investments is likely to have a negative effect on dividend levels and the market price, net asset value and/or overall return of the Common Shares.

 

  Inflation Risk.    Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the Common Shares and distributions can decline.

 

  Anti-Takeover Provisions.    The Fund’s Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) and the Fund’s By-laws (the “By-laws”) include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the Common Shares. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.”

 

 

Valuation Risk.    When market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable, the Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to

 

 

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policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. See “Net Asset Value.” Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value pricing will result in adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets, or that fair value pricing will reflect actual market value, and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset will be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset.

 

  Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk.    Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management each provide a wide array of portfolio management and other asset management services to a mix of clients and may engage in ordinary course activities in which their respective interests or those of their clients may compete or conflict with those of the Fund. For example, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may provide investment management services to other funds and accounts that follow investment objectives similar to that of the Fund. In certain circumstances, and subject to its fiduciary obligations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Nuveen Asset Management may have to allocate a limited investment opportunity among its clients, which include closed-end funds, open-end funds and other commingled funds. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have each adopted policies and procedures designed to address such situations and other potential conflicts of interests. For additional information about potential conflicts of interest, and the way in which Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management address such conflicts, please see the SAI.

 

 

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SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES

The purpose of the table below is to help you understand all fees and expenses that you, as a Common Shareholder, would bear directly or indirectly. The expenses shown in the table are based on estimated amounts for the Fund’s first year of operations and assume that the Fund issues 8,000,000 Common Shares. The table also assumes the use of leverage in the form of debt through bank borrowings in an amount equal to 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets (after their use), and shows Fund expenses as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares. If the Fund issues fewer Common Shares, all other things being equal, “Other Expenses” and “Total Annual Expenses” would be higher. The Fund’s actual expenses may vary from the estimated expenses shown in the table. See “Management of the Fund” and “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

 

Common Shareholders Transaction Expenses

  

Sales Load Paid by You (as a percentage of offering price)(1)

     4.50%   

Offering Costs Borne by the Fund (as a percentage of offering price)(2)

     0.20%   

Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees

     None (3) 
     Percentage of Net Assets
Attributable to Common Shares
(assumes leverage is used)(4)
 

Annual Expenses

  

Management Fees(5)

     1.29%   

Interest and Payments on Borrowings(4)

     0.58%   

Other Expenses(6)

     0.15%   
  

 

 

 

Total Annual Expenses

     2.02%   

 

(1) Nuveen Fund Advisors (and not the Fund) has agreed to pay, from its own assets, a structuring fee to each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Nuveen Fund Advisors (and not the Fund) may also pay certain qualifying underwriters a structuring fee, a sales incentive fee or other additional compensation in connection with the offering. For a description of the sales load, structuring fees and other compensation paid to the underwriters, see “Underwriting.”

 

(2) Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to (i) reimburse all organization expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay offering costs of the Fund (other than sales load) that exceed $0.05 per Common Share. Based on an estimated offering size of $200,000,000 (8,000,000 Common Shares), the Fund would pay a maximum of $400,000 of offering costs and Nuveen Fund Advisors would pay all offering costs in excess of $400,000, which are currently estimated to be $645,000.

 

(3) You will be charged a $2.50 service charge and pay brokerage charges if you direct State Street Bank and Trust Company, as agent for the Common Shareholders (the “Plan Agent”), to sell your Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account.

 

(4) Assumes the use of leverage in the form of debt through bank borrowings in an amount equal to approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets (after the leverage is incurred), and assumes the annual interest rate on the amount borrowed is 1.20% and the annual commitment fee is 0.15%. Given current market conditions, the Fund has no current intention to issue debt securities or senior securities such as Preferred Shares.

 

(5) The Fund will pay Fund-Level Fees of 1.00% and Complex-Level Fees of 0.29%, respectively, at the highest fee breakpoint. See “Management of the Fund — Investment Management and Subadvisory Agreements.”

 

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(6) “Other Expenses” is based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year and assumes the Fund issues 8,000,000 Common Shares. Expenses attributable to the Fund’s investments, if any, in other investment companies, including closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds, are currently estimated not to exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s net assets attributable to Common Shares. See “The Fund’s Investments — Equity Securities — Other Investment Companies.”

The following example illustrates the expenses (including (i) the sales load of $45 and (ii) estimated offering costs of this offering of $2) that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in Common Shares, assuming (1) total annual expenses of 2.02% of net assets attributable to Common Shares and (2) a 5% annual return:(1)

 

1 Year

   3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  
$67    $ 107       $ 151       $ 271   

The example above should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those shown.

 

(1) The example assumes that the estimated Total Annual Expenses set forth in the Annual Expenses table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.

 

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THE FUND

The Fund is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on April 18, 2012, pursuant to the Declaration, which is governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a newly organized entity, the Fund has no operating history. The Fund’s principal office is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and its telephone number is (800) 257-8787.

USE OF PROCEEDS

The net proceeds of the offering of Common Shares will be approximately $             ($             if the Underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) after payment of the estimated offering costs. Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to (i) reimburse all organization expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay all offering costs (other than sales load) that exceed $0.05 per Common Share. The Fund will invest the net proceeds of the offering in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as stated below. It is presently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest substantially all of the net proceeds in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies within approximately three months after the completion of the offering. During the initial invest-up period, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its Managed Assets in short-term investments, including high quality, short-term securities, or may invest in short-, intermediate-, or long-term U.S. Treasury securities.

THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS

Investment Objective

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and total return. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective.

Fund Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities. The Fund’s portfolio will be actively managed, seeking to capitalize on historically wide preferred credit spreads (the difference between current yields on preferred securities and U.S. Treasury bonds and other fixed-income benchmarks) currently available in the market. The Fund’s strategy will focus opportunistically on financial services companies.

Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management believe that pending regulatory reform scheduled to be implemented over the term of the Fund may result in further strengthening of the capital base of financial institutions, among other changes, which in turn may create significant investment opportunity for the Fund’s strategy.

Fund Benchmarks

For comparative purposes, the Fund utilizes the ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index as its primary benchmark. The ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index is an unmanaged index consisting of a set of investment grade exchange traded preferred stocks with outstanding market values of at least $100 million that are covered by Merrill Lynch Fixed Income Research. The index includes certain publicly issued, $25- and $1,000-par securities with at least one year to maturity.

The Fund also may use a blended combination of one or more indices, including the ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index and the Barclays USD Capital Securities Index, to analyze certain aspects of the Fund’s performance. See “Investment Objective and Policies — Fund Benchmarks” in the SAI.

Portfolio Contents

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including debt securities,

 

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hybrid securities and convertible securities. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies and at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher); however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including REITs. For purposes of identifying companies in the financial services sector, the Fund will use industry classifications such as those provided by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s (The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)), Bloomberg, Barclays or similar sources commonly used in the financial industry. As a result, if one or more of these classifications include a company “in” the financial services sector, the Fund will consider such company as “in” the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in other sectors or industries, such as energy, industrials, utilities, pipelines, health care and telecommunications.

Preferred securities generally pay fixed or adjustable rate distributions to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company’s assets, but are junior to most forms of the company’s debt, including both senior and subordinated debt. Preferred securities are typically rated between three and five notches below the senior debt ratings of any particular issuer. As such, preferred securities are in most cases issued by firms with investment grade quality senior debt ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. The weighted average senior debt rating of the companies underlying the Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to be A+, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by other investment companies that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund is a non-diversified fund and as a result may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. See “Risks — Non-Diversified Fund Risk.” The Fund may invest in companies located anywhere in the world. The Fund will invest 100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities.

The Fund also may invest in certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments may include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate and credit default swaps), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts, or other derivative instruments. The Fund may use derivative instruments to, among other things, seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risk of the Fund’s investments or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. See “— Derivatives and Other Portfolio Components.”

Investment Policies

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest subject to the following policies:

 

   

at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities;

 

   

up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies;

 

   

at least 60% of its Managed Assets in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher) at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities rated below B-/B3 at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of issuers in emerging market countries;

 

   

100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities;

 

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up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies, including ETFs, that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly; and

 

   

up to 15% of its Managed Assets in securities and other instruments that, at the time of purchase, are illiquid.

For purposes of investment rating limitations in this Prospectus, a security is considered to have the highest rating assigned to it by a rating agency or, in the case of an unrated security, to have the same rating as rated securities judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality. Investment rating limitations are considered to apply only at the time of purchase and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities. For purposes of the investment policies provided above: (i) such policies only apply at the time of purchase; (ii) the Fund is under no obligation to sell securities as a result of changes in market values or ratings; and (iii) the Board of Trustees may change a policy without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice to Common Shareholders.

Non-U.S. domiciled companies are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in a country other than the U.S., (ii) organized under the laws of a country other than the U.S. and (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in a country other than the U.S.

Other Policies

During temporary defensive periods or in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, including during the period when the net proceeds of this offering are first being invested, the Fund may deviate from its investment policies and objective. During such periods, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its Managed Assets in short-term investments, including high quality, short-term securities or may invest in short-, intermediate-, or long-term U.S. Treasury bonds. There can be no assurance that such strategies will be successful.

Certain investment policies specifically identified in the SAI as such are considered fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI. All of the Fund’s other investment policies, including as noted below, are not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed by the Board of Trustees without a vote of the Common Shareholders.

The Fund’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities are not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed without a vote of the Common Shareholders. However, such investment policy may only be changed by the Board of Trustees following the provision of 60 days’ prior written notice to Common Shareholders.

The Fund cannot change its fundamental policies without the approval of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding” Common Shares. When used with respect to particular shares of the Fund, a “majority of the outstanding” shares means (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.

Overall Fund Management

Nuveen Fund Advisors is the Fund’s investment adviser, responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage. This oversight will include ongoing evaluation of Nuveen Asset Management’s investment performance, quality of investment process and personnel, compliance with Fund and regulatory guidelines, trade allocation and execution and other factors.

 

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Nuveen Asset Management Investment Process

Nuveen Asset Management employs a credit-based investment approach that uses a top-down process that analyzes every structural dimension of the preferred securities market, while also incorporating bottom-up fundamental credit research analysis. The process starts by identifying the investable universe of preferred securities, which encompasses both $1000 par and $25 par securities. In an effort to capitalize on the inefficiencies between the different structure of the preferred securities market, Nuveen Asset Management will allocate capital between the $25 par exchange listed market and the $1,000 par over the counter market. Periods of volatility may drive valuations between these two markets to become meaningfully bifurcated. This dynamic is often primarily due to periodic differences in how these two markets price risk. In addition, technical factors may also influence the relative valuations between $25 par exchange listed structures and $1,000 par over the counter structures.

Nuveen Asset Management concentrates on highly-regulated industries including the utility, insurance and banking sectors. The team conducts relative value analysis to determine sector allocations. After narrowing the universe via quantitative analysis, the investment team performs bottom-up fundamental credit research focusing on stable and improving credits. Based on this analysis, the investment team will seek to build a portfolio of preferred securities that offers the most attractive combination of value relative to other preferred securities with similar credit ratings, current income, subordination, and call protection.

Nuveen Asset Management’s sell discipline follows the same robust process of relative value assessment at the sector, industry, issuer and structure levels. The investment team, along with research analysts, monitors the creditworthiness of the Fund’s investments, and analyzes economic, political, and demographic trends affecting the markets. In addition, the investment team evaluates the investment process and performance via attribution analysis. Nuveen Asset Management will generally sell a security from the Fund’s portfolio if any of the following has occurred:

 

   

The security meets its target and the company is no longer believed to be attractively valued relative to other companies;

 

   

A catalyst that could decrease the value of the security has been identified or a previously existing positive catalyst has disappeared; or

 

   

The outlook for a company’s future cash flow and/or cash flow growth which would allow it to grow or sustain an attractive dividend has materially declined.

Portfolio Composition and Other Information

The Fund’s portfolio will be composed principally of the following investments. More detailed information about the Fund’s portfolio investments is contained in the SAI under “Portfolio Composition.”

Preferred Securities

Preferred securities, which generally pay fixed or adjustable rate dividends or interest to investors, have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends or interest and the liquidation of a company’s assets, which means that a company typically must pay dividends or interest on its preferred securities before paying any dividends on its common stock. On the other hand, preferred securities are junior to all forms of the company’s debt, including both senior and subordinated debt. Because of their subordinated position in the capital structure of an issuer, the ability to defer dividend or interest payments for extended periods of time without triggering a default from legal action and certain other features, preferred securities are often treated as equity-like instruments by both issuers and investors, as their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability and cash flows of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets.

The Fund may also invest in trust-preferred securities. Trust-preferred securities, also known as trust-issued securities, are securities that have the characteristics of both debt and equity instruments. Such

 

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securities are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest bearing notes with preferred securities characteristics, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation, generally in the form of beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities. Trust preferred securities are typically junior and fully subordinated liabilities of an issuer and benefit from a guarantee that is junior and fully subordinated to the other liabilities of the guarantor. Trust preferred securities may have fixed or adjustable coupon rates that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates.

Debt Securities

Debt Instruments.    Debt instruments generally are used by issuers to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a fixed or variable rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity. Certain debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may be “perpetual” in that they have no maturity date and some may be convertible into equity securities of the issuer or its affiliates. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any quality and such debt instruments may be secured or unsecured. In addition, certain debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may be subordinated to the payment of an issuer’s senior debt.

Taxable Municipal Bonds.    The Fund may invest in taxable municipal bonds. States, local governments and municipalities issue municipal bonds to raise money for certain purposes. Municipal bonds issued to finance activities with a broad public purpose are generally exempt from federal income tax. Taxable municipal bonds, however, are issued to finance activities with less significant benefits to the public, such as the construction of sports facilities, and as such the interest paid to holders of such bonds is taxable as ordinary income. Many taxable municipal bonds offer yields comparable to those of other taxable bonds, such as corporate and agency bonds. Taxable municipal bonds may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and pay interest based on fixed or floating rate coupons. Maturities may range from long-term to short-term.

High Yield Bonds.    Bonds that are rated lower than investment grade are commonly referred to as high yield bonds or junk bonds. These bonds generally provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. High yield bond issuers include small or relatively new companies lacking the history or capital to merit investment-grade status, former blue chip companies downgraded because of financial problems, companies electing to borrow heavily to finance or avoid a takeover or buyout, and firms with heavy debt loads. See “Risks — Below Investment Grade Risk.”

U.S. Government Securities.    The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Commercial Paper and Repurchase Agreements.    For information regarding commercial paper and repurchase agreements, see “Portfolio Composition — Commercial Paper” and “Portfolio Composition — Repurchase Agreements” in the SAI.

Financial Services Company Securities

The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including REITs. For purposes of identifying companies in the financial services sector, the Fund will use industry classifications such as those provided by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s (The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)), Bloomberg, Barclays

 

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or similar sources commonly used in the financial industry. As a result, if one or more of these classifications include a company “in” the financial services sector, the Fund will consider such company as “in” the financial services sector.

REITs.    REITs are typically publicly traded corporations or trusts that invest in residential or commercial real estate. REITs generally can be divided into the following three types: (i) equity REITs which invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains or real estate appreciation; (ii) mortgage REITs which invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgage loans and derive their income primarily from interest payments; and (iii) hybrid REITs which combine the characteristics of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. The Fund can invest in common stock, preferred securities, debt securities and convertible securities issued by REITs.

Convertible Securities

Convertible securities are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of bonds and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt securities or preferred securities that may be converted within a specified period of time (typically for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. They also include debt securities with warrants or common stock attached and derivatives combining features of debt securities and equity securities. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt securities, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred securities, until the securities mature or are redeemed, converted or exchanged. Common stock generally represents an equity ownership interest in an issuer. Common stocks experience significantly more volatility in returns and may underperform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular security held by the Fund that is convertible into common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases borrowing costs and the costs of capital.

Other Income Producing Securities

Other Investment Companies.    The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including ETFs) that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund may invest in investment companies that are advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or pursuant to exemptive relief from the SEC. The Fund has not applied for, and currently does not intend to apply for, such exemptive relief, but reserves the right to do so in the future. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s management fees with respect to assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. Nuveen Asset Management will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in an investment company relative to other available security investments.

Other Equity Securities.    The Fund may invest in other equity securities, including common stock, convertible securities, hybrid securities (which have characteristics of both equity and fixed-income instruments), warrants, rights and depositary receipts (which reference ownership of underlying non-U.S. securities). For more information, see “Portfolio Composition” in the SAI.

Derivatives and Other Portfolio Components

Derivatives.    Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to individual debt or equity instruments, interest rates, commodities, related indexes, and other assets. The Fund may invest in certain derivative instruments. Such instruments may include interest rate swaps, and other derivative

 

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instruments. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with a counterparty of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. The Fund will usually enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis; that is, the two payment streams will be netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.

The Fund may utilize certain derivative instruments as a hedging technique to protect against potential adverse changes in the market value of portfolio securities. The Fund also may use derivatives to attempt to protect the net asset value of the Fund, to facilitate the sale of certain portfolio securities, to manage the Fund’s effective interest rate exposure, or as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities. From time to time, the Fund also may utilize derivative instruments to create investment exposure to the extent Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management believe that such derivatives may facilitate implementation of the Fund’s strategy more efficiently than through outright purchases or sales of portfolio securities.

Other derivative instruments that may be used, or other transactions that may be entered into, by the Fund may include the purchase or sale of futures contracts on securities, credit-linked notes, securities indices, other indices or other financial instruments; options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and over-the-counter options on securities or indices; index linked securities; and swaps, including credit default swaps, and options on swaps. A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. For more information, see “Portfolio Composition — Credit Default Swaps” in the SAI. Some of the derivatives instruments may be subject to central clearing, while others may not. If a derivative is centrally cleared, a central clearing entity stands between the two parties to the trade as counterparty to each. Some, but not all, of the derivative instruments may be traded and listed on an exchange or swap execution facility. The positions in derivatives will be marked-to-market daily at the closing price established on the exchange or swap execution facility or at a fair value. For more information, see “Portfolio Composition” in the SAI.

There is no assurance that these derivative strategies will be available at any time, that Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management will determine to use them for the Fund or, if used, that the strategies will be successful. See “Risks — Derivatives Risk, including the Risk of Swaps.”

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

 

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Because increases in the interest rate on the short-term floaters reduce the residual interest paid on inverse floaters, and because fluctuations in the value of the securities deposited in the special purpose trust affect the value of the inverse floater only, and not the value of the short-term floater issued by the trust, inverse floaters’ value is generally more volatile than that of the underlying securities. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is generally more volatile than the underlying securities due to the leveraging effect of this ownership structure. Inverse floaters have varying degrees of liquidity based upon the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in a special purpose trust.

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

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

The Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets with its custodian in accordance with the 1940 Act to cover its obligations with respect to its investments in special purpose trusts.

Investments in inverse floating rate securities create effective leverage. The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders. See “Leverage” and “Risks — Leverage Risk” and “— Inverse Floating Rate Securities Risk.”

Non-U.S. Domiciled Companies.    The Fund may invest up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies through the direct investment in securities of such companies and through depositary receipts. Non-U.S. domiciled companies are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in a country other than the U.S., (ii) organized under the laws of a country other than the U.S. and (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in a country other than the U.S.

Emerging Markets Issuers.    The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of emerging markets issuers. Emerging markets issuers are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in an emerging market country, (ii) organized under the laws of an emerging market country or (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in an emerging market country. Emerging market countries include any country other than Canada, the United States and the countries comprising the MSCI EAFE® Index (currently, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom).

When-issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions.    The Fund may buy and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date.

Illiquid Securities.    The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments that, at the time of purchase, are illiquid (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities may include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted

 

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under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 50% of the value of its Managed Assets is invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities that are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as are deemed advisable, if any, to protect liquidity.

Initial Portfolio Composition

The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies. The Fund also may invest in other sectors or industries, such as energy, industrials, utilities, pipelines, health care and telecommunications. Also, the Fund initially expects to invest at least 90% of its Managed Assets in investment grade securities rated BBB-/Baa3 or higher at the time of purchase. The Fund also may use derivative transactions to provide investment exposure or as a hedging technique. Current market conditions may change and the Fund may not be able to invest its initial portfolio as planned. The Fund’s portfolio allocations may vary over time consistent with the Fund’s investment policies described in this “The Fund’s Investments” section.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund may engage in portfolio trading when considered appropriate, but short-term trading will not be used as the primary means of achieving the Fund’s investment objective. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, it is generally not expected to exceed 50% under normal circumstances. However, there are no limits on the Fund’s rate of portfolio turnover, and investments may be sold without regard to length of time held when, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, investment considerations warrant such action. A higher portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. Although these commissions and expenses are not reflected in the Fund’s “Total Annual Expenses” on page 18 of this Prospectus, they will be reflected in the Fund’s current income and total return. In addition, high portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.

LEVERAGE

The Fund will seek to enhance its distributable income and total return potential by using “structural leverage” (as defined below). The use of leverage involves increased risk, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and net asset value in relation to market changes. In particular, leverage increases the risk of price volatility.

The Fund may utilize the following forms of “structural leverage”: (a) Borrowings; and (b) the issuance of Preferred Shares or other senior securities, such as commercial paper or notes. The Fund does not intend to use structural leverage until after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective. If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use structural leverage obtained from Borrowings from a financial institution. There is no assurance that the Fund will use leverage. The Fund has no current intent to issue Preferred Shares. The Fund’s leverage strategy may not work as planned or achieve its goals.

 

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If current market conditions persist, the Fund expects that, initially, after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund’s leverage ratio will equal approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets from structural leverage as discussed above. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets.

The Fund anticipates that the interest on Borrowings may be at a fixed or floating rate, but generally will be based on short-term adjustable rates. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the Fund’s portfolio investments exceeds the then current interest rate on any Borrowings, the investment of the proceeds of Borrowings will generate more income than will be needed to make interest payments. If so, the excess income will be available to pay higher distributions to Common Shareholders. Given the current economic and debt market environment with historically low short-term to intermediate-term interest rates, the Fund intends to use derivatives such as interest rate swaps, with terms that may range from one to ten years, to fix the all-in rate paid on a significant portion of the Fund’s leverage. The interest rate swap program, if implemented, will seek to achieve potentially lower leverage costs over an extended period. This strategy would enhance Common Shareholder returns if short-term interest rates were to rise over time to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate over the term of the swap. This strategy, however, will add to leverage costs initially (because the swap costs are likely to be higher than current benchmark adjustable short-term rates) and would increase overall leverage costs over the entirety of any such time period in the event that short-term interest rates do not rise sufficiently during that period to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate for that time period.

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund generally is not permitted to use borrowings or issue commercial paper or notes unless immediately after the borrowing the value of the Fund’s total assets less liabilities other than the principal amount represented by Borrowings, commercial paper or notes is at least 300% of such principal amount. In addition, the 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from declaring any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Fund’s total assets, less liabilities other than the principal amount represented by Borrowings, commercial paper or notes is at least 300% of such principal amount, after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution. This prohibition does not apply to privately arranged debt that is not intended to be publicly distributed, or to loans made for temporary purposes and in an amount that does not exceed five percent of the Fund’s total assets. If the Fund borrows, the Fund intends, to the extent possible, to prepay all or a portion of the principal amount of any outstanding Borrowings to the extent necessary in order to maintain the required asset coverage. Failure to maintain certain asset coverage requirements could result in an event of default or entitle the debt holders to elect a majority of the Board of Trustees.

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue Preferred Shares unless immediately after such issuance the value of the Fund’s asset coverage is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding Preferred Shares (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 50% of the Fund’s assets less all liabilities other than Borrowings and outstanding Preferred Shares).

In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Fund’s assets less liabilities other than Borrowings and outstanding Preferred Shares satisfies the above-referenced 200% coverage requirement. If Preferred Shares are issued, the Fund intends, to the extent possible, to purchase or redeem Preferred Shares from time to time to the extent necessary in order to maintain coverage of at least 200%.

If Preferred Shares are outstanding, at least two of the Fund’s Board members will be elected by the holders of Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class. The remaining Board members will be elected by holders of Common Shares and Preferred Shares voting together as a single class. In the unlikely event that

 

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the Fund fails to pay dividends on the Preferred Shares for two years, holders of Preferred Shares would be entitled to elect a majority of the Board of Trustees’ members until all dividends in arrears have been paid.

Changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, including costs attributable to Borrowings or Preferred Shares, if any, will be borne entirely by the Common Shareholders. If there is a net decrease (or increase) in the value of the Fund’s investment portfolio, the leverage will decrease (or increase) the net asset value per Common Share to a greater extent than if the Fund were not leveraged.

Utilization of leverage is a speculative investment technique and involves certain risks to the Common Shareholders. These include increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and net asset value in relation to market changes. So long as the Fund is able to realize a higher net return on its investment portfolio than the then-current cost of any leverage together with other related expenses, the effect of the leverage will be to cause Common Shareholders to realize a higher rate of return than if the Fund were not so leveraged. On the other hand, to the extent that the then-current cost of any leverage, together with other related expenses, approaches the net return on the Fund’s investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to Common Shareholders will be reduced, and if the then-current cost of any leverage together with related expenses were to exceed the net return on the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund’s leveraged capital structure would result in a lower rate of return to Common Shareholders than if the Fund were not so leveraged.

The Fund pays a management fee to Nuveen Fund Advisors (which in turn pays a portion of such fee to the Fund’s subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management) based on a percentage of Managed Assets. Managed Assets include the proceeds realized and managed from the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will be responsible for using leverage to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. Nuveen Fund Advisors will base its decision regarding whether and how much leverage to use for the Fund on its assessment of whether such use of leverage will advance the Fund’s investment objective. However, the fact that a decision to increase the Fund’s leverage will have the effect, all other things being equal, of increasing Managed Assets and therefore Nuveen Fund Advisors’ and Nuveen Asset Management’s fee means that Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may have a conflict of interest in determining whether to increase the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will seek to manage that potential conflict by only increasing the Fund’s use of leverage when it determines that such increase is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, and by periodically reviewing the Fund’s performance and use of leverage with the Board of Trustees.

The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by lenders, with respect to Borrowings, or by guidelines of one or more rating agencies that may issue ratings for commercial paper or notes, or any Preferred Shares. These restrictions or guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or guidelines will impede the management of the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. In addition to other considerations, to the extent that the Fund believes that the covenants and guidelines required by the lenders or rating agencies would impede its ability to meet its investment objective, or if the Fund is unable to obtain the desired rating on debt securities or Preferred Shares, the Fund will not issue debt securities or Preferred Shares. In addition, if the Fund enters into a credit facility or otherwise incurs Borrowings, the Fund may be required to prepay outstanding amounts or incur a penalty rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events of default. The Fund would also likely have to indemnify the lenders against liabilities they may incur in connection therewith. In addition, the Fund expects that any credit facility or other Borrowings would contain covenants that, among other things, likely would limit the Fund’s ability to pay distributions in certain circumstances, incur additional debt, change certain of its investment policies and engage in certain transactions, including mergers and consolidations, and require asset coverage ratios in addition to those required by the 1940 Act. The Fund may be required to pledge its assets and to maintain a portion of its assets in cash or high-grade securities as a reserve against interest or principal payments and expenses. Any senior securities issued by the Fund, including Preferred Shares, commercial paper or notes, will have priority over the Common Shares. The use of senior securities will leverage the Common Shares.

The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders. See “Risks — Leverage Risk.”

 

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Effects of Leverage

Assuming Borrowings will represent approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets, at an interest rate of 1.20% payable on such structural leverage, the income generated by the Fund’s portfolio (net of non-leverage expenses) must exceed 0.36% in order to cover such interest payments and other expenses specifically related to Borrowings. Of course, these numbers are merely estimates, used for illustration. Actual interest rates may vary frequently and may be significantly higher or lower than the rate estimated above.

The following table is furnished in response to requirements of the SEC. It is designed to illustrate the effect of leverage on Common Share total return, assuming investment portfolio total returns (comprised of income and changes in the value of securities held in the Fund’s portfolio) of -10%, -5%, 0%, 5% and 10%. These assumed investment portfolio returns are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns experienced or expected to be experienced by the Fund. See “Risks.” The table further reflects the use of Borrowings representing 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets, net of expenses, and the Fund’s currently projected annual interest rate on its leverage of 1.20%. As previously stated in this Prospectus, the table further assumes that the Fund uses interest rate swaps to fix the all-in rate paid on a significant portion of the Fund’s leverage in an effort to lower leverage costs over an extended period.

 

Assumed Portfolio Total Return (Net of Expenses)

     (10) %     (5) %     0 %     5 %     10 %

Common Share Total Return

     (14.80) %     (7.66) %     (0.51) %     6.63 %     13.77 %

Common Share Total Return is composed of two elements: the Common Share dividends paid by the Fund (the amount of which is largely determined by the net investment income of the Fund after paying interest on its leverage) and gains or losses on the value of the securities the Fund owns. As required by SEC rules, the table above assumes that the Fund is more likely to suffer capital losses than to enjoy capital appreciation. For example, to assume a total return of 0% the Fund must assume that the interest it receives on its portfolio investments is entirely offset by losses in the value of those investments.

 

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RISKS

The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company designed primarily as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s performance and the value of its investments will vary in response to changes in interest rates, inflation, the financial condition of a security’s issuer, perceptions of the issuer, ratings on a debt instrument and other market factors. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.

No Prior History

The Fund is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with no history of operations.

Market Discount from Net Asset Value and Expected Reductions in Net Asset Value

Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund frequently trade at prices lower than their net asset value, which creates a risk of loss for investors when they sell shares purchased in the initial public offering. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value could decrease as a result of investment activities. Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by 4.50% (the amount of the sales load as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.875, before deducting offering expenses. Net asset value of the Fund and net asset value per Common Share are then further reduced by the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund (estimated to be up to an additional $0.05 per Common Share) making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.825, immediately after this offering is completed. Whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of the Common Shares will depend not upon the Fund’s net asset value but entirely upon whether the market price of the Common Shares at the time of sale is above or below the investor’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Shares. Because the market price of the Common Shares will be determined by factors such as relative supply of and demand for the Common Shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other 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. The Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and you should not view the Fund as a vehicle for short-term trading purposes.

Investment and Market Risk

An investment in Common Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Your investment in Common Shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.

Preferred Securities Risks:

There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities:

 

   

Limited voting rights.    Generally, preferred security holders (such as the Fund) have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board. Generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights.

 

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In the case of certain preferred securities issued by trusts or special purpose entities, holders generally have no voting rights except if a declaration of default occurs and is continuing. In such an event, preferred security holders generally would have the right to appoint and authorize a trustee to enforce the trust or special purpose entity’s rights as a creditor under the agreement with its operating company.

 

   

Special redemption rights.    In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to their stated maturity date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws or regulatory or major corporate action. A redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the fund.

 

   

Payment deferral.    Generally, preferred securities may be subject to provisions that allow an issuer, under certain conditions, to skip (“non-cumulative” preferred securities) or defer (“cumulative” preferred securities) distributions. Non-cumulative preferred securities can defer distributions indefinitely. Cumulative preferred securities typically contain provisions that allow an issuer, at its discretion, to defer distribution payments for up to 10 years. If the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distribution, the Fund may be required to report income for tax purposes while it is not receiving any corresponding cash.

 

   

Subordination.    Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure and therefore are subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.

 

   

Liquidity.    Preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as U.S. government securities or common stock.

 

   

Tax risk:    The Fund may invest in preferred securities or other securities the federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the Internal Revenue Service. It could be more difficult for the Fund to comply with the tax requirements applicable to regulated investment companies if the tax characterization of the Fund’s investments or the tax treatment of the income from such investments were successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service. See “Tax Matters.”

 

   

Regulatory risk:    Issuers of preferred securities may be in industries that are heavily regulated and that may receive government funding. The value of preferred securities issued by these companies may be affected by changes in government policy, such as increased regulation, ownership restrictions, deregulation or reduced government funding.

 

   

New Types of Securities.    From time to time, preferred securities, including hybrid-preferred securities, have been, and may in the future be, offered having features other than those described herein. The Fund reserves the right to invest in these securities if Nuveen Asset Management believes that doing so would be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Since the market for these instruments would be new, the Fund may have difficulty disposing of them at a suitable price and time. In addition to limited liquidity, these instruments may present other risks, such as high price volatility.

The preferred securities market is comprised predominately of securities issued by companies in the financial services industry. Therefore, preferred securities present substantially increased risks at times of financial turmoil, which could affect financial services companies more than companies in other sectors and industries.

Concentration and Financial Services Industry Risk

The Fund will invest at least 25% of its Managed Assets in securities of financial services companies. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued

 

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by financial services companies, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including REITs. This policy makes the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting those companies. Concentration of investments in financial services companies includes the following risks:

 

   

financial services companies may suffer a setback if regulators change the rules under which they operate;

 

   

unstable interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financial services sector;

 

   

financial services companies whose securities the Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that sector;

 

   

financial services companies have been affected by increased competition, which could adversely affect the profitability or viability of such companies; and

 

   

financial services companies have been significantly and negatively affected by the downturn in the subprime mortgage lending market and the resulting impact on the world’s economies.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk

Because the Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act, it can invest a greater portion of its assets in obligations of a single issuer than a “diversified” fund. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible than a diversified fund to any single corporate, economic, political, geographic or regulatory occurrence.

Defined Term Risk

The Fund intends to terminate on or before August 31, 2024. Because the assets of the Fund will be liquidated in connection with the termination, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities when it otherwise would not, including at times when market conditions are not favorable, which may cause the Fund to lose money. As the Fund approaches the termination date, its portfolio composition may change as more of its portfolio holdings are called or sold, which may cause the returns to decrease and the net asset value of the Common Shares to fall. Rather than reinvesting the proceeds of matured, called or sold securities, the Fund may distribute the proceeds in one or more liquidating distributions prior to the final liquidation, which may cause fixed expenses to increase when expressed as a percentage of assets under management, or the Fund may invest the proceeds in lower yielding securities or hold the proceeds in cash, which may adversely affect its performance.

The Fund’s investment objective and policies are not designed to return to investors who purchase Common Shares in this offering their initial investment on the termination date. When terminated, the Fund’s final distribution will be based upon its net asset value at the end of the term and such initial investors and any investors that purchase Common Shares after the completion of this offering may receive more or less than their original investment.

Legislation and Regulatory Risk

At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund or the issuers of such assets. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on the entities and/or securities in which the Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

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In addition, as new rules and regulations resulting from the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act are implemented and new international capital and liquidity requirements are introduced under Basel III, the market may not react the way Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management expects. Whether the Fund achieves its investment objective may depend on, among other things, whether Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecast market reactions to this and other legislation. In the event Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast market reaction, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective and a Common Shareholder’s shares may be worth less than his or her original investment.

Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk

The aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, instability in the Middle East and terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world may have a substantial impact on the U.S. and world economies and securities markets. Terrorist attacks closed some of the U.S. securities markets in 2001, and similar events cannot be ruled out in the future. The wars and occupations, terrorism and related geopolitical risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. These risks may adversely affect individual issuers and securities markets, interest rates, secondary trading, investor psychology, inflation and other factors relating to the Common Shares.

Recent Market Conditions.    The financial crisis in the U.S. and global economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt crisis, has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. Liquidity in some markets has decreased and credit has become scarcer worldwide. Recent regulatory changes, including the Dodd-Frank Act and the introduction of new international capital and liquidity requirements under Basel III, may cause lending activity within the financial services sector to be constrained for several years as Basel III rules phase in and rules and regulations are promulgated and interpreted under the Dodd-Frank Act. These market conditions may continue or deteriorate further and may add significantly to the risk of short-term volatility in the Fund. In response to the crisis, the U.S. and other governments and the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have taken steps to support financial markets. Withdrawal of this support, failure of efforts in response to the crisis, or investor perception that such efforts are not succeeding, could adversely impact the value and liquidity of certain securities. Because the situation is widespread and largely unprecedented, it may be unusually difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay of market forces, or to predict the duration of these market conditions. The severity or duration of these conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations. Changes in market conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities.

In addition, since 2010, the risks of investing in certain foreign government debt have increased dramatically as a result of the ongoing European debt crisis, which began in Greece and has begun to spread throughout various other European countries. These debt crises and the ongoing efforts of governments around the world to address these debt crises have also resulted in increased volatility and uncertainty in the global securities markets and it is impossible to predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the Fund, though it is possible that these or similar events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.

In the United States, on August 5, 2011, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. federal government debt to “AA+” from “AAA.” The downgrade by S&P could increase volatility in both stock and bond markets, result in higher interest rates and higher Treasury yields and increase the costs of all kinds of debt. In addition, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region.

 

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Leverage Risk

The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders, including potential interest rate risks and the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of, and distributions on, the Common Shares. If the value of the Fund’s portfolio declines while the Fund is using leverage, the net asset value per Common Share will decline by a greater amount than if leverage were not employed. If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use structural leverage obtained from Borrowings from a financial institution. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. After the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, the effective leverage of the Fund is expected to equal approximately 30% of Managed Assets. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets.

The Fund will pay (and Common Shareholders will bear) any costs and expenses relating to the Fund’s use of leverage, which will result in a reduction in the net asset value of the Common Shares. The Fund may, based on its assessment of market conditions, increase or decrease its level of leverage. Such changes may impact net investment income and the value of the Common Shares in the secondary market. There can be no assurance that the Fund will use leverage or that the Fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. Furthermore, the amount of fees paid to Nuveen Fund Advisors (which in turn pays a portion of its fees to Nuveen Asset Management) for investment advisory services will be higher if the Fund uses leverage because the fees will be calculated based on the Fund’s Managed Assets. This may create an incentive for Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management to leverage the Fund.

Convertible Securities Risk

Convertible securities have characteristics of both equity and debt securities and, as a result, are exposed to certain additional risks that are typically associated with debt. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. However, the convertible security’s market value tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price is greater than the convertible security’s “conversion price.” The conversion price is defined as the predetermined price at which the convertible security could be exchanged for the associated stock. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the yield of the convertible security. However, convertible securities fall below debt obligations of the same issuer in order of preference or priority in the event of a liquidation and are typically unrated or rated lower than such debt obligations.

Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed rate securities such as preferred and debt securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Longer-term fixed rate securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. The Fund’s investment in such securities means that the net asset value and market price of Common Shares will tend to decline if market interest rates rise. Currently, market interest rates are at or near record historical lows.

Call Risk

The Fund may invest in preferred securities and debt instruments, which are subject to call risk. Preferred securities and debt instruments may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or “called,” before

 

36


their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its preferred securities and debt instruments if they can be refinanced by issuing new instruments which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer will call its high-yielding preferred securities or debt instruments. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

Issuer Credit Risk

Issuers of preferred securities and debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may default on their obligations to pay dividends, principal or interest when due. This non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of a preferred security or debt instrument experiencing non-payment and, potentially, a decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. There can be no assurance that liquidation of collateral would satisfy the issuer’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled dividends, interest or principal when due or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of an issuer, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing a preferred security or debt instrument. To the extent that the credit rating assigned to a security in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded, the market price and liquidity of such security may be adversely affected. Preferred securities are subordinated borrowing to bonds and debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and assets upon liquidation, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.

Below Investment Grade Risk

Instruments of below investment grade are regarded as having predominately speculative characteristics with respect to an issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as junk bonds or high yield debt. These securities have higher price volatility and default risk than investment grade instruments of comparable terms and duration. Issuers of lower grade instruments may be highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. The prices of these lower grade instruments are typically more sensitive to negative developments, such as a decline in the issuer’s revenues or a general economic downturn, than are the prices of higher rated instruments. The secondary market for lower rated instruments may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated instruments, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. Distressed and defaulted securities generally present the same risks as investments in below investment grade instruments. However, in most cases, these risks are of a greater magnitude because of the uncertainties of investing in an issuer undergoing financial distress.

Non-U.S. Securities Risk

The Fund may invest up to 40% its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies through the direct investment in securities of such companies and through depositary receipts. Investments in securities of non-U.S. domiciled issuers involve special risks not presented by investments in securities of U.S. issuers, including the following: less publicly available information about non-U.S. domiciled issuers or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices; many non-U.S. markets may be smaller, less liquid and more volatile; potential adverse effects of fluctuations in controls on the value of the Fund’s investments; the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession; the impact of economic, political, social or diplomatic events; possible seizure of a company’s assets; restrictions imposed by non-U.S. countries limiting the ability of non-U.S. domiciled issuers to make payments of principal and/or interest and withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests a significant amount of its assets in companies located in one region and to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers in emerging markets.

To the extent the Fund invests in depositary receipts, the Fund will be subject to many of the same risks as when investing directly in non-U.S. securities. The holder of an unsponsored depositary receipt may have limited voting rights and may not receive as much information about the issuer of the underlying securities as would the holder of a sponsored depositary receipt.

 

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The Fund’s income from non-U.S. issuers may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In some countries, the Fund also may be subject to taxes on trading profits and, on certain securities transactions, transfer or stamp duties tax. To the extent foreign income taxes are paid by the Fund, it is unlikely that U.S. shareholders will be able to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See “Tax Matters.”

Emerging Markets Risk

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of issuers in emerging market countries. Risks of investing in emerging markets issuers include: smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; and possible restrictions on repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of government monopolies. 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. Certain emerging markets also may face other significant internal or external risks, including a heightened risk of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth, and which may in turn diminish the value of the companies in those markets.

Derivatives Risk, including the Risk of Swaps

The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the investments underlying the derivatives. If the Fund enters into a derivative transaction, it could lose more than the principal amount invested. Whether the Fund’s use of derivatives is successful will depend on, among other things, whether Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecast market conditions, liquidity, market values, interest rates and other applicable factors. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast these and other factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be unfavorably affected.

In addition, the derivatives market is subject to a changing regulatory environment. In particular, adoption of derivatives legislation by the United States Congress, including the Dodd-Frank Act, could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to use derivative instruments. The Dodd-Frank Act provides for new regulation of certain portions of the derivatives market, including clearing, margin, reporting, recordkeeping, and registration requirements. Because the legislation leaves much to rule-making, its ultimate impact remains unclear. New regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in derivatives transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivatives transactions no longer available to the Fund) and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and the Fund may be unable to execute its investment strategy as a result. It is unclear how the regulatory changes will affect counterparty risk.

The Fund may enter into debt-related derivatives instruments including interest rate swaps as well as other types of derivatives. Like most derivative instruments, the use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of swaps requires an understanding by Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management of not only the referenced asset, rate or index, but also of the swap itself. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to successfully use derivative instruments.

Counterparty Risk

Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives, OTC options or other transactions supported by another party’s credit may affect the value of

 

38


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

Income Risk

The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, the Fund generally will have to invest the proceeds from the maturing portfolio securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see “— Call Risk” above) in lower-yielding securities. A decline in income received by the Fund from its investments is likely to have a negative effect on dividend levels and the market price, net asset value and/or overall return of the Common Shares.

Valuation Risk

When market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable, the Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. See “Net Asset Value.” Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value pricing will result in adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets, or that fair value pricing will reflect actual market value, and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset will be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset.

Common Stock Risk

Common stocks have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may significantly under-perform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. Also, the price of common stocks is sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase.

REIT Risk

The Fund may invest in common stocks, preferred securities and convertible securities issued by REITs. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be linked to the performance of the real estate markets. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. REIT prices also may drop because of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and incomes from the properties they own, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. REITs are subject to other risks as well, including the fact that REITs are dependent on specialized management skills which may affect their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders. REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to the risks associated with obtaining financing for real property. A U.S. domestic REIT can pass its income through to shareholders or unitholders without any U.S. federal income tax at the entity level if it complies with various requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as

 

39


amended (the “Code”). There is the risk that a REIT held by the Fund will fail to qualify for this pass-through treatment of its income. Similarly, REITs formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries may fail to qualify for corporate tax benefits made available by the governments of such countries. The Fund, as a holder of a REIT, will bear its pro rata portion of the REIT’s expenses.

U.S. Government Agency Securities Risk

U.S. government agency securities including securities issued by U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises and instrumentalities, are not direct obligations of the U.S. Government. Certain of these enterprises (such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”)) are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, other U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal Home Loan Bank) are not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have each been subject to investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting matters. Such investigations, and any resulting restatements of financial statements, may adversely affect the credit quality, availability or investment character of the securities issued or guaranteed by those agencies. To the extent that legislation or federal regulators impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of such institutions to issue or guarantee securities, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of government agency-issued or -guaranteed securities for investment may be adversely affected. Further, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of government agency-issued or -guaranteed securities.

Municipal Securities Market Risk

The amount of public information available about the municipal securities in the Fund’s portfolio is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the Fund’s investment performance may therefore be more dependent on Nuveen Asset Management’s analytical abilities than if the Fund were to invest in stocks or non-municipal securities. The secondary market for municipal securities, particularly the below investment grade municipal securities in which the Fund may invest, also tends to be less well-developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to sell its municipal securities at attractive prices. Municipal securities are subject to risks based on many factors, including deregulation, changes or proposed changes in the federal and state tax structure, economic and regulatory developments, court rulings and other factors. The value of municipal securities may be affected more by supply and demand factors or the creditworthiness of the issuer than by market interest rates. Repayment of municipal securities depends on the ability of the issuer or project backing such securities to generate taxes or revenues.

Inverse Floating Rate Securities Risk

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

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

 

40


such an agreement because the level of leverage in the special purpose trust exceeds the level that the liquidity provider is willing to support absent such an agreement; and/or (ii) to seek to prevent the liquidity provider from collapsing the special purpose trust in the event that the securities held in the trust have declined in value. Such an agreement would require the Fund to reimburse the third party sponsor of the trust, upon termination of the trust issuing the inverse floating rate security, the difference between the liquidation value of the securities held in the trust and the principal amount due to the holders of floating rate interests. In such instances, the Fund may be at risk of loss that exceeds its original investment in the inverse floating rate securities.

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

The Fund’s investments in inverse floating rate securities will create effective leverage, which will create an opportunity for increased Common Share net income and returns, but will also create the possibility that Common Share long-term returns will be diminished if the cost of leverage exceeds the return on the inverse floating rate securities purchased by the Fund.

Inverse floating rate securities have varying degrees of liquidity based upon the liquidity of the underlying securities deposited in a special purpose trust. The market price of inverse floating rate securities is more volatile than the underlying securities due to leverage. The leverage attributable to such inverse floating rate securities may be “called away” on relatively short notice and therefore may be less permanent than more traditional forms of leverage. The Fund may be required to sell its inverse floating rate securities at less than favorable prices, or liquidate other Fund portfolio holdings in certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Transactions Risk

When-issued and delayed-delivery transactions may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the securities prior to settlement and, because securities are subject to market fluctuations, the value of the securities at time of delivery may be less (or more) than their cost. A separate account of the Fund will be established with its custodian consisting of cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment.

 

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Illiquid Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments that, at the time of purchase, are illiquid. Illiquid securities are securities that are not readily marketable and may include some restricted securities, which are securities that may not be resold to the public without an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act or, if they are unregistered, may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

Inflation Risk

Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the Common Shares and distributions can decline.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

The Declaration and By-laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.”

Other Investment Companies Risk

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies. Such securities may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. Utilization of leverage is a speculative investment technique and involves certain risks. The Fund, as a holder of the securities of other investment companies, will bear its pro rata portion of the other investment companies’ expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Fund’s own operations.

ETF Risk

The Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs, to the extent permitted by law. Most ETFs are investment companies that aim to track or replicate a desired index, such as a sector, market or global segment. Most ETFs are passively managed and their shares are traded on a national exchange. ETFs do not sell individual shares directly to investors and only issue their shares in large blocks known as “creation units.” The investor purchasing a creation unit may sell the individual shares on a secondary market. Therefore, the liquidity of ETFs depends on the adequacy of the secondary market. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s investment objective will be achieved, as ETFs based on an index may not replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weightings of securities in the index. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. The Fund, as a holder of the securities of the ETF, will bear its pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Fund’s own operations. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. As ETFs trade on an exchange, they are subject to the risks of any exchange-traded instrument, including: (i) an active trading market for its shares may not develop or be maintained, (ii) trading of its shares may be halted by the exchange, and (iii) its shares may be delisted from the exchange.

Deflation Risk

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

 

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Certain Affiliations

Certain broker-dealers may be considered to be affiliated persons of the Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management and/or Nuveen Investments. Absent an exemption from the SEC or other regulatory relief, the Fund generally is precluded from effecting certain principal transactions with affiliated brokers, and its ability to purchase securities being underwritten by an affiliated broker or a syndicate including an affiliated broker, or to utilize affiliated brokers for agency transactions, is subject to restrictions. This could limit the Fund’s ability to engage in securities transactions and take advantage of market opportunities. In addition, unless and until the underwriting syndicate is broken in connection with the initial public offering of the Common Shares, the Fund will be precluded from effecting principal transactions with brokers who are members of the syndicate.

Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk

Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management each provide a wide array of portfolio management and other asset management services to a mix of clients and may engage in ordinary course activities in which their respective interests or those of their clients may compete or conflict with those of the Fund. For example, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may provide investment management services to other funds and accounts that follow investment objectives similar to that of the Fund. In certain circumstances, and subject to its fiduciary obligations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Nuveen Asset Management may have to allocate a limited investment opportunity among its clients, which include closed-end funds, open-end funds and other commingled funds. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have each adopted policies and procedures designed to address such situations and other potential conflicts of interests. For additional information about potential conflicts of interest, and the way in which Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management address such conflicts, please see “Investment Adviser and Subadviser” in the SAI.

Dependence on Key Personnel Risk

Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management are dependent upon the experience and expertise of certain key personnel in providing services with respect to the Fund’s investments. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and/or Nuveen Asset Management were to lose the services of these individuals, their ability to service the Fund could be adversely affected.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

Trustees and Officers

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

Investment Adviser and Subadviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors will be responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage. Nuveen Asset Management, the Fund’s subadviser, will be responsible for investing the Fund’s Managed Assets.

Nuveen Fund Advisors will also be responsible for overseeing Nuveen Asset Management’s implementation of the investment process on behalf of the Fund, and for the ongoing monitoring of Nuveen Asset Management, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services.

Nuveen Fund Advisors — Investment Adviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, a registered investment adviser, is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. Founded in 1898, Nuveen Investments and its affiliates had approximately $227 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2012. According to Morningstar Fundamental Data, Nuveen Investments is the leading sponsor of closed-end funds as measured by the number of funds (133) and the amount of fund assets under management (approximately $53.2 billion) as of March 31 2012.

Nuveen Asset Management — Subadviser

Nuveen Asset Management, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, a registered investment adviser, is the Fund’s subadviser responsible for the investment of the Fund’s Managed Assets and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. Douglas Baker and Brenda Langenfeld will serve as the Fund’s portfolio managers and are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment strategy. Douglas Baker will serve as the lead portfolio manager for the Fund.

Douglas M. Baker, CFA, is a Senior Vice President at Nuveen Asset Management and a portfolio manager for the Fund. He is the head of the Preferred Securities Team and a portfolio manager for all related preferred security strategies. He is also a member of Nuveen Asset Management’s Fixed Income Strategy Committee. He joined Nuveen Asset Management in 2006 as a Vice President and Derivatives Analyst, and later that year his responsibilities expanded to include portfolio management duties. Mr. Baker also manages Nuveen Asset Management’s derivative overlay group, where he is responsible for implementing derivatives-based hedging strategies across the Nuveen Asset Management municipal strategies complex. Prior to joining Nuveen, Mr. Baker spent three years at Lehman Brothers in institutional fixed income and derivatives sales, and prior to that he spent five years at Bank of America in corporate and commercial banking. He manages investments for three Nuveen-sponsored investment companies, with a total of approximately $1.19 billion under management.

Brenda A. Langenfeld, CFA, is a Vice President at Nuveen Asset Management and a portfolio manager for the Fund and all related preferred security strategies. She started working in the financial services industry with FAF Advisors, Inc. in 2004. Previously, Ms. Langenfeld was a member of the High Grade Credit Sector Team, responsible for trading corporate bonds, and prior to that, she was a member of the Securitized Debt Sector Team, trading mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities. She manages investments for two Nuveen-sponsored investment companies, with a total of approximately $1.17 billion under management.

 

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The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund.

Investment Management and Subadvisory Agreements

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

Fund-Level Fee

The fund-level fee shall be applied according to the following schedule:

 

Fund-Level Average Daily Managed Assets(1)

   Fund-Level Fee Rate  

Up to $500 million

     0.7000 %

$500 million to $1 billion

     0.6750 %

$1 billion to $1.5 billion

     0.6500 %

$1.5 billion to $2 billion

     0.6250 %

Over $2 billion

     0.6000 %

Complex-Level Fee

The effective rates of the complex-level fee at various specified complex-wide asset levels are as indicated in the following table:

 

Complex-Level Asset Breakpoint Level(2)

   Effective Rate At
Breakpoint Level
 

$55 billion

     0.2000 %

$56 billion

     0.1996 %

$57 billion

     0.1989 %

$60 billion

     0.1961 %

$63 billion

     0.1931 %

$66 billion

     0.1900 %

$71 billion

     0.1851 %

$76 billion

     0.1806 %

$80 billion

     0.1773 %

$91 billion

     0.1691 %

$125 billion

     0.1599 %

$200 billion

     0.1505 %

$250 billion

     0.1469 %

$300 billion

     0.1445 %

 

(1) For this Fund, “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage). Total assets for this purpose shall include assets attributable to the Fund’s use of effective leverage through investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts (whether or not those assets are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of U.S. GAAP).

 

(2)

The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen Funds. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors’ assumption of the management of the former First American

 

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  Funds effective January 1, 2011. With respect to closed-end funds, eligible assets include assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates in TOB trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by Nuveen Fund Advisors as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances.

Based on eligible assets as of March 31, 2012, the complex-level fee would be 0.1735% of Managed Assets, and the total fee to Nuveen Fund Advisors would be 0.8735% of Managed Assets (assuming Managed Assets of $500 million or less).

Pursuant to an investment subadvisory agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management, Nuveen Fund Advisors will pay Nuveen Asset Management a portfolio management fee equal to a percentage of the management fee.

Portfolio Management Fee

The portfolio management fee shall be applied as a percentage of the investment management fee according to the following schedule:

 

Average Daily Managed Assets

      

Up to $125 million

     50.0000

$125 million to $150 million

     47.5000

$150 million to $175 million

     45.0000

$175 million to $200 million

     42.5000

Over $200 million

     40.0000

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

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ initial approval of the Fund’s investment management agreement and investment subadvisory agreement will be provided in the Fund’s initial shareholder report. The basis for subsequent continuations of the Fund’s investment management agreement and investment subadvisory agreement will be provided in annual or semi-annual reports to shareholders for the periods during which such continuations occur.

NET ASSET VALUE

The Fund’s net asset value per share is determined as of the close of regular session trading (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. Exceptions may occur in certain circumstances, such as when the NYSE is closed other than on normal closing days or when trading is restricted, or during emergencies, when it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to calculate its net asset value. Net asset value is calculated by taking the market value of the Fund’s total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share. All valuations are subject to review by the Board of Trustees or its designee.

In determining the net asset value of the Fund, portfolio instruments generally are valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or obtained from other sources, such as broker-dealer

 

46


quotations, all as approved by the Board of Trustees. Independent pricing services typically value non-equity portfolio instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain securities, particularly less liquid and lower quality securities, the pricing services may consider information about a security, its issuer or market activity provided by Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management.

With respect to equity securities, readily marketable portfolio securities listed on the NYSE generally are valued at the last sale price reflected on the consolidated tape at the close of the NYSE on the business day as of which such value is being determined, as provided by the pricing service. Readily marketable securities not listed on the NYSE but listed on other domestic exchanges are valued in a like manner except that Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) securities are valued using the Nasdaq official closing price for such securities. Portfolio securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on the business day as of which such value is being determined as reflected on the tape at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities.

Generally, readily marketable securities traded in a U.S. OTC market, including listed securities whose primary market is believed by the pricing service to be a U.S. OTC market, but excluding securities admitted to trading on the Nasdaq, are valued at the last reported sales price on the valuation date in the U.S. OTC market in which the security primarily trades, as provided by the pricing service.

If a price cannot be obtained from a pricing service or other pre-approved source, or if Nuveen Fund Advisors deems such price to be unreliable, a portfolio instrument may be valued by the Fund at is fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its designee. As a general principle, the fair value of a portfolio instrument is the amount that an owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the instrument’s current sale. A range of factors and analyses may be considered when determining fair value, including relevant market data, interest rates, credit considerations and/or issuer-specific news.

Generally, trading in many foreign securities that the Fund may hold will be substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the NYSE. The values of these securities used in determining the net asset value of the Fund generally will be computed as of such times. Occasionally, events affecting the value of foreign securities may occur between such times and the close of the NYSE, which will not be reflected in the computation of the Fund’s net asset value unless the Fund deems that such events would materially affect its net asset value, in which case an adjustment would be made and reflected in such computation. The Fund may rely on an independent fair valuation service in making any such adjustment. Foreign securities held by the Fund will be valued in U.S. dollars.

 

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DISTRIBUTIONS

Commencing with the first distribution, the Fund will seek to pay regular monthly cash distributions to Common Shareholders at a level rate (stated in terms of a fixed cents per Common Share distribution rate) based on the projected performance of the Fund. The Fund’s ability to maintain a level Common Share distribution rate will depend on a number of factors, including interest payable on the Fund’s outstanding leverage. Distributions will be reinvested in additional Common Shares under the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan unless a Common Shareholder elects to receive cash.

As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Common Shares and the Fund’s distribution policy could change. Over time, the Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income (after it pays accrued interest on any outstanding leverage). In addition, at least annually, the Fund intends to distribute net capital gain and taxable ordinary income, if any, to Common Shareholders so long as the net capital gain and taxable ordinary income are not necessary to pay accrued interest on the Fund’s outstanding leverage. To the extent that the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy exceeds the distribution rate for an extended period, the Fund may be in a position to increase the distribution rate or distribute supplemental amounts to shareholders. The Fund expects to declare its initial Common Share distribution approximately 30 to 60 days, and to pay that distribution approximately 60 to 90 days, from the completion of this offering, depending on market conditions.

It is possible that a portion of the Fund’s distributions could represent a return of capital. For federal income tax purposes, a return of capital would reduce a Common Shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in his or her Common Shares, with any amount distributed in excess of basis treated as capital gain. A reduction in tax basis could result in a greater amount of gain or a smaller amount of loss when a Common Shareholder sells such Common Shares. It is possible that a return of capital could cause a Common Shareholder to pay a tax with respect to Common Shares that are sold for an amount less than the price originally paid for them. See “Tax Matters.”

At the same time that it pays a monthly distribution, the Fund will post on its website (www.nuveen.com/cef), and provide to Common Shareholders, a written notice of the estimated sources and U.S. federal income tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions (i.e., what percentage of the distributions is estimated to constitute ordinary income, short-term capital gains and long-term capital gains) on a year-to-date basis, in compliance with the 1940 Act. These estimates may be based on certain assumptions about the Fund’s expected investment returns and the realization of net gains, if any, over the remaining course of the year. These estimates may, and likely will, vary over time based on the activities of the Fund and changes in the value of portfolio investments. The Fund expects that it will provide this type of information primarily on a tax basis, instead of on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, because experience has shown that fund shareholders are generally most concerned about the tax character of their distributions, and because the Fund expects that the distributions’ tax characteristics will fairly reflect the economic basis of the Funds’ distributions and returns. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after December 31 in each year, and reported to Common Shareholders on Form 1099-DIV early the following year.

As explained more fully below in “Tax Matters,” at least annually, the Fund may elect to retain rather than distribute all or a portion of any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) otherwise applicable to Common Shareholders and pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained gain. As provided under U.S. federal income tax law, if the Fund elects to report such retained gain as undistributed capital gain, Common Shareholders of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include their attributable share of the retained net capital gain in their income for the year as long-term capital gain (regardless of their holding period in the Common Shares), and will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit for the U.S. federal income tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund. Under the Fund’s distribution policy (but not for U.S. federal income tax purposes), the Fund may treat the cash value of tax credit amounts in connection with retained capital gains as a substitute for equivalent cash distributions.

 

48


The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of its monthly distributions at any time and may do so without prior notice to Common Shareholders.

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

If your Common Shares are registered directly with the Fund or if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that participates in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”), your distributions, including any capital gain distributions, will automatically be reinvested in additional Common Shares under the Plan unless you request otherwise. If you elect not to participate in the Plan, or are not eligible to participate because your brokerage firm does not participate in the Plan, you will receive all distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to you or your brokerage firm by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as dividend paying agent. The tax consequences of a distribution are generally the same regardless of whether such distribution is reinvested or received in cash. See “Tax Matters.”

Under the Plan, the number of Common Shares you will receive will be determined as follows:

(1) If the Common Shares are trading at or above net asset value at the time of valuation, the Fund will issue new Common Shares at a price equal to the greater of (i) net asset value per Common Share on that date or (ii) 95% of the market price on that date.

(2) If Common Shares are trading below net asset value at the time of valuation, the Plan Agent will receive the dividend or distribution in cash and will purchase Common Shares in the open market, on the NYSE or elsewhere, for the participants’ accounts. It is possible that the market price for the Common Shares may increase before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases. Therefore, the average purchase price per share paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the market price at the time of valuation, resulting in the purchase of fewer Common Shares than if the dividend or distribution had been paid in Common Shares issued by the Fund. The Plan Agent will use all dividends and distributions received in cash to purchase Common Shares in the open market within 30 days of the valuation date. Interest will not be paid on any uninvested cash payments. The Plan provides that if Common Shares start trading at or above net asset value before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases, the Plan Agent may cease purchasing Common Shares in the open market, and may invest the uninvested portion in new Common Shares at a price equal to the greater of (i) net asset value per Common Share determined on the last business day immediately prior to the purchase date or (ii) 95% of the market price on that date.

You may withdraw from the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Plan Agent. If you withdraw or the Plan is terminated, you will receive whole Common Shares in your account under the Plan and you will receive a cash payment for any fraction of a share in your account. If you wish, the Plan Agent will sell your Common Shares and send you the proceeds, minus brokerage commissions and a $2.50 service fee.

The Plan Agent maintains all shareholders’ accounts in the Plan and gives written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information you may need for your tax records. Common Shares in your account will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form. Any proxy you receive will include all Common Shares you have received under the Plan.

There is no brokerage charge for reinvestment of your dividends or distributions in Common Shares. However, all participants will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred by the Plan Agent when it makes open market purchases.

Automatically reinvesting dividends and distributions does not mean that you do not have to pay income taxes due upon receiving dividends and distributions.

As noted above, if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that does not participate in the Plan, you will not be able to participate in the Plan and any dividend reinvestment may be effected on different terms than those described above. Consult your financial advisor for more information.

 

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The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan if in the judgment of the Board of Trustees the change is warranted. There is no direct service charge to participants in the Plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Additional information about the Plan may be obtained from State Street Bank and Trust Company, Attn: Computershare Nuveen Investments, P.O. Box 43071, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3071, (800) 257-8787.

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES AND DEBT

Common Shares

The Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. The Common Shares being offered have a par value of $0.01 per share and have equal rights to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation of the Fund. The Common Shares being offered will, when issued, be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed below under “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws,” non-assessable, and will have no preemptive or conversion rights or rights to cumulative voting. If the Fund issues Preferred Shares, the Common Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any cash distributions from the Fund unless all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares have been paid, and unless asset coverage (as defined below) with respect to Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions. See “— Preferred Shares.”

It is anticipated that the Common Shares will be approved for listing on the NYSE, 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. The Fund will not issue share certificates.

Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by 4.50% (the amount of the sales load as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.875, before deducting offering expenses. Net asset value of the Fund and the net asset value per Common Share are then further reduced by the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund (estimated to be an additional 0.20% as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.825, immediately after this offering is completed. Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to (i) reimburse all organization expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay all offering costs of the Fund (other than sales load) that exceed $0.05 per Common Share. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not continuously offer shares and do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a Common Shareholder determines to buy additional shares or sell Common Shares already held, the Common Shareholder may do so by trading on the NYSE through a broker or otherwise. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade on an exchange at prices lower than net asset value. Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have, during some periods, traded at prices higher than net asset value and, during other periods, have traded at prices lower than net asset value. Because the market value of the Common Shares may be influenced by such factors as dividend levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), dividend stability, net asset value, relative demand for and supply of such Common Shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the Fund’s control, the Fund cannot guarantee you that Common Shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than net asset value in the future. 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 Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” below and in the SAI.

Borrowings

The Declaration authorizes the Fund, without approval of the Common Shareholders, to borrow money. In this connection, the Fund may issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness (including bank borrowings or commercial paper) and may secure any such debt by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the Fund’s assets. In connection with such borrowing, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances with the lender or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line

 

50


of credit. Any such requirements will increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after any such debt is issued, must have an “asset coverage” of at least 300%. With respect to any such debt, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of such debt represented by senior securities issued by the Fund. Certain types of debt may result in the Fund being subject to certain restrictions imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies which may issue ratings for commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund. Such restrictions may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

The rights of lenders to the Fund to receive interest on and repayment of principal of any such debt will be senior to those of the Common Shareholders, and the terms of any such debt may contain provisions which limit certain activities of the Fund, including the payment of dividends to Common Shareholders in certain circumstances. Further, the 1940 Act does (in certain circumstances) grant to the lenders to the Fund certain voting rights in the event of default in the payment of interest on or repayment of principal. In the event that such provisions would impair the Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund, subject to its ability to liquidate its relatively illiquid portfolio, intends to repay the debt. Any debt will likely be ranked senior or equal to all other existing and future debt of the Fund. The Fund also may borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary emergency purposes. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI.

Preferred Shares

The Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Preferred Shares in one or more classes or series, with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without the approval of the Common Shareholders. The terms of any preferred shares that may be issued by the Fund may be the same as, or different from, the terms described below, subject to applicable law and the Declaration. The Fund has no current intent to issue Preferred Shares. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after any such Preferred Shares are issued, must have “asset coverage” of at least 200%. With respect to any such Preferred Shares, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of any such Preferred Shares issued by the Fund.

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 Fund’s total net assets, 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 Fund’s total net assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution) immediately after the distribution.

Distribution Preference.    Any Preferred Shares would 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, holders of Preferred Shares would be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared) before any distribution of assets is made to Common Shareholders. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, holders of Preferred Shares 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

 

51


and have equal voting rights with Common Shares. Except as otherwise indicated in the SAI and except as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of Preferred Shares would vote together with Common Shareholders as a single class.

In connection with the election of the Fund’s trustees, holders of Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees, and the remaining trustees would be elected by Common Shareholders and holders of Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class. In addition, if at any time dividends on the Fund’s outstanding Preferred Shares would be unpaid in an amount equal to two full years’ dividends thereon, the holders of all outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s 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 Fund’s outstanding preferred shares of any class or series, as the case may be, voting as a separate class, would be required to, among other things, (1) take certain actions that would affect the preferences, rights, or powers of such class or series or (2) authorize or issue any class or series having priority over the Preferred Shares. Except as may otherwise be required by law, (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company and (2) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding preferred shares, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any plan of reorganization (as such term is used in the 1940 Act) adversely affecting such shares; provided however, that such separate class vote would be a majority vote if the action in question has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or the By-laws. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any action not described in the preceding sentence requiring a vote of security holders under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act including, among other things, changes in the Fund’s investment objective or changes in the investment restrictions described as fundamental policies under “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI. The class or series vote of holders of Preferred Shares described above would 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 would not apply with respect to the Fund’s Preferred Shares if, at or prior to the time when a vote was required, such Preferred Shares would have been (1) redeemed or (2) called for redemption and sufficient funds would have been deposited in trust to effect such redemption.

Redemption, Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares.    The terms of the Preferred Shares may provide that they are redeemable by the Fund 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 Preferred Shares so tendered for or purchased. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred Shares by the Fund would reduce the leverage applicable to Common Shares, while any resale of such Preferred Shares by the Fund would increase such leverage.

For more information on Preferred Shares, see “Description of Shares and Debt — Preferred Shares” in the SAI.

CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS

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

 

52


circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The Fund believes that the likelihood of such circumstances is remote.

The Declaration provides that the Fund’s obligations are not binding upon the Fund’s trustees individually, but only upon the Fund’s assets and property, 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 or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Anti-Takeover Provisions.    The Declaration and By-laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to convert the Fund to open-end status. The By-laws require the Board of Trustees be divided into three classes with staggered terms. See “Management of the Fund” in the SAI. This provision of the By-laws could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. If Preferred Shares are issued, holders of Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees. In addition, the Declaration requires a vote by holders of at least two-thirds of the Common Shares and, if issued, Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class, except as described below, to authorize (1) a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, (2) a merger or consolidation of the Fund, or a series or class of the Fund, with any corporation, association, trust or other organization or a reorganization of the Fund, or a series or class of the Fund, (3) a sale, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets (other than in the regular course of the Fund’s investment activities), (4) in certain circumstances, a termination of the Fund, or a series or class of the Fund or (5) a removal of trustees by shareholders, and then only for cause, unless, with respect to (1) through (4), such transaction has already been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or the By-laws, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Common Shares and, if issued, Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting together as a single class, would be required; provided, however, that where only a particular class or series is affected (or, in the case of removing a trustee, when the trustee has been elected by only one class), only the required vote by the applicable class or series will be required. Approval of shareholders would not be required, however, for any transaction, whether deemed a merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise whereby the Fund issues shares in connection with the acquisition of assets (including those subject to liabilities) from any other investment company or similar entity. In the case of the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company, or in the case of any of the foregoing transactions constituting a plan of reorganization that adversely affects the holders of any outstanding Preferred Shares, the action in question also would require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, or, if such action has been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or the By-laws, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Preferred Shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class. None of the foregoing provisions may be amended except by the vote of at least two-thirds of the Common Shares and, if issued, preferred shares, voting together as a single class. The votes required to approve the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company or to approve transactions constituting a plan of reorganization that adversely affects the holders of any outstanding Preferred Shares are higher than those required by the 1940 Act. The Board of Trustees believes that the provisions of the Declaration relating to such higher votes are in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders. In addition to removal by shareholders for cause, a trustee may also be removed for cause by action of the Board of Trustees, may be removed as required by the 1940 Act or may no longer serve as trustee once a successor is elected and qualified.

The provisions of the Declaration and By-laws described above could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of a merger or the assumption of control by a third party. They provide, however, the

 

53


advantage of potentially requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid and facilitating the continuity of the Fund’s investment objective and policies. The Board of Trustees has considered the foregoing anti-takeover provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund and its Common Shareholders.

Defined Term.    The Declaration provides that the Fund in ordinary circumstances will terminate on August 31, 2024. The Fund’s trustees may terminate the Fund prior to this date. The Declaration provides also that the Fund’s term may be extended by the Board of Trustees, without a vote of Common Shareholders, for one period of up to twelve months. The Fund’s term may only be extended further than one period with a vote of Common Shareholders.

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

Reference should be made to the Declaration and By-laws on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.

REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

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

If the Fund converted to an open-end investment company, the Common Shares would no longer be listed on the NYSE or elsewhere. In contrast to a closed-end investment company, shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder) at their net asset value, less any redemption charge that is in effect at the time of redemption. See “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” in the SAI for a discussion of the voting requirements applicable to the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company.

Before deciding whether to take any action if the Common Shares trade below net asset value, the Board of Trustees would consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders, and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Fund’s 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. See “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” in the SAI for a further discussion of possible action to reduce or eliminate such discount to net asset value.

TAX MATTERS

The following discussion of U.S. federal income tax matters is based on the advice of K&L Gates LLP, special counsel to the Fund.

The discussions below and certain disclosure in the SAI provide general U.S. federal income tax information related to an investment in the Common Shares. Because tax laws are complex and often

 

54


change, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. The following U.S. federal income tax discussion assumes that you are a U.S. Common Shareholder (as defined under “Tax Matters” in the SAI) and that you hold the Common Shares as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment).

The Fund intends to elect to be treated and to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements regarding the sources of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. As a RIC, the Fund is not expected to be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent that it distributes its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). The Fund primarily invests in securities whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax. Thus, substantially all of the Fund’s dividends paid to you should be treated as taxable dividends (which are taxable as ordinary income), and you should not be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax as a result of your investment in Common Shares. In addition to dividends, the Fund also may distribute to its Common Shareholder amounts that are treated as long-term capital gain. Dividend distributions may be subject to state and local taxation, depending on a Common Shareholder’s situation. Taxable distributions are taxable whether or not such distributions are reinvested in the Fund. Capital gain distributions are generally taxable at rates applicable to long-term capital gains regardless of how long a Common Shareholder has held his or her Common Shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxable at a maximum rate of 15%. Absent further legislation, the maximum 15% rate on long-term capital gains will increase to 20%, and the maximum rate applicable to ordinary income will increase to 39.6%, in both cases for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2012, distributions derived from “qualified dividend income” and received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Common Shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the Common Shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Common Shares. A portion of the Fund’s distributions to Common Shareholders may qualify for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate Common Shareholders.

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, recently enacted legislation imposes an additional tax at a rate of 3.8% on the lesser of (1) an individual’s “net investment income” or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers). For this purpose, “net investment income” generally includes dividends, taxable interest, and net gain from the disposition of investment property, reduced by any deductions properly allocable to such income or net gain. This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax will apply for those years to estates and trusts. Common Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this provision may have on their investment in Common Shares.

As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax in any taxable year provided that it meets certain distribution requirements. As described in “Distributions” above, the Fund may retain for investment some (or all) of its net capital gain. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or 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 report the retained amount as undistributed capital gains as part of its annual reporting to its Common Shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount; (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any; and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Common Shares owned by a Common Shareholder will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains

 

55


included in the Common Shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the Common Shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The Fund intends to distribute to its Common Shareholders at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains (except for net capital gains credited to them but retained by the Fund).

Dividends and other taxable distributions declared by the Fund in October, November or December to Common Shareholders of record on a specified date in such month and paid during the following January will be treated as having been received by Common Shareholders in the year the distributions were declared.

If, for any calendar year, the Fund’s total distributions exceed both the current taxable year’s earnings and profits and accumulated earnings and profits from prior years, the excess generally will be treated as a tax-free return of capital up to and including the amount of a Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Common Shares, and thereafter as capital gain. Upon a sale of Common Shares, the amount, if any, by which the sales price exceeds the basis in the Common Shares is gain subject to tax. Because a return of capital reduces basis in the Common Shares, it will increase the amount of gain or decrease the amount of loss on a subsequent disposition of the Common Shares.

Each Common Shareholder will receive an annual statement summarizing the Common Shareholder’s dividend and capital gains distributions (including net capital gains credited to the Common Shareholder but retained by the Fund) after the close of the Fund’s taxable year.

The redemption, sale, exchange or other disposition (including at termination of the Fund) of Common Shares normally will result in capital gain or loss to Common Shareholders. Generally a Common Shareholder’s gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Common Shares have been held for more than one year. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gains of corporations at the same rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, however, long-term capital gains are currently taxed at a maximum rate of 15%, while short-term capital gains are currently taxed at ordinary income rates. If a Common Shareholder sells or otherwise disposes of Common Shares before holding them for six months, any loss on the sale or disposition will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any net capital gains distributed to the Common Shareholder (including any net capital gains credited to them but retained by the Fund). Any loss realized on a sale or exchange of Common Shares will be disallowed to the extent those Common Shares are replaced by other substantially identical shares within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the original Common Shares. In that event, the basis of the replacement shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

If the Fund acquires stock in a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) and holds the stock beyond the end of the year of acquisition, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on any “excess distribution” the Fund receives on the stock or any gain realized by the Fund from disposition of the stock (collectively “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes that share of the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its Common Shareholders. Fund distributions of PFIC income will not be eligible for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate on individuals’ “qualified dividend income” mentioned above. The Fund anticipates that its holdings will include stock interests in PFICs.

The Fund may avoid the tax and interest on PFIC income if it elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund;” however, the requirements for that election are difficult to satisfy. In the alternative, the Fund intends to elect to “mark-to-market” the securities associated with a PFIC. Under such an election, the Fund would include in income each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over the Fund’s adjusted basis in the PFIC stock. The Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the PFIC stock over the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by the Fund for prior taxable years. The Fund’s adjusted basis in the PFIC stock would be adjusted to reflect the amounts included in, or deducted from, income under this election. Amounts included in income pursuant to this election, as well as gain realized on the sale or other

 

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disposition of the PFIC security, would be treated as ordinary income. The deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss, as well as loss realized on the sale or other disposition of the PFIC stock to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the Fund, would be treated as ordinary loss. The Fund generally would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge provisions discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.

The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes, which could reduce the amount of its distributions. If more than 50% of the Fund’s assets were invested in foreign securities at the end of a year, the Fund would be eligible to make an election permitting Common Shareholders to claim a credit or deduction for their pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If it made this election, the Fund might report more taxable income to Common Shareholders than it actually distributes. It is unlikely that the Fund will be eligible to pass through foreign tax credits in any given year.

The Fund may be required to “backup” withhold U.S. federal income tax (currently, at a rate of 28%) from all taxable distributions and redemption proceeds payable to Common Shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or if the Common Shareholders have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a Common Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

The Fund may invest in preferred securities or other securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which is uncertain or subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or their income differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to RICs under the Code.

 

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UNDERWRITING

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Nuveen Securities, LLC are acting as the representatives of the Underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this Prospectus, each Underwriter named below has agreed to purchase, and the Fund has agreed to sell to that Underwriter, the number of Common Shares set forth opposite the Underwriter’s name.

 

Underwriter

   Number of
Common Shares

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

  

UBS Securities LLC

  

Nuveen Securities, LLC

  

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

  

BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, LLC

  

Comerica Securities, Inc.

  

Henley & Company LLC

  

J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC

  

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

  

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

  

Maxim Group LLC

  

Newbridge Securities Corporation

  

Wedbush Securities Inc.

  

Wunderlich Securities, Inc.

  

B.C. Ziegler and Company

  

Total

  
  

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Common Shares included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The Underwriters are obligated to purchase all the Common Shares (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) shown above if any of the Common Shares are purchased.

The Underwriters propose to offer some of the Common Shares directly to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus and some of the Common Shares to dealers at the public offering price less a concession not to exceed $1.125 per Common Share. The sales load the investors in the Fund will pay of $1.125 per Common Share is equal to 4.5% of the initial offering price. If all of the Common Shares are not sold at the initial offering price, the representatives may change the public offering price and other selling terms. Investors must pay for any Common Shares purchased on or before             , 2012. The representatives have advised the Fund that the Underwriters do not intend to confirm any sales to any accounts over which they exercise discretionary authority.

Additional Compensation to be Paid by Nuveen Fund Advisors

Nuveen Fund Advisors (and not the Fund) has agreed to pay to each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC from its own assets, a structuring fee for advice relating to the structure, design and organization of the Fund as well as services related to the sale and distribution of the Fund’s Common Shares in the amount of $             , $             and $             , respectively. If the over-allotment option is not exercised, the structuring fees paid to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC will not exceed             %,             % and             %, respectively, of the total public offering price.

Nuveen Fund Advisors (and not the Fund) may pay certain other qualifying Underwriters a structuring fee, a sales incentive fee or other additional compensation in connection with the offering.

 

58


The total amount of the Underwriters’ additional compensation payments by Nuveen Fund Advisors described above will not exceed 4.5% of the total public offering price of the Common Shares offered hereby. The sum total of all compensation to the Underwriters in connection with this public offering of Common Shares, including the sales load and all forms of additional compensation or structuring or sales incentive fee payments, if any, to the Underwriters, and other expenses (including reimbursed expenses), will be limited to not more than 9.0% of the total public offering price of the Common Shares sold in this offering.

The Fund has granted to the Underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this Prospectus, to purchase up to                  additional Common Shares at the public offering price less the sales load. The Underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent such option is exercised, each Underwriter must purchase a number of additional Common Shares approximately proportionate to that Underwriter’s initial purchase commitment.

The Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have agreed, for a period of 180 days from the date of this Prospectus, that they will not, without the prior written consent of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, with certain exceptions, dispose of or hedge any Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, provided that the Fund may issue Common Shares pursuant to the Fund’s Plan.

To meet the NYSE distribution requirements for trading, the Underwriters have undertaken to sell Common Shares in a manner such that shares are held by a minimum of 400 beneficial owners in lots of 100 or more, the minimum stock price will be at least $4.00 at the time of listing on the NYSE, at least 1,100,000 Common Shares will be publicly held in the United States and the aggregate market value of publicly held shares in the United States will be at least $60 million. The Fund’s Common Shares are expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The trading or “ticker” symbol is expected to be “JPI.”

The following table shows the sales load that investors in the Fund will pay to the Underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the Underwriters’ option to purchase additional Common Shares.

 

      No Exercise      Full Exercise  

Per Share

   $ 1.125       $ 1.125   

Total

   $         $     

The Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the 1933 Act, or to contribute to payments the Underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

Certain Underwriters may make a market in Common Shares after trading in Common Shares has commenced on the NYSE. No Underwriter is, however, obligated to conduct market-making activities and any such activities may be discontinued at any time without notice, at the sole discretion of the Underwriters. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or the trading market for, the Common Shares as a result of any market-making activities undertaken by any Underwriter. This Prospectus is to be used by any Underwriter in connection with the offering and, during the period in which a Prospectus must be delivered, with offers and sales of the Common Shares in market-making transactions in the over-the-counter market at negotiated prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of the sale.

In connection with the offering, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC, on behalf of themselves and the other Underwriters, may purchase and sell the Common Shares in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, syndicate covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve syndicate sales of Common Shares in excess of the number of Common Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. “Covered” short

 

59


sales are sales of Common Shares made in an amount up to the number of Common Shares represented by the Underwriters’ over-allotment option. In determining the source of Common Shares to close out the covered syndicate short position, the Underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of Common Shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase Common Shares through the over-allotment option.

Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short position involve either purchases of Common Shares in the open market after the distribution has been completed or the exercise of the over-allotment option. The Underwriters may also make “naked” short sales of Common Shares in excess of the over-allotment option. The Underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing Common Shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the Underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of Common Shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids for or purchases of Common Shares in the open market while the offering is in progress.

The Underwriters may impose a penalty bid. Penalty bids allow the underwriting syndicate to reclaim selling concessions allowed to an Underwriter or a dealer for distributing Common Shares in this offering if the syndicate repurchases Common Shares to cover syndicate short positions or to stabilize the purchase price of the Common Shares.

Any of these activities may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of Common Shares. They may also cause the price of Common Shares to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The Underwriters may conduct these transactions on the NYSE or in the over-the-counter market, or otherwise. If the Underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.

A Prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more of the Underwriters. Other than this Prospectus in electronic format, the information on any such Underwriter’s website is not part of this Prospectus. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of Common Shares to Underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. The representatives will allocate Common Shares to Underwriters that may make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, Common Shares may be sold by the Underwriters to securities dealers who resell Common Shares to online brokerage account holders.

The Fund anticipates that, from time to time, certain Underwriters may act as brokers or dealers in connection with the execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions after they have ceased to be Underwriters and, subject to certain restrictions, may act as brokers while they are Underwriters.

Certain Underwriters and their affiliates may, from time to time, engage in transactions with or perform investment banking, securities trading, hedging, commercial lending and advisory services for the Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management and their affiliates in the ordinary course of business, for which such Underwriters have received, and may expect to receive, customary fees and expenses. Certain Underwriters, their affiliates or employees, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC, have, and other Underwriters that participate in this offering or their affiliates may have, a minority ownership interest in Nuveen Investments, the parent of Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management.

Prior to the public offering of Common Shares, Nuveen Fund Advisors purchased Common Shares from the Fund in an amount satisfying the net worth requirements of Section 14(a) of the 1940 Act. As of the date of this prospectus, Nuveen Fund Advisors owned 100% of the outstanding Common Shares. Nuveen Fund Advisors may be deemed to control the Fund until such time as it owns less than 25% of the outstanding Common Shares, which is expected to occur as of the completion of the offering of Common Shares.

The principal business address of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is 375 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10152. The principal business address of UBS Securities LLC is 299 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10171. The principal business address of Nuveen Securities, LLC is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

 

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CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

The custodian of the Fund’s assets is State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The Custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Fund’s transfer, shareholders services and dividend paying agent is also State Street, 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021. State Street has subcontracted the transfer agency servicing of the Fund to Computershare, Inc.

LEGAL OPINIONS AND EXPERTS

Certain legal matters in connection with the Common Shares will be passed upon for the Fund by K&L Gates LLP, Chicago, Illinois. Certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriters by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Each of K&L Gates LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP may rely as to certain matters of Massachusetts law on the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, provides auditing services to the Fund.

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Investment Objective and Policies

     1   

Investment Restrictions

     5   

Portfolio Composition

     7   

Management of the Fund

     30   

Investment Adviser and Subadviser

     47   

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

     52   

Description of Shares and Debt

     55   

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     57   

Tax Matters

     59   

Experts

     66   

Custodian and Transfer Agent

     66   

Additional Information

     66   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     67   

Financial Statements

     68   

Appendix A

     A-1   

 

 

 

62


Shares

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

Common Shares

$25.00 per Share

 

 

PROSPECTUS

                , 2012

 

 

Wells Fargo Securities

UBS Investment Bank

Nuveen Securities

RBC Capital Markets

BB&T Capital Markets

Comerica Securities

Henley & Company LLC

J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC

Janney Montgomery Scott

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

Maxim Group LLC

Newbridge Securities Corporation

Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wunderlich Securities

Ziegler

Until                     , 2012 (25 days after the date of this Prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade the Common Shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a Prospectus. This delivery requirement is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

LPR-JPI-0712D


SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 22, 2012

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer and sale is not permitted.

NUVEEN PREFERRED AND INCOME TERM FUND

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”).

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) relating to common shares of the Fund (“Common Shares”) does not constitute a Prospectus, but should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus relating thereto dated                     , 2012 (the “Prospectus”). This SAI does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing Common Shares. Investors should obtain and read the Fund’s Prospectus prior to purchasing such shares. A copy of the Fund’s Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 257-8787. You also may obtain a copy of the Fund’s Prospectus on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s web site (http://www.sec.gov). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this SAI have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Investment Objective and Policies

     1   

Investment Restrictions

     5   

Portfolio Composition

     7   

Management of the Fund

     30   

Investment Adviser and Subadviser

     47   

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

     52   

Description of Shares and Debt

     55   

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     57   

Tax Matters

     59   

Experts

     66   

Custodian and Transfer Agent

     66   

Additional Information

     66   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     67   

Financial Statements

     68   

Appendix A

     A-1   

This Statement of Additional Information is dated                     , 2012.


INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and total return. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective.

Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (“Nuveen Fund Advisors”) will be responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage. Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management”), the Fund’s subadviser, will be responsible for investing the Fund’s Managed Assets. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management are both subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments, Inc.

FUND STRATEGIES

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities. The Fund’s portfolio will be actively managed, seeking to capitalize on historically wide preferred credit spreads (the difference between current yields on preferred securities and U.S. Treasury bonds and other fixed-income benchmarks) currently available in the market. The Fund’s strategy will focus opportunistically on financial services companies. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management believe that pending regulatory reform scheduled to be implemented over the term of the Fund may result in further strengthening of the capital base of financial institutions, among other changes, which in turn may create significant investment opportunity for the Fund’s strategy.

PORTFOLIO CONTENTS

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including debt securities, hybrid securities and convertible securities. The Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to have at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities issued by financial services companies and at least 90% of Managed Assets invested in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher); however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. A financial services company is one that is primarily involved in banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investments, or real estate, including REITs. For purposes of identifying companies in the financial services sector, the Fund will use industry classifications such as those provided by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s (The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)), Bloomberg, Barclays or similar sources commonly used in the financial industry. As a result, if one or more of these classifications include a company “in” the financial services sector, the Fund will consider such company as “in” the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in other sectors or industries, such as energy, industrials, utilities, pipelines, health care and telecommunications.

Preferred securities generally pay fixed or adjustable rate distributions to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company’s assets, but are junior to most forms of the company’s debt, including both senior and subordinated debt. Preferred securities are typically rated between three and five notches below the senior debt ratings of any particular issuer. As such, preferred securities are in most cases issued by firms with investment grade quality senior debt ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. The weighted average senior debt rating of the companies underlying the Fund’s initial portfolio is expected to be A+, however, the Fund’s portfolio composition may vary over time. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by other investment companies that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund is a non-diversified fund and as a result may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. See

 

1


“Risks—Non-Diversified Fund Risk” in the Prospectus. The Fund may invest in companies located anywhere in the world. The Fund will invest at least 100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities.

The Fund also may invest in certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments may include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate and credit default swaps), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts, or other derivative instruments. The Fund may use derivative instruments to, among other things, seek to enhance return, to hedge some of the risk of the Fund’s investments or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. See “Portfolio Composition—Derivatives.”

INVESTMENT POLICIES

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest subject to the following policies:

 

   

at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities;

 

   

up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities issued by federal, state and local governments and U.S. government agencies;

 

   

at least 60% of its Managed Assets in securities rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher) at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities rated below B-/B3 at the time of purchase;

 

   

up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of issuers in emerging market countries;

 

   

100% of its Managed Assets in U.S. dollar denominated securities;

 

   

up to 10% of its Managed Assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies, including ETFs, that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly; and

 

   

up to 15% of its Managed Assets in securities and other instruments that, at the time of purchase, are illiquid.

For purposes of investment rating limitations in this Prospectus, a security is considered to have the highest rating assigned to it by a rating agency or, in the case of an unrated security, to have the same rating as rated securities judged by Nuveen Asset Management to be of comparable quality. Investment rating limitations are considered to apply only at the time of purchase and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities. For purposes of the investment policies provided above: (i) such policies only apply at the time of purchase; (ii) the Fund is under no obligation to sell securities as a result of changes in market values or ratings; and (iii) the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may change a policy without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice to Common Shareholders.

Non-U.S. domiciled companies are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in a country other than the U.S., (ii) organized under the laws of a country other than the U.S. and (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in a country other than the U.S.

FUND BENCHMARKS

For comparative purposes, the Fund utilizes the BofA Merrill Lynch Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index (“ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index”) as its primary benchmark. The ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index is an unmanaged index consisting of a set of investment grade exchange traded preferred stocks with outstanding market values of at least $100 million that are covered by Merrill Lynch Fixed Income Research. The index includes certain publicly issued, $25- and $1,000-par securities with at least one year to maturity.

 

2


The Fund also may use a blended combination of one or more indices, including the ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index and the Barclays Capital USD Capital Securities Index (“Barclays Capital Securities Index”), to analyze certain aspects of the Fund’s performance. The ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index tracks the performance of fixed-rate U.S. dollar-denominated preferred securities issued in the U.S. domestic market. The ML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index includes fixed rate U.S. dollar denominated preferred securities and fixed-to-floating rate securities that are callable prior to the floating rate period and are at least one year from the start of the floating rate period. Securities in the index must be rated investment grade including the country of risk and must be issued as public securities or 144a filing and a minimum outstanding of $100 million. The index includes perpetual preferred securities, American Depository Shares/Receipts (ADS/R), domestic and Yankee trust preferred securities having a minimum remaining term of at least one year, both DRD-eligible and non-DRD eligible preferred stock and senior debt. The Barclays Capital Securities Index contains securities generally viewed as hybrid fixed-income securities that either receive regulatory capital treatment or a degree of equity credit from the rating agencies. This generally includes Tier 2/Lower Tier 2 bonds, perpetual step-up debt, step-up preferred securities, and term preferred securities.

LEVERAGE

The Fund anticipates using leverage to seek to enhance its potential to produce a high level of current income and total return over time. The use of leverage involves increased risk, including increased variability of the Fund’s net income, distributions and net asset value in relation to market changes. See “Risks—Leverage Risk” in the Prospectus.

The Fund may utilize the following forms of “structural leverage”: (a) borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions, and/or the issuance of debt securities, including fixed and floating rate notes or liquidity supported variable rate demand obligations (collectively, “Borrowings”); and (b) the issuance of preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”) or other senior securities. The Fund does not intend to use structural leverage until after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective. If current market conditions persist, the Fund intends to use structural leverage obtained from Borrowings from a financial institution. To the extent the Fund employs leverage, the Fund’s total assets, including assets attributable to the principal amount of any Borrowings and any Preferred Shares or other senior securities issued by the Fund that may be outstanding, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage) are referred to as “Managed Assets.”

If current market conditions persist, the Fund expects that initially, after the proceeds of this offering have been substantially invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund’s leverage ratio will equal approximately 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets from structural leverage as discussed above. The Fund also may utilize derivatives and other portfolio techniques that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. “Effective leverage” is the combination of the amount of structural leverage plus the amount of leverage from any such derivatives and other portfolio techniques. If the value of the Fund’s portfolio declines while the Fund is using leverage, the net asset value per Common Share will decline by a greater amount. The Fund anticipates that its effective leverage ratio will vary from time to time, based upon changes in market conditions and variations in the value of the portfolio’s holdings. The Fund’s effective leverage ratio will not exceed 38% of Managed Assets.

The Fund anticipates that the interest on Borrowings may be at a fixed or floating rate, but generally will be based on short-term adjustable rates. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the Fund’s portfolio investments exceeds the then current interest rate on any Borrowings, the investment of the proceeds of Borrowings will generate more income than will be needed to make interest payments. If so, the excess income will be available to pay higher distributions to Common Shareholders. Given the current economic and debt market environment with historically low short-term to intermediate-term interest rates, the Fund intends to use derivatives such as interest rate swaps, with terms that may range from one to ten years, to fix the rate after

 

3


expenses (commonly referred to as the “all-in” rate) paid on a significant portion of the Fund’s leverage. The interest rate swap program, if implemented, will seek to achieve potentially lower leverage costs over an extended period. This strategy would enhance Common Shareholder returns if short-term interest rates were to rise over time to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate over the term of the swap. This strategy, however, will add to leverage costs initially (because the swap costs are likely to be higher than current benchmark adjustable short-term rates) and would increase overall leverage costs over the entirety of any such time period, in the event that short-term interest rates do not rise sufficiently during that period to exceed on average the all-in fixed interest rate for that time period.

The Fund pays a management fee to Nuveen Fund Advisors (which in turn pays a portion of such fee to the Fund’s subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management) based on a percentage of Managed Assets. Managed Assets include the proceeds realized and managed from the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will be responsible for using leverage to pursue the Fund’s investment objective. Nuveen Fund Advisors will base its decision regarding whether and how much leverage to use for the Fund on its assessment of whether such use of leverage will advance the Fund’s investment objective. However, the fact that a decision to increase the Fund’s leverage will have the effect, all other things being equal, of increasing Managed Assets and therefore Nuveen Fund Advisors’ and Nuveen Asset Management’s fees means that Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may have a conflict of interest in determining whether to increase the Fund’s use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors will seek to manage that potential conflict by only increasing the Fund’s use of leverage when it determines that such increase is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, and by periodically reviewing the Fund’s performance and use of leverage with the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”).

The use of leverage creates special risks for Common Shareholders. See “Risks—Leverage Risk” in the Prospectus. There is no assurance that the Fund will use leverage. The Fund’s leverage strategy may not work as planned or achieve its goals.

OTHER POLICIES

During temporary defensive periods or in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, including during the period when the net proceeds of the offering of Common Shares are first being invested, the Fund may deviate from its investment policies and objective. During such periods, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its Managed Assets in short-term investments, including high quality, short-term securities or may invest in short-, intermediate-, or long-term U.S. Treasury bonds. There can be no assurance that such strategies will be successful.

Certain investment policies specifically identified in the SAI as such are considered fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. See “Investment Restrictions.” All of the Fund’s other investment policies, including as noted below, are not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed by the Board of Trustees without a vote of the Common Shareholders.

The Fund’s investment objective and its policy of investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities are not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed without a vote of the Common Shareholders. However, the policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice to Common Shareholders.

The Fund cannot change its fundamental policies without the approval of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding” Common Shares. When used with respect to particular shares of the Fund, a “majority of the outstanding” shares means (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less. See “Description of Shares and Debt—Preferred Shares—Voting Rights” in the Fund’s Prospectus and in this SAI for additional information with respect to the voting rights of holders of Preferred Shares.

 

4


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) Issue senior securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), except as permitted by the 1940 Act1;

(2) Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act1,2;

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

(4) Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry, except the Fund will invest at least 25% of its assets in securities of issuers in the financial services industry provided, however, that such limitation shall not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities;

(5) Purchase or sell real estate, except to the extent that interests in securities the Fund may invest in are considered to be interests in real estate, and this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, including real estate investment trusts, and securities secured by real estate or interests therein and the Fund may hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation, or other distributions of an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities;

(6) Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments except to the extent that interests in securities the Fund may invest in are considered to be interests in commodities and this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities; and

(7) Make loans except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act3;

The Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act.

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest only up to 10% of its total assets in the aggregate in shares of other investment companies and only up to 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, provided the

 

 

1 

Section 18(c) of the 1940 Act generally limits a registered closed-end investment company to issuing one class of senior securities representing indebtedness and one class of senior securities representing stock, except that the class of indebtedness or stock may be issued in one or more series, and promissory notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in consideration of any loan, extension, or renewal thereof, made by a bank or other person and privately arranged, and not intended to be publicly distributed, are not deemed a separate class of senior securities.

2 

Section 18(a) of the 1940 Act generally prohibits a registered closed-end fund from incurring borrowings if, immediately thereafter, the aggregate amount of its borrowings exceeds 33 1/3% of its total assets. The Fund has not applied for, and currently does not intend to apply for, such exemptive relief, but reserves the right to do so in the future.

3 

Section 21 of the 1940 Act makes it unlawful for a registered investment company, like the Fund, to lend money or other property if (i) the investment company’s policies set forth in its registration statement do not permit such a loan or (ii) the borrower controls or is under common control with the investment company. The Fund has not applied for, and currently does not intend to apply for, such exemptive relief, but reserves the right to do so in the future.

 

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investment does not represent more than 3% of the voting stock of the acquired investment company at the time such shares are purchased. As a shareholder in any investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and will also remain subject to payment of the Fund’s management, advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Holders of Common Shares would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund may not:

(1) Under normal circumstances, invest less than 80% of its Managed Assets in preferred and other income producing securities;

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

(3) Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act or any exemptive relief obtained thereunder; and

(4) Purchase securities of companies for the purpose of exercising control, except to the extent that exercise by the Fund of its rights under loan agreements would be deemed to constitute exercising control.

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

The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by either guidelines of one or more credit rating agencies that may issue ratings for Preferred Shares, commercial paper or notes, or, if the Fund borrows from a lender, by the lender. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. If these restrictions were to apply, it is not anticipated that these covenants or guidelines will impede Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management from managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

 

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PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

The Fund’s portfolio will be composed principally of the investments described below.

Preferred Securities. Preferred securities with predominantly equity investment characteristics, like common stocks, represent an equity ownership in an issuer. Generally, preferred securities have a priority of claim over common stocks in dividend payments and upon liquidation of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred securities do not usually have voting rights. Preferred securities in some instances are convertible into common stock. Although they are equity securities, preferred securities have certain characteristics of both debt securities and common stocks. They are debt-like in that their promised income is contractually fixed. They are common stock-like in that they do not have rights to precipitate bankruptcy proceedings or collection activities in the event of missed payments. Furthermore, they have many of the key characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuer’s capital structure and because their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets or cash flows.

In order to be payable, dividends on preferred securities must be declared by the issuer’s board of directors or trustees. In addition, distributions on preferred securities may be subject to deferral and thus may not be automatically payable. Income payments on some preferred securities are cumulative, causing dividends and distributions to accrue even if not declared by the board of directors or trustees or otherwise made payable. Other preferred securities are non-cumulative, meaning that skipped dividends and distributions do not continue to accrue. There is no assurance that dividends on preferred securities in which the Fund invests will be declared or otherwise made payable. The Fund may invest in non-cumulative preferred securities, although Nuveen Asset Management would consider, among other factors, their non-cumulative nature in making any decision to purchase or sell such securities.

Shares of preferred securities have a liquidation value that generally equals their original purchase price at the date of issuance. The market values of preferred securities may be affected by favorable and unfavorable changes impacting the issuers’ industries or sectors. They also may be affected by actual and anticipated changes or ambiguities in the tax status of the security and by actual and anticipated changes or ambiguities in tax laws, such as changes in corporate and individual income tax rates or the characterization of dividends as tax-advantaged.

Because the claim on an issuer’s earnings represented by preferred securities may become disproportionately large when interest rates fall below the rate payable on the stock or for other reasons, the issuer may redeem preferred securities, generally after an initial period of call protection in which the stock is not redeemable. Thus, in declining interest rate environments in particular, the Fund’s holdings of higher dividend-paying preferred securities may be reduced and the Fund may be unable to acquire securities paying comparable rates with the redemption proceeds.

Trust-preferred securities, also known as trust-issued securities, are securities that have the characteristics of both debt and equity instruments. Although trust-preferred securities are usually treated as debt by an issuer, trust-preferred securities have many of the key characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuer’s capital structure and because their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets or cash flows. The trust-preferred securities market consists of both fixed and adjustable coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. Trust-preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer.

Generally, trust-preferred securities are cumulative preferred stocks issued by a trust that is created by a financial institution, such as a bank holding company, but are not a direct obligation of that financial institution. The financial institution typically creates the trust with the objective of increasing its capital by issuing subordinated debt to the trust in return for cash proceeds that are reflected on its balance sheet. The primary asset

 

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owned by the trust is the subordinated debt issued to the trust by the financial institution. The financial institution makes periodic interest payments on the debt as discussed further below. The financial institution will subsequently own the trust’s common securities, which may typically represent a small percentage of the trust’s capital structure. The remainder of the trust’s capital structure typically consists of trust-preferred securities which are sold to investors. The trust uses the sales proceeds to purchase the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt.

The trust uses the interest received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust-preferred securities. The dividends are generally paid on a quarterly basis and are often higher than other dividends potentially available on the financial institution’s common stock. The interests of the holders of the trust-preferred securities are senior to those of common stockholders in the event that the financial institution is liquidated. Trust-preferred securities are typically junior and fully subordinated liabilities of an issuer and benefit from a guarantee that is junior and fully subordinated to the other liabilities of the financial institution. In addition, trust-preferred securities typically permit an issuer to defer the payment of income for five years or more without triggering an event of default. However, during any deferral period, interest will accrue and be taxable for holders of the trust-preferred securities. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuer’s option for a specified time without any adverse consequence to the issuer. No redemption can typically take place unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met, although issuers may be able to engage in open-market repurchases without regard to any cumulative dividends payable.

The primary benefit for the financial institution in using this particular structure is that the trust-preferred securities issued by the trust are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes (as a consequence of which the expense of paying interest on the securities is tax deductible), but are treated as more desirable equity securities for purposes of the calculation of capital requirements. If the tax characterization of trust-preferred securities were to change, they could be redeemed by the issuers, which could result in a loss to the Fund.

In certain instances, the structure involves more than one financial institution and thus, more than one trust. In such a pooled offering, an additional separate trust may be created. This trust will issue securities to investors and use the proceeds to purchase the trust-preferred securities issued by other trust subsidiaries of the participating financial institutions. In such a structure, the trust-preferred securities held by the investors are backed by other trust-preferred securities issued by the trust subsidiaries.

Trust-preferred securities include, but are not limited, to trust originated preferred securities; monthly income preferred securities, quarterly income bond securities; quarterly income debt securities; quarterly income preferred securities, corporate trust securities, public income notes, and other trust preferred securities.

The risks associated with trust-preferred securities typically include the financial condition of the financial institution(s), as the trust typically has no business operations other than holding the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution(s) and issuing the trust-preferred securities and common stock backed by the subordinated debt. If a financial institution is financially unsound and defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of the trust-preferred securities such as the Fund. Holders of trust-preferred securities generally have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company. The market value of trust-preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust-preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and be subject to restrictions on resale.

Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are fully taxable debt obligations issued by corporations. These securities fund capital improvements, expansions, debt refinancing or acquisitions that require more capital than would ordinarily be available from a single lender. Investors in corporate debt

 

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securities lend money to the issuing corporation in exchange for interest payments and repayment of the principal at a set maturity date. Rates on corporate debt securities are set according to prevailing interest rates at the time of the issue, the credit rating of the issuer, the length of the maturity and other terms of the security, such as a call feature. Corporate debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity. In addition, corporate restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers or similar corporate transactions are often financed by an increase in a corporate issuer’s indebtedness. As a result of the added debt burden, the credit quality and market value of an issuer’s existing debt securities may decline significantly.

Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a preferred stock, warrant or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities generally have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, because of the conversion feature, tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities. Convertible securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stock of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities generally rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable non-convertible securities. Convertible securities generally do not participate directly in any dividend increases or decreases of the underlying securities although the market prices of convertible securities may be affected by any dividend changes or other changes in the underlying securities.

Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) Securities. REITs are typically publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding, and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 90% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.

REITs generally can be classified as Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs. An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and derives its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. Although the Fund can invest in all three kinds of REITs, its emphasis is expected to be on investments in the common stock and preferred stock of Equity REITs.

Because the Fund invests in the real estate industry, it is particularly subject to risks associated with that industry. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies which own and operate real estate directly, companies which lend to such companies, and companies which service the real estate industry.

Because the Fund invests its assets in REITs, it also is subject to risks associated with direct investments in REITs. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders. REITs may have limited diversification and are subject

 

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to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for pass-through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.

Common Stock. Common stock generally represents an equity ownership interest in an issuer. Although common stocks have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns and may under-perform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or the occurrence of political or economic events which affect an issuer. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases borrowing costs and the costs of capital.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). The Fund may invest in ETFs, which are typically investment companies that aim to track or replicate a desired index, such as a sector, market or global segment. ETFs are often passively managed, and their shares are traded on a national exchange or the Nasdaq Global Market. ETFs do not sell individual shares directly to investors and only issue their shares in large blocks known as “creation units.” The investor purchasing a creation unit may sell the individual shares on a secondary market. Therefore, the liquidity of ETFs depends on the adequacy of the secondary market. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s investment objective will be achieved, as ETFs based on an index may not replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weightings of securities in the index. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. The Fund, as a holder of the securities of the ETF, will bear its pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Fund’s own operations. See also “—Other Investment Companies.”

Below Investment Grade Securities. Investments in below investment grade securities generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in securities with higher credit ratings, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy. Issuers of below investment grade securities may be highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Below investment grade securities also may be considered to possess some speculative characteristics by certain rating agencies. Securities with the lowest credit rating face a significantly higher probability of default. In addition, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of below investment grade securities may be more complex than for issuers of securities with higher credit ratings. Below investment grade 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 lower-grade 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 below investment grade securities defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In the case of below investment grade securities structured as zero coupon or payment-in-kind securities, their market prices will normally be affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore the market prices of such securities tend to be more volatile than securities which pay interest currently and in cash.

The secondary market for below investment grade securities is typically not as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. There are fewer dealers in the market for below investment grade securities than for investment grade obligations. The prices quoted by different dealers may vary significantly and the spread between the bid and ask price is generally much larger than for higher quality instruments. Under adverse market or economic conditions, the secondary market for below investment grade securities could contract further,

 

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independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer, and these instruments may become illiquid. As a result, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were widely traded. Prices realized upon the sale of such lower rated or unrated securities, under these circumstances, may be less than the prices used in calculating the Fund’s net asset value.

Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of below investment grade securities, especially in a thinly traded market. When secondary markets for below investment grade 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 Nuveen Asset Management’s research and analysis when investing in below investment grade securities.

A general description of the ratings of securities by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch is set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The ratings of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch 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, certain obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while debt 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 lower-grade securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of lower-grade securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated.

Nuveen Asset Management does not rely solely on credit ratings when selecting securities for the Fund, and develops its own independent analysis of issuer credit quality.

The Fund’s 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 Nuveen Asset Management downgrades its assessment of the credit characteristics of a particular issue. In determining whether to retain or sell such a security, Nuveen Asset Management may consider such factors as its assessment of the credit quality of the issuer of such security, the price at which such security could be sold and the rating, if any, assigned to such security by rating agencies other than Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. However, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of below investment grade securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt instruments.

Zero coupon securities. The Fund may invest in zero dividend preferred securities and zero coupon bonds. These are instruments that typically do not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. When held to its redemption or maturity, a holder receives the par value (or the accreted value) of the zero (rate) coupon security, which generates a return equal to the difference between the purchase price and its redemption or maturity value. A zero dividend preferred security or a zero coupon security is normally issued and traded at a deep discount from face value. This original issue discount (“OID”) approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound prior to its redemption or maturity. Because these securities and other OID instruments do not pay cash dividends or interest at regular intervals, the instruments’ ongoing accruals require ongoing judgments concerning the collectability of stated par value of the instrument at its redemption or maturity, as well as the value of any associated collateral. As a result, these securities may be subject to greater value fluctuations and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash on a current basis. Because zero dividend preferred securities and zero coupon bonds, and OID instruments generally, allow an issuer to delay the need to generate cash to meet current dividend or interest payments (unless there is a prescribed accumulated funding of the payment), they may involve greater payment and credit risk than dividend or coupon securities that pay dividend or interest currently or in cash. The Fund generally will be required to distribute dividends to shareholders representing the income of these instruments as it accrues, even though the Fund will not receive all of the

 

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income on a current basis or in cash. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments, including when it may not be advisable to do so, and use the cash proceeds to make income distributions to its shareholders. For accounting purposes, these cash distributions to shareholders will not treated as a return of capital.

Further, the Investment Adviser collects management fees on the value of these securities or OID instruments attributable to the ongoing non-cash accrual of interest over the life of the security, bond or other instrument. As a result, the Investment Adviser may in certain circumstances receive a non-refundable cash payment based on such non-cash accruals while investors incur the risk that such non-cash accruals ultimately may not be realized.

Distressed Securities. The Fund may invest in distressed securities, which include debt, equity, preferred and hybrid securities. Issuers of distressed securities may include companies involved in restructurings, bankruptcy proceedings, liquidation, dividend deferral or those which may be in default on obligations. Distressed 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. The secondary market on which distressed securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher quality securities, which could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a distressed security and could adversely affect the daily net asset value of the Fund’s Common Shares. The Fund may purchase preferred securities that have deferred dividends as long as the issuer’s senior debt is not in default or rated less than CC.

Some of the risks involved with distressed securities include legal difficulties and negotiations with creditors and other claimants that are common when dealing with distressed companies. Among the many risks associated with distressed securities are the time lag between when an investment is made and when the value of the investment is realized and the legal and other monitoring costs that are involved in protecting the value of the Fund’s claims. If an issuer of distressed securities defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, the Fund, by investing in such securities, may incur additional expenses to seek recovery of its investment.

Warrants and Rights. The Fund may invest in warrants or rights (including those acquired in units or attached to other securities) that entitle the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time but will do so only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by Nuveen Asset Management for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio.

Non-U.S. Securities. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. domiciled companies through the direct investments in securities of such companies and through depositary receipts. Non-U.S. domiciled companies are those (i) whose securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in a country other than the U.S., (ii) organized under the laws of a country other than the U.S. and (iii) whose principal place of business or principal office(s) is in a country other than the U.S. Foreign securities may include debt securities of governmental and corporate issuers, preferred stock, common stock, and convertible securities of corporate issuers, rights and warrants to buy common stocks, depositary receipts evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, and exchange-traded funds and other investment companies that provide exposure to foreign issuers.

Investment in foreign securities is subject to special investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. domestic issuers. These risks include political, social or economic instability in the country of the issuer, the difficulty of predicting international trade patterns, the possibility of the imposition of exchange controls, expropriation, limits on removal of assets, nationalization of assets, foreign withholding and income taxation, and foreign trading practices (including higher trading commissions, custodial charges and delayed settlements). Foreign securities also may be subject to greater fluctuations in price than securities issued by U.S. corporations. The principal markets on which these securities trade may have less volume and liquidity, and may be more volatile, than securities markets in the United States. In addition, there

 

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may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. domiciled company. Foreign companies generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. domestic companies. There is also generally less government regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies abroad than in the United States. Confiscatory taxation or diplomatic developments could also affect investment in those countries. In addition, foreign branches of U.S. banks, foreign banks and foreign issuers may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting, and record keeping standards than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks and U.S. domestic issuers.

Emerging Markets Investments. Investments in securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be subject to potentially higher risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include (i) less social, political and economic stability; (ii) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which may result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation; (v) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) the limited development and recent emergence, in certain countries, of a capital market structure or market-oriented economy; and (vii) the possibility that recent favorable economic developments in certain countries may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated political or social events in such countries.

Further, no accounting standards exist in many developing countries. Certain countries, which do not have market economies, are characterized by an absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company, or limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

Authoritarian governments in certain countries may require that a governmental or quasigovernmental authority act as custodian of the Fund’s assets invested in such country. To the extent such governmental or quasi-governmental authorities do not satisfy the requirements of the 1940 Act to act as foreign custodians of the Fund’s cash and securities, the Fund’s investment in such countries may be limited or may be required to be effected through intermediaries. The risk of loss through governmental confiscation may be increased in such countries.

Depositary Receipts. The Fund’s investments in non-U.S. issuers may include investment in depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). U.S. dollar-denominated ADRs, which are traded in the United States on exchanges or over-the-counter, are issued by domestic banks. ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs do not eliminate all the risk inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. However, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in foreign issuers’ stock, the Fund can avoid currency risks during the settlement period for either purchases or sales. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the United States for many ADRs. The information available for ADRs is subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards of the domestic market or exchange on which they are traded, which standards are more uniform and more exacting than those to which many foreign issuers may be subject. The Fund also may invest in EDRs, GDRs, and in other similar instruments representing securities of foreign companies. EDRs and GDRs are securities that are typically issued by foreign banks or foreign trust companies, although U.S. banks or U.S. trust companies may issue them. EDRs and GDRs are structured similarly to the arrangements of ADRs. EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets and are not necessarily denominated in the currency of the underlying security.

Certain depositary receipts, typically those denominated as unsponsored, require the holders thereof to bear most of the costs of the facilities while issuers of sponsored facilities normally pay more of the costs thereof. The

 

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depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to pass through the voting rights to facility holders in respect to the deposited securities, whereas the depository of a sponsored facility typically distributes shareholder communications and passes through voting rights.

Foreign Securities Exchanges. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in some markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested. In addition, settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities or to incur losses due to an inability to sell or deliver securities in a timely fashion. In the event of a default by an issuer of foreign securities, it may be more difficult for the Fund to obtain or to enforce a judgment against the issuer.

Derivatives. The Fund may use derivative instruments as described below.

Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. Derivatives generally take the form of contracts under which the parties agree to payments between them based upon the performance of a wide variety of underlying references, such as stocks, bonds, loans, commodities, interest rates, and various domestic and foreign indices. Derivative instruments that the Fund may use include options, swaps, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, which are described in more detail below.

The Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including to manage market or business risk, to enhance the Fund’s return or for other purposes related to the management of the Fund. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a large impact on the Fund’s performance.

Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular derivative and the portfolio as a whole. If the Fund invests in derivatives at inopportune times or judges market conditions incorrectly, such investments may lower the Fund’s return or result in a loss. The Fund also could experience losses or limit its gains if the performance of its derivatives is poorly correlated with the underlying instruments or the Fund’s other investments, or if the Fund is unable to liquidate its position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for derivatives may be, or suddenly may become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives.

While transactions in some derivatives may be centrally cleared or effected on established exchanges, many other derivatives are privately negotiated and entered into in the over-the-counter market with a single counterparty. When cleared or exchange-traded derivatives are purchased and sold, a clearing agency stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, either on a limited basis through a guaranty fund or to the full extent of the clearing agency’s balance sheet and/or its ability to effect assessments of its clearing members. Transactions not subject to clearing have no such protection. Each party to an uncleared derivative bears the risk that its direct counterparty will default. In addition, over-the-counter derivatives may be less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only investor with sufficient understanding of, or appetite for, the derivative to be interested in bidding for it.

Derivatives generally involve leverage in the sense that the investment exposure created by the derivative may be significantly greater than the Fund’s initial investment in the derivative. As discussed below under “—Segregation of Assets,” the Fund may be required to segregate permissible liquid assets, or engage in other permitted measures, to “cover” the Fund’s obligations relating to its transactions in derivatives.

 

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The particular derivative instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Fund’s portfolio managers may decide not to employ some or all of these instruments, and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. The Fund may employ new derivative instruments and strategies when they are developed, if those investment methods are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.

Futures and Options on Futures. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that relate to: (1) interest rates, (2) debt securities, (3) bond indices, (4) credit-linked notes, (5) stock indices, and (6) individual stocks. The Fund also may buy and write options on the futures contracts in which it may invest (“futures options”) and may write straddles, which consist of a call and a put option on the same futures contract. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security, futures contract, index, currency, or other instrument at the option exercise price. A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying instrument at the option exercise price. The Fund will only write futures options and straddles which are “covered.” This means that, when writing a call option, the Fund must either segregate liquid assets with a value equal to the fluctuating market value of the optioned futures contract, or the Fund must own an option to purchase the same futures contract having an exercise price that 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 liquid assets. When writing a put option, the Fund must segregate liquid assets in an amount not less than the exercise price, or own a put option on the same futures contract 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 liquid assets. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund’s immediate obligations. The Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options in a straddle 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.” The Fund may only enter into futures contracts and futures options which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system.

A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security, index or interest rate (each a “financial instrument”) for a set price on a future date. Certain futures contracts, such as futures contracts relating to individual securities, call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument. However, these contracts generally are closed out before delivery by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale of a matching futures contract (same exchange, underlying financial instrument, and delivery month). Other futures contracts, such as futures contracts on interest rates and indices, do not call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument, but rather are agreements 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 financial instrument at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the contract was originally written. These contracts also may be settled by entering into an offsetting futures contract.

Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with the futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), an amount of cash or securities equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, FCMs may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held in the margin account generally is not income producing. However, coupon-bearing securities, such as Treasury securities, held in margin accounts generally will earn income. Subsequent payments to and from the FCM, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying financial instrument fluctuates, making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the futures contract. A final determination of

 

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variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a gain or loss. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM’s other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Futures transactions also involve brokerage costs and the Fund may have to segregate additional liquid assets in accordance with applicable SEC requirements. See “—Segregation of Assets” below.

A futures option gives the purchaser of such option 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 purchaser acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. Upon the exercise of a put option, the opposite is true.

Limitations on the Use of Futures, Futures Options and Swaps. Nuveen Fund Advisors has claimed, with respect to the Fund, an exclusion from the definition of a “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and therefore, neither Nuveen Fund Advisors nor its officers and directors currently are subject to registration or regulation under the CEA. However, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has adopted rule amendments which would require operators of registered investment companies (such as Nuveen Fund Advisors) to either keep such investment companies’ use of futures, options on futures and certain swaps below certain de minimis levels or submit to dual regulation by the CFTC and the SEC in accordance with certain proposed rules intended to “harmonize” compliance obligations of the two different regulatory regimes. Upon the compliance date of the amended rules, Nuveen Fund Advisors intends to either maintain its exclusion from the definition of a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund under the amended rules or, if required, register as a commodity pool operator with the CFTC, which would subject the Fund to CFTC regulation as a commodity pool that would likely result in increased Fund operating expenses. The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures, options thereon and swaps to the extent allowed by CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund’s policies. The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which the Fund may enter into futures transactions or engage in options transactions.

If futures are used for hedging purposes, there can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the futures contract and in the underlying financial instruments that are being hedged. This could result from differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the financial instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading (e.g., differences in interest rate levels, maturities and the creditworthiness of issuers) among other factors. In addition, price movements of futures contracts may not correlate perfectly with price movements of the financial instruments underlying the futures contracts due to certain market distortions.

Successful use of futures by the Fund also is subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market. For example, if the Fund uses futures to hedge against the possibility of a decline in the market value of securities held in its portfolio and the prices of such securities increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. Furthermore, if in such circumstances the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements. The Fund may have to sell such securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a futures or a futures option position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. 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 day’s 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

 

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consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

Additional Risks Associated with Commodity Futures Contracts. There are several additional risks associated with transactions in commodity futures contracts.

Storage. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.

Reinvestment. In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at the time of delivery. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments.

Other Economic Factors. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials.

Swap Transactions. The Fund may enter into total return, interest rate and credit default swap agreements and interest rate caps, floors and collars. The Fund may also enter into options on the foregoing types of swap agreements (“swap options”).

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objectives and strategies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, as a duration management technique, to reduce risk arising from the ownership of a particular instrument, or to gain exposure to certain sectors or markets in the most economical way possible.

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for a specified period of time. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined asset, reference rate or index. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, e.g., 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. The notional amount of the swap agreement generally is only used as a basis upon which to calculate the obligations that the parties to the swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Fund’s current obligations under a net swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by assets determined to be liquid by Nuveen Asset Management. See “—Segregation of Assets” below.

Some, but not all, swaps may be cleared, in which case a central clearing counterparty stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, to the extent of its available resources for such purpose. Uncleared swaps have no such protection; each party bears the risk that its direct counterparty will default.

 

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Interest Rate Swaps, Caps, Collars and Floors. Interest rate swaps are bilateral contracts in which each party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on different referenced interest rates (e.g., a fixed rate and a floating rate) applied to a specified notional amount. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. Interest rate collars involve selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other the “total return” of a defined underlying asset during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. A total return swap may be applied to any underlying asset but is most commonly used with equity indices, single stocks, bonds and defined baskets of loans and mortgages. The Fund might enter into a total return swap involving an underlying index or basket of securities to create exposure to a potentially widely-diversified range of securities in a single trade. An index total return swap can be used by Nuveen Asset Management to assume risk, without the complications of buying the component securities from what may not always be the most liquid of markets.

Credit Default Swaps. A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in an individual security or a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a “short” position in individual bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments.

As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund would pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.

If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under “—Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.”

Swap Options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium, 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. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swap options. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund generally would incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than when it purchases a swap option. When the Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire

 

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unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund would become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

Risks Associated with Swap Transactions. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If Nuveen Asset Management is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors or events, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Fund generally may only close out a swap, cap, floor, collar or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and generally may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which the Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including changes in government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs). ETNs are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns are based on the performance of a market index minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN’s maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the market index to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments and principal is not protected. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress have considered proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETN shares may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

 

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The Fund may invest in other securities as described below:

Municipal Bonds and Other Municipal Obligations. These bonds and other obligations are issued by the states and by their local and special-purpose political subdivisions. The term “municipal bond” includes short-term municipal notes issued by the states and their political subdivisions, including, but not limited to, tax anticipation notes (“TANs”), bond anticipation notes (“BANs”), revenue anticipation notes (“RANs”), construction loan notes, tax free commercial paper, and tax free participation certificates. The Fund may invest in both taxable and tax-exempt municipal bonds.

Municipal Bonds. The two general classifications of municipal bonds are “general obligation” bonds and “revenue” bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the governmental issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest upon a default by the issuer of its principal and interest payment obligations. They are usually paid from general revenues of the issuing governmental entity. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are usually payable only out of a specific revenue source rather than from general revenues. Revenue bonds ordinarily are not backed by the faith, credit or general taxing power of the issuing governmental entity. The principal and interest on revenue bonds for private facilities are typically paid out of rents or other specified payments made to the issuing governmental entity by a private company which uses or operates the facilities. Examples of these types of obligations are industrial revenue bond and pollution control revenue bonds. Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. Pollution control revenue bonds are issued to finance air, water and solids pollution control systems for privately operated industrial or commercial facilities.

Revenue bonds for private facilities usually do not represent a pledge of the credit, general revenues or taxing powers of issuing governmental entity. Instead, the private company operating the facility is the sole source of payment of the obligation. Sometimes, the funds for payment of revenue bonds come solely from revenue generated by operation of the facility. Revenue bonds which are not backed by the credit of the issuing governmental entity frequently provide a higher rate of return than other municipal obligations, but they entail greater risk than obligations which are guaranteed by a governmental unit with taxing power. Federal income tax laws place substantial limitations on industrial revenue bonds, and particularly certain specified private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986. In the future, legislation could be introduced in Congress which could further restrict or eliminate the income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations in which the Fund may invest.

Refunded Bonds. Refunded bonds may have originally been issued as general obligation or revenue bonds, but become refunded when they are secured by an escrow fund, usually consisting entirely of direct U.S. government obligations and/or U.S. government agency obligations sufficient for paying the bondholders. There are two types of refunded bonds: pre-refunded bonds and escrowed-to-maturity (“ETM”) bonds. The escrow fund for a pre-refunded municipal bond may be structured so that the refunded bonds are to be called at the first possible date or a subsequent call date established in the original bond indenture. The call price usually includes a premium from 1% to 3% above par. This type of structure usually is used for those refundings that either reduce the issuer’s interest payment expenses or change the debt maturity schedule. In escrow funds for ETM refunded municipal bonds, the maturity schedules of the securities in the escrow funds match the regular debt-service requirements on the bonds as originally stated in the bond indentures.

Municipal Leases and Certificates of Participation. The Fund also may purchase municipal lease obligations, primarily through certificates of participation. Certificates of participation in municipal leases are undivided interests in a lease, installment purchase contract or conditional sale contract entered into by a state or local governmental unit to acquire equipment or facilities. Municipal leases frequently have special risks which generally are not associated with general obligation bonds or revenue bonds.

Municipal leases and installment purchase or conditional sales contracts (which usually provide for title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer upon payment of all amounts due under the contract) have

 

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evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of municipal debt. The debt issuance limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases and contracts of “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for this purpose by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. Although these kinds of obligations are secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the disposition of the pledged property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure might, in some cases, prove difficult and time consuming. In addition, disposition upon non-appropriation or foreclosure might not result in recovery by the Fund of the full principal amount represented by an obligation.

Derivative Municipal Securities. Derivative municipal securities are custodial receipts of certificates underwritten by securities dealers or banks that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain municipal securities. The underwriter of these certificates or receipts typically purchases municipal securities and deposits them in an irrevocable trust or custodial account with a custodian bank, which then issues receipts or certificates that evidence ownership of the periodic unmatured coupon payments and the final principal payment on the obligation.

The principal and interest payments on the municipal securities underlying custodial receipts may be allocated in a number of ways. For example, payments may be allocated such that certain custodial receipts may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped securities which pay only the principal or interest due on the underlying municipal securities.

Tender Option Bonds (“TOBs”). TOBs are created by municipal bond dealers who purchase long-term tax-exempt bonds in the secondary market, place the certificates in trusts, and sell interests in the trusts with puts or other liquidity guarantees attached. The credit quality of the resulting synthetic short-term instrument is based on the put provider’s short-term rating and the underlying bond’s long-term rating. There is some risk that a remarketing agent will renege on a tender option agreement if the underlying bond is downgraded or defaults. Because of this Nuveen Fund Advisors will consider on an ongoing basis the creditworthiness of the issuer of the underlying municipal securities, of any custodian, and of the third-party provider of the tender option. In certain instances and for certain TOBs, the option may be terminable in the event of a default in payment of principal or interest on the underlying municipal securities and for other reasons.

Variable Rate Demand Notes (“VRDNs”). VRDNs are long-term municipal obligations that have variable or floating interest rates and provide the Fund with the right to tender the security for repurchase at its stated principal amount plus accrued interest. Such securities typically bear interest at a rate that is intended to cause the securities to trade at par. The interest rate may float or be adjusted at regular intervals (ranging from daily to annually), and is normally based on an applicable interest index or another published interest rate or interest rate index. Most VRDNs allow the Fund to demand the repurchase of the security on not more than seven days prior notice. Other notes only permit the Fund to tender the security at the time of each interest rate adjustment or at other fixed intervals. Variable interest rates generally reduce changes in the market value of municipal obligations from their original purchase prices. Accordingly, as interest rates decrease, the potential for capital appreciation is less for variable rate municipal obligations than for fixed income obligations.

Inverse Floating Rate Municipal Obligations. The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate municipal obligations. An inverse floating rate obligation entitles the holder to receive interest at a rate which changes in the opposite direction from, and in the same magnitude as, or in a multiple of, changes in a specified index rate. Although an inverse floating rate municipal obligation would tend to increase portfolio income during a period of generally decreasing market interest rates, its value would tend to decline during a period of generally increasing market interest rates. In addition, its decline in value may be greater than for a fixed-rate municipal obligation, particularly if the interest rate borne by the floating rate municipal obligation is adjusted by a multiple of changes in the specified index rate. For these reasons, inverse floating rate municipal obligations have more risk than more conventional fixed-rate and floating rate municipal obligations.

 

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Mortgage-Backed Securities. A mortgage-backed security is a type of pass-through security, which is a security representing pooled debt obligations repackaged as interests that pass income through an intermediary to investors. In the case of mortgage-backed securities, the ownership interest is in a pool of mortgage loans. Residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) are backed by a pool of mortgages on residential property while commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) are backed by a pool of mortgages on commercial property. Mortgage-backed securities and CMBS in which the Fund may invest will be rated BB-/Ba3 or higher at the time of investment, or unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s portfolio managers.

Mortgage-backed securities are most commonly issued or guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae” or “GNMA”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae” or “FNMA”) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac” or “FHLMC”), but may also be issued or guaranteed by other private issuers.

GNMA is a government-owned corporation that is an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It guarantees, with the full faith and credit of the United States, full and timely payment of all monthly principal and interest on its mortgage-backed securities.

Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government) include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/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 United States Government. 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 that issues Participation Certificates (“PCs”), which are pass-through securities, each representing an undivided interest in a pool of residential mortgages. 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 United States government.

On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed FNMA and FHLMC into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of FNMA and FHLMC and of any stockholder, officer or director of FNMA and FHLMC with respect to FNMA and FHLMC and the assets of FNMA and FHLMC. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of FNMA and FHLMC. In addition, the U.S Treasury Department agreed to provide FNMA and FHLMC with up to $100 billion of capital each to ensure that they are able to continue to provide ongoing liquidity to the U.S. home mortgage market. FNMA and FHLMC are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities.

Mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, whether or not such obligations are subject to guarantees by the private issuer, may entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government. Any investments the Fund makes in mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers have some exposure to subprime loans as well as to the mortgage and credit markets generally. Private issuers include commercial banks, savings associations, mortgage companies, investment banking firms, finance companies and special purpose finance entities (called special purpose vehicles or structured investment vehicles) and other entities that acquire and package mortgage loans for resale as mortgage-related securities. Unlike mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its sponsored entities, mortgage-related securities issued by private issuers do not have a government or government sponsored entity guarantee, but may have credit enhancement provided by external entities such as banks or financial institutions or achieved through the structuring of the transaction itself. Examples of such credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include: (1) the issuance of senior and subordinated securities (e.g., the issuance of securities by a special purpose vehicle in multiple classes or “tranches,” with one or more classes being senior to other subordinated classes as to the payment

 

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of principal and interest, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgage loans are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class); (2) the creation of “reserve funds” (in which case cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, are held in reserve against future losses); and (3) “overcollateralization” (in which case the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying mortgage loans exceeds that required to make payment of the securities and pay any servicing or other fees). However, there can be no guarantee that credit enhancements, if any, will be sufficient to prevent losses in the event of defaults on the underlying mortgage loans.

In addition, mortgage-related securities that are issued by private issuers are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying private mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting characteristics than government or government sponsored mortgage-related securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose and borrower characteristics. Privately issued pools more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value mortgages and manufactured housing loans. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying mortgage loans in a private-label mortgage-related securities pool may vary to a greater extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may include subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their loans. For these reasons, the loans underlying these securities have had in many cases higher default rates than those loans that meet government underwriting requirements.

The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans, but a level of risk exists for all loans. Market factors adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments may include a general economic turndown, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a drop in the market prices of real estate, or an increase in interest rates resulting in higher mortgage payments by holders of adjustable rate mortgages.

Privately issued mortgage-related securities are generally less liquid than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans. The average life of a mortgage-backed security is likely to be substantially less than the original maturity of the mortgage pools underlying the securities. Prepayments of principal by mortgagors and mortgage foreclosures will usually result in the return of the greater part of principal invested far in advance of the maturity of the mortgages in the pool or can result in credit losses.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (collateral collectively referred to hereinafter as “Mortgage Assets”). Multi-class pass-through securities are interests in a trust composed of Mortgage Assets. All references in this section to CMOs include multi-class pass-through securities. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. The principal and interest payments on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgages are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.

Stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBS”) are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage assets. The Fund will only invest in SMBS whose mortgage assets are U.S. government

 

23


obligations. A common type of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class receives most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities. The market value of any class which consists primarily or entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates.

Investment in mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including, among others, prepayment, market and credit risk. Prepayment risk reflects the risk that borrowers may prepay their mortgages faster than expected, thereby affecting the investment’s average life and perhaps its yield. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Borrowers are most likely to exercise prepayment options at the time when it is least advantageous to investors, generally prepaying mortgages as interest rates fall, and slowing payments as interest rates rise. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages may also be affected by home value appreciation, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions. Market risk reflects the risk that the price of a security may fluctuate over time. The price of mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to prevailing interest rates, the length of time the security is expected to be outstanding and the liquidity of the issue. In a period of unstable interest rates, there may be decreased demand for certain types of mortgage-backed securities, and the Fund, if invested in such securities, wishing to sell them may find it difficult to find a buyer, which may in turn decrease the price at which they may be sold. Credit risk reflects the risk that the Fund may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. Obligations issued by U.S. government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions.

The risks to which CMBS are subject differ somewhat from the risks to which RMBS are subject. CMBS are typically backed by a much smaller number of mortgages than RMBS are, so problems with one or a small number of mortgages backing a CMBS can have a large impact on its value. As CMBS have a less diversified pool of loans backing them, they are much more susceptible to property-specific risk. The values of CMBS are also more sensitive to macroeconomic trends. For example, when the economy slows rents generally decrease and vacancies generally increase for commercial real estate. Similarly, as many CMBS have a large exposure to retail properties, events that negatively impact the retail industry can also negatively impact the value of CMBS.

Royalty Trusts. Royalty trusts are income-oriented equity investments that indirectly, through the ownership of trust units, provide investors (called “unit holders”) with exposure to energy sector assets such as coal, oil and natural gas. Royalty trusts are structured similarly to REITs. A royalty trust generally acquires an interest in natural resource companies or chemical companies and distributes the income it receives to the investors of the royalty trust. A sustained decline in demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products could adversely affect income and royalty trust revenues and cash flows. Factors that could lead to a decrease in market demand include a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand for such products. A rising interest rate environment could adversely impact the performance of royalty trusts. Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of royalty trusts because of the increased availability of alternative investments at more competitive yields.

U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities include (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance: U.S. Treasury bills (maturities of one year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturities of one year to ten years) and U.S. Treasury bonds (generally maturities of greater than ten years) and (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities that are supported by any of the following: (i) the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, (ii) the right of the issuer to borrow an amount limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury, (iii) discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the U.S. government agency or instrumentality or (iv) the

 

24


credit of the agency or instrumentality. The Fund also may invest in any other security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by U.S. government securities. Agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government include but are not limited to: Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, FHLMC, FNMA, GNMA, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. government. Because the U.S. government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities, the Fund invests in obligations issued by these instrumentalities only if Nuveen Asset Management determines that the credit risk with respect to such obligations is minimal.

The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. government securities which may be purchased by the Fund could be (i) payable in non-U.S. currencies rather than U.S. dollars or (ii) increased or diminished as a result of changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the value of non-U.S. currencies. The value of such portfolio securities may be affected by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

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 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.

Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements (the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell that security at a higher price) with respect to its permitted investments. The Fund’s repurchase agreements will provide that the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement, and will be marked to market daily.

Variable, Floating, and Fixed Rate Obligations. The securities in which the Fund invests or has exposure to may have variable, floating, or fixed interest rates. Variable rate securities provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. Floating rate securities are generally offered at an initial interest rate which is at or above prevailing market rates. The interest rate paid on floating rate securities is then reset periodically (commonly every 90 days) to an increment over some predetermined interest rate index. Commonly utilized indices include the three month Treasury bill rate, the 180-day Treasury bill rate, the one-month or three-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the prime rate of a bank, the commercial paper rates, or the longer term rates on U.S. Treasury securities. Variable and floating rate securities are relatively long-term instruments that often carry demand features permitting the holder to demand payment of principal at any time or at specified intervals prior to maturity. If Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecasts such movements, the Fund could be adversely affected by use of variable and floating rate securities.

Fixed rate securities pay a fixed rate of interest and tend to exhibit more price volatility during times of rising or falling interest rates than securities with variable or floating rates of interest. The value of fixed rate securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise and rise when interest rates fall. The value of variable or floating rate securities, on the other hand, fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed rate securities. This is because variable and floating rate securities behave like short-term instruments in that the rate of interest they pay is subject to periodic adjustments according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Fixed rate securities with short-term characteristics are not subject to the same price volatility as fixed rate securities without such characteristics. Therefore, they behave more like variable or floating rate securities with respect to price volatility.

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may buy and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15-45 days of the trade date. On such transactions the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into

 

25


the commitment. Beginning on the date the Fund enters into a commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, the Fund is required under rules of the SEC to maintain in a separate account liquid assets, consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times of at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment. The Fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities on a forward basis (i.e., where settlement will occur more than 60 days from the date of the transaction) only to the extent that the Fund specifically collateralizes such obligations with a security that is expected to be called or mature within sixty days before or after the settlement date of the forward transaction. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward basis may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the bonds prior to settlement and at the time of delivery the market value may be less than their cost.

SEGREGATION OF ASSETS

As a closed-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, and various interpretive positions of the SEC and its staff. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund must “set aside” (often referred to as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other SEC staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivatives instruments. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions from time to time articulated by the SEC or its staff regarding asset segregation.

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

ILLIQUID SECURITIES

The Fund may invest in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities may include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act or that are otherwise unregistered under the Securities Act, that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine which securities are liquid or illiquid. The Board of Trustees has delegated to Nuveen Fund Advisors the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any security held by the Fund, although it has retained oversight and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. No definitive liquidity criteria are used. The Board of Trustees has directed Nuveen Fund Advisors, when making liquidity determinations, to look for such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security; and the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other relevant factors. The assets used to cover OTC derivatives used by the Fund will be considered illiquid until the OTC derivatives are sold to qualified dealers who agree that the Fund may repurchase them at a maximum price to be calculated by a formula set forth in an agreement. The “cover” for an OTC derivative subject to this procedure would be considered illiquid only to the extent that the maximum repurchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the derivative.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse

 

26


between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 50% of the value of its Managed Assets is invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities that are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as are deemed advisable by Nuveen Fund Advisors, if any, to protect liquidity.

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS

Short-Term Taxable Fixed Income Securities. For temporary defensive purposes or to keep cash on hand fully invested, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its Managed Assets in cash equivalents and short-term taxable fixed-income securities. Short-term taxable fixed income investments are defined to include, without limitation, the following:

(1) U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government agency securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, and the Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities. Consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

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

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

 

27


If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.

(4) Commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for such notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. Nuveen Fund Advisors will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity measures) and will continuously monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund’s liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand.

Investments in commercial paper will be limited to commercial paper rated in the highest categories by a major rating agency and which mature within one year of the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.

(5) Bankers’ acceptances, which are credit instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity.

(6) Variable amount master demand notes, which are unsecured demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, the Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest at any time. While the notes are not typically rated by credit rating agencies, issuers of variable amount master demand notes (which are normally manufacturing, retail, financial, and other business concerns) must satisfy the same criteria as set forth above for commercial paper.

(7) Variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), which are securities in which the interest rate is adjusted at pre-designated periodic intervals. VRDOs may include a demand feature which is a put that entitles the holder to receive the principal amount of the underlying security or securities and which may be exercised either at any time on no more than 30 days’ notice or at specified intervals not exceeding 397 calendar days on no more than 30 days’ notice.

The Fund may also invest in Eurodollar certificates of deposit issued by foreign branches of U.S. or foreign banks; Eurodollar time deposits, which are U.S. dollar-denominated deposits in foreign branches of U.S. or foreign banks; and Yankee certificates of deposit, which are U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit issued by U.S. branches of foreign banks and held in the United States. In each instance, the Fund may only invest in bank instruments issued by an institution which has capital, surplus and undivided profits of more than $100 million or the deposits of which are insured by the Bank Insurance Fund or the Savings Association Insurance Fund.

OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including ETFs) that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.

The Fund generally expects that it may invest in other investment companies either during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash, such as the period shortly after the Fund receives the proceeds of the offering of its Common Shares, or during periods when there is a shortage of attractive securities available in the market. The Fund may invest in investment companies that are advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or pursuant to exemptive relief from the SEC. The Fund has not applied for, and currently does not intend to apply for, such exemptive relief, but reserves the right to do so in the future. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would also remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees

 

28


with respect to assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative fees and expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. Nuveen Asset Management will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in the investment company relative to available securities. In addition, because the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and subject to leverage risk, the Fund may indirectly be subject to risks related to leverage. Market value of leveraged shares will tend to fluctuate more than the market value of unleveraged shares.

LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and banks. Any such loan must be continuously secured by collateral in cash or cash equivalents maintained on a current basis in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned by the Fund. The Fund would continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities loaned through payments from the borrower. The Fund would also receive an additional return that may be in the form of a fixed fee or a percentage of the collateral.

The Fund may pay reasonable fees to persons unaffiliated with the Fund for services in arranging these loans.

The Fund would have the right to call the loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice of not more than five business days. The Fund would not have the right to vote the securities during the existence of the loan but would call the loan to permit voting of the securities, if, in Nuveen Asset Management’s judgment, a material event requiring a shareholder vote would otherwise occur before the loan was repaid. In the event of bankruptcy or other default of the borrower, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the loan collateral or recovering the loaned securities and losses, including (a) possible decline in the value of the collateral or in the value of the securities loaned during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, (b) possible subnormal levels of income and lack of access to income during this period, and (c) expenses of enforcing its rights.

PORTFOLIO TRADING AND TURNOVER

Portfolio trading may be undertaken to accomplish the investment objective of the Fund in relation to actual and anticipated movements in interest rates. In addition, a security may be sold and another of comparable quality purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what Nuveen Asset Management 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 securities may cause a temporarily low price for such securities, as compared with other securities of like quality and characteristics.

A security also may be sold when Nuveen Asset Management anticipates a change in the price of such security, Nuveen Asset Management believes the price of a security has reached or is near a realistic maximum, or there are other securities that Nuveen Asset Management believes are more attractive given the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund also may engage to a limited extent in short-term trading consistent with its investment objective. Securities may be sold in anticipation of a market decline or purchased in anticipation of a market rise and later sold, but the Fund will not engage in trading solely to recognize a gain. Subject to the foregoing, the Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective by prudent selection of securities with a view to holding them for investment. While there can be no assurance thereof, the Fund anticipates that its annual portfolio turnover rate will generally not exceed 50%. However, the rate of turnover will not be a limiting factor when the Fund deems it desirable to sell or purchase securities. Therefore, depending on market conditions, the annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 200% in particular years. In addition, portfolio turnover may increase as the Fund approaches its termination date. A higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.

 

29


MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement with Nuveen Fund Advisors (the “management agreement”), is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The number of trustees of the Fund is ten, one of whom is an “interested person” (as the term “interested person” is defined in the 1940 Act) and nine of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as “independent trustees”). None of the independent trustees has ever been a director, trustee or employee of, or consultant to, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, or their respective affiliates. The Board of Trustees is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, the Class I trustees serving until the 2013 annual meeting, the Class II trustees serving until the 2014 annual meeting and the Class III trustees serving until the 2015 annual meeting, in each case until their respective successors are elected and qualified, as described below. Currently, William C. Hunter, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone and Virginia L. Stringer are slated in Class I, John P. Amboian, David J. Kundert and Terence J. Toth are slated in Class II and Robert P. Bremner, Jack B. Evans and William J. Schneider are slated in Class III. The officers of the Fund serve annual terms and are elected on an annual basis. The names, business addresses and birthdates of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Fund are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 101 Nuveen Investments-sponsored open-end funds (the “Nuveen Mutual Funds”) and 131 Nuveen Investments-sponsored closed-end funds (collectively with the Nuveen Mutual Funds, the “Nuveen Funds”).

 

Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Independent Trustees:

              

Robert P. Bremner

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(8/22/40)

   Chairman of
the Board
and Trustee
   Term—Class III
Length of service—
Since 1996
   Private Investor and Management Consultant; Treasurer and Director, Humanities Council, Washington, D.C.; Board Member, Independent Directors Council affiliated with the Investment Company Institute.      232       None

 

30


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Jack B. Evans

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/22/48)

   Trustee    Term—Class III
Length of service—
Since 1999
   President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Member of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System; Director, Source Media Group; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., (a regional financial services firm).      232       Director
and
Chairman,
United
Fire
Group, a
Publicly
held
Company

William C. Hunter

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(3/6/48)

   Trustee    Term—Class I
Length of service—
Since 2004
   Dean (since 2006), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; Director (since 2005) and President (since July 2012), Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society; Director (since 2009) of Wellmark, Inc.; formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003).      232       Director
(since
2004) of
Xerox
Corporation

 

31


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

David J. Kundert

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/28/42)

   Trustee    Term—Class II
Length of service—
Since 2005
   Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company; retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Member of the Board of Regents, Luther College; Member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; Member of Board of Directors, Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens; Member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation.      232       None

 

32


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

William J. Schneider

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/24/44)

   Trustee    Term—Class III
Length of service—
Since 1996
   Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners Ltd., a real estate investment company; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Group; Member, Mid-America Health Systems Board; Member, University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council; formerly member, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Association; formerly, Director, Dayton Development Coalition; formerly, member, Business Advisory Council, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank.      232       None

Judith M. Stockdale

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(12/29/47)

   Trustee    Term—Class I
Length of service—
Since 1997
   Executive Director, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (since 1994); prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994).      232       None

Carole E. Stone

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/28/47)

   Trustee    Term—Class I
Length of service—
Since 2007
   Director, C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010); formerly, Chair, New York Racing Association Oversight Board (2005-2007).      232       Director,

Chicago

Board

Options

Exchange

(since

2006)

 

33


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Virginia L. Stringer

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(8/16/44)

   Trustee    Term—Class I

Length of Service—

Since 2011

   Board Member, Mutual Fund Directors Forum; former Member, Governing Board, Investment Company Institute’s Independent Directors Council; Governance consultant and non-profit board member; former Owner and President, Strategic Management Resources, Inc. a management consulting firm; previously, held several executive positions in general management, marketing and human resources at IBM and The Pillsbury Company.      232       Previously,
Independent
Director,
(1987-
2010),
Chair
(1997-
2010), First
American
Fund
Complex

 

34


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Terence J. Toth

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/29/59)

   Trustee    Term—Class II
Length of service—
Since 2008
   Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (since 2008); Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); Member: Goodman Theatre Board (since 2004); Chicago Fellowship Board (since 2005), Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and a member of its investment committee; formerly, member: Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007); Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004).      232       None

 

35


Name, Business Address
and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the Fund
Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
     Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Interested Trustee :

              

John P. Amboian*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/14/61)

   Trustee    Term—Class II

Length of service—

Since 2008

   Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (since 2007) and Director (since 1999) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; formerly, President (1999-2007), Chief Executive Officer (since 2007) of Nuveen Investments Advisers, Inc.; Director (since 1998), formerly, Chief Executive Officer (2007-2010) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.      232       None

 

* Mr. Amboian is an “interested person” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of his positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”) and certain of its subsidiaries.

 

36


Name, Business Address

and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the
Fund Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer
 

Officers of the Fund:

     

Gifford R. Zimmerman

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(9/9/56)

   Chief
Administrative
Officer
   Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—

Since 1988

   Managing Director (since 2002) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC and Nuveen Investments Advisers Inc. (since 2002); Managing Director, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and of Winslow Capital Management, Inc. (since 2010); Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst.      232   

Williams Adams IV

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(6/9/55)

   Vice President    Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—Since

2007

   Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products, formerly, Executive Vice President, (1999-2010) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (since 2011); President (since 2011), formerly, Managing Director (2010-2011) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC.      131   

Cedric H. Antosiewicz

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1/11/62)

   Vice President    Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—Since

2007

   Managing Director of Nuveen Securities, LLC.      131   

 

37


Name, Business Address

and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the
Fund Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer
 

Margo L. Cook

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(4/11/64)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2012—
Length of
Service—
Since 2009
   Executive Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments, Inc. and Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (since 2011); Managing Director-Investment Services of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); previously, Head of Institutional Asset Management (2007-2008) of Bear Stearns Asset Management; Head of Institutional Asset Management (1986-2007) of Bank of NY Mellon; Chartered Financial Analyst.      232   

Lorna C. Ferguson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(10/24/45)

   Vice President    Term—Until
August 2012—
Length of
Service—
Since 1998
   Managing Director (since 2004) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2005) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.      232   

Stephen D. Foy

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(5/31/54)

   Vice President
and Controller
   Term—Until
August 2012—
Length of
Service—
Since 1993
   Senior Vice President (since 2010); formerly, Vice President (1993-2010) and Funds Controller (since 1998) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Vice President (2005-2010) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Certified Public Accountant.      232   

Scott S. Grace

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(8/20/70)

   Vice President
and Treasurer
   Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—

Since 2009

   Managing Director, Corporate Finance & Development, Treasurer (since 2009) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director and Treasurer of Nuveen Investments Advisers, Inc., Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc., Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Vice President and Treasurer of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC and Winslow Capital Management, Inc.; Vice President Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC; formerly, Treasurer (2006-2009), Senior Vice President (2008-2009), previously, Vice President (2006-2008) of Janus Capital Group, Inc.; formerly, Senior Associate in Morgan Stanley’s Global Financial Services Group (2000-2003); Chartered Accountant Designation.      232   

 

38


Name, Business Address

and Birthdate

   Position(s)
Held with
Fund
   Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served with
Funds in the
Fund Complex
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer
 

Walter M. Kelly

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(2/24/70)

   Chief
Compliance
Officer and
Vice
President
   Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—

Since 2003

   Senior Vice President (since 2008) and Assistant Secretary (since 2003), of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.; Senior Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; formerly, Senior Vice President (2008-2011) and Vice President of Nuveen Securities, LLC.      232   

Tina M. Lazar

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(8/27/61)

   Vice
President
   Term—Until

August 2012—

Length of

Service—

Since 2002

   Senior Vice President (since 2009), formerly, Vice President of Nuveen Securities, LLC (1999-2009); Senior Vice President (since 2010), formerly Vice President (2005-2010) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.      232   

Kevin J. McCarthy

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(3/26/66)

   Vice
President
and Secretary
   Term—Until
August 2012—
Length of
Service—
Since 2007
   Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2008), formerly, Vice President (2007-2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2008), Assistant Secretary (since 2007) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investment Advisers Inc., NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, NWQ Holdings, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and of Winslow Capital Management, Inc. (since 2010); Vice President and Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; prior thereto, Partner, Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP (1997-2007).      232   

Kathleen L. Prudhomme

901 Marquette Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55402

(3/30/53)

   Vice
President and
Assistant
Secretary
   Term—Until
August 2012—
Length of
Service—
Since 2011
   Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2011); Deputy General Counsel, FAF Advisors, Inc. (2004-2010).      232   

 

39


Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the “Board”) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds (the “Funds”), including the duties performed for the Funds by the investment advisor. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of directors who serve on the board of every fund in the complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which, will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, independence and experience to oversee the Funds’ business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the Trustees consider, not only the candidate’s particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Board’s diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the incumbent trustees.

The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the directors across the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Board’s knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Board’s influence and oversight over the investment advisor and other service providers.

In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a Chairman that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chairman can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Board’s focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chairman may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Accordingly, the trustees have elected Robert P. Bremner as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include: (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (ii) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (iii) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.

Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and Fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of trustees among the different committees allows the trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of a fund’s operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Closed-End Funds Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board also may from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.

The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. Robert P. Bremner, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and John P. Amboian serve as the current members of the Executive Committee of the Board.

The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on each Fund’s shares including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are Jack B. Evans, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Terence J. Toth.

 

40


The Closed-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as closed-end management investment companies (“Closed-End Funds”). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Closed-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Closed-End Fund. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Closed-End Funds Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, William J. Schneider, Chair, and Carole E. Stone.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Funds; the Funds’ compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Funds’ financial statements; the independent auditors’ qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Funds and the internal valuation group of Nuveen. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Funds’ portfolios. Subject to the Board’s general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Funds’ pricing procedures and actions taken by Nuveen’s internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Funds’ securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee also may consider any financial risk exposures for the Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.

To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Funds and the internal audit group at Nuveen Investments. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Funds’ financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit Committee are Robert P. Bremner, David J. Kundert, Chair, William J. Schneider, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth, each of whom is an independent trustee of the Funds.

The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the “Compliance Committee”) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Funds’ compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.

In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committee’s attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Funds in adopting a particular approach or resolution compared to the anticipated benefits to the Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations,

 

41


the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Funds’ and other service providers’ compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the investment services group of Nuveen Investments regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board of Trustees. The members of the Compliance Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, William J. Schneider, Virginia L. Stringer and Judith M. Stockdale, Chair.

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Board’s governance over the Funds’ business.

In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are be able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources, including suggestions from Fund security holders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to Lorna Ferguson, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen Investments, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements for nominations for new trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new trustees. In considering a candidate’s qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to internal and external sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an independent trustee candidate, independence from Nuveen Fund Advisors, subadvisors, underwriters or other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the

 

42


independent trustees of the Funds. Accordingly, the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Robert P. Bremner, Chair, Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, William J. Schneider, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone, Virginia L. Stringer and Terence J. Toth.

Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications

Listed below for each current Board member are the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this SAI, that each current trustee should serve as a trustee of the Fund.

John P. Amboian. Mr. Amboian, an interested trustee of the Fund, joined Nuveen Investments in June 1995 and became Chief Executive Officer in July 2007 and Chairman in November 2007. Prior to this, since 1999, he served as President with responsibility for the firm’s product, marketing, sales, operations and administrative activities. Mr. Amboian initially served Nuveen as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Nuveen, Mr. Amboian held key management positions with two consumer product firms affiliated with the Phillip Morris Companies. He served as Senior Vice President of Finance, Strategy and Systems at Miller Brewing Company. Mr. Amboian began his career in corporate and international finance at Kraft Foods, Inc., where he eventually served as Treasurer. He received a Bachelor’s degree in economics and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Amboian serves on the Board of Directors of Nuveen and is a Board Member or Trustee of the Investment Company Institute Board of Governors, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, Children’s Memorial Hospital and Foundation, the Council on the Graduate School of Business (University of Chicago), and the North Shore Country Day School Foundation. He is also a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Robert P. Bremner. Mr. Bremner, the Funds’ Independent Chairman, is a private investor and management consultant in Washington, D.C. His biography of William McChesney Martin, Jr., a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, was published by Yale University Press in November 2004. From 1994 to 1997, he was a Senior Vice President at Samuels International Associates, an international consulting firm specializing in governmental policies, where he served in a part-time capacity. Previously, Mr. Bremner was a partner in the LBK Investors Partnership and was chairman and majority stockholder with ITC Investors Inc., both private investment firms. He currently serves on the Board and as Treasurer of the Humanities Council of Washington D.C. and is a Board Member of the Independent Directors Council affiliated with the Investment Company Institute. From 1984 to 1996, Mr. Bremner was an independent trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. He began his career at the World Bank in Washington D.C. He graduated with a B.S. from Yale University and received his M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Jack B. Evans. President of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation, since 1996, Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Formerly, he was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as well as a Director of Alliant Energy. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board of United Fire Group, sits on the Board of the Source Media Group, is a member of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System and a Life Trustee of Coe College. He has a B.A. from Coe College and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa.

William C. Hunter. Mr. Hunter was appointed Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa effective July 1, 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business since June 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While there he served as the Bank’s Chief Economist and was an Associate Economist on the Federal Reserve System’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition to serving as a Vice President in charge of financial markets and basic research at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, he held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. A past Director of the Credit Research Center at Georgetown University, SS&C Technologies, Inc. (2005) and past President of the Financial Management

 

43


Association International, he has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. From 1990 to 1995, he was a U.S. Treasury Advisor to Central and Eastern Europe. He has been a Director of the Xerox Corporation since 2004 and Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He is President of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., the International Business Honor Society.

David J. Kundert. Mr. Kundert retired in 2004 as Chairman of JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, and as President and CEO of Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and as President of One Group Mutual Funds. Prior to the merger between Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase and Co., he was Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and, since 1995, the Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group. From 1988 to 1992, he was President and CEO of Bank One Wisconsin Trust Company. Currently, Mr. Kundert is a Director of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. He started his career as an attorney for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Kundert has served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and he is currently a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. He is on the Board of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and chairs its Investment Committee. He received his B.A. from Luther College, and his J.D. from Valparaiso University.

William J. Schneider. Mr. Schneider is currently Chairman, formerly Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, December 2004) of Miller-Valentine Partners Ltd., a real estate investment company. He is a Director and Past Chair of the Dayton Development Coalition. He was formerly a member of the Community Advisory Board of the National City Bank in Dayton as well as a former member of the Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Schneider is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the University of Dayton College of Business. Mr. Schneider was an independent trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. He also served as Chair of the Miami Valley Hospital and as Chair of the Finance Committee of its parent holding company. Mr. Schneider has a B.S. in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Dayton.

Judith M. Stockdale. Ms. Stockdale is currently Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has served on the Boards of the Land Trust Alliance, the National Zoological Park, the Governor’s Science Advisory Council (Illinois), the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program, Friends of Ryerson Woods and the Donors Forum. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a B.S. in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.

Carole E. Stone. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. Ms. Stone is currently on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Holdings, Inc. and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated and was formerly a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as Chair of the Public Authorities Control Board and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a B.A. from Skidmore College in Business Administration.

Virginia L. Stringer. Ms. Stringer served as the independent chair of the Board of the First American Funds from 1997 to 2010, having joined the Board in 1987. Ms. Stringer serves on the board of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Corporate Director award from Twin Cities Business Monthly and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Ms. Stringer is the past board chair of the Oak Leaf Trust, director of the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation and also served as President of the Minneapolis Club’s Governing Board. She is a director and former board chair of the Minnesota Opera and a Life Trustee and former board member of the Voyageur Outward Bound School. She also served as a trustee of Outward Bound USA. She was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota to the Board on Judicial Standards and also served on a Minnesota Supreme Court Judicial Advisory Committee to reform the state’s judicial

 

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disciplinary process. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and attended the London Business School as an International Business Fellow. Ms. Stringer also served as board chair of the Human Resource Planning Society, the Minnesota Women’s Campaign Fund and the Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable. Ms. Stringer is the retired founder of Strategic Management Resources, a consulting practice focused on corporate governance, strategy and leadership. She has twenty five years of corporate experience having held executive positions in general management, marketing and human resources with IBM and the Pillsbury Company.

Terence J. Toth. Mr. Toth is a Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (since 2008) and a Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008). From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Boards of the Goodman Theatre and Chicago Fellowship, and is Chairman of the Board of Catalyst Schools of Chicago. He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is a member of its investment committee. Mr. Toth graduated with a B.S. from the University of Illinois, and received his M.B.A. from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University.

INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN

The trustees have elected Robert P. Bremner as the independent Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include (a) presiding at all meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the shareholders; (b) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (c) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.

Class I trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2013; Class II trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2014; and Class III trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2015. As each trustee’s term expires, shareholders will be asked to elect trustees and such trustees shall be elected for a term expiring at the time of the third succeeding annual meeting subsequent to their election or thereafter in each case when their respective successors are duly elected and qualified. These provisions could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” in the Prospectus.

SHARE OWNERSHIP

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each trustee as of May 31, 2012:

 

Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range
of Equity
Securities in
the Fund
     Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered
Investment Companies
Overseen by Trustee in
Family of Investment
Companies
 

John P. Amboian

     None         Over $100,000   

Robert P. Bremner

     None         Over $100,000   

Jack B. Evans

     None         Over $100,000   

William C. Hunter

     None         Over $100,000   

David J. Kundert

     None         Over $100,000   

William S. Schneider

     None         Over $100,000   

Judith M. Stockdale

     None         Over $100,000   

Carole E. Stone

     None         Over $100,000   

 

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Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range
of Equity
Securities in
the Fund
     Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered
Investment Companies
Overseen by Trustee in
Family of Investment
Companies
 

Virginia L. Stringer

     None         Over $100,000   

Terence J. Toth

     None         Over $100,000   

No trustee who is not an interested person of the Fund or any of his or her immediate family members owns beneficially or of record, any security issued by Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Asset Management or any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management or Nuveen Investments.

COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth estimated compensation to be paid by the Fund projected during the Fund’s first fiscal year after commencement of operation. The Fund does not have a retirement or pension plan. The officers and trustees affiliated with Nuveen Investments serve without any compensation from the Fund. The Fund has a deferred compensation plan (the “Plan”) that permits any trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Fund to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as a trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to a book reserve account of the Fund when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the trustee’s deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a trustee’s deferral account, the trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Fund will not be liable for any other fund’s obligations to make distributions under the Plan.

 

     Estimated Aggregate
Compensation from Fund(1)
     Amount of Total
Compensation
That Will Be
Deferred(2)
     Total Compensation from
Fund and Fund Complex(3)
 

Robert P. Bremner

   $ 156       $       $ 329,731   

Jack B. Evans

     105                 260,124   

William C. Hunter

     97                 218,576   

David J. Kundert

     111                 244,966   

William J. Schneider

     134                 259,415   

Judith M. Stockdale

     105                 248,033   

Carole E. Stone

     121                 245,650   

Virginia L. Stringer

     97                 175,000   

Terence J. Toth

     128                 263,891   

 

(1) Based on the estimated aggregate compensation to be earned by the independent trustees for the period ending July 31, 2012, representing the Fund’s first fiscal year, for services to the Fund.
(2) Pursuant to a deferred compensation agreement with certain of the Nuveen Funds, deferred amounts are treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen funds. Total deferred fees for the Fund (including the return from the assumed investment in the eligible Nuveen Funds) payable are stated above.
(3) Based on the compensation paid (including any amounts deferred) for the calendar year ended December 31, 2011 for services to the Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds. Because the funds in the Fund Complex have different fiscal year ends, the amounts shown in this column are presented on a calendar year basis.

 

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Independent trustees receive a $130,000 annual retainer plus (a) a fee of $4,500 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person where such in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person where in-person attendance is not required at a special, non-regularly scheduled board meeting; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance at an Audit Committee meeting where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting by telephone where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person at a Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meeting where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone for a meeting of the Dividend Committee; and (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) on a day on which no regularly scheduled board meeting is held in which in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days in which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Closed-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the independent Chairman of the Board of Trustees receives $75,000, the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Closed-End Funds Committee receive $12,500 each and the chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee receives $5,000 as additional retainers to the annual retainer paid to such individuals. Independent trustees also receive a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no regularly scheduled board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person at any ad hoc committee meeting where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net asset sizes, although fund management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.

The Fund has no employees. Its officers are compensated by Nuveen Investments or its affiliates.

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUBADVISER

NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS—INVESTMENT ADVISER

Nuveen Fund Advisors, the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy, including the use of leverage. Nuveen Fund Advisors also is responsible for the ongoing monitoring of Nuveen Asset Management, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services to the Fund. For additional information regarding the management services performed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, see “Management of the Fund” in the Fund’s Prospectus. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606.

Nuveen Fund Advisors, a registered investment adviser, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Investments. Founded in 1898, Nuveen Investments and its affiliates had approximately $227 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2012.

Pursuant to an investment management agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and the Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee for the overall

 

47


advisory and administrative services and general office facilities provided by Nuveen Fund Advisors. The Fund’s management fee is separated into two components—a complex-level component, based on the aggregate amount of all Nuveen Fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, and a specific fund-level component, based only on the amount of assets within the Fund. This pricing structure enables Nuveen Fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within each individual fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Fund’s Investment Management Agreement with Nuveen Fund Advisors will remain in effect until August 1, 2013. The Investment Management Agreement continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuation is approved at least annually by (1) the Board of Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (2) a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of any party to the Investment Management Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by either the Fund or Nuveen Fund Advisors upon 60 days’ written notice, and is automatically terminated in the event of its assignment as defined in the 1940 Act.

NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT—SUBADVISER

Nuveen Asset Management, a registered investment adviser, is the Fund’s subadviser responsible for investing the Fund’s Managed Assets and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. Douglas Baker and Brenda Langenfeld will serve as the Fund’s portfolio managers and are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment strategy. Douglas Baker will serve as lead portfolio manager for the Fund.

Douglas M. Baker, CFA is the portfolio manager for the Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund. He is the head of the Preferred Securities Team and a portfolio manager for all related preferred security strategies. He is also a member of Nuveen Asset Management’s Fixed Income Strategy Committee. Mr. Baker originally joined Nuveen Asset Management in 2006 as a Vice President and Derivatives Analyst, and later that year his responsibilities expanded to include portfolio management duties. In addition to managing fund portfolios, Mr. Baker also manages Nuveen Asset Management’s derivative overlay group, where he is responsible for implementing derivatives-based hedging strategies across the Nuveen fund complex. Prior to joining Nuveen, Mr. Baker spent three years at Lehman Brothers in institutional fixed income and derivatives sales, and prior to that he spent five years at Bank of America in corporate and commercial banking. Mr. Baker received his BS in Finance with Honors from the University of Illinois in 1996, and in 2002 he received his MBA in Finance & Economics with Honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Brenda A. Langenfeld, CFA is a portfolio manager for the Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund and all related preferred security strategies. Ms. Langenfeld joined the Preferred Securities Sector Team in January 2011. She started working in the financial services industry when she joined the firm in 2004. Previously, she was a member of the High Grade Credit Sector Team, responsible for trading corporate bonds, and prior to that, she was a member of the Securitized Debt Sector Team, trading mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ms. Langenfeld received a B.B.A. in finance and international business. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.

At June 21, 2012, the portfolio managers each beneficially owned (as determined pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act) shares of the Fund having values within the indicated dollar ranges.

 

Portfolio Manager

   Dollar Range of Equity Securities
Beneficially Owned in the Fund
 

Douglas Baker

     None   

Brenda Langenfeld

     None   

 

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NUVEEN INVESTMENTS

Certain Underwriters, their affiliates or employees, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and UBS Securities LLC, have, and other Underwriters participating in this offering or their affiliates may have, a minority ownership interest in Nuveen Investments.

Nuveen Investments provides high-quality investment services designed to help secure the long-term goals of institutions and high net worth investors as well as the consultants and financial advisors who serve them. Nuveen Investments markets its specialized investment solutions under the high quality brands of Hyde Park, NWQ, Nuveen, Santa Barbara, Symphony, Tradewinds, Gresham and Winslow Capital. The Fund’s portfolio managers also have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Fund. Information regarding these other accounts is set forth below.

NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT

NUMBER OF OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED AND ASSETS BY ACCOUNT TYPE AS OF MAY 31, 2012

 

      Registered Investment
Companies
     Other Pooled
Investment  Vehicles
     Other Accounts  

Portfolio Manager

   Number
of
Accounts
     Total
Assets
($ Billions)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total
Assets
($ Millions)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total
Assets
($ Millions)
 

Douglas Baker

     3       $ 1.192         1       $ 182         6       $ 23   

Brenda Langenfeld

     2         1.167         0         0         6         23   

None of the Fund’s portfolio managers manage accounts that are subject to an advisory fee based on performance.

The Fund’s portfolio managers are responsible for managing the Fund and other accounts, including separate accounts and unregistered funds.

As shown in the above tables, the Fund’s portfolio managers may manage accounts in addition to the Fund. The potential for conflicts of interest exists when a portfolio manager manages other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies to the Fund (“Similar Accounts”). Potential conflicts may include, for example, conflicts between investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities.

Responsibility for managing Nuveen Fund Advisors clients’ portfolios is organized according to investment strategies. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed using the same objective, approach and philosophy. Therefore, portfolio holdings, relative position sizes and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

Nuveen Fund Advisors may receive more compensation with respect to certain Similar Accounts than that received with respect to the Fund or may receive compensation based in part on the performance of certain Similar Accounts. This may create a potential conflict of interest for the Fund’s portfolio managers by providing an incentive to favor these Similar Accounts when, for example, placing securities transactions. Potential conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of limited investment opportunities. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due to limited availability, and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest.

Nuveen Fund Advisors has policies and procedures designed to manage these conflicts described above such as allocation of investment opportunities to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities among its clients over time. For example, orders for the same equity security are aggregated on a continual basis throughout each trading day consistent with Nuveen Fund Advisors’ duty of best execution for its clients. If aggregated trades are fully executed, accounts participating in the trade will be allocated their pro rata share on an average price basis. Partially completed orders will be allocated among the participating accounts on a pro-rata average price basis as well.

 

49


NUVEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGER COMPENSATION

Compensation. Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of base pay, an annual cash bonus and long-term incentive payments.

Base pay. Base pay is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio manager’s general performance, experience, and market levels of base pay for such position.

Annual cash bonus. The Fund’s portfolio managers are eligible for an annual cash bonus based on investment performance, qualitative evaluation and financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management.

A portion of each portfolio manager’s annual cash bonus is based on the Fund’s investment performance, generally measured over the past one-, three- or five-year periods unless the portfolio manager’s tenure is shorter. Investment performance for the Fund generally is determined by evaluating the Fund’s performance relative to its benchmark(s) and/or Lipper industry peer group.

A portion of the cash bonus is based on a qualitative evaluation made by each portfolio manager’s supervisor taking into consideration a number of factors, including the portfolio manager’s team collaboration, expense management, support of personnel responsible for asset growth, and his or her compliance with Nuveen Asset Management’s policies and procedures.

The final factor influencing a portfolio manager’s cash bonus is the financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management based on its operating earnings.

Long-term incentive compensation. Certain key employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, including certain portfolio managers, have received equity interests in the parent company of Nuveen Investments. In addition, certain key employees of Nuveen Asset Management, including certain portfolio managers, have received profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management which entitle their holders to participate in the firm’s growth over time.

Material Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.

The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.

If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.

With respect to many of its clients’ accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other accounts.

 

50


Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.

Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

CODE OF ETHICS

The Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Asset Management and other related entities have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that essentially prohibit certain of their personnel, including the Fund’s portfolio managers, from engaging in personal investments that compete or interfere with, or attempt to take advantage of a client’s, including the Fund’s, anticipated or actual portfolio transactions, and are designed to assure that the interests of clients, including Fund shareholders, are placed before the interests of personnel in connection with personal investment transactions. Personnel subject to a code of ethics may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, but only so long as such investments are made in accordance with a code’s requirements. Text-only versions of the codes of ethics of the Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s internet web site at www.sec.gov. You may also review and copy those documents by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the Securities and Exchange Commission at 202-942-8090. In addition, copies of those codes of ethics may be obtained, after mailing the appropriate duplicating fee, by writing to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549-0102 or by e-mail request at publicinfo@sec.gov.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Nuveen Fund Advisors has delegated to Nuveen Asset Management the authority to vote all proxies relating to the Fund’s portfolio securities pursuant to its proxy voting policies and procedures. Nuveen Asset Management has adopted the proxy voting policies of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”), a leading national provider of proxy voting administrative and research services. As a result, such policies set forth Nuveen Asset Management’s positions on recurring proxy issues and criteria for addressing non-recurring issues. These policies are reviewed periodically by ISS, and therefore are subject to change. Even though it has adopted ISS’s policies, Nuveen Asset Management maintains the fiduciary responsibility for all proxy voting decisions. Nuveen Asset Management votes proxies in the best interest of its clients regardless of real or perceived conflicts of interest. By adopting ISS’s policies, Nuveen Asset Management believes the risk related to conflicts is minimized. To further minimize this risk, Nuveen Asset Management reviews ISS’s conflict avoidance policy at least annually to ensure that it adequately addresses both the actual and perceived conflicts of interest the proxy voting service may face. In the event that ISS faces a material conflict of interest with respect to a specific vote, Nuveen Asset Management shall direct ISS how to vote. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies (for periods subsequent to the Fund commencing operations) relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 (or any lesser period of time ending June 30 if the Fund has not been operating for that long) of each year is available starting August 31 of that year without charge, upon request, by calling toll free 1-877-449-4742 or through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. This reference to the website does not incorporate the contents of the website into the Prospectus.

 

51


PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees and Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, the negotiation of the prices to be paid for principal trades and the allocation of transactions among various dealer firms. Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment by the Fund of brokerage commissions. There generally is no stated commission in the case of securities traded in the over-the-counter market but the price paid by the Fund usually includes an undisclosed dealer commission or mark-up. In certain instances, the Fund may make purchases of underwritten issues at prices which include underwriting fees.

In selecting a broker-dealer to execute securities transactions, Nuveen Asset Management considers the full range and quality of a broker-dealer’s services including, among other things: the value, nature and quality of any brokerage and research products and services; execution capability; commission rate; financial responsibility (including willingness to commit capital); the likelihood of price improvement; the speed of execution and likelihood of execution for limit orders; the ability to minimize market impact; the maintenance of the confidentiality of orders; and responsiveness of the broker-dealer. The determinative factor is not the lowest possible commission cost but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution for the Fund. Subject to the satisfaction of its obligation to seek best execution, another factor considered by Nuveen Asset Management in selecting a broker-dealer may include the broker-dealer’s access to initial public offerings.

For certain transactions, Nuveen Asset Management may cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission higher than that which another broker-dealer might have charged for effecting the same transaction (a practice commonly referred to as “paying up”). Nuveen Asset Management may cause the Fund to pay up in recognition of the value of the brokerage and research products and services provided by the broker-dealer. The broker-dealer may directly provide such products or services to the Fund or purchase them from a third party for the Fund. In such cases, Nuveen Asset Management is in effect paying for the brokerage and research products and services with client commissions—so-called “soft dollars.” Nuveen Asset Management will only cause the Fund to pay up if Nuveen Asset Management, subject to its overall duty to seek best execution, determines in good faith that the amount of such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research products and services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the overall responsibilities of Nuveen Asset Management with respect to the managing of its accounts.

The types of research products and services Nuveen Asset Management receives include economic analysis and forecasts, financial market analysis and forecasts, industry and company specific analysis, performance monitoring, interest rate forecasts, arbitrage relative valuation analysis of various debt securities, analysis of U.S. Treasury securities, research-dedicated computer software and related consulting services and other services that assist in the investment decision making process. Research products and services are received primarily in the form of written reports, computer-generated services, telephone contacts and personal meetings with security analysts. Research services may also be provided in the form of meetings arranged by broker-dealers with corporate management teams and spokespersons, as well as industry spokespersons.

The brokerage and research products and services Nuveen Asset Management receives from broker-dealers supplement Nuveen Asset Management’s own normal research activities. As a practical matter, Nuveen Asset Management could not, on its own, generate all of the research that broker-dealers provide without materially increasing expenses. The brokerage and research products and services Nuveen Asset Management receives from broker-dealers may be put to a variety of uses and may be provided as part of a product that bundles research and brokerage products with other products into one package as further described below. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to reduce its expenses through its use of soft dollars.

As a general matter, the brokerage and research products and services Nuveen Asset Management receives from broker-dealers are used to service all of Nuveen Asset Management’s accounts, including the Fund.

 

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However, any particular brokerage and research product or service may not be used to service each and every account, and may not benefit the particular accounts that generated the brokerage commissions. For example, equity commissions are used for brokerage and research products and services utilized in managing fixed income accounts.

Nuveen Asset Management receives brokerage or research products or services that it also uses for business purposes unrelated to brokerage or research. For example, certain brokerage services are provided as a part of a product that bundles many separate and distinct brokerage, execution, investment management, custodial and recordkeeping services into one package. Market data services are a specific example of mixed use services that Nuveen Asset Management might acquire because certain employees of Nuveen Asset Management may use such services for marketing or administrative purposes while others use them for research purposes. The acquisition of mixed use products and services causes a conflict of interest for Nuveen Asset Management, in that clients pay up for this type of brokerage or research product or service while the product or service also directly benefits Nuveen Asset Management. For this reason, and in accordance with general SEC guidance, Nuveen Asset Management makes a good faith effort to determine what percentage of the product or service is used for non-brokerage or research purposes and pays cash (“hard dollars”) for such percentage of the total cost. To ensure that its practices are consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients and to address this conflict, Nuveen Asset Management makes all determinations with regard to whether mixed use items may be acquired and, if so, what the appropriate allocations are between soft dollar and hard dollar payments for such products and services. These determinations themselves represent a conflict of interest as Nuveen Asset Management has a financial incentive to allocate a greater proportion of the cost of mixed use products to soft dollars.

The Fund’s portfolio transactions involve payment of a brokerage commission. In some cases, transactions are with dealers or issuers who act as principal for their own accounts and not as brokers. Transactions effected on a principal basis, other than certain transactions effected on a so-called riskless principal basis, are made without the payment of brokerage commissions but at net prices which usually include a spread or markup. In effecting transactions in over-the-counter securities, the Fund typically deals with market makers unless it appears that better price and execution are available elsewhere.

It is expected that the Fund will purchase most foreign equity securities in the over-the-counter markets or stock exchanges located in the countries in which the respective principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located if that is the best available market. The commission paid in connection with foreign stock transactions may be higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. transactions. There generally is less governmental supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges than in the United States. Foreign securities settlements may in some instances be subject to delays and related administrative uncertainties.

Foreign equity securities may be held in the form of depositary receipts or securities convertible into foreign equity securities. Depositary receipts may be listed on stock exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter markets in the United States or overseas. The foreign and domestic debt securities in which the Fund may invest are generally traded in the over-the-counter markets.

The Fund does not effect any brokerage transactions in its portfolio securities with any broker or dealer affiliated directly or indirectly with Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management unless such transactions, including the frequency thereof, the receipt of commission payable in connection therewith, and the selection of the affiliated broker or dealer effecting such transactions are not unfair or unreasonable to the shareholders of the Fund, as determined by the Board of Trustees. Any transactions with an affiliated broker or dealer must be on terms that are both at least as favorable to the Fund as the Fund can obtain elsewhere and at least as favorable as such affiliated broker or dealer normally gives to others.

 

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When two or more clients of Nuveen Asset Management are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the prices and amounts are allocated in a manner considered by Nuveen Asset Management to be equitable to each client. In some cases, this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as each client is concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the clients to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for each client.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES AND DEBT

COMMON SHARES

For a description of Common Shares, See “Description of Shares and Debt—Common Shares” in the Prospectus.

The Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. The Common Shares being offered have a par value of $0.01 per share and, subject to the rights of holders of Preferred Shares, if issued, and borrowings, if incurred, have equal rights to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. The Common Shares being offered will, when issued, be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed in “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” in the Prospectus, non-assessable, and will have no pre-emptive or conversion rights or rights to cumulative voting. Whenever the Fund incurs Borrowings and/or Preferred Shares are outstanding, Common Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any cash distributions from the Fund unless all interest on such borrowings has been paid and all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares have been paid, unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to any borrowings would be at least 300% after giving effect to the distributions and asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions. See “—Preferred Shares” below.

It is anticipated that the Common Shares will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the ticker symbol “JPI.” 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. The Fund will not issue share certificates.

Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by 4.50% (the amount of the sales load as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.875, before deducting offering expenses. Net asset value of the Fund and the net asset value per Common Share are then further reduced by the amount of offering expenses paid by the Fund (estimated to be an additional 0.20% as a percentage of the offering price), making the Fund’s net asset value per Common Share equal to $23.825 immediately after this offering is completed. Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to (i) reimburse all organization expenses of the Fund and (ii) pay all offering costs of the Fund (other than sales load) that exceed $0.05 per Common Share.

Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a shareholder determines to buy additional Common Shares or sell shares already held, the shareholder may do so by trading on the exchange through a broker or otherwise. Shares of closed-end investment companies may trade on an exchange at prices lower than net asset value. Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have during some periods traded at prices higher than net asset value and have during other periods traded at prices lower than net asset value. Because the market value of the Common Shares may be influenced by such factors as distribution levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), call protection, dividend stability, portfolio credit quality, net asset value, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot assure you that Common Shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than net asset value in the future. 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.

DEBT

The Declaration authorizes the Fund, without approval of the Common Shareholders, to borrow money. In this connection, the Fund may issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness (including bank borrowings or commercial paper) and may secure any such debt by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the

 

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Fund’s assets. In connection with such borrowing, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances with the lender or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Any such requirements will increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after any such debt is issued, must have an “asset coverage” of at least 300%. With respect to any such debt, asset coverage means the ratio which the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of such borrowing represented by senior securities issued by the Fund. Certain types of debt may result in the Fund being subject to certain restrictions imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies which may issue ratings for commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund. Such restrictions may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

The rights of lenders to the Fund to receive interest on and repayment of principal of any such debt will be senior to those of the Common Shareholders, and the terms of any such debt may contain provisions which limit certain activities of the Fund, including the payment of dividends to Common Shareholders in certain circumstances. Further, the 1940 Act does (in certain circumstances) grant to the lenders to the Fund certain voting rights in the event of default in the payment of interest on or repayment of principal. In the event that such provisions would impair the Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code, the Fund, subject to its ability to liquidate its relatively illiquid portfolio, intends to repay the debt. Any debt will likely be ranked senior or equal to all other existing and future debt of the Fund. The Fund also may borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary emergency purposes.

PREFERRED SHARES

The Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Preferred Shares in one or more classes or series, with rights as determined by the Board of Trustees, by action of the Board of Trustees without the approval of the Common Shareholders. The Fund currently does not have any Preferred Shares outstanding. The decision to issue Preferred Shares is subject to market conditions and to the Board of Trustees’ belief that leveraging the Fund’s capital structure through the issuance of Preferred Shares is likely to achieve the benefits to the Common Shareholders described in the Prospectus.

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 (50%) of the value of the Fund’s total net assets, including any liabilities associated with borrowings, 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 Fund’s total net assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution) immediately after the distribution. The Fund intends to purchase or redeem Preferred Shares, if necessary, to keep that percentage below 50%.

Distribution Preference. If issued in the future, Preferred Shares would 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, holders of Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, will be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared) before any distribution of assets is made to Common Shareholders.

Voting Rights. Holders of Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees (following the establishment of the Fund by an initial trustee, the Declaration provides for a total of no less than two and no more than 12 trustees). The remaining trustees would be elected by Common Shareholders and holders of Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, voting together as a

 

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single class. In the unlikely event that two full years of accrued dividends are unpaid on the Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, the holders of all outstanding Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s trustees until all dividends in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment. In order for the Fund to take certain actions or enter into certain transactions, a separate class vote of holders of Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, would be required, in addition to the single class vote of the holders of Preferred Shares and Common Shares.

Redemption, Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares. The terms of the Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, would provide that they may be redeemed by the issuer at certain times, in whole or in part, at the original purchase price per share plus accumulated dividends. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred Shares, if issued in the future by the Fund, would reduce the leverage applicable to Common Shares, while any issuance of shares by the Fund would increase such leverage.

REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

The Fund is a closed-end investment company and as such its shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem their shares. Instead, the Common Shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including dividend levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), net asset value, call protection, price, dividend stability, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Because shares of a closed-end investment company frequently trade at prices lower than net asset value, the Fund’s Board of Trustees has currently determined that, at least annually, it will consider action that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from net asset value in respect of Common Shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares at net asset value, or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. There can be no assurance, however, that the Board of Trustees will decide to take any of these actions, or that share repurchases or tender offers, if undertaken, will reduce market discount.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time if the Fund has Preferred Shares outstanding, the Fund may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its Common Shares unless (1) all accrued Preferred Shares dividends have been paid and (2) at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition, the net asset value of the Fund’s 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). The staff of the SEC currently requires that any tender offer made by a closed-end investment company for its shares must be at a price equal to the net asset value of such shares at the close of business on the last day of the tender offer. Any service fees incurred in connection with any tender offer made by the Fund will be borne by the Fund and will not reduce the stated consideration to be paid to tendering shareholders.

Subject to its investment limitations, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Fund’s net income. 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. Although the decision to take action in response to a discount from net asset value will be made by the Board of Trustees at the time it considers such issue, it is the Board of Trustees’ present policy, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees, not to authorize repurchases of Common Shares or a tender offer for such shares if (1) such transactions, if consummated, would (a) result in the delisting of the Common Shares from the New York Stock Exchange, or (b) impair the Fund’s status as a regulated investment company under the Code (which would make the Fund a taxable entity, causing the Fund’s income to be taxed at the corporate level in addition to the taxation of shareholders who receive dividends from the Fund) or as a registered closed-end investment

 

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company under the 1940 Act; (2) the Fund would not be able to liquidate portfolio securities in an orderly manner and consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies in order to repurchase shares; or (3) there is, in the Board of Trustees’ judgment, any (a) material legal action or proceeding instituted or threatened challenging such transactions or otherwise materially adversely affecting the Fund, (b) general suspension of or limitation on prices for trading securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (c) declaration of a banking moratorium by Federal or state authorities or any suspension of payment by United States or state banks in which the Fund invests, (d) material limitation affecting the Fund or the issuers of its portfolio securities by federal or state authorities on the extension of credit by lending institutions or on the exchange of foreign currency, (e) commencement of war, armed hostilities or other international or national calamity directly or indirectly involving the United States, or (f) other event or condition which would have a material adverse effect (including any adverse tax effect) on the Fund or its shareholders if shares were repurchased. The Board of Trustees may in the future modify these conditions in light of experience.

Conversion to an open-end investment company would require the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, outstanding at the time, voting together as a single class, and of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Preferred Shares, if issued in the future, outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, provided, however, that such separate class vote shall be a majority vote if the action in question has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or By-laws. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” in the Fund’s Prospectus for a discussion of voting requirements applicable to conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. If the Fund converted to an open-end investment company, it would be required to redeem all Preferred Shares then outstanding, and the Common Shares 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 investment companies typically engage in a continuous offering of their shares. Open-end investment companies are thus subject to periodic asset in-flows and out-flows that can complicate portfolio management. The Board of Trustees may at any time propose conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company depending upon their judgment as to the advisability of such action in light of circumstances then prevailing.

The repurchase by the Fund of its shares at prices below net asset value would 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 would result in the Fund’s shares trading at a price equal to their net asset value. Nevertheless, the fact that the Fund’s 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 investment 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 would decrease the Fund’s total assets which would likely have the effect of increasing the Fund’s 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.

Before deciding whether to take any action if the Common Shares trade below net asset value, the Board of Trustees would consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Fund’s 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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TAX MATTERS

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax issues concerning the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Common Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of federal income taxation that may be relevant to Common Shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes you are a U.S. Common Shareholder (as defined below) and that you hold your Common Shares as a capital asset (generally, for investment). This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the IRS regarding any matters discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to those set forth below. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers with regard to the federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of the Common Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other taxing jurisdiction.

A U.S. Common Shareholder means a person (other than a partnership) that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

The Fund intends to qualify annually and to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to regulated investment companies, the Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. A “qualified publicly traded partnership” is a publicly traded partnership that meets certain requirements with respect to the nature of its income. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must also satisfy certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its assets. The Fund must, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year, diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for the purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of a single issuer, of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and its net tax-exempt income each taxable year. If the Fund failed to meet the asset diversification test described above with respect to any quarter, the Fund would nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the requirements for such quarter if the Fund cured such failure within 6 months and either (i) such failure was de minimis or (ii) (a) such failure was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and (b) the Fund reported the failure under Treasury Regulations to be adopted and paid an excise tax.

As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net

 

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short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to Common Shareholders. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or 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 report the retained amount as undistributed capital gains as part of its annual reporting to its Common Shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount; (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any; and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Common Shares owned by a Common Shareholder will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the Common Shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the Common Shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The Fund intends to distribute to its Common Shareholders at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains (except for net capital gains credited to them but retained by the Fund).

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (3) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. To prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement.

A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the current calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to Common Shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.

If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, and was unable to cure such failure, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income (even if such income were distributed to its Common Shareholders) and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to Common Shareholders as ordinary dividends. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” (as defined below) in the case of individual and other noncorporate Common Shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction (“DRD”) in the case of corporate Common Shareholders. In addition, in order to requalify for taxation as a regulated investment company, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions. The Board of Trustees reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to the Common Shareholders.

Distributions

At least monthly, the Fund intends to distribute any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) and taxable ordinary income, if any, or, alternatively, the Fund may retain all or a portion of the year’s net capital gain and pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained gain. As provided under U.S. federal tax law, if the Fund elects to report such retained gain as undistributed capital gain, Common Shareholders of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include their attributable share of the retained net capital gain in their income for the year as long-term capital gain (regardless of their holding period in the Common Shares), and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax paid on their behalf by the Fund. Common Shareholders of record for the retained capital gain will also be entitled to increase their tax basis in their Common Shares by the amount of the allocated gain in excess of the tax that is deemed to have been paid on their behalf. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain that are properly reported by the Fund (“capital gain

 

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distributions”), if any, are taxable to Common Shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of their holding period in the Common Shares. Distributions of the Fund’s taxable ordinary income and net realized short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income (subject to the discussion below of “qualified dividend income”). The long-term capital gain tax rate applicable to individuals is currently 15%, and it is scheduled to increase to 20% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012.

If, for any calendar year, the Fund’s total distributions exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of capital to each Common Shareholder (up to the amount of the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Common Shares) and thereafter as gain from the sale of Common Shares (assuming the Common Shares are held as a capital asset). The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce the Common Shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Common Shares, thereby increasing the potential gain or reducing the potential loss on the subsequent sale or other disposition of the Common Shares. A corporation that owns Common Shares may be eligible for the DRD with respect to a portion of the distributions it receives from the Fund, provided the Fund reports the eligible portion and the corporate Common Shareholder satisfies certain holding period and other requirements. Fund distributions that are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the DRD.

Distributions of “qualified dividend income” to individual taxpayers are taxed at rates applicable to long-term capital gains under current law. This tax treatment applies only if certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied by the Common Shareholder, the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund itself and the Fund properly reports such distributions as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” means dividends received by the Fund from United States corporations and “qualified foreign corporations,” provided that the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations. The favorable U.S. federal tax treatment of qualified dividend income may be adversely affected, changed or repealed by future changes in tax laws at any time (possibly with retroactive effect), and is currently scheduled to expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain information regarding whether distributions by non-U.S. entities in which the Fund invests should be regarded as qualified dividend income. No assurance can be given as to what percentage of the distributions paid on the Common Shares, if any, will consist of qualified dividend income or long-term capital gains or what the tax rates on various types of income will be in future years.

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, recently enacted legislation will generally impose an additional tax at a rate of 3.8% on some or all of the net investment income of certain non-corporate taxpayers. For this purpose, “net investment income” includes interest, dividends (including dividends paid with respect to Common Shares), annuities, royalties, rent, net gain attributable to the disposition of property not held in a trade or business (including net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Common Shares) and certain other income, but will be reduced by any deductions properly allocable to such income or net gain. Common Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding the taxation of net investment income.

Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional shares of the Fund. Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Common Shares will be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash, unless the Fund issues new Common Shares that are trading at or above net asset value, in which case, such Common Shareholders will be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the distributed Common Shares. Common Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions, and Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Common Shares will receive a report as to the net asset value of those Common Shares.

The IRS currently requires that a regulated investment company that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income, capital

 

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gains, dividends qualifying for the DRD, qualified dividend income, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid out of current or accumulated earnings and profits to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues Preferred Shares, it intends each year to allocate each type of its income between its Common Shares and Preferred Shares in proportion to the total dividends paid out of current or accumulated earnings and profits to each class with respect to such tax year. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, however, will not be allocated proportionately among the Common Shares and Preferred Shares. Since the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in the event of the issuance of Preferred Shares will first be used to pay dividends on the Preferred Shares, distributions in excess of such earnings and profits, if any, will be made disproportionately to holders of Common Shares.

Sale or Exchange of Common Shares

Upon the sale or other disposition of Common Shares (including at termination of the Fund), which a Common Shareholder holds as a capital asset, such a Common Shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the Common Shareholder’s holding period for the Common Shares. Generally, a Common Shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the Common Shares have been held for more than one year. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent that Common Shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment of dividends) with substantially identical securities within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after disposition of the Common Shares. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a Common Shareholder on a disposition of Common Shares held by the Common Shareholder for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain received by the Common Shareholder (including net capital gain retained by the Fund but deemed distributed to the Common Shareholders) with respect to such Common Shares.

Nature of Fund’s Investments

Certain of the Fund’s investment practices are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) convert dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income into ordinary income, (ii) treat dividends that would otherwise be eligible for the corporate DRD as ineligible for such treatment, (iii) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (iv) convert long-term capital gain into short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (v) convert an ordinary loss or deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (vi) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (vii) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions, and (viii) produce income that will not qualify as good income for purposes of the income requirement that applies to regulated investment companies. The Fund may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.

The Fund’s investments in custom OTC options (or in options with respect to individual stocks) generally will be treated as equity options governed by Section 1234 of the Code. Under that section, if the Fund’s position in a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise. Any gain or loss resulting from the sale of an option purchased by the Fund will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option.

 

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If the Fund invests in options that qualify as “section 1256 contracts,” Section 1256 of the Code generally requires any gain or loss arising from the lapse, closing out or exercise of such positions to be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss (except for any foreign currency gain or loss, which may be treated as ordinary income). In addition, the Fund generally would be required to “mark to market” (i.e., treat as sold for fair market value) each such outstanding option position at the close of each taxable year (and on October 31 of each year for excise tax purposes). If a section 1256 contract held by the Fund at the end of a taxable year is sold or closed out in a subsequent year, the amount of any gain or loss realized on such sale will be adjusted to reflect the gain or loss previously taken into account under the “mark to market” rules. In addition to most exchange traded index options, section 1256 contracts under the Code include certain other options contracts, certain regulated futures contracts, and certain other financial contracts. It cannot be predicted whether the Fund will invest to any significant extent in section 1256 contracts.

The Code contains special rules that apply to “straddles,” defined generally as the holding of “offsetting positions with respect to personal property.” For example, the straddle rules normally apply when a taxpayer holds stock and an offsetting option with respect to such stock or substantially identical stock or securities. In general, investment positions will be offsetting if there is a substantial diminution in the risk of loss from holding one position by reason of holding one or more other positions. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into options transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle. If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, “wash sale” rules apply to prevent the recognition of loss by the Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period.

The Code imposes constructive sale treatment for federal income tax purposes on certain hedging strategies with respect to appreciated financial positions. Under these rules, taxpayers will recognize gain, but not loss, with respect to securities if they enter into short sales or “offsetting notional principal contracts” (as defined by the Code) with respect to, or futures or forward contracts to deliver, the same or substantially identical property, or if they enter into such transactions and then acquire the same or substantially identical property.

Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss.

Investment by the Fund in “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from such a company or on the proceeds from the sale of its investment in such a company. A “passive foreign investment company” is any foreign corporation: (i) 75% or more of the income of which for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets of which (generally measured by value on a quarterly basis, but by adjusted tax basis in certain cases) that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. Generally, passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest (including income equivalent to interest), royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gain over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains. Passive income for this purpose does not include rents and royalties received by the foreign corporation from active businesses and certain income received from related persons. The tax on PFIC distributions and the sale of interests in PFICs cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Common Shareholders; however, it can be avoided by making an election to mark such investments to market annually (treating gains as ordinary income) or to treat the passive foreign investment company as a “qualified electing fund” (a “QEF election”). In the case of a QEF election, the Fund will be required to include its share of the company’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the

 

63


company. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirements, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.”

The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes, which could reduce the amount of its distributions. If more than 50% of the Fund’s assets were invested in foreign securities at the end of a year, the Fund would be eligible to make an election permitting Common Shareholders to claim a credit or deduction for their pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If it made this election, the Fund might report more taxable income to Common Shareholders than it actually distributes. It is unlikely that the Fund will be eligible to pass through foreign tax credits in any given year.

The Fund’s investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations.

The Fund may invest in preferred securities or other securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which is uncertain or subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or their income differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to “backup” withhold U.S. federal income tax from all taxable distributions and redemption proceeds payable to Common Shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. The withholding percentage is currently 28% until December 31, 2012, at which time the percentage will revert to 31%. Corporate Common Shareholders and certain other Common Shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the Common Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Foreign Shareholders

U.S. taxation of a Common Shareholder who is neither a U.S. Common Shareholder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (“foreign shareholder”) depends on whether the income of the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder. If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Common Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner in a partnership holding Common Shares should consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Common Shares.

Income not Effectively Connected

If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. Under current law, this withholding tax will apply even to the extent that the dividends are paid out of “portfolio interest” income or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to such withholding tax had they been received directly by the foreign shareholder. For dividends paid by regulated investment companies in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2012, such “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” that satisfied certain

 

64


requirements were exempt from this withholding tax. There can be no assurance as to whether or not this exemption will be extended to future taxable years.

Distributions of capital gain dividends (including any amounts retained by the Fund which are reported as undistributed capital gains) and gains recognized on the sale or other disposition of our Common Shares may be subject to U.S. tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) if the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements. However, this 30% tax on capital gains of nonresident alien individuals who are physically present in the United States for more than the 182 day period only applies in exceptional cases because any individual present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year is generally treated as a resident for U.S. income tax purposes; in that case, he or she would be subject to U.S. income tax on his or her worldwide income at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, rather than the 30% U.S. tax. In the case of a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. income tax from distributions of net capital gain unless the foreign shareholder certifies his or her non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption. See “Tax Matters—Backup Withholding.”

Income Effectively Connected

If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund which are reported as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of Common Shares will be subject to U.S. income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents and domestic corporations. Foreign corporate shareholders also may be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code. The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

Other Withholding Rules

After December 31, 2013, withholding at a rate of 30% will be required on dividends in respect of, and, after December 31, 2014, on gross proceeds from the sale of, Common Shares held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to shares in, and accounts maintained by, the institution to the extent such shares or accounts are held by certain United States persons or by certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by United States persons. Accordingly, the entity through which Common Shares is held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of, and gross proceeds from the sale of, Common Shares held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies to us that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which we will in turn provide to the Secretary of the Treasury. Shareholders are encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in Common Shares.

Other Tax Considerations

Common Shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Common Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in

 

65


such Common Shares, including under state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of the Fund as of June 5, 2012 appearing in the SAI have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, appearing elsewhere herein. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. Ernst & Young LLP provides auditing services to the Fund. The principal business address of Ernst & Young LLP is 155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent is also State Street (the “Transfer Agent”). The Transfer Agent is located at 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to the shares of the Fund offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC, Washington, D.C. The Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Fund and the Common Shares offered hereby, reference is made to the Fund’s Registration Statement. Statements contained in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SEC’s principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC.

 

66


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Trustees and Shareholder

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund (the “Fund”) as of June 5, 2012, and the related statement of operations for the period from April 18, 2012 (date of organization) through June 5, 2012. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.

We conducted our audit 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 statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, 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.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund at June 5, 2012, and the results of its operations for the period from April 18, 2012 (date of organization) through June 5, 2012, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Chicago, Illinois

June 6, 2012

 

67


NUVEEN PREFERRED AND INCOME TERM FUND

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

June 5, 2012

 

 

Assets:

  

Cash

   $ 100,275   

Deferred offering costs

     400,000   

Receivable from Adviser

     11,000   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     511,275   
  

 

 

 

Liabilities:

  

Payable for offering costs

     400,000   

Payable for organization expenses

     11,000   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     411,000   
  

 

 

 

Net assets applicable to Common shares

   $ 100,275   
  

 

 

 

Common shares outstanding

     4,200   
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per Common share outstanding ($100,275 divided by 4,200 Common shares outstanding)

   $ 23.875   

Net assets consist of:

  

Common shares, $.01 par value; unlimited number of Common shares authorized, 4,200 Common shares outstanding

   $ 42   

Paid-in surplus

     100,233   
  

 

 

 

Net assets

   $ 100,275   
  

 

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

 

68


NUVEEN PREFERRED AND INCOME TERM FUND

Statement of Operations

Period from April 18, 2012 (date of organization) through June 5, 2012

 

Investment income

   $  
  

 

 

 

Expenses:

  

Organization expenses

     11,000   

Expense reimbursement

     (11,000
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

      
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

   $  
  

 

 

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.

(1) The Fund

Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on April 18, 2012. The Fund has been inactive since that date except for matters relating to its organization and registration as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the sale of 4,200 shares to Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. (“NFA”), the Fund’s investment adviser, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen”).

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and total return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in preferred securities and other income producing securities. The Fund’s portfolio will be actively managed, seeking to capitalize on historically wide preferred credit spreads (the difference between current yields on preferred securities and U.S. Treasury bonds and other fixed-income benchmarks) currently available in the market. The Fund’s strategy will focus opportunistically on financial services companies.

(2) Significant Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets applicable to Common shares from operations during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Under the Fund’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. In addition, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications to other parties. The Fund’s 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 loss to be remote.

(3) Organization Expenses and Offering Costs

NFA has agreed to (i) reimburse all organization expenses of the Fund (approximately $11,000) and (ii) pay the amount by which the Fund’s offering costs (other than sales load) exceed $.05 per Common share. Based on an estimated offering size of $200,000,000 (approximately 8,000,000 shares), the Fund would pay a maximum of $400,000 of offering costs and NFA would pay all offering costs in excess of $400,000, which is currently estimated to be $645,000. The Fund’s portion of the offering costs will be recorded as a reduction of the proceeds from the sale of the Common shares upon commencement of Fund operations.

 

69


(4) Investment Management Agreement

NFA will be responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation, including the use of leverage. Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management”), the Fund’s sub-adviser, will be responsible for the investing activities of the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management is a subsidiary of Nuveen.

The Fund has agreed to pay a total annual management fee to NFA, payable on a monthly basis, based on the sum of a fund-level fee and a complex-level fee, as described below. Nuveen Asset Management will be compensated for its services to the Fund from the management fee paid to NFA.

Fund-Level Fee: The annual fund-level fee, payable monthly, shall be applied according to the following schedule:

 

Fund-Level Average Daily Managed Assets(1)

   Fund-Level Fee Rate  

Up to $500 million

     0.7000

$500 million to $1 billion

     0.6750   

$1 billion to $1.5 billion

     0.6500   

$1.5 billion to $2 billion

     0.6250   

$2 billion and over

     0.6000   

Complex-Level Fee: The annual complex-level fee, payable monthly, shall be applied according to the following schedule:

 

Complex-Level Asset

Breakpoint Level(2)

   Effective Rate at
Breakpoint Level
 

$55 billion

     0.2000

$56 billion

     0.1996   

$57 billion

     0.1989   

$60 billion

     0.1961   

$63 billion

     0.1931   

$66 billion

     0.1900   

$71 billion

     0.1851   

$76 billion

     0.1806   

$80 billion

     0.1773   

$91 billion

     0.1691   

$125 billion

     0.1599   

$200 billion

     0.1505   

$250 billion

     0.1469   

$300 billion

     0.1445   

 

(1) For this Fund, “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage). Total assets for this purpose shall include assets attributable to the Fund’s use of effective leverage through investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (“TOB”) trusts (whether or not those assets are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of U.S. GAAP).
(2)

The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen Funds. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors’ assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011. With respect to closed-end funds, eligible assets include assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates in TOB trusts, including the

 

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  portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by Nuveen Fund Advisors as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances.

(5) Income Taxes

The Fund intends to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income to shareholders. In any year when the Fund realizes net capital gains, the Fund may choose to distribute all or a portion of its net capital gains to shareholders or, alternatively, to retain all or a portion of its net capital gains and pay Federal corporate income taxes on such retained gains.

 

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APPENDIX A

Ratings of Investments

Standard & Poor’s Corporation—A brief description of the applicable Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (“Standard & Poor’s” or “S&P”), rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:

A Standard & Poor’s issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poor’s view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days—including commercial paper.

Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS

Issue credit ratings are based in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations:

1. Likelihood of payment—capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and

3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

The issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)

AAA

An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA

An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A

An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

 

A-1


BBB

An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB, B, CCC, CC, and C

Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB

An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B

An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC

An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC

An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C

A ‘C’ rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the ‘C’ rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

D

An obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within the shorter of the stated grace period but not longer than five business days. Both a longer stated grace period and the absence of a stated grace period are irrelevant. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

 

A-2


Plus (+) or minus (-). The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

N.R.

This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS

A-1

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B

A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

C

A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D

A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.—A brief description of the applicable Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moody’s) follows:

LONG-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS

Moody’s long-term ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings use Moody’s Global Scale and reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.

 

A-3


Aaa

Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa

Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A

Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa

Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba

Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B

Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa

Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative, of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca

Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C

Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aaa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS

Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted. Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

P-1

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

A-4


P-3

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Fitch Ratings, Inc.—A brief description of the applicable Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) ratings symbols and meanings (as published by Fitch) follows:

Rated entities in a number of sectors, including financial and non-financial corporations, sovereigns and insurance companies, are generally assigned Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs). IDRs opine on an entity’s relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The “threshold” default risk addressed by the IDR is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, IDRs also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts, although the agency recognizes that issuers may also make pre-emptive and therefore voluntary use of such mechanisms.

In aggregate, IDRs provide an ordinal ranking of issuers based on the agency’s view of their relative vulnerability to default, rather than a prediction of a specific percentage likelihood of default. For historical information on the default experience of Fitch-rated issuers, please consult the transition and default performance studies available from the Fitch Ratings website.

LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

AAA

Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA

Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of a very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A

High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB

Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB

Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk developing, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.

 

 

A-5


B

Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC

Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.

CC

Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.

C

Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:

a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

c. Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.

RD

Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:

a. the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

b. the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

c. the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or

d. execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D

Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business. Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non- payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

 

A-6


In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

Note: The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below ‘B’.

Specific limitations relevant to the issuer credit rating scale include:

 

   

The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an issuer default.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the suitability of an issuer as a counterparty to trade credit.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer’s business, operational or financial profile other than the agency’s opinion on its relative vulnerability to default.

Ratings assigned by Fitch Ratings articulate an opinion on discrete and specific areas of risk. The above list is not exhaustive, and is provided for the reader’s convenience.

SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

F1

Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2

Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3

Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B

Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C

High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

A-7


RD

Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.

D

Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a specific short-term obligation.

Specific limitations relevant to the Short-Term Ratings scale include:

 

   

The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an obligation default.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer or transaction’s profile other than the agency’s opinion on the relative vulnerability to default of the rated issuer or obligation.

Ratings assigned by Fitch Ratings articulate an opinion on discrete and specific areas of risk. The above list is not exhaustive, and is provided for the reader’s convenience.

RATING WATCHES AND RATING OUTLOOKS

Rating Watch

Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as “Positive”, indicating a potential upgrade, “Negative”, for a potential downgrade, or “Evolving”, if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action. A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period. The event driving the Watch may be either anticipated or have already occurred, but in both cases, the exact rating implications remain undetermined. The Watch period is typically used to gather further information and/or subject the information to further analysis. Additionally, a Watch may be used where the rating implications are already clear, but where a triggering event (e.g. shareholder or regulatory approval) exists. The Watch will typically extend to cover the period until the triggering event is resolved or its outcome is predictable with a high enough degree of certainty to permit resolution of the Watch. Rating Watches can be employed by all analytical groups and are applied to the ratings of individual entities and/or individual instruments. At the lowest categories of speculative grade (‘CCC’, ‘CC’ and ‘C’) the high volatility of credit profiles may imply that almost all ratings should carry a Watch. Watches are nonetheless only applied selectively in these categories, where a committee decides that particular events or threats are best communicated by the addition of the Watch designation.

Rating Outlook

Rating Outlooks indicate the direction a rating is likely to move over a one- to two-year period. They reflect financial or other trends that have not yet reached the level that would trigger a rating action, but which may do so if such trends continue. The majority of Outlooks are generally Stable, which is consistent with the historical migration experience of ratings over a one- to two-year period. Positive or Negative rating Outlooks do not imply that a rating change is inevitable and, similarly, ratings with Stable Outlooks can be raised or lowered without a prior revision to the Outlook, if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, where the fundamental trend has strong, conflicting elements of both positive and negative, the Rating Outlook may be described as Evolving.

 

A-8


Outlooks are currently applied on the long-term scale to issuer ratings in corporate finance (including sovereigns, industrials, utilities, financial institutions and insurance companies) and public finance outside the U.S.; to issue ratings in public finance in the U.S.; to certain issues in project finance; to Insurer Financial Strength Ratings; to issuer and/or issue ratings in a number of National Rating scales; and to the ratings of structured finance transactions. Outlooks are not applied to ratings assigned on the short-term scale and are applied selectively to ratings in the ‘CCC’, ‘CC’ and ‘C’ categories. Defaulted ratings typically do not carry an Outlook.

Deciding When to Assign Rating Watch or Outlook

Timing is informative but not critical to the choice of a Watch rather than an Outlook. A discrete event that is largely clear and the terms of which are defined, but which will not happen for more than six months—such as a lengthy regulatory approval process—would nonetheless likely see ratings placed on Watch rather than a revision to the Outlook. An Outlook revision may, however, be deemed more appropriate where a series of potential event risks has been identified, none of which individually warrants a Watch but which cumulatively indicate heightened probability of a rating change over the following one to two years.

A revision to the Outlook may also be appropriate where a specific event has been identified, but where the conditions and implications of that event are largely unclear and subject to high execution risk over an extended period—for example a proposed, but politically controversial, privatization.

STANDARD RATING ACTIONS

Affirmed*

The rating has been reviewed and no change has been deemed necessary.

Confirmed

Action taken in response to an external request or change in terms. Rating has been reviewed in either context, and no rating change has been deemed necessary.

Downgrade*

The rating has been lowered in the scale.

Matured*/Paid-In-Full

a. ‘Matured’—This action is used when an issue has reached the end of its repayment term and rating coverage is discontinued. Denoted as ‘M’.

b. ‘Paid-In-Full’—This action indicates that the issue has been paid in full. As the issue no longer exists, it is therefore no longer rated. Denoted as ‘PIF’.

New Rating*

Rating has been assigned to a previously unrated issue primarily used in cases of shelf issues such as MTNs or similar programs.

No Longer Applicable (NLA)

Rating formerly assigned is no longer relevant due to a change in scale or some other non-credit event.

Prerefunded*

Assigned to long-term US Public Finance issues after Fitch assesses refunding escrow.

 

A-9


Publish*

Initial public announcement of rating on the agency’s website, although not necessarily the first rating assigned. This action denotes when a previously private rating is published.

Upgrade*

The rating has been raised in the scale.

Withdrawn*

The rating has been withdrawn and the issue or issuer is no longer rated by Fitch Ratings. Indicated in rating databases with the symbol ‘WD’.

Rating Watch Maintained*

The issue or issuer has been reviewed and remains on active Rating Watch status.

Rating Watch On*

The issue or issuer has been placed on active Rating Watch status.

Rating Watch Revision*

Rating Watch status has changed.

Revision Outlook*

The Rating Outlook status has changed independent of a full review of the underlying rating.

 

* A rating action must be recorded for each rating in a required cycle to be considered compliant with Fitch policy concerning aging of ratings. Not all Ratings or Data Actions, or changes in rating modifiers, will meet this requirement. Actions that meet this requirement are noted with an * in the above definitions.

 

A-10


Nuveen Preferred and Income Term Fund

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

                    , 2012


PART C—OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 25: Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

  1. Financial Statements:

 

       Registrant has not conducted any business as of the date of this filing, other than in connection with its organization. Financial statements indicating that the Registrant has met the net worth requirements of Section 14(a) of the 1940 Act have been filed with Pre-effective Amendment No. 1 to this Registration Statement on Form N-2.

 

  2. Exhibits:

 

  a. Declaration of Trust dated April 18, 2012.(1)

 

  b. By-laws of Registrant.(1)

 

  c. None.

 

  d. None.

 

  e. Terms and Conditions of the Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.

 

  f. None.

 

  g.1 Investment Management Agreement dated June 5, 2012.

 

  g.2 Form of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Subadvisory Agreement.

 

  h.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.

 

  h.2 Form of Dealer Letter Agreement.

 

  h.3 Form of Nuveen Master Selected Dealer Agreement.

 

  h.4 Form of Wells Fargo Master Selected Dealer Agreement.

 

  h.5 Form of Wells Fargo Master Agreement Among Underwriters.

 

  h.6 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC.

 

  h.7 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with UBS Securities LLC.

 

  h.8 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with RBC Capital Markets, LLC.

 

  i. Nuveen Open-End and Closed-End Funds Deferred Compensation Plan for Independent Directors and Trustee.

 

  j.1 Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated February 25, 2005 (the “Custodian Agreement”).

 

  j.2 Appendix A to Custodian Agreement dated June 5, 2012.

 

  k.1 Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated October 7, 2002 (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”).

 

  k.2 Amendment dated July 1, 2011 to the Transfer Agency Agreement.

 

  k.3 Schedule A to the Transfer Agency Agreement.*

 

  l.1 Opinion and Consent of K&L Gates LLP.

 

  l.2 Opinion and Consent of Bingham McCutchen LLP.

 

  m. Not Applicable.

 

  n.

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

1


  o. None.

 

  p. Subscription Agreement of Nuveen Fund Advisors dated June 5, 2012.

 

  q. None.

 

  r. Code of Ethics of Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC.(1)

 

  s. Powers of Attorney.

 

* To be filed by amendment
(1) Filed on May 3, 2012 with Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-181125) and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 26: Marketing Arrangements

Reference is made to the Form of Underwriting Agreement filed as Exhibit h.1 to this Registration Statement.

Reference is made to the Form of Nuveen Master Selected Dealer Agreement filed as Exhibit h.3 to this Registration Statement.

See Sections 1-6 and 8 of the Form of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC Master Selected Dealers Agreement, filed as Exhibit h.4 to this Registration Statement.

See the Introductory Paragraph and Sections 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4-3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1-5.4, 6, 10.9 and 10.10 of the Form of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC Master Agreement Among Underwriters filed as Exhibit h.5 to this Registration Statement.

 

Item 27: Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

Securities and Exchange Commission fees

   $ 22,920   

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees

   $ 20,500   

Promotion

   $ 275,000   

Printing and engraving expenses

   $ 225,000   

Legal fees

   $ 450,000   

Exchange listing fees

   $ 20,000   

Audit

   $ 20,000   

Miscellaneous expenses

   $ 11,580   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,045,000   
  

 

 

 

 

Item 28: Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant

Not applicable.

 

Item 29: Number of Holders of Securities

At June 21, 2012:

 

Title of Class

   Number of
Record Holders
 

Common Shares, $0.01 par value

     1   

 

2


Item 30: Indemnification

Section 4 of Article XII of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust provides as follows:

Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in this Section 4, every person who is, or has been, a trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:

(a) against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of a final adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought that he engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office;

(b) with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Trust; or

(c) in the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (a) or (b)) and resulting in a payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition or a reasonable determination, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that he did not engage in such conduct:

(i) by a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or

(ii) by written opinion of independent legal counsel.

The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 4 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 4, provided that either:

(a) such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Trust shall be insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or

(b) a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall determine, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

As used in this Section 4, a “Disinterested Trustee” is one (x) who is not an Interested Person of the Trust (including anyone, as such Disinterested Trustee, who has been exempted from being an Interested Person by any

 

3


rule, regulation or order of the Commission), and (y) against whom none of such actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending.

As used in this Section 4, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits, proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals), actual or threatened; and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

The trustees and officers of the Registrant are covered by the Mutual Fund Professional Liability policy in the aggregate amount of $70,000,000 against liability and expenses of claims of wrongful acts arising out of their position with the Registrant and other Nuveen funds, except for matters that involve willful acts, bad faith, gross negligence and willful disregard of duty (i.e., where the insured did not act in good faith for a purpose he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interest of the Registrant or where he or she had reasonable cause to believe this conduct was unlawful). The policy has a $2,500,000 deductible for operational failures (after the deductible is satisfied, the insurer would cover 80% of any operational failure claims and the Fund would be liable for 20% of any such claims) and $1,000,000 deductible for all other claims, with $0 deductible for individual insureds.

Section 6 of the Form of Underwriting Agreement filed as Exhibit h.1 to this Registration Statement provides for each of the parties thereto, including the Registrant and the underwriters, to indemnify the others, their trustees, directors, certain of their officers, trustees, directors and persons who control them against certain liabilities in connection with the offering described herein, including liabilities under the federal securities laws.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Item 31: Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser and Subadviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors manages the Registrant and serves as investment adviser or manager to other open-end and closed-end management investment companies and to separately managed accounts. The principal business address for all of these investment companies and the persons named below is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

A description of any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which the directors and officers of Nuveen Fund Advisors who serve as officers or trustees of the Registrant have engaged during the last two years for his or her account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee

appears under “Management of the Fund” in the Statement of Additional Information. Such information for the remaining senior officers of Nuveen Fund Advisors appears below:

 

Name and Position with Nuveen Fund
Advisors

  

Other Business, Profession, Vocation or Employment During Past Two Years

Thomas J. Schreier, Jr.,
Co-President
   Vice Chairman, Wealth Management of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Chairman of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of FAF Advisors; formerly, President of First American Funds.

 

4


Name and Position with Nuveen Fund
Advisors

  

Other Business, Profession, Vocation or Employment During Past Two Years

Sherri A. Hlavacek, Managing Director and Corporate Controller    Managing Director and Corporate Controller of Nuveen Investments, Inc., Nuveen Securities, LLC, Nuveen Investments Advisers Inc., Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. and of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Vice President and Controller of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, Winslow Capital Management, Inc. and Symphony Asset Management LLC; Certified Public Accountant.
Mary E. Keefe, Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer    Managing Director (since 2004) and Director of Compliance of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, Nuveen Investments Advisers Inc., Symphony Asset Management LLC and Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Winslow Capital Management, Inc.
John L. MacCarthy, Director, Executive Vice President and Secretary    Executive Vice President (since 2008), Secretary and General Counsel (since 2006) of Nuveen Investments, Inc. and Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since 2008) and Secretary (since 2006) of Nuveen Investments Advisers Inc. and (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Vice President and Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC and Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC; Director, Vice President and Secretary of Winslow Capital Management, Inc.
Glenn R. Richter, Director    Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Nuveen Investments, Inc. (since 2006); Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer (since 2011) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chief Administrative Officer of NWQ Holdings, LLC.

 

Item 32: Location of Accounts and Records

Nuveen Fund Advisors, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, maintains the Declaration of Trust, By-laws, minutes of trustees’ and shareholders’ meetings and contracts of the Registrant and all advisory material of the investment adviser.

State Street Bank and Trust Company, 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021, maintains all general and subsidiary ledgers, journals, trial balances, records of all portfolio purchases and sales, and all other required records not maintained by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

 

Item 33: Management Services

Not applicable.

 

Item 34: Undertakings

1. Registrant undertakes to suspend the offering of its shares until it amends its prospectus if: (1) subsequent to the effective date of its Registration Statement, the net asset value declines more than 10 percent from its net asset value as of the effective date of the Registration Statement; or (2) the net asset value increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus.

 

5


2. Not applicable.

3. Not applicable.

4. Not applicable.

5. The Registrant undertakes that:

a. For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant under Rule 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.

b. For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

6. The Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any Statement of Additional Information.

 

6


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment to this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in this City of Chicago, and State of Illinois, on the 22nd day of June, 2012.

 

NUVEEN PREFERRED AND INCOME TERM FUND

 

/s/ Kevin J. McCarthy

Kevin J. McCarthy, Vice President and Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Amendment to this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

  

Date

/s/ Stephen D. Foy

 

Stephen D. Foy

   Vice President and Controller (principal financial and accounting officer)    June 22, 2012

/s/ Gifford R. Zimmerman

 

Gifford R. Zimmerman

   Chief Administrative Officer (principal executive officer)    June 22, 2012
Robert P. Bremner*    Chairman of the Board and Trustee   
John P. Amboian*    Trustee   
Jack B. Evans*    Trustee   
William C. Hunter*    Trustee   
David J. Kundert*    Trustee   
Judith M. Stockdale*    Trustee   
Carole E. Stone*    Trustee   
William J. Schneider*    Trustee   
Virginia L. Stringer*    Trustee   
Terence J. Toth*    Trustee   
By:   /s/ Kevin J. McCarthy
  Kevin J. McCarthy
  Attorney-In-Fact
  June 22, 2012

 

* The original powers of attorney authorizing Kevin J. McCarthy, Gifford R. Zimmerman and Eric Fess, among others, to execute this Registration Statement, and Amendments thereto, for the trustees of the Registrant on whose behalf this Registration Statement is filed, have been executed and are filed herewith as an Exhibit.


INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

a. Declaration of Trust dated April 18, 2012.(1)

 

b. By-laws of Registrant.(1)

 

c. None.

 

d. None.

 

e. Terms and Conditions of the Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan.

 

f. None.

 

g.1 Investment Management Agreement dated June 5, 2012.

 

g.2 Form of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Subadvisory Agreement.

 

h.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.

 

h.2 Form of Dealer Letter Agreement.

 

h.3 Form of Nuveen Master Selected Dealer Agreement.

 

h.4 Form of Wells Fargo Master Selected Dealers Agreement.

 

h.5 Form of Wells Fargo Master Agreement Among Underwriters.

 

h.6 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC.

 

h.7 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with UBS Securities LLC.

 

h.8 Form of Structuring Fee Agreement with RBC Capital Markets, LLC.

 

i. Nuveen Open-End and Closed-End Funds Deferred Compensation Plan for Independent Directors and Trustees.

 

j.1 Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated February 25, 2005 (the “Custodian Agreement”).

 

j.2 Appendix A to Custodian Agreement dated June 5, 2012.

 

k.1 Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated October 7, 2002 (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”).

 

k.2 Amendment dated July 1, 2011 to the Transfer Agency Agreement.

 

k.3 Schedule A to the Transfer Agency Agreement.*

 

l.1 Opinion and Consent of K&L Gates LLP.

 

l.2 Opinion and Consent of Bingham McCutchen LLP.

 

m. Not Applicable.

 

n. Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

o. None.

 

p. Subscription Agreement of Nuveen Fund Advisors dated June 5, 2012.

 

q. None.

 

r. Code of Ethics of Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC.(1)

 

s. Powers of Attorney.

 

* To be filed by amendment.
(1) Filed on May 3, 2012 with Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-181125) and incorporated herein by reference.