Item 1. |
Reports to Shareholders. |
The following is a copy of the report transmitted to shareholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (17 CFR 270.30e-1).
PIMCO CLOSED-END FUNDS
Semiannual Report
December 31, 2023
PCM Fund, Inc. | PCM | NYSE
PIMCO Global StocksPLUS & Income Fund | PGP | NYSE
®
PIMCO Strategic Income Fund, Inc. | RCS | NYSE
PIMCO Access Income Fund | PAXS | NYSE
PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund | PDI | NYSE
PIMCO Dynamic Income Opportunities Fund | PDO | NYSE
Table of Contents
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| Fund | Fund Summary |
Schedule of Investments |
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| 11 | 68 | |||||||
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(1) |
Consolidated Schedule of Investments |
Market Insights |
Dear Shareholder,
This semiannual report covers the
six-month
reporting period ended December 31, 2023 (the “reporting period”). On the subsequent pages, you will find details regarding investment results and a discussion of certain factors that affected performance during the reporting period. The global economy continued to grow despite inflation that remains elevated, interest rate increases, tighter credit conditions, and geopolitical concerns affecting many countries. This resilience was particularly evident in the United States (“U.S.”). Some European economies experienced slower growth and generally continued to expand over the reporting period.
Central banks slowed interest rate hikes
Inflation eased over the reporting period, and several bank officials suggested that central banks may slow aggressive interest-rate hikes. From March 2022 through July 2023, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) raised the federal funds rate a total of 5.25 percentage points. In September, November and December 2023, the Fed did not increase interest rates. In December 2023, Fed communications conveyed a belief that the policy rate may be likely at or near its peak for the tightening cycle. From July 2022 through September 2023, the European Central Bank (“ECB”) raised its deposit facility overnight rate a total of 4.50 percentage points and then held rates steady at its October and December 2023 meetings. Meanwhile, from December 2019 through July 2023, the Bank of England (“BoE”) raised its Bank Rate a total of 5.15 percentage points and then held rates steady in September, November and December 2023. Both the ECB and BoE acknowledged the possibility of rate cuts in 2024.
Mixed financial market returns
The yield on the benchmark
10-year
U.S. Treasury increased during the reporting period. In many other developed markets, yields on 10-year
government bonds fluctuated. Overall, the global bond market rallied toward the end of 2023, bolstered by central bank officials’ policy pronouncements signaling a possible end to monetary tightening. During the reporting period, lower-rated bonds generally outperformed their higher-rated counterparts. Global equities and commodities rose amid market volatility. The U.S. dollar weakened relative to the euro, British pound and Japanese yen. We continue to work diligently to navigate dynamic global markets and manage the assets that you have entrusted with us. We encourage you to speak with your financial advisor about your goals and visit global.pimco.com for our latest insights.
Sincerely,
 |
 | |
 |
 | |
Deborah A. DeCotis |
Joshua D. Ratner | |
Chair of the Board of Trustees |
President | |
Total Returns of Certain Asset Classes for the Period Ended December 31, 2023 | ||
Asset Class (as measured by, currency) |
Six-Month | |
U.S. large cap equities (S&P 500 Index, USD) |
8.04% | |
Global equities (MSCI World Index, USD) |
7.56% | |
European equities (MSCI Europe Index, EUR) |
4.24% | |
Emerging market equities (MSCI Emerging Markets Index, EUR) |
4.71% | |
Japanese equities (Nikkei 225 Index, JPY) |
1.74% | |
Emerging market local bonds (JPMorgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets Global Diversified Index, USD Unhedged) |
4.55% | |
Emerging market external debt (JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) Global, USD Hedged) |
6.40% | |
Below investment grade bonds (ICE BofAML Developed Markets High Yield Constrained Index, USD Hedged) |
7.90% | |
Global investment grade credit bonds (Bloomberg Global Aggregate Credit Index, USD Hedged) |
5.52% | |
Fixed-rate, local currency government debt of investment grade countries (Bloomberg Global Treasury Index, USD Hedged) |
3.48% | |
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Unless otherwise noted, index returns reflect the reinvestment of income distributions and capital gains, if any, but do not reflect fees, brokerage commissions or other expenses of investing. It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.
Statements concerning financial market trends are based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate. There is no guarantee that these investment strategies will work under all market conditions or are appropriate for all investors and each investor should evaluate their ability to invest for the long-term, especially during periods of downturn in the market. Outlook and strategies are subject to change without notice.
2 |
PIMCO CLOSED-END FUNDS |
Important Information About the Funds |
We believe that bond funds have an important role to play in a well-diversified investment portfolio. It is important to note, however, that in an environment where interest rates may trend upward, rising rates would negatively impact the performance of most bond funds, and fixed-income securities and other instruments held by a Fund are likely to decrease in value. A wide variety of factors can cause interest rates or yields of U.S. Treasury securities (or yields of other types of bonds) to rise (e.g., central bank monetary policies, inflation rates, general economic conditions, etc.). In addition, changes in interest rates can be sudden and unpredictable, and there is no guarantee that Fund management will anticipate such movement accurately. A Fund may lose money as a result of movements in interest rates.
As of the date of this report, interest rates in the United States and many parts of the world, including certain European countries, continue to increase. In efforts to combat inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates multiple times in 2022 and 2023. Thus, bond funds currently face a heightened level of risk associated with rising interest rates and/or bond yields. This could be driven by a variety of factors, including but not limited to central bank monetary policies, changing inflation or real growth rates, general economic conditions, increasing bond issuances or reduced market demand for low yielding investments. Further, while bond markets have steadily grown over the past three decades, dealer inventories of corporate bonds are near historic lows in relation to market size. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in the ability of dealers to “make markets”.
Bond funds and individual bonds with a longer duration (a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates) tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities or funds with shorter durations. All of the factors mentioned above, individually or collectively, could lead to increased volatility and/or lower liquidity in the fixed income markets or negatively impact a Fund’s performance or cause a Fund to incur losses.
A Fund may enter into opposite sides of multiple interest rate swaps or other derivatives with respect to the same underlying reference instrument (e.g., a
10-year
U.S. treasury) that have different effective dates with respect to interest accrual time periods also for the principal purpose of generating distributable gains (characterized as ordinary income for tax purposes) that are not part of a Fund’s duration or yield curve management strategies. In such a “paired swap transaction”, a Fund would generally enter into one or more interest rate swap agreements whereby a Fund agrees to make regular payments starting at the time a Fund enters into the agreements equal to a floating interest rate in return for payments equal to a fixed interest rate (the “initial leg”). A Fund would also enter into one or more interest rate swap agreements on the same underlying instrument, but take the opposite position (i.e., in this example, a Fund would make regular payments equal to a fixed interest rate in return for receiving payments equal to a floating interest rate) with respect to a contract whereby the payment obligations do not commence until a date following the commencement of the initial leg (the “forward leg”).
A Fund may engage in investment strategies, including those that employ the use of paired swaps transactions, the use of interest rate swaps to seek to capitalize on differences between short-term and long-term interest rates and other derivatives transactions, to, among other things, seek to generate current, distributable income, even if such strategies could potentially result in declines in the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). A Fund’s income and gain-generating strategies, including certain derivatives strategies, may generate current income and gains taxable as ordinary income sufficient to support monthly distributions even in situations when a Fund has experienced a decline in net assets due to, for example, adverse changes in the broad U.S. or non-U.S. equity markets or a Fund’s debt investments, or arising from its use of derivatives. For instance, a portion of a Fund’s monthly distributions may be sourced from paired swap transactions utilized to produce current distributable ordinary income for tax purposes on the initial leg, with a substantial possibility that a Fund will later realize a corresponding capital loss and potential decline in its NAV with respect to the forward leg (to the extent there are not corresponding offsetting capital gains being generated from other sources). Because some or all of these transactions may generate capital losses without corresponding offsetting capital gains, portions of a Fund’s distributions recognized as ordinary income for tax purposes (such as from paired swap transactions) may be economically similar to a taxable return of capital when considered together with such capital losses.
Classifications of the Funds’ portfolio holdings in this report are made according to financial reporting standards. The classification of a particular portfolio holding as shown in the Allocation Breakdown and Schedule of Investments or Consolidated Schedule of Investments, as applicable, sections of this report may differ from the classification used for the Funds’ compliance calculations, including those used in the Funds’ prospectus, investment objectives, regulatory, and other investment limitations and policies, which may be based on different asset class, sector or geographical classifications. Each Fund is separately monitored for compliance with respect to prospectus and regulatory requirements.
The geographical classification of foreign
(non-U.S.)
securities in this report, if any, are classified by the country of incorporation of a holding. In certain instances, a security’s country of incorporation may be different from its country of economic exposure. SEMIANNUAL REPORT |
| | DECEMBER 31, 2023 | 3 |
Important Information About the Funds |
(Cont.) |
In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Russia and other countries, persons and entities that have provided material aid to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, have been the subject of economic sanctions and import and export controls imposed by countries throughout the world, including the United States. Such measures have had and may continue to have an adverse effect on the Russian, Belarusian and other securities and economies, which may, in turn, negatively impact a Fund. The extent, duration and impact of Russia’s military action in Ukraine, related sanctions and retaliatory actions are difficult to ascertain, but could be significant and have severe adverse effects on the region, including significant adverse effects on the regional, European, and global economies and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors. Further, a Fund may have investments in securities and instruments that are economically tied to the region and may have been negatively impacted by the sanctions and counter-sanctions by Russia, including declines in value and reductions in liquidity. The sanctions may cause a Fund to sell portfolio holdings at a disadvantageous time or price or to continue to hold investments that a Fund may no longer seek to hold. PIMCO will continue to actively manage these positions in the best interests of a Fund and its shareholders.
The Funds may invest in certain instruments that rely in some fashion upon the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). LIBOR was traditionally an average interest rate, determined by the ICE Benchmark Administration, that banks charge one another for the use of short-term money. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has announced plans to ultimately phase out the use of LIBOR. Although the transition process away from LIBOR for many instruments has been completed, some LIBOR use is continuing and there are potential effects related to the transition away from LIBOR or continued use of LIBOR on a Fund, or on certain instruments in which the Fund invests, which can be difficult to ascertain, and may vary depending on factors that include, but are not limited to: (i) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (ii) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act was signed into law. This law provides a statutory fallback mechanism on a nationwide basis to replace LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for tough legacy contracts. On February 27, 2023, the Federal Reserve System’s final rule in connection with this law became effective, establishing benchmark replacements based on SOFR and Term SOFR (a forward-looking measurement of market expectations of SOFR implied from certain derivatives markets) for applicable tough legacy contracts governed by U.S. law. In addition, the FCA has announced
that it will require the publication of synthetic LIBOR for the one-month, three-month and six-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings after June 30, 2023 through at least September 30, 2024. The possible scope and effect of synthetic LIBOR for U.S. Dollar LIBOR contracts and the LIBOR transition is unknown at this time. Moreover, certain aspects of the transition from LIBOR will rely on the actions of third-party market participants, such as clearing houses, trustees, administrative agents, asset servicers and certain service providers; PIMCO cannot guarantee the performance of such market participants and any failure on the part of such market participants to manage their part of the LIBOR transition could impact a Fund. The transition of investments from LIBOR to a replacement rate as a result of amendment, application of existing fallbacks, statutory requirements or otherwise may also result in a reduction in the value of certain instruments held by a Fund or a reduction in the effectiveness of related Fund transactions such as hedges. In addition, an instrument’s transition to a replacement rate could result in variations in the reported yields of a Fund that holds such instrument. Any such effects of the transition away from LIBOR, as well as other unforeseen effects, could result in losses to a Fund.
The common shares of the Funds trade on the New York Stock Exchange. As with any stock, the price of a Fund’s common shares will fluctuate with market conditions and other factors. If you sell your common shares of a Fund, the price received may be more or less than your original investment. Shares of closed-end management investment companies, such as the Funds, frequently trade at a discount from their NAV and may trade at a price that is less than the initial offering price and/or the NAV of such shares. Further, if a Fund’s shares trade at a price that is more than the initial offering price and/or the NAV of such shares, including at a substantial premium and/or for an extended period of time, there is no assurance that any such premium will be sustained for any period of time and will not decrease, or that the shares will not trade at a discount to NAV thereafter.
U.S. and global markets recently have experienced increased volatility, including as a result of the recent failures of certain U.S. and non-U.S. banks, which could be harmful to the Funds and issuers in which they invest. For example, if a bank at which a Fund or issuer has an account fails, any cash or other assets in bank or custody accounts, which may be substantial in size, could be temporarily inaccessible or permanently lost by the Fund or issuer. If a bank that provides a subscription line credit facility, asset-based facility, other credit facility and/or other services to an issuer or to a fund fails, the issuer or fund could be unable to draw funds under its credit facilities or obtain replacement credit facilities or other services from other lending institutions with similar terms.
4 |
PIMCO CLOSED-END FUNDS |
Issuers in which a Fund may invest can be affected by volatility in the banking sector. Even if banks used by issuers in which the Funds invest remain solvent, continued volatility in the banking sector could contribute to, cause or intensify an economic recession, increase the costs of capital and banking services or result in the issuers being unable to obtain or refinance indebtedness at all or on as favorable terms as could otherwise have been obtained. Conditions in the banking sector are evolving, and the scope of any potential impacts to the Funds and issuers, both from market conditions and also potential legislative or regulatory responses, are uncertain. Such conditions and responses, as well as a changing interest rate environment, can contribute to decreased market liquidity and erode the value of certain holdings, including those of U.S. and non-U.S. banks. Continued market volatility and uncertainty and/or a downturn in market and economic and financial conditions, as a result of developments in the banking sector or otherwise (including as a result of delayed access to cash or credit facilities), could have an adverse impact on the Funds and issuers in which they invest.
On each Fund Summary page in this Shareholder Report, the Average Annual Total Return table and Cumulative Returns chart measure performance assuming that any dividend and capital gain distributions were reinvested. Total return is calculated by determining the percentage change in NAV or market price (as applicable) in the specified period. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions. Total return for a period of more than one year represents the average annual total return. Performance at market price will differ from results at NAV. Although market price returns tend to reflect investment results over time, during shorter periods returns at market price can also be influenced by factors such as changing views about a Fund, market conditions, supply and demand for the Fund’s shares, or changes in the Fund’s dividends. Performance shown is net of fees and expenses. Historical NAV performance for a Fund may have been positively impacted by fee waivers or expense limitations in place during some or all of the periods shown, if applicable. Future performance (including total return or yield) and distributions may be negatively impacted by the expiration or reduction of any such fee waivers or expense limitations.
The dividend rate that a Fund pays on its common shares may vary as portfolio and market conditions change, and will depend on a number of factors, including without limit the amount of a Fund’s undistributed net investment income and net short-and long-term capital gains, as well as the costs of any leverage obtained by a Fund. As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the common shares and a Fund’s dividend policy could change. There can be no
assurance that a change in market conditions or other factors will not result in a change in a Fund’s distribution rate or that the rate will be sustainable in the future.
The following table discloses the Inception Date and diversification status of each Fund:
Fund Name |
Inception Date |
Diversification Status |
||||||||||
PCM Fund, Inc. |
09/02/93 |
Diversified |
||||||||||
PIMCO Global StocksPLUS ® |
05/31/05 |
Diversified |
||||||||||
PIMCO Strategic Income Fund, Inc. |
02/24/94 |
Diversified |
||||||||||
PIMCO Access Income Fund |
01/31/22 |
Non-Diversified |
||||||||||
PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund |
05/30/12 |
Diversified |
||||||||||
PIMCO Dynamic Income Opportunities Fund |
01/29/21 |
Non-Diversified |
||||||||||
An investment in a Fund is not a bank deposit and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money on investments in a Fund.
The Trustees/Directors
1
are responsible generally for overseeing the management of the Funds. The Trustees authorize the Funds to enter into service agreements with Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“PIMCO”) and other service providers in order to provide, and in some cases authorize service providers to procure through other parties, necessary or desirable services on behalf of the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to or third-party beneficiaries of such service agreements. Neither a Fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), any press release or shareholder report, any contracts filed as exhibits to a Fund’s registration statement, nor any other communications, disclosure documents or regulatory filings (including this report) from or on behalf of a Fund creates a contract between or among any shareholders of a Fund, on the one hand, and the Fund, a service provider to the Fund, and/or the Trustees or officers of the Fund, on the other hand. The Trustees (or the Funds and their officers, service providers or other delegates acting under authority of the Trustees) may amend its most recent prospectus or use a new prospectus or SAI with respect to a Fund, adopt and disclose new or amended policies and other changes in press releases and shareholder reports and/or amend, file and/or issue any other communications, disclosure documents or regulatory filings, and may amend or enter into any contracts to which a Fund is a party, and interpret the investment objective(s), policies, restrictions and contractual provisions applicable to any Fund, without shareholder input or approval, except in circumstances in which shareholder approval is specifically required by law (such as changes to
1 |
Hereinafter, the terms “Trustee” or “Trustees” used herein shall refer to a Director or Directors of applicable Funds. |
SEMIANNUAL REPORT |
| | DECEMBER 31, 2023 | 5 |
Important Information About the Funds |
(Cont.) |
fundamental investment policies) or where a shareholder approval requirement was specifically disclosed in a Fund’s then-current prospectus, SAI or shareholder report and is otherwise still in effect.
PIMCO has adopted written proxy voting policies and procedures (“Proxy Policy”) as required by Rule
206(4)-6
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Proxy Policy has been adopted by the Funds as the policies and procedures that PIMCO will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Funds. A description of the policies and procedures that PIMCO uses to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of each Fund, and information about how each Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities held during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30th, are available without charge, upon request, by calling the Funds at (844) 33-PIMCO,
on the Funds’ website at www.pimco.com, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. The Funds file their complete schedules of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Form N-PORT reports are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on PIMCO’s website at www.pimco.com, and upon request by calling PIMCO at (844) 33-PIMCO.
SEC rules allow the Funds to fulfill their obligation to deliver shareholder reports to investors by providing access to such reports online free of charge and by mailing a notice that the report is electronically available. Investors may elect to receive all reports in paper free of charge by contacting their financial intermediary or, if invested directly with a Fund, investors can inform the Fund by calling (844) 33-PIMCO. Any election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with the fund complex if invested directly with a Fund or to all funds held in the investor’s account if invested through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank.
In May 2022, the SEC proposed a framework that would require certain registered funds (such as the Funds) to disclose their environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investing practices. Among other things, the proposed requirements would mandate that funds meeting three pre-defined classifications (i.e., integrated, ESG focused and/or impact funds) provide prospectus and shareholder report disclosure related to the ESG factors, criteria and processes used in managing the fund. The proposal’s impact on the Funds will not be known unless and until any final rulemaking is adopted.
In October 2022, the SEC adopted changes to the mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) shareholder report and registration statement disclosure requirements and the registered fund advertising rules, which will impact the disclosures provided to shareholders. The rule amendments were effective as of January 2023, but the SEC is
providing an 18-month compliance period following the effective date for such amendments other than those addressing fee and expense information in advertisements that might be materially misleading.
In November 2022, the SEC adopted amendments to Form N-PX under the Act to improve the utility to investors of proxy voting information reported by mutual funds, ETFs and certain other funds. The rule amendments will expand the scope of funds’ Form N-PX reporting obligations, subject managers to Form N-PX reporting obligations for “Say on Pay” votes, enhance Form N-PX disclosures, permit joint reporting by funds, managers and affiliated managers on Form N-PX; and require website availability of fund proxy voting records. The amendments will become effective on July 1, 2024. Funds and managers will be required to file their first reports covering the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 on amended Form N-PX by August 31, 2024.
In September 2023, the SEC adopted amendments to a current rule governing fund naming conventions. In general, the current rule requires funds with certain types of names to adopt a policy to invest at least 80% of their assets in the type of investment suggested by the name. The amendments expand the scope of the current rule in a number of ways that are expected to result in an increase in the types of fund names that would require the fund to adopt an 80% investment policy under the rule. Additionally, the amendments address deviations from a fund’s 80% investment policy and the use and valuation of derivatives instruments for purposes of the rule. The amendments are effective as of December 11, 2023, but the SEC is providing a 24-month compliance period following the effective date for fund groups with net assets of $1 billion or more (and a 30-month compliance period for fund groups with net assets of less than $1 billion).
