NPORT-EX 2 fp0063788_cef-nportex.htm

 

Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

January 31, 2021 (Unaudited)

 

   Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS 98.95%
Consumer Discretionary 6.93%
BYD Co., Ltd. - Class H   22,410   $686,181 
DR Horton, Inc.(a)(b)   38,600    2,964,480 
Lennar Corp. - Class A(a)(b)   34,800    2,893,620 
Samsonite International S.A.(c)   156,600    226,217 
         6,770,498 
           
Financials 31.04%          
AGNC Investment Corp.(a)(b)   209,400    3,266,640 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(a)(b)   408,000    3,312,960 
Bank of America Corp.(a)(b)   83,961    2,489,444 
Barings BDC, Inc.(a)   183,800    1,622,954 
Citigroup, Inc.(a)(b)   35,206    2,041,596 
First American Financial Corp.(a)(b)   70,500    3,686,445 
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.(a)   105,775    1,503,063 
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Ltd.   43,100    2,765,026 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.(a)(b)   14,100    1,814,247 
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc.(a)   99,730    5,784,340 
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc.(a)(b)   67,500    1,381,050 
Stewart Information Services Corp.(a)   13,800    640,044 
         30,307,809 
           
Health Care 23.91%          
AbbVie, Inc.(a)(b)   8,510    872,105 
Amgen, Inc.(a)(b)   3,174    766,299 
Anthem, Inc.   5,450    1,618,541 
Baxter International, Inc.(a)(b)   13,100    1,006,473 
Eli Lilly & Co.(a)(b)   9,213    1,916,027 
Humana, Inc.   1,790    685,767 
Johnson & Johnson(a)(b)   14,700    2,398,011 
McKesson Corp.(a)(b)   7,885    1,375,696 
Merck & Co., Inc.(a)(b)   14,200    1,094,394 
Pfizer, Inc.(a)(b)   31,900    1,145,210 
Quest Diagnostics, Inc.(a)(b)   33,345    4,306,507 
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.(a)(b)   4,400    2,242,680 
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   2,170    723,868 
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.(a)(b)   7,915    1,216,298 
Zoetis, Inc.(a)(b)   12,855    1,982,884 
         23,350,760 
           
Industrials 2.81%          
TransDigm Group, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   3,247    1,796,500 
Xinyi Glass Holdings, Ltd.   392,000    950,518 
         2,747,018 
           
Information Technology 28.51%
Apple, Inc.(a)   48,805    6,440,308 
BE Semiconductor Industries NV   11,871    816,246 
Broadcom, Inc.(a)(b)   6,200    2,793,100 
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.   446,000    1,775,877 

 

 

 

 

 

  Shares   Value 
Information Technology (continued)
Infineon Technologies AG   55,052   $2,213,023 
Lam Research Corp.(a)(b)   3,460    1,674,467 
Mastercard, Inc. - Class A(a)   3,199    1,011,812 
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.   78,928    5,785,889 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.   223,000    4,706,473 
Xinyi Solar Holdings, Ltd.   282,000    618,321 
         27,835,516 
           
Real Estate 5.75%          
Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.(a)   109,100    4,878,952 
Physicians Realty Trust(a)   41,600    733,408 
         5,612,360 
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
(Cost $79,052,867)        96,623,961 
           
PREFERRED STOCKS 1.15%
Gabelli Equity Trust, Inc.          
Series K, Perpetual Maturity 5.000%(d)   21,200    552,472 
Trinity Capital, Inc., 01/16/2025 7.000%(a)(b)(e)   22,400    564,480 
           
TOTAL PREFERRED STOCKS
(Cost $1,090,000)        1,116,952 

 

Underlying Security/Expiration Date/ Exercise Price/Notional Amount  Contracts   Value 
PURCHASED OPTIONS 0.20%
Call Options Purchased 0.20%
Eurodollar Future Option        
12/14/21, $100, $359,529,500   1,441    45,031 
12/14/21, $99.875, $523,950,000   2,100    144,375 
           
Total Call Options Purchased          
(Cost $1,006,039)        189,406 

 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
CORPORATE BONDS 14.03%
Amgen, Inc.        
02/21/2030, 2.450%(a)(b)  $400,000    422,660 
Blackstone Holdings Finance Co. LLC          
10/02/2027, 3.150%(e)   500,000    560,084 
Carvana Co.          
10/01/2025, 5.625%(e)   500,000    517,075 
10/01/2028, 5.875%(a)(e)   1,000,000    1,040,000 
Centene Corp.          
01/15/2025, 4.750%(a)   250,000    256,800 
01/15/2025, 4.750%   160,000    164,352 
Eli Lilly and Co.          
03/15/2029, 3.375%(a)(b)   400,000    459,681 
FedEx Corp.          
01/15/2044, 5.100%   400,000    519,691 
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.          
03/15/2031, 2.450%(a)   950,000    963,849 

  

 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
CORPORATE BONDS (continued)
JPMorgan Chase & Co.        
10/15/2030, 1D US SOFR + 1.51%(f)  $500,000   $537,102 
Ladder Capital Finance Holdings LLLP / Ladder Capital Finance Corp.          
10/01/2025, 5.250%(e)   1,014,000    1,013,366 
Lennar Corp.          
01/15/2022, 4.125%   450,000    459,956 
Main Street Capital Corp.          
07/14/2026, 3.000%   600,000    600,046 
Marriott International, Inc.          
Series AA, 12/01/2028, 4.650%   270,000    309,734 
Melco Resorts Finance, Ltd.          
07/21/2028, 5.750%(e)   250,000    266,019 
Microchip Technology, Inc.          
09/01/2023, 2.670%(e)   500,000    523,126 
Molson Coors Beverage Co.          
07/15/2026, 3.000%   300,000    328,934 
NRG Energy, Inc.          
06/15/2024, 3.750%(e)   500,000    545,828 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.          
09/15/2030, 1.750%   500,000    487,655 
09/15/2050, 2.800%   550,000    515,482 
Solar Capital, Ltd.          
01/20/2023, 4.500%   500,000    517,555 
Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.          
04/19/2023, 8.350%(g)   750,000    785,625 
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.          
06/03/2030, 2.390%(e)   850,000    860,144 
Times China Holdings, Ltd.          
06/04/2021, 7.850%(g)   500,000    505,421 
Toll Brothers Finance Corp.          
11/01/2029, 3.800%(a)   500,000    542,500 
           
TOTAL CORPORATE BONDS
(Cost $13,526,402)        13,702,685 
           
CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS 3.97%
Ares Capital Corp.          
02/01/2022, 3.750%(a)(b)   550,000    554,675 
Gossamer Bio, Inc.          
06/01/2027, 5.000%(a)(b)   1,070,000    1,021,812 
Starwood Property Trust, Inc.          
04/01/2023, 4.375%   977,000    992,102 
Teladoc Health, Inc.          
06/01/2027, 1.250%(a)(b)(e)   700,000    991,375 
Two Harbors Investment Corp.          
01/15/2022, 6.250%   314,000    321,850 
           
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS
(Cost $3,614,217)        3,881,814 
Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES 0.06%
United States Small Business Administration        
Series 2008-20L, Class 1, 12/01/2028, 6.220%(a)(b)  $ 51,686   $ 57,573 
           
TOTAL ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES          
(Cost $51,686)        57,573 
           
GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 26.20%
U.S. Treasury Bonds          
02/15/2050, 2.000%(a)   3,000,000    3,120,703 
08/15/2050, 1.375%(a)   1,500,000    1,340,742 
U.S. Treasury Notes          
01/31/2023, 0.125%   500,000    500,137 
02/28/2025, 1.125%(a)   3,900,000    4,029,340 
03/31/2025, 2.625%(a)   2,700,000    2,958,187 
02/28/2027, 1.125%(a)   6,600,000    6,804,188 
11/15/2027, 2.250%(a)   6,200,000    6,826,539 
           
TOTAL GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS
(Cost $26,112,996)        25,579,836 

 

   Shares   Value 
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 0.90%
Money Market Funds  0.90%
BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund Portfolio - Institutional Class (0.030% 7-day yield)   881,750    881,750 
           
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
(Cost $881,750)        881,750 
           
Total Investments - 145.46%
(Cost $125,335,957)        142,033,977 
           
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (45.46%)(h)        (44,387,727)
           
NET ASSETS - 100.00%       $97,646,250 

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(c)  Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS (5.66%)
Communication Services (0.87%)
Twitter, Inc.   (16,900)   (853,957)
           
Financials (3.07%)          
Deutsche Bank AG   (203,600)   (2,060,432)
Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA   (40,686)   (363,593)
Societe Generale S.A.   (8,443)   (158,178)
UniCredit SpA   (44,837)   (411,190)
         (2,993,393)
           
Health Care (0.84%)          
Bruker Corp.   (14,100)   (816,249)

  

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(c) (continued)  Shares   Value 
Information Technology (0.88%)
Temenos AG   (6,803)  $(861,879)
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
(Proceeds $4,763,440)        (5,525,478)
           
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (3.26%)
SPDR S&P 500® ETF Trust   (8,600)   (3,182,602)
           
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
(Proceeds $3,195,416)        (3,182,602)
           
TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT
(Proceeds $7,958,856)       $(8,708,080)

 

 

Investment Abbreviations:

1D FEDEF - Federal Funds Effective Rate (Daily)

SOFR - Secured Overnight Financing Rate

 

FEDEF Rates:

1D FEDEF - 1 Day FEDEF as of January 31, 2021 was 0.06%

 

SOFR Rates:

1D SOFR as of January 31, 2021 was 0.06%

 

 

(a) Pledged security; a portion or all of the security is pledged as collateral for securities sold short, total return swap contracts, or borrowings. As of January 31, 2021, the aggregate value of those securities was $89,860,486, representing 92.03% of net assets. (See Note 1)
(b) Loaned security; a portion or all of the security is on loan as of January 31, 2021.
(c) Non-income producing security.
(d) This security has no contractual maturity date, is not redeemable and contractually pays an indefinite stream of interest.
(e) Security is exempt from registration of the Securities Act of 1933.  These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration under Rule 144A, normally to qualified institutional buyers. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $6,881,497 or 7.05% of net assets.
(f) Variable rate investment. Interest rates reset periodically. Interest rate shown reflects the rate in effect at January 31, 2021. For securities based on a published reference rate and spread, the reference rate and spread are indicated in the description above.
(g) Securities were purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts securities offered and sold outside of the United States from registration.  Such securities cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from registration.  These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees.  As of January 31, 2021, the aggregate value of those securities was $1,291,046, representing 1.32% of net assets.
(h) Includes cash which is being held as collateral for futures contracts, total return swap contracts and securities sold short.

  

 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS            
Description  Counterparty  Position  Contracts   Expiration Date  Notional Value   Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   1,447   June 2021  $361,189,288   $2,616,540 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   369   March 2022   92,093,175    (20,057)
                 $453,282,463   $2,596,483 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS

 

Counter Party  Reference
Entity/Obligation
  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.  $1,810,604   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  01/06/2022  $3,957,198   $2,146,594 
Morgan Stanley  Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd.   423,129   1D FEDEF - 255 bps  1D FEDEF  05/04/2022   982,363    559,234 
      $2,233,733            $4,939,561   $2,705,828 

 

Counter Party  Reference
Entity/Obligation
  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Depreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Banco Santander SA  $(89,724)  1D FEDEF - 50 bps  1D FEDEF  05/20/2022  $(125,162)  $(35,438)
TOTAL     $2,144,009            $4,814,399   $2,670,390 

  

 

 

 

Clough Global Equity Fund

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

January 31, 2021 (Unaudited)

 

   Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS 125.62% 
Communication Services 3.56% 
Alphabet, Inc. - Class C(a)(b)(c)   2,368   $4,347,032 
Pinterest, Inc. - Class A(a)   24,400    1,671,644 
Sea, Ltd. - ADR(a)   8,390    1,818,197 
         7,836,873 
           
Consumer Discretionary 15.46% 
BYD Co., Ltd. - Class H   48,880    1,496,677 
Carnival Corp.(b)(c)   237,200    4,428,524 
Carvana Co.(a)(b)   15,510    4,051,057 
DR Horton, Inc.(b)   70,900    5,445,120 
Lennar Corp. - Class A(b)(c)   63,700    5,296,655 
Meituan - Class B(a)   54,700    2,510,207 
Pinduoduo, Inc. - ADR(a)   9,780    1,620,644 
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(b)(c)   76,720    4,986,800 
Samsonite International S.A.(a)   184,200    266,087 
Tesla, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   4,955    3,931,941 
         34,033,712 
           
Financials 24.94%          
AGNC Investment Corp.(b)(c)   378,700    5,907,720 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(b)(c)   754,500    6,126,540 
Bank of America Corp.(b)(c)   175,195    5,194,532 
Barings BDC, Inc.   120,846    1,067,070 
Citigroup, Inc.(b)(c)   68,562    3,975,911 
First American Financial Corp.(b)(c)   146,100    7,639,569 
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.(b)   152,461    2,166,471 
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Ltd.   93,100    5,972,713 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.(b)   29,900    3,847,233 
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc.(b)   163,180    9,464,440 
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc.(b)(c)   114,000    2,332,440 
Stewart Information Services Corp.(b)   26,300    1,219,794 
         54,914,433 
           
Health Care 40.71%          
1Life Healthcare, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   101,700    5,146,020 
AbbVie, Inc.(b)   16,080    1,647,878 
AbCellera Biologics, Inc.(a)   50,900    2,689,047 
Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.(a)   15,700    795,676 
Amgen, Inc.(b)   6,159    1,486,967 
Amphivena Therapeutics, Inc. - Series C(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   334,425    1,450,388 
Anthem, Inc.   11,570    3,436,059 
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   44,297    1,961,028 
Arcellx, Inc.(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   421,845    823,020 
Baxter International, Inc.(b)   25,200    1,936,116 
Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.(a)(e)(f)(g)   4,336    52,544 
Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   66,719    808,501 

 

 

 

 

 

  Shares   Value 
Health Care (continued)        
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(d)(e)(g)   112,731   $1,762,770 
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(c)   158,041    2,473,342 
Covetrus, Inc.(a)(b)   82,400    2,807,368 
CRISPR Therapeutics AG(a)(b)   19,680    3,260,976 
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   266,500    3,243,305 
Gossamer Bio, Inc.(a)(b)   87,821    886,992 
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC - ADR(a)(b)   19,168    2,922,545 
Hologic, Inc.(a)(b)   38,840    3,096,713 
Humana, Inc.   3,790    1,451,987 
Idorsia, Ltd.(a)   21,806    663,911 
Johnson & Johnson(b)   31,150    5,081,499 
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings(a)(b)(c)   8,610    1,970,915 
McKesson Corp.(b)(c)   14,890    2,597,858 
Merck & Co., Inc.   20,000    1,541,400 
Moderna, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   15,022    2,601,209 
Pfizer, Inc.   45,100    1,619,090 
Quest Diagnostics, Inc.(b)   36,680    4,737,222 
Repare Therapeutics, Inc.(a)(b)   60,500    2,245,155 
SmileDirectClub, Inc.(a)(b)   158,400    2,103,552 
Teladoc Health, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   4,649    1,226,546 
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.(b)(c)   9,225    4,701,982 
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   4,610    1,537,804 
Universal Health Services, Inc. - Class B   7,070    881,488 
Veracyte, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   64,410    3,652,047 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   18,455    4,227,671 
Zai Lab, Ltd. - ADR(a)(b)(c)   19,040    3,047,733 
Zoetis, Inc.(b)(c)   6,855    1,057,384 
         89,633,708 
           
Industrials 2.76%          
Lyft, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)   56,200    2,498,652 
TransDigm Group, Inc.(a)(b)   6,454    3,570,869 
         6,069,521 
           
Information Technology 36.60% 
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.(a)(b)   29,400    3,015,852 
Apple, Inc.(b)(c)   54,360    7,173,346 
BE Semiconductor Industries NV   25,738    1,769,735 
Broadcom, Inc.(b)   11,530    5,194,265 
Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)   10,390    2,242,162 
Dynatrace, Inc.(a)   40,830    1,694,853 
Five9, Inc.(a)(b)   10,840    1,802,150 
GDS Holdings, Ltd. - ADR(a)   16,000    1,656,960 
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.   940,000    3,742,880 
Infineon Technologies AG   111,717    4,490,887 
Kuaishou Technology(a)(d)(g)   1,300    19,282 
Lam Research Corp.(b)   6,155    2,978,712 
Mastercard, Inc. - Class A(b)   6,025    1,905,647 
Micron Technology, Inc.(a)(b)   130,500    10,214,235 
Renesas Electronics Corp.(a)   178,800    2,048,403 
RingCentral, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)   4,930    1,838,496 
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.   126,932    9,304,867 
SMART Global Holdings, Inc.(a)   46,700    1,734,905 

  

 

   Shares   Value 
Information Technology (continued) 
Splunk, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   11,930   $1,968,808 
Square, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   8,285    1,789,229 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.   425,000   8,969,735 
Twilio, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   5,285    1,899,587 
Workday, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   7,905    1,798,625 
Xinyi Solar Holdings, Ltd.   598,000    1,311,192 
         80,564,813 
           
Real Estate 1.59%          
Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.(b)   52,650    2,354,508 
Physicians Realty Trust(b)   64,700    1,140,661 
         3,495,169 
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Cost $227,189,905)        276,548,229 
           
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 1.71% 
ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF(b)   198,200    3,775,710 
           
TOTAL HEALTH CARE       3,775,710 
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS          
(Cost $2,745,233)        3,775,710 

 

Underlying Security/Expiration Date/ Exercise Price/Notional Amount  Contracts   Value 
PURCHASED OPTIONS 0.58% 
Call Options Purchased 0.58% 
Eurodollar Future Option          
12/14/21, $100, $654,438,500   2,623    81,969 
12/14/21, $99.875, $998,000,000   4,000    275,000 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.          
04/16/21, $220, $9,346,464   408    920,040 
           
Total Call Options Purchased 
(Cost $2,759,953)        1,277,009 

 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 9.87% 
U.S. Treasury Bonds          
02/15/2050, 2.000%(b)  $6,800,000    7,073,594 
U.S. Treasury Notes          
01/31/2023, 0.125%   2,000,000    2,000,547 
11/15/2027, 2.250%(b)   5,800,000    6,386,117 
02/15/2030, 1.500%(b)   6,000,000    6,260,156 
           
TOTAL GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 
(Cost $22,675,403)        21,720,414 

 

   Shares   Value 
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 2.22% 
Money Market Funds  2.22%          
BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund Portfolio - Institutional Class (0.030% 7-day yield)   4,884,780    4,884,780 
   Value 
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
(Cost $4,884,780)  $4,884,780 
      
Total Investments - 140.00%     
(Cost $260,255,274)   308,206,142 
      
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (40.00%)(h)   (88,056,169)
      
NET ASSETS - 100.00%  $220,149,973 

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(a)  Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS (4.62%) 
Communication Services (0.84%)          
Twitter, Inc.   (36,600)   (1,849,398)
           
Financials (2.39%)          
Deutsche Bank AG   (356,200)   (3,604,744)
Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA   (67,513)   (603,334)
Societe Generale S.A.   (14,196)   (265,959)
UniCredit SpA   (84,636)   (776,178)
         (5,250,215)
           
Health Care (0.64%)          
Bruker Corp.   (24,420)   (1,413,674)
           
Information Technology (0.75%) 
Temenos AG   (13,022)   (1,649,770)
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Proceeds $8,796,350)        (10,163,057)
           
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (3.90%) 
iShares® Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF   (10,820)   (1,738,125)
SPDR S&P 500® ETF Trust   (18,500)   (6,846,295)
           
           
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 
(Proceeds $8,273,508)        (8,584,420)
           
TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT 
(Proceeds $17,069,858)       $(18,747,477)

 

 

Investment Abbreviations:

1D FEDEF - Federal Funds Effective Rate (Daily)

 

FEDEF Rates:

1D FEDEF - 1 Day FEDEF as of January 31, 2021 was 0.06%

 

 

(a) Non-income producing security.
(b) Pledged security; a portion or all of the security is pledged as collateral for securities sold short, total return swap contracts, or borrowings. As of January 31, 2021, the aggregate value of those securities was $193,161,216, representing 87.74% of net assets. (See Note 1)

  

 

(c) Loaned security; a portion or all of the security is on loan as of January 31, 2021.
(d) All or a portion of the security is exempt from registration of the Securities Act of 1933.  These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration under Rule 144A, normally to qualified institutional buyers. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $4,863,961 or 2.21% of net assets.
(e) Private Placement; these securities may only be resold in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $4,897,223 or 2.22% of net assets.
(f) As a result of the use of significant unobservable inputs to determine fair value, these investments have been classified as Level 3 assets. (See Note 1)
(g) Fair valued security; valued by management in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $4,916,505 or 2.23% of total net assets.
(h) Includes cash which is being held as collateral for futures contracts, total return swap contracts and securities sold short.

  

 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS                  
Description  Counterparty  Position  Contracts   Expiration Date  Notional Value   Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   2,467   June 2021  $615,794,038   $4,618,938 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   695   March 2022   173,454,625    (37,777)
                 $789,248,663   $4,581,161 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS

 

Counter Party  Reference
Entity/Obligation
  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.  $2,717,446   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  01/06/2022  $6,004,998   $3,287,552 
Morgan Stanley  Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd.   830,731   1D FEDEF - 255 bps  1D FEDEF  05/04/2022   1,928,676    1,097,945 
Morgan Stanley  Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science   2,204,767   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  01/06/2022   4,143,586    1,938,819 
      $5,752,944            $12,077,260   $6,324,316 

 

Counter Party  Reference
Entity/Obligation
  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Depreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Banco Santander SA  $(153,443)  1D FEDEF - 50 bps  1D FEDEF  05/20/2022  $(214,048)  $(60,605)
TOTAL     $5,599,501            $11,863,212   $6,263,711 

  

 

 

Clough Global Opportunities Fund

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

January 31, 2021 (Unaudited)

 

   Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS 120.68%
Communication Services 3.16%
Alphabet, Inc. - Class C(a)(b)(c)   3,704   $6,799,581 
Pinterest, Inc. - Class A(a)   48,200    3,302,182 
Sea, Ltd. - ADR(a)   16,705    3,620,140 
         13,721,903 
           
Consumer Discretionary 15.10% 
BYD Co., Ltd. - Class H   96,730    2,961,816 
Carnival Corp.(b)(c)   471,540    8,803,652 
Carvana Co.(a)(b)   31,398    8,200,844 
DR Horton, Inc.(b)   125,800    9,661,440 
Lennar Corp. - Class A(b)(c)   112,200    9,329,430 
Meituan - Class B(a)   108,235    4,966,951 
Pinduoduo, Inc. - ADR(a)   19,500    3,231,345 
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(b)(c)   154,347    10,032,555 
Samsonite International S.A.(a)   371,700    536,941 
Tesla, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   9,825    7,796,432 
         65,521,406 
           
Financials 23.35%          
AGNC Investment Corp.(b)(c)   647,100    10,094,760 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(b)(c)   1,505,100    12,221,412 
Bank of America Corp.(b)(c)   323,061    9,578,759 
Barings BDC, Inc.(b)   244,400    2,158,052 
Citigroup, Inc.(b)(c)   136,141    7,894,817 
First American Financial Corp.(b)(c)   263,700    13,788,873 
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.(b)   171,896    2,442,642 
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Ltd.   184,200    11,817,119 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.(b)   54,657    7,032,716 
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc.(b)   322,292    18,692,936 
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc.(b)(c)   152,827    3,126,840 
Stewart Information Services Corp.(b)   53,365    2,475,069 
         101,323,995 
           
Health Care 39.68%          
1Life Healthcare, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   203,700    10,307,220 
AbbVie, Inc.(b)(c)   32,030    3,282,434 
AbCellera Biologics, Inc.(a)   100,600    5,314,698 
Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.(a)   31,100    1,576,148 
Amgen, Inc.(b)(c)   12,260    2,959,932 
Amphivena Therapeutics, Inc. - Series C(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   780,326    3,384,243 
Anthem, Inc.(b)   22,890    6,797,872 
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   89,616    3,967,300 
Arcellx, Inc.(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   969,881    1,892,238 
Baxter International, Inc.(b)(c)   50,500    3,879,915 
Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.(a)(e)(f)(g)   14,166    171,664 
Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.(a)(d)(e)(f)(g)   217,952    2,641,142 
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   321,297    5,028,298 

 

 

 

 

 

  Shares   Value 
Health Care (continued)        
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(d)(e)(g)   225,463   $3,525,555 
Covetrus, Inc.(a)(b)   163,900    5,584,073 
CRISPR Therapeutics AG(a)(b)   45,668    7,567,188 
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   528,450    6,431,236 
Gossamer Bio, Inc.(a)(b)   180,188    1,819,899 
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC - ADR(a)(b)(c)   38,454    5,863,081 
Hologic, Inc.(a)(b)   77,390    6,170,305 
Humana, Inc.   7,490    2,869,494 
Johnson & Johnson(b)   61,670    10,060,227 
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings(a)(b)(c)   17,250    3,948,698 
McKesson Corp.(b)(c)   29,635    5,170,418 
Merck & Co., Inc.   39,600    3,051,972 
Moderna, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   29,760    5,153,242 
Pfizer, Inc.   89,200    3,202,280 
Quest Diagnostics, Inc.(b)(c)   73,500    9,492,525 
Repare Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   120,279    4,463,554 
SmileDirectClub, Inc.(a)(b)   317,100    4,211,088 
Teladoc Health, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   9,456    2,494,776 
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.(b)(c)   18,243    9,298,457 
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   9,120    3,042,250 
Universal Health Services, Inc. - Class B   13,980    1,743,026 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   36,973    8,469,775 
Zai Lab, Ltd. - ADR(a)(b)(c)   38,440    6,153,091 
Zoetis, Inc.(b)(c)   8,005    1,234,771 
         172,224,085 
           
Industrials 2.77%          
Lyft, Inc. - Class A(a)   111,150    4,941,729 
TransDigm Group, Inc.(a)(b)   12,788    7,075,345 
         12,017,074 
           
Information Technology 35.15% 
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   58,800    6,031,704 
Apple, Inc.(b)   108,330    14,295,227 
BE Semiconductor Industries NV   50,903    3,500,071 
Broadcom, Inc.(b)(c)   22,830    10,284,915 
Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   20,685    4,463,823 
Dynatrace, Inc.(a)   80,630    3,346,951 
Five9, Inc.(a)(b)(c)   21,735    3,613,444 
GDS Holdings, Ltd. - ADR(a)   31,900    3,303,564 
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.   1,859,000    7,402,143 
Infineon Technologies AG   221,309    8,896,352 
Kuaishou Technology(a)(d)(g)   2,300    34,115 
Lam Research Corp.(b)   7,660    3,707,057 
Mastercard, Inc. - Class A(b)   6,887    2,178,289 
Micron Technology, Inc.(a)(b)   258,100    20,201,487 
Renesas Electronics Corp.(a)   354,400    4,060,146 
RingCentral, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   9,910    3,695,637 
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.   251,089    18,406,310 
SMART Global Holdings, Inc.(a)(b)   92,200    3,425,230 
Splunk, Inc.(a)   23,600    3,894,708 
Square, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)   16,390    3,539,584 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.   847,000    17,876,154 
Twilio, Inc. - Class A(a)(b)(c)   10,600    3,809,958 

  

 

 

 

  Shares   Value 
Information Technology (continued)
Xinyi Solar Holdings, Ltd.   1,184,000   $2,596,073 
         152,562,942 
           
Real Estate 1.47%          
Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.(b)   89,461    4,000,696 
Physicians Realty Trust(b)   134,600    2,372,998 
         6,373,694 
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Cost $432,447,932)        523,745,099 
           
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 1.72% 
ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF(b)   392,286    7,473,049 
           
TOTAL HEALTH CARE        7,473,049 
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS          
(Cost $5,433,290)        7,473,049 

 

Underlying Security/Expiration Date/ Exercise Price/Notional Amount  Contracts   Value 
PURCHASED OPTIONS 0.58% 
Call Options Purchased 0.58% 
Eurodollar Future Option          
12/14/21, $100, $1,323,098,500   5,303    165,719 
12/14/21, $99.875, $1,971,050,000   7,900    543,125 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.          
04/16/21, $220, $18,418,032   804    1,813,020 
           
Total Call Options Purchased 
(Cost $5,478,376)        2,521,864 

 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
CORPORATE BONDS 4.15%
FedEx Corp.        
01/15/2044, 5.100%  $1,700,000    2,208,687 
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.          
08/15/2028, 4.500%   1,500,000    1,749,492 
03/15/2031, 2.450%   2,700,000    2,739,360 
Ladder Capital Finance Holdings LLLP / Ladder Capital Finance Corp.          
10/01/2025, 5.250%(d)   3,300,000    3,297,937 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.          
09/15/2050, 2.800%   2,000,000    1,874,480 
Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.          
04/19/2023, 8.350%(h)   2,250,000    2,356,875 
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.          
06/03/2030, 2.390%(d)   2,250,000    2,276,852 
Times China Holdings, Ltd.          
06/04/2021, 7.850%(h)   1,500,000    1,516,262 
           
TOTAL CORPORATE BONDS 
(Cost $18,126,915)        18,019,945 
           
CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS 0.40% 
Starwood Property Trust, Inc.          
04/01/2023, 4.375%   1,200,000    1,218,549 
Description/Maturity Date/Rate  Principal
Amount
   Value 
CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS (continued)
Two Harbors Investment Corp.        
01/15/2022, 6.250%  $500,000   $512,500 
           
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS 
(Cost $1,713,986)        1,731,049 
           
GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 11.15% 
U.S. Treasury Bonds          
02/15/2050, 2.000%(b)   8,500,000    8,841,992 
08/15/2050, 1.375%(b)   8,000,000    7,150,625 
U.S. Treasury Notes          
01/31/2023, 0.125%   1,500,000    1,500,410 
03/31/2023, 1.500%   1,000,000    1,029,688 
02/28/2025, 1.125%(b)   7,000,000    7,232,148 
03/31/2025, 2.625%(b)   5,000,000    5,478,125 
11/15/2027, 2.250%(b)   9,900,000    10,900,442 
02/15/2030, 1.500%(b)   6,000,000    6,260,156 
           
TOTAL GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 
(Cost $49,877,394)        48,393,586 

 

   Shares   Value 
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 0.93%
Money Market Funds  0.93%
BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund Portfolio - Institutional Class (0.030% 7-day yield)   4,015,618    4,015,618 
           
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 
(Cost $4,015,618)        4,015,618 
           
Total Investments - 139.61% 
(Cost $517,093,511)        605,900,210 
           
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (39.61%)(i)        (171,893,027)
           
NET ASSETS - 100.00%       $434,007,183 

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(a)  Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS (4.81%)
Communication Services (0.84%)
Twitter, Inc.   (72,400)   (3,658,372)
           
Financials (2.55%)          
Deutsche Bank AG   (721,443)   (7,301,003)
Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA   (157,505)   (1,407,554)
Societe Generale S.A.   (30,516)   (571,710)
UniCredit SpA   (197,432)   (1,810,606)
         (11,090,873)
           
Health Care (0.66%)          
Bruker Corp.   (49,310)   (2,854,556)

  

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(a) (continued)  Shares   Value 
Information Technology (0.76%)        
Temenos AG   (25,918)  $(3,283,577)
           
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Proceeds $18,206,747)        (20,887,378)
           
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (3.92%) 
iShares® Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF   (21,605)   (3,470,627)
SPDR S&P 500® ETF Trust   (36,600)   (13,544,562)
           
           
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 
(Proceeds $16,393,878)        (17,015,189)
           
TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT 
(Proceeds $34,600,625)       $(37,902,567)

 

 

Investment Abbreviations:

1D FEDEF - Federal Funds Effective Rate (Daily)

LIBOR - London Interbank Offered Rate

 

FEDEF Rates:

1D FEDEF - 1 Day FEDEF as of January 31, 2021 was 0.69%

 

 

(a) Non-income producing security.
(b) Pledged security; a portion or all of the security is pledged as collateral for securities sold short, total return swap contracts, or borrowings. As of January 31, 2021, the aggregate value of those securities was $360,684,331, representing 83.11% of net assets. (See Note 1)
(c) Loaned security; a portion or all of the security is on loan as of January 31, 2021.
(d) Security is exempt from registration of the Securities Act of 1933.  These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration under Rule 144A, normally to qualified institutional buyers. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $17,052,082 or 3.93% of net assets.
(e) Private Placement; these securities may only be resold in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $11,614,842 or 2.68% of net assets.
(f) As a result of the use of significant unobservable inputs to determine fair value, these investments have been classified as Level 3 assets. (See Note 1)
(g) Fair valued security; valued by management in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. As of January 31, 2021, these securities had an aggregate value of $11,648,957 or 2.68% of total net assets.
(h) Securities were purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts securities offered and sold outside of the United States from registration.  Such securities cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from registration.  These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees.  As of January 31, 2021, the aggregate value of those securities was $3,873,137, representing 0.89% of net assets.
(i) Includes cash which is being held as collateral for futures contracts, total return swap contracts and securities sold short.

  

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS                  
Description  Counterparty  Position  Contracts   Expiration Date  Notional Value   Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   4,958   June 2021  $1,237,578,775   $9,242,705 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   1,399   March 2022   349,155,425    (76,043)
                 $1,586,734,200   $9,166,662 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS                  
                         
Counter Party  Reference
Entity/Obligation
  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Appreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.  $5,504,955   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  01/06/2022  $12,171,798   $6,666,843 
Morgan Stanley  Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd.   1,649,816   1D FEDEF - 255 bps  1D FEDEF  05/04/2022   3,830,315    2,180,499 
Morgan Stanley  Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science   4,438,428   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  01/06/2022   8,345,375    3,906,947 
      $11,593,199            $24,347,488   $12,754,289 

 

Counter Party 

Reference

Entity/Obligation

  Notional
Amount
   Floating Rate
Paid by the Fund
  Floating
Rate Index
  Termination
Date
  Value   Net Unrealized
Depreciation
 
Morgan Stanley  Banco Santander SA  $(311,891)  1D FEDEF - 50 bps  1D FEDEF  05/20/2022  $(435,078)  $(123,187)
TOTAL     $11,281,308            $23,912,410   $12,631,102 

 

 

For Fund compliance purposes, the Fund’s sector classifications refer to any one of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine sector sub-classifications for reporting ease. Sectors are shown as a percent of net assets. These sector classifications are unaudited.

 

 

See Notes to Quarterly Statement of Investments.

  

 

Clough Global FundS

Notes to Quarterly Statement of Investments

January 31, 2021 (unaudited)

 

1. Organization and SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING AND OPERATING POLICIES

 

Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund, and Clough Global Opportunities Fund (each a “Fund”, collectively the “Funds”), are closed-end management investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). The Funds were organized under the laws of the state of Delaware on April 27, 2004, January 25, 2005, and January 12, 2006, respectively for Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund, and Clough Global Opportunities Fund. The Funds were previously registered as non- diversified investment companies. As a result of ongoing operations, each of the Funds became a diversified company. The Funds may not resume operating in a non-diversified manner without first obtaining shareholder approval. Each Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of total return. Each Declaration of Trust provides that the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may authorize separate classes of shares of beneficial interest. The common shares of Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund, and Clough Global Opportunities Fund are listed on the NYSE American LLC and trade under the ticker symbols “GLV”, “GLQ” and “GLO” respectively.

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Funds. These policies are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of the Statement of Investments in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the Statement of Investments during the reporting period. Management believes the estimates and security valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the security valuations reflected in the Statement of Investments may differ from the value the Funds ultimately realize upon sale of the securities. Each Fund is considered an investment company for financial reporting purposes under GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies as codified in Accounting Standards Codification Topic (“ASC”) 946 – Investment Companies.

 

The net asset value per share of each Fund is determined no less frequently than daily, on each day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE” or the “Exchange”) is open for trading, as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time). Trading may take place in foreign issues held by the Fund at times when a Fund is not open for business. As a result, each Fund’s net asset value may change at times when it is not possible to purchase or sell shares of a Fund.

 

Investment Valuation: Securities, including preferred stocks, exchange traded funds, closed-end funds and participation notes held by each Fund for which exchange quotations are readily available are valued at the last sale price, or if no sale price or if traded on the over-the-counter market, at the mean of the bid and asked prices on such day. Most securities listed on a foreign exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange on which the security is primarily traded. In certain countries market maker prices are used since they are the most representative of the daily trading activity. Market maker prices are usually the mean between the bid and ask prices. Certain markets are not closed at the time that the Funds price their portfolio securities. In these situations, snapshot prices are provided by the individual pricing services or other alternate sources at the close of the NYSE as appropriate. Securities not traded on a particular day are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and the asked quotes, or the last sale price when appropriate; otherwise fair value will be determined by the board-appointed fair valuation committee. Debt securities for which the over-the-counter market is the primary market are normally valued on the basis of prices furnished by one or more pricing services or dealers at the mean between the latest available bid and asked prices. As authorized by the Board, debt securities (including short-term obligations that will mature in 60 days or less) may be valued on the basis of valuations furnished by a pricing service which determines valuations based upon market transactions for normal, institutional-size trading units of securities or a matrix method which considers yield or price of comparable bonds provided by a pricing service. Over-the-counter options are valued at the mean between bid and asked prices provided by dealers. Exchange-traded options are valued at closing settlement prices. Total return swaps are priced based on valuations provided by a Board approved independent third party pricing agent. If a total return swap price cannot be obtained from an independent third party pricing agent the Fund shall seek to obtain a bid price from at least one independent and/or executing broker.

 

If the price of a security is unavailable in accordance with the aforementioned pricing procedures, or the price of a security is unreliable, e.g., due to the occurrence of a significant event, the security may be valued at its fair value determined by management pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. For this purpose, fair value is the price that a Fund reasonably expects to receive on a current sale of the security. Due to the number of variables affecting the price of a security, however; it is possible that the fair value of a security may not accurately reflect the price that a Fund could actually receive on a sale of the security.

 

A three-tier hierarchy has been established to classify fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available.

  

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of each Fund’s investments as of the reporting period end. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

 

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities that a Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;
Level 2 – Quoted prices which are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable (either directly or indirectly) for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and
Level 3 – Significant unobservable prices or inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments) where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of January 31, 2021, in valuing each Fund’s investments carried at value.

 

Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund            
             
Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Common Stocks  $96,623,961   $   $   $96,623,961 
Preferred Stocks   1,116,952            1,116,952 
Purchased Options   189,406            189,406 
Corporate Bonds       13,702,685        13,702,685 
Convertible Corporate Bonds       3,881,814        3,881,814 
Asset-Backed Securities       57,573        57,573 
Government & Agency Obligations       25,579,836        25,579,836 
Short-Term Investments   881,750            881,750 
TOTAL  $98,812,069   $43,221,908   $   $142,033,977 

 

Other Financial Instruments  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Assets                    
Futures Contracts**  $2,616,540   $   $   $2,596,483 
Total Return Swap Contracts**       2,705,828        2,705,828 
                     
Liabilities                    
Securities Sold Short                    
Common Stocks   (5,525,478)           (5,525,478)
Exchange Traded Funds   (3,182,602)           (3,182,602)
Futures Contracts**   (20,057)           (20,057)
Total Return Swap Contracts**       (35,438)       (35,438)
TOTAL  $(6,111,597)  $2,670,390   $   $(3,441,207)

 

Clough Global Equity Fund            
             
Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Common Stocks                    
Communication Services  $7,836,873   $   $   $7,836,873 
Consumer Discretionary   34,033,712            34,033,712 
Financials   54,914,433            54,914,433 
Health Care   84,736,485    1,762,770    3,134,453    89,633,708 
Industrials   6,069,521            6,069,521 
Information Technology   80,545,531    19,282        80,564,813 
Real Estate   3,495,169            3,495,169 
Exchange Traded Funds   3,775,710            3,775,710 
Purchased Options   1,277,009            1,277,009 
Government & Agency Obligations       21,720,414        21,720,414 
Short-Term Investments   4,884,780            4,884,780 
TOTAL  $281,569,223   $23,502,466   $3,134,453   $308,206,142 

 

Other Financial Instruments  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Assets                    
Futures Contracts**  $4,618,938   $   $   $4,581,161 
Total Return Swap Contracts**       6,324,316        6,324,316 
                     
Liabilities                    
Securities Sold Short                    
Common Stocks   (10,163,057)           (10,163,057)
Exchange Traded Funds   (8,584,420)           (8,584,420)
Futures Contracts**   (37,777)           (37,777)
Total Return Swap Contracts**       (60,605)       (60,605)
TOTAL  $(14,166,316)  $6,263,711   $   $(7,902,605)

  

 

Clough Global Opportunities Fund            
             
Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Common Stocks                    
Communication Services  $13,721,903   $   $   $13,721,903 
Consumer Discretionary   65,521,406            65,521,406 
Financials   101,323,995            101,323,995 
Health Care   160,609,243    3,525,555    8,089,287    172,224,085 
Industrials   12,017,074            12,017,074 
Information Technology   152,528,827    34,115        152,562,942 
Real Estate   6,373,694            6,373,694 
Exchange Traded Funds   7,473,049            7,473,049 
Purchased Options   2,521,864            2,521,864 
Corporate Bonds       18,019,945        18,019,945 
Convertible Corporate Bonds       1,731,049        1,731,049 
Government & Agency Obligations       48,393,586        48,393,586 
Short-Term Investments   4,015,618            4,015,618 
TOTAL  $526,106,673   $71,704,250   $8,089,287   $605,900,210 

 

Other Financial Instruments  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Assets                    
Futures Contracts**  $9,242,705   $   $   $9,166,662 
Total Return Swap Contracts**       12,754,289        12,754,289 
                     
Liabilities                    
Securities Sold Short                    
Common Stocks   (20,887,378)           (20,887,378)
Exchange Traded Funds   (17,015,189)           (17,015,189)
Futures Contracts**   (76,043)           (76,043)
Total Return Swap Contracts**       (123,187)       (123,187)
TOTAL  $(28,735,905)  $12,631,102   $   $(16,104,803)

 

*For detailed sector descriptions, see the accompanying Statements of Investments.
**Futures contracts and swap contracts are reported at their unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) at measurement date, which represents the change in the contract's value from trade date.

 

In the event a Board approved independent pricing service is unable to provide an evaluated price for a security or Clough Capital Partners L.P. (the “Adviser” or “Clough”) believes the price provided is not reliable, securities of each Fund may be valued at fair value as described above. In these instances the Adviser may seek to find an alternative independent source, such as a broker/dealer to provide a price quote, or by using evaluated pricing models similar to the techniques and models used by the independent pricing service. These fair value measurement techniques may utilize unobservable inputs (Level 3).

 

On a monthly basis, the Fair Value Committee of each Fund meets and discusses securities that have been fair valued during the preceding month in accordance with the Funds’ Fair Value Procedures and reports quarterly to the Board on the results of those meetings.

  

 

The following is a reconciliation of the investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

 

Clough Global Equity Fund

 

Investments in Securities  Balance as of October 31, 2020  Realized Gain/(Loss)  Change in Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation)  Purchases  Sales Proceeds  Transfer into Level 3  Transfer out of Level 3  Balance as of January 31, 2021  Net change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) attributable to Level 3 investments held at January 31, 2021
Common Stocks  $2,576,815   $   $191,826   $365,812   $   $   $   $3,134,453   $191,826 
Total  $2,576,815   $   $191,826   $365,812   $   $   $   $3,134,453   $191,826 

 

Clough Global Opportunities Fund

 

Investments in Securities  Balance as of October 31, 2020  Realized Gain/(Loss)  Change in Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation)  Purchases  Sales Proceeds  Transfer into Level 3  Transfer out of Level 3  Balance as of January 31, 2021  Net change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) attributable to Level 3 investments held at January 31, 2021
Common Stocks  $6,789,627   $   $458,605   $841,055   $   $   $   $8,089,287   $458,605 
Total  $6,789,627   $   $458,605   $841,055   $   $   $   $8,089,287   $458,605 

 

The following is a summary of valuation techniques and quantitative information used in determining the fair value of the Fund’s Level 3 investments at January 31, 2021:

 

Fund  Sector  Fair Value  Valuation Technique  Unobservable Input(a)  Range/Premium
                
Clough Global Equity Fund  Health Care  $3,134,453   Accomplishment & Goals and Index Performance Method  Transaction Price  N/A
Clough Global Opportunities Fund  Health Care  $8,089,287   Accomplishment & Goals and Index Performance Method  Transaction Price  N/A

 

(a)A change to the unobservable input may result in a significant change to the value of the investment as follows:

 

Unobservable Input  Impact to Value if Input Increases  Impact to Value if Input Decreases
Transaction Price  Increase  Decrease

 

Foreign Securities: Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in foreign securities. In the event that a Fund executes a foreign security transaction, the Fund will generally enter into a foreign currency spot contract to settle the foreign security transaction. Foreign securities may carry more risk than U.S. securities, such as political, market and currency risks.

 

The accounting records of each Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Prices of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the closing rates of exchange at period end. Amounts related to the purchase and sale of foreign securities and investment income are translated at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

 

A foreign currency spot contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date, at a negotiated rate. Each Fund may enter into foreign currency spot contracts to settle specific purchases or sales of securities denominated in a foreign currency and for protection from adverse exchange rate fluctuation. Risks to a Fund include the potential inability of the counterparty to meet the terms of the contract.

  

 

Exchange Traded Funds: Each Fund may invest in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), which are funds whose shares are traded on a national exchange. ETFs may be based on underlying equity or fixed income securities, as well as commodities or currencies. 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 then sells the individual shares on a secondary market. Although similar diversification benefits may be achieved through an investment in another investment company, ETFs generally offer greater liquidity and lower expenses. Because an ETF incurs its own fees and expenses, shareholders of a Fund investing in an ETF will indirectly bear those costs. Such Funds will also incur brokerage commissions and related charges when purchasing or selling shares of an ETF. Unlike typical investment company shares, which are valued once daily, shares in an ETF may be purchased or sold on a securities exchange throughout the trading day at market prices that are generally close to the NAV of the ETF.

 

Short Sales: Each Fund may sell a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the fair value of that security. When a Fund sells a security short, it must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale. A gain, limited to the price at which a Fund sold the security short, or a loss, unlimited in size, will be recognized upon the termination of the short sale.

 

Each Fund's obligation to replace the borrowed security will be secured by collateral deposited with the broker-dealer, usually cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities. Each Fund will also be required to designate on its books and records similar collateral with its custodian to the extent, if any, necessary so that the aggregate collateral value is at all times at least equal to the current value of the security sold short. Each Fund is obligated to pay interest to the broker for any debit balance of the margin account relating to short sales.

 

Each Fund may also sell a security short if it owns at least an equal amount of the security sold short or another security convertible or exchangeable for an equal amount of the security sold short without payment of further compensation (a short sale against-the-box). In a short sale against-the-box, the short seller is exposed to the risk of being forced to deliver stock that it holds to close the position if the borrowed stock is called in by the lender, which would cause gain or loss to be recognized on the delivered stock. Each Fund expects normally to close its short sales against-the-box by delivering newly acquired stock.

 

Derivatives Instruments and Hedging Activities: The following discloses the Funds’ use of derivative instruments and hedging activities.

 

The Funds’ investment objectives not only permit the Funds to purchase investment securities, they also allow the Funds to enter into various types of derivative contracts, including, but not limited to, purchased and written options, swaps, futures and warrants. In doing so, the Funds will employ strategies in differing combinations to permit them to increase, decrease, or change the level or types of exposure to market factors. Central to those strategies are features inherent to derivatives that make them more attractive for this purpose than equity securities; they require little or no initial cash investment, they can focus exposure on only certain selected risk factors, and they may not require the ultimate receipt or delivery of the underlying security (or securities) to the contract. This may allow the Funds to pursue their objectives more quickly and efficiently than if they were to make direct purchases or sales of securities capable of affecting a similar response to market factors.

 

Risk of Investing in Derivatives: The Funds’ use of derivatives can result in losses due to unanticipated changes in the market risk factors and the overall market. In instances where the Funds are using derivatives to decrease or hedge exposures to market risk factors for securities held by the Funds, there are also risks that those derivatives may not perform as expected, resulting in losses for the combined or hedged positions.

 

Derivatives may have little or no initial cash investment relative to their market value exposure and therefore can produce significant gains or losses in excess of their cost. This use of embedded leverage allows the Funds to increase their market value exposure relative to their net assets and can substantially increase the volatility of the Funds’ performance.

 

Additional associated risks from investing in derivatives also exist and potentially could have significant effects on the valuation of the derivative and the Funds. Typically, the associated risks are not the risks that the Funds are attempting to increase or decrease exposure to, per their investment objectives, but are the additional risks from investing in derivatives.

 

Examples of these associated risks are liquidity risk, which is the risk that the Funds will not be able to sell the derivative in the open market in a timely manner, and counterparty credit risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Funds. Associated risks can be different for each type of derivative and are discussed by each derivative type in the notes that follow.

 

Each Fund may acquire put and call options and options on stock indices and enter into stock index futures contracts, certain credit derivatives transactions and short sales in connection with its equity investments. In connection with a Fund's investments in debt securities, it may enter into related derivatives transactions such as interest rate futures, swaps and options thereon and certain credit derivatives transactions. Derivatives transactions of the types described above subject a Fund to increased risk of principal loss due to imperfect correlation or unexpected price or interest rate movements. Each Fund also will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivatives contracts purchased by a Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivatives contract due to financial difficulties, each Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivatives contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. Each Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.

  

 

Market Risk Factors: In addition, in pursuit of their investment objectives, certain Funds may seek to use derivatives, which may increase or decrease exposure to the following market risk factors:

 

Equity Risk: Equity risk relates to the change in value of equity securities as they relate to increases or decreases in the general market.

 

Foreign Exchange Rate Risk: Foreign exchange rate risk relates to the change in the U.S. dollar value of a security held that is denominated in a foreign currency. The value of a foreign currency denominated security will decrease as the dollar appreciates against the currency, while the value of the foreign currency denominated security will increase as the dollar depreciates against the currency.

 

Option Writing/Purchasing: Each Fund may purchase or write (sell) put and call options. One of the risks associated with purchasing an option among others, is that a Fund pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, a Fund bears the risk of loss of premium and change in value should the counterparty not perform under the contract. The cost of securities acquired through the exercise of call options is increased by premiums paid. The proceeds from securities sold through the exercise of put options are decreased by the premiums paid. Each Fund is obligated to pay interest to the broker for any debit balance of the margin account relating to options. Each Fund pledges cash or liquid assets as collateral to satisfy the current obligations with respect to written options.

 

When a Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received by a Fund is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current value of the option written. Premiums received from writing options that expire unexercised are treated by a Fund on the expiration date as realized gains. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is recorded as a realized gain or loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security or currency in determining whether a Fund has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the securities purchased by a Fund. Each Fund, as writer of an option, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security underlying the written option. The Funds engaged in purchased and written options during the reporting period ended January 31, 2021.

 

Futures Contracts: Each Fund may enter into futures contracts. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a security or currency (or to deliver a final cash settlement price in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract) for a set price at a future date. If a Fund buys a security futures contract, the Fund enters into a contract to purchase the underlying security and is said to be "long" under the contract. If a Fund sells a security futures contact, the Fund enters into a contract to sell the underlying security and is said to be "short" under the contract. The price at which the contract trades (the "contract price") is determined by relative buying and selling interest on a regulated exchange. Futures contracts are marked to market daily and an appropriate payable or receivable for the change in value (“variation margin”) is recorded by the Fund. Such payables or receivables are recorded for financial statement purposes as variation margin payable or variation margin receivable by each Fund. Each Fund pledges cash or liquid assets as collateral to satisfy the current obligations with respect to futures contracts. Management has reviewed the futures agreement under which the futures contracts are traded and has determined that the Funds do not have the right to set-off, and therefore the futures contracts are not subject to enforceable netting arrangements.

 

The Funds enter into such transactions for hedging and other appropriate risk-management purposes or to increase return. While a Fund may enter into futures contracts for hedging purposes, the use of futures contracts might result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. If, for example, the Fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell a portion of its underlying portfolio of securities in order to meet daily variation margin requirements on its futures contracts or options on futures contracts at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so. There may be an imperfect correlation between the Funds’ portfolio holdings and futures contracts entered into by the Fund, which may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss.

 

Futures contract transactions may result in losses substantially in excess of the variation margin. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in the portfolio securities being hedged. An incorrect correlation could result in a loss on both the hedged securities in a Fund and the hedging vehicle so that the portfolio return might have been greater had hedging not been attempted. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a futures contract. Lack of a liquid market for any reason may prevent a Fund from liquidating an unfavorable position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. In addition, the Fund could be exposed to risk if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts. With exchange-traded futures contracts, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Funds since futures contracts are exchange-traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange-traded futures contracts, guarantees the futures contracts against default. The Funds invested in futures during the reporting period ended January 31, 2021.

 

Swaps: A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates for a specified amount of an underlying asset. Each Fund may utilize swap agreements as a means to gain exposure to certain assets and/or to “hedge” or protect the Fund from adverse movements in securities prices or interest rates. Each Fund is subject to equity risk and interest rate risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objective through investments in swap contracts. Swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligation to a Fund. If the other party to a swap defaults, a Fund would risk the loss of the net amount of the payments that it contractually is entitled to receive. If each Fund utilizes a swap at the wrong time or judges market conditions incorrectly, the swap may result in a loss to the Fund and reduce the Fund’s total return.

  

 

Total return swaps involve an exchange by two parties in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset, which includes both the income it generates and any capital gains over the payment period. A Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or credit risk is the discounted value of the payments to be received from/paid to the counterparty over the contract’s remaining life, to the extent that the amount is positive. The risk is mitigated by having a netting arrangement between a Fund and the counterparty and by the posting of collateral to a Fund to cover the Fund’s exposure to the counterparty. Each Fund pledges cash or liquid assets as collateral to satisfy the current obligations with respect to swap contracts.

 

International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreements”) govern OTC financial derivative transactions entered into by a Fund and those counterparties. The ISDA Master Agreements maintain provisions for general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral and events of default or termination. Events of termination include conditions that may entitle counterparties to elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all outstanding transactions under the applicable ISDA Master Agreement. Any election to early terminate could be material to the financial statements. During the period ended January 31, 2021, the Funds invested in swap agreements consistent with the Funds’ investment strategies to gain exposure to certain markets or indices.

 

Warrants/Rights: Each Fund may purchase or otherwise receive warrants or rights. Warrants and rights generally give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise, a security of the issuer at a set price. Funds typically use warrants and rights in a manner similar to their use of purchased options on securities, as described in options above. Risks associated with the use of warrants and rights are generally similar to risks associated with the use of purchased options. However, warrants and rights often do not have standardized terms, and may have longer maturities and may be less liquid than exchange-traded options. In addition, the terms of warrants or rights may limit each Fund’s ability to exercise the warrants or rights at such times and in such quantities as each Fund would otherwise wish. During the period ended January 31, 2021, each Fund held rights and did not hold warrants. As of the period ended January 31, 2021, the Funds held no warrants or rights.

 

Restricted Securities: Although the Funds will invest primarily in publicly traded securities, they may invest a portion of their assets (generally, 10% of its value) in restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or, if they are unregistered, may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration.

 

Restricted securities as of January 31, 2021 were as follows:

 

Fund  Security  % of
Net Assets
  Acquisition
Date
  Shares  Cost  Value
                   
Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund  Blackstone Holdings   0.57%  1/22/2021   500,000   $559,747   $560,084 
   Carvana Co.   0.53%  11/16/2020   500,000    504,814    517,075 
   Carvana Co.   1.06%  9/25/2020   1,000,000    987,913    1,040,000 
   Ladder Capital Finance Holdings LLLP / Ladder Capital Finance Corp.   1.04%  12/15/2020- 1/19/2021   1,014,000    1,017,479    1,013,366 
   Melco Resorts Finance, Ltd.   0.27%  9/21/2020   250,000    260,493    266,019 
   Microchip Technology, Inc.   0.54%  7/13/2020   500,000    513,891    523,126 
   NRG Energy, Inc.   0.56%  1/21/2021   500,000    546,755    545,828 
   Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.   0.80%  1/16/2020   750,000    785,866    785,625 
   Teladoc Health, Inc.   1.02%  5/18/2020   700,000    722,107    991,375 
   Tencent Holdings   0.88%  1/26/2021   850,000    868,255    860,144 
   Times China Holdings, Ltd.   0.52%  11/6/2019   500,000    501,727    505,421 
   Trinity Capital, Inc.   0.58%  1/9/2020   22,400    560,000    564,480 
Total      8.37%          $7,829,047   $8,172,543 

  

 

Clough Global Equity Fund  Amphivena Therapeutics, Inc.   0.66%  4/8/2019   334,425   $1,199,997   $1,450,388 
   Arcellx, Inc.   0.37%  8/8/2019 - 12/22/2020   421,845    731,625    823,020 
   Centrexion Therapeutics   0.02%  12/18/2017   4,336    701,250    52,544 
   Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.   0.37%  3/19/2019   66,719    48,741    808,501 
   Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.   0.80%  6/9/2020   112,731    1,349,990    1,762,770 
   Kuaishou Technology   0.01%  1/29/2021   1,300    19,477    19,282 
Total      2.23%          $4,051,080   $4,916,505 

 

Clough Global Opportunities Fund  Amphivena Therapeutics, Inc.   0.78%  4/8/2019   780,326    2,799,997    3,384,243 
   Arcellx, Inc.   0.44%  8/8/2019 - 12/22/2020   969,881    1,682,109    1,892,238 
   Centrexion Therapeutics   0.04%  3/19/2019   14,166    159,240    171,664 
   Centrexion Therapeutics Corp.   0.61%  12/18/2017   217,952    2,290,759    2,641,142 
   Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.   0.81%  6/9/2020   225,463    2,699,992    3,525,555 
   Kuaishou Technology   0.01%  1/29/2021   2,300    34,459    34,115 
   Ladder Capital Finance Holdings LLLP / Ladder Capital Finance Corp.   0.76%  12/15/2020- 1/19/2021   3,300,000    3,311,384    3,297,937 
   Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.   0.54%  1/16/2020   2,250,000    2,357,597    2,356,875 
   Tencent Holdings   0.52%  1/26/2021   2,250,000    2,298,322    2,276,852 
   Times China Holdings, Ltd.   0.35%  11/6/2019   1,500,000    1,505,181    1,516,262 
Total      4.86%          $19,139,040   $21,096,883 

 

Counterparty Risk: Each of the Funds run the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, the counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract, a borrower of each Fund’s securities or the obligor of an obligation underlying an asset-backed security will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest, or settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. In addition, to the extent that each of the Funds use over-the-counter derivatives, and/or has significant exposure to a single counterparty, this risk will be particularly pronounced for each of the Funds.

 

Other Risk Factors: Investing in the Funds may involve certain risks including, but not limited to, the following:

 

Unforeseen developments in market conditions may result in the decline of prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by the Funds. These events may have adverse effects on the Funds such as a decline in the value and liquidity of many securities held by the Funds, and a decrease in net asset value. Such unforeseen developments may limit or preclude the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objective.

 

Investing in stocks may involve larger price fluctuation and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. This may result in the securities held by the Funds being subject to larger short-term declines in value compared to other types of investments.

  

 

The Funds may have elements of risk due to concentrated investments in foreign issuers located in a specific country. Such concentrations may subject the Funds to additional risks resulting from future political or economic conditions and/or possible impositions of adverse foreign governmental laws or currency exchange restrictions. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers have unique risks not present in securities of U.S. issuers, such as greater price volatility and less liquidity.

 

Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that a security could have its credit rating downgraded or that the issuer of the security could fail to make timely payments or default on payments of interest or principal. Additionally, fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk, meaning the decline in the price of debt securities that accompanies a rise in interest rates. Bonds with longer maturities are subject to greater price fluctuations than bonds with shorter maturities.

 

The Funds invest in bonds which are rated below investment grade. These high yield bonds may be more susceptible than higher grade bonds to real or perceived adverse economic or industry conditions. The secondary market, on which high yield bonds are traded, may also be less liquid than the market for higher grade bonds.

 

A novel coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 respiratory infection have resulted in a global pandemic and major disruption to economies and markets around the world. The pandemic has led to extreme short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies. Liquidity for many instruments has been reduced, and some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. The economic impacts of the global pandemic may adversely impact the Funds’ ability to reach their investment objectives and may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds’ investments. Because of uncertainties in valuation, values reflected in these financial statements may differ from the value received upon sales of those investments. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time, and may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds’ investments.

 

2. CommitTed facility agreement

 

Each Fund entered into a financing package that includes a Committed Facility Agreement (the “Agreement”) dated January 16, 2009, as amended, between each Fund and BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage, Inc. (“BNP”) that allows each Fund to borrow funds from BNP. Each Fund entered a Special Custody and Pledge Agreement (the “Pledge Agreement”) dated December 9, 2013, as amended, between each Fund, the Funds’ custodian, and BNP. As of October 31, 2016, the Pledge Agreement was assigned from BNP to BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage International, Ltd. Per the Pledge Agreement, borrowings under the Agreement are secured by assets of each Fund that are held by the Fund’s custodian in a separate account (the “pledged collateral”). On January 31, 2021, the pledged collateral was valued at $84,086,874, $188,160,278 and $353,908,711 for the Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and Clough Global Opportunities Fund, respectively. Each Fund may, with 30 days notice, reduce the Maximum Commitment Financing (Initial Limit amount plus the increased borrowing amount in excess of the Initial Limit) to a lesser amount if drawing on the full amount would result in a violation of the applicable asset coverage requirement of Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Interest is charged at the three month LIBOR (London Inter-bank Offered Rate) plus 0.70% on the amount borrowed and 0.65% on the undrawn balance. Each Fund also pays a one-time arrangement fee of 0.25% on (i) the initial Limit and (ii) any increased borrowing amount in the excess of the initial Limit, paid in monthly installments for the six months immediately following the date on which borrowings were drawn by the Fund.

 

The Maximum Commitment Financing allowed under the Agreement is $50,500,000, $100,000,000 and $197,500,000 for the Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and the Clough Global Opportunities Fund, respectively. For the period ended January 31, 2021, the average borrowings outstanding for Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and Clough Global Opportunities Fund under the agreement were $50,500,000, $96,869,565 and $191,521,739, respectively, and the average interest rate for the borrowings was 0.93%. As of January 31, 2021, the outstanding borrowings for Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and Clough Global Opportunities Fund were $50,500,000, $100,000,000 and $197,500,000, respectively. The interest rate applicable to the borrowings of Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and Clough Global Opportunities Fund on January 31, 2021, was 0.91%.

 

The Lending Agreement is a separate side-agreement between each Fund and BNP pursuant to which BNP may borrow a portion of the pledged collateral (the “Lent Securities”) in an amount not to exceed the outstanding borrowings owed by a Fund to BNP under the Agreement. The Lending Agreement is intended to permit each Fund to significantly reduce the cost of its borrowings under the Agreement. BNP has the ability to re- register the Lent Securities in its own name or in another name other than the Fund to pledge, re-pledge, sell, lend or otherwise transfer or use the collateral with all attendant rights of ownership. (It is each Fund’s understanding that BNP will perform due diligence to determine the creditworthiness of any party that borrows Lent Securities from BNP.) Each Fund may designate any security within the pledged collateral as ineligible to be a Lent Security, provided there are eligible securities within the pledged collateral in an amount equal to the outstanding borrowing owed by a Fund. During the period in which the Lent Securities are outstanding, BNP must remit payment to each Fund equal to the amount of all dividends, interest or other distributions earned or made by the Lent Securities.

 

Under the terms of the Lending Agreement, the Lent Securities are marked to market daily, and if the value of the Lent Securities exceeds the value of the then-outstanding borrowings owed by a Fund to BNP under the Agreement (the “Current Borrowings”), BNP must, on that day, either (1) return Lent Securities to each Fund’s custodian in an amount sufficient to cause the value of the outstanding Lent Securities to equal the Current Borrowings; or (2) post cash collateral with each Fund’s custodian equal to the difference between the value of the Lent Securities and the value of the Current Borrowings. If BNP fails to perform either of these actions as required, each Fund will recall securities, as discussed below, in an amount sufficient to cause the value of the outstanding Lent Securities to equal the Current Borrowings. Each Fund can recall any of the Lent Securities and BNP shall, to the extent commercially possible, return such security or equivalent security to each Fund’s custodian no later than three business days after such request. If a Fund recalls a Lent Security pursuant to the Lending Agreement, and BNP fails to return the Lent Securities or equivalent securities in a timely fashion, BNP shall remain liable for the ultimate delivery to each Fund’s custodian of such Lent Securities, or equivalent securities, and for any buy-in costs that the executing broker for the sales transaction may impose with respect to the failure to deliver. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, the Funds have the right to reduce the outstanding amount of the Current Borrowings against which the pledged collateral has been secured. Although risk is mitigated by the collateral, the Funds could experience a delay in recovering their securities and possible loss of income or value if the borrower fails to return the borrowed securities. Under the terms of the Lending Agreement, each Fund shall have the right to apply and set-off an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the then current fair value of such Lent Securities against the Current Borrowings. As of January 31, 2021, the value of the Lent Securities for Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund, Clough Global Equity Fund and Clough Global Opportunities Fund were $45,441,590, $92,848,015 and $186,445,901, respectively.

   

 

The Board has approved each Agreement and the Lending Agreement. No violations of the Agreement or the Lending Agreement have occurred during the period ended January 31, 2021.

 

On July 27, 2017, the Chief Executive of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA will no longer persuade nor require banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. Such announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. It is expected that market participants will focus on the transition mechanisms by which references to LIBOR in existing contracts or instruments may be amended. When LIBOR is discontinued, the successor reference rate may be lower or higher than market expectations. This may cause the Funds to pay more or less interest on borrowings and could impact the Funds’ performance or NAV.