NPORT-EX 2 HighlandFundsI_Sch_F.htm SCHEDULE F HTML
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited)   
As of September 30, 2020      Highland Healthcare Opportunities Fund  

 

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

Common Stocks — 98.6%

 
 

HEALTHCARE — 98.6%

 
 

    Biotechnology25.8%

 
  10,000     

AbbVie, Inc. (c)

     875,900  
  48,800     

Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (d)

     689,056  
  5,000     

Ascendis Pharma ADR (d)

     771,600  
  6,000     

Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding (d)

     390,060  
  5,000     

BioMarin Pharmaceutical (d)

     380,400  
  30,000     

Coherus Biosciences, Inc. (d)

     550,200  
  12,000     

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (d)

     177,840  
  12,000     

Insmed (d)

     385,680  
  63,114     

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (d)(e)

     200,702  
  4,000     

Moderna (d)

     283,000  
  85,000     

Mustang Bio (d)

     267,750  
  15,400     

Natera (d)

     1,112,496  
  5,300     

uniQure (d)

     195,199  
  4,000     

Zymeworks (d)

     186,320  
     

 

 

 
        6,466,203  
     

 

 

 
 

    Healthcare Equipment & Supplies20.9%

 
  20,000     

Axonics Modulation Technologies (d)(e)

     1,020,800  
  2,000     

Becton Dickinson

     465,360  
  23,000     

Boston Scientific Corp. (c)(d)

     878,830  
  10,050     

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (d)

     802,191  
  12,000     

Establishment Labs Holdings (d)

     222,360  
  10,000     

Silk Road Medical (d)

     672,100  
  5,500     

Tandem Diabetes Care (d)

     624,250  
  4,000     

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (c)

     544,560  
     

 

 

 
        5,230,451  
     

 

 

 
 

    Healthcare Providers & Services23.6%

 
  20,000     

Acadia Healthcare, Inc. (d)

     589,600  
  4,000     

Anthem, Inc.

     1,074,360  
  9,000     

Centene (c)(d)

     524,970  
  4,400     

Cigna Corp.

     745,404  
  4,400     

Humana, Inc. (c)

     1,821,116  
  3,000     

Laboratory Corp of America Holdings (c)(d)

     564,810  
  4,000     

McKesson, Inc. (c)

     595,720  
     

 

 

 
        5,915,980  
     

 

 

 
 

    Healthcare Technology1.8%

 
  2,000     

Teladoc Health, Inc. (d)(e)

     438,480  
     

 

 

 
 

    Life Sciences Tools & Services17.1%

 
  25,000     

Avantor (d)

     562,250  
  4,500     

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Class A (c)(d)

     2,319,570  
  1,500     

Illumina (c)(d)

     463,620  
  2,100     

Thermo Fisher Scientific (c)

     927,192  
     

 

 

 
        4,272,632  
     

 

 

 

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

Common Stocks (continued)

 
 

HEALTHCARE (continued)

 
 

    Pharmaceuticals9.4%

 
  25,000     

Agile Therapeutics (d)

     76,000  
  10,000     

Evolus (d)(e)

     39,100  
  33,933     

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (d)

     17,581  
  14,000     

Merck & Co., Inc. (c)

     1,161,300  
  10,000     

Nektar Therapeutics, Class A (d)

     165,900  
  1,000     

Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (d)

     60,120  
  20,000     

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (d)(e)

     108,200  
  54,749     

SteadyMed, Ltd. (d)(f)(g)

     40,405  
  15,000     

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

     532,171  
  40,205     

VYNE Therapeutics (d)

     66,740  
  5,000     

Zogenix, Inc. (d)(e)

     89,650  
     

 

 

 
        2,357,167  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks
(Cost $20,982,176)

     24,680,913  
  

 

 

 
 

Preferred Stock — 0.0%

 
 

HEALTHCARE — 0.0%

 
 

    Healthcare Technology0.0%

 
  608,695     

AMINO, Inc., Series C (d)(f)(g)(h)(i)

      
     

 

 

 
  

Total Preferred Stock
(Cost $3,499,996)

      
  

 

 

 

Units

      
 

Warrants — 0.0%

 
 

HEALTHCARE — 0.0%

 
 

    Biotechnology0.0%

 
  4,752     

Gemphire Therapeutics, Inc., Expires 03/15/2022(d)(f)(g)

     260  
     

 

 

 
 

    Pharmaceuticals0.0%

 
  25,500     

Scynexis, Inc., Expires 06/21/2021(d)(f)(g)

      
     

 

 

 
  

Total Warrants
(Cost $–)

     260  
  

 

 

 

Principal $

      
 

Repurchase Agreements (a)(b) — 4.2%

 
  249,000     

Citigroup Global Markets
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $249,001 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $4,355 - $30,449, 0.000% - 4.625%, 11/27/2020 – 11/01/2059; with total market value $253,980)

     249,000  
 
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (concluded)   
As of September 30, 2020      Highland Healthcare Opportunities Fund  

 

Principal ($)

   Value ($)  
 

Repurchase Agreements (continued)

 
  249,000     

Daiwa Capital Markets
0.090%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $249,001 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $0—$66,400, 0.000%—6.500%, 11/15/2020 – 03/01/2052; with total market value $253,980)

     249,000  
  249,000     

HSBC Securities
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $249,001 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $21—$83,000, 0.000%—5.000%, 11/01/2026 – 08/01/2050; with total market value $253,980)

     249,000  
  48,348     

JPMorgan Securities
0.060%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $48,348 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $8,597—$20,703, 0.000%—1.750%, 11/19/2020 – 08/31/2024; with total market value $49,315)

     48,348  
  249,000     

RBC Dominion Securities
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $249,001 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $0—$38,877, 0.000%—5.500%, 10/27/2020 – 07/15/2061; with total market value $253,980)

     249,000  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Repurchase Agreements
(Cost $1,044,348)

     1,044,348  
  

 

 

 

Shares

      
 

Cash Equivalent — 1.7%

 
 

MONEY MARKET FUND (j)1.7%

 
  435,355     

Dreyfus Treasury & Agency Cash Management, Institutional Class
0.010%

     435,355  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Cash Equivalent
(Cost $435,355)

     435,355  
  

 

 

 
 

Total Investments - 104.5%

     26,160,876  
  

 

 

 
 

    (Cost $25,961,875)

  
 

Other Assets & Liabilities,
Net -(4.5)% (k)

     (1,130,988
  

 

 

 
 

Net Assets - 100.0%

     25,029,888  
  

 

 

 
(a)

Tri-Party Repurchase Agreement.

(b)

This security was purchased with cash collateral held from securities on loan. The total value of such securities as of September 30, 2020 was $1,044,348.

(c)

All or part of this security is pledged as collateral for short sales. The fair value of the securities pledged as collateral was $3,232,117.

(d)

Non-income producing security.

(e)

Securities (or a portion of securities) on loan. As of September 30, 2020, the fair value of securities loaned was $1,013,666. The loaned securities were secured with cash and securities collateral of $1,044,283. Collateral is calculated based on prior day’s prices.

(f)

Securities with a total aggregate value of $40,665, or 0.2% of net assets, were classified as Level 3 within the three-tier fair value hierarchy. Please see Notes to Investment Portfolio for an explanation of this hierarchy, as well as a list of unobservable inputs used in the valuation of these instruments.

(g)

Represents fair value as determined by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), or its designee in good faith, pursuant to the policies and procedures approved by the Board. The Board considers fair valued securities to be securities for which market quotations are not readily available and these securities may be valued using a combination of observable and unobservable inputs. Securities with a total aggregate value of $40,665, or 0.2% of net assets, were fair valued under the Fund’s valuation procedures as of September 30, 2020. Please see Notes to Investment Portfolio.

(h)

There is currently no rate available.

(i)

Restricted Securities. These securities are not registered and may not be sold to the public. There are legal and/or contractual restrictions on resale. The Fund does not have the right to demand that such securities be registered. The values of these securities are determined by valuations provided by pricing services, brokers, dealers, market makers, or in good faith under the procedures established by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Additional Information regarding such securities follows:

 

Restricted
Security

 

Security
Type

  Acquisition
Date
    Cost of
Security
    Fair Value
at Period
End
    Percent
of Net
Assets
 
AMINO, Inc.   Preferred Stock     11/18/2016     $ 3,499,996     $ 0       0.0

 

(j)

Rate shown is 7 day effective yield.

(k)

As of September 30, 2020, $13,634 in cash was segregated or on deposit with the brokers to cover investments sold short and is included in “Other Assets & Liabilities, Net”.

 
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited)   
As of September 30, 2020    NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

Common Stocks — 56.2%

 
 

COMMUNICATION SERVICES — 3.6%

 
  22,051     

Bitauto Holdings ADR (c)

     347,303  
  22,400     

GCI Liberty, Inc. (c)

     1,835,904  
     

 

 

 
        2,183,207  
     

 

 

 
 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY6.6%

 
  54,199     

Grubhub (c)

     3,953,817  
  9,700     

Hudson, Class A (c)

     73,720  
     

 

 

 
        4,027,537  
     

 

 

 
 

ENERGY1.2%

 
  40,455     

Devon Energy

     382,704  
  87,146     

Montage Resources (c)(d)

     382,571  
     

 

 

 
        765,275  
     

 

 

 
 

FINANCIALS12.5%

 
  22,262     

Bridge Bancorp

     388,027  
  51,348     

E*TRADE Financial Corp.

     2,569,967  
  1,200     

GAINSCO (c)

     121,800  
  25,500     

Genworth Financial, Class A (c)

     85,425  
  72,947     

National General Holdings

     2,461,961  
  5,600     

Standard AVB Financial

     182,840  
  48,172     

TD Ameritrade Holding

     1,885,934  
     

 

 

 
        7,695,954  
     

 

 

 
 

HEALTHCARE22.9%

 
  62,591     

Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. (c)(d)

     2,156,260  
  36,953     

Akcea Therapeutics (c)

     670,327  
  55,200     

Immunomedics, Inc. (c)

     4,693,656  
  23,762     

Livongo Health (c)

     3,327,868  
  61,856     

Momenta Pharmaceuticals (c)

     3,246,203  
     

 

 

 
        14,094,314  
     

 

 

 
 

INDUSTRIALS4.4%

 
  64,566     

Vivint Solar (c)

     2,734,370  
     

 

 

 
 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY5.0%

 
  131,335     

InnerWorkings (c)

     392,692  
  56,670     

MobileIron (c)

     397,257  
  58,000     

Perceptron (c)

     394,400  
  59,350     

Rosetta Stone (c)

     1,779,313  
  2,169     

Virtusa (c)

     106,628  
     

 

 

 
        3,070,290  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks
(Cost $34,075,841)

     34,570,947  
  

 

 

 
 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies — 13.3%

 
  1,300     

Apex Technology Acquisition, Class A (c)

     13,780  
  3,934     

Capstar Special Purpose Acquisition (c)(d)

     40,141  
  2,598     

Capstar Special Purpose Acquisition, Class A (c)

     25,538  
  152,312     

CC Neuberger Principal Holdings II (c)(d)

     1,573,383  
  13,300     

CF Finance Acquisition II (c)

     133,266  
  102,040     

Churchill Capital IV, Class A (c)(d)

     997,951  
  28,977     

CIIG Merger, Class A (c)

     290,350  
  20,000     

Cohn Robbins Holdings (c)

     201,800  

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (continued)

 
  799     

FinServ Acquisition (c)

     8,326  
  12,500     

Fortress Value Acquisition II (c)

     128,752  
  13,400     

FTAC Olympus Acquisition (c)

     134,000  
  48,743     

GO Acquisition (c)

     491,329  
  50,000     

Gores Holdings V (c)(d)

     517,500  
  2,000     

Gores Metropoulos, Class A (c)

     22,840  
  27,701     

GS Acquisition Holdings II, Class A (c)(d)

     298,063  
  27,386     

Healthcare Merger (c)

     295,769  
  19,201     

Highcape Capital Acquisition (c)

     193,930  
  25,000     

Hudson Executive Investment, Class A (c)

     245,625  
  99,534     

Longview Acquisition, Class A (c)

     977,424  
  5,860     

NewHold Investment (c)

     58,952  
  6,733     

Osprey Technology Acquisition, Class A (c)

     68,609  
  1,000     

Qell Acquisition (c)

     10,160  
  44,027     

Thunder Bridge Acquisition II, Class A (c)

     449,075  
  9,956     

Trebia Acquisition (c)

     107,525  
  47,900     

TWC Tech Holdings II (c)(d)

     485,227  
  40,000     

Vesper Healthcare Acquisition (c)

     410,400  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Special Purpose Acquisition Companies
(Cost $8,018,085)

     8,179,715  
  

 

 

 
 

Preferred Stock — 0.2%

 
 

FINANCIALS — 0.2%

 
  15,462     

Tectonic Financial 9.00% (d)(e)(f)

     114,573  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Preferred Stock
(Cost $120,758)

     114,573  
  

 

 

 

Units

      
 

Warrants — 0.1%

 
  2,777     

Apex Technology Acquisition, Expires 10/03/2026 (c)

     5,415  
  20,408     

Churchill Capital IV, Expires 09/21/2025 (c)

     30,200  
  5,427     

GS Acquisition Holdings II, Expires 08/23/2025 (c)

     11,668  
  7,767     

Longview Acquisition, Expires 07/02/2025 (c)

     7,534  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Warrants
(Cost $49,222)

     54,817  
  

 

 

 
 
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Contracts

 
 

Purchased Put Options(c) — 0.1%

 
  

Total Purchased Put Options
(Cost $90,946)

     90,985  
  

 

 

 

Units

   Value ($)  
 

Rights — 0.0%

 
 

Healthcare0.0%

 
  2,250     

Celgene Corp. (c)

     5,063  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Rights
(Cost $4,896)

     5,063  
  

 

 

 

Principal $

      
 

Repurchase Agreements (a)(b) — 3.7%

 
  524,130     

Citigroup Global Markets
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $524,131 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $9,168 - $64,094, 0.000% - 4.625%, 11/27/2020 – 11/01/2059; with total market value $534,613)

     524,130  
  524,130     

Daiwa Capital Markets
0.090%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $524,131 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $0 - $139,768, 0.000% - 6.500%, 11/15/2020 – 03/01/2052; with total market value $534,613)

     524,130  
  524,130     

HSBC Securities USA
0.070%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $524,131 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $118 - $748,757, 0.000% - 3.500%, 11/15/2025 – 10/20/2049; with total market value $534,613)

     524,130  
  155,380     

Morgan Stanley & Co.
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $155,380 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $0 - $37,822, 2.000% - 8.000%, 07/01/2021 – 10/01/2050; with total market value $158,488)

     155,380  

Principal $

   Value ($)  
 

Repurchase Agreements (a)(b) (continued)

 
  524,130    

RBC Dominion Securities
0.080%, dated 09/30/2020 to be repurchased on 10/01/2020, repurchase price $524,131 (collateralized by U.S. Government obligations, ranging in par value $0 - $81,833, 0.000% - 5.500%, 10/27/2020 – 07/15/2061; with total market value $534,613)

     524,130  
    

 

 

 
 

Total Repurchase Agreements
(Cost $2,251,900)

     2,251,900  
  

 

 

 

Shares

      
 

Cash Equivalent — 17.3%

 
 

MONEY MARKET FUND (g)17.3%

 
  10,659,490    

Dreyfus Treasury & Agency Cash Management, Institutional Class 0.010%

     10,659,490  
    

 

 

 
 

Total Cash Equivalent
(Cost $10,659,490)

     10,659,490  
  

 

 

 
 

Total Investments - 90.9%

     55,927,490  
  

 

 

 
 

(Cost $55,271,138)

  
 

Securities Sold Short — (22.2)%

 
 

Exchange-Traded Fund — (0.1)%

 
  (246  

Invesco CurrencyShares Euro Currency Trust

     (27,151
    

 

 

 
 

Total Exchange-Traded Fund
(Proceeds $26,042)

     (27,151
    

 

 

 
 

Common Stocks — (22.1)%

 
 

COMMUNICATION SERVICES(3.0)%

 
  (12,992  

Liberty Broadband, Class C (h)

     (1,856,167
    

 

 

 
 

ENERGY(1.2)%

 
  (162,582  

Southwestern Energy (h)

     (382,068
  (78,326  

WPX Energy (h)

     (383,797
    

 

 

 
       (765,865
    

 

 

 
 

FINANCIALS(7.9)%

 
  (52,212  

Charles Schwab

     (1,891,641
  (34,354  

Dime Community Bancshares

     (388,544
  (53,567  

Morgan Stanley

     (2,589,964
    

 

 

 
       (4,870,149
    

 

 

 
 

HEALTHCARE(5.0)%

 
  (14,067  

Teladoc Health, Inc. (h)

     (3,084,049
    

 

 

 
 

INDUSTRIALS(4.5)%

 
  (35,511  

Sunrun (h)

     (2,736,833
    

 

 

 
 

 

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(0.5)%

 
  (4,494)     

Acacia Communications (h)

     (302,896
     

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks
(Proceeds $13,324,443)

     (13,615,959
     

 

 

 
  

Total Securities Sold Short - (22.2)%
(Proceeds $13,350,485)

     (13,643,110
     

 

 

 
 

Other Assets & Liabilities, Net - 31.3%
(i)

     19,254,080  
  

 

 

 
 

Net Assets - 100.0%

     61,538,460  
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   Tri-Party Repurchase Agreement.

(b)   This security was purchased with cash collateral held from securities on loan. The total value of such securities as of September 30, 2020 was $2,251,900.

(c)   Non-income producing security.

(d)   Securities (or a portion of securities) on loan. As of September 30, 2020, the fair value of securities loaned was $3,286,840. The loaned securities were secured with cash and securities collateral of $3,366,614. Collateral is calculated based on prior day’s prices.

(e)   Variable or floating rate security. The base lending rates are generally the lending rate offered by one or more European banks such as the LIBOR. The interest rate shown reflects the rate in effect September 30, 2020. Current LIBOR rates include 3 months which is equal to 0.234%.

(f)   Perpetual security with no stated maturity date.

(g)   Rate shown is 7 day effective yield.

(h)   No dividend payable on security sold short.

(i) As of September 30, 2020, $19,886,288 in cash was segregated or on deposit with the brokers to cover investments sold short and is included in “Other Assets & Liabilities, Net”.

 

 

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Purchased options contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2020 were as follows:

 

Description

   Exercise price      Expiration Date      Number of
Contracts
     Notional Value      Premium      Value  

PURCHASED PUT OPTIONS:

                 

Immunomedics, Inc.

     $85.00        October 2020        150        $1,275,450        $22,693        $22,500  

Immunomedics, Inc.

     80.00        November 2020        194        1,649,582        40,224        41,710  

Genworth Financial

     3.50        January 2021        255        109,140        28,029        26,775  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 
                 $90,946        $90,985  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 

Written options contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2020 were as follows:

 

Description

   Exercise price      Expiration Date      Number of
Contracts
    Notional Value      Premium     Value  

WRITTEN CALL OPTIONS:

               

Momenta Pharmaceuticals

     $52.50        October 2020        (12)       $62,976        $(189)       $(60)  

Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc.

     35.00        January 2021        (2)       6,890        (17)       (10)  

Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc.

     35.00        December 2020        (42)       144,690        (786)       (210)  

Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.

     20.00        January 2021        (25)       45,350        (318)       (500)  

Principia Biopharma Inc.

     100.00        February 2021        (55)       552,750        (1,043)       (275)  

Immunomedics, Inc.

     90.00        November 2020        (305)       2,593,415        (4,658)       (3,050)  

Rosetta Stone

     30.00        December 2020        (86)       257,828        (794)       (516)  

Rosetta Stone

     30.00        March 2021        (11)       32,978        (41)       (110)  
             

 

 

   

 

 

 
                $(7,846)       $(4,731)  
             

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Fund had the following swap contracts, which did not require pledged collateral, open at September 30, 2020:

Swap contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2020 were as follows:

 

Underlying
Instrument

   Fund
Pays
  Fund
Receives
   Payment
Frequency
     Counterparty      Expiration
Date
     Currency      Notional
Amount

($)
     Fair
Value
($)
     Upfront
Premiums

Paid
(Received)
($)
     Mark to
Market

($)
     Unrealized
Appreciation/

(Depreciation)
($)
 

Long Equity TRS

                          

Ahlstrom-Munksjo

   3 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
October 5,
2021
 
 
     EUR        46,133        48,681        2,565        2,548        (17)  

Citadel Group

   3 Month
AUD LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
September 17,
2021
 
 
     AUD        1,003,174        1,183,969        180,000        180,795        795  

Gunnebo AB

   3 Month
SEK LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
October 1,
2021
 
 
     SEK        1,349,946        1,404,207        54,307        54,261        (46)  

Hastings Group Holdings

   1 Month
GBP LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
August 26,
2021
 
 
     GBP        739,150        1,032,324        293,000        293,174        174  

Highland Gold Mining

   3 Month
GBP LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
August 18,
2021
 
 
     GBP        80,412        108,876        27,195        28,464        1,269  

HIQ International

   3 Month
SEK STIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
September 22,
2021
 
 
     SEK        8,168,475        8,280,458        113,712        111,983        (1,729)  

Industria Macchi

   3 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
October 2,
2021
 
 
     EUR        1,044,716        1,058,380        15,500        13,664        (1,836)  

IPL Plastics

   1 Month
CAD LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
    
Upon
Maturity
 
 
    
Goldman
Sachs
 
 
    
September 2,
2021
 
 
     CAD        1,679,447        1,852,653        168,800        173,206        4,406  

 

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Underlying
Instrument

   Fund
Pays
  Fund
Receives
   Payment
Frequency
   Counterparty    Expiration
Date
   Currency    Notional
Amount

($)
   Fair
Value
($)
   Upfront
Premiums

Paid
(Received)
($)
   Mark to
Market

($)
   Unrealized
Appreciation/

(Depreciation)
($)

Just Eat Takeaway

   1 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   September 1,
2021
   EUR    36,435    3,139,565    3,312,127    3,103,130    (208,997)

Keihin Corp

   3 Month
JPY LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   September 28,
2021
   JPY    145,369,728    145,423,099    56,000    53,371    (2,629)

Mediawan SA

   1 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   August 3,
2021
   EUR    458,445    495,815    38,327    37,370    (957)

NIBC Holding NV

   1 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   August 3,
2021
   EUR    126,050    144,306    17,139    18,256    1,117

Showa Corp

   3 Month
JPY LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   September 30,
2021
   JPY    96,178,852    96,219,387    41,900    40,535    (1,365)

Sonae Capital

   1 Month
EUR LIBOR
plus 0.50%
  Index
Return
   Upon
Maturity
   Goldman
Sachs
   August 6,
2021
   EUR    33,215    84,840    50,000    51,625    1,625
                            

 

  

 

Total Total Return

Swaps

                             4,162,382    (208,190)
                            

 

  

 

 

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited)   
As of September 30, 2020      Highland Opportunistic Credit Fund  

 

Shares

   Value ($)  
 

Common Stocks — 18.9%

 
 

COMMUNICATION SERVICES18.9%

 
  5,082     

TerreStar Corporation (a)(b)(c)(g)

     1,703,639  
     

 

 

 
 

MATERIALS0.0%

 
  6,632     

Omnimax International, Inc. (a)(b)(c)

      
     

 

 

 
  

Total Common Stocks
(Cost $3,363,414)

     1,703,639  
  

 

 

 

Principal $

    

 

 
 

U.S. Senior Loan (d) — 6.2%

 
 

COMMUNICATION SERVICES6.2%

 
  566,254     

TerreStar Corporation, Term Loan A,
11.000% PIK 02/25/22 (a)(b)

     565,688  
     

 

 

 
  

Total U.S. Senior Loan
(Cost $566,358)

     565,688  
  

 

 

 
 

Corporate Bonds & Notes — 0.0%

 
 

COMMUNICATION SERVICES0.0%

 
  411     

iHeartCommunications, Inc.
6.38%, 05/01/26

     429  
     

 

 

 
 

ENERGY0.0%

 
  2,437,000     

Ocean Rig UDW, Inc.
7.25%, 04/01/19 (a)(b)(e)(f)

      
  464     

Sable Permian Resources Land
7.38%, 11/01/21 (e)(f)

     35  
     

 

 

 
        35  
     

 

 

 
 

UTILITIES0.0%

 
  3,265,675     

Bruce Mansfield Pass-Through Trust
6.85%, 06/01/34 (e)

      
     

 

 

 
  

Total Corporate Bonds & Notes
(Cost $1,404,497)

     464  
  

 

 

 
 

Foreign Corporate Bonds & Notes — 0.0%

 
 

NETHERLANDS0.0%

 
  317,982     

Celtic Pharma Phinco BV,
17.00%, (a)(b)(e)

      
     

 

 

 
  

Total Foreign Corporate Bonds & Notes
(Cost $212,562)

      
  

 

 

 

Shares

    

 

 
 

Cash Equivalent — 74.9%

 
 

MONEY MARKET FUND (h)(i)74.9%

 
  6,761,233     

Dreyfus Treasury & Agency Cash Management, Institutional Class
0.010%

     6,761,233  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Cash Equivalent
(Cost $6,761,233)

     6,761,233  
  

 

 

 
 

Total Investments - 100.0%

     9,031,024  
  

 

 

 
 

    (Cost $12,308,064)

  
 

Other Assets & Liabilities, Net – 0.0%

     (999
  

 

 

 
 

Net Assets - 100.0%

     9,030,025  
  

 

 

 
(a)

Securities with a total aggregate value of $2,269,327, or 25.1% of net assets, were classified as Level 3 within the three-tier fair value hierarchy. Please see Notes to Investment Portfolio for an explanation of this hierarchy, as well as a list of unobservable inputs used in the valuation of these instruments.

(b)

Represents fair value as determined by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), or its designee in good faith, pursuant to the policies and procedures approved by the Board. The Board considers fair valued securities to be securities for which market quotations are not readily available and these securities may be valued using a combination of observable and unobservable inputs. Securities with a total aggregate value of $2,269,327, or 25.1% of net assets, were fair valued under the Fund’s valuation procedures as of September 30, 2020. Please see Notes to Investment Portfolio.

(c)

Non-income producing security.

(d)

Senior loans (also called bank loans, leveraged loans, or floating rate loans) in which the Fund invests generally pay interest at rates which are periodically determined by reference to a base lending rate plus a spread (unless otherwise identified, all senior loans carry a variable rate of interest). These base lending rates are generally (i) the Prime Rate offered by one or more major United States banks, (ii) the lending rate offered by one or more European banks such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or (iii) the Certificate of Deposit rate. As of September 30, 2020, the LIBOR USD 1 Month and LIBOR USD 3 Month rates were 0.149% and 0.234%, respectively. Senior loans, while exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. Senior secured floating rate loans often require prepayments from excess cash flow or permit the borrower to repay at its election. The degree to which borrowers repay, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, cannot be predicted with accuracy. As a result, the actual remaining maturity maybe substantially less than the stated maturity shown.

(e)

The issuer is, or is in danger of being, in default of its payment obligation.

(f)

Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act. These securities may only be resold in transaction exempt from registration to qualified institutional buyers. At September 30, 2020, these securities amounted to $35 or 0.0% of net assets.

(g)

Restricted Securities. These securities are not registered and may not be sold to the public. There are legal and/or contractual restrictions on resale. The Fund does not have the right to demand that such securities be registered. The values of these securities are determined by valuations provided by pricing services, brokers, dealers, market makers, or in good faith under the procedures established by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Additional Information regarding such securities follows:

 

Restricted
Security

 

Security
Type

  Acquisition
Date
    Cost of
Security
    Fair Value
at Period
End
    Percent
of Net
Assets
 
TerreStar
Corporation
  Common Stock     12/12/2014     $ 1,456,829     $ 1,703,639       18.9

 

(h)

Rate shown is 7 day effective yield.

(i)

Financial Statements for this Money Market Fund can be found on BNY’s website https://im.bnymellon.com/.

 
NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

Organization

Highland Funds I (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 28, 2006. The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company with four portfolios that were offered as of September 30, 2020, each of which is non-diversified. This report includes information for the three months ended September 30, 2020 for Highland Healthcare Opportunities Fund (the “Healthcare Opportunities Fund”), NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund (the “Merger Arbitrage Fund”) (fka Highland Merger Arbitrage Fund), and Highland Opportunistic Credit Fund (the “Opportunistic Credit Fund”) (each a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”). Highland/iBoxx Senior Loan ETF is reported separately.

On March 18, 2020 the Board approved a plan to liquidate the Opportunistic Credit Fund in an orderly manner. The liquidation plan originally set the date of liquidation to be on or about June 16, 2020; however, in the context of the current unprecedented market volatility, the Liquidation date has been extended to allow additional time for the Fund to liquidate its remaining holdings.

Valuation of Investments

The Funds’ investments are recorded at fair value. In computing the Funds’ net assets attributable to shares, securities with readily available market quotations on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (NASDAQ) or other nationally recognized exchange, use the closing quotations on the respective exchange for valuation of those securities. Securities for which there are no readily available market quotations will be valued pursuant to policies adopted by the Funds’ Board. Typically, such securities will be valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and ask prices provided by the principal market makers. If there is more than one such principal market maker, the value shall be the average of such means. Securities without a sale price or quotations from principal market makers on the valuation day may be priced by an independent pricing service. Generally, the Funds’ loan and bond positions are not traded on exchanges and consequently are valued based on a mean of the bid and ask price from the third-party pricing services or broker-dealer sources that the Investment Adviser has determined to have the capability to provide appropriate pricing services which have been approved by the Board.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which the Funds have determined that the price received from a pricing service or broker-dealer is “stale” or otherwise does not represent fair value (such as when events materially affecting the value of securities occur between the time when market price is determined and calculation of the Funds’ net asset value (“NAV”)), will be valued by the Funds at fair value, as determined by the Board or its designee in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by the Board, taking into account factors reasonably determined to be relevant, including, but not limited to: (i) the fundamental analytical data relating to the investment; (ii) the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the securities; and (iii) an evaluation of the forces that influence the market in which these securities are purchased and sold. In these cases, the Funds’ NAV will reflect the affected portfolio securities’ fair value as determined in the judgment of the Board or its designee instead of being determined by the market. Using a fair value pricing methodology to value securities may result in a value that is different from a security’s most recent sale price and from the prices used by other investment companies to calculate their NAVs. Determination of fair value is uncertain because it involves subjective judgments and estimates.

There can be no assurance that the Funds’ valuation of a security will not differ from the amount that it realizes upon the sale of such security. Those differences could have a material impact to the Funds. The NAV shown in the Funds’ financial statements may vary from the NAV published by each Fund as of its period end because portfolio securities transactions are accounted for on the trade date (rather than the day following the trade date) for financial statement purposes.

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

Fair Value Measurements

The Funds have performed an analysis of all existing investments and derivative instruments to determine the significance and character of inputs to their fair value determination. The levels of fair value inputs used to measure the Funds’ investments are characterized into a fair value hierarchy. Where inputs for an asset or liability fall into more than one level in the fair value hierarchy, the investment is classified in its entirety based on the lowest level input that is significant to that investment’s valuation. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

 

Level 1 —    Quoted unadjusted prices for identical instruments in active markets to which the Fund has access at the date of measurement;
Level 2 —    Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, but are valued based on executed trades; broker quotations that constitute an executable price; and alternative pricing sources supported by observable inputs are classified within Level 2. Level 2 inputs are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset in connection with market data at the measurement date; and
Level 3 —    Model derived valuations in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. In certain cases, investments classified within Level 3 may include securities for which the Fund has obtained indicative quotes from broker-dealers that do not necessarily represent prices the broker may be willing to trade on, as such quotes can be subject to material management judgment. Unobservable inputs are those inputs that reflect the Fund’s own assumptions that market participants would use to price the asset or liability based on the best available information.

The Investment Adviser has established policies and procedures, as described above and approved by the Board, to ensure that valuation methodologies for investments and financial instruments that are categorized within all levels of the fair value hierarchy are fair and consistent. A Pricing Committee has been established to provide oversight of the valuation policies, processes and procedures, and is comprised of personnel from the Investment Adviser and its affiliates. The Pricing Committee meets monthly to review the proposed valuations for investments and financial instruments and is responsible for evaluating the overall fairness and consistent application of established policies.

As of September 30, 2020, the Funds’ investments consisted of senior loans, bonds and notes, common stocks, cash equivalents, special purpose acquisition companies, preferred stock, exchange-traded funds, rights, warrants, securities sold short, equity swaps, and options. The fair value of the Funds’ loans, bonds and asset-backed securities are generally based on quotes received from brokers or independent pricing services. Loans, bonds and asset-backed securities with quotes that are based on actual trades with a sufficient level of activity on or near the measurement date are classified as Level 2 assets. Senior loans, bonds and asset-backed securities that are priced using quotes derived from implied values, indicative bids, or a limited number of actual trades are classified as Level 3 assets because the inputs used by the brokers and pricing services to derive the values are not readily observable.

The fair value of the Funds’ common stocks, preferred stocks, exchange-traded funds, rights, warrants and options that are not actively traded on national exchanges are generally priced using quotes derived from implied values, indicative bids, or a limited amount of actual trades and are classified as Level 3 assets because the inputs used by the brokers and pricing services to derive the values are not readily observable. Exchange-traded options are valued based on the last trade price on the primary exchange on which they trade. If an option does not trade, the mid-price, which is the mean of the bid and ask price, is utilized to value the option.

At the end of each calendar quarter, the Investment Adviser evaluates the Level 2 and 3 assets and liabilities for changes in liquidity, including but not limited to: whether a broker is willing to execute at the quoted price, the depth and consistency of prices from third party services, and the existence of contemporaneous, observable trades in the market. Additionally, the Investment Adviser evaluates the Level 1 and 2 assets and liabilities on a quarterly basis for changes in listings or delistings on national exchanges.

 

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Funds’ investments may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values the Funds may ultimately realize. Further, such investments may be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities.

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. A summary of the inputs used to value each Fund’s assets as of September 30, 2020 is as follows:

 

     Total value at
September 30,
2020
     Level 1 Quoted
Price
     Level 2 Significant
Observable Inputs
     Level 3 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
 

Highland Healthcare Opportunities Fund

 

Assets

           

Common Stocks(1)

   $ 24,680,913      $ 24,640,508      $ –        $ 40,405  

Preferred Stock (1)(2)

     –          –          –          –    

Warrants (1)(2)

     260        –          –          260  

Repurchase Agreements

     1,044,348        –          1,044,348        –    

Cash Equivalent

     435,355        435,355        –          –    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Assets

     26,160,876        25,075,863        1,044,348        40,665  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 26,160,876      $ 25,075,863      $ 1,044,348      $ 40,665  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) 

See Investment Portfolio detail for industry breakout.

(2) 

This category includes securities with a value of zero.

 

     Total value at
September 30,
2020
    Level 1 Quoted
Price
    Level 2 Significant
Observable Inputs
    Level 3 Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
 

NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund

 

Assets

        

Common Stocks (1)

   $ 34,570,947     $ 34,570,947     $ –       $ –    

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

     8,179,715       8,179,715       –         –    

Preferred Stock (1)

     114,573       –         114,573       –    

Warrants

     54,817       54,817       –         –    

Purchased Put Options

     90,985       90,985       –         –    

Rights (1)

     5,063       5,063       –         –    

Repurchase Agreements

     2,251,900       –         2,251,900       –    

Cash Equivalent

     10,659,490       10,659,490       –         –    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Assets

     55,927,490       53,561,017       2,366,473       –    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities

        

Securities Sold Short

        

Exchange-Traded Fund

   $ (27,151   $ (27,151   $ –       $ –    

Common Stocks (1)

     (13,615,959     (13,615,959     –         –    

Other Financial Instruments

        

Written Call Options

     (4,731     (4,731     –         –    

Total Return Swaps (2)

     (208,190     –         (208,190     –    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

     (13,855,771     (13,647,841     (208,190     –    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 42,071,459     $ 39,913,176     $ 2,158,283     $ –    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) 

See Investment Portfolio detail for industry breakout.

(2) 

Swaps are valued at the unrealized depreciation on the instrument.

 

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

     Total value at
September 30,
2020
     Level 1
Quoted

Price
     Level 2
Significant

Observable
Inputs
     Level 3
Significant

Unobservable
Inputs
 
Highland Opportunistic Credit Fund            

Assets

           

Common Stocks (1)(2)

   $ 1,703,639      $ –        $ –        $ 1,703,639  

U.S. Senior Loans (1)

     565,688                      565,688  

Corporate Bonds & Notes (1)(2)

     464               464         

Foreign Corporate Bond & Notes (1)(2)

     –          –          –          –    

Cash Equivalent

     6,761,233        6,761,233        –          –    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Assets

     9,031,024        6,761,233        464        2,269,327  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 9,031,024      $ 6,761,233      $ 464      $ 2,269,327  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

See Investment Portfolio detail for industry breakout.

(2)

This category includes securities with a value of zero.

Amounts designated as “—” are $0.

The tables below set forth a summary of changes in the Healthcare Opportunities Fund and the Opportunistic Credit Fund’s assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the period ended September 30, 2020. The Merger Arbitrage Fund had no Level 3 assets as of September 30, 2020.

 

     Balance as
of

June 30,
2020

$
     Transfers
Into

Level 3
$
     Transfers
Out of

Level 3
$
     Accrued
Discounts
(Premiums)
$
     Realized
Gain
(Loss)

$
    Change in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
$
    Net
Purchases

$
     Net Sales
$
    Balance as
of
September
30, 2020
$
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
Investments
held at
September 30,
2020
$
 

Highland Healthcare

                          

Opportunities Fund

                          

Common Stocks

     40,405        —          —          —          —         —         —          —         40,405        —    

Preferred Stock(1)

            —          —          —          —         —         —          —         —          —    

Warrants

     27,677        —          —          —          —         (27,417     —          —         260        (27,417
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     68,082        —          —          —          —         (27,417     —          —         40,665        (27,417
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Balance as
of

June 30,
2020

$
     Transfers
Into

Level 3
$
     Transfers
Out of

Level 3
$
     Accrued
Discounts
(Premiums)
$
     Realized
Loss
$
    Change in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
$
    Net
Purchases

$
     Net Sales
$
    Balance as
of
September
30, 2020
$
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
Investments
held at
September 30,
2020
$
 

Highland Opportunistic

                          

Credit Fund

                          

Common Stocks

     1,724,334        —          —          —          —         (20,695     —          —         1,703,639        (20,695

U.S. Senior Loans

     1,073,353        —          —          —          (422     5,922       30,640        (543,805     565,688        5,922  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     2,797,687        —          —          —          (422     (14,773     30,640        (543,805     2,269,327        (14,773
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) 

This category includes securities with a value of zero.

 

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

Investments designated as Level 3 may include assets valued using quotes or indications furnished by brokers which are based on models or estimates and may not be executable prices. In light of the developing market conditions, the Investment Adviser continues to search for observable data points and evaluate broker quotes and indications received for portfolio investments.

The following is a summary of significant unobservable inputs used in the fair valuations of assets and liabilities categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy:

 

Highland Healthcare Opportunities

          

Fund

          

Category

   Fair Value at
09/30/2020
     Valuation
Technique
     Unobservable
Inputs
   

Input Value (s)

Common Stocks

   $ 40,405        Implied Value        Cash Payment Value    

$4.46

           Probability Assessment    

20%

Preferred Stock

     —          Transaction Indication of Value        Enterprise Value ($mm)    

$0.00

Warrants

     260        Black-Scholes        Long-Term Volatility    

50%

  

 

 

         

Total

   $ 40,665          

Highland Opportunistic Credit Fund

          

Category

   Fair Value at
09/30/2020
     Valuation
Technique
     Unobservable
Inputs
   

Input Value (s)

Common Stocks

   $ 1,703,639        Multiples Analysis       
Unadjusted Price/
MHz-PoP

 
 

$0.10 - $0.95

        Discounted Cash Flow        Discount Rate    

14.5% - 16.5%

        Transaction Indication of Value        Enterprise Value ($mm)    

$771

U.S. Senior Loans

     565,688        Discounted Cash Flow        Discount Rate    

11.10%

           Spread Adjustment    

0.10%

  

 

 

         

Total

   $ 2,269,327          

The significant unobservable input used in the fair value measurement of the Healthcare Opportunities Fund’s common stock is the probability assumption. A significant increase (decrease) in this input in isolation could result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Opportunistic Credit Fund’s common equity securities are: price/MHz-PoP multiple, discount rate, and enterprise value indication. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation could result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Opportunistic Credit Fund’s bank loans securities are: spread adjustment and discount rate. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation could result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement.

In addition to the unobservable inputs utilized for various valuation methodologies, the Investment Adviser frequently uses a combination of two or more valuation methodologies to determine fair value for a single holding. In such instances, the Investment Adviser assesses the methodologies and ascribes weightings to each methodology. The weightings ascribed to any individual methodology ranged from as low as 5% to as high as 95% as of September 30, 2020. The selection of weightings is an inherently subjective process, dependent on professional judgement. These selections may have a material impact to the concluded fair value for such holdings.

 

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (continued)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

Security Transactions

Security transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Realized gains/(losses) on investments sold are recorded on the basis of the specific identification method for both financial statement and U.S. federal income tax purposes taking into account any foreign taxes withheld.

Cash & Cash Equivalents

The Funds consider liquid assets deposited with a bank and certain short-term debt instruments of sufficient credit quality with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. These investments represent amounts held with financial institutions that are readily accessible to pay Fund expenses or purchase investments. Cash and cash equivalents are valued at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates market value. The value of cash equivalents denominated in foreign currencies is determined by converting to U.S. dollars on the date of this financial report.

Securities Sold Short

The Funds may sell securities short. A security sold short is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. When the Fund sells a security short, it must borrow the security sold short from a broker-dealer and deliver it to the buyer upon conclusion of the transaction. A Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is obligated to pay over any dividends or other payments received on such borrowed securities. In some circumstances, a Fund may be allowed by its prime broker to utilize proceeds from securities sold short to purchase additional investments, resulting in leverage. Securities and cash held as collateral for securities sold short are shown on the Investment Portfolios for the respective Funds.

Derivative Transactions

The Funds are subject to equity securities risk, interest rate risk and currency risk in the normal course of pursuing their investment objectives. The Funds enter into derivative transactions for the purpose of hedging against the effects of changes in the value of portfolio securities due to anticipated changes in market conditions, to gain market exposure for residual and accumulating cash positions and for managing the duration of fixed income investments.

Futures Contracts

A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date. The Funds may invest in interest rate, financial and stock or bond index futures contracts subject to certain limitations. The Funds invest in futures contracts to manage their exposure to the stock and bond markets and fluctuations in currency values. Buying futures tends to increase a Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument while selling futures tends to decrease a Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument, or economically hedge other Fund investments. With 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 traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. A Fund’s risks in using these contracts include changes in the value of the underlying instruments, non-performance of the counterparties under the contracts’ terms and changes in the liquidity of the secondary market for the contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of trade or exchange on which they principally trade.

Upon entering into a financial futures contract, the Funds are required to pledge to the broker an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount, known as initial margin deposit. Subsequent payments, known as variation margins, are made or can be received by the Funds each day, depending on the daily fluctuation in the fair value of the underlying security. The Funds record an unrealized gain/(loss) equal to the daily variation margin. Should market conditions move unexpectedly, the Funds may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may incur a loss. The Funds recognize a realized gain/(loss) on the expiration or closing of a futures contract.

At September 30, 2020, the Funds did not invest in futures contracts.

 

NOTES TO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO (unaudited) (concluded)   
As of September 30, 2020    Highland Funds I

 

Options

The Funds may utilize options on securities or indices to varying degrees as part of their principal investment strategy. An option on a security is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the security underlying the option at a specified exercise or “strike” price. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security. The Funds may hold options, write option contracts, or both.

If an option written by a Fund expires unexercised, a Fund realizes on the expiration date a capital gain equal to the premium received by a Fund at the time the option was written. If an option purchased by a Fund expires unexercised, a Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange-traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, underlying security, exercise price and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when a Fund desires. A Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if the cost of the closing option is more than the premium received from writing the option, a capital loss. A Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing sale transaction if the premium received from the sale is more than the original premium paid when the option position was opened, or a capital loss, if the premium received from a sale is less than the original premium paid.

Swap Contracts

The Funds may use swaps as part of its investment strategy or to manage its exposure to interest, commodity, and currency rates as well as adverse movements in the debt and equity markets. Swap agreements are privately negotiated in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market or may be executed in a multilateral or other trade facility platform, such as a registered exchange (“centrally cleared swaps”).

Total return swaps are agreements to exchange the return generated by one instrument for the return generated by another instrument; for example, the agreement to pay interest in exchange for a market or commodity-linked return based on a notional amount. To the extent the total return of the market or commodity-linked index exceeds the offsetting interest obligation, the Fund will receive a payment from the counterparty. To the extent it is less, the Fund will make a payment to the counterparty. As of September 30, 2020, the Merger Arbitrage Fund was a party to open swap contracts having a net fair value of $260,476,560.

As of period ended September 30, 2020, the Healthcare Opportunities Fund and Opportunistic Credit Fund did not invest in swap contracts.

Affiliated Issuers

Under Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, a portfolio company is defined as “affiliated” if a fund owns five percent or more of its outstanding voting securities or if the portfolio company is under common control.

The Funds did not have any affiliated issuers as of September 30, 2020.

For more information with regard to significant accounting policies, see the most recent annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.