UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
January 24, 2024 (
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area
code (
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Term Preferred Shares (Liquidation Preference $25.00) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 7.01. | Regulation FD Disclosure |
Amendment of Declaration of Trust and Name Change
At a special meeting of shareholders held on December 19, 2023, and adjourned to January 24, 2024 (the “Special Meeting”), shareholders of XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust (the “Trust”) approved an amendment (the “Term Amendment”) to the Trust’s Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) to cause the Trust to become a perpetual fund by eliminating the requirement that it terminate operations on or about December 31, 2029. Shareholders will still own the same Shares of the Trust, and the net asset value of an investment in the Trust will not change as a result of the Term Amendment. Further, the Term Amendment will not result in any change in the Trust’s investment objectives or principal investment strategies and the Trust’s current portfolio management team will continue to manage the Trust’s portfolio.
In connection with the Term Amendment, the Trust’s name will change to “XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust.”
The Term Amendment and an amendment to the Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Trust (the “By-Laws”) reflecting the changes will be effective February 1, 2024. The Term Amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1, and the Amendment to the By-Laws is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.2.
On January 24, 2024, the Fund issued a press release in connection with the adoption of the amendment, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
New Sub-Advisory Agreement
Also at the Special Meeting, shareholders approved a new investment sub-advisory agreement (the “New Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, XA Investments LLC and Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”).
The New Sub-Advisory Agreement will be entered into upon the closing of the acquisition of Octagon’s parent company, Conning Holdings Limited, by Generali Investment Holdings, an entity comprising the majority of asset management activities of Generali Group (“Generali”). Founded in 1831, Generali is Italy’s largest insurance and asset management group, and among the largest financial services complexes worldwide with managed assets in excess of €500 billion.
The Trust’s current investment adviser, its investment strategy and fee structure will remain unchanged. Under the New Sub-Advisory Agreement, Octagon will continue to provide investment advisory services to the Trust under terms that are substantially similar in all respects to those of the existing investment sub-advisory agreement and for the same fees that are currently in effect.
* * *
The information disclosed under this Item 7.01, including Exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 99.1 hereto, shall be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
1
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) | Exhibits |
3.1 | Amendment to the Declaration of Trust | |
3.2 | Amendment to the By-Laws | |
99.1 | Press Release, dated January 24, 2024 |
2
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
XAI OCTAGON FLOATING RATE & ALTERNATIVE INCOME TERM TRUST | ||
Date: January 24, 2024 | By: |
/s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch |
Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | |
Title: | Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
3
Exhibit 3.1
SECOND AMENDMENT
TO THE
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Term Trust
This Second Amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated July 13, 2017, as amended through the date hereof (as so amended, the “Declaration of Trust”), of XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Term Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), is made in accordance with Section 11.3 of the Declaration of Trust;
WHEREAS, the Amendment has been approved by at least eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees;
WHEREAS, the Amendment has been approved by a Majority Shareholder Vote (as defined in the Declaration of Trust) at a special meeting of shareholders held on December 19, 2023, and adjourned to January 24, 2024;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Declaration of Trust is amended as follows:
1. | Section 1.1 is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: |
1.1 | Name. This Trust shall be known as the “XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name or names as they may from time to time determine. |
2. | Section 11.1 is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: |
11.1 | Duration. Subject to possible termination in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.2(a) hereof, the Trust shall have perpetual existence. |
3. | Paragraph (a) of Section 11.2 is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: |
(a) | The Trust may be dissolved only after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, followed by approval by not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each class or series outstanding and entitled to vote, voting as separate classes or series, unless such resolution has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be required. |
4. | Paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 11.3 are amended and restated in their entirety to read as follows: |
(a) | Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 11.3, this Declaration may be amended, after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the affected Shares. The Trustees also may amend this Declaration without any vote of Shareholders of any class or series (i) to divide the Shares of the Trust into one or more classes or additional classes, or one or more series of any such class or classes, (ii) to determine the rights, powers, preferences, limitations and restrictions of any class or series of Shares, (iii) to change the name of the Trust or any class or series of Shares, (iv) to make any change that does not adversely affect the relative rights or preferences of any Shareholder, as they may deem necessary, (iv) to conform this Declaration to the requirements of the 1940 Act or any other applicable federal laws or regulations including pursuant to Section 6.2 or the requirements of the regulated investment company provisions of the Code, or (v) to cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any conflicting provisions of the Declaration; but in each such case the Trustees shall not be liable for failing to do so. |
(b) | No amendment may be made to Section 2.1, Section 2.2, Section 2.3, Section 3.9, Section 5.1, Section 5.2, Section 11.1, Section 11.2(a), this Section 11.3, Section 11.4, Section 11.6 or Section 11.7 of this Declaration and no amendment may be made to this Declaration which would change any rights with respect to any Shares of the Trust by reducing the amount payable thereon upon liquidation of the Trust or by diminishing or eliminating any voting rights pertaining thereto (except that this provision shall not limit the ability of the Trustees to authorize, and to cause the Trust to issue, other securities pursuant to Section 6.2), except after a majority of the Trustees have approved a resolution therefor, followed by approval by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Shares of each affected class or series outstanding, voting as separate classes or series, or unless such amendment has been approved by eighty percent (80%) of the Trustees, in which case approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be required. Nothing contained in this Declaration shall permit the amendment of this Declaration to impair the exemption from personal liability of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust or to permit assessments upon Shareholders. |
5. | This Amendment shall be effective as of February 1, 2024. |
[Signature Page Follows]
2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, constituting at least a majority of the Trustees of the Trust has executed this Certificate of Amendment, to be effective as of the 1st day of February, 2024. This Certificate of Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts or authorized by electronic transmission, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute the same instrument.
/s/ Thoedore J. Brombach | |
Theodore J. Brombach | |
Trustee | |
/s/ Danielle Cupps | |
Danielle Cupps | |
Trustee | |
/s/ Gregory G. Dingens | |
Gregory G. Dingens | |
Trustee | |
/s/ Philip G. Franklin | |
Philip G. Franklin | |
Trustee | |
/s/ Scott Craven Jones | |
Scott Craven Jones | |
Trustee | |
/s/ William Meyers | |
William Meyers | |
Trustee |
3
Exhibit 3.2
SECOND AMENDMENT
TO THE
AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS
OF
XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust
This Second Amendment, effective as of February 1, 2024, to the Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”), dated as of July 13, 2017, as amended as of August 31, 2017, is made and adopted pursuant to Section 3.9 of the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust (the “Trust”), dated as of July 13, 2017, as amended as of August 31, 2017 and February 1, 2024, and as from time to time amended.
The By-Laws are hereby amended to reflect that the name of the Trust shall be XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust.
Exhibit 99.1
XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust Announces Shareholder Approval of Important Proposals
Approved proposals make the trust perpetual and will have a new sub-advisory agreement with Octagon Credit Investors.
CHICAGO, January 24, 2024 – XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust (the “Trust”) (NYSE: XFLT) announced that its shareholders have approved two important proposals at the reconvened special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) held today.
At the Special Meeting, shareholders approved the following:
● | An amendment to the Trust’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the “Term Amendment”) to eliminate the Trust’s termination date of December 31, 2029 and make the Trust perpetual. |
● | A new sub-advisory agreement among Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”), the Trust and XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) (the “New Octagon Agreement”), to provide for continued portfolio management by Octagon upon the closing of the acquisition of Octagon’s parent company, Conning Holdings Limited (together with Conning & Company, “Conning”), by Generali Investment Holdings, an entity comprising the majority of asset management activities of Generali Group (“Generali”). |
The Term Amendment
The Term Amendment, which is the first of its kind for a listed term trust closed-end fund, removes the Trust’s previous termination date and makes it a perpetual closed-end fund. The Term Amendment will be effective as of February 1, 2024. In connection with the Term Amendment, the Trust will change its name from XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Term Trust to XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Trust. The Trust will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the new name effective before the market opens on February 1, 2024 and will continue to trade under ticker symbol XFLT. There are no changes to the Trust’s investment policies or strategies in conjunction with the Term Amendment or the name change.
The Trust’s Board believes the Term Amendment will provide multiple benefits to shareholders, including:
● | Ability to maintain a fully invested portfolio. The Term Amendment will allow the Trust to continue operating just as it has since inception, with no need to wind down investments or reduce its leverage levels, since the Trust will no longer have a termination date. |
● | Remain invested in the Trust. Those shareholders who wish to remain invested in the Trust can maintain their investment and will not need to seek a replacement investment due to termination, since the Trust is now a perpetual investment fund. |
● | Benefit from potential growth and scale efficiencies. As a perpetual investment fund, the Trust can continue to seek growth and scale opportunities, just as it always has done via an accretive at-the-market offering and strategic primary issuances. |
Greg Dingens, Chair of the Trust’s Board and an Independent Trustee noted, “We’re very pleased that shareholders voted in favor to approve both proposals. We believe the vote in favor of the proposals is a signal of shareholders’ support for the Trust. These approvals will propel the Trust’s further growth of its common share base over time as a perpetual fund.”
The New Octagon Agreement
The shareholders’ approval of the New Octagon Agreement allows Octagon to remain the Trust’s sub-adviser upon the closing of Generali’s acquisition of Octagon’s parent company, Conning. Generali is one of the largest global insurance and asset management providers, operating in over 50 countries with over 80,000 employees. The New Octagon Agreement will be entered into upon the closing of the transaction, which is anticipated to occur during the first half of 2024, and will not result in any change in the portfolio management of the Trust or in the Trust’s investment objectives or policies.
Gretchen Lam, Chief Executive Officer of Octagon and a member of the firm’s Investment Committee remarked, “We are thankful for the shareholders and their continued faith in Octagon’s management of the Trust’s portfolio. We’re excited for the next phase of Octagon’s growth and are pleased to continue serving XFLT shareholders in the years to come.”
* * *
2
About XA Investments
XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) serves as the Trust’s investment adviser. XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in April, 2016. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including development and market research, sales, marketing, fund management and administration. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.
About XMS Capital Partners
XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com.
About Octagon Credit Investors
Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”) serves as the Trust’s investment sub-adviser. Octagon is a 29 year-old, $35B below-investment grade corporate credit investment adviser focused on leveraged loan, high yield bond and structured credit (CLO debt and equity) investments. Through fundamental credit analysis and active portfolio management, Octagon’s investment team identifies attractive relative value opportunities across below-investment grade asset classes, sectors, and issuers. Octagon’s investment philosophy and methodology encourage and rely upon dynamic internal communication to manage portfolio risk. Over its history, the firm has applied a disciplined, repeatable, and scalable approach in its effort to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors. For more information, please visit www.octagoncredit.com.
* * *
3
XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax.
Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Trust carefully before investing. For more information on the Trust, please visit the Trust’s webpage at www.xainvestments.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.
This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “may,” “will,” “intend,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “anticipate,” and similar terms and the negatives of such terms. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Many factors that could materially affect the Trust’s actual results are the performance of the portfolio of securities held by the Trust, the conditions in the U.S. and international financial and other markets, the price at which the Trust’s shares trade in the public markets and other factors discussed in the Trust’s annual and semi-annual reports filed with the SEC.
Although the Trust believes that the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. The Trust’s future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. Except for the Trust’s ongoing obligations under the federal securities laws, the Trust does not intend, and the Trust undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement.
NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE |
Foreside Fund Services, LLC - Distributor
* * *
4
Media Contact:
Kimberly Flynn, Managing Director
XA Investments LLC
Phone: 888-903-3358
Email: KFlynn@XAInvestments.com
www.xainvestments.com
5
UUU^N0?/MJ
M#;%):F1R;\!/^ONWDBS)[F^4?DS7 (8]1V&<#IRU,
32(>R62R /DP"99F')KP7KXK31
MKE5)JUUNUUJK =FJ52Z:C7:CUB+ETRJI758.RZ<'-5(Y.SEIM%J-L],'\7@U
M,G^CUD#5^[8![U=3E121I7RN\%+8\\ \?(2 RI4&"9&O9GY/LHC%#^+69EL]&C+GC6XQ
M:;1]31,6 J8QF(2:UE/'_I&LXBQG\EYW->*T=&. WG77WVI;'PNLXB"@Z>,0
M'"WJ0:B*\L31:9IN*1/%#6AD]3YIH:FTD=EKHF*$8LQD T"BTJQ)Z(^/<&
MLYRPY+D3"D/IF@O JHZ&)@N*#KLW$)!*[I>1&<-I%HL.K!,24^K\<@,P:UQZ
M:+J@. ',P9B%N%WO!PVK8"DE#&1XJ-GM=P!0QB ?Y
MN+ N<14_:%B7DFG[G?W:;+-5_<1