| * |
For the complex-level fees, managed assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to certain types of leverage. For these purposes, leverage includes the funds’ use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining managed assets in certain circumstances. The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily managed assets of all Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds that constitute “eligible assets.” Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen fund complex in connection with the Adviser’s assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011, but do not include certain assets of certain Nuveen funds that were reorganized into funds advised by an affiliate of the Adviser during the 2019 calendar year. |
Effective May 1, 2024, the annual complex-level fee, payable monthly, for each Fund is calculated according to the following schedule:
|
|
|
|
|
Complex-Level Asset Breakpoint Level* |
|
|
|
|
|
For the first $124.3 billion |
|
|
0.1600 |
% |
|
|
For the next $75.7 billion |
|
|
0.1350 |
|
|
|
For the next $200 billion |
|
|
0.1325 |
|
|
|
For eligible assets over $400 billion |
|
|
0.1300 |
|
| * |
The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen-branded closed-end funds and Nuveen branded open-end funds (“Nuveen Mutual Funds”). Except as described below, eligible assets include the assets of all Nuveen-branded closed-end funds and Nuveen Mutual Funds organized in the United States. Eligible assets do not include the net assets of: Nuveen fund-of-funds, Nuveen money market funds, Nuveen index funds, Nuveen Large Cap Responsible Equity Fund or Nuveen Life Large Cap Responsible Equity Fund. In addition, eligible assets include a fixed percentage of the aggregate net assets of the active equity and fixed income Nuveen Mutual Funds advised by the Adviser’s affiliate, Teachers Advisors, LLC (except those identified above). The fixed percentage will increase annually until May 1, 2033, at which time eligible assets will include all of the aggregate net assets of the active equity and fixed income Nuveen Mutual Funds advised by Teachers Advisors, LLC (except those identified above). Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the closed-end funds’ use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. |
As of October 31, 2024, the annual complex-level fee for each Fund was as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.1572% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.1572% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.1572% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.1572% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.1572% |
|
Other Transactions with Affiliates:
Each Fund is permitted to purchase or sell securities from or to certain other funds or accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser or by an affiliate of the Adviser (each an, “Affiliated Entity”) under specified conditions outlined in procedures adopted by the Board (“cross-trade”). These procedures have been designed to ensure that any cross-trade of securities by the Fund from or to an Affiliated Entity by virtue of having a common investment adviser (or affiliated investment adviser), common officer and/or common trustee complies with Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act. These transactions are effected at the current market price (as provided by an independent pricing service) without incurring broker commissions.
During the current fiscal period, the Funds engaged in cross-trades pursuant to these procedures as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,305,607 |
|
|
|
23,420,869 |
|
|
|
(3,543,701) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,591,017 |
|
|
|
12,287,187 |
|
|
|
98,746 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
Commitments and Contingencies |
In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into a variety of agreements that may expose the Fund to some risk of loss. These could include recourse arrangements for certain TOB Trusts and certain agreements related to preferred shares, which are described elsewhere in these Notes to Financial Statements. The risk of future loss arising from such agreements, while not quantifiable, is expected to be remote. As of the end of the reporting period, the Funds did not have any unfunded commitments other then those disclosed in the Notes to Financial Statements, when applicable.
From time to time, the Funds may be party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of the Funds’ rights under contracts. As of the end of the reporting period, management has determined that any legal proceeding(s) the Funds are subject to, including those described within this report, are unlikely to have a material impact to any of the Funds’ financial statements.
10. Borrowing Arrangements
Committed Line of Credit:
The Funds, along with certain funds managed by the Advisor and by an affiliate of the Adviser (“Participating Funds”), have established a 364-day, $2.700 billion standby credit facility with a group of lenders, under which the Participating Funds may borrow for temporary purposes (other than on-going leveraging for investment purposes). Each Participating Fund is allocated a designated proportion of the facility’s capacity (and its associated costs, as described below) based upon a multi-factor assessment of the likelihood and frequency of its need to draw on the facility, the size of the Fund and its anticipated draws, and the potential importance of such draws to the operations and well-being of the Fund, relative to those of the other Funds. A Fund may effect draws on the facility in excess of its designated capacity if and to the extent that other Participating Funds have undrawn capacity. The credit facility expires in June 2025 unless extended or renewed.
The credit facility has the following terms: 0.15% per annum on unused commitment amounts and a drawn interest rate equal to the higher of (a) OBFR (Overnight Bank Funding Rate) plus 1.20% per annum or (b) the Fed Funds Effective Rate plus 1.20% per annum on amounts borrowed. Interest expense incurred by the Participating Funds, when applicable, is recognized as a component of “Interest expense and amortization of offering costs” on the Statement of Operations. Participating Funds paid administration, legal and arrangement fees, which are recognized as a component of “Interest expense and amortization of offering costs” on the Statement of Operations, and along with commitment fees, have been allocated among such Participating Funds based upon the relative proportions of the facility’s aggregate capacity reserved for them and other factors deemed relevant by the Adviser and the Board of each Participating Fund.
During the current fiscal period, the following Funds utilized this facility. Each Fund’s maximum outstanding balance during the utilization period was as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
7,038,978 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
53,200,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
42,700,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
27,700,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,800,000 |
|
During the Funds’ utilization period(s) during the current fiscal period, the average daily balance outstanding and average annual interest rate on Borrowings were as follows:
Notes to Financial Statements
(continued)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utilization
Period (Days
Outstanding) |
|
|
Average
Daily Balance
Outstanding |
|
|
Average Annual
Interest Rate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
6,448,951 |
|
|
|
6.41% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
86 |
|
|
|
16,553,301 |
|
|
|
6.46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
16,580,196 |
|
|
|
6.51 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
61 |
|
|
|
9,478,740 |
|
|
|
6.37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
8,800,000 |
|
|
|
6.53 |
|
Borrowings outstanding as of the end of the reporting period, if any, are recognized as “Borrowings” on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, where applicable.
11. Inter-Fund Borrowing and Lending
Inter-Fund Borrowing and Lending:
The SEC has granted an exemptive order permitting registered open-end and closed-end Nuveen funds to participate in an inter-fund lending facility whereby the Nuveen funds may directly lend to and borrow money from each other for temporary purposes (e.g., to satisfy redemption requests or when a sale of securities “fails,” resulting in an unanticipated cash shortfall) (the “Inter-Fund Program”). The closed-end Nuveen funds, including the Funds covered by this shareholder report, will participate only as lenders, and not as borrowers, in the Inter-Fund Program because such closed-end funds rarely, if ever, need to borrow cash to meet redemptions. The Inter-Fund Program is subject to a number of conditions, including, among other things, the requirements that (1) no fund may borrow or lend money through the Inter-Fund Program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than is typically available from a bank or other financial institution for a comparable transaction; (2) no fund may borrow on an unsecured basis through the Inter-Fund Program unless the fund’s outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the inter-fund borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets; provided that if the borrowing fund has a secured borrowing outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another fund, the inter-fund loan must be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value; (3) if a fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an inter-fund borrowing would be greater than 10% of its total assets, the fund may borrow through the inter-fund loan on a secured basis only; (4) no fund may lend money if the loan would cause its aggregate outstanding loans through the Inter-Fund Program to exceed 15% of its net assets at the time of the loan; (5) a fund’s inter-fund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending fund’s net assets; (6) the duration of inter-fund loans will be limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event more than seven days; and (7) each inter-fund loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a lending fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing fund. In addition, a Nuveen fund may participate in the Inter-Fund Program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the fund’s investment objective and investment policies. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Inter-Fund Program.
The limitations detailed above and the other conditions of the SEC exemptive order permitting the Inter-Fund Program are designed to minimize the risks associated with Inter-Fund Program for both the lending fund and the borrowing fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. When a fund borrows money from another fund, there is a risk that the loan could be called on one day’s notice or not renewed, in which case the fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher rate or take other actions to payoff such loan if an inter-fund loan is not available from another fund. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.
During the current reporting period, none of the Funds covered by this shareholder report have entered into any inter-fund loan activity.
CURRENT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRINCIPAL RISKS OF THE FUNDS
NUVEEN AMT-FREE MUNICIPAL CREDIT INCOME FUND (NVG)
The Fund’s investment objectives are to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax and federal alternative minimum tax applicable to individuals, and to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the Fund’s investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued.
As a fundamental investment policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined below) in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal income taxes.
As a non-fundamental investment policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest 100% of its Managed Assets (as defined below) and at least 80% of its Assets in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is also exempt from the federal alternative minimum tax applicable to individuals at the time of purchase.
“Assets” mean the net assets of the Fund plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. “Managed Assets” mean the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage). Total assets for this purpose shall include assets attributable to the Fund’s use of leverage (whether or not those assets are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles), and derivatives will be valued at their market value.
Under normal circumstances:
| |
· |
|
The Fund may invest up to 55% of its Managed Assets in securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below the three highest grades (Baa or BBB or lower) by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its Managed Assets in inverse floating rate securities. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund may not enter into a futures contract or related options or forward contracts if more than 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets would be represented by futures contracts or more than 5% of the Fund’s Managed Assets would be committed to initial margin deposits and premiums on futures contracts or related options. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund will generally maintain an investment portfolio with an overall weighted average maturity of greater than 10 years. |
The foregoing policies apply only at the time of any new investment.
Approving Changes in Investment Policies
The Board of Trustees of the Fund may change the policies described above without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Assets in municipal securities and other related investments that pay interest exempt from both regular federal income tax and the federal alternative minimum tax applicable to individuals at the time of purchase, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common shares and preferred shares voting together as a single class, and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares, voting separately as a single class. A “majority of the outstanding” shares means (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.
The Fund generally invests in municipal securities. Municipal securities include municipal bonds, notes, securities issued to finance and refinance public projects, certificates of participation, variable rate demand obligations, lease obligations, municipal notes, pre-refunded municipal bonds, private activity bonds, securities issued by tender option bond trusts (“TOB Trusts”), including inverse floating rate securities, and other forms of municipal bonds and securities, and other related instruments that create exposure to municipal bonds, notes and securities that provide for the payment of interest income that is exempt from regular United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax.
Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued by states, cities and local authorities and certain possessions and territories of the U.S. (such as Puerto Rico and Guam) to finance or refinance public purpose projects such as roads, schools, and water supply systems.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities that represent lease obligations and certificates of participation in such leases. A municipal lease is an obligation in the form of a lease or installment purchase that is issued by a state or local government to acquire equipment and facilities. Income from such obligations generally is exempt from state and local taxes in the state of issuance. A certificate of participation represents an undivided interest in an unmanaged pool of municipal leases, an installment purchase agreement or other instruments. The certificates typically are issued by a municipal agency, a trust or other entity that has received an assignment of the payments to be made by the state or political subdivision under
such leases or installment purchase agreements. Such certificates provide the Fund with the right to a pro rata undivided interest in the underlying municipal securities. In addition, such participations generally provide the Fund with the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days’ notice, of all or any part of the Fund’s participation interest in the underlying municipal securities, plus accrued interest.
The Fund may invest in municipal notes. Municipal securities in the form of notes generally are used to provide for short-term capital needs, in anticipation of an issuer’s receipt of other revenues or financing, and typically have maturities of up to three years. Such instruments may include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes and construction loan notes. Tax anticipation notes are issued to finance the working capital needs of governments. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various tax revenues, such as income, sales, property, use and business taxes, and are payable from these specific future taxes. Revenue anticipation notes are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues available under federal revenue sharing programs. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide interim financing until long-term bond financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the funds needed for repayment of the bond anticipation notes. Tax and revenue anticipation notes combine the funding sources of both tax anticipation notes and revenue anticipation notes. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing. Mortgage notes insured by the Federal Housing Authority secure these notes; however, the proceeds from the insurance may be less than the economic equivalent of the payment of principal and interest on the mortgage note if there has been a default. The anticipated revenues from taxes, grants or bond financing generally secure the obligations of an issuer of municipal notes.
The Fund may invest in “tobacco settlement bonds.” Tobacco settlement bonds are municipal securities that are secured or payable solely from the collateralization of the proceeds from class action or other litigation against the tobacco industry.
The Fund may invest in pre-refunded municipal securities. The principal of and interest on pre-refunded municipal securities are no longer paid from the original revenue source for the securities. Instead, the source of such payments is typically an escrow fund consisting of U.S. government securities. The assets in the escrow fund are derived from the proceeds of refunding bonds issued by the same issuer as the pre-refunded municipal securities. Issuers of municipal securities use this advance refunding technique to obtain more favorable terms with respect to securities that are not yet subject to call or redemption by the issuer. For example, advance refunding enables an issuer to refinance debt at lower market interest rates, restructure debt to improve cash flow or eliminate restrictive covenants in the indenture or other governing instrument for the pre-refunded municipal securities. However, except for a change in the revenue source from which principal and interest payments are made, the pre-refunded municipal securities remain outstanding on their original terms until they mature or are redeemed by the issuer.
The Fund may invest in private activity bonds. Private activity bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide privately operated housing facilities, airport, mass transit or port facilities, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas or electricity. Other types of private activity bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute municipal securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued by special taxing districts. Special taxing districts are organized to plan and finance infrastructure developments to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bond financing methods such as tax increment finance, tax assessment, special services district and Mello-Roos bonds, are generally payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities.
The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by a TOB trust, the interest rate on which varies inversely with the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association short-term rate, which resets weekly, or a similar short-term rate, and is reduced by the expenses related to the TOB trust. Typically, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust (sometimes called a TOB trust) formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal bonds. Inverse floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value at a greater rate than the underlying interest rate on the municipal bond held by the TOB trust, which effectively leverages the Fund’s investment.
The Fund may invest in floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts. Floating rate securities may take the form of short-term floating rate securities or the option period may be substantially longer. Generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal securities with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option, which may vary from weekly, to monthly, to extended periods of one year or multiple years. Since the option feature has a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying bond deposited in the trust, the Fund as the holder of the floating rate security relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the option as well as the credit strength of that institution. As further assurance of liquidity, the terms of the trust provide for a liquidation of the municipal security deposited in the trust and the application of the proceeds to pay off the floating rate security. The trusts that are organized to issue both short-term floating rate securities and inverse floaters generally include liquidation triggers to protect the investor in the floating rate security.
The Fund may invest in zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that typically does not pay interest for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation.
The Fund may buy and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date.
The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable), including, but not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may be resold only pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days.
The Fund may enter into certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objectives, including to seek to enhance return, to hedge certain risks of its investments in municipal securities or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. Such instruments include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and municipal market data rate locks (“MMD Rate Locks”)), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts or other derivative instruments.
The Fund may purchase and sell MMD Rate Locks. An MMD Rate Lock permits the Fund to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. By using an MMD Rate Lock, the Fund can create a synthetic long or short position, allowing the Fund to select what the manager believes is an attractive part of the yield curve. The Fund will ordinarily use these transactions as a hedge or for duration or risk management although it is permitted to enter into them to enhance income or gain or to increase the Fund’s yield, for example, during periods of steep interest rate yield curves (i.e., wide differences between short term and long term interest rates).
The Fund may also invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the rules and regulations issued thereunder and applicable exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
The Fund may invest in distressed securities but may not invest in the securities of an issuer which, at the time of investment, is in default on its obligations to pay principal or interest thereon when due or that is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding (i.e., rated below C-, at the time of investment); provided, however, that the Fund’s sub-adviser may determine that it is in the best interest of shareholders in pursuing a workout arrangement with issuers of defaulted securities to make loans to the defaulted issuer or another party, or purchase a debt, equity or other interest from the defaulted issuer or another party, or take other related or similar steps involving the investment of additional monies, but only if that issuer’s securities are already held by the Fund.
The Fund uses leverage to pursue its investment objectives. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund may source leverage through a number of methods including the issuance of preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”), entering into reverse repurchase agreements (effectively a secured borrowing) and borrowings (for defensive purposes only). In addition, the Fund may also use certain derivatives that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. The amount and sources of leverage will vary depending on market conditions.
Temporary Defensive Periods
During temporary defensive periods (e.g., times when, in the Fund’s investment adviser’s and/or the Fund’s sub-adviser’s opinion, temporary imbalances of supply and demand or other temporary dislocations in the tax-exempt bond market adversely affect the price at which long-term or intermediate-term municipal securities are available), and in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, the Fund may invest any percentage of its Managed Assets in short-term investments including high quality, short-term debt securities that may be either tax-exempt or taxable. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives during such periods.
NUVEEN MUNICIPAL CREDIT INCOME FUND (NZF)
The Fund’s investment objectives are to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax and to enhance portfolio value relative to the municipal bond market by investing in tax-exempt municipal bonds that the Fund’s investment adviser believes are underrated or undervalued or that represent municipal market sectors that are undervalued.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined below) in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal income taxes.
As a non-fundamental investment policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund may invest up to 55% of its Managed Assets (as defined below) in securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below the three highest grades (Baa or BBB or lower) by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser.
“Assets” mean the net assets of the Fund plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. “Managed Assets” mean the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage). Total assets for this purpose shall include assets attributable to the Fund’s use of leverage (whether or not those assets are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles), and derivatives will be valued at their market value.
Under normal circumstances:
| |
· |
|
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that pay interest that is taxable under the federal alternative minimum tax. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its Managed Assets in inverse floating rate securities. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund may not enter into a futures contract or related options or forward contracts if more than 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets would be represented by futures contracts or more than 5% of the Fund’s Managed Assets would be committed to initial margin deposits and premiums on futures contracts or related options. |
| |
· |
|
The Fund will generally maintain an investment portfolio with an overall weighted average maturity of greater than 10 years. |
The foregoing policies apply only at the time of any new investment.
Approving Changes in Investment Policies
The Board of Trustees of the Fund may change the policies described above without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Assets in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal income taxes, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common shares and preferred shares voting together as a single class, and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares, voting separately as a single class. A “majority of the outstanding” shares means (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.
The Fund generally invests in municipal securities. Municipal securities include municipal bonds, notes, securities issued to finance and refinance public projects, certificates of participation, variable rate demand obligations, lease obligations, municipal notes, pre-refunded municipal bonds, private activity bonds, securities issued by tender option bond trusts (“TOB Trusts”), including inverse floating rate securities, and other forms of municipal bonds and securities, and other related instruments that create exposure to municipal bonds, notes and securities that provide for the payment of interest income that is exempt from regular United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax.
Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued by states, cities and local authorities and certain possessions and territories of the U.S. (such as Puerto Rico and Guam) to finance or refinance public purpose projects such as roads, schools, and water supply systems.
The Fund may also invest in municipal securities that pay interest that is taxable under the federal alternative minimum tax applicable to noncorporate taxpayers (“AMT Bonds”). AMT Bonds may trigger adverse tax consequences for Fund shareholders who are subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities that represent lease obligations and certificates of participation in such leases. A municipal lease is an obligation in the form of a lease or installment purchase that is issued by a state or local government to acquire equipment and facilities. Income from such obligations generally is exempt from state and local taxes in the state of issuance. A certificate of participation represents an undivided interest in an unmanaged pool of municipal leases, an installment purchase agreement or other instruments. The certificates typically are issued by a municipal agency, a trust or other entity that has received an assignment of the payments to be made by the state or political subdivision under such leases or installment purchase agreements. Such certificates provide the Fund with the right to a pro rata undivided interest in the underlying municipal securities. In addition, such participations generally provide the Fund with the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days’ notice, of all or any part of the Fund’s participation interest in the underlying municipal securities, plus accrued interest.
The Fund may invest in municipal notes. Municipal securities in the form of notes generally are used to provide for short-term capital needs, in anticipation of an issuer’s receipt of other revenues or financing, and typically have maturities of up to three years. Such instruments may include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes and construction loan notes. Tax anticipation notes are issued to finance the working capital needs of governments. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various tax revenues, such as income, sales, property, use and business taxes, and are payable from these specific future taxes. Revenue anticipation notes are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues available under federal revenue sharing programs. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide interim financing until long-term bond financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the funds needed for repayment of the bond anticipation notes. Tax and revenue anticipation notes combine the funding sources of both tax anticipation notes and revenue anticipation notes. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing. Mortgage notes insured by the Federal Housing Authority secure these notes; however, the proceeds from the insurance may be less than the economic equivalent of the payment of principal and interest on the mortgage note if there has been a default. The anticipated revenues from taxes, grants or bond financing generally secure the obligations of an issuer of municipal notes.
The Fund may invest in “tobacco settlement bonds.” Tobacco settlement bonds are municipal securities that are secured or payable solely from the collateralization of the proceeds from class action or other litigation against the tobacco industry.
The Fund may invest in pre-refunded municipal securities. The principal of and interest on pre-refunded municipal securities are no longer paid from the original revenue source for the securities. Instead, the source of such payments is typically an escrow fund consisting of U.S. government securities. The assets in the escrow fund are derived from the proceeds of refunding bonds issued by the same issuer as the pre-refunded municipal securities. Issuers of municipal securities use this advance refunding technique to obtain more favorable terms with respect to securities that are not yet subject to call or redemption by the issuer. For example, advance refunding enables an issuer to refinance debt at lower market interest rates, restructure debt to improve cash flow or eliminate restrictive covenants in the indenture or other governing instrument for the pre-refunded municipal securities. However, except for a change in the revenue source from which principal and interest payments are made, the pre-refunded municipal securities remain outstanding on their original terms until they mature or are redeemed by the issuer.
The Fund may invest in private activity bonds. Private activity bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide privately operated housing facilities, airport, mass transit or port facilities, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas or electricity. Other types of private activity bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute municipal securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities issued by special taxing districts. Special taxing districts are organized to plan and finance infrastructure developments to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bond financing methods such as tax increment finance, tax assessment, special services district and Mello-Roos bonds, are generally payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities.
The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate securities issued by a TOB trust, the interest rate on which varies inversely with the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association short-term rate, which resets weekly, or a similar short-term rate, and is reduced by the expenses related to the TOB trust. Typically, inverse floating rate securities represent beneficial interests in a special purpose trust (sometimes called a TOB trust) formed by a third party sponsor for the purpose of holding municipal bonds. Inverse floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value at a greater rate than the underlying interest rate on the municipal bond held by the TOB trust, which effectively leverages the Fund’s investment.
The Fund may invest in floating rate securities issued by special purpose trusts. Floating rate securities may take the form of short-term floating rate securities or the option period may be substantially longer. Generally, the interest rate earned will be based upon the market rates for municipal securities with maturities or remarketing provisions that are comparable in duration to the periodic interval of the tender option, which may vary from weekly, to monthly, to extended periods of one year or multiple years. Since the option feature has a shorter term than the final maturity or first call date of the underlying bond deposited in the trust, the Fund as the holder of the floating rate security relies upon the terms of the agreement with the financial institution furnishing the option as well as the credit strength of that institution. As further assurance of liquidity, the terms of the trust provide for a liquidation of the municipal security deposited in the trust and the application of the proceeds to pay off the floating rate security. The trusts that are organized to issue both short-term floating rate securities and inverse floaters generally include liquidation triggers to protect the investor in the floating rate security.
The Fund may invest in zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that typically does not pay interest for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation.
The Fund may buy and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date.
The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable), including, but not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may be resold only pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days.
The Fund may enter into certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objectives, including to seek to enhance return, to hedge certain risks of its investments in municipal securities or as a substitute for a position in the underlying asset. Such instruments include financial futures contracts, swap contracts (including interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and municipal market data rate locks (“MMD Rate Locks”)), options on financial futures, options on swap contracts or other derivative instruments.
The Fund may purchase and sell MMD Rate Locks. An MMD Rate Lock permits the Fund to lock in a specified municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. By using an MMD Rate Lock, the Fund can create a synthetic long or short position, allowing the Fund to select what the manager believes is an attractive part of the yield curve. The Fund will ordinarily use these transactions as a hedge or for duration or risk management although it is permitted to enter into them to enhance income or gain or to increase the Fund’s yield, for example, during periods of steep interest rate yield curves (i.e., wide differences between short term and long term interest rates).
The Fund may also invest in securities of other open- or closed-end investment companies (including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the rules and regulations issued thereunder and applicable exemptive orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, the Fund may invest a portion of its Managed Assets in pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.
The Fund may invest in distressed securities but may not invest in the securities of an issuer which, at the time of investment, is in default on its obligations to pay principal or interest thereon when due or that is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding (i.e., rated below C-, at the time of investment); provided, however, that the Fund’s sub-adviser may determine that it is in the best interest of shareholders in pursuing a workout arrangement with issuers of defaulted securities to make loans to the defaulted issuer or another party, or purchase a debt, equity or other interest from the defaulted issuer or another party, or take other related or similar steps involving the investment of additional monies, but only if that issuer’s securities are already held by the Fund.
The Fund uses leverage to pursue its investment objectives. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund may source leverage through a number of methods including the issuance of preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”), investments in inverse floating rate securities and borrowings. In addition, the Fund may also use certain derivatives that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure. The amount and sources of leverage will vary depending on market conditions.
Temporary Defensive Periods
During temporary defensive periods (e.g., times when, in the Fund’s investment adviser’s and/or the Fund’s sub-adviser’s opinion, temporary imbalances of supply and demand or other temporary dislocations in the tax-exempt bond market adversely affect the price at which long-term or intermediate-term municipal securities are available), and in order to keep the Fund’s cash fully invested, the Fund may invest any percentage of its Managed Assets in short-term investments including high quality, short-term debt securities that may be either tax-exempt or taxable. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives during such periods.
NUVEEN MUNICIPAL HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITY FUND (NMZ)
The Fund’s primary investment objective is to provide high current income exempt from regular federal income tax. The Fund’s secondary investment objective is to seek attractive total return consistent with its primary objective.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined below) in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal income taxes.
“Assets” mean the net assets of the Fund plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. “Managed Assets” mean the total assets of the Fund, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the express purpose of creating leverage). Total assets for this purpose shall include assets attributable to the Fund’s use of leverage (whether or not those assets are reflected in the Fund’s financial statements for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles), and derivatives will be valued at their market value.
Under normal circumstances:
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The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that pay interest that is taxable under the federal alternative minimum tax. |
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The Fund may invest up to 75% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities that, at the time of investment, are rated Baa/BBB or lower by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. |
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The Fund may not invest more than 10% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities rated below B3/B- by any NRSROs that rate the security or that are unrated by all NRSROs but judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. |
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The Fund may invest up to 25% of its Managed Assets in municipal securities in any one industry or in any one state of origin. |
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The Fund may invest up to 15% of its Managed Assets in inverse floating rate securities. |
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The Fund will generally maintain an investment portfolio with an overall weighted average maturity of greater than 10 years. |
The foregoing policies apply only at the time of any new investment.
Approving Changes in Investment Policies
The Board of Trustees of the Fund may change the policies described above without a shareholder vote. However, with respect to the Fund’s policy of investing at least 80% of its Assets in municipal securities and other related investments, the income from which is exempt from regular federal income taxes, such policy may not be changed without 60 days’ prior written notice and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common shares and preferred shares voting together as a single class, and the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding preferred shares, voting separately as a single class. A “majority of the outstanding” shares means (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the shares, whichever is less.
The Fund generally invests in municipal securities. Municipal securities include municipal bonds, notes, securities issued to finance and refinance public projects, certificates of participation, variable rate demand obligations, lease obligations, municipal notes, pre-refunded municipal bonds, private activity bonds, securities issued by tender option bond trusts (“TOB Trusts”), including inverse floating rate securities, and other forms of municipal bonds and securities, and other related instruments that create exposure to municipal bonds, notes and securities that provide for the payment of interest income that is exempt from regular United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax.
Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued by states, cities and local authorities and certain possessions and territories of the U.S. (such as Puerto Rico and Guam) to finance or refinance public purpose projects such as roads, schools, and water supply systems.
The Fund may invest in municipal securities that are additionally secured by insurance, bank credit agreements or escrow accounts.
The Fund may also invest in municipal securities that pay interest that is taxable under the federal alternative minimum tax applicable to noncorporate taxpayers (“AMT Bonds”). AMT Bonds may trigger adverse tax consequences for Fund shareholders who are subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.
