424B2 1 d202369d424b2.htm NUVEEN S&P 500 DYNAMIC OVERWRITE FUND Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund
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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
File No. 333-237421

 

PROSPECTUS

LOGO

 

4,993,317 Common Shares

 

Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund

 


 

Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective.

 

Investing in the Fund’s common shares (“Common Shares”) involves certain risks that are described in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus (the “Prospectus”).

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

You should read this Prospectus, which contains important information about the Fund, before deciding whether to invest and retain it for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information dated July 28, 2021 (the “SAI”), containing additional information about the Fund, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Prospectus. You may request a free copy of the SAI, annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund, and make shareholder inquiries by calling (800) 257-8787, by writing to the Fund at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this Prospectus. You also may obtain a copy of the SAI (and other information regarding the Fund) from the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

 

The Fund’s Common Shares do not represent a deposit or obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other governmental agency.

 

Portfolio Contents.    The Fund will pursue its investment objective by investing in an equity portfolio and utilizing a dynamic options strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined under “Investment Objective and Policies” in the Prospectus Summary) in a diversified equity portfolio made up of securities comprising the S&P 500® Index (the “S&P 500 Index”) (or securities that have economic characteristics that are similar to those securities comprising the S&P 500 Index) that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index and is designed to support the Fund’s options strategy (the “Equity Portfolio”). Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to invest substantially all (at least 90%) of its Managed Assets (as defined under “Investment Objective and Policies” in the Prospectus Summary) in the Equity Portfolio or otherwise in pursuit of its investment objective. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will sell index call options, call options on custom baskets of securities and covered call options on individual securities. The Fund targets an overwrite level of approximately 55% over time, and the overwrite level will vary, based on market conditions, between 35% to 75% of the value of the Equity Portfolio.

 

No Leverage.    As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage. See “Risks—Portfolio Holdings Risks—Derivatives Risk.”


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Adviser and Sub-Adviser.    Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (“Nuveen Fund Advisors”), the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for determining the Fund’s overall investment strategies and their implementation. Nuveen Asset Management, LLC is the Fund’s investment sub-adviser and oversees the day-to-day investment operations of the Fund.

 

Common Shares will be sold at prevailing market prices through the National Market System, subject to a minimum price to be established each day by Nuveen Securities, LLC (“Nuveen Securities”). The minimum price will not be less than the current NAV per Common Share plus the per share amount of the commission to be paid to Nuveen Securities. The Fund, Nuveen Securities, and UBS Securities LLC will suspend the sale of Common Shares if the per share price of the shares is less than the minimum price. The Fund currently intends to distribute the shares offered pursuant to this Prospectus through at-the-market transactions, although from time to time it may also distribute shares through an underwriting syndicate or a privately negotiated transaction. To the extent shares are distributed other than through at-the-market transactions, the Fund will file a supplement to this Prospectus describing such transactions. For information on how Common Shares may be sold, see the “Plan of Distribution” section of this Prospectus.

 

Common Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). The trading or “ticker” symbol of the Fund is “SPXX.” The Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021 was $18.10.

 


 

The date of this prospectus is July 28, 2021.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

 

Prospectus Summary

     1  

Summary of Fund Expenses

     19  

Financial Highlights

     21  

Trading and Net Asset Value Information

     23  

The Fund

     23  

Use of Proceeds

     24  

The Fund’s Investments

     24  

Use of Leverage

     35  

Risks

     35  

Management of the Fund

     48  

Net Asset Value

     51  

Distributions

     52  

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

     53  

Plan of Distribution

     54  

Description of Shares

     56  

Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws

     58  

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     61  

Tax Matters

     62  

Custodian and Transfer Agent

     66  

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     66  

Legal Opinion

     66  

Other Matters

     66  

Available Information

     67  

Incorporation by Reference

     67  

 


 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus. The Fund has not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. The Fund is not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this Prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this Prospectus. The Fund’s business, financial condition, and prospects may have changed since that date. The Fund will update this Prospectus to reflect any material changes to the disclosures herein.


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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This is only a summary. You should review the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) prior to making an investment in the Fund. See “Risks.”

 

The Fund

Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund (formerly known as Nuveen Equity Premium and Growth Fund) (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. See “The Fund.” The Fund’s common shares, $0.01 par value (“Common Shares”), are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “SPXX.” See “Description of Shares—Common Shares.” As of June 30, 2021, the Fund had 17,191,758 Common Shares outstanding and net assets applicable to Common Shares of $304,726,758.

 

Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500® Index (the “S&P 500 Index”). The Fund’s investment objective is considered fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. Unless otherwise specified, the Fund’s investment policies are considered non-fundamental. The Fund cannot assure you that it will attain its investment objective. See “The Fund’s Investments” and “Risks.”

 

  Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined below) in a diversified equity portfolio made up of securities comprising the S&P 500 Index (or securities that have economic characteristics that are similar to those securities comprising the S&P 500 Index) that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index and is designed to support the Fund’s Option Strategy (as defined below) (the “Equity Portfolio”). Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to invest substantially all (at least 90%) of its Managed Assets (as defined below) in the Equity Portfolio or otherwise in pursuit of its investment objective.

 

  The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of 500 companies that is market-capitalization weighted and is generally representative of the performance of larger companies in the U.S. It is not possible to invest in the S&P 500 Index.

 

Due to U.S. federal income tax considerations, the Fund intends to limit the overlap between the components of the Equity Portfolio (and any subset thereof) and the constituent securities of the S&P 500 Index to less than 70% (generally based on the value of such components) on an ongoing basis. As a result, the Fund will not hold all of the common stocks in the S&P 500 Index, or in the same weightings as in the S&P 500 Index, and returns on the Equity Portfolio are not intended to exactly match those of the S&P 500 Index. The portion of the Equity Portfolio invested in securities or other instruments other than individual securities comprising the S&P 500 Index will be selected to match the characteristics of the index with limited tracking error. In constructing the Equity Portfolio, the Fund’s sub-adviser also will consider opportunities to engage in tax-loss harvesting (i.e., periodically selling positions that have depreciated in value to realize capital losses that

 

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can be used to offset capital gains realized by the Fund) and other tax management considerations to improve after-tax shareholder outcomes.

 

  The Fund employs a dynamic “overwrite” options strategy whereby the Fund’s sub-adviser sells (writes) call options on a varying percentage of the market value of the Fund’s Equity Portfolio based on its market outlook (the “Option Strategy”). Pursuant to this Option Strategy, under normal market circumstances, the Fund sells (writes) index call options, call options on custom baskets of securities, and covered call options on individual securities. The Fund targets an overwrite level (i.e., the ratio of the notional value of call options sold by the Fund to the market value of the Fund’s Equity Portfolio) of 55% of the value of its Equity Portfolio over time, and the overwrite level will vary, based on market conditions, between 35% to 75% of the value of the Equity Portfolio. In addition to a primary emphasis on writing call options to reduce downside risk and volatility of the Equity Portfolio, the Option Strategy as a secondary emphasis seeks additional return opportunities by capitalizing on inefficiencies in the options market through a variety of means including the use of call spreads and selling put options.

 

  The Equity Portfolio seeks to track the total return performance of the S&P 500 Index. Combined with the Option Strategy, the Fund seeks attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. Volatility is measured by the annualized standard deviation of daily returns for the S&P 500 Index.

 

  The Fund’s strategy of using the S&P 500 Index as the relevant benchmark for the Equity Portfolio and Option Strategy is not considered fundamental and can be changed without a vote of the common shareholders. However, any use of an alternative index must be approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) and is subject to the provision of 60 days’ written notice to common shareholders.

 

  “Assets” means net assets of the Fund plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. “Managed Assets” means 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. As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments, but may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure.

 

  The Fund may enter into certain derivatives instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments include futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements and other derivative instruments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. These types of strategies may generate taxable income. See “The Fund’s Investments—Portfolio Composition and Other Information—Derivatives.”

 

 

The Fund may, from time to time, manage its cash by investing a part of its assets in short-term, high quality fixed-income securities. Under normal

 

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circumstances, the Fund will invest no more than 10% of its Managed Assets in such securities.

 

  The Fund may invest in illiquid securities without limit.

 

  The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries.

 

  Consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies such as, among others, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), subject to limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and exemptive orders issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

  During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may deviate from its investment objective and invest all or a portion of its assets in investment grade debt securities, including obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. There can be no assurance that such investment techniques will be successful. For a more complete discussion of the Fund’s portfolio composition, see “The Fund’s Investments.”

 

Investment Adviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (“Nuveen Fund Advisors” or the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation. Nuveen Fund Advisors offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Fund’s portfolio, manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC (“Nuveen”), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of March 31, 2021, Nuveen managed approximately $1.2 trillion in assets, of which approximately $169.5 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

 

Sub-Adviser

Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s sub-adviser. Nuveen Asset Management, a registered investment adviser, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. Nuveen Asset Management oversees the day-to-day investment operations of the Fund.

 

  Nuveen Securities, LLC (“Nuveen Securities”), a registered broker-dealer affiliate of Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management, is involved in the offering of the Fund’s Common Shares. See “Plan of Distribution—Distribution Through At-The-Market Transactions.”

 

Use of Leverage

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes and

 

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may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure.

 

Offering Methods

The Fund may offer Common Shares using one or more of the following methods: (i) at-the-market transactions conducted through one or more broker-dealers that have entered into a selected dealer agreement with Nuveen Securities, one of the Fund’s underwriters; (ii) through an underwriting syndicate; and (iii) through privately negotiated transactions between the Fund and specific investors. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

  Distribution Through At-The-Market Transactions.    The Fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Nuveen Securities (the “Distribution Agreement”), which has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement, the Fund may from time to time issue and sell its Common Shares through Nuveen Securities to certain broker-dealers that have entered into selected dealer agreements with Nuveen Securities. Currently, Nuveen Securities has entered into a selected dealer agreement (the “Selected Dealer Agreement”) with UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) pursuant to which UBS will act as the exclusive sub-placement agent with respect to at-the-market offerings of Common Shares. The Selected Dealer Agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus forms a part.

 

  Common Shares will only be sold on such days as shall be agreed to by the Fund, Nuveen Securities, and UBS. Common Shares will be sold at prevailing market prices through the National Market System, subject to a minimum price to be established each day by Nuveen Securities. The minimum price on any day will not be less than the current NAV per Common Share plus the per share amount of the commission to be paid to Nuveen Securities. The Fund, Nuveen Securities, and UBS will suspend the sale of Common Shares if the per share price of the shares is less than the minimum price.

 

  The Fund will compensate Nuveen Securities with respect to sales of Common Shares at a commission rate of up to 1.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. Nuveen Securities or Nuveen Fund Advisors will compensate sub-placement agents or other broker-dealers participating in the offering at a rate of up to 0.8% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares sold by that sub-placement agent or broker-dealer. Settlements of sales of Common Shares will occur on the second business day following the date on which any such sales are made.

 

  In connection with the sale of Common Shares on behalf of the Fund, Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the compensation of Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. Unless otherwise indicated in a further Prospectus supplement, Nuveen Securities will act as underwriter on a reasonable efforts basis.

 

  The offering of Common Shares pursuant to the Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all Common Shares subject thereto or (ii) termination of the Distribution Agreement. The Fund and Nuveen Securities each have the right to terminate the Distribution Agreement in their discretion at any time.

 

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  The Fund currently intends to distribute the shares offered pursuant to this Prospectus primarily through at-the-market transactions, although from time to time it may also distribute shares through an underwriting syndicate or a privately negotiated transaction. To the extent shares are distributed other than through at-the-market transactions, the Fund will file a supplement to this Prospectus describing such transactions.

 

  The Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021 was $18.10.

 

  UBS, its affiliates and their respective employees hold or may hold in the future, directly or indirectly, investment interests in Nuveen, Nuveen Fund Advisors, TIAA or any of their affiliates or funds. The interests held by employees of UBS or its affiliates are not attributable to, and no investment discretion is held by, UBS or its affiliates.

 

  Distribution Through Underwriting Syndicates.    The Fund, from time to time, may issue additional Common Shares through a syndicated secondary offering. In order to limit the impact on the market price of the Fund’s Common Shares, underwriters will market and price the offering on an expedited basis (e.g., overnight or similarly abbreviated offering period). The Fund will launch a syndicated offering on a day, and upon terms, mutually agreed upon between the Fund, Nuveen Securities and the underwriting syndicate.

 

  The Fund will offer its shares at a price equal to a specified discount of up to 5% from the closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date. The applicable discount will be negotiated by the Fund and Nuveen Securities in consultation with the underwriting syndicate on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The Fund will compensate the underwriting syndicate out of the proceeds of the offering based upon a sales load of up to 4% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. The minimum net proceeds per share to the Fund will not be less than the greater of (i) the Fund’s latest NAV per Common Share or (ii) 91% of the closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date. See “Plan of Distribution—Distribution Through Underwriting Syndicates.”

 

  Distribution Through Privately Negotiated Transactions.    The Fund from time to time may sell directly to, and solicit offers from, institutional and other sophisticated investors, who may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the 1933 Act for any resale of Common Shares.

 

  The terms of such privately negotiated transactions will be subject to the discretion of the management of the Fund. In determining whether to sell Common Shares through a privately negotiated transaction, the Fund will consider relevant factors including, but not limited to, the attractiveness of obtaining additional funds through the sale of Common Shares, the purchase price to apply to any such sale of Common Shares and the investor seeking to purchase the Common Shares.

 

 

Common Shares issued by the Fund through privately negotiated transactions will be issued at a price equal to the greater of (i) the NAV per Common Share or (ii) at a discount ranging from 0% to 5% of the average daily closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares at the close of business on the ten business days preceding the date upon which Common

 

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Shares are sold pursuant to the privately negotiated transaction. The applicable discount will be determined by the Fund on a transaction-by-transaction basis. See “Plan of Distribution—Distribution Through Privately Negotiated Transactions.”

 

  The principal business address of Nuveen Securities is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

 

Distributions

The Fund will pay quarterly distributions stated in terms of a fixed cents per Common Share that would be composed of net investment income and supplemental amounts generally representing realized capital gains or, possibly, returns of capital representing unrealized capital gains. Quarterly distributions, including such supplemental amounts, are sometimes referred to as “managed distributions.” The Fund’s managed distribution policy is pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, which permits the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains to shareholders more frequently than once per year. The Fund will seek to establish a Common Share distribution rate that roughly corresponds to Nuveen Fund Advisors’ projections of the total return that could reasonably be expected to be generated by the Fund’s Common Shares over an extended period of time, although the distribution rate will not be solely dependent on the amount of income earned or capital gains realized. Nuveen Fund Advisors, in making such projections, may consider long-term historical returns and a variety of other factors. Distributions can only be made after paying any interest and required principal payments on borrowings, if any, and any accrued dividends to preferred shareholders, if any.

 

  If, for any quarterly distribution, net investment income and net realized capital gains were less than the amount of the distribution, the difference would be distributed from the Fund’s assets. In order to raise the cash for such distributions, the Fund expects to sell portfolio securities. Such portfolio sales may occur at a time when independent investment judgment might not otherwise have dictated such action. The Fund’s final distribution for each calendar year may include any remaining net investment income and net realized capital gains not distributed during the year.

 

  The Fund’s actual financial performance will likely vary significantly from month-to-month and from year-to-year, and there may be extended periods when the distribution rate will exceed the Fund’s actual total returns. The Fund’s projected or actual distribution rate is not a prediction of what the Fund’s actual total returns will be over any specific future period.

 

 

As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Common Shares and the Fund’s distribution policy could change. To the extent that the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy exceeds the distribution rate for an extended period, the Fund may be in a position either to increase the distribution rate or to distribute supplemental amounts to shareholders, or both. Conversely, if the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy is less than the distribution rate for an extended period of time, the Fund will effectively be drawing upon its assets to meet payments prescribed by its distribution policy. Similarly, for tax purposes such distributions by the Fund may consist in part of a return of capital to Common Shareholders. The exact tax characteristics of the Fund’s Common Share distributions will not be known until after the Fund’s fiscal

 

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year-end. Common Shareholders should not confuse a return of capital distribution with “dividend yield” or “total return.” At the same time that it pays a quarterly distribution, the Fund will post on its website (www.nuveen.com/cef), and make available in written form to holders of its Common Shares a notice of the estimated sources and tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions (i.e., what percentage of the distributions is estimated to constitute ordinary income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains, and/or a non-taxable return of capital) on a year-to-date basis, in compliance with a federal securities law requirement that any fund paying a distribution from sources other than net investment income disclose to shareholders the respective portion attributable to such other sources. These estimates may be based on certain assumptions about the Fund’s expected investment returns and the realization of net gains, if any, over the remaining course of the year. These estimates may, and likely will, vary over time based on the activities of the Fund and changes in the value of portfolio investments. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after December 31 in each year, and reported to Common Shareholders on Form 1099-DIV early the following year.

 

  As explained more fully below in “Tax Matters,” the Fund intends to distribute to Common Shareholders any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year through its managed distributions or, alternatively, to retain all or a portion of the year’s net capital gain and pay federal income tax on the retained gain. Each Common Shareholder of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, his or her share of any retained gain, will be deemed to have paid his or her proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund on such retained gain, and will be entitled to an income tax credit or refund for that share of the tax. The Fund may treat any retained capital gain amount as a substitute for equivalent cash distributions. In addition, the Fund may make total Common Share distributions during a given calendar year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized long-term capital gains for that calendar year, in which case the excess will generally be treated by Common Shareholders as return of capital for tax purposes. A return of capital reduces a shareholder’s tax basis, which could result in more taxable gain when the shareholder sells his or her shares. This may cause the shareholder to pay taxes even if he or she sells shares for less than the original price.

 

  The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of its quarterly Common Share distributions at any time upon notice to Common Shareholders, upon a determination by the Fund’s Board of Trustees that such change is in the best interests of the Fund and its Common Shareholders.

 

Custodian and Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as custodian of the Fund’s assets. Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (together, “Computershare”) serve as the Fund’s transfer agent. See “Custodian and Transfer Agent.”

 

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Special Risk Considerations

Investment in the Fund involves special risk considerations, which are summarized below. The Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. See “Risks” for a more complete discussion of the special risk considerations of an investment in the Fund.

 

  Portfolio Holdings Risks

 

  Option Strategy Risks

 

  Call Option Risk.    As the writer of a call option, the Fund foregoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the instrument underlying the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the option, but will retain the risk of loss should the market value of the instrument underlying the call option decline. The purchaser of the call option has the right to any appreciation in the value of the underlying instrument over the exercise price upon the exercise of the call option or the expiration date. As the Fund increases the option overlay percentage, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited and the risk of NAV erosion increases. If the Fund experiences NAV erosion, which itself may have a negative effect on the market price of the Fund’s shares, the Fund will have a reduced asset base over which to write call options, which may eventually lead to reduced distributions to shareholders.

 

  In addition, because the exercise of index options is settled in cash, sellers of index call options, such as the Fund, cannot provide in advance for their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. The Fund bears a risk that the value of the securities held by the Fund will vary from the value of the S&P 500 Index and relative to the written index call option positions. Accordingly, the Fund may incur losses on the index call options that it has sold that exceed gains on the Fund’s equity portfolio. The value of index options written by the Fund, which will be priced daily, will be affected by changes in the value of and dividend rates of the underlying common stocks in the index, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the stock market and the remaining time to the options’ expiration. The value of the index options also may be adversely affected if the market for the index options becomes less liquid or smaller.

 

  Call Spreads Risk.    The Fund may enter into call spreads. A call spread involves the sale of a call option and the corresponding purchase of a call option on the same underlying instrument with the same expiration date but with different strike prices. The Fund may not be able to enter into (or close out of) these transactions, at times or in the quantities desired by Nuveen Asset Management. The Fund also may not be able to enter into (or close out of) these transactions because of, among other things, the lack of market participants that are willing to take contrary positions to that of the Fund.

 

 

Put Option Risk.    By writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire strike price of each option it sells but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. When the Fund writes a put option, it assumes the risk that it must purchase the underlying instrument at a strike price that may be higher than the market price of the instrument. If there is a broad

 

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market decline and the Fund is not able to close out its written put options, it may result in substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund will receive a premium from writing options, but the premium received may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from exercised put options.

 

  Option Strategy Risk.    In employing the Option Strategy, Nuveen Asset Management seeks to reduce downside risk and volatility of the Equity Portfolio. This strategy may not protect against market declines and may limit the Fund’s participation in market gains, particularly during periods when market values are increasing. This strategy may increase the Fund’s portfolio transaction costs, which could result in losses or reduce gains, and may not be successful.

 

  Counterparty Risk.    The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivative transactions entered into by the Fund. Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives transactions may affect the value of those instruments. Because certain derivative transactions in which the Fund may engage may be traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise becomes unable to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties the Fund may sustain losses (including the full amount of its investment), may be unable to liquidate a derivatives position or may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in bankruptcy or other reorganization proceedings. By entering into derivatives transactions, the Fund assumes the risk that its counterparties could experience such financial hardships. Although the Fund intends to enter into transactions only with counterparties that Nuveen Fund Advisors believes to be creditworthy, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction. In the event of a counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, any collateral posted by the Fund in connection with a derivatives transaction may be subject to the conflicting claims of that counterparty’s creditors, and the Fund may be exposed to the risk of a court treating the Fund as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.

 

Equity Portfolio Risks

 

Common Stock Risk.    Common stocks generally represent an ownership interest in an issuer, without preference over any other class of securities, including such issuer’s debt securities, preferred stock and other senior equity securities. Although common stocks historically have generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the prices of common stocks held by the Fund or to which it has exposure.

 

Dividend Income Risk. A portion of the net investment income paid by the Fund to its Common Shareholders is derived from dividends it receives

 

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from the common stocks held in the Fund’s Equity Portfolio. Dividends paid on securities held by the Fund can vary significantly over the short-term and long-term. Dividends on common stocks are not fixed, but are declared at the discretion of an issuer’s board of directors. There is no guarantee that the issuers of common stocks in which the Fund invests will declare dividends in the future or that if declared they will remain at current levels or increase over time.

 

Other Investment Companies Risk. The Fund may, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act and exemptive orders issued by the SEC, invest in the securities of other investment companies including open-end and closed-end funds and ETFs. Such securities may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities, which would magnify the Fund’s leverage risk. The Fund, as a holder of the securities of other investment companies, will bear its pro rata portion of the other investment companies’ expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Fund’s own operations. An ETF that is based on a specific index, whether stock or otherwise, may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities in the index. An ETF also incurs certain expenses not incurred by its applicable index. The market value of shares of ETFs and closed-end funds may differ from their NAV.

 

Non-U.S. Issuer Risk.    Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve special risks not presented by investments in securities of U.S. issuers, including the following: (i) less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices; (ii) many non-U.S. markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile; (iii) potential adverse effects of fluctuations in currency exchange rates or controls on the value of the Fund’s investments; (iv) the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession; (v) the impact of economic, political, social or diplomatic events; (vi) possible seizure of a company’s assets; (vii) restrictions imposed by non-U.S. countries limiting the ability of non-U.S. issuers to make payments of principal and/or interest due to blockages of foreign currency exchanges or otherwise; and (viii) withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers in emerging market countries.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk.    Illiquid securities are not readily marketable and may include some restricted securities. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

 

Derivatives Risk.    The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the investments underlying the derivatives. Whether the Fund’s use of derivatives is successful will depend on, among other things, if Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecast market values, interest rates and other applicable factors. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast these and other factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be unfavorably affected.

 

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  Derivatives may create leverage in the Fund. Leverage can increase both the risk and return potential of the Fund.

 

The Fund may enter into various types of derivatives transactions, including futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements and other derivative instruments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of derivatives requires an understanding by Nuveen Asset Management not only of the referenced asset, rate or index, but also of the derivative contract itself and the markets in which they trade. Successful implementation of most hedging strategies would generate taxable income. The derivatives market is subject to a changing regulatory environment. It is possible that regulatory or other developments in the derivatives market could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to successfully use derivative instruments. See “Risks—Derivatives Risk” and “Risks—Counterparty Risk.”

 

Fund Level Risks

 

Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund’s Common Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Your investment in Common Shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions. See “Risks—Investment and Market Risk.”

 

Market Discount from Net Asset Value.    Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have during some periods traded at prices higher than NAV and have during other periods traded at prices lower than NAV. The Fund cannot predict whether Common Shares will trade at, above or below NAV. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s NAV could decrease as a result of investment activities. Investors bear a risk of loss to the extent that the price at which they sell their shares is lower in relation to the Fund’s NAV than at the time of purchase, assuming a stable NAV. Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by shareholder transaction costs (if applicable, which vary depending on the offering method used). The NAV per Common Share will be reduced by costs associated with any future issuances of Common Shares. Depending on the premium of Common Shares at the time of any offering of Common Shares hereunder, the Fund’s NAV may be reduced by an amount up to the offering costs (estimated to be an additional 0.22% of the offering price assuming a Common Share offering price of $18.10 (the Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021). Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and you should not view the Fund as a vehicle for trading purposes. See “Risks—Market Discount from Net Asset Value.”

 

 

Tax Risk.    The tax treatment and characterization of the Fund’s distributions may vary significantly from time to time because of the varied nature of the Fund’s investments. The ultimate tax characterization of the Fund’s distributions made in a calendar year may not finally be determined until after the end of that calendar year. In addition, there is a possibility

 

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that the Fund may make total distributions during a calendar year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains for that calendar year. For example, because of the nature of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may distribute net short-term capital gains early in the calendar year, but incur net short-term capital losses later in the year, thereby offsetting the short-term net capital gains for which distributions have already been made by the Fund. In such a situation, the amount by which the Fund’s total distributions exceed net investment income and net realized capital gains would generally be treated as a tax-free return of capital up to the amount of the Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his Common Shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis treated as gain from the sale of his Common Shares. While a portion of the Fund’s income distributions may be classified as “qualified dividend income,” which is generally taxable to individual investors who meet holding period and other requirements at a lower rate, there can be no assurance as to the percentage of the Fund’s income distributions that will be “qualified dividend income.” The writing of call options by the Fund may significantly reduce or eliminate its ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. Covered call options may also be subject to federal tax rules applicable to straddles under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, a “wash sales” rule may apply to prevent the recognition of loss by the Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period. The Fund intends to avoid being subject to the “straddle rules” under federal income tax law by maintaining an overlap of less than 70% between the stocks held in the Equity Portfolio and the stocks comprising the S&P 500 Index. See “Risks—Tax Risk.”

 

  Not an Index Fund.    The Fund is not, nor is it intended to be, an index fund. As a result, the performance of the Fund will differ from the performance of the S&P 500 Index as a whole for various reasons, including the fact that the Fund will write call options on a portion of the Equity Portfolio and the weightings of the securities included in the Equity Portfolio may be different than the weightings of the common stocks in the S&P 500 Index. The Fund, by writing call options on the Equity Portfolio, will give up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the Equity Portfolio above the exercise prices of the options, but will continue to bear the risk of declines in the value of the Equity Portfolio. See “Call Option Risk” below.

 

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions.    The Fund’s Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a

 

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premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” and “Risks—Anti-Takeover Provisions.”

 

  General Risks

 

  Management Risk.    The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results.

 

  Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management each provide a wide array of portfolio management and other asset management services to a mix of clients and may engage in ordinary course activities in which their respective interests or those of their clients may compete or conflict with those of the Fund. For example, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may provide investment management services to other funds and accounts that follow investment objectives similar to those of the Fund. In certain circumstances, and subject to its fiduciary obligations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Nuveen Asset Management may have to allocate a limited investment opportunity among its clients, which include closed-end funds, open-end funds and other commingled funds. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have each adopted policies and procedures designed to address such situations and other potential conflicts of interests. For additional information about potential conflicts of interest, and the way in which Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management address such conflicts, please see the SAI.

 

  Swap Transaction Risk.    The Fund may enter into derivative instruments such as swap contracts and forward contracts. Like most derivative instruments, the use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of swaps requires an understanding by Nuveen Asset Management of not only the referenced asset, rate or index, but also of the swap itself. Nuveen Asset Management is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors or events, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used.

 

  Hedging Risk.    The Fund’s use of derivatives or other transactions to reduce risk involves costs and will be subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to predict correctly changes in the relationships of such hedge instruments to the Fund’s portfolio holdings or other factors. No assurance can be given that Nuveen Asset Management’s judgment in this respect will be correct, and no assurance can be given that the Fund will enter into hedging or other transactions at times or under circumstances in which it may be advisable to do so. Hedging activities may reduce the Fund’s opportunities for gain by offsetting the positive effects of favorable price movements and may result in net losses.

 

 

Valuation Risk.    The securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and

 

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assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Fund’s pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Fund’s NAV.

 

  Borrowing Risk.    The Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the Fund’s shares and may affect the Fund’s net income. When the Fund borrows money, it must pay interest and other fees, which will reduce the Fund’s returns if such costs exceed the returns on the portfolio securities purchased or retained with such borrowings. Any such borrowings are intended to be temporary. However, under certain market circumstances, such borrowings might be outstanding for longer periods of time.

 

 

Global Economic Risk.    National and regional economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country, region or market might adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or market. Changes in legal, political, regulatory, tax and economic conditions may cause fluctuations in markets and securities prices around the world, which could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. Major economic or political disruptions, particularly in large economies like China’s, may have global negative economic and market repercussions. Additionally, the aftermath of the war in Iraq, instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, and environmental disasters and the spread of infectious illnesses or other public health emergencies, possible terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world, continued tensions between North Korea and the United States and the international community generally, growing social and political discord in the United States, the European debt crisis, the response of the international community—through economic sanctions and otherwise—to Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and posture vis-a-vis Ukraine, further downgrade of U.S. Government securities, the change in the U.S. president and the new administration and other similar events may adversely affect the global economy and the markets and issuers in which the Fund invests. Recent examples of such events include the outbreak of a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 that was first detected in China in December 2019 and heightened concerns regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile programs. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closure, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economy. These events could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Fund’s service providers,

 

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including Nuveen Asset Management, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Fund.

 

  In December 2019, an initial outbreak of COVID-19 was reported and has resulted in numerous deaths and the imposition of both local and more widespread quarantine measures, border closures and other travel restrictions, causing social unrest and commercial disruption on a global scale. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks and governments have responded with liquidity injections to ease the strain on financial systems and stimulus measures to buffer the shock to businesses and consumers. These measures have helped stabilize the markets over the short term, but volatility will likely remain elevated until the health crisis itself is under control (via fewer new cases, lower infection rates and/or verified treatments). There are still many unknowns and new information is incoming daily, compounding the difficulty of modeling outcomes for epidemiologists and economists alike.

 

  Additionally, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely impacted global commercial activity and has contributed to significant volatility in certain financial markets. There are no comparable recent events in the U.S. that provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of COVID-19 and a potential pandemic on the economy as a whole and, consequently, the Fund. Accordingly, while there have been proposed, and in some cases enacted, economic stimulus measures aimed at curbing the negative economic impacts to the U.S. and other countries as a result of COVID-19, it cannot be determined at this time whether such stimulus measures will have a stabilizing economic effect.

 

  To the extent the impacts of COVID-19 continue, the Fund may experience negative impacts to its business that could exacerbate other risks to which the Fund is subject, including: (1) issuers of securities could be materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) operational impacts on and availability of key personnel of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, and/or any of the Fund’s other service providers, vendors and counterparties as they face changed circumstances and/or illness related to the pandemic; and (3) limitations on the Fund’s ability to make distributions or dividends, as applicable, to Common Shareholders.

 

  The Fund does not know and cannot predict how long the securities markets may be affected by these events and the effects of these and similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets. The Fund may be adversely affected by abrogation of international agreements and national laws which have created the market instruments in which the Fund may invest, failure of the designated national and international authorities to enforce compliance with the same laws and agreements, failure of local, national and international organizations to carry out their duties prescribed to them under the relevant agreements, revisions of these laws and agreements which dilute their effectiveness, or conflicting interpretation of provisions of the same laws and agreements.

 

 

Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes,

 

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including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which could adversely affect the Fund’s investments. See “—Recent Market Conditions” below.

 

  Recent Market Conditions.    In response to the financial crisis and recent market events, the United States and other governments and the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have taken steps to support financial markets. Policy and legislative changes by the United States government and the Federal Reserve to assist in the ongoing support of financial markets, both domestically and in other countries, are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time. In some countries where economic conditions are recovering, such countries are nevertheless perceived as still fragile. Withdrawal of government support, failure of efforts in response to the crisis, or investor perception that such efforts are not succeeding, could adversely impact the value and liquidity of certain securities. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations, including changes in tax laws and the imposition of trade barriers. The impact of new financial regulation legislation on the markets and the practical implications for market participants may not be fully known for some time. Changes to the Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates, may affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities. Regulatory changes are causing some financial services companies to exit long-standing lines of business, resulting in dislocations for other market participants. In addition, the contentious domestic political environment, as well as political and diplomatic events within the United States and abroad, such as the U.S. government’s inability at times to agree on a long-term budget and deficit reduction plan, the threat of a federal government shutdown and threats not to increase the federal government’s debt limit, may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Future legislative, regulatory and policy changes may result in more restrictions on international trade, less stringent prudential regulation of certain players in the financial markets, and significant new investments in infrastructure and national defense. Markets may react strongly to expectations about the changes in these policies, which could increase volatility, especially if the markets’ expectations for changes in government policies are not borne out.

 

 

Changes in market conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities. Interest rates have been unusually low in recent years in the United States and abroad but there is consensus that interest rates will increase during the life of the Fund, which could negatively impact the price of debt securities. Because there is little precedent for this situation, it is difficult to predict the impact of a significant rate increase on various markets. For example, because investors may buy securities or other investments with borrowed money, a significant increase in interest rates may cause a decline in the markets for those investments. Because of the sharp decline in the worldwide price of oil, there is a concern that oil

 

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producing nations may withdraw significant assets now held in U.S. Treasuries, which could force a substantial increase in interest rates. Regulators have expressed concern that rate increases may cause investors to sell fixed income securities faster than the market can absorb them, contributing to price volatility. In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the United States and many foreign economies may decline over time, known as deflation (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely. If a country’s economy slips into a deflationary pattern, it could last for a prolonged period and may be difficult to reverse.

 

  On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (“UK”) held a referendum on whether to remain a member state of the European Union (“EU”), in which voters favored the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, an event widely referred to as “Brexit” and which triggered a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. The formal notification to the European Council required under Article 50 of the Treaty on EU was made on March 29, 2017, following which the terms of exit were negotiated. On January 31, 2020, the UK formally withdrew from the EU and the two sides entered into a transition phase, where the UK effectively remained in the EU from an economic perspective, but no longer had any political representation in the EU parliament. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and EU law no longer applies in the UK. On December 30, 2020, the UK and EU signed an EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“UK/EU Trade Agreement”), which went into effect on January 1, 2021 and sets out the foundation of the economic and legal framework for trade between the UK and EU. As the UK/EU Trade Agreement is a new legal framework, the implementation of the UK/EU Trade Agreement may result in uncertainty in its application and periods of volatility in both the UK and wider European markets. The longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the UK and the EU are unclear at this stage, remain subject to negotiation and are likely to lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the UK and in wider European markets for some time. The outcomes may cause increased volatility and have a significant adverse impact on world financial markets, other international trade agreements, and the UK and European economies, as well as the broader global economy for some time. Additionally, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terror attacks, and additional attacks may occur in the future. Ukraine has experienced ongoing military conflict; this conflict may expand and military attacks could occur elsewhere in Europe. Europe has also been struggling with mass migration from the Middle East and Africa. The ultimate effects of these events and other socio-political or geographical issues are not known but could profoundly affect global economies and markets.

 

 

The current political climate has intensified concerns about a potential trade war between China and the United States, as each country has recently imposed tariffs on the other country’s products. These actions may trigger a significant reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export

 

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industry, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. U.S. companies that source material and goods from China and those that make large amounts of sales in China would be particularly vulnerable to an escalation of trade tensions. Uncertainty regarding the outcome of the trade tensions and the potential for a trade war could cause the U.S. dollar to decline against safe haven currencies, such as the Japanese yen and the euro. Events such as these and their consequences are difficult to predict and it is unclear whether further tariffs may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future.

 

  The impact of these developments in the near- and long-term is unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.

 

  Legislation and Regulatory Risk.    At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund, securities held by the Fund or the issuers of such securities. Fund shareholders may incur increased costs resulting from such legislation or additional regulation. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives.

 

  In addition, an investment in the Fund’s Common Shares raises other risks, which are more fully disclosed in the “Risks” section of this Prospectus.

 

Voting Rights

All Common Shares have equal non-cumulative voting rights.

 

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SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES

 

The purpose of the table and the examples below is to help you understand all fees and expenses that you, as a Common Shareholder, would bear directly or indirectly. The table shows the expenses of the Fund as a percentage of the average net assets applicable to Common Shares, and not as a percentage of total assets or Managed Assets.

 

Shareholder Transaction Expenses (as a percentage of offering price)

 

Maximum Sales Charge

     4.00 %*

Offering Costs(1)

     0.22

Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees(2)

   $ 2.50  

*  A maximum sales charge of 4.00% applies only to offerings pursuant to a syndicated underwriting. The maximum sales charge for offerings made at-the-market is 1.00%. There is no sales charge for offerings pursuant to a private transaction.

   

     As a Percentage of
Net Assets
Attributable to
Common Shares(3)


 

Annual Expenses

        

Management Fees

     0.82

Other Expenses(4)

     0.11
    


Total Annual Expenses

     0.93
    



(1)

Assuming a Common Share offering price of $18.10 (the Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021).

 

(2)

You will be charged a $2.50 service charge and pay brokerage charges if you direct Computershare as agent for the Common Shareholders (the “Plan Agent”), to sell your Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account.

 

(3)

Stated as a percentage of average net assets attributable to Common Shares for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

 

(4)

Other Expenses is based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Expenses attributable to the Fund’s investments, if any, in other investment companies are currently estimated not to exceed 0.01%. See “Portfolio Composition—Other Investment Companies” below.

 

See “Management of the Fund—Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and Portfolio Managers.”

 

Examples

 

The following examples illustrate the expenses, including the applicable transaction fees (referred to as the “Maximum Sales Charge” in the fee table above), if any, and estimated offering costs of $2.20 that a Common Shareholder would pay on a $1,000 investment that is held for the time periods provided in the table. Each example assumes that all dividends and other distributions are reinvested in the Fund and that the Fund’s Annual Expenses, as provided above, remain the same. The examples also assume a 5% annual return.(1)

 

Example # 1 (At-the-Market Transaction)

 

The following example assumes a transaction fee of 1.00%, as a percentage of the offering price.

 

1 Year

  3 Years

  5 Years

  10 Years

$22   $41   $63   $125

 

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Example # 2 (Underwriting Syndicate Transaction)

 

The following example assumes a transaction fee of 4.00%, as a percentage of the offering price.

 

1 Year

  3 Years

  5 Years

  10 Years

$51   $71   $91   $152

 

Example # 3 (Privately Negotiated Transaction)

 

The following example assumes there is no transaction fee.

 

1 Year

  3 Years

  5 Years

  10 Years

$12   $32   $54   $116

 

The examples should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown above.

 


(1) 

The examples assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at Common Share NAV. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the example.

 

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The following Financial Highlights table is intended to help a prospective investor understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Common Share of the Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in Common Shares of the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends). The Fund’s annual financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2011, including the financial highlights for the fiscal years then ended, have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has not reviewed or examined any records, transactions or events after the date of such reports. A copy of the Annual Report may be obtained from www.sec.gov or by visiting www.nuveen.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this Prospectus. Past results are not indicative of future performance.

 

The following per share data and ratios have been derived from information provided in the financial statements.

 

Selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period:

 

    Year Ended December 31,

 
    2020

    2019

    2018

    2017

    2016

    2015

    2014

    2013

    2012

    2011

 

PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE

                                                                               

Beginning Net Asset Value (“NAV”)

  $ 16.27     $ 14.42     $ 16.47     $ 14.98     $ 14.72     $ 15.61     $ 15.68     $ 14.36     $ 13.96     $ 14.41  

Investment Operations:

                                                                               

Net Investment Income (Loss)(a)

    0.15       0.17       0.18       0.19       0.20       0.20       0.19       0.22       0.25       0.24  

Net Realized/ Unrealized Gain (Loss)

    0.75       2.74       (1.12     2.29       1.04       (0.05     0.78       2.22       1.27       0.42  
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Total

    0.90       2.91       (0.94     2.48       1.24       0.15       0.97       2.44       1.52       0.66  
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Less Distributions:

                                                                               

From Net Investment Income

    (0.15     (0.18     (0.18     (0.19     (0.85     (0.70     (0.19     (0.22     (0.26     (0.40

From Accumulated Net Realized Gains

    0.00             (0.03                                          

Return of Capital

    (0.85     (0.88     (0.91     (0.80     (0.13     (0.34     (0.85     (0.90     (0.86     (0.72
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Total

    (1.00     (1.06     (1.12     (0.99     (0.98     (1.04     (1.04     (1.12     (1.12     (1.12
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Shelf Offering Costs

    0.00                                                  

Premium from Shares Sold through Shelf Offering

    0.00           0.01                                            

Discount From Shares Repurchased and Retired

    0.00                                                     0.01  
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Ending NAV

  $ 16.17     $ 16.27     $ 14.42     $ 16.47     $ 14.98     $ 14.72     $ 15.61     $ 15.68     $ 14.36     $ 13.96  
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Ending Share Price

  $ 15.24     $ 16.47     $ 14.04     $ 17.31     $ 14.40     $ 13.47     $ 14.30     $ 14.12     $ 12.93     $ 12.07  
   


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Total Returns:

                                                                               

Based on NAV(b)

    6.60     20.62     (6.03 )%      16.91     8.73     1.09     6.37     17.47     11.03     4.89

Based on Share Price(b)

    (0.24 )%      25.40     (12.99 )%      27.91     14.75     1.70     8.88     18.32     16.58     (4.88 )% 

 

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    Year Ended December 31,

 
    2020

    2019

    2018

    2017

    2016

    2015

    2014

    2013

    2012

    2011

 

RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

                                                                               

Ending Net Assets (000)

  $ 277,949     $ 275,280     $ 238,344     $ 266,065     $ 242,003     $ 237,809     $ 252,080     $ 253,216     $ 232,005     $ 225,664  

Ratios to Average Net Assets:

                                                                               

Expenses

    0.93     0.99     0.91     0.92     0.93     0.92     0.96     0.96     0.96     0.96

Net Investment Income (Loss)

    1.03     1.11     1.08     1.18     1.39     1.32     1.23     1.43     1.74     1.66

Portfolio Turnover Rate(c)

    20     8     16     11     13     21     8     1     1     4

(a)

Per share Net Investment Income (Loss) is calculated using the average daily shares method.

 

(b)

Total Return Based on NAV is the combination of changes in NAV, reinvested dividend income at NAV and reinvested capital gains distributions at NAV, if any. The last dividend declared in the period, which is typically paid on the first business day of the following month, is assumed to be reinvested at the ending NAV. The actual reinvest price for the last dividend declared in the period may often be based on the Fund’s market price (and not its NAV), and therefore may be different from the price used in the calculation. Total returns are not annualized.

 

  

Total Return Based on Share Price is the combination of changes in the market price per share and the effect of reinvested dividend income and reinvested capital gains distributions, if any, at the average price paid per share at the time of reinvestment. The last dividend declared in the period, which is typically paid on the first business day of the following month, is assumed to be reinvested at the ending market price. The actual reinvestment for the last dividend declared in the period may take place over several days, and in some instances may not be based on the market price, so the actual reinvestment price may be different from the price used in the calculation. Total returns are not annualized.

 

(c)

Portfolio Turnover Rate is calculated based on the lesser of long-term purchases or sales divided by the average long-term market value during the period.

 

*

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

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TRADING AND NET ASSET VALUE INFORMATION

 

The following table shows for the periods indicated: (i) the high and low sales prices for the Common Shares reported as of the end of the day on the NYSE, (ii) the high and low NAVs of the Common Shares, and (iii) the high and low of the premium/(discount) to NAV (expressed as a percentage) of the Common Shares.

 

     Market Price

     Net Asset Value

     Premium/(Discount)

 

Fiscal Quarter Ended


   High

     Low

     High

     Low

         High    

         Low    

 

June 2021

   $ 19.07      $ 16.57      $ 17.80      $ 17.04        8.72%        (3.42)%  

March 2021

   $ 16.53      $ 14.84      $ 17.03      $ 16.00        (2.36)%        (8.38)%  

December 2020

   $ 15.24      $ 12.77      $ 16.22      $ 14.52        (5.75)%        (12.80)%  

September 2020

   $ 14.43      $ 12.91      $ 15.68      $ 14.16        (7.97)%        (11.16)%  

June 2020

   $ 13.63      $ 11.25      $ 14.71      $ 12.07        (2.76)%        (10.54)%  

March 2020

   $ 16.89      $ 9.44      $ 16.72      $ 11.05        2.56%        (16.54)%  

December 2019

   $ 16.47      $ 15.13      $ 16.31      $ 15.07        1.42%        (2.29)%  

September 2019

   $ 16.81      $ 15.40      $ 16.07      $ 15.14        9.04%        (0.77)%  

June 2019

   $ 15.87      $ 14.98      $ 15.93      $ 15.06        1.74%        (1.16)%  

March 2019

   $ 15.74      $ 14.00      $ 15.61      $ 14.19        1.42%        (1.79)%  

 

The NAV per Common Share, the market price and percent of premium/(discount) to NAV per Common Share on July 7, 2021 was $17.87, $18.10 and 1.29%, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, the Fund had 17,191,758 Common Shares outstanding and net assets applicable to Common Shares of $304,726,758. See “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund.”

 

THE FUND

 

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on November 11, 2004, pursuant to the Declaration, which is governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Fund’s Common Shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “SPXX.” The Fund’s principal office is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and its telephone number is (800) 257-8787.

 

The following provides information about the Fund’s outstanding Common Shares as of June 30, 2021:

 

Title of Class


   Amount
Authorized

     Amount Held
by the Fund or
for its Account

     Amount
Outstanding

 

Common

     unlimited        0        17,191,758  

 

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5% Shareholders

 

The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person who, as of July 1, 2021, owned of record, or was known by the Fund to own of record or beneficially, 5% or more of any class of the Fund’s equity securities:*

 

Name of Equity Security            


 

Name and Address of Owner            


  % of Beneficial Ownership

Common Shares  

First Trust Portfolios L.P.

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, IL 60787

 

First Trust Advisors L.P.

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60787

 

The Charger Corporation

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60787

  6.75%

*

The information contained in this table is based on a Schedule 13G filing made January 19, 2021.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

The net proceeds from the issuance of Common Shares hereunder will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as stated below. Pending investment, the timing of which may vary depending on the size of the investment but in no case is expected to exceed 30 days, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in short-term or long-term securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities or in high-quality, short-term money market instruments.

 

THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS

 

Investment Objective and Policies

 

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. The Fund cannot assure you that it will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s investment objective is considered fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval. Unless otherwise specified, the Fund’s investment policies are considered non-fundamental.

 

The Fund will pursue its investment objective by investing in an equity portfolio and utilizing a dynamic options strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest its Managed Assets in an equity portfolio designed to broadly track the return and risk characteristics of the S&P 500 Index, and thereby substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index, and apply a dynamic call option overwrite strategy.

 

Equity Portfolio.    Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest its Managed Assets in a diversified equity portfolio made up of securities comprising the S&P 500 Index (or securities that have economic characteristics that are similar to those securities comprising the S&P 500 Index) that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index and is designed to support the Fund’s Option Strategy (as defined below) (the “Equity Portfolio”). Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets in the Equity Portfolio. Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to invest substantially all (at least 90%) of its Managed Assets in the Equity Portfolio or otherwise in pursuit of its investment objective.

 

The securities or other instruments included in the Equity Portfolio will be selected and periodically rebalanced utilizing statistical methods including, but not limited to, optimization and a variety of other

 

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quantitative modeling techniques. However, due to U.S. federal income tax considerations, the Fund intends to limit the overlap between the components of the Equity Portfolio (and any subset thereof) and the constituent securities of the S&P 500 Index to less than 70% (generally based on the value of such components) on an ongoing basis. As a result, the Fund will not hold all of the common stocks in the S&P 500 Index, or in the same weightings as in the S&P 500 Index, and returns on the Equity Portfolio are not intended to exactly match those of the S&P 500 Index. The portion of the Equity Portfolio invested in securities or other instruments other than individual securities comprising the S&P 500 Index will be selected to match the characteristics of the index with limited tracking error. In constructing the Equity Portfolio, Nuveen Asset Management also will consider opportunities to engage in tax-loss harvesting (i.e., periodically selling positions that have depreciated in value to realize capital losses that can be used to offset capital gains realized by the Fund) and other tax management considerations to improve after-tax shareholder outcomes.

 

The Fund’s policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its Assets in the Equity Portfolio is not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed without a vote of the common shareholders. However, this policy may only be changed by the Fund’s Board following the provision of 60 days’ prior written notice to common shareholders.

 

Option Strategy.    The Fund employs a dynamic “overwrite” option strategy consisting of writing (selling) index call options, call options on custom baskets of securities, and covered call options on individual securities (the “Option Strategy”). The Fund targets an overwrite level (i.e., the ratio of the notional value of call options sold by the Fund to the market value of the Fund’s Equity Portfolio) of 55% of the value of its Equity Portfolio over time, and the overwrite level will vary between 35% to 75% of the value of the Equity Portfolio based on the portfolio manager’s assessment of market conditions. In addition to a primary emphasis on writing call options to reduce downside risk and volatility of the Equity Portfolio, the Option Strategy as a secondary emphasis seeks additional return opportunities by capitalizing on inefficiencies in the options market through a variety of means including the use of call spreads and selling put options.

 

The Equity Portfolio seeks to track the total return performance of the S&P 500 Index. Combined with the Option Strategy, the Fund seeks attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. Volatility is measured by the annualized standard deviation of daily returns for the S&P 500 Index.

 

In applying the Option Strategy, Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for determining the notional value, timing, type and terms of the options strategies used by the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management actively manages the Fund’s options positions. In Nuveen Asset Management’s discretion, the Fund may purchase back call options or allow them to expire. To determine the options strategies used, Nuveen Asset Management considers market factors, such as current market levels and volatility, and option-specific factors, including but not limited to premium/cost, exercise price and expiration. Nuveen Asset Management typically seeks to construct a portfolio of call options that is diversified across multiple strike prices and expiration dates based on current market expectations.

 

The Fund’s strategy of using the S&P 500 Index as the relevant benchmark for the Equity Portfolio and Option Strategy is not considered fundamental and can be changed without a vote of the common shareholders. However, any use of an alternative index must be approved by the Fund’s Board and is subject to 60 days’ written notice to common shareholders.

 

As a fundamental policy, the Fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry, except that if 25% or more of the securities in the S&P 500 Index are issued by companies in one industry, the Fund would concentrate in that industry. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI.

 

The Fund may enter into certain derivatives instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments include futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements and other derivative instruments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. These types of strategies may generate taxable

 

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income. See “The Fund’s Investments—Portfolio Composition and Other Information—Derivatives.” For purposes of determining compliance with the Fund’s investment policies, the Fund will value eligible derivatives at market value or fair value instead of notional value.

 

The Fund may, from time to time, manage its cash by investing a part of its assets in short-term, high quality fixed-income securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest no more than 10% of its Managed Assets in such securities.

 

The Fund may invest in illiquid securities without limit.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries.

 

Consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies such as, among others, ETFs, subject to limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders issued by the SEC.

 

During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may deviate from its investment objective and invest all or a portion of its assets in investment grade debt securities, including obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. The Fund also may borrow up to 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes.

 

The Fund cannot change its investment objective without the approval of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding” Common Shares and, if applicable, Preferred Shares voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding” Preferred Shares voting as a separate class. When used with respect to particular shares of the Fund, a “majority of the outstanding” shares under the 1940 Act 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. See “Description of Shares—Preferred Shares—Voting Rights” and the SAI under “Description of Shares—Preferred Shares—Voting Rights” for additional information with respect to the voting rights of holders of Preferred shares. See also “Management of the Fund.”

 

Fund Management

 

Nuveen Fund Advisors is the Fund’s investment adviser and is responsible for the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation.

 

Nuveen Fund Advisors oversees Nuveen Asset Management in its management of the Fund’s portfolio. This oversight includes ongoing evaluation of Nuveen Asset Management’s investment performance, portfolio allocations, quality of investment process and personnel, compliance with Fund and regulatory guidelines, trade allocation and execution and other factors.

 

Nuveen Asset Management will invest the Fund’s Managed Assets in the Equity Portfolio that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index. Nuveen Asset Management also will manage the Fund’s Option Strategy. The Fund’s Option Strategy will consist of selling call options covering between 35% and 75% of the value of the Fund’s equity portfolio, with a long-run target of 55%, in seeking to provide attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. By selling call options on less than the full value of the Equity Portfolio, the Fund retains any potential capital appreciation or depreciation on the portion of the Equity Portfolio not effectively subject to the call options. In addition, as a secondary emphasis, the Fund’s Option Strategy seeks additional return opportunities by capitalizing on inefficiencies in the options market through a variety of means including the use of call spreads and selling put options.

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio Composition and Other Information

 

The Fund’s portfolio will be composed principally of the following investments.

 

Common Stocks.    The Fund expects to invest in a portfolio of individual common stocks designed to replicate the risk and return profile, and thereby substantially replicate price movements, of the S&P 500 Index. The Fund may also invest in other investment companies, including ETFs, that provide similar exposure to individual common stocks consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. Common stock generally represents an equity ownership interest in an issuer. Although common stocks have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns and may under-perform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or the occurrence of political or economic events which effect the issuers. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases borrowing costs and the costs of capital.

 

Option Contracts.    An option contract 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 reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be “covered,” meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties’ obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller but are subject to counterparty risk. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or any number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of the counterparties or their financial capabilities, and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement, may increase the potential for losses to the Fund. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes limited.

 

Call Options.    In carrying out its Option Strategy, the Fund may write index call options on the S&P 500 Index and other broad-based indices and may, if Nuveen Asset Management deems conditions appropriate, write call options on a variety of other equity market indices. As the seller of an index call option, the Fund receives a premium from the purchaser. The purchaser of the index call option has the right to any appreciation in the value of the index over the exercise price upon the exercise of the call option or the expiration date. If, at expiration, the purchaser exercises the index option sold by the Fund, the Fund will pay the purchaser the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price of the index option. The premium, the exercise price and the market value of the index determine the gain or loss realized by the Fund as the seller of the index call option.

 

The Fund may also write call options on custom baskets of securities. A custom basket call option is an OTC option with a counterparty whose value is linked to the market value of a portfolio of underlying securities and is collateralized by a portion of the Fund’s equity portfolio. In designing the custom basket call options, Nuveen Asset Management will primarily select assets not held by the Fund. In order to minimize the difference

 

27


Table of Contents

between the returns of the underlying securities in the custom basket (commonly referred to as a tracking error), Nuveen Asset Management will use optimization calculations when selecting the individual securities for inclusion in the custom basket.

 

The Fund may also write single name call options on individual stocks. With respect to call options written on individual securities, the Fund will not write “naked” or uncovered call options. A call option written by the Fund on an individual security is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration. The Fund, in effect, sells the potential appreciation in the value of the security subject to the call option in exchange for the premium. The Fund may execute a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has sold and sell another option (with either a different exercise price or expiration date or both). The Fund’s objective in entering into such a closing transaction will be to optimize net index option premiums. The cost of a closing transaction may reduce the net option premiums realized from the sale of the option. This reduction could be offset, at least in part, by appreciation in the value of the underlying security held in the Fund’s equity portfolio, and by the opportunity to realize additional premium income from selling a new option.

 

Call Spreads.    A call spread involves the sale of a call option and the corresponding purchase of a call option on the same underlying instrument with the same expiration date but with different exercise prices. The call spreads utilized by the Fund generally will generate less net option premium than writing calls, but limit the overall risk of the strategy by capping the Fund’s liability from the written call while simultaneously allowing for additional upside above the strike price of the purchased call.

 

Put Options.    A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying instrument (or the cash value of the index) at a stated price (the “exercise price”) at any time before the option expires. The purchase price for a put option is the “premium” paid by the purchaser for the right to sell. When the Fund sells a put option on an underlying instrument and the underlying instrument decreases in value, the purchaser of the put option has the right to exercise the option, obligating the Fund to purchase the underlying instrument at an exercise price that is higher than the prevailing market price. The Fund collects option premium income when it sells the put option. If the underlying instrument increases in value, the purchaser of the put option is unlikely to exercise the option since the prevailing market price will be higher than the exercise price. Accordingly, the Fund retains all put premium income collected during market advances.

 

Securities Issued by Non-U.S. Issuers.    The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries.

 

Illiquid Securities.    The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments that, at the time of investment, are illiquid (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities may include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements. The Board or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine which securities are liquid or illiquid. The Board has delegated to Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any security held by the Fund, although it has retained oversight and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. No definitive liquidity criteria are used. The Board has directed Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management when making liquidity determinations to look for such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security; and the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other relevant factors.

 

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Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or its delegate.

 

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions.    As a non-principal investment, 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. This type of transaction may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the securities prior to settlement and, because securities are subject to market fluctuations, the value of the securities at time of delivery may be less (or more) than their cost. A separate account of the Fund will be established with its custodian consisting of cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment.

 

Debt Securities; Defensive Position.    Under normal circumstances, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its Managed Assets in short-term high quality fixed income instruments. During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may deviate from its investment objective and invest all or any portion of its assets in investment grade debt securities, including obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. In such a case, the Fund may not pursue or achieve its investment objective.

 

Other Investment Companies.    The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies such as, among others, ETFs, subject to limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders issued by the SEC. The Fund generally expects that it may invest in other investment companies during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash, such as during periods when there is a shortage of attractive securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly available in the market. As an investor in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Common Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. Nuveen Asset Management will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in the investment company relative to available securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and therefore will be subject to leverage risks.

 

Derivatives.    The Fund may invest in certain derivative instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments include futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements and other derivative instruments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Credit default swaps may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. If the Fund is a seller of a contract, the Fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, with respect to such debt obligations. In return, the Fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the Fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If the Fund is a buyer of a contract, the Fund would have the right to deliver a referenced debt obligation and receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of such debt obligation from the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event (such as a credit downgrade) by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporation, with respect to its debt obligations. In return, the Fund would pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the counterparty would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligations to the Fund. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with a counterparty of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate

 

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payments for floating rate payments. The Fund will usually enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis; that is, the two payment streams will be netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.

 

See “Hedging Strategies and Other Uses of Derivatives” in the SAI and “Segregation of Assets” below.

 

The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) may also limit the extent to which the Fund invest in employ futures, options on futures and swaps.

 

There is no assurance that these derivative strategies will be available at any time or that Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management will determine to use them for the Fund or, if used, that the strategies will be successful.

 

Swap Transactions.    The Fund may enter into total return, interest rate and credit default swap agreements and interest rate caps, floors and collars. The Fund may also enter into options on the foregoing types of swap agreements (“swap options”).

 

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objective and strategies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, as a duration management technique, to attempt reduce risk arising from the ownership of a particular instrument, or to gain exposure to certain sectors or markets in the most economical way possible.

 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for a specified period of time. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined asset, reference rate or index. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, e.g., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a basket of securities representing a particular index. The notional amount of the swap agreement generally is only used as a basis upon which to calculate the obligations that the parties to the swap agreement have agreed to exchange. See “—Segregation of Assets” below.

 

Interest Rate Swaps, Caps, Collars and Floors.    Interest rate swaps are bilateral contracts in which each party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on different referenced interest rates (e.g., a fixed rate and a floating rate) applied to a specified notional amount. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. Interest rate collars involve selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

The use of interest rate transactions, such as interest rate swaps and caps, is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. Depending on the state of interest rates in general, the Fund’s use of interest rate swaps or caps could enhance or harm the overall performance of the Fund’s Common Shares. To the extent there is a decline in interest rates, the value of the interest rate swap or cap could decline, and could result in a decline in the NAV of the Common Shares. In addition, if short-term interest rates are lower than the Fund’s fixed rate of payment on the interest rate swap, the swap will reduce Common Share net earnings. If, on the other hand, short-term interest rates are higher than the fixed rate of payment on the interest rate swap, the swap will enhance Common Share net earnings. Buying interest rate caps could enhance the performance of the Common Shares by providing a maximum leverage expense. Buying interest rate caps could also decrease the net earnings of the Common

 

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Shares in the event that the premium paid by the Fund to the counterparty exceeds the additional amount such Fund would have been required to pay had it not entered into the cap agreement.

 

Total Return Swaps.    In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other the “total return” of a defined underlying asset during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. A total return swap may be applied to any underlying asset but is most commonly used with equity indices, single stocks, bonds and defined baskets of loans and mortgages. The Fund might enter into a total return swap involving an underlying index or basket of securities to create exposure to a potentially widely diversified range of securities in a single trade. An index total return swap can be used by the portfolio managers to assume risk, without the complications of buying the component securities from what may not always be the most liquid of markets. In connection with the Fund’s position in a swap contract, the Fund will segregate liquid assets or will otherwise cover its position in accordance with applicable SEC requirements. See “—Segregation of Assets” below.

 

Credit Default Swaps.    A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in an individual security or a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a “short” position in individual bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments. As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund would pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.

 

If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds the economic effect of leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under “—Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.”

 

Swap Options.    A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel, or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swap options. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund generally would incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than when it purchases a swap option. When the Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund would become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

 

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Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.    The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and/or Nuveen Asset Management is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors or events, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds the economic effect of leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Fund generally may only close out a swap, cap, floor, collar or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and generally may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which the Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

 

Futures and Options on Futures Generally.    A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security, index or interest rate (each a “financial instrument”) for a set price on a future date. Certain futures contracts, such as futures contracts relating to individual securities, call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument. However, these contracts generally are closed out before delivery by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale of a matching futures contract (same exchange, underlying financial instrument, and delivery month). Other futures contracts, such as futures contracts on interest rates and indices, do not call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument, but rather are agreements pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the financial instrument at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the contract was originally written. These contracts also may be settled by entering into an offsetting futures contract. Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with the futures broker, known as a FCM, an amount of cash or securities equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, FCMs may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held in the margin account generally is not income producing. However, coupon bearing securities, such as Treasury securities, held in margin accounts generally will earn income. Subsequent payments to and from the FCM, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying financial instrument fluctuates, making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a gain or loss. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM’s other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Futures transactions also involve brokerage costs and the Fund may have to segregate additional liquid assets in accordance with applicable SEC requirements. See “—Segregation of Assets” below.

 

A futures option gives the purchaser of such option the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the purchaser acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. Upon the exercise of a put option, the opposite is true.

 

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Forward contracts.    Forward contracts are two-party contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of commodities or securities, or the cash value of commodities, securities or a securities index, at an agreed upon future date.

 

Segregation of Assets.    As a closed-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, and various interpretive positions of the SEC and its staff. Under current laws, rules and positions, the Fund must maintain liquid assets (often referred to as “asset segregation”), or engage in other SEC staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivative instruments and financial agreements (such as reverse repurchase agreements). Generally, the Fund will maintain an amount of liquid assets with its custodian in an amount at least equal to the current amount of its obligations under derivative instruments and financial agreements, in accordance with SEC guidance. However, the Fund also may “cover” certain obligations by other means such as through ownership of the underlying investment or financial instrument. The Fund also may enter into offsetting transactions with respect to certain instruments consistent with existing SEC staff guidance so that its combined position, coupled with any liquid assets maintained by its custodian, equals its net outstanding obligation in related derivatives or financial agreements.

 

The SEC recently adopted new Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which, among other things, imposes limits on the amount of derivatives a fund can enter into and replaces the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The Fund will comply with the new rule’s requirements on or before the rule’s compliance date in 2022.

 

The Fund reserves the right to modify its policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions from time to time articulated by the SEC or its staff.

 

Limitations on the Use of Futures, Futures Options and Swaps.    If futures are used for hedging purposes, there can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the futures contract and in the underlying financial instruments that are being hedged. This could result from differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the financial instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading (e.g., differences in interest rate levels, maturities and the creditworthiness of issuers) among other factors. In addition, price movements of futures contracts may not correlate perfectly with price movements of the financial instruments underlying the futures contracts due to certain market distortions.

 

Successful use of futures by the Fund also is subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market. For example, if the Fund uses futures to hedge against the possibility of a decline in the market value of securities held in its portfolio and the prices of such securities increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. Furthermore, if in such circumstances the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements. The Fund may have to sell such securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a derivatives or futures or a futures option position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. Futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of the current trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

 

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Other Investments.    The Fund may invest in other securities as non-principal investments as described below:

 

U.S. Government Securities.    U.S. Government securities include (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance: U.S. Treasury bills (maturities of one year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturities of one year to ten years) and U.S. Treasury bonds (generally maturities of greater than ten years) and (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities that are supported by any of the following: (i) the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, (ii) the right of the issuer to borrow an amount limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury, (iii) discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the U.S. Government agency or instrumentality or (iv) the credit of the agency or instrumentality. The Fund also may invest in any other security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by U.S. Government securities. Agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government include but are not limited to: Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, U.S. Postal Service, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. Because the U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities, the Fund will invest in obligations issued by these instrumentalities only if Nuveen Asset Management determines that the credit risk with respect to such obligations is minimal.

 

Commercial Paper.    Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by corporations such as banks or bank holding companies and finance companies.

 

Repurchase Agreements.    The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements (the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell that security at a higher price) with respect to its permitted investments. The Fund’s repurchase agreements will provide that the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement, and will be marked-to-market daily.

 

Inter-Fund Borrowing and Lending.    The SEC has granted an exemptive order permitting registered open-end and closed-end Nuveen funds, including the Fund, 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 Fund will participate only as a lender, and not as a borrower, in the Inter-Fund Program. 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.

 

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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 borrowing 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. When a fund lends money to another fund, any delay in repayment to the lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.

 

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund did not enter into any inter-fund loan activity.

 

Portfolio Turnover.    The Fund may engage in portfolio trading when considered appropriate, but short-term trading in the Fund’s Equity Portfolio will not be used as the primary means of achieving the Fund’s investment objective. Although the Fund cannot accurately predict its annual portfolio turnover rate, it is not expected to exceed 50% under normal circumstances. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20%. However, there are no limits on the rate of portfolio turnover, and investments may be sold without regard to length of time held when, in Nuveen Asset Management’s opinion, investment considerations warrant such action. A higher portfolio turnover rate would result in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. Although these commissions and expenses are not reflected in the Fund’s “Total Annual Expenses” disclosed in this Prospectus, they will be reflected in the Fund’s total return. In addition, high portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund, which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. See “Tax Matters.”

 

Securities Lending.    The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of its total assets to broker-dealers, banks, and other institutions to generate additional income. When the Fund loans its portfolio securities, it will receive, at the inception of each loan, cash collateral equal to at least 102% of the value of the loaned securities. Under the Fund’s securities lending agreement, the securities lending agent will generally bear the risk that a borrower may default on its obligation to return loaned securities. The Fund, however, will be responsible for the risks associated with the investment of cash collateral. The Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral or may fail to earn sufficient income on its investment to meet its obligations to the borrower.

 

USE OF LEVERAGE

 

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes and may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure.

 

RISKS

 

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company designed primarily as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions. The following are principal risks associated with an investment in the Fund.

 

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Portfolio Holdings Risks

 

Option Strategy Risks

 

Call Option Risk.    As the writer of a call option, the Fund foregoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the instrument underlying the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the option, but will retain the risk of loss should the market value of the instrument underlying the call option decline. The purchaser of the call option has the right to any appreciation in the value of the underlying instrument over the exercise price upon the exercise of the call option or the expiration date. As the Fund increases the option overlay percentage, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited and the risk of NAV erosion increases. If the Fund experiences NAV erosion, which itself may have a negative effect on the market price of the Fund’s shares, the Fund will have a reduced asset base over which to write call options, which may eventually lead to reduced distributions to shareholders.

 

In addition, because the exercise of index options is settled in cash, sellers of index call options, such as the Fund, cannot provide in advance for their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. The Fund bears a risk that the value of the securities held by the Fund will vary from the value of the S&P 500 Index and relative to the written index call option positions. Accordingly, the Fund may incur losses on the index call options that it has sold that exceed gains on the Fund’s equity portfolio. The value of index options written by the Fund, which will be priced daily, will be affected by changes in the value of and dividend rates of the underlying common stocks in the index, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the stock market and the remaining time to the options’ expiration. The value of the index options also may be adversely affected if the market for the index options becomes less liquid or smaller.

 

Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties’ obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller but are subject to counterparty risk. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or any number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of the counterparties or their financial capabilities, and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement, may increase the potential for losses to the Fund. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes limited.

 

Call Spreads Risk.    The Fund may enter into call spreads. A call spread involves the sale of a call option and the corresponding purchase of a call option on the same underlying instrument with the same expiration date but with different strike prices. The Fund may not be able to enter into (or close out of) these transactions, at times or in the quantities desired by Nuveen Fund Advisors. The Fund also may not be able to enter into (or close out of) these transactions because of, among other things, the lack of market participants that are willing to take contrary positions to that of the Fund.

 

Put Option Risk.    By writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire strike price of each option it sells but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. When the Fund writes a put option, it assumes the risk that it must purchase the underlying instrument at a strike price that may be higher than the market price of the instrument. If there is a broad market decline and the Fund is not able to close out its written put options, it may result in substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund will receive a premium from writing options, but the premium received may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from exercised put options.

 

Option Strategy Risk.    In employing the Option Strategy, Nuveen Asset Management seeks to reduce downside risk and volatility of the Equity Portfolio. The strategy may not work as intended and may result in

 

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losses or periods of underperformance, particularly during periods when market values are increasing. The success of the Option Strategy will be subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the S&P 500 Index and the metrics used by Nuveen Asset Management to measure market volatility. Because the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Option Strategy also will be subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute volatility management techniques in an efficient manner. In addition, market conditions change, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, and Nuveen Asset Management may be unable to execute the volatility management strategy in a timely manner or at all. Moreover, volatility management strategies may increase portfolio transaction costs, which could cause or increase losses or reduce gains. For a variety of reasons, Nuveen Asset Management may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between the relevant market index and the metrics that Nuveen Asset Management uses to measure market volatility. In addition, it is not possible to manage volatility fully or perfectly. Any one or more of these factors may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended volatility management or could cause the Fund to underperform or experience losses (some of which may be sudden) or volatility for any particular period that may be higher or lower. In addition, the use of volatility management techniques may not protect against market declines and may limit the Fund’s participation in market gains, even during periods when the market is rising. Volatility management techniques, when implemented effectively to reduce the overall risk of investing in the Fund, may result in underperformance by the Fund. The Fund’s performance may be lower than the performance of similar funds where volatility management techniques are not used.

 

Counterparty Risk.    The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivative transactions entered into by the Fund. Changes in the credit quality of the companies that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives transactions may affect the value of those instruments. Because certain derivative transactions in which the Fund may engage may be traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise becomes unable to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties the Fund may sustain losses (including the full amount of its investment), may be unable to liquidate a derivatives position or may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in bankruptcy or other reorganization proceedings. By entering into derivatives transactions, the Fund assumes the risk that its counterparties could experience such financial hardships. Although the Fund intends to enter into transactions only with counterparties that Nuveen Fund Advisors believes to be creditworthy, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction. In the event of a counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, any collateral posted by the Fund in connection with a derivatives transaction may be subject to the conflicting claims of that counterparty’s creditors, and the Fund may be exposed to the risk of a court treating the Fund as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.

 

The counterparty risk for cleared derivatives is generally lower than for uncleared OTC derivative transactions. In a cleared derivative transaction, generally, a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and each party to a trade looks only to the clearing organization for performance of financial obligations under the derivative contract. In effect, the clearing organization guarantees a party’s performance under the contract. However, there can be no assurance that a clearing organization, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund, or that the Fund would be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited on its behalf with the clearing organization in the event of the default by the clearing organization or the Fund’s clearing broker. In addition, cleared derivative transactions benefit from daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Uncleared OTC derivative transactions generally do not benefit from such protections. As a result, for uncleared OTC derivative transactions, there is the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. This risk is heightened for contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties.

 

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Equity Portfolio Risks

 

Common Stock Risk.    Common stock generally represents an equity ownership interest in an issuer. Although common stocks have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns and may under-perform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or the occurrence of political or economic events which effect the issuers. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases borrowing costs and the costs of capital.

 

Dividend Income Risk.    A portion of the Fund’s net investment income paid by the Fund to its Common Shareholders is derived from dividends it receives from common stocks held in the Fund’s Equity Portfolio. Dividends paid on the securities held by the Fund can vary significantly over the short-term and long-term. Dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of an issuer’s board of directors. There is no guarantee that the issuers of common stocks in which the Fund invests will declare dividends in the future or that if declared they will remain at current levels or increase over time.

 

Other Investment Companies Risk

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies. Such securities may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities and therefore magnify the Fund’s leverage risk. Utilization of leverage is a speculative investment technique and involves certain risks. An investment in securities of other investment companies that are leveraged may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the Common Shares) will be diminished.

 

Investing in an investment company exposes the Fund to all of the risks of that investment company’s investments. The Fund, as a holder of the securities of other investment companies, will bear its pro rata portion of the other investment companies’ expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the Fund’s own operations. As a result, the cost of investing in investment company shares may exceed the costs of investing directly in its underlying investments.

 

Non-U.S. Issuer Risk

 

The Fund may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries. Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve special risks not presented by investments in securities of U.S. issuers, including the following: (i) less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices; (ii) many non-U.S. markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile, meaning that, in a changing market, the Fund may not be able to sell its portfolio securities at times, in amounts or at prices it considers reasonable; (iii) potential adverse effects of fluctuations in currency exchange rates or controls on the value of the Fund’s investments; (iv) the economies of non-U.S. countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession; (v) the impact of economic, political, social or diplomatic events; (vi) possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of the company or its assets; (vii) certain non-U.S. countries may impose restrictions on the ability of non-U.S. issuers to make payments of principal and/or interest to investors located outside the U.S., due to blockage of foreign currency exchange or otherwise; and (viii) withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers in emerging market countries.

 

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Economies and social and political climates in individual countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. Non-U.S. economies may have less favorable rates of growth of gross domestic product, rates of inflation, currency valuation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments positions. Many countries have experienced substantial, and in some cases extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Unanticipated economic, political and social developments may also affect the values of the Fund’s investments and the availability to the Fund of additional investments in such countries.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk

 

The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments that, at the time of investment, are illiquid. Illiquid securities are securities that are not readily marketable and may include some restricted securities, which are securities that may not be resold to the public without an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act or, if they are unregistered, may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

 

Derivatives Risk

 

The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the investments underlying the derivatives. If the Fund enters into a derivative transaction, it could lose more than the principal amount invested. The risks associated with derivatives transactions include (i) the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, (ii) the possible default of the counterparty to the transaction, (iii) illiquidity of the derivative instruments, and (iv) high volatility losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited. Although both over-the-counter (“OTC”) and exchange-traded derivatives markets may experience a lack of liquidity, OTC non-standardized derivative transactions are generally less liquid than exchange-traded instruments. The illiquidity of the derivatives markets may be due to various factors, including congestion, disorderly markets, limitations on deliverable supplies, the participation of speculators, government regulation and intervention, and technical and operational or system failures. In addition, daily limits on price fluctuations and speculative position limits on exchanges on which the Fund may conduct its transactions in derivative instruments may prevent prompt liquidation of positions, subjecting the Fund to the potential of greater losses.

 

Whether the Fund’s use of derivatives is successful will depend on, among other things, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management correctly forecasting market circumstances, liquidity, market values, interest rates and other applicable factors. If Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management incorrectly forecast these and other factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be unfavorably affected. In addition, there can be no assurance that the derivatives investing techniques, as they may be developed and implemented by the Fund, will be successful in achieving the Fund’s investment objective. The use of derivatives to enhance returns may be particularly speculative.

 

The Fund may enter into debt-related derivatives instruments including credit default swap contracts and interest rate swaps. Like most derivative instruments, the use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of swaps requires an understanding by Nuveen Asset Management not only of the referenced asset, rate or index, but also of the swap itself. Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. The derivatives market is subject to a changing regulatory environment.

 

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In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. Upon becoming effective and subject to a transition period, Rule 18f-4 will impose limits on the amount of derivatives a fund can enter into, eliminate the asset segregation framework currently used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, treat derivatives as senior securities so that a failure to comply with the limits would result in a statutory violation and require funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager. It is possible that regulatory or other developments in the derivatives market could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to successfully use derivative instruments. See also, “—Counterparty Risk.”

 

The use of futures contracts exposes the Fund to additional risks and transaction costs. Risks inherent in the use of futures contracts include: the risk that securities prices, index prices, or interest rates will not move in the direction that Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management anticipates; an imperfect correlation between the price of the futures contract and movements in the prices of the securities being hedged; the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument and possible exchange imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired; leverage risk, which is the risk that adverse price movements in a futures contract can result in a loss substantially greater than the Fund’s initial investment in that futures contract; and the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, which could leave the Fund worse off than if it had not entered into the position. If the Fund uses futures contracts and the Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management’s judgment proves incorrect, the Fund’s performance could be worse than if it had not used these instruments.

 

A forward contract, also called a “forward,” involves a negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific security or currency at a future date (with or without delivery required), which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery of a specified lot of a particular security or currency for the Fund’s account. Risks associated with forwards include: (i) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of forward contracts and the securities underlying them; (ii) there may not be a liquid market for forwards; and (iii) forwards may be difficult to accurately value. Because forwards require only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit or margin, they may involve a high degree of leverage.

 

Fund Level Risks

 

Investment and Market Risk

 

An investment in the Fund’s Common Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount that you invest. Your investment in Common Shares represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund. Your Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions.

 

Market Discount from Net Asset Value

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have during some periods traded at prices higher than NAV and have during other periods traded at prices lower than NAV. The Fund cannot predict whether Common Shares will trade at, above or below NAV. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s NAV could decrease as a result of investment activities. Investors bear a risk of loss to the extent that the price at which they sell their shares is lower in relation to the Fund’s NAV than at the time of purchase, assuming a stable NAV. Proceeds from the sale of Common Shares in this offering will be reduced by transaction costs (if applicable, which vary depending on the offering method used). The NAV per Common Share will be reduced by an amount up to the offering costs. The NAV per Common Share will be reduced by costs associated with any future offerings of Common Shares. Depending on the premium of Common Shares at

 

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the time of any offering of Common Shares hereunder, the Fund’s NAV may be reduced by an amount up to the offering costs (estimated to be an additional 0.22% of the offering price assuming a Common Share offering price of $18.10 (the Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021). The Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and you should not view the Fund as a vehicle for trading purposes.

 

Tax Risk

 

The tax treatment and characterization of the Fund’s distributions may vary significantly from time to time because of the varied nature of the Fund’s investments. The ultimate tax characterization of the Fund’s distributions made in a calendar year may not finally be determined until after the end of that calendar year. In addition, there is a possibility that the Fund may make total distributions during a calendar year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains for that calendar year. For example, because of the nature of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may distribute net short-term capital gains early in the calendar year, but incur net short-term capital losses later in the year, thereby offsetting the short-term net capital gains for which distributions have already been made by the Fund. In such a situation, the amount by which the Fund’s total distributions exceed net investment income and net realized capital gains would generally be treated as a tax-free return of capital up to the amount of the Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his Common Shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis treated as gain from the sale of his Common Shares. While a portion of the Fund’s income distributions may be classified as “qualified dividend income,” which is generally taxable to individual investors who meet certain holding period and other requirements at a lower rate, there can be no assurance as to the percentage of the Fund’s income distributions that will be “qualified dividend income.” The writing of call options by the Fund may significantly reduce or eliminate its ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. Covered call options may also be subject to the federal tax rules applicable to straddles under the Code. If positions held by the Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury Regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) the Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are non-Section 1256 contracts be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred. The Fund currently intends to manage the Equity Portfolio generally in order to avoid being subject to the “straddle rules” under federal income tax law. The Fund expects that positions held under this strategy will not be considered straddles because the Equity Portfolio will not have substantial overlap with the stocks comprising the S&P 500 Index. Accordingly, based on current law, the Fund intends to maintain an overlap of less than 70% between the stocks held in the Equity Portfolio and the stocks comprising the S&P 500 Index. Under certain circumstances, however, the Fund may enter into option transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle.

 

Not an Index Fund

 

The Fund is not, nor is it intended to be, an index fund. As a result, the performance of the Fund will differ from the performance of the S&P 500 Index as a whole for various reasons, including the fact that the Fund will write call options on a portion of the Equity Portfolio and the weightings of the securities included in the Equity Portfolio may be different than the weightings of the common stocks in the S&P 500 Index. The Fund, by writing call options on the Equity Portfolio, will give up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the Equity Portfolio above the exercise prices of the options, but will continue to bear the risk of declines in the value of the Equity Portfolio. See “Call Option Risk” below.

 

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Anti-Takeover Provisions

 

The Fund’s Declaration includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could have the effect of depriving the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws.”

 

General Risks

 

Management Risk

 

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Fund Advisors will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results. Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Fund Advisors may err, for example, in the methodologies and strategies they choose to employ in seeking to replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index.

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk

 

Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management each provide a wide array of portfolio management and other asset management services to a mix of clients and may engage in ordinary course activities in which their respective interests or those of their clients may compete or conflict with those of the Fund. For example, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management may provide investment management services to other funds and accounts that follow investment objectives similar to those of the Fund. In certain circumstances, and subject to its fiduciary obligations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Nuveen Asset Management may have to allocate a limited investment opportunity among its clients, which include closed-end funds, open-end funds and other commingled funds. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management have each adopted policies and procedures designed to address such situations and other potential conflicts of interests.

 

Swap Transaction Risk

 

The Fund may enter into derivative instruments such as swap contracts and forward contracts. Like most derivative instruments, the use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. In addition, the use of swaps requires an understanding by Nuveen Asset Management of not only the referenced asset, rate or index, but also of the swap itself. Nuveen Asset Management is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors or events, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used.

 

Hedging Risk

 

The Fund’s use of derivatives or other transactions to reduce risk involves costs and will be subject to Nuveen Asset Management’s ability to predict correctly changes in the relationships of such hedge instruments to the Fund’s portfolio holdings or other factors. No assurance can be given that Nuveen Asset Management’s judgment in this respect will be correct, and no assurance can be given that the Fund will enter into hedging or other transactions at times or under circumstances in which it may be advisable to do so. Hedging activities may reduce the Fund’s opportunities for gain by offsetting the positive effects of favorable price movements and may result in net losses.

 

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Valuation Risk

 

The securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Fund’s pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Fund’s NAV.

 

Borrowing Risk

 

The Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the Fund’s shares and may affect the Fund’s net income. When the Fund borrows money, it must pay interest and other fees, which will reduce the Fund’s returns if such costs exceed the returns on the portfolio securities purchased or retained with such borrowings. Any such borrowings are intended to be temporary. However, under certain market circumstances, such borrowings might be outstanding for longer periods of time.

 

Global Economic Risk

 

National and regional economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country, region or market might adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or market. Changes in legal, political, regulatory, tax and economic conditions may cause fluctuations in markets and securities prices around the world, which could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. Major economic or political disruptions, particularly in large economies like China’s, may have global negative economic and market repercussions. Additionally, events such as war, terrorism natural and environmental disasters and the spread of infectious illnesses or other public health emergencies may adversely affect the global economy and the markets and issuers in which the Fund invests. Recent examples of such events include the outbreak of a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 that was first detected in China in December 2019 and heightened concerns regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile programs. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closure, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economy. These events could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Fund’s service providers, including Nuveen Asset Management, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Fund.

 

In December 2019, an initial outbreak of COVID-19 was reported and has resulted in numerous deaths and the imposition of both local and more widespread quarantine measures, border closures and other travel restrictions, causing social unrest and commercial disruption on a global scale. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks and governments have responded with liquidity injections to ease the strain on financial systems and stimulus measures to buffer the shock to businesses and consumers. These measures have helped stabilize the markets over the short term, but volatility will likely remain elevated until the health crisis itself is under control (via fewer new cases, lower infection rates and/or verified treatments). There are still many unknowns and new information is incoming daily, compounding the difficulty of modeling outcomes for epidemiologists and economists alike.

 

Additionally, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely impacted global commercial activity and has contributed to significant volatility in certain financial markets. There are no comparable recent events in the U.S. that provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of COVID-19 and a potential pandemic on the economy

 

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as a whole and, consequently, the Fund. Accordingly, while there have been proposed, and in some cases enacted, economic stimulus measures aimed at curbing the negative economic impacts to the U.S. and other countries as a result of COVID-19, it cannot be determined at this time whether such stimulus measures will have a stabilizing economic effect.

 

To the extent the impacts of COVID-19 continue, the Fund may experience negative impacts to its business that could exacerbate other risks to which the Fund is subject, including: (1) issuers of securities could be materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) operational impacts on and availability of key personnel of Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, and/or any of the Fund’s other service providers, vendors and counterparties as they face changed circumstances and/or illness related to the pandemic; and (3) limitations on the Fund’s ability to make distributions or dividends, as applicable, to Common Shareholders.

 

The Fund does not know and cannot predict how long the securities markets may be affected by these events and the effects of these and similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets. The Fund may be adversely affected by abrogation of international agreements and national laws which have created the market instruments in which the Fund may invest, failure of the designated national and international authorities to enforce compliance with the same laws and agreements, failure of local, national and international organizations to carry out their duties prescribed to them under the relevant agreements, revisions of these laws and agreements which dilute their effectiveness, or conflicting interpretation of provisions of the same laws and agreements.

 

Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which could adversely affect the Fund’s investments. See “—Recent Market Conditions” below.

 

Recent Market Conditions

 

In response to the financial crisis and recent market events, the United States and other governments and the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have taken steps to support financial markets. Policy and legislative changes by the United States government and the Federal Reserve to assist in the ongoing support of financial markets, both domestically and in other countries, are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time. In some countries where economic conditions are recovering, such countries are nevertheless perceived as still fragile. Withdrawal of government support, failure of efforts in response to the crisis, or investor perception that such efforts are not succeeding, could adversely impact the value and liquidity of certain securities. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations, including changes in tax laws and the imposition of trade barriers. The impact of new financial regulation legislation on the markets and the practical implications for market participants may not be fully known for some time. Changes to the Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates, may affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities. Regulatory changes are causing some financial services companies to exit long-standing lines of business, resulting in dislocations for other market participants. In addition, the contentious domestic political environment, as well as political and diplomatic events within the United States and abroad, such as the U.S. government’s inability at times to agree on a long-term budget and deficit reduction plan, the threat of a federal government shutdown and threats not to increase the federal government’s debt limit, may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Future legislative, regulatory and policy changes may result in more restrictions on international trade, less stringent prudential regulation of certain players in the financial markets, and significant new investments in infrastructure and national defense. Markets may react strongly to expectations about the changes in these policies, which could increase volatility, especially if the markets’ expectations for changes in government policies are not borne out.

 

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Changes in market conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities. Interest rates have been unusually low in recent years in the United States and abroad, but there is a consensus that interest rates will increase during the life of the Fund, which could negatively impact the price of debt securities. Because there is little precedent for this situation, it is difficult to predict the impact of a significant rate increase on various markets. For example, because investors may buy securities or other investments with borrowed money, a significant increase in interest rates may cause a decline in the markets for those investments. Because of the sharp decline in the worldwide price of oil, there is a concern that oil producing nations may withdraw significant assets now held in U.S. Treasuries, which could force a substantial increase in interest rates. Regulators have expressed concern that rate increases may cause investors to sell fixed income securities faster than the market can absorb them, contributing to price volatility. In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the United States and many foreign economies may decline over time, known as deflation (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely. If a country’s economy slips into a deflationary pattern, it could last for a prolonged period and may be difficult to reverse.

 

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (“UK”) held a referendum on whether to remain a member state of the European Union (“EU”), in which voters favored the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, an event widely referred to as “Brexit” and which triggered a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. The formal notification to the European Council required under Article 50 of the Treaty on EU was made on March 29, 2017, following which the terms of exit were negotiated. On January 31, 2020, the UK formally withdrew from the EU and the two sides entered into a transition phase, where the UK effectively remained in the EU from an economic perspective, but no longer had any political representation in the EU parliament. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and EU law no longer applies in the UK. On December 30, 2020, the UK and EU signed an EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“UK/EU Trade Agreement”), which went into effect on January 1, 2021 and sets out the foundation of the economic and legal framework for trade between the UK and EU. As the UK/EU Trade Agreement is a new legal framework, the implementation of the UK/EU Trade Agreement may result in uncertainty in its application and periods of volatility in both the UK and wider European markets. The longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the UK and the EU are unclear at this stage, remain subject to negotiation and are likely to lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the UK and in wider European markets for some time. The outcomes may cause increased volatility and have a significant adverse impact on world financial markets, other international trade agreements, and the UK and European economies, as well as the broader global economy for some time. Additionally, a number of countries in Europe have suffered terror attacks, and additional attacks may occur in the future. Ukraine has experienced ongoing military conflict; this conflict may expand and military attacks could occur elsewhere in Europe. Europe has also been struggling with mass migration from the Middle East and Africa. The ultimate effects of these events and other socio-political or geographical issues are not known but could profoundly affect global economies and markets.

 

The current political climate has intensified concerns about a potential trade war between China and the United States, as each country has recently imposed tariffs on the other country’s products. These actions may trigger a significant reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. U.S. companies that source material and goods from China and those that make large amounts of sales in China would be particularly vulnerable to an escalation of trade tensions. Uncertainty regarding the outcome of the trade tensions and the potential for a trade war could cause the U.S. dollar to decline against safe haven currencies, such as the Japanese yen and the euro. Events such as these and their consequences are difficult to predict and it is unclear whether further tariffs may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future.

 

The impact of these developments in the near- and long-term is unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.

 

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Legislation and Regulatory Risk

 

At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund, securities held by the Fund or the issuers of such securities. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on the entities and/or securities in which the Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Fund shareholders may incur increased costs resulting from such legislation or additional regulation. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) is designed to impose stringent regulation on the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives market in an attempt to increase transparency and accountability and provides for, among other things, new clearing, execution, margin, reporting, recordkeeping, business conduct, disclosure, position limit, minimum net capital and registration requirements. Although the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) has released final rules under the Dodd-Frank Act, many of the provisions are subject to further final rulemaking, and thus the Dodd-Frank Act’s ultimate impact remains unclear.

 

The SEC has proposed rules governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, which could affect the nature and extent of derivatives use by the Fund. The proposed rules have not yet been adopted and therefore the full impact of such rules is uncertain at this time. It is possible that such rules, if adopted, could limit the implementation of the Fund’s use of derivatives, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund.

 

Additionally, the Fund is operated by persons who have claimed an exclusion, granted to operators of registered investment companies like the Fund, from registration as a “commodity pool operator” under Rule 4.5 promulgated by the CFTC pursuant to its authority under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator.” As a result, the Fund is limited in its ability to use commodity futures (which include futures on broad-based securities indexes and interest rate futures) or options on commodity futures, engage in swaps transactions or make certain other investments (whether directly or indirectly through investments in other investment vehicles) for purposes other than bona fide hedging. With respect to transactions other than for bona fide hedging purposes, either: (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in such investments may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the futures, options or swaps markets. If the Fund does not continue to claim the exclusion, it would likely become subject to registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator. The Fund may incur additional expenses as a result of the CFTC’s registration and regulatory requirements.

 

Other Risks

 

In addition to the principal risks described above, an investment in the Fund is subject to the following other risks.

 

Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk

 

The occurrence of events similar to those in recent years, such as the aftermath of the war in Iraq, instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and other parts of the Middle East, the outbreak of infectious diseases such as Ebola or the Zika Virus, terrorist attacks in the U.S. and around the world, social and political discord, debt crises (such as the recent Greek crisis), sovereign debt downgrades, or the exit or potential

 

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exit of one or more countries from the EU, among others, may result in market volatility, may have long-term effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets, and may cause further economic uncertainties in the U.S. and worldwide. The Fund does not know how long the securities markets may be affected by these events and cannot predict the effects of these and similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets. The Fund may be adversely affected by abrogation of international agreements and national laws which have created the market instruments in which the Fund may invest, failure of the designated national and international authorities to enforce compliance with the same laws and agreements, failure of local, national and international organization to carry out the duties prescribed to them under the relevant agreements, revisions of these laws and agreements which dilute their effectiveness or conflicting interpretation of provisions of the same laws and agreements. The Fund may be adversely affected by uncertainties such as terrorism, international political developments, and changes in government policies, taxation, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of the countries in which it is invested.

 

Impact of Offering Methods Risk

 

The issuance of Common Shares through the various methods described in the Prospectus may have an adverse effect on prices in the secondary market for the Fund’s Common Shares by increasing the number of Common Shares available for sale. In addition, the Common Shares may be issued at a discount to the market price for such shares, which may put downward pressure on the market price for Common Shares of the Fund.

 

Debt Securities Risk

 

The Fund’s investments in debt securities are generally subject to issuer credit risk and interest rate risks. Issuers of debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may default on their obligations to pay principal or interest when due. This non-payment would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of a debt instrument experiencing non-payment and, potentially, a decrease in the NAV of the Fund. To the extent that the credit rating assigned to a security in the Fund’s portfolio is downgraded, the market price and liquidity of such security may be adversely affected. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed-rate debt instruments will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. When market interest rates rise, the market value of such instruments generally will fall.

 

Repurchase Agreement Risk

 

With respect to repurchase agreements, if the party agreeing to repurchase specific securities should default, the Fund may seek to sell the securities that it holds. This could involve transaction costs or delays in addition to a loss on the securities if their value should fall below their repurchase price. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.

 

Inflation Risk

 

Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the Common Shares and distributions thereon can decline.

 

Deflation Risk

 

Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time, which may have an adverse effect on the market valuation of companies, their assets and revenues. In addition, deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

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Certain Affiliations

 

Certain broker-dealers may be considered to be affiliated persons of the Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, TIAA, and/or Nuveen Investments. Absent an exemption from the SEC or other regulatory relief, the Fund is generally precluded from effecting certain principal transactions with affiliated brokers, and its ability to purchase securities being underwritten by an affiliated broker or a syndicate including an affiliated broker, or to utilize affiliated brokers for agency transactions, is subject to restrictions. This could limit the Fund’s ability to engage in securities transactions and take advantage of market opportunities. See also “Management of the Fund—Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and Portfolio Managers.”

 

Cybersecurity Risk

 

Technology, such as the internet, has become more prevalent in the course of business, and as such, the Fund and its service providers are susceptible to operational and information security risk resulting from cyber incidents. Cyber incidents refer to both intentional attacks and unintentional events including: processing errors, human errors, technical errors including computer glitches and system malfunctions, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, market-wide technical-related disruptions, unauthorized access to digital systems (through “hacking” or malicious software coding), computer viruses, and cyber-attacks which shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes or website access or functionality (including denial of service attacks). Cyber incidents could adversely impact the Fund and cause the Fund to incur financial loss and expense, as well as face exposure to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures. Cyber incidents may cause a Fund or its service providers to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, lose operational capacity or fail to comply with applicable privacy and other laws. Among other potentially harmful effects, cyber incidents also may result in theft, unauthorized monitoring and failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund and its service providers. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund’s service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The Board is responsible for the management of the Fund, including supervision of the duties performed by Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management. The names and business addresses of the trustees and officers of the Fund and their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years are set forth under “Management of the Fund” in the SAI.

 

Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and Portfolio Managers

 

Investment Adviser.    Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and implementation. Nuveen Fund Advisors offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Fund’s portfolio, manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC (“Nuveen”), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities

 

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Fund. As of March 31, 2021, Nuveen managed approximately $1.2 trillion in assets, of which approximately $169.5 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

 

Sub-Adviser.    Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s sub-adviser pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). Nuveen Asset Management is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. Nuveen Asset Management oversees day-to-day investment operations of the Fund. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, Nuveen Asset Management is compensated for the services it provides to the Fund with a portion of the management fee Nuveen Fund Advisors receives from the Fund. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management retain the right to reallocate investment advisory responsibilities and fees between themselves in the future.

 

Portfolio Management.    Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for the execution of specific investment strategies and day-to-day investment operations of the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management manages the Nuveen funds using a team of analysts and portfolio managers that focuses on a specific group of funds. The day-to-day operation of the Fund and the execution of its specific investment strategies is the primary responsibility of David Friar, designated portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014, as well as Jim Campagna, Lei Liao, and Darren Tran, designated portfolio managers of the Fund since 2020.

 

David Friar is a portfolio manager for Nuveen’s multi-asset portfolio management team. He joined the team managing the Equity, Mid Cap and Small Cap Index strategies in 2000 and became part of the enhanced equity index team in 2007. Additionally, he is a member of the investment team responsible for several other quantitative products, including the Equity Option Overwrite Strategies. David joined the firm in 1999 as a member of the performance measurement group. Before his role in portfolio management, he provided quantitative analysis for equity portfolios and constructed quantitatively driven portfolios for institutional and taxable clients. David graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Metropolitan State University.

 

Jim Campagna is a portfolio manager and oversees equity index strategies for Nuveen. He is responsible for all equity index, social choice, and equity ETF strategies. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, he was a portfolio manager at Mellon Capital Management where he was responsible for several funds and was an index strategy leader for the MSCI EAFE mandates. Jim graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine. He holds the CFA® designation and is a member of the FTSE Russell Americas Regional Equity Advisory Committee.

 

Lei Liao is a portfolio manager at Nuveen and is responsible for all equity index strategies, social choice equity portfolios, as well as some of the firm’s ETF product line. Lei joined the firm in 2012 and began working in the investment industry in 2004. His previous experience includes several years at Northern Trust Corp. as a senior equity portfolio manager. He graduated with an M.B.A. from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan. He also holds the CFA® designation.

 

Darren Tran is a portfolio manager at Nuveen and is responsible for all equity index, social choice equity, and equity ETF strategies. Darren joined the firm in 2005 as a foreign currency trader and entered the investment industry in 2000. Prior to joining the firm, he held a position at Morgan Stanley in Corporate Treasury. Darren graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Information Systems from the NYU Stern School of Business and an M.S. in Financial Engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. He holds the CFA® designation and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.

 

Additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager and each portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the SAI. The SAI is available free of charge by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.nuveen.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Fund’s website is not part of this Prospectus or the SAI.

 

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Investment Management and Sub-Advisory Agreements

 

Investment Management Agreement.    Pursuant to an investment management agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and the Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee for the services and facilities provided by Nuveen Fund Advisors, payable on a monthly basis, based on the sum of a fund-level fee and a complex-level fee, as described below.

 

Fund-Level Fee.    The annual fund-level fee for the Fund, payable monthly, is calculated according to the following schedule:

 

Average Daily Managed Assets*


   Fund-Level
Fee Rate


 

For the first $500 million

     0.6600

For the next $500 million

     0.6350

For the next $500 million

     0.6100

For the next $500 million

     0.5850

For managed assets over $2 billion

     0.5600

 

Complex-Level Fee.    The annual complex-level fee for the Fund, payable monthly, is calculated by multiplying the current complex-wide fee rate, determined according to the following schedule, by the Fund’s daily Managed Assets:

 

Complex-Level Eligible Asset Breakpoint Level*


   Effective
Complex-Level
Fee Rate at
Breakpoint Level


 

$55 billion

     0.2000 %

$56 billion

     0.1996 %

$57 billion

     0.1989 %

$60 billion

     0.1961 %

$63 billion

     0.1931 %

$66 billion

     0.1900 %

$71 billion

     0.1851 %

$76 billion

     0.1806 %

$80 billion

     0.1773 %

$91 billion

     0.1691 %

$125 billion

     0.1599 %

$200 billion

     0.1505 %

$250 billion

     0.1469 %

$300 billion

     0.1445 %

 

*

The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds. 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 Nuveen Fund Advisors’ assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011, but do include certain assets of certain Nuveen funds that were reorganized into funds advised by an affiliate of Nuveen Fund Advisors during the 2019 calendar year. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors that are attributable to certain types of leverage. For these purposes, 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 the TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by Nuveen Fund Advisors as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of December 31, 2020, the complex-level fee rate for the Fund was 0.1557%.

 

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In addition to the fee of Nuveen Fund Advisors, the Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its operations, including compensation of its Trustees (other than those affiliated with Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management), custodian, transfer agency and dividend disbursing expenses, legal fees, expenses of independent auditors, expenses of repurchasing shares, expenses associated with any borrowings, expenses of issuing any preferred shares, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies, and taxes, if any. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s most recent approval of the Investment Management Agreement for the Fund may be found in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders dated June 30 of each year.

 

Sub-Advisory Agreement.    Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, Nuveen Asset Management receives from Nuveen Fund Advisors a management fee equal to 0.3900% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets payable on a monthly basis. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management retain the right to reallocate investment advisory responsibilities and fees between themselves in the future.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s most recent approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Fund may be found in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders dated June 30 of each year.

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

The Fund’s NAV per Common Share is determined as of the close of regular session trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of Common Shares outstanding. In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Exchange-traded equity securities are generally valued at the last sales price on the securities exchange on which such securities are primarily traded. Exchange-traded equity securities traded on a securities exchange for which there are no transactions on a given day or securities not listed on a securities exchange are valued at closing mid or bid prices. Securities reported on Nasdaq are valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price. Exchange-listed option contracts are valued using the prices reported on the exchanges where such instruments are primarily traded as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors should note that the listed options markets generally close at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Changes in the value of the Fund’s options portfolio after 4:00 p.m. generally would not be reflected in that day’s NAV. Exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures contracts are generally valued at the final settlement price or official closing price on the exchange such on which futures contracts and options on futures contracts are primarily traded. OTC derivatives, including OTC options, are valued based on prices from a third party evaluation service. Temporary investments in securities that have variable rate and demand features qualifying them as short-term investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

The Fund’s securities are valued in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. Where a security is traded on more than one exchange, the security is generally valued at the price on the exchange considered to be the primary exchange. In the case of securities not traded on an exchange, or if exchange prices are not otherwise available, the prices are typically determined by independent third party pricing services that use a variety of techniques and methodologies.

 

The valuations for fixed income securities and certain derivative instruments are typically the prices supplied by independent third party pricing services, which may use market prices or broker/dealer quotations or a variety of fair valuation techniques and methodologies. Any independent pricing service determining fair value will do so pursuant to procedures adopted by, or under the supervision of, the Board. If independent third party pricing services are unable to supply prices for a portfolio investment, or if the prices supplied are deemed to be

 

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unreliable, the market price may be determined by using quotations from one or more broker/dealers. When such prices or quotations are not available, or when believed to be unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board. These procedures permit, among other things, the use of a matrix, formula or other method that takes into consideration market indexes, yield curves and other specific adjustments to determine fair value. The Fund may also use fair value procedures if it is determined that a significant event has occurred between the time at which a market price is determined and the time at which the fund’s NAV is calculated. The effect of using fair value pricing is that the Common Share NAV will be subject to the judgment of the Board or its designee instead of being determined by the market.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund will pay quarterly distributions stated in terms of a fixed cents per Common Share that would be composed of net investment income and supplemental amounts generally representing realized capital gains or, possibly, returns of capital representing unrealized capital gains. Quarterly distributions, including such supplemental amounts, are sometimes referred to as “managed distributions.” The Fund’s managed distribution policy is pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, which permits the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains to shareholders more frequently than once per year. The Fund will seek to establish a Common Share distribution rate that roughly corresponds to Nuveen Fund Advisors’ projections of the total return that could reasonably be expected to be generated by the Fund’s Common Shares over an extended period of time, although the distribution rate will not be solely dependent on the amount of income earned or capital gains realized. Nuveen Fund Advisors, in making such projections, may consider long-term historical returns and a variety of other factors. Distributions can only be made after paying any interest and required principal payments on borrowings, if any, and any accrued dividends to preferred shareholders, if any.

 

If, for any quarterly distribution, net investment income and net realized capital gains were less than the amount of the distribution, the difference would be distributed from the Fund’s assets. In order to raise the cash for such distributions, the Fund expects to sell portfolio securities. Such portfolio sales may occur at a time when independent investment judgment might not otherwise have dictated such action. The Fund’s final distribution for each calendar year may include any remaining net investment income and net realized capital gains not distributed during the year.

 

The Fund’s actual financial performance will likely vary significantly from month-to-month and from year-to-year, and there may be extended periods when the distribution rate will exceed the Fund’s actual total returns. The Fund’s projected or actual distribution rate is not a prediction of what the Fund’s actual total returns will be over any specific future period.

 

As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Common Shares and the Fund’s distribution policy could change. To the extent that the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy exceeds the distribution rate for an extended period, the Fund may be in a position either to increase the distribution rate or to distribute supplemental amounts to shareholders, or both. Conversely, if the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy is less than the distribution rate for an extended period of time, the Fund will effectively be drawing upon its assets to meet payments prescribed by its distribution policy. Similarly, for tax purposes such distributions by the Fund may consist in part of a return of capital to Common Shareholders. The exact tax characteristics of the Fund’s Common Share distributions will not be known until after the Fund’s fiscal year-end. Common Shareholders should not confuse a return of capital distribution with “dividend yield” or “total return.” At the same time that it pays a quarterly distribution, the Fund will post on its website (www.nuveen.com/cef), and make available in written form to holders of its Common Shares a notice of the estimated sources and tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions (i.e., what percentage of the distributions is estimated to constitute ordinary income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains, and/or a non-taxable return of capital) on a year-to-date basis, in compliance with a federal securities law requirement that any fund paying a distribution from sources other than net investment income disclose to shareholders the respective portion attributable to such other sources. These

 

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estimates may be based on certain assumptions about the Fund’s expected investment returns and the realization of net gains, if any, over the remaining course of the year. These estimates may, and likely will, vary over time based on the activities of the Fund and changes in the value of portfolio investments. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after December 31 in each year, and reported to Common Shareholders on Form 1099-DIV early the following year.

 

As explained more fully below in “Tax Matters,” the Fund intends to distribute to Common Shareholders any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year through its managed distributions or, alternatively, to retain all or a portion of the year’s net capital gain and pay federal income tax on the retained gain. Each Common Shareholder of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, his or her share of any retained gain, will be deemed to have paid his or her proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund on such retained gain, and will be entitled to an income tax credit or refund for that share of the tax. The Fund may treat any retained capital gain amount as a substitute for equivalent cash distributions. In addition, the Fund may make total Common Share distributions during a given calendar year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized long-term capital gains for that calendar year, in which case the excess will generally be treated by Common Shareholders as return of capital for tax purposes. A return of capital reduces a shareholder’s tax basis, which could result in more taxable gain when the shareholder sells his or her shares. This may cause the shareholder to pay taxes even if he or she sells shares for less than the original price.

 

The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of its quarterly Common Share distributions at any time upon notice to Common Shareholders, upon a determination by the Fund’s Board of Trustees that such change is in the best interests of the Fund and its Common Shareholders.

 

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

 

If your Common Shares are registered directly with the Fund or if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that participates in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) your distributions, including any capital gain distributions, will automatically be reinvested in additional Common Shares under the Plan unless you request otherwise. If you elect not to participate in the Plan, or are not eligible to participate because your brokerage firm does not participate in the Plan, you will receive all distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to you or your brokerage firm by Computershare, as dividend paying agent (the “Plan Agent”). The tax consequences of a distribution are the same regardless of whether such distribution is reinvested or received in cash. See “Tax Matters.”

 

Under the Plan, the number of Common Shares you will receive will be determined as follows:

 

(1) If the Common Shares are trading at or above NAV at the time of valuation, the Fund will issue new shares at a price equal to the greater of (i) NAV per Common Share on that date or (ii) 95% of the market price on that date.

 

(2) If Common Shares are trading below NAV at the time of valuation, the Plan Agent will receive the dividend or distribution in cash and will purchase Common Shares in the open market, on the NYSE or elsewhere, for the participants’ accounts. It is possible that the market price for the Common Shares may increase before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases. Therefore, the average purchase price per share paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the market price at the time of valuation, resulting in the purchase of fewer shares than if the dividend or distribution had been paid in Common Shares issued by the Fund. The Plan Agent will use all dividends and distributions received in cash to purchase Common Shares in the open market within 30 days of the valuation date. Interest will not be paid on any uninvested cash payments. The Plan provides that if the Common Shares start trading at or above NAV before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases, the Plan Agent may cease purchasing Common Shares in the open market, and

 

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may invest the uninvested portion in new shares at a price equal to the greater of (i) NAV per Common Share on the last purchase date or (ii) 95% of the market price on that date.

 

You may withdraw from the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Plan Agent. If you withdraw or the Plan is terminated, you will receive whole shares in your account under the Plan and you will receive a cash payment for any fraction of a share in your account. If you wish, the Plan Agent will sell your shares and send you the proceeds, minus brokerage commissions and a $2.50 service fee.

 

The Plan Agent maintains all shareholders’ accounts in the Plan and gives written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information you may need for tax records. Common Shares in your account will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form. Any proxy you receive will include all Common Shares you have received under the Plan.

 

There is no brokerage charge for reinvestment of your dividends or distributions in Common Shares. However, all participants will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred by the Plan Agent when it makes open market purchases.

 

Automatically reinvesting dividends and distributions does not mean that you do not have to pay income taxes due upon receiving dividends and distributions.

 

As noted above, if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that does not participate in the Plan, you will not be able to participate in the Plan and any dividend reinvestment may be effected on different terms than those described above. Consult your financial adviser for more information.

 

The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan if in the judgment of the Board the change is warranted. There is no direct service charge to participants in the Plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Additional information about the Plan may be obtained from Computershare, P.O. Box 505000, Louisville, Kentucky, 40233-5000, (800) 257-8787.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

The Fund may sell the Common Shares offered under this Prospectus through

 

   

at-the-market transactions;

 

   

underwriting syndicates; and

 

   

privately negotiated transactions.

 

The Fund will bear the expenses of the offering, including but not limited to, the expenses of preparation of the Prospectus and SAI for the offering and the expense of counsel and auditors in connection with the offering.

 

Distribution Through At-The-Market Transactions

 

The Fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Nuveen Securities (the “Distribution Agreement”), which has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement, the Fund may from time to time issue and sell its Common Shares through Nuveen Securities to certain broker-dealers that have entered into selected dealer agreements with Nuveen Securities. Currently, Nuveen Securities has entered into a selected dealer agreement (the “Selected Dealer Agreement”) with UBS pursuant to which UBS will act as the exclusive sub-placement agent with respect to at-the-market offerings of Common Shares. The Selected Dealer Agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus forms a part.

 

 

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Common Shares will only be sold on such days as shall be agreed to by the Fund, Nuveen Securities and UBS. Common Shares will be sold at prevailing market prices through the National Market System, subject to a minimum price to be established each day by Nuveen Securities. The minimum price on any day will not be less than the current NAV per Common Share plus the per share amount of the commission to be paid to Nuveen Securities. The Fund, Nuveen Securities and UBS will suspend the sale of Common Shares if the per share price of the shares is less than the minimum price.

 

The Fund will compensate Nuveen Securities with respect to sales of Common Shares at a commission rate of up to 1.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. Nuveen Securities or Nuveen Fund Advisors will compensate sub-placement agents or other broker-dealers participating in the offering at a rate of up to 0.8% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares sold by that sub-placement agent or broker-dealer. Settlements of sales of Common Shares will occur on the second business day following the date on which any such sales are made.

 

In connection with the sale of Common Shares on behalf of the Fund, Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act, and the compensation of Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. Unless otherwise indicated in a further Prospectus supplement, Nuveen Securities will act as underwriter on a reasonable efforts basis.

 

The offering of Common Shares pursuant to the Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all Common Shares subject thereto or (ii) termination of the Distribution Agreement. The Fund and Nuveen Securities each have the right to terminate the Distribution Agreement in their discretion at any time.

 

The Fund currently intends to distribute the shares offered pursuant to this Prospectus primarily through at-the-market transactions, although from time to time it may also distribute shares through an underwriting syndicate or a privately negotiated transaction. To the extent shares are distributed other than through at-the-market transactions, the Fund will file a supplement to this Prospectus describing such transactions.

 

The Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021 was $18.10.

 

UBS, its affiliates and their respective employees hold or may hold in the future, directly or indirectly, investment interests in Nuveen, Nuveen Fund Advisors, TIAA or any of their affiliates or funds. The interests held by employees of UBS or its affiliates are not attributable to, and no investment discretion is held by, UBS or its affiliates.

 

Distribution Through Underwriting Syndicates

 

The Fund from time to time may issue additional Common Shares through a syndicated secondary offering. In order to limit the impact on the market price of the Fund’s Common Shares, underwriters will market and price the offering on an expedited basis (e.g., overnight or similarly abbreviated offering period). The Fund will launch a syndicated offering on a day, and upon terms, mutually agreed upon between the Fund, Nuveen Securities, one of the Fund’s underwriters, and the underwriting syndicate.

 

The Fund will offer its shares at a price equal to a specified discount of up to 5% from the closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date. The applicable discount will be negotiated by the Fund and Nuveen Securities in consultation with the underwriting syndicate on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The Fund will compensate the underwriting syndicate out of the proceeds of the offering based upon a sales load of up to 4% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. The minimum net proceeds per share to the Fund will not be less than the greater of (i) the Fund’s latest NAV per Common Share or (ii) 91% of the closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date.

 

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Distribution Through Privately Negotiated Transactions

 

The Fund from time to time may sell directly to, and solicit offers from, institutional and other sophisticated investors, who may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the 1933 Act for any resale of Common Shares.

 

The terms of such privately negotiated transactions will be subject to the discretion of the management of the Fund. In determining whether to sell Common Shares through a privately negotiated transaction, the Fund will consider relevant factors including, but not limited to, the attractiveness of obtaining additional funds through the sale of Common Shares, the purchase price to apply to any such sale of Common Shares and the person seeking to purchase the Common Shares.

 

Common Shares issued by the Fund through privately negotiated transactions will be issued at a price equal to the greater of (i) the NAV per share of the Fund’s Common Shares or (ii) at a discount ranging from 0% to 5% of the average daily closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares at the close of business on the ten business days preceding the date upon which Common Shares are sold pursuant to the privately negotiated transaction. The applicable discount will be determined by the Fund on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

 

The principal business address of Nuveen Securities is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

Common Shares

 

The Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. The Common Shares being offered have a par value of $0.01 per share and, subject to the rights of holders of Preferred Shares, if issued, have equal rights to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. The Common Shares being offered will, when issued, be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed in “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws,” non-assessable, and will have no preemptive or conversion rights or rights to cumulative voting. The Fund has no current intention of issuing Preferred Shares or incurring borrowings. However, if at some future time the Fund issues Preferred Shares and/or incurs borrowings, the Common Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any cash distributions from the Fund unless all accrued dividends on Preferred Shares and interest on borrowings have been paid, and (i) unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions and (ii) unless asset coverage (again, as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to any borrowings would be at least 300% after giving effect to the distributions. See “—Preferred Shares” below.

 

The Common Shares are listed on the NYSE and trade under the ticker symbol “SPXX.” The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the Common Shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing. The Fund will not issue share certificates.

 

Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a shareholder determines to buy additional Common Shares or sell shares already held, the shareholder may conveniently do so by trading on the exchange through a broker or otherwise. Shares of closed-end investment companies may frequently trade on an exchange at prices lower than NAV. Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have, during some periods, traded at prices higher than NAV and, during other periods, have traded at prices lower than NAV. Because the market value of the Common Shares may be influenced by such factors as distribution levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), distribution stability, NAV, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot guarantee you that Common Shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than NAV in the future. The Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and investors in the Common Shares should not view the Fund as a vehicle for trading purposes. See the SAI under “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund.”

 

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Preferred Shares

 

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Preferred Shares in one or more classes or series, with rights as determined by the Board, by action of the Board without the approval of the Common Shareholders. The terms of any Preferred Shares that may be issued by the Fund may be the same as, or different from, the terms described below, subject to applicable law and the Declaration.

 

Limited Issuance of Preferred Shares.    Under the 1940 Act, the Fund can issue Preferred Shares with an aggregate liquidation value of up to one-half of the value of the Fund’s total net assets, measured immediately after issuance of the Preferred Shares. “Liquidation value” means the original purchase price of the shares being liquidated plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless the liquidation value of the Preferred Shares is less than one-half of the value of the Fund’s total net assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution) immediately after the distribution.

 

Distribution Preference.    The Preferred Shares would have complete priority over the Common Shares as to distribution of assets.

 

Liquidation Preference.    In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, holders of Preferred Shares would be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared) before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Shares.

 

Voting Rights.    Preferred Shares are required to be voting shares and to have equal voting rights with Common Shares. Except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus or the SAI and except as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of Preferred Shares would vote together with Common Shareholders as a single class.

 

Holders of Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees (following the establishment of the Fund by an initial trustee, the Declaration provides for a total of no less than two and no more than fifteen trustees). The remaining trustees would be elected by Common Shareholders and holders of Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class. In the unlikely event that two full years of accrued dividends are unpaid on the Preferred Shares, the holders of all outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s trustees until all dividends in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment. In order for the Fund to take certain actions or enter into certain transactions, a separate class vote of holders of Preferred Shares would be required, in addition to the single class vote of the holders of Preferred Shares and Common Shares. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” and the SAI under “Description of Shares—Preferred Shares—Voting Rights.”

 

Redemption, Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares.    The terms of the Preferred Shares may provide that they may be redeemed by the issuer at certain times, in whole or in part, at the original purchase price per share plus accumulated dividends. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred Shares by the Fund would reduce the leverage applicable to Common Shares, while any issuance of such shares by the Fund would increase such leverage.

 

In the event of any future issuance of Preferred Shares, the Fund likely would apply for ratings from an nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”). In such event, as long as Preferred Shares are outstanding, the composition of the Fund’s portfolio would reflect guidelines established by such NRSRO. Based on previous guidelines established by such NRSROs for the securities of other issuers, the Fund anticipates that the guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than

 

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those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. However, at this time, no assurance can be given as to the nature or extent of the guidelines that may be imposed in connection with obtaining a rating of any Preferred Shares.

 

Borrowings

 

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Declaration authorizes the Fund, without approval of the Common Shareholders, to borrow money. In this connection, the Fund may issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness (including bank borrowings or commercial paper) and may secure any such borrowings by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the Fund’s assets. In connection with such borrowing, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances with the lender or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Any such requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after any such borrowings, must have an “asset coverage” of at least 300%. With respect to any such borrowings, asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of such borrowing represented by senior securities issued by the Fund. As with the issuance of Preferred Shares, certain types of borrowing may result in the Fund being subject to certain restrictions imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies that may issue ratings for commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund. Such restrictions may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

 

The rights of lenders to the Fund to receive interest on and repayment of principal of any such borrowings would be senior to those of the Common Shareholders, and the terms of any such borrowings may contain provisions that limit certain activities of the Fund, including the payment of dividends to Common Shareholders in certain circumstances. Further, the 1940 Act would (in certain circumstances) grant to the lenders to the Fund certain voting rights in the event of default in the payment of interest on or repayment of principal. In the event that such provisions would impair the Fund’s status as a RIC under the Code, the Fund would repay the borrowings. Any borrowing will likely be ranked senior or equal to all other existing and future borrowings of the Fund. The Fund also may borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI.

 

CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS

 

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Fund’s Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for debts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such limited liability be given in each obligation, contract or instrument made or issued by the Fund or the trustees. The Fund’s Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The Fund believes that the likelihood of such circumstances is remote.

 

The Fund’s Declaration includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to convert the Fund to open-end status. Specifically, the Fund’s Declaration requires a vote by holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class, except as described below, to authorize (1) a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, (2) a merger or consolidation of the Fund with any corporation, association, trust or other organization or a reorganization or recapitalization of the Fund or a series or class of the Fund, (3) a sale, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets (other than in the regular course of the Fund’s investment activities), (4) in certain circumstances, a termination of the Fund, or (5) a removal of trustees by shareholders, and then only for cause, unless, with respect to (1) through (4), such transaction has already been authorized by

 

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the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration or the Fund’s by-laws, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Fund’s outstanding common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class, is required; provided, however, that, where only a particular class or series is affected (or, in the case of removing a trustee, when the trustee has been elected by only one class), only the required vote by the applicable class or series will be required. For purposes of the foregoing, the term “recapitalization” will not mean, without limitation, the issuance or redemption of preferred shares pursuant to the terms of the Declaration or the applicable Statement adopted with respect to such preferred shares, whether or not in conjunction with the issuance, retirement or redemption of other securities or indebtedness of the Fund. However, approval of shareholders is not required for any transaction, whether deemed a merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise, whereby the Fund issues shares in connection with the acquisition of assets (including those subject to liabilities) of any other investment company or similar entity. In the case of the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company, or in the case of any of the foregoing transactions constituting a plan of reorganization (as that term is used in the 1940 Act) which adversely affects the holders of preferred shares, the action in question will also require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, or, if such action has been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration or the Fund’s by-laws, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Fund’s preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class. None of the foregoing voting provisions may be amended or repealed except by the vote of at least two-thirds of the common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class. The votes required to approve the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company or to approve transactions constituting a plan of reorganization which adversely affects the holders of preferred shares are higher than those required by the 1940 Act. The Fund’s Board believes that the provisions of the Fund’s Declaration relating to such higher votes are in the best interests of the Fund.

 

The Fund’s Declaration provides that the obligations of the Fund are not binding upon the Fund’s trustees individually, but only upon the assets and property of the Fund, and that the trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Fund’s Declaration protects a trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

In addition, the Fund’s by-laws require the Board to be divided into three classes with staggered terms. This provision of the by-laws could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board. Holders of preferred shares, voting as a separate class, are entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees.

 

The Fund’s by-laws provide that a shareholder who obtains beneficial ownership of common shares in a “Control Share Acquisition” shall have the same voting rights as other common shares only to the extent authorized by shareholders. Such authorization shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (more than 50%) of the shares of the Fund entitled to vote in the election of trustees excluding Interested Shares. Interested Shares include shares held by Fund officers and any person who has acquired common shares in a Control Share Acquisition (the “Control Share Provisions”). The by-laws define a “Control Share Acquisition,” subject to various conditions and exceptions, generally to mean an acquisition of common shares that would give the beneficial owner, upon the acquisition of such shares, the ability to exercise voting power, but for the Control Share Provisions, in the election of trustees in any one of the following ranges: (i) one-tenth or more, but less than one-fifth of all voting power; (ii) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third of all voting power; (iii) one-third or more, but less than a majority of all voting power; or (iv) a majority or more of all voting power. For this purpose, all common shares acquired by a person within ninety days before or after the date on which such person acquires shares that result in a Control Share Acquisition, and all common shares acquired by such person pursuant to a plan to make a Control Share Acquisition, shall be deemed to have been acquired in the same Control Share Acquisition. Subject to various conditions and procedural requirements, including the delivery of a “Control Share Acquisition Statement” to the Fund setting forth certain required information, a shareholder who obtains or proposes to obtain beneficial ownership of common shares in a Control Share Acquisition generally

 

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may request a vote of shareholders to approve the authorization of voting rights of such shareholder with respect to such shares.

 

The provisions of the Fund’s Declaration and by-laws described above could have the effect of depriving the common shareholders of opportunities to sell their common shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the common shares by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of a merger or the assumption of control by a third party. However, they provide the advantage of potentially requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid and facilitating the continuity of the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. The Fund’s Board has considered the foregoing anti-takeover provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund.

 

The Fund’s by-laws contain certain provisions affecting potential shareholder claims against the Fund, including procedural requirements for derivative actions, an exclusive forum provision, and the waiver of shareholder rights to a jury trial. Massachusetts is considered a “universal demand” state, meaning that under Massachusetts corporate law a shareholder must make a demand on the company before bringing a derivative action (i.e., a lawsuit brought by a shareholder on behalf of the company). The Fund’s by-laws provide detailed procedures for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders (the “Demand By-law”) which are modeled on the substantive provisions of the Massachusetts corporate law derivative demand statute. The Demand By-law is intended to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction, and other harm that can be caused to the Fund or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. Among other things, the Demand By-law:

 

   

provides that before bringing a derivative action, a shareholder must make a written demand to the Fund;

 

   

establishes a 90-day review period, subject to extension in certain circumstances, for the Board of Trustees to evaluate the shareholder’s demand;

 

   

establishes a mechanism for the Board of Trustees to submit the question of whether to maintain a derivative action to a vote of shareholders;

 

   

provides that if the Fund does not notify the requesting shareholder of the rejection of the demand within the applicable review period, the shareholder may commence a derivative action;

 

   

establishes bases upon which a trustee will not be considered to be not independent for purposes of evaluating a derivative demand; and

 

   

provides that if the trustees who are independent for purposes of considering a shareholder demand determine in good faith within the applicable review period that the maintenance of a derivative action is not in the best interest of the Fund, the shareholder shall not be permitted to maintain a derivative action unless he or she first sustains the burden of proof to the court that the decision of the trustees not to pursue the requested action was not a good faith exercise of their business judgment on behalf of the Fund.

 

The Demand By-law may be more restrictive than procedures for bringing derivative suits applicable to other investment companies.

 

The Fund’s by-laws also require that actions by shareholders against the Fund, except for actions under the U.S. federal securities laws, be brought only in a certain federal court in Massachusetts, or if not permitted to be brought in federal court, then in the Business Litigation Session of the Massachusetts Superior Court in Suffolk County (the “Exclusive Jurisdictions”), and that the right to jury trial be waived to the fullest extent permitted by law. Other investment companies may not be subject to similar restrictions. The designation of Exclusive Jurisdictions may make it more expensive for a shareholder to bring a suit than if the shareholder were permitted to select another jurisdiction. Also, the designation of Exclusive Jurisdictions and the waiver of jury trials limit a shareholder’s ability to litigate a claim in the jurisdiction and in a manner that may be more favorable to the shareholder. It is possible that a court may choose not to enforce these provisions of the Fund’s by-laws.

 

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The Fund’s Declaration provides that common shareholders will have no right to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any shares or securities of the Fund, other than such right, if any, as the Fund’s Board in its discretion may determine.

 

Reference should be made to the Fund’s Declaration and by-laws on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.

 

REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

 

The Fund is a closed-end investment company and as such its shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem their shares. Instead, the Common Shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including distribution levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), NAV, distribution stability, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Because shares of closed-end investment companies may frequently trade at prices lower than NAV, the Fund’s Board has currently determined that, at least annually, it will consider action that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from NAV in respect of Common Shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares at NAV, or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. The Fund cannot assure you that its Board will decide to take any of these actions, or that share repurchases or tender offers will actually reduce market discount. On August 4, 2020, the Fund’s Board renewed the Fund’s open market share repurchase program under which the Fund may repurchase up to 10% of its Common Shares. Since the inception of the Fund’s share repurchase program through July 7, 2021, the Fund has repurchased 383,763 Common Shares under the program.

 

If the Fund converted to an open-end investment company, it would be required to redeem all Preferred Shares then outstanding (requiring in turn that it liquidate a portion of its investment portfolio), and the Common Shares would no longer be listed on the NYSE or elsewhere. In contrast to a closed-end investment company, shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder) at their NAV, less any redemption charge that is in effect at the time of redemption. As a result, conversion to open-end status may require changes in the management of the Fund’s portfolio in order to meet the liquidity requirements applicable to open-end funds. Because portfolio securities may have to be liquidated to meet redemptions, conversion could affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or to use certain investment policies and techniques described above. If converted to an open-end fund, the Fund expects to pay all redemptions in cash, but intends to reserve the right to pay redemption requests in a combination of cash or securities. If such partial payment in securities were made, investors may incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. If the Fund were converted to an open-end fund, it is likely that new Common Shares would be sold at NAV plus a sales load. See the SAI under “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” for a discussion of the voting requirements applicable to the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company.

 

Before deciding whether to take any action if the Common Shares trade below NAV, the Board would consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders, and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Fund’s shares should trade at a discount, the Board may determine that, in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders, no action should be taken. See the SAI under “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” for a further discussion of possible action to reduce or eliminate such discount to NAV.

 

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TAX MATTERS

 

The following is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a shareholder that acquires, holds and/or disposes of shares of the Fund. This discussion only addresses U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets and does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to particular shareholders in light of their individual circumstances. This discussion also does not address the tax consequences to shareholders who are subject to special rules, including, without limitation, shareholders with large positions in the Fund, financial institutions, insurance companies, dealers in securities or foreign currencies, foreign holders, persons who hold their shares as or in a hedge against currency risk, a constructive sale, or conversion transaction, holders who are subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, or tax-exempt or tax-deferred plans, accounts, or entities. In addition, the discussion does not address any state, local, or foreign tax consequences. The discussion reflects applicable tax laws of the United States as of the date of this Prospectus, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) retroactively or prospectively. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income tax concerns affecting the Fund and its shareholders, and the discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund, including the applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them and the effect of possible changes in tax laws.

 

The Fund has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements regarding the sources of its income, the diversification of its assets and the distribution of its income. As a RIC, the Fund is not expected to be subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it timely distributes to its shareholders.

 

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities. The Fund may distribute to its shareholders amounts that are treated as long-term capital gain or ordinary income (which may include short-term capital gains). These distributions may be subject to federal, state and local taxation, depending on a shareholder’s situation. If so, they are taxable whether or not such distributions are reinvested. Net capital gain distributions (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable at rates applicable to long-term capital gains regardless of how long a shareholder has held its shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxable to non-corporate shareholders at a maximum federal income tax rate of 20%. In addition, certain individuals, estates and trusts are subject to a 3.8% tax on net investment income, including net capital gains and other taxable dividends. Corporate shareholders are taxed on capital gain at the same rate applicable to ordinary income, currently 21%. The Fund expects that a portion of its distributions to shareholders from its investments may qualify for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders and as “qualified dividend income” to non-corporate shareholders; provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will represent a return of capital for federal income tax purposes to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in the shares and thus will generally not be taxable to the shareholder. To the extent such distributions exceed the shareholder’s basis in the shares, they will be treated as gain from the sale of such shares and will be treated as capital gain (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset).

 

In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet the same holding period and other requirements with respect to the shareholder’s Fund shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (i) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held (or treated as held) for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (ii) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially

 

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similar or related property, (iii) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (iv) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.

 

In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the Fund will qualify for the 50% dividends received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (i) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held (or is treated as holding) for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (ii) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends received deduction may be disallowed or reduced (i) if a corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the Fund or (ii) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the dividends received deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)). For purposes of determining the holding period for stock on which a dividend is received, such holding period is reduced for any period the recipient has an option to sell, is under a contractual obligation to sell or has made (and not closed) a short sale of substantially identical stock or securities, and in certain other circumstances.

 

The straddle rules discussed below could cause distributions that would otherwise qualify for the dividends received deduction or constitute qualified dividend income to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements.

 

As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax in any taxable year provided that it meets certain distribution requirements. The Fund may retain for investment some (or all) of its net capital gain. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or investment company taxable income, it will be subject to tax at the regular corporate rate on the amount retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who, if subject to federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount; (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the federal income tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any; and (iii) may claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

 

Distributions declared by the Fund to shareholders of record in October, November or December and paid during the following January will be treated as having been paid by the Fund and received by shareholders in the year the distributions were declared.

 

If you invest in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, generally you will pay a higher price per share and, unless you are exempt from tax, you will pay taxes on the amount of the distribution whether you reinvest the distribution in additional shares or receive it as cash. This is known as “buying a dividend” and should be avoided by taxable investors.

 

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not

 

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taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (iii) any ordinary taxable income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years and on which the Fund paid no U.S. federal income tax. To prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement.

 

Each shareholder will receive an annual statement summarizing the shareholder’s distributions.

 

The Fund’s investments may be subject to special provisions of the Code that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gains into higher taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss, (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely alter the characterization of certain Fund investments or distributions and/or (vi) affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC.

 

Some of the Fund’s index call options may be considered “section 1256 contracts.” Code section 1256 generally will require any gain or loss arising from the lapse, closing out or exercise of such positions to be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. In addition, the Fund generally will be required to “mark to market” (i.e., treat as sold for fair market value) each outstanding index option position that is a section 1256 contract at the close of each taxable year (and on October 31 of each year for excise tax purposes). If a “section 1256 contract” held by the Fund at the end of a taxable year is sold in the following year, the amount of any gain or loss realized on such sale will be adjusted to reflect the gain or loss previously taken into account under the “mark to market” rules. In addition to most index call options, “section 1256 contracts” under the Code include certain other options contracts, certain regulated futures contracts, and certain other financial contracts.

 

The Fund’s index call options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code section 1234. Pursuant to Code section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the premium received for writing the option, and the amount paid to close out its position generally is short-term capital gain or loss.

 

Offsetting positions held by the Fund involving certain derivative instruments, such as options, forward, and futures, as well as its long and short positions in portfolio securities, may be considered, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” Straddles are defined to include “offsetting positions” in actively traded personal property. For instance, a straddle can arise if the Fund writes a certain covered call option on a stock (i.e., a call on a stock owned by the Fund), or writes a call option on a stock index to the extent the Fund’s stock holdings (and any subset thereof) and the index on which it has written a call overlap sufficiently to constitute a straddle under applicable Treasury Regulations. The tax treatment of “straddles” is governed by section 1092 of the Code which, in certain circumstances, overrides or modifies the provisions of section 1256 described above. If the Fund is treated as entering into a “straddle” and at least one (but not all) of the Fund’s positions in derivative contracts comprising a part of such straddle is a section 1256 contract, described above, then such straddle could be characterized as a “mixed straddle.” The Fund may make one or more elections with respect to “mixed straddles.” Depending upon which election is made, if any, the results with respect to the Fund may differ. Generally, to the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by the Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in any offsetting positions. Moreover, as a result of the straddle rules, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gain may be characterized as short-term capital gain. In addition, the existence of a straddle can cause the holding periods to be tolled on the offsetting positions. As a result, the straddle rules could cause distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements described above. Furthermore, the Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense and carrying charges applicable to a position that is part of a straddle, including any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or

 

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carry any positions that are part of a straddle. The application of the straddle rules to certain offsetting Fund positions can therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders, and may result in significant differences from the amount, timing and/or character of distributions that would have been made by the Fund if it had not entered into offsetting positions in respect of certain of its portfolio securities.

 

If the Fund enters into a “constructive sale” of any appreciated financial position in its portfolio, the Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when the Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of the Fund’s taxable year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.

 

The redemption, sale or exchange of shares normally will result in capital gain or loss to shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. The gain or loss on shares held for one year or less will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gains of corporations at the same rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, however, long-term capital gains are currently taxed at a maximum federal income tax rate of 20%, while short-term capital gains and other ordinary income are currently taxed at ordinary income rates. An additional 3.8% tax may also apply to certain individual, estate or trust shareholders’ capital gain from the sale or other disposition of their shares. Any loss on the sale or disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any net capital gain distributions received by the shareholder on such shares. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund will be disallowed to the extent those shares of the Fund are replaced by other substantially identical shares of the Fund or other substantially identical stock or securities (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the original shares. In that event, the basis of the replacement shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

To the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries.

 

The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 24% from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with his, her or its correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or if the shareholder has been notified by the IRS (or the IRS notifies the Fund) that he, she or it is subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, it is a way in which the IRS ensures it will collect taxes otherwise due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

The above discussion provides very general information only, and tax laws are subject to change. You should consult your tax professional about foreign, federal, state and local tax consequences associated with your investment in the Fund. More information about taxes is available in the SAI.

 

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CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

The custodian of the Fund’s assets is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 (the “Custodian”). The Custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent is Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Computershare is located at 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, provides auditing services to the Fund. The principal business address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is located at 1 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60606.

 

LEGAL OPINION

 

Certain legal matters in connection with the Common Shares will be passed upon for the Fund by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Washington, DC.

 

OTHER MATTERS

 

“Standard & Poor’s®”, “S&P®”, “Standard & Poor’s 500”, “S&P 500®” and “500” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and the Fund has the right to use such trademarks pursuant to a licensing agreement. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor’s, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund.

 

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the S&P 500 Index to track general stock market performance. S&P’s only relationship to the Fund is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P and of the S&P 500 Index which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to the Fund. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of the Fund or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500 Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Product.

 

S&P DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND S&P SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. S&P MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. S&P MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S&P HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

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AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

The Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the 1940 Act and is required to file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This Prospectus, the SAI, reports, proxy statements, and other information about the Fund can be inspected at the offices of the NYSE and at the Fund’s website http://www.nuveen.com.

 

This Prospectus does not contain all of the information in the Fund’s Registration Statement, including amendments, exhibits, and schedules.

 

Additional information about the Fund and the Common Shares can be found in the Fund’s Registration Statement (including amendments, exhibits, and schedules) on Form N-2 filed with the SEC. The SEC maintains a web site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the Fund’s Registration Statement, other documents incorporated by reference, and other information the Fund has filed electronically with the SEC, including proxy statements and reports filed under the Exchange Act.

 

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

The documents listed below, and any reports and other documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 30(b)(2) of the 1940 Act and Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering will be incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and deemed to be part of this Prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents:

 

   

The Fund’s SAI, dated July 28, 2021; and

 

   

The Fund’s annual report on Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

 

The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this Prospectus, and later information that the Fund files with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information.

 

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4,993,317 Common Shares

 

Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic

Overwrite Fund

 


PROSPECTUS


 

 

 

 

July 28, 2021

 



EPR-SPXX-0721D


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4,993,317 COMMON SHARES

NUVEEN S&P 500 DYNAMIC OVERWRITE FUND

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

July 28, 2021

Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund (the “Fund”) (formerly known as Nuveen Equity Premium Income Fund 2 through September 12, 2005 and Nuveen Equity Premium and Growth Fund through December 22, 2014) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company.

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) relating to common shares of the Fund (“Common Shares”) does not constitute a prospectus, but should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s Prospectus relating thereto dated July 28, 2021 (the “Prospectus”). This SAI does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing Common Shares. Investors should obtain and read the Fund’s Prospectus prior to purchasing such shares. In addition, the Fund’s financial statements and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report therein included in the Fund’s annual report dated December 31, 2020 are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, any reports and other documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 30(b)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the termination of the offering will be incorporated by reference into this SAI and deemed to be part of this SAI from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. A copy of the Prospectus and Annual Report to shareholders, and other information about the Fund may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 257-8787 by writing to the Fund at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). You may also obtain a copy of the Fund’s Prospectus on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) website (http://www.sec.gov). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this SAI have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Use of Proceeds

     1  

Investment Objective and Policies

     1  

Investment Restrictions

     3  

Overall Fund Management

     5  

Portfolio Composition

     5  

Management of the Fund

     16  

Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Managers

     38  

Code of Ethics

     43  

Proxy Voting Policies

     44  

Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage

     44  

Net Asset Value

     45  

Distributions

     46  

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

     47  

Plan of Distribution

     49  

Description of Shares

     50  

Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws

     53  

Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund

     56  

Tax Matters

     57  

Financial Statements

     67  

Custodian and Transfer Agent

     67  

Securities Lending Agent

     67  

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     67  

Legal Opinion

     67  

Other Matters

     67  

Additional Information

     68  

Appendix A—Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures

     A-1  

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

The net proceeds from the issuance of Common Shares hereunder will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as stated below. Pending investment, the timing of which may vary depending on the size of the investment but in no case is expected to exceed 30 days, it is anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in short-term or long-term securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities or in high-quality, short-term money market instruments.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500® Index (the “S&P 500 Index”). There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s investment objective is fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares and, if applicable, Preferred Shares, if any, voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares, if any, voting as a separate class. When used with respect to particular shares of the Fund, 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.

Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest its Managed Assets (as defined below) in a diversified equity portfolio made up of securities comprising the S&P 500 Index (or securities that have economic characteristics that are similar to those securities comprising the S&P 500 Index) that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index and is designed to support the Fund’s Option Strategy (as defined below) (the “Equity Portfolio”). The Fund does not intend that the Equity Portfolio will contain exactly the same stocks as the S&P 500 Index. The Fund intends to maintain an overlap of less than 70% between the stocks held in the Equity Portfolio and the stocks comprising the S&P 500 Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Assets (as defined below) in the Equity Portfolio. This policy is not considered to be fundamental by the Fund and can be changed without a vote of the common shareholders. However, this policy may only be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) following the provision of 60 days’ prior written notice to common shareholders. Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to invest substantially all (at least 90%) of its Managed Assets in the Equity Portfolio or otherwise in pursuit of its investment objective.

The Fund’s Options Strategy will consist of selling index call options, call options on custom baskets of securities and covered call options on individual securities. In addition to a primary emphasis on writing call options to reduce downside risk and volatility of the Equity Portfolio, the Option Strategy as a secondary emphasis seeks additional return opportunities by capitalizing on inefficiencies in the options market through a variety of means including the use of call spreads and selling put options. A call spread involves the sale and corresponding purchase of call options on the same underlying security, index or instrument. The Fund’s strategy of using the S&P 500 Index as the relevant benchmark for its equity portfolio and options strategy is not considered fundamental and can be changed without a vote of the common shareholders. However, any use of an alternative index must be approved by the Fund’s Board and is subject to the provision of 60 days’ written notice to common shareholders.

Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (“Nuveen Fund Advisors” or the “Adviser”) is the Fund’s investment adviser and is responsible for the Fund’s overall investment strategy and its implementation. The Adviser oversees Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Sub-Adviser”), the Fund’s sub-adviser, in its management of the Fund’s portfolio. This oversight includes ongoing evaluation of the Sub-Adviser’s investment performance, portfolio allocations, quality of investment process and personnel, compliance with Fund and regulatory guidelines, trade allocation and execution and other factors.

The securities or other instruments included in the Fund’s equity portfolio will be selected and periodically rebalanced utilizing statistical methods including, but not limited to, optimization and a variety of other

 

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quantitative modeling techniques. However, due to U.S. federal income tax considerations, the Fund intends to limit the overlap between the components of its equity portfolio (and any subset thereof) and the constituent securities of the S&P 500 Index to less than 70% (generally based on the value of such components) on an ongoing basis. As a result, the Fund will not hold all of the common stocks in the S&P 500 Index, or in the same weightings as in the S&P 500 Index, and returns on the Fund’s equity portfolio are not intended to exactly match those of the S&P 500 Index. The 30% or greater of the Fund’s equity portfolio invested in securities outside the S&P 500 Index will be selected to match the characteristics of the index with limited tracking error. In addition, in constructing the Equity Portfolio, Nuveen Asset Management’s multi-factor quantitative model will also consider opportunities to engage in tax-loss harvesting (i.e., periodically selling positions that have depreciated in value to realize capital losses that can be used to offset capital gains realized by the Fund) and other tax management considerations to improve after-tax shareholder outcomes.

Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will sell index call options, call options on custom baskets of securities and covered call options on individual securities. The Fund targets an overwrite level of approximately 55% over time, and the overwrite level will vary, based on market conditions, between 35% and 75% of the value of the Fund’s equity portfolio. In applying the dynamic call option strategy, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for determining the notional value, timing, type and terms of the options strategies used by the Fund. The Sub-Adviser actively manages the Fund’s options positions. In the Sub-Adviser’s discretion, the Fund may purchase back call options or allow them to expire. To determine the options strategies used, the Sub-Adviser considers market factors, such as current market levels and volatility, and option-specific factors, including but not limited to premium/cost, exercise price and expiration. The Sub-Adviser typically seeks to construct a portfolio of call options that is diversified across multiple strike prices and expiration dates based on current market expectations.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries.

“Assets” means net assets of the Fund plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. “Managed Assets” means 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. As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments, but may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage.

The Fund may enter into certain derivatives instruments in pursuit of its investment objective. Such instruments include futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements and other derivative instruments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. These types of strategies may generate taxable income.

The Fund may, from time to time, manage its cash by investing a part of its assets in short-term, high quality fixed-income securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest no more than 10% of its Managed Assets in such securities.

The Fund may invest in illiquid securities without limit.

Consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies such as, among others, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), subject to limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders issued by the SEC.

There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Except as described below, the Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares and, if applicable, Preferred Shares voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a separate class, if applicable:

(1) Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, other than (i) preferred shares that immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 200%, (ii) indebtedness that immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 300%, or (iii) the borrowings permitted by investment restriction (2) set forth below;

(2) Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act;

(3) Act as underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities or acting as an agent or one of a group of co-agents in originating adjustable rate senior loans;

(4) Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry, provided, however, that such limitation shall not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities, and provided further that for purposes of this limitation, the term “issuer” shall not include a lender selling a participation to the Fund together with any other person interpositioned between such lender and the Fund with respect to a participation;

(5) Purchase or sell real estate, except pursuant to the exercise by the Fund of its rights under loan agreements and except to the extent that interests in senior loans in which the Fund may invest are considered to be interests in real estate; and this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, including real estate investment trusts, and securities secured by real estate or interests therein and the Fund may hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation, or other distributions of an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities;

(6) Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, or except pursuant to the Fund’s Option Strategy or to the exercise by the Fund of its rights under loan agreements and except to the extent that interests in senior loans in which the Fund may invest are considered to be interests in commodities, and this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts or derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities;

(7) Make loans, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted under the 1940 Act; and

(8) With respect to 75% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, purchase any securities (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities), if as a result more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would then be invested in securities of a single issuer or if as a result the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer, and provided further that for purposes of this restriction, the term “issuer” includes both the borrower under a loan agreement and the lender selling a participation to the Fund together with any other persons interpositioned between such lender and the Fund with respect to a participation.

In addition to the foregoing investment restrictions, the Fund’s investment objective also is considered to be a fundamental policy of the Fund. Fundamental policies may not be changed without a vote of a “majority of the outstanding” Common Shares and, if applicable, Preferred Shares voting together as a single class, and of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a separate class. When used with respect to particular shares of the Fund, 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.

 

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Notwithstanding the limitation set forth in subparagraph (4) above, both the institution selling the loan and the ultimate borrower would be considered “issuers” for purposes of this concentration policy unless the participation shifts to the Fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower. In addition, with respect to subparagraph (4), the Fund will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the S&P 500 Index is concentrated in an industry or group of industries.

For the purpose of applying the limitation set forth in subparagraph (8) above, a governmental issuer shall be deemed the single issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a non-governmental issuer, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental issuer, then such non-governmental issuer would be deemed to be the single issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity. Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank. When a municipal bond is insured by bond insurance, it shall not be considered a security that is issued or guaranteed by the insurer; instead, the issuer of such municipal bond will be determined in accordance with the principles set forth above.

Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest only up to 10% of its total assets in the aggregate in shares of other investment companies and only up to 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, provided the investment does not represent more than 3% of the voting stock of the acquired investment company at the time such shares are purchased. As a stockholder in any investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and will remain subject to payment of the Fund’s management, advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Holders of Common Shares would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and therefore will be subject to the same leverage risks described herein. The Fund will consider the investments of underlying investment companies when determining compliance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act and when determining compliance with its own concentration policy, in each case to the extent the Fund has sufficient information about such investments after making a reasonable effort to obtain current information about the investments of underlying companies.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board. The Fund may not:

(1) sell securities short, except that the Fund may make short sales of securities if, at all times when a short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, without payment of any further consideration, securities of the same issuer as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

(2) purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act or any exemptive relief obtained thereunder.

(3) purchase securities of companies for the purpose of exercising control, except to the extent that exercise by the Fund of its rights under loan agreements would be deemed to constitute exercising control.

(4) leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes and may enter into certain derivatives transactions that have the economic effect of leverage by creating additional investment exposure.

The restrictions and other limitations set forth above will apply only at the time of purchase of securities and will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities.

 

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Although the Fund has no current intention to issue Preferred Shares or incur borrowings, the Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by either guidelines of one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”) that may issue ratings for Preferred Shares, if any, commercial paper or notes, or, if the Fund borrows from a lender, by the lender. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. If these restrictions were to apply, it is not anticipated that these covenants or guidelines would impede Nuveen Fund Advisors or Nuveen Asset Management from managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

OVERALL FUND MANAGEMENT

Nuveen Fund Advisors is the Fund’s investment adviser and is responsible for the Fund’s overall investment strategy and implementation.

Nuveen Fund Advisors will oversee Nuveen Asset Management in its management of the Fund’s portfolio. This oversight will include ongoing evaluation of Nuveen Asset Management’s investment performance, portfolio allocations, quality of investment process and personnel, compliance with Fund and regulatory guidelines, trade allocation and execution and other factors.

Nuveen Asset Management will invest the Fund’s Managed Assets in the Equity Portfolio that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of the S&P 500 Index. Nuveen Asset Management also will manage the Fund’s Option Strategy. The Fund’s Option Strategy will consist of selling call options covering between 35% and 75% of the value of the Fund’s equity portfolio, with a long-run target of 55%, in seeking to provide attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. By selling call options on less than the full value of the Equity Portfolio, the Fund retains any potential capital appreciation or depreciation on the portion of the Equity Portfolio not effectively subject to the call options. In addition, as a secondary emphasis, the Fund’s Option Strategy seeks additional return opportunities by capitalizing on inefficiencies in the options market through a variety of means including the use of call spreads and selling put options.

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

In addition to and supplementing the Fund’s Prospectus, the Fund’s portfolio will be composed of the investments described below.

Common Stocks

The Fund expects to invest in a portfolio of individual common stocks designed to replicate the risk and return profile, and thereby substantially replicate price movements, of the S&P 500 Index. The Fund may also invest in other investment companies, including ETFs, that provide similar exposure to individual common stocks consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. Common stocks generally represent an ownership interest in an issuer, without preference over any other class of securities, including such issuer’s debt securities, preferred stock and other senior equity securities. Common stocks are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the assets and business of the issuer after all its debt obligations and obligations to preferred stockholders are satisfied. Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many factors, including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in common stocks entails, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the common stock market may worsen and the value of the equity securities and therefore the value

 

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of the Fund may decline. The Fund may not be an appropriate investment for those who are unable or unwilling to assume the risks involved generally with an equity investment. The past market and earnings performance of any of the equity securities included in the Fund is not predictive of their future performance. Common stocks are especially susceptible to general stock market movements and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of the issuers change. These perceptions are based on unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

Shareholders of common stocks have rights to receive payments from the issuers of those common stocks that are generally subordinate to those of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks of, such issuers. Shareholders of common stocks of the type held by the Fund have a right to receive dividends only when and if, and in the amounts, declared by the issuer’s board of directors and have a right to participate in amounts available for distribution by the issuer only after all other claims on the issuer have been paid or provided for. Common stocks do not represent an obligation of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer any assurance of income or provide the same degree of protection of capital as do debt securities. The issuance of additional debt securities or preferred stock will create prior claims for payment of principal, interest and dividends that could adversely affect the ability and inclination of the issuer to declare or pay dividends on its common stock or the rights of holders of common stock with respect to assets of the issuer upon liquidation or bankruptcy. The value of common stocks is subject to market fluctuations for as long as the common stocks remain outstanding, and thus the value of the equity securities in the Fund will fluctuate over the life of the Fund and may be more or less than the price at which they were purchased by the Fund. The equity securities held in the Fund may appreciate or depreciate in value (or pay dividends) depending on the full range of economic and market influences affecting these securities, including the impact of the Fund’s purchase and sale of the equity securities and other factors.

Option Strategy

An option contract 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 reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be “covered,” meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties’ obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller but are subject to counterparty risk. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or any number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of the counterparties or their financial capabilities, and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement, may increase the potential for losses to the Fund. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes limited.

In carrying out its Options Strategy, the Fund may write index call options on the S&P 500 Index and other broad-based indices and may, if the Sub-Adviser deems conditions appropriate, write call options on a variety of other equity market indices. As the seller of an index call option, the Fund receives a premium from the purchaser. The purchaser of the index call option has the right to any appreciation in the value of the index over the exercise price upon the exercise of the call option or the expiration date. If, at expiration, the purchaser exercises the index option sold by the Fund, the Fund will pay the purchaser the difference between the cash

 

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value of the index and the exercise price of the index option. The premium, the exercise price and the market value of the index determine the gain or loss realized by the Fund as the seller of the index call option.

The Fund may also write call options on custom baskets of securities. A custom basket call option is an OTC option with a counterparty whose value is linked to the market value of a portfolio of underlying securities and is collateralized by a portion of the Fund’s equity portfolio. In designing the custom basket call options, the Sub-Adviser will primarily select assets not held by the Fund. In order to minimize the difference between the returns of the underlying securities in the custom basket (commonly referred to as a tracking error), the Sub-Adviser will use optimization calculations when selecting the individual securities for inclusion in the custom basket.

The Fund may also write single name call options on individual stocks. With respect to call options written on individual securities, the Fund will not write “naked” or uncovered call options. A call option written by the Fund on an individual security is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration. The Fund, in effect, sells the potential appreciation in the value of the security subject to the call option in exchange for the premium. The Fund may execute a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has sold and sell another option (with either a different exercise price or expiration date or both). The Fund’s objective in entering into such a closing transaction will be to optimize net index option premiums. The cost of a closing transaction may reduce the net option premiums realized from the sale of the option. This reduction could be offset, at least in part, by appreciation in the value of the underlying security held in the Fund’s equity portfolio, and by the opportunity to realize additional premium income from selling a new option.

The Fund may purchase put options. As the holder of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying instrument (or the cash value of the index) at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to such options, exercise them or permit them to expire.

The Fund’s purchases and sales of put options result in “put spreads.” A put spread is when a fund sells one put option and simultaneously buys an offsetting position in another put option. The maximum upside is the net premium collected and the maximum downside is equal to the difference in the respective strike prices, less the premium collected.

The Fund may purchase index put options if deemed strategically advisable by Nuveen Asset Management based on the relative cost of index put options compared to the protection afforded the Equity Portfolio by such index put options. Index put options will give the Fund, as holder of the options, the right to receive a cash payment from the seller of the options to the extent that the value of the S&P 500 Index is lower than the options’ exercise price upon its expiration. If a put option purchased by the Fund is not sold or expires when it has remaining value, or if the S&P 500 Index remains above the exercise price of the options at expiration, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the index put option. Also, when an S&P 500 Index put option is purchased to hedge all or part of the Fund’s Equity Portfolio, the price of the index put option may move more or less than the value of the Equity Portfolio.

Risks of Trading Options.    The ability to successfully implement the Fund’s primary options strategy depends on the Sub-Adviser’s ability to react appropriately to pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured, and is subject to various additional risks. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option, or at any particular time. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of its segregated assets until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it will have to exercise the options to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.

 

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The value of the call options written by the Fund, which will be marked-to-market on a daily basis, will be affected by an increase in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the S&P 500 Index and the underlying common and the remaining time to the options’ expiration. The value of the options may also be adversely affected if the market for the options becomes less liquid or smaller.

Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation (the “OCC”) may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange, if any, that had been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Transactions by the Fund in options on securities and indices will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities governing the maximum number of options in each class that may be written or purchased by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert. Thus, the number of options that the Fund may write may be affected by options written or purchased by other investment advisory clients of the Sub-Adviser. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidations of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.

The writing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The successful use of protective puts for hedging purposes depends in part on the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

In addition to the risks of imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and the index underlying the option, the purchase of securities index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost. This could occur as a result of unanticipated movements in the price of the securities comprising the securities index on which the option is based.

Other Investments

The Fund may invest in other securities as described below:

U.S. Government Securities.    U.S. government securities include (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance: U.S. Treasury bills (maturities of one year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturities of one year to ten years) and U.S. Treasury bonds (generally maturities of greater than ten years) and (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities that are supported by any of the following: (i) the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, (ii) the right of the issuer to borrow an amount limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury, (iii) discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the U.S. government agency or instrumentality or (iv) the credit of the agency or instrumentality. The Fund also may invest in any other security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by U.S. government securities. Agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government include but are not limited to: Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal

 

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Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the United States Postal Service, the Small Business Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. government. Because the U.S. government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities, the Fund will invest in obligations issued by these instrumentalities only if the Adviser determines that the credit risk with respect to such obligations is minimal.

Commercial Paper.    Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by corporations such as banks or bank holding companies and finance companies.

Repurchase Agreements.    A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities (U.S. government securities or municipal bonds) agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed-upon repurchase price determines the yield during the Fund’s holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans collateralized by the underlying security that is the subject of the repurchase contract. The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with registered securities dealers or domestic banks that, in the opinion of the Adviser, present minimal credit risk. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold but the Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited. The Adviser will monitor the value of the collateral at the time the transaction is entered into and at all times subsequent during the term of the repurchase agreement in an effort to determine that such value always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price. In the event the value of the collateral declines below the repurchase price, the Adviser will demand additional collateral from the issuer to increase the collateral to at least that of the repurchase price, including interest.

Securities Issued by Non-U.S. Issuers.    The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated, which may include securities of issuers located, or conducting their business, in emerging market countries.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) or other securities representing underlying shares of non-U.S. issuers. Positions in those securities are not necessarily denominated in the same currency as the common stocks into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. GDRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts evidencing ownership of non-U.S. securities. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for the U.S. securities markets and GDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in non-U.S. securities markets. The Fund may invest in sponsored or unsponsored ADRs. In the case of an unsponsored ADR, the Fund is likely to bear its proportionate share of the expenses of the depository and it may have greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored ADR.

Investors should understand and consider carefully the risks involved in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. Investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers involves certain considerations comprising both risks and opportunities not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. These considerations include: (i) less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices; (ii) many non-U.S. markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile, meaning that, in a changing market, the Adviser may not be able to sell the Fund’s portfolio securities at times, in amounts or at prices they consider reasonable; (iii) potential adverse effects of fluctuations in currency exchange rates or controls on the value of the Fund’s investments; (iv) the economies of non-U.S. countries may

 

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grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession; (v) the impact of economic, political, social or diplomatic developments may adversely affect the securities markets; (vi) withholding and other non-U.S. taxes may decrease the Fund’s return; (vii) certain non-U.S. countries may impose restrictions on the ability of non-U.S. issuers to make payments of principal and/or interest to investors located outside the U.S. due to blockage of foreign currency exchanges or otherwise; and (viii) possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of the company or its assets. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests a significant amount of its investments in issuers located in one region and to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers in emerging markets. Although the Fund may hedge its exposure to certain of these risks, including the foreign currency exchange rate risk, there can be no assurance that the Fund will enter into hedging transactions at any time or at times or under circumstances in which it might be advisable to do so.

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions.    The Fund may purchase 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. On such transactions the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the purchaser enters into the commitment. Beginning on the date the Fund enters into a commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, the Fund is required under rules of the SEC to maintain in a separate account liquid assets, consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times of at least equal to the amount of any delayed payment commitment. Income generated by any such assets that provide taxable income for federal income tax purposes is includable in the taxable income of the Fund. The Fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities on a forward basis (i.e., where settlement will occur more than 60 days from the date of the transaction) only to the extent that the Fund specifically collateralizes such obligations with a security that is expected to be called or mature within 60 days before or after the settlement date of the forward transaction. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward basis may involve an element of risk because no interest accrues on the bonds prior to settlement and at the time of delivery the market value may be less than their cost.

Options on Securities.    The Fund may purchase call options on stock or other securities. In addition, the Fund may seek to hedge a portion of its portfolio investments through writing (selling) covered call options.

The Fund will receive a premium when it writes call options, which increases the Fund’s return on the underlying security in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. By writing a call, the Fund will limit its opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option for as long as the Fund’s obligation as the seller of the option continues. Upon the exercise of a call option written by the Fund, the Fund may suffer an economic loss equal to an amount not less than the excess of the security’s market value at the time of the option exercise over the Fund’s acquisition cost of the security, less the sum of the premium received for writing the option and the difference, if any, between the call price paid to the Fund and the Fund’s acquisition cost of the security. Thus, in some periods the Fund might receive less total return and in other periods greater total return from its hedged positions than it would have received from its underlying securities unhedged.

Options on Stock Indices.    The Fund may purchase call options on stock indices (in addition to the S&P 500 Index) to enhance portfolio returns or to hedge against risks of market-wide price movements affecting its assets. In addition, the Fund may write covered call options on stock indices. The advisability of using stock index options to hedge against the risk of market-wide movements will depend on the extent of diversification of the Fund’s investments and the sensitivity of its investments to factors influencing the underlying index. The effectiveness of purchasing or writing stock index options as a hedging technique will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the Fund’s investments correlate with price movements in the stock index selected. In addition, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indices will be subject to the ability of the Adviser to predict correctly changes in the relationship of the underlying index to the Fund’s portfolio holdings. No assurance can be given that the Adviser’s judgment in this respect will be correct.

 

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When the Fund writes an option on a stock index, it will establish a segregated account with its custodian or broker in which the Fund will deposit liquid securities in an amount equal to the market value of the option, and will maintain the account while the option is open.

Stock Index Futures Contracts.    The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures to enhance portfolio returns or as a hedge against movements in the equity markets. Stock index futures contracts are agreements in which one party agrees to deliver to the other an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of securities is made.

Under regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) currently in effect, which may change from time to time, with respect to futures contracts purchased by the Fund, the Fund will set aside in a segregated account liquid securities with a value at least equal to the value of instruments underlying such futures contracts less the amount of initial margin on deposit for such contracts. The current view of the staff of the SEC is that the Fund’s long and short positions in futures contracts must be collateralized with cash or certain liquid assets held in a segregated account or “covered” in order to counter the impact of any potential leveraging.

Parties to a futures contract must make “initial margin” deposits to secure performance of the contract. There are also requirements to make “variation margin” deposits from time to time as the value of the futures contract fluctuates.

The Fund and the Adviser have claimed, respectively, an exclusion from registration as a commodity pool operator and as a commodity trading advisor under the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) and, therefore, none of the Fund, the Adviser, or their officers and directors, are subject to the registration requirements of the CEA or regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser under the CEA. The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures and options thereon to the extent allowed by CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund’s policies. In addition, certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) may limit the extent to which the Fund may enter into futures contracts or engage in options transactions. See “Tax Matters—Federal Income Tax Matters.”

The potential loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option (plus transaction costs).

With respect to options purchased by the Fund, there are no daily cash payments made by the Fund to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option does change daily and that change would be reflected in the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund.

Other Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts.    The Fund’s use of derivative instruments also may include (i) U.S. Treasury security or U.S. government agency security futures contracts and (ii) options on U.S. Treasury security or U.S. government Agency security futures contracts. All such futures contracts and options thereon must be traded and listed on an exchange. U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agency futures contracts are standardized contracts for the future delivery of a U.S. Treasury bond or U.S. Treasury note or a U.S. government agency security or their equivalent at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. An option on a U.S. Treasury or U.S. government agency futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser of the option the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a U.S. Treasury or U.S. government agency futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time on or before the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the seller of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the seller’s future margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds the exercise price of the option on the futures contract.

 

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Risks Associated with Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts.    Futures prices are affected by many factors, such as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract. A purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract. While the Fund may enter into futures contracts and options on futures contracts for hedging purposes, the use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts might result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. If, for example, the Fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell a portion of its underlying portfolio of securities in order to meet daily variation margin requirements on its futures contracts or options on futures contracts at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so. There may be an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio holdings and futures contracts or options on futures contracts entered into by the Fund, which may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as: variations in speculative market demand for futures, futures options and the related securities, including technical influences in futures and futures options trading and differences between the securities markets and the securities underlying the standard contracts available for trading. Futures prices are affected by many factors, such as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until the expiration of the contract. Further, the Fund’s use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts to reduce risk involves costs and will be subject to the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict correctly changes in interest rate relationships or other factors. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures contracts involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected stock price or interest rate trends. No assurance can be given that the Adviser’s judgment in this respect will be correct.

There is no limit on the amount of the Fund’s assets that can be put at risk through the use of futures contracts and options thereon and the value of the Fund’s futures contracts and options thereon may equal or exceed 100% of the Fund’s total assets.

Futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of the current trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses. Stock index futures contracts are not normally subject to such daily price change limitations.

An option is an instrument that gives the holder of the instrument the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell a predetermined number of specific securities (i.e. preferred stocks, common stocks or bonds) at a stated price within the expiration period of the instrument, which is generally less than 12 months from its issuance. If the right is not exercised after a specified period but prior to the expiration, the option expires.

Illiquid Securities.    The Fund may invest without limit in securities and other instruments that, at the time of investment, are illiquid (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities may include, but are 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 1933 Act, that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the

 

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decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or its delegate.

Short-Term Debt Securities.    Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest no more than 10% of its Managed Assets in short-term high quality fixed income instruments. During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may deviate from its investment objective and invest all or any portion of its assets in investment grade debt securities, including obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. In such a case, the Fund may not pursue or achieve its investment objective. In addition, upon the Sub-Adviser’s recommendations that a change would be in the best interests of the Fund and upon concurrence by the Adviser, and subject to approval of the Board, the Sub-Adviser may deviate from its investment guidelines. These investments are defined to include, without limitation, the following:

(1) U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government agency securities include securities issued by (a) the Federal Housing Administration, the Farmers Home Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Small Business Administration, and the Government National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; (b) Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (c) the Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and (d) the Student Loan Marketing Association, whose securities are supported only by its credit. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it always will do so since it is not so obligated by law. The U.S. government, its agencies, and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities. Consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

(2) Certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. The issuer of a certificate of deposit agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured.

(3) Repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities. At the time the Fund purchases securities pursuant to a repurchase agreement, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver such securities to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to purchase back the securities at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period, since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers’ acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral.

If the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The Adviser monitors the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The Adviser does so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or

 

13


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exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

(4) Commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for such notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The Sub-Adviser will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity measures) and will continuously monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund’s liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. Investments in commercial paper will be limited to commercial paper rated in the highest categories by a NRSRO and which mature within one year of the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.

Other Investment Companies.    The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, including open- or closed-end investment companies or ETFs, that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. The Fund generally expects that it may invest in other investment companies either during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash, such as during periods when there is a shortage of attractive securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly available in the market. As an investor in an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that investment company’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Common shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. The Sub-Adviser will take expenses into account when evaluating the investment merits of an investment in the investment company relative to available securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may be leveraged and therefore will be subject to leverage risks. Leverage risks related to an investment in the securities of a leveraged investment company include the likelihood of greater volatility of the NAV and market price of the investment company’s shares.

Portfolio Trading and Turnover Rate.    Portfolio trading may be undertaken to accomplish the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, a security may be sold and another with similar characteristics purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what the Sub-Adviser believes to be a temporary price disparity between the two securities. Temporary price disparities between two comparable securities may result from supply and demand imbalances where, for example, a temporary oversupply of certain securities may cause a temporarily low price for such securities, as compared with other securities of like quality and characteristics. A security may also be sold when the Sub-Adviser anticipates a change in the price of such security, the Sub-Adviser believes the price of a security has reached or is near a realistic maximum, or there are other securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are more attractive given the Fund’s investment objective.

The Fund may engage in portfolio trading when considered appropriate, but short-term trading in the Fund’s equity portfolio will not be used as the primary means of achieving the Fund’s investment objective. While there can be no assurance thereof, the Fund anticipates that its annual portfolio turnover rate will generally not exceed 50% under normal circumstances. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20%. However, there are no limits on the rate of portfolio turnover, and investments may be sold without regard to length of time held when, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. Therefore, depending upon market conditions, the annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 50% in particular years. A higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund. High portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes.

 

14


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Lending of Portfolio Securities.    In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities representing up to one-third of the value of its total assets to broker-dealers, banks, or other institutional borrowers of securities that the Adviser has determined are creditworthy. The securities lending agent will generally bear the risk that a borrower may default on its obligation to return loaned securities, however the Fund bears the risk that the securities lending agent may default on its contractual obligations to the Fund. The Fund also bears the market risk with respect to the investment of the cash collateral used to secure the loan. The Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral or may fail to earn sufficient income on its investment to meet its obligations to the borrower. The Fund will pay a portion of the income earned on other lending transactions to the placing broker and may pay administrative and custodial fees in connection with these loans.

In these loan arrangements, the Fund will receive cash collateral equal to at least 102% of the value of the securities loaned as determined at the time of loan origination. If the market value of the loaned securities increases, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the Fund. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the Fund any dividends or interest paid on the securities. Loans are subject to termination at any time by the Fund or the borrower. While the Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, it would terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that were considered important with respect to the investment.

When the Fund lends portfolio securities to a borrower, payments in lieu of dividends made by the borrower to the Fund will not constitute “qualified dividends” taxable at the same rate as long-term capital gains, even if the actual dividends would have constituted qualified dividends had the Fund held the securities. However, the Fund currently recalls all loaned securities from the borrower so that it may receive dividends paid on the securities, if any.

 

15


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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the Investment Management Agreement (as defined under “Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Managers—Investment Management Agreement and Related Fees”), is the responsibility of the Board. The number of trustees of the Fund is twelve, all of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as “independent trustees”). None of the independent trustees has ever been a director, trustee or employee of, or consultant to, Nuveen, LLC (“Nuveen”), Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, or their affiliates. The Board is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, the Class I trustees serving until the 2022 annual meeting, the Class II trustees serving until the 2023 annual meeting and the Class III trustees serving until the 2024 annual meeting, in each case until their respective successors are elected and qualified, as described below. Currently, William C. Hunter, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone and Margaret L. Wolff are slated in Class I, Amy B.R. Lancellotta, John K. Nelson, Terence J. Toth and Robert L. Young are slated in Class II, and Jack B. Evans, Joanne T. Medero, Albin F. Moschner and Matthew Thornton III are slated in Class III. If the Fund has Preferred Shares outstanding, two of the Fund’s trustees will be elected by the holders of such Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class. The remaining trustees of the Fund are elected by holders of Common Shares and Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class. In the event that the Fund fails to pay dividends on outstanding Preferred Shares for two years, holders of Preferred Shares are entitled to elect a majority of trustees of the Fund. The officers of the Fund serve indefinite terms until their successor has been duly elected and qualified, their death or their resignation or removal. The names, business addresses and years of birth of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each trustee oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. Except as noted in the table below, the trustees of the Fund are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 143 Nuveen-sponsored registered investment companies (the “Nuveen Funds”), which includes 67 open-end mutual funds (the “Nuveen Mutual Funds”), 63 closed-end funds and 13 Nuveen-sponsored exchange-traded funds.

 

16


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Independent Trustees:

Terence J. Toth

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1959)

  Chair
of the
Board
and
Trustee
  Term—Class II
Length of
Service—
Since 2008
  Formerly, Co-Founding Partner, Promus Capital (investment advisory firm) (2008-2017); Director of Quality Control Corporation (manufacturing) (since 2012); formerly, Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (information technology services firm to government entities) (2010-2019); formerly, Director LogicMark LLC (health services) (2012-2016); formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (asset management) (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (financial services) (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (financial services) (since 1994); Member of Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (philanthropy) (since 2012) and is Chair of its Investment Committee; formerly, Member, Chicago Fellowship Board (philanthropy) (2005-2016); formerly, Member, Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004).   143   None.

 

17


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee During
Past Five Years

Jack B. Evans

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1948)

  Trustee   Term—Class III
Length of
Service—
Since 1999
  Chairman (since 2019), formerly, President (1996-2019), The Hall-Perrine Foundation (private philanthropic corporation); Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Public Member, American Board of Orthapaedic Surgery (2015-2020); formerly, Director (1998-2003), Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, (1972-1995), SCI Financial Group, Inc. (regional financial services firm); formerly, Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System (2000-2004); formerly, Director (1996-2015), The Gazette Company (media and publishing).   143   Director and Chairman (since 2009), United Fire Group, a publicly held company; formerly, Director (2000-2004), Alliant Energy.

William C. Hunter

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1948)

  Trustee   Term—Class I
Length of
Service—
Since 2003
  Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean (2006-2012), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; past Director (2005-2015) and past President (2010-2014) of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance (2003-2006), School of Business at the University of Connecticut; previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research (1995-2003) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.   143   Director (since 2009) of Wellmark, Inc.; formerly, Director (2004-2018) of Xerox Corporation.

 

18


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Amy B. R. Lancellotta

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1959)

  Trustee   Term—Class II

Length of

Service—
Since 2021

  Formerly, Managing Director, Independent Directors Council (IDC) (supports the fund independent director community and is part of the Investment Company Institute (ICI), which represents regulated investment companies) (2006-2019); formerly, various positions with ICI (1989-2006); Member of the Board of Directors, Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) (since 2020).   143   None

Joanne T. Medero

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1954)

  Trustee   Term—Class III

Length of

Service—
Since 2021

  Formerly, Managing Director, Government Relations and Public Policy (2009-2020) and Senior Advisor to the Vice Chairman (2018-2020), BlackRock, Inc. (global investment management firm); formerly, Managing Director, Global Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, Barclays Group (IBIM) (investment banking, investment management and wealth management businesses) (2006-2009); formerly, Managing Director, Global General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Barclays Global Investors (global investment management firm) (1996-2006); formerly, Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (law firm) (1993-1995); formerly, General Counsel, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (government agency overseeing U.S. derivatives markets) (1989-1993); formerly, Deputy Associate Director/Associate Director for Legal and Financial Affairs, Office of Presidential Personnel, The White House (1986-1989); Member of the Board of Directors, Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (seeks to provide opportunities for citizens of the Baltic states to gain education and professional development through exchanges in the U.S.) (since 2019).   143   None

 

19


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Albin F. Moschner

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1952)

  Trustee   Term—Class III

Length of
Service—
Since 2016

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC (management consulting) (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc. (consumer wireless services), including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011) and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (telecommunication services) (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (telecommunication services) (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (internet technology provider) (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions (1991-1996), including Chief Executive Officer (1995-1996), with Zenith Electronics Corporation (consumer electronics).   143   Formerly, Chairman (2019) and Director (2012-2019), USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions; formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016).

 

20


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
    Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
   

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

John K. Nelson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1962)

    Trustee     Term—Class II
Length of
Service—
Since 2013
  Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients) (since 2008); served The President’s Council of Fordham University (2010-2019) and previously a Director of the Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (2009-2018); formerly, senior external advisor to the Financial Services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP. (2012-2014); former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010-2014 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chair); formerly Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO Bank N.V., North America, and Global Head of the Financial Markets Division (2007-2008), with various executive leadership roles in ABN AMRO Bank N.V. between 1996 and 2007.     143     None.

Judith M. Stockdale

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1947)

    Trustee     Term—Class I
Length of
Service—
Since 1997
  Board Member of the Land Trust Alliance (national public charity addressing natural land and water conservation in the U.S.) (since 2013); formerly, Board Member of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (national endowment addressing forest health, sustainable forest production and markets, and economic health of forest-reliant communities in the U.S.) (2013-2019); formerly, Executive Director (1994-2012), Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (private foundation endowed to support both natural land conservation and artistic vitality); prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (endowment created jointly by seven of the eight Great Lake states’ Governors to take a regional approach to improving the health of the Great Lakes) (1990-1994).     143     None.

 

21


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships Held
by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Carole E. Stone

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1947)

  Trustee   Term—Class I
Length of
Service—
Since 2007
  Former Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange (2006-2017) and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (2009-2017); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010).   143   Formerly, Director, Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (2010-2020) (formerly named CBOE Holdings, Inc.)

Matthew Thornton III

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1958)

  Trustee   Term—Class III
Length of
Service—
Since 2020
  Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (2018-2019), FedEx Freight Corporation, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”) (provider of transportation, e-commerce and business services through its portfolio of companies); formerly, Senior Vice President, U.S. Operations (2006-2018), Federal Express Corporation, a subsidiary of FedEx; formerly, Member of the Board of Directors (2012-2018), Safe Kids Worldwide® (non-profit organization dedicated to preventing childhood injuries).   143   Member of the Board of Directors (since 2014), The Sherwin-Williams Company (develops, manufactures, distributes and sells paints, coatings and related products); Member of the Board of Directors (since 2020), Crown Castle International (provider of communications infrastructure).

Margaret L. Wolff

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1955)

  Trustee   Term—Class I
Length of
Service—
Since 2016
  Formerly, Of Counsel (2005-2014), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group) (legal services); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011- 2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College.   143   Formerly, Member of the Board of Directors (2013-2017) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.).

 

22


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen By
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Robert L. Young

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1963)

  Trustee   Term—Class II
Length of
Service—
Since 2017
  Formerly, Chief Operating Officer and Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (financial services) (2010-2016); formerly, President and Principal Executive Officer (2013-2016), and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (2005-2010), of J.P. Morgan Funds; formerly, Director and various officer positions for J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. and formerly, One Group Administrative Services) and JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. (financial services) (formerly, One Group Dealer Services, Inc.) (1999-2017).   143   None.

OFFICERS OF THE FUND:

 

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

David J. Lamb

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1963)

  Chief
Administrative
Officer
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2015
  Managing Director of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2020); Senior Managing Director (since 2021), formerly, Managing Director (2017-2021), Senior Vice President, of Nuveen (2006-2017), Vice President prior to 2006.

Mark J. Czarniecki

901 Marquette Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55402

(1979)

  Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2013
  Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2016) and Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2017); Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2018); Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen (since 2013).

Diana R. Gonzalez

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1978)

  Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2017
  Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2017); Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen (since 2017); Associate General Counsel of Jackson National Asset Management (2012-2017).

 

23


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

Nathaniel T. Jones

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1979)

  Vice President
and Treasurer
  Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—
Since 2016

  Senior Managing Director (since 2021), formerly, Managing Director (2017-2021), Senior Vice President (2016-2017), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016), of Nuveen; Managing Director (since 2015) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst.

Tina M. Lazar

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1961)

  Vice President   Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2002
  Managing Director (since 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2014-2017), of Nuveen Securities, LLC.

Brian J. Lockhart

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1974)

  Vice President   Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—

Since 2019

  Managing Director (since 2019) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Senior Managing Director (since 2021), formerly, Managing Director (2017-2021), Vice President (2010-2017), of Nuveen; Head of Investment Oversight (since September 2017), formerly, Team Leader of Manager Oversight (2015-2017); Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Risk Manager.

Jacques M. Longerstaey

8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28262

(1963)

  Vice President   Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—

Since 2019

  Senior Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer of Nuveen, LLC (since May 2019); Senior Managing Director (since May 2019) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; formerly, Chief Investment and Model Risk Officer, Wealth & Investment Management Division, Wells Fargo Bank (NA) (2013-2019).

 

24


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

Kevin J. McCarthy

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1966)

  Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2007
  Senior Managing Director (since 2017) and Secretary and General Counsel (since 2016) of Nuveen Investments, Inc., formerly, Executive Vice President (2016-2017) and Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (2008-2016); Senior Managing Director (since 2017) and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC, formerly Executive Vice President (2016-2017) and Managing Director (2008-2016); Senior Managing Director (since 2017), Secretary (since 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, formerly, Co-General Counsel (2011-2020), Executive Vice President (2016-2017), Managing Director, (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016); Senior Managing Director (since 2017), Secretary (since 2016) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, formerly, Associate General Counsel (2011-2020), Executive Vice President (2016-2017) and Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (2011-2016); Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since 2016) (formerly, Assistant Secretary) of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Senior Managing Director (since 2017) and Secretary (since 2016) of Nuveen Alternative Investments, LLC.

Jon Scott Meissner

8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28262

(1973)

  Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary
  Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—
Since 2019

  Managing Director of Mutual Fund Tax and Financial Reporting groups at Nuveen, LLC (since 2017); Managing Director (since 2019) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Senior Director of Teachers Advisors, LLC and TIAA-CREF Investment Management, LLC (since 2016); Senior Director (since 2015), Mutual Fund Taxation to the TIAA-CREF Funds, the TIAA-CREF Life Funds, the TIAA Separate Account VA-1 and the CREF Accounts; has held various positions with TIAA since 2004.

 

25


Table of Contents

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

Deann D. Morgan

730 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017

(1969)

  Vice President   Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—

Since February 2020

  President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2020); Executive Vice President, Global Head of Product at Nuveen, LLC (since November 2019); Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2020); Managing Member of MDR Collaboratory LLC (since 2018); Managing Director, Head of Wealth Management Product Structuring & COO Multi Asset Investing, The Blackstone Group (2013-2017).

Christopher M. Rohrbacher

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1971)

  Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2008
  Managing Director (since 2017), General Counsel (since 2020) and Assistant Secretary (since 2016), formerly, Senior Vice President (2016-2017), of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director (since 2017) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2020); Managing Director (since 2017), and Associate General Counsel (since 2016), formerly, Senior Vice President (2012-2017) and Assistant General Counsel (2008-2016), of Nuveen.

William A. Siffermann

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1975)

  Vice President   Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2017
  Managing Director (since 2017), formerly, Senior Vice President (2016-2017) and Vice President (2011-2016), of Nuveen.

E. Scott Wickerham

8500 Andrew Carnegie

Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28262

(1973)

  Vice President
and Controller
  Term—Indefinite

Length of Service—
Since 2019

  Senior Managing Director, Head of Public Investment Finance of Nuveen (since 2019), formerly, Managing Director; Senior Managing Director (since 2019) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer (since 2017) of the TIAA-CREF Funds, the TIAA-CREF Life Funds, the TIAA Separate Account VA-1 and Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer (since 2020) and Treasurer (since 2017) to the CREF Accounts; formerly, Senior Director, TIAA-CREF Fund Administration (2014-2015); has held various positions with TIAA since 2006.

 

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Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  Position(s)
Held with
Fund
  Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

with Funds in the
Fund Complex
 

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

Mark L. Winget

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1968)

  Vice President
and Secretary
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 2008
  Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2008); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2019); Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2020); Vice President (since 2010) and Associate General Counsel (since 2019), formerly, Assistant General Counsel (2008-2016), of Nuveen.

Gifford R. Zimmerman

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(1956)

  Chief
Compliance
Officer and
Vice President
  Term—Indefinite
Length of Service—
Since 1988
  Formerly, Managing Director (2002-2020) and Assistant Secretary (2002-2020) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Managing Director (2002-2020), Assistant Secretary (1997-2020) and Co-General Counsel (2011-2020) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; formerly, Managing Director (2004-2020) and Assistant Secretary (1994-2020) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (2011-2020); formerly, Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (2002-2020), Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (2006-2020) and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (2010-2020); Chartered Financial Analyst.

Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the “Board” and the trustees or directors of the Nuveen Funds, as applicable, are referred to herein as “Trustees”) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds, including the duties performed for the Nuveen Funds by Nuveen Fund Advisors and each Nuveen Fund’s sub-adviser(s), as applicable. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of Trustees who serve on the board of every Nuveen Fund in the fund complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the Trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, diversity (including, among other things, gender, race and ethnicity), independence and experience to oversee the Fund’s business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the Trustees consider, not only the candidate’s particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Board’s diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the

 

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incumbent Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the Board generally benefits from diversity of background (including, among other things, gender, race and ethnicity), skills, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy on diversity or any particular definition of diversity.

The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the trustees across the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Board’s knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Board’s influence and oversight over Nuveen Fund Advisors and other service providers.

In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a chair that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chair can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Board’s focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chair may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Terence J. Toth currently serves as the Independent Chair of the Board. Pursuant to the Fund’s By-Laws, the Chair shall perform all duties incident to the office of Chair of the Board and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the trustees or the By-Laws.

Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and Fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit Trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Nuveen Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of Trustees among the different committees allows the Trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of the Fund’s operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Closed-End Funds Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board also may from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.

The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. The members of the Executive Committee are Mr. Toth (Chair), Ms. Wolff and Mr. Moschner. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Executive Committee did not meet.

The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on each Nuveen Fund’s shares including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are Dr. Hunter, Mr. Moschner, Ms. Wolff and Mr. Young (Chair). During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Dividend Committee met eight (8) times.

The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the “Compliance Committee”) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Nuveen Funds’ compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance

 

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matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.

In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committee’s attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Nuveen Funds in adopting a particular approach or resolution compared to the anticipated benefits to the Nuveen Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations, the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Nuveen Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Nuveen Funds’ and other service providers’ compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the investment services group of Nuveen Investments regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, Fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Compliance Committee are Compliance Committee are Ms. Wolff, Chair, Ms. Lancellotta, Ms. Medero, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Thornton, Mr. Toth and Mr. Young. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Compliance Committee met five (5) times.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Nuveen Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the Nuveen Funds’ compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Nuveen Funds’ financial statements; the independent auditors’ qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Nuveen Funds and the internal valuation group of Nuveen. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Nuveen Funds’ portfolios. Subject to the Board’s general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Nuveen Funds’ pricing procedures and actions taken by Nuveen’s internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Nuveen Funds’ securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Nuveen Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee also may consider any financial risk exposures for the Nuveen Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.

To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Nuveen Funds and Nuveen Fund Advisors’ internal audit group at Nuveen Investments. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Nuveen Funds’ financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit

 

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Committee are Mr. Evans, Dr. Hunter, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Moschner, Ms. Stockdale and Ms. Stone (Chair), each of whom is an Independent Trustee of the Nuveen Funds. A copy of the Charter is available at www.nuveen.com/fund-governance. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Audit Committee met four (4) times.

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Board’s governance over the Nuveen Funds’ business.

In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to Trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources, including suggestions from fund security holders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to William Siffermann, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements for nominations for new Trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new Trustees. In considering a candidate’s qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to internal and external sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an Independent Trustee candidate, independence from Nuveen Fund Advisors, subadvisors, underwriters or other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent Trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the Independent Trustees of the Nuveen Funds. The members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Mr. Toth (Chair), Mr. Evans, Dr. Hunter, Ms. Lancellotta, Ms. Medero, Mr. Moschner, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Stockdale, Ms. Stone, Mr. Thornton, Ms. Wolff and Mr. Young. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Nominating and Governance Committee met four (4) times.

The Closed-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as closed-end management investment companies (“Closed-End Funds”). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Closed-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Closed-End Fund. The Closed-End Funds Committee receives updates on the secondary closed-end fund market and evaluates the premiums and discounts of the Nuveen closed-end funds, including the Fund, at each quarterly meeting. The Closed-End Funds Committee reviews, among other things, the premium and discount trends in the broader closed-end fund market, by asset category and by closed-end fund; the historical total return performance data for

 

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the Nuveen closed-end funds, including the Fund, based on NAV and price over various periods; the volatility trends in the market; the use of leverage by the Nuveen closed-end funds, including the Fund; the distribution data of the Nuveen closed-end funds, including the Fund, and as compared to peer averages; and a summary of common share issuances, if any, and share repurchases, if any, during the applicable quarter by the Nuveen closed-end funds, including the Fund. The Closed-End Funds Committee regularly engages in more in-depth discussions of premiums and discounts of the Nuveen closed-end funds. Additionally, the Closed-End Funds Committee members participate in workshops to explore, among other things, actions to address discounts of the Nuveen closed-end funds, potential share repurchases and available leverage strategies and their use.

The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Closed-End Funds Committee are Mr. Evans (Chair), Dr. Hunter, Ms. Lancellotta, Ms. Wolff, Mr. Toth and Mr. Young. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Closed-End Funds Committee met five (5) times.

Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications

In determining that a particular Trustee was qualified to serve on the Board, the Board has considered each Trustee’s background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the composition of the Board with no particular factor controlling. The Board believes that the Fund’s Trustees need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and the Board believes each Trustee satisfies this standard. An effective Trustee may achieve this ability through his or her educational background; business, professional training or practice; public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member or executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Accordingly, set forth below is a summary of the experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this document, that each Trustee should continue to serve in that capacity. References to the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

Jack B. Evans. Mr. Evans has served as Chairman (since 2019), formerly, President (1996-2019) of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation. Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer (1972-1995) of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from 1998 to 2003 as well as a Director of Alliant Energy from 2000 to 2004 and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board (since 2009) of United Fire Group, is a Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation and formerly served as a Director and Public Member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery from 2015 to 2020 and served on the Board of The Gazette Company from 1996 to 2015. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Coe College and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa. Mr. Evans joined the Board in 1999. Mr. Evans joined the Board in 1999.

William C. Hunter. Dr. Hunter became Dean Emeritus of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa in 2012, after having served as Dean of the College since July 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business from 2003 to 2006. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He has held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. He has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. He has been a Director of Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He is a past Director (2005-2015) and a past President (2010-2014) of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society and a past Director (2004-2018) of the Xerox Corporation. Dr. Hunter received his PhD (1978) and MBA (1970) from Northwestern University and his BS from Hampton University (1970). Dr. Hunter joined the Board in 2003.

 

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Amy B. R. Lancellotta. After 30 years of service, Ms. Lancellotta retired at the end of 2019 from the Investment Company Institute (ICI), which represents regulated investment companies on regulatory, legislative and securities industry initiatives that affect funds and their shareholders. From November 2006 until her retirement, Ms. Lancellotta served as Managing Director of ICI’s Independent Directors Council (IDC), which supports fund independent directors in fulfilling their responsibilities to promote and protect the interests of fund shareholders. At IDC, Ms. Lancellotta was responsible for all ICI and IDC activities relating to the fund independent director community. In conjunction with her responsibilities, Ms. Lancellotta advised and represented IDC, ICI, independent directors and the investment company industry on issues relating to fund governance and the role of fund directors. She also directed and coordinated IDC’s education, communication, governance and policy initiatives. Prior to serving as Managing Director of IDC, Ms. Lancellotta held various other positions with ICI beginning in 1989. Before joining ICI, Ms. Lancellotta was an associate at two Washington, D.C. law firms. In addition, since 2020, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA), an organization that seeks to end power-based violence, empower survivors and ensure safe communities. Ms. Lancellotta received a B.A. degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and a J.D. degree from the National Law Center, George Washington University (currently known as George Washington University Law School) in 1984. Ms. Lancellotta joined the Board in 2021.

Joanne T. Medero. Ms. Medero has over 30 years of financial services experience and, most recently, from December 2009 until her retirement in July 2020, she was a Managing Director in the Government Relations and Public Policy Group at BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock). From July 2018 to July 2020, she was also Senior Advisor to BlackRock’s Vice Chairman, focusing on public policy and corporate governance issues. In 1996, Ms. Medero joined Barclays Global Investors (BGI), which merged with BlackRock in 2009. At BGI, she was a Managing Director and served as Global General Counsel and Corporate Secretary until 2006. Then, from 2006 to 2009, Ms. Medero was a Managing Director and Global Head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Barclays Group (IBIM), where she provided policy guidance and directed legislative and regulatory advocacy programs for the investment banking, investment management and wealth management businesses. Before joining BGI, Ms. Medero was a Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP from 1993 to 1995, where she specialized in derivatives and financial markets regulation issues. Additionally, she served as General Counsel of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from 1989 to 1993 and, from 1986 to 1989, she was Deputy Associate Director/Associate Director for Legal and Financial Affairs at The White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Further, from 2006 to 2010, Ms. Medero was a member of the CFTC Global Markets Advisory Committee and she has been actively involved in financial industry associations, serving as Chair of the Steering Committee of the SIFMA (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) Asset Management Group (2016-2018) and Chair of the CTA (Commodity Trading Advisor), CPO (Commodity Pool Operator) and Futures Committee of the Managed Funds Association (2010-2012). Currently, Ms. Medero chairs the Corporations, Antitrust and Securities Practice Group of The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy (since 2010 and from 2000 to 2002). In addition, since 2019, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, which seeks to provide opportunities for citizens of the Baltic states to gain education and professional development through exchanges in the United States. Ms. Medero received a B.A. degree from St. Lawrence University in 1975 and a J.D. degree from the National Law Center, George Washington University (currently known as George Washington University Law School) in 1978. Ms. Medero joined the Board in 2021.

Albin F. Moschner. Mr. Moschner is a consultant in the wireless industry and, in July 2012, founded Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm that provides operational, management and governance solutions. Prior to founding Northcroft Partners, LLC, Mr. Moschner held various positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., a provider of wireless services, where he was a consultant from February 2011 to July 2012, Chief Operating Officer from July 2008 to February 2011, and Chief Marketing Officer from August 2004 to June 2008. Before he joined Leap Wireless International, Inc., Mr. Moschner was President of the Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and President of One Point Services at One Point Communications from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Moschner also served at Zenith Electronics Corporation as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 1996, and as Director, President and Chief

 

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Operating Officer from 1994 to 1995. Mr. Moschner was formerly Chairman (2019) and a member of the Board of Directors (2012-2019) of USA Technologies, Inc. and, from 1996 until 2016, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation. In addition, he is emeritus (since 2018) of the Advisory Boards of the Kellogg School of Management (1995-2018) and the Archdiocese of Chicago Financial Council (2012-2018). Mr. Moschner received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York in 1974 and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1979. Mr. Moschner joined the Board in 2016.

John K. Nelson. Mr. Nelson is on the Board of Directors of Core12, LLC. (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing, and communications strategies for clients. Mr. Nelson has extensive experience in global banking and markets, having served in several senior executive positions with ABN AMRO Holdings N.V. and its affiliated entities and predecessors, including LaSalle Bank Corporation from 1996 to 2008, ultimately serving as Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America. During his tenure at the bank, he also served as Global Head of its Financial Markets Division, which encompassed the bank’s Currency, Commodity, Fixed Income, Emerging Markets, and Derivatives businesses. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States and during his tenure with ABN AMRO served as the bank’s representative on various committees of The Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, and The Bank of England. Mr. Nelson previously served as a senior, external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP. (2012-2014). At Fordham University, he served as a director of The President’s Council (2010- 2019) and previously served as a director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (2009-2018). He served as a trustee and Chairman of The Board of Trustees of Marian University (2011-2013). Mr. Nelson is a graduate of Fordham University and holds a BA in Economics (1984) and an MBA in Finance (1991). Mr. Nelson joined the Board in 2013.

Judith M. Stockdale. Ms. Stockdale retired in 2012 as Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Low country of South Carolina. She is currently a board member of the Land Trust Alliance (since 2013). Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has served on the Advisory Councils of the National Zoological Park, the Governor’s Science Advisory Council (Illinois) and the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program. She has served on the boards of Brushwood Center, Forefront f/k/a Donors Forum and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University. Ms. Stockdale joined the Board in 1997.

Carole E. Stone. Ms. Stone formerly was on the Board of Directors of Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (2010-2020) (formerly, CBOE Holdings, Inc.), having previously served on the Boards of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College in Business Administration. Ms. Stone joined the Board in 2007.

Matthew Thornton III. Mr. Thornton has over 40 years of broad leadership and operating experience from his career with FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”), which, through its portfolio of companies, provides transportation, e-commerce and business services. In November 2019, Mr. Thornton retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Freight Corporation (FedEx Freight), a subsidiary of FedEx, where, from May 2018 until his retirement, he had been responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic guidance, modernization of freight operations and delivering innovative customer solutions. From September 2006 to May 2018, Mr. Thornton served as Senior Vice President, U.S. Operations at Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Express), a subsidiary of FedEx. Prior to September 2006, Mr. Thornton held a range of positions of increasing responsibility with FedEx, including various management positions. In addition, Mr. Thornton currently (since 2014) serves on

 

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the Board of Directors of The Sherwin-Williams Company, where he is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Board of Directors of Crown Castle International (since 2020), where he is a member of the Strategy Committee and the Compensation Committee. Formerly (2012-2018), he was a member of the Board of Directors of Safe Kids Worldwide®, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of childhood injuries. Mr. Thornton is a member (since 2014) of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the nation’s premier organization of global black senior executives. He is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Mr. Thornton has been recognized by Black Enterprise on its 2017 list of the Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America and by Ebony on its 2016 Power 100 list of the world’s most influential and inspiring African Americans. Mr. Thornton received a B.B.A. degree from the University of Memphis in 1980 and an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee in 2001. Mr. Thornton joined the Board in 2020.

Terence J. Toth. Mr. Toth, the Nuveen Funds’ Independent Chairman, was a Co-Founding Partner of Promus Capital (2008-2017). From 2010 to 2019, he was a Director of Fulcrum IT Service LLC and, from 2012 to 2016, a Director of LogicMark LLC. From 2008 to 2013, he was a Director of Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Board of Quality Control Corporation (since 2012) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago. He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is the Chair of its Investment Committee. Mr. Toth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, and received his M.B.A. from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University. Mr. Toth joined the Board in 2008.

Margaret L. Wolff. Ms. Wolff retired from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2014 after more than 30 years of providing client service in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. During her legal career, Ms. Wolff devoted significant time to advising boards and senior management on U.S. and international corporate, securities, regulatory and strategic matters, including governance, shareholder, fiduciary, operational and management issues. Ms. Wolff has been a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2005 and, since 2004, she has served as a trustee of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults) where she currently is the Chair. From 2013 to 2017, she was a Board member of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each of which is a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). From 2005 to 2015, she was a trustee of Mt. Holyoke College and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Wolff received her Bachelor of Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Ms. Wolff joined the Board in 2016.

Robert L. Young. Mr. Young has more than 30 years of experience in the investment management industry. From 1997 to 2017, he held various positions with J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“J.P. Morgan Investment”) and its affiliates (collectively, “J.P. Morgan”). Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of J.P. Morgan Investment (from 2010 to 2016) and as President and Principal Executive Officer of the J.P. Morgan Funds (from 2013 to 2016). As Chief Operating Officer of J.P. Morgan Investment, Mr. Young led service, administration and business platform support activities for J.P. Morgan’s domestic retail mutual fund and institutional commingled and separate account businesses, and co-led these activities for J.P. Morgan’s global retail and institutional investment management businesses. As President of the J.P. Morgan Funds, Mr. Young interacted with various service providers to these funds, facilitated the relationship between such funds and their boards, and was directly involved in establishing board agendas, addressing regulatory matters, and establishing policies and procedures. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Young, a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), was a Senior Manager (Audit) with Deloitte & Touche LLP (formerly, Touche Ross LLP), where he was employed from 1985 to 1996. During his tenure there, he actively participated in creating, and

 

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ultimately led, the firm’s midwestern mutual fund practice. Mr. Young holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Dayton and, from 2008 to 2011, he served on the Investment Committee of its Board of Trustees. Mr. Young joined the Board in 2017.

Independent Chairman

Terence J. Toth currently serves as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include (a) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (b) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the Trustees are carried into effect; and (c) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the Trustees and the shareholders.

Class I Trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2022; Class II Trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2023; and Class III Trustees will serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2024. As each Trustee’s term expires, shareholders will be asked to elect trustees and such trustees shall be elected for a term expiring at the time of the third succeeding annual meeting subsequent to their election or thereafter in each case when their respective successors are duly elected and qualified. These provisions could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board. See “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” in the Prospectus.

SHARE OWNERSHIP

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee as of December 31, 2020:

 

Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range
of Equity
Securities in
the Fund
     Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered
Investment Companies
Overseen by Trustee
in Family of Investment
Companies
 

Jack B. Evans

     None        Over $ 100,000  

William C. Hunter

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Amy B. R. Lancellotta1

     None        None  

Joanne T. Medero1

     None        None  

Albin F. Moschner

     None        Over $ 100,000  

John K. Nelson

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Judith M. Stockdale

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Carole E. Stone

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Matthew Thornton III

     None        None  

Terence J. Toth

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Margaret L. Wolff

     None        Over $ 100,000  

Robert L. Young

     None        Over $ 100,000  

 

1 

Information is provided as of June 1, 2021.

As of July 1, 2021, the officers and Trustees as a group beneficially owned less than 1% of any class of the Fund’s outstanding securities. As of July 1, 2021, none of the disinterested Trustees or their immediate family members owned, beneficially, or of record, any securities in (i) an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or (ii) a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.

 

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5% Shareholders

The following table sets forth the percentage ownership of each person who, as of July 1, 2021, owned of record, or was known by the Fund to own of record or beneficially, 5% or more of any class of the Fund’s equity securities:*

 

Name of Equity Security

  

Name and Address of Owner

   % of Beneficial Ownership  

Common Shares

  

First Trust Portfolios L.P.

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60787

 

First Trust Advisors L.P.

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60787

 

The Charger Corporation

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60787

     6.75

 

*

The information contained in this table is based on a Schedule 13G filing made January 19, 2021.

COMPENSATION

The following table shows, for each independent Trustee, (1) the aggregate compensation paid to each Trustee by the Fund for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, (2) the amount of total compensation paid to each Trustee by the Fund that has been deferred, and (3) the total compensation paid to each Trustee by the Nuveen Funds during the calendar year ended December 31, 2020. The Fund does not have a retirement or pension plan. The officers and Trustees affiliated with Nuveen Investments serve without any compensation from the Fund. Certain of the Nuveen Funds have a deferred compensation plan (the “Compensation Plan”) that permits any Trustee who is not an “interested person” of certain funds to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as a Trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to the book reserve account of a fund when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the Trustee’s deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a Trustee’s deferral account, the Trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Fund will not be liable for any other fund’s obligations to make distributions under the Compensation Plan.

 

     Aggregate
Compensation from Fund(1)
     Amount of
Total Compensation
From the Fund
That Has Been
Deferred(2)
     Total Compensation from
Fund and Fund Complex(3)
 

Jack B. Evans

   $ 661      $ 49      $ 392,652  

William C. Hunter

     703               396,750  

Amy B. R. Lancellotta(4)

                    

Joanne T. Medero(5)

                    

Albin F. Moschner

     608               380,050  

John K. Nelson

     704               417,500  

Judith M. Stockdale

     673        181        400,147  

Carole E. Stone

     682        234        404,611  

Matthew Thornton III(6)

                    

Terence J. Toth

     793               467,300  

Margaret L. Wolff

     694        232        385,629  

Robert L. Young

     759        759        425,754  

 

(1)

The compensation paid, including deferred amounts, to the independent trustees for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 for services to the Fund.

 

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(2)

Pursuant to a deferred compensation agreement with certain of the Nuveen Funds, deferred amounts are treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen Funds. Total deferred fees for the Fund (including the return from the assumed investment in the eligible Nuveen Funds) payable are stated above.

(3)

Based on the compensation paid (including any amounts deferred) for the calendar year ended December 31, 2020 for services to the Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds. Because the funds in the Fund Complex have different fiscal year ends, the amounts shown in this column are presented on a calendar year basis.

(4)

Ms. Lancellotta was appointed to the Board effective June 1, 2021.

(5)

Ms. Medero was appointed to the Board effective June 1, 2021.

(6)

Mr. Thornton was elected to the Board effective November 16, 2020.

Effective January 1, 2021, each independent Trustee receives a $200,000 annual retainer, increased from $195,000 as of January 1, 2020, plus (a) a fee of $7,000 per day, which was increased from $6,750 per day as of January 1, 2020, for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in-person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in-person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in-person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $5,000 per meeting for attendance in-person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in-person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in-person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in-person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for initial public offerings, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Closed-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chair of the Board receives $100,000, which was increased from $90,000 as of January 1, 2020, and the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Closed-End Funds Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee receive $15,000 as annual retainers. The independent Trustees also receive a fee of $3,500 per day, which was increased from $3,000 per day as of January 1, 2020, for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be $1,000 per meeting for attendance in-person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in-person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund. In certain instances, fees and expenses will be allocated only to those Nuveen Funds that are discussed at a given meeting. In certain circumstances, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board may hold in-person meetings by telephonic or videographic means and be compensated at the in-person rate.

The Fund has no employees. The officers of the Fund and the trustees of the Fund who are not independent trustees serve without any compensation from the Fund.

 

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INVESTMENT ADVISER, SUB-ADVISER AND PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Investment Adviser. Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser, is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s overall investment strategy and implementation. Nuveen Fund Advisors offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Fund’s portfolio, manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of March 31, 2021, Nuveen managed approximately $1.2 trillion in assets, of which approximately $169.5 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

Investment Management Agreement and Related Fees. Pursuant to an investment management agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and the Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee for the overall advisory and administrative services and general office facilities provided by Nuveen Fund Advisors. The Fund’s management fee is separated into two components—a complex-level component, based on the aggregate amount of all fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, and a specific fund-level component, based only on the amount of assets within the Fund. This pricing structure enables Nuveen fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within each individual fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

Fund-Level Fee. The annual fund-level fee for the Fund, payable monthly, is calculated according to the following schedule:

 

Average Daily Managed Assets*

   Fund-Level
Fee Rate
 

For the first $500 million

     0.6600

For the next $500 million

     0.6350

For the next $500 million

     0.6100

For the next $500 million

     0.5850

For managed assets over $2 billion

     0.5600

Complex-Level Fee.    The annual complex-level fee for the Fund, payable monthly, is calculated by multiplying the current complex-wide fee rate, determined according to the following schedule, by the Fund’s daily Managed Assets:

 

Complex-Level Eligible
Asset Breakpoint Level*

   Effective
Complex-Level
Fee Rate  at
Breakpoint Level
 

  $55 billion

     0.2000 %

  $56 billion

     0.1996 %

  $57 billion

     0.1989 %

  $60 billion

     0.1961 %

  $63 billion

     0.1931 %

  $66 billion

     0.1900 %

  $71 billion

     0.1851 %

  $76 billion

     0.1806 %

  $80 billion

     0.1773 %

  $91 billion

     0.1691 %

  $125 billion

     0.1599 %

  $200 billion

     0.1505 %

 

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Complex-Level Eligible
Asset Breakpoint Level*

   Effective
Complex-Level
Fee Rate  at
Breakpoint Level
 

  $250 billion

     0.1469 %

  $300 billion

     0.1445 %

 

*

The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen open-end and closed-end funds. 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 Nuveen Fund Advisors’ assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011, but do include certain assets of certain Nuveen funds that were reorganized into funds advised by an affiliate of Nuveen Fund Advisors during the 2019 calendar year. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors that are attributable to certain types of leverage. For these purposes, 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 the TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by Nuveen Fund Advisors as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of December 31, 2020, the complex-level fee rate for the Fund was 0.1557%.

The following table sets forth the management fee paid by the Fund for the last three fiscal years:

 

     Management Fee Net of Expense
Reimbursement Paid for  the
Fiscal Year Ended
     Expense
Reimbursement for the
Fiscal Year Ended
 

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

   $ 2,178,322      $  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

   $ 2,134,448      $  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

   $ 2,079,385      $  

In addition to the fee of Nuveen Fund Advisors, the Fund pays all other costs and expenses of its operations, including compensation of its Trustees (other than those affiliated with Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management), custodian, transfer agency and dividend disbursing expenses, legal fees, expenses of independent auditors, expenses of repurchasing shares, expenses of issuing Preferred Shares (if any), expenses of preparing, printing and distributing shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies and taxes, if any. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.

A discussion regarding the Board’s most recent approval of the Investment Management Agreement may be found in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders dated June 30 of each year.

Sub-Adviser. Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund’s sub-adviser pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). Nuveen Asset Management, a registered investment adviser, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors. Nuveen Asset Management oversees day-to-day operations and provides portfolio management services to the Fund. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, Nuveen Asset Management will be compensated for the services it provides to the fund with a portion of the management fee Nuveen Fund Advisors receives from the Fund. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management retain the right to reallocate investment advisory responsibilities and fees between themselves in the future.

Sub-Advisory Agreement and Related Fees. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, Nuveen Asset Management receives from Nuveen Fund Advisors a management fee equal to 0.3900% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets, payable on a monthly basis. Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management retain the right to reallocate investment advisory responsibilities and fees between themselves in the future.

 

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The following table sets forth the management fee paid by Nuveen Fund Advisors to Nuveen Asset Management for the last three fiscal years:

 

     Sub-Advisory Fees Paid by
Nuveen Fund Advisors
to Nuveen Asset
Management
 

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

   $ 1,036,957  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

   $ 1,017,972  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

   $ 992,258  

A discussion regarding the Board’s most recent approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement may be found in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders for the period ended June 30 of each year.

Portfolio Managers. Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for the execution of specific investment strategies and day-to-day investment operations of the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management manages the Nuveen funds using a team of analysts and portfolio managers that focuses on a specific group of funds. The day-to-day operation of the Fund and the execution of its specific investment strategies is the primary responsibility of David Friar, designated portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014, as well as Jim Campagna, Lei Liao, and Darren Tran, designated portfolio managers of the Fund since 2020. Unless otherwise indicated, the information below is provided as of the date of this SAI.

David Friar, Portfolio manager for Nuveen’s multi-asset portfolio management team. He joined the team managing the Equity, Mid Cap and Small Cap Index strategies in 2000 and became part of the enhanced equity index team in 2007. Additionally, he is a member of the investment team responsible for several other quantitative products, including the Equity Option Overwrite Strategies. David joined the firm in 1999 as a member of the performance measurement group. Before his role in portfolio management, he provided quantitative analysis for equity portfolios and constructed quantitatively driven portfolios for institutional and taxable clients. David graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Metropolitan State University.

Jim Campagna is a portfolio manager and oversees equity index strategies for Nuveen. He is responsible for all equity index, social choice, and equity ETF strategies. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, he was a portfolio manager at Mellon Capital Management where he was responsible for several funds and was an index strategy leader for the MSCI EAFE mandates. Jim graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine. He holds the CFA® designation and is a member of the FTSE Russell Americas Regional Equity Advisory Committee.

Lei Liao is a portfolio manager at Nuveen and is responsible for all equity index strategies, social choice equity portfolios, as well as some of the firm’s ETF product line. Lei joined the firm in 2012 and began working in the investment industry in 2004. His previous experience includes several years at Northern Trust Corp. as a senior equity portfolio manager. He graduated with an M.B.A. from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan. He also holds the CFA® designation.

Darren Tran is a portfolio manager at Nuveen and is responsible for all equity index, social choice equity, and equity ETF strategies. Darren joined the firm in 2005 as a foreign currency trader and entered the investment industry in 2000. Prior to joining the firm, he held a position at Morgan Stanley in Corporate Treasury. Darren graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Information Systems from the NYU Stern School of Business and an M.S. in Financial Engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. He holds the CFA® designation and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.

 

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Other Accounts Managed. The Portfolio Managers also have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Fund. Information regarding these other accounts is set forth below.

 

      Number of Other Accounts Managed and Assets by Account  Type as of May 31, 2021

Portfolio Manager

   Type of
Account Managed
   Number
of Accounts
    Total Assets    Number of
Accounts with
Performance
Based Fees
   Assets of
Accounts with
Performance
Based Fees

David Friar

   Registered Investment
Companies
     4     $2.52 billion    0    0
   Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
     0     $0    0    0
   Other Accounts      0     $0    0    0
        2   $48 million      

Jim Campagna

   Registered Investment
Companies
     25     $129.93 billion    0    0
   Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
     4     $62.28 billion    0    0
   Other Accounts      5     $858 million    0    0

Lei Liao

   Registered Investment
Companies
     25     $129.93 billion    0    0
   Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
     1     $18.80 million    0    0
   Other Accounts      0     $0    0    0

Darren Tran

   Registered Investment
Companies
     12     $125.36 billion    0    0
   Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
     0     $0    0    0
   Other Accounts      0     $0    0    0

 

* 

Other Accounts-overlay strategies—The portfolio manager is responsible for the management of overlay strategies employed by this account that use derivative instruments either to obtain, offset or substitute for certain portfolio exposures beyond those provided by the account’s underlying portfolios.

The Portfolio Managers are responsible for managing the Fund and other accounts, including separate accounts and unregistered funds.

As shown in the above table, each Portfolio Manager may manage accounts in addition to the Fund. The potential for conflicts of interest exists when each Portfolio Manager manages other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies to the Fund (“Similar Accounts”). Potential conflicts may include, for example, conflicts between investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities.

Responsibility for managing Nuveen Fund Advisors’ clients’ portfolios is organized according to investment strategies. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed using the same objectives, approach and philosophy. Therefore, portfolio holdings, relative position sizes and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

Nuveen Fund Advisors may receive more compensation with respect to certain Similar Accounts than that received with respect to the Fund or may receive compensation based in part on the performance of certain Similar Accounts. This may create a potential conflict of interest for the Portfolio Manager by providing an incentive to favor these Similar Accounts when, for example, placing securities transactions. Potential conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of limited investment opportunities. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due to limited availability, and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest.

 

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Nuveen Asset Management has policies and procedures designed to manage these conflicts described above such as allocation of investment opportunities to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities among its clients over time. For example, orders for the same equity security are aggregated on a continual basis throughout each trading day consistent with Nuveen Asset Management’s duty of best execution for its clients. If aggregated trades are fully executed, accounts participating in the trade will be allocated their pro rata share on an average price basis. Partially completed orders will be allocated among the participating accounts on a pro-rata average price basis as well.

Nuveen Asset Management Portfolio Managers Compensation

Portfolio managers are compensated through a combination of base salary and variable components consisting of (i) a cash bonus; (ii) a long-term performance award; and (iii) participation in a profits interest plan.

Base salary. A portfolio manager’s base salary is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio manager’s general performance, experience and market levels of base pay for such position.

Cash bonus. A portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus that is based on three variables: risk-adjusted investment performance relative to benchmark generally measured over the most recent three and five year periods (unless the portfolio manager’s tenure is shorter), ranking versus Morningstar peer funds generally measured over the most recent three and five year periods (unless the portfolio manager’s tenure is shorter), and management and peer reviews.

Long-term performance award. A portfolio manager is eligible to receive a long-term performance award that vests after three years. The amount of the award when granted is based on the same factors used in determining the cash bonus. The value of the award at the completion of the three-year vesting period is adjusted based on the risk-adjusted investment performance of Fund(s) managed by the portfolio manager during the vesting period and the performance of the TIAA organization as a whole.

Profits interest plan. Portfolio managers are eligible to receive profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management and its affiliate, Teachers Advisors, LLC, which vest over time and entitle their holders to a percentage of the firms’ annual profits. Profits interests are allocated to each portfolio manager based on such person’s overall contribution to the firms.

Material Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.

The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.

If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.

With respect to many of its clients’ accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the

 

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selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for the Fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other accounts.

Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by a portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.

Conflicts of interest may also arise when Nuveen Asset Management invests one or more of its client accounts in different or multiple parts of the same issuer’s capital structure, including investments in public versus private securities, debt versus equity, or senior versus junior/subordinated debt, or otherwise where there are different or inconsistent rights or benefits. Decisions or actions such as investing, trading, proxy voting, exercising, waiving or amending rights or covenants, workout activity, or serving on a board, committee or other involvement in governance may result in conflicts of interest between clients holding different securities or investments. Generally, individual portfolio managers will seek to act in a manner that they believe serves the best interest of the accounts they manage. In cases where a portfolio manager or team faces a conflict among its client accounts, it will seek to act in a manner that it believes best reflects its overall fiduciary duty, which may result in relative advantages or disadvantages for particular accounts.

Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

Fund Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers. As of May 31, 2021, the Portfolio Managers beneficially owned (as determined pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act, shares of the Fund having values within the indicated dollar range.

 

Portfolio Manager

   Dollar Range of Equity Securities
Beneficially Owned in the  Fund
 

David Friar

     None  

Jim Campagna

     None  

Lei Liao

     None  

Darren Tran

     None  

CODE OF ETHICS

The Fund, Nuveen Fund Advisors, Nuveen Asset Management, Nuveen Securities and other related entities have adopted a combined Code of Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) that essentially prohibits certain of their personnel, including the Fund’s Portfolio Managers, from engaging in personal investments that compete or interfere with, or attempt to take advantage of a client’s, including the Fund’s, anticipated or actual portfolio transactions, and are designed to assure that the interests of clients, including Fund shareholders, are placed before the interests of personnel in connection with personal investment transactions. Personnel subject to the Code of Ethics may purchase shares of the Fund subject to the restrictions set forth in the Code of Ethics. Personnel subject to the Code of Ethics may generally invest in securities in which the Fund may also invest. A text-only version of the Code of Ethics of the Fund, can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of the Code of Ethics may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail request at publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

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PROXY VOTING POLICIES

In the rare event that a municipal issuer held by the Fund were to issue a proxy, or that the Fund were to receive a proxy issued by a cash management security, Nuveen Fund Advisors has delegated to Nuveen Asset Management the full responsibility for proxy voting on securities held in the Fund’s portfolio and related duties in accordance with the Nuveen Asset Management’s policies and procedures. Nuveen Fund Advisors periodically monitors Nuveen Asset Management’s voting to ensure that it is carrying out its duties. Nuveen Asset Management’s proxy voting policies and procedures are attached to this filing as Appendix A.

If applicable, Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 of each year is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free (800) 257-8787 or by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or from the Fund’s website (http://www.nuveen.com). This reference to the website does not incorporate the contents of the website in the Prospectus or the SAI.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

Subject to the supervision of the Board, Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for decisions to purchase and sell securities for the Fund, the negotiation of the prices to be paid and the allocation of transactions among various dealer firms. Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment by the Fund of brokerage commissions. There generally is no stated commission in the case of securities traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market but the price paid by the Fund usually includes an undisclosed dealer commission or mark-up. Transactions in the OTC market can also be placed with broker-dealers who act as agents and charge brokerage commissions for effecting OTC transactions. The Fund may place its OTC transactions either directly with principal market makers, or with broker-dealers if that is consistent with Nuveen Asset Management’s obligation to obtain best qualitative execution. In certain instances, the Fund may make purchases of underwritten issues at prices that include underwriting fees.

Portfolio securities may be purchased directly from an underwriter or in the OTC market from the principal dealers in such securities, unless it appears that a better price or execution may be obtained through other means. Portfolio securities will not be purchased from Nuveen Investments or its affiliates or affiliates of Nuveen Fund Advisors except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

It is Nuveen Asset Management’s policy to seek the best execution under the circumstances of each trade. Nuveen Asset Management will evaluate price as the primary consideration, with the financial condition, reputation and responsiveness of the dealer considered secondary in determining best execution. Given the best execution obtainable, it will be Nuveen Asset Management’s practice to select dealers that, in addition, furnish research information (primarily credit analyses of issuers and general economic reports) and statistical and other services to Nuveen Asset Management. It is not possible to place a dollar value on information and statistical and other services received from dealers. Since it is only supplementary to Nuveen Asset Management’s own research efforts, the receipt of research information is not expected to reduce significantly Nuveen Asset Management’s expenses. While Nuveen Asset Management will be primarily responsible for the placement of the business of the Fund, Nuveen Asset Management’s policies and practices in this regard must be consistent with the foregoing and will, at all times, be subject to review by the Fund’s Board.

Nuveen Asset Management may manage other investment accounts and investment companies for other clients that may invest in the same types of securities as the Fund and that may have investment objectives similar to those of the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell assets or securities by the Fund and another advisory account. If an aggregated order cannot be filled completely, allocations will generally be made on a pro rata basis. An order may not be allocated on a pro rata basis where, for example (i) consideration is given to portfolio

 

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managers who have been instrumental in developing or negotiating a particular investment; (ii) consideration is given to an account with specialized investment policies that coincide with the particulars of a specific investment; (iii) pro rata allocation would result in odd-lot or de minimis amounts being allocated to a portfolio or other client; or (iv) where Nuveen Asset Management reasonably determines that departure from a pro rata allocation is advisable. There may also be instances where the Fund will not participate at all in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. While these allocation procedures could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the Board that the benefits available from Nuveen Asset Management’s management outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from Nuveen Asset Management’s larger management activities and its need to allocate securities.

Substantially all of the Fund’s trades are effected on a principal basis. The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund for the last three fiscal years:

 

     Brokerage Commissions Paid  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

   $ 52,995  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

   $ 32,877  

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

   $ 52,720  

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund did not pay commissions to brokers in return for research services or hold any securities of its regular broker-dealers.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund acquired certain securities of its regular brokers or dealers, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act, or of the parents of the brokers or dealers. The following table sets forth those brokers or dealers and states the value of the Fund’s aggregate holdings of the securities of each issuer as of close of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020:

 

Broker/Dealer

  Issuer   Aggregate Fund
Holdings of
Broker/Dealer or Parent
(as of  December 31, 2020)
 

Bank of America

  Bank of America Corp.   $  

Goldman Sachs Group Inc

  Goldman Sachs & Co.     1,778,460  

NET ASSET VALUE

The Fund’s NAV per Common Share is determined as of the close of regular session trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. NAV is computed by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses and dividends declared but unpaid), by the total number of Common Shares outstanding. In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Exchange-traded equity securities are generally valued at the last sales price on the securities exchange on which such securities are primarily traded. Exchange-traded equity securities traded on a securities exchange for which there are no transactions on a given day or securities not listed on a securities exchange are valued at closing mid or bid prices. Securities reported on Nasdaq are valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price. Exchange-listed option contracts are valued using the prices reported on the exchanges where such instruments are primarily traded as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors should note that the listed options markets generally close at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Changes in the value of the Fund’s options portfolio after 4:00 p.m. generally would not be reflected in that day’s NAV. Exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures contracts are generally valued at the final settlement price or official closing price on the exchange such futures contracts and options on futures contracts are primarily traded. OTC derivatives, including OTC options, are valued based on prices from a third party evaluation service. Temporary investments in securities that have variable rate and demand features qualifying them as short-term investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

 

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The Fund’s securities are valued in accordance with procedures approved by the Board. Where a security is traded on more than one exchange, the security is generally valued at the price on the exchange considered to be the primary exchange. In the case of securities not traded on an exchange, or if exchange prices are not otherwise available, the prices are typically determined by independent third party pricing services that use a variety of techniques and methodologies.

The valuations for fixed income securities and certain derivative instruments are typically the prices supplied by independent third party pricing services, which may use market prices or broker/dealer quotations or a variety of fair valuation techniques and methodologies. Any independent pricing service determining fair value will do so pursuant to procedures adopted by, or under the supervision of, the Board. If independent third party pricing services are unable to supply prices for a portfolio investment, or if the prices supplied are deemed to be unreliable, the market price may be determined by using quotations from one or more broker/dealers. When such prices or quotations are not available, or when believed to be unreliable, securities may be priced using fair value procedures approved by the Board. These procedures permit, among other things, the use of a matrix, formula or other method that takes into consideration market indexes, yield curves and other specific adjustments to determine fair value. The Fund may also use fair value procedures if it is determined that a significant event has occurred between the time at which a market price is determined and the time at which the fund’s NAV is calculated. The effect of using fair value pricing is that the Common Share NAV will be subject to the judgment of the Board or its designee instead of being determined by the market.

DISTRIBUTIONS

The Fund will pay quarterly distributions stated in terms of a fixed cents per Common Share that would be composed of net investment income and supplemental amounts generally representing realized capital gains or, possibly, returns of capital representing unrealized capital gains. Quarterly distributions, including such supplemental amounts, are sometimes referred to as “managed distributions.” The Fund’s managed distribution policy is pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, which permits the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains to shareholders more frequently than once per year. The Fund will seek to establish a Common Share distribution rate that roughly corresponds to Nuveen Fund Advisors’ projections of the total return that could reasonably be expected to be generated by the Fund’s Common Shares over an extended period of time, although the distribution rate will not be solely dependent on the amount of income earned or capital gains realized. Nuveen Fund Advisors, in making such projections, may consider long-term historical returns and a variety of other factors. Distributions can only be made after paying any interest and required principal payments on borrowings, if any, and any accrued dividends to preferred shareholders, if any.

If, for any quarterly distribution, net investment income and net realized capital gains were less than the amount of the distribution, the difference would be distributed from the Fund’s assets. In order to raise the cash for such distributions, the Fund expects to sell portfolio securities. Such portfolio sales may occur at a time when independent investment judgment might not otherwise have dictated such action. The Fund’s final distribution for each calendar year may include any remaining net investment income and net realized capital gains not distributed during the year.

The Fund’s actual financial performance will likely vary significantly from month-to-month and from year-to-year, and there may be extended periods when the distribution rate will exceed the Fund’s actual total returns. The Fund’s projected or actual distribution rate is not a prediction of what the Fund’s actual total returns will be over any specific future period.

As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Common Shares and the Fund’s distribution policy could change. To the extent that the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy exceeds the distribution rate for an extended period, the Fund may be in a position either to increase the distribution rate or to distribute supplemental amounts to shareholders, or both. Conversely, if the total return of the Fund’s overall strategy is less than the distribution rate for an extended period of time, the Fund will effectively be drawing

 

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upon its assets to meet payments prescribed by its distribution policy. Similarly, for tax purposes such distributions by the Fund may consist in part of a return of capital to Common Shareholders. The exact tax characteristics of the Fund’s Common Share distributions will not be known until after the Fund’s fiscal year-end. Common Shareholders should not confuse a return of capital distribution with “dividend yield” or “total return.” At the same time that it pays a quarterly distribution, the Fund will post on its website (www.nuveen.com/cef), and make available in written form to holders of its Common Shares a notice of the estimated sources and tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions (i.e., what percentage of the distributions is estimated to constitute ordinary income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains, and/or a non-taxable return of capital) on a year-to-date basis, in compliance with a federal securities law requirement that any fund paying a distribution from sources other than net investment income disclose to shareholders the respective portion attributable to such other sources. These estimates may be based on certain assumptions about the Fund’s expected investment returns and the realization of net gains, if any, over the remaining course of the year. These estimates may, and likely will, vary over time based on the activities of the Fund and changes in the value of portfolio investments. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after December 31 in each year, and reported to Common Shareholders on Form 1099-DIV early the following year.

As explained more fully below in “Tax Matters,” the Fund intends to distribute to Common Shareholders any net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year through its managed distributions or, alternatively, to retain all or a portion of the year’s net capital gain and pay federal income tax on the retained gain. Each Common Shareholder of record as of the end of the Fund’s taxable year will include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, his or her share of any retained gain, will be deemed to have paid his or her proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund on such retained gain, and will be entitled to an income tax credit or refund for that share of the tax. The Fund may treat any retained capital gain amount as a substitute for equivalent cash distributions. In addition, the Fund may make total Common Share distributions during a given calendar year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized long-term capital gains for that calendar year, in which case the excess will generally be treated by Common Shareholders as return of capital for tax purposes. A return of capital reduces a shareholder’s tax basis, which could result in more taxable gain when the shareholder sells his or her shares. This may cause the shareholder to pay taxes even if he or she sells shares for less than the original price.

The Fund reserves the right to change its distribution policy and the basis for establishing the rate of its quarterly Common Share distributions at any time upon notice to Common Shareholders, upon a determination by the Fund’s Board of Trustees that such change is in the best interests of the Fund and its Common Shareholders.

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

If your Common Shares are registered directly with the Fund or if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that participates in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”), your distributions, including any capital gain distributions, will automatically be reinvested in additional Common Shares under the Plan unless you request otherwise. If you elect not to participate in the Plan, or are not eligible to participate because your brokerage firm does not participate in the Plan, you will receive all distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to you or your brokerage firm by Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc. (together, “Computershare”), as dividend paying agent (the “Plan Agent”). The tax consequences of a distribution are the same regardless of whether such distribution is reinvested or received in cash. See “Tax Matters.”

Under the Plan, the number of Common Shares you will receive will be determined as follows:

(1) If Common Shares are trading at or above NAV at the time of valuation, the Fund will issue new shares at the then current market price;

 

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(2) If Common Shares are trading below NAV at the time of valuation, the Plan Agent will receive the dividend or distribution in cash and will purchase Common Shares in the open market, on the NYSE or elsewhere, for the participants’ accounts. It is possible that the market price for the Common Shares may increase before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases. Therefore, the average purchase price per share paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the market price at the time of valuation, resulting in the purchase of fewer shares than if the dividend or distribution had been paid in Common Shares issued by the Fund. The Plan Agent will use all dividends and distributions received in cash to purchase Common Shares in the open market within 30 days of the valuation date. Interest will not be paid on any uninvested cash payments; or

(3) If the Plan Agent begins purchasing Fund shares on the open market while shares are trading below NAV, but the Fund’s shares subsequently trade at or above their NAV before the Plan Agent is able to complete its purchases, the Plan Agent may cease open-market purchases and may invest the uninvested portion of the distribution in newly-issued Fund shares at a price equal to the greater of the shares’ NAV or 95% of the shares’ market value.

You may withdraw from the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Plan Agent. If you withdraw or the Plan is terminated, you will receive whole shares in your account under the Plan and you will receive a cash payment for any fraction of a share in your account. If you wish, the Plan Agent will sell your shares and send you the proceeds, minus brokerage commissions and a $2.50 service fee.

The Plan Agent maintains all shareholders’ accounts in the Plan and gives written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information you may need for tax records. Upon a repurchase of your shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) may be required to report to the IRS and furnish to you cost basis and holding period information for the Fund’s shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012 (“covered shares”).

For shares of the Fund held in the Plan, you are permitted to elect from among several permitted cost basis methods. In the absence of an election, the Plan will use first-in first-out (“FIFO”) methodology for tracking and reporting your cost basis on covered shares as its default cost basis method. The cost basis method you use may not be changed with respect to a repurchase of shares after the settlement date of the repurchase by the Fund. You should consult with your tax advisors to determine the best permitted cost basis method for your tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting rules apply to you. Shareholders should also carefully review and cost basis information provided to them and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting those amounts on their U.S. federal income tax returns.

Common Shares in your account will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form. Any proxy you receive will include all Common Shares you have received under the Plan.

There is no brokerage charge for reinvestment of your dividends or distributions in Common Shares. However, all participants will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred by the Plan Agent when it makes open market purchases.

Automatically reinvesting dividends and distributions does not mean that you do not have to pay income taxes due upon receiving dividends and distributions.

If you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that does not participate in the Plan, you will not be able to participate in the Plan and any dividend reinvestment may be effected on different terms than those described above. Consult your financial advisor for more information.

The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan if in the judgment of the Board the change is warranted. There is no direct service charge to participants in the Plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Additional information about the Plan may be obtained from Computershare, P.O. Box 505000, Louisville, Kentucky, 40233-5000, (800) 257-8787.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The Fund may sell the Common Shares offered under the Prospectus and this SAI through

 

   

at-the-market transactions;

 

   

underwriting syndicates; and

 

   

privately negotiated transactions.

The Fund will bear the expenses of the offering, including but not limited to, the expenses of preparation of the Prospectus and this SAI for the offering and the expense of counsel and auditors in connection with the offering.

Distribution Through At-The-Market Transactions

The Fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Nuveen Securities (the “Distribution Agreement”), which has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Distribution Agreement, the Fund may from time to time issue and sell its Common Shares through Nuveen Securities to certain broker-dealers that have entered into selected dealer agreements with Nuveen Securities. Currently, Nuveen Securities has entered into a selected dealer agreement (the “Selected Dealer Agreement”) with UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) pursuant to which UBS will act as the exclusive sub-placement agent with respect to at-the-market offerings of Common Shares. The Selected Dealer Agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus forms a part.

Common Shares will only be sold on such days as shall be agreed to by the Fund, Nuveen Securities and UBS. Common Shares will be sold at prevailing market prices through the National Market System, subject to a minimum price to be established each day by Nuveen Securities. The minimum price on any day will not be less than the current NAV per Common Share plus the per share amount of the commission to be paid to Nuveen Securities. The Fund, Nuveen Securities and UBS will suspend the sale of Common Shares if the per share price of the shares is less than the minimum price.

The Fund will compensate Nuveen Securities with respect to sales of Common Shares at a commission rate of up to 1.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. Nuveen Securities or Nuveen Fund Advisors will compensate sub-placement agents or other broker-dealers participating in the offering at a rate of up to 0.8% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares sold by that sub-placement agent or broker-dealer. Settlements of sales of Common Shares will occur on the second business day following the date on which any such sales are made.

In connection with the sale of Common Shares on behalf of the Fund, Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act, and the compensation of Nuveen Securities may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. Unless otherwise indicated in a further Prospectus supplement, Nuveen Securities will act as underwriter on a reasonable efforts basis.

The offering of Common Shares pursuant to the Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all Common Shares subject thereto or (ii) termination of the Distribution Agreement. The Fund and Nuveen Securities each have the right to terminate the Distribution Agreement in their discretion at any time.

The Fund currently intends to distribute the shares offered pursuant to the Prospectus and this SAI primarily through at-the-market transactions, although from time to time it may also distribute shares through an underwriting syndicate or a privately negotiated transaction. To the extent shares are distributed other than through at-the-market transactions, the Fund will file a supplement to the Prospectus and this SAI describing such transactions.

 

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The Fund’s closing price on the NYSE on July 7, 2021 was $18.10.

UBS, its affiliates and their respective employees hold or may hold in the future, directly or indirectly, investment interests in Nuveen, Nuveen Fund Advisors, TIAA or any of their affiliates or funds. The interests held by employees of UBS or its affiliates are not attributable to, and no investment discretion is held by, UBS or its affiliates.

Distribution Through Underwriting Syndicates

The Fund from time to time may issue additional Common Shares through a syndicated secondary offering. In order to limit the impact on the market price of the Fund’s Common Shares, underwriters will market and price the offering on an expedited basis (e.g., overnight or similarly abbreviated offering period). The Fund will launch a syndicated offering on a day, and upon terms, mutually agreed upon between the Fund, Nuveen Securities, one of the Fund’s underwriters, and the underwriting syndicate.

The Fund will offer its shares at price equal to a specified discount of up to 5% from the closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date. The applicable discount will be negotiated by the Fund and Nuveen Securities in consultation with the underwriting syndicate on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The Fund will compensate the underwriting syndicate out of the proceeds of the offering based upon a sales load of up to 4% of the gross proceeds of the sale of Common Shares. The minimum net proceeds per share to the Fund will not be less than the greater of (i) the Fund’s latest NAV per share of Common Shares or (ii) 91% of the closing market price of the shares of the Fund’s Common Shares on the day prior to the offering date.

Distribution Through Privately Negotiated Transactions

The Fund from time to time may sell directly to, and solicit offers from, institutional and other sophisticated investors, who may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the 1933 Act for any resale of Common Shares.

The terms of such privately negotiated transactions will be subject to the discretion of the management of the Fund. In determining whether to sell Common Shares through a privately negotiated transaction, the Fund will consider relevant factors including, but not limited to, the attractiveness of obtaining additional funds through the sale of Common Shares, the purchase price to apply to any such sale of Common Shares and the person seeking to purchase the Common Shares.

Common Shares issued by the Fund through privately negotiated transactions will be issued at a price equal to the greater of (i) the NAV per share of the Fund’s Common Shares or (ii) at a discount ranging from 0% to 5% of the average daily closing market price of the Fund’s Common Shares at the close of business on the ten business days preceding the date upon which Common Shares are sold pursuant to the privately negotiated transaction. The applicable discount will be determined by the Fund on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

The principal business address of Nuveen Securities is 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

COMMON SHARES

The Fund’s Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. The Common Shares being offered have a par value of $0.01 per share and, subject to the rights of holders of Preferred Shares, if issued, and borrowings, if incurred have equal rights as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation of the Fund. The Common Shares being offered will, when issued, be fully paid and, subject to matters discussed in “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws,”

 

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non-assessable, and will have no pre-emptive or conversion rights or rights to cumulative voting. The Fund has no current intention of issuing Preferred shares or incurring borrowings. However, if at some future time the Fund issues Preferred Shares and/or incurs borrowings, the Common Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any cash distributions from the Fund unless accrued dividends on Preferred Shares and interest on borrowings have been paid, and (i) unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to Preferred Shares would be at least 200% after giving effect to the distributions and (ii) unless asset coverage (again, as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to any borrowings would be at least 300% after giving effect to the distributions. See “Preferred Shares” below.

The Common Shares are listed on the NYSE and trade under the ticker symbol “SPXX.” The Fund intends to hold annual meetings of shareholders so long as the Common Shares are listed on a national securities exchange and such meetings are required as a condition to such listing. The Fund will not issue share certificates.

Unlike open-end funds, closed-end funds like the Fund do not provide daily redemptions. Rather, if a shareholder determines to purchase additional Common Shares or sell shares held, the shareholder may do so by trading on the exchange through a broker or otherwise. Shares of closed-end investment companies may frequently trade at prices lower than NAV. Shares of closed-end investment companies like the Fund have, during some periods, traded at prices higher than NAV and, during other periods, have traded at prices lower than NAV. Because the market value of the Common Shares may be influenced by such factors as distribution levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), distribution stability, NAV, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions, and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot guarantee that Common Shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than NAV in the future. The NAV per Common Share also will be reduced by any costs associated with the issuance of Preferred Shares or any borrowings, if any. Whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of Common Shares will not depend upon a Fund’s NAV but will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the Common Shares at the time of sale is above or below the original purchase price for the shares. Since the market price of the Fund’s Common Shares will be determined by factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot guarantee you that Common Shares will trade at a price equal to or higher than NAV in the future. Accordingly, the Common Shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and investors in the Common Shares should not view the Fund as a vehicle for trading purposes. See “Repurchase of Fund Shares; Conversion to Open-End Fund” and the Fund’s Prospectus under “The Fund’s Investments.”

PREFERRED SHARES

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Declaration authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Preferred shares in one or more classes or series, with rights as determined by the Board of the Fund, by action of the Board without the approval of the Common Shareholders. The terms of any Preferred shares that may be issued by the Fund may be the same as, or different from, the terms described below, subject to applicable law and the Declaration.

Limited Issuance of Preferred Shares. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund could issue Preferred Shares with an aggregate liquidation value of up to one-half of the value of the Fund’s total net assets, measured immediately after issuance of the Preferred Shares. “Liquidation value” means the original purchase price of the shares being liquidated plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Common Shares unless the liquidation value of the Preferred Shares is less than one-half of the value of the Fund’s total net assets (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution) immediately after the distribution.

Distribution Preference. The Preferred Shares would have complete priority over the Common Shares as to distribution of assets.

Liquidation Preference. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Fund, holders of Preferred Shares would be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution

 

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(expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, whether or not earned or declared) before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Shares. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, holders of Preferred Shares will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets by the Fund. A consolidation or merger of the Fund with or into any Massachusetts business trust or corporation or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Fund shall not be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund.

Voting Rights. In connection with any issuance of Preferred Shares, the Fund must comply with Section 18(i) of the 1940 Act, which requires, among other things, that Preferred shares be voting shares and have equal voting rights with Common Shares. Except as otherwise indicated in this SAI and except as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of Preferred shares would vote together with Common Shareholders as a single class.

In connection with the election of the Fund’s trustees, holders of Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees, and the remaining trustees would be elected by Common Shareholders and holders of Preferred Shares, voting together as a single class. In addition, if at any time dividends on the Fund’s outstanding Preferred shares would be unpaid in an amount equal to two full years’ dividends thereon, the holders of all outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund’s trustees until all dividends in arrears have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding Preferred shares of any class or series, as the case may be, voting as a separate class, would be required to, among other things, (1) take certain actions that would affect the preferences, rights, or powers of such class or series or (2) authorize or issue any class or series ranking prior to the Preferred Shares. Except as may otherwise be required by law, (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s Preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company and (2) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Preferred shares, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any plan of reorganization (as such term is used in the 1940 Act) adversely affecting such shares, provided however, that such separate class vote would be a majority vote if the action in question has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or the By-laws. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares, voting as a separate class, would be required to approve any action not described in the preceding sentence requiring a vote of security holders under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act including, among other things, changes in the Fund’s investment objectives or changes in the investment restrictions described as fundamental policies under “Investment Restrictions.” The class or series vote of holders of Preferred Shares described above would in each case be in addition to any separate vote of the requisite percentage of Common Shares and Preferred Shares necessary to authorize the action in question.

The foregoing voting provisions would not apply with respect to the Fund’s Preferred shares if, at or prior to the time when a vote was required, such shares would have been (1) redeemed or (2) called for redemption and sufficient funds would have been deposited in trust to effect such redemption.

Redemption, Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares. The terms of the Preferred shares may provide that they are redeemable by the Fund at certain times, in whole or in part, at the original purchase price per share plus accumulated dividends that the Fund may tender for or purchase Preferred shares and that the Fund may subsequently resell any shares so tendered for or purchased. Any redemption or purchase of Preferred shares by the Fund would reduce the leverage applicable to Common Shares, while any resale of such shares by the Fund would increase such leverage.

In the event of any future issuance of Preferred shares, the Fund likely would apply for ratings from an NRSRO. In such event, as long as Preferred Shares are outstanding, the composition of the Fund’s portfolio would reflect guidelines established by such NRSRO. Based on previous guidelines established by such NRSROs

 

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for the securities of other issuers, the Fund anticipates that the guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. However, at this time, no assurance can be given as to the nature or extent of the guidelines that may be imposed in connection with obtaining a rating of any Preferred shares.

BORROWINGS

As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not leverage its capital structure by issuing senior securities such as preferred shares or debt instruments. However, the Declaration authorizes the Fund, without prior approval of the Common Shareholders, to borrow money. In this connection, the Fund may issue borrowings (including bank borrowings or commercial paper) and may secure any such borrowings by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the Fund’s assets. In connection with such borrowings, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances with the lender or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Any such requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund, immediately after any borrowings, must have an asset coverage of at least 300%. With respect to any such borrowings, asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the total assets of the Fund, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), bears to the aggregate amount of such borrowings represented by senior securities issued by the Fund. Certain types of borrowings may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements relating to asset coverages or portfolio composition or otherwise. In addition, as with the issue of Preferred Shares, the Fund may be subject to certain restrictions imposed by guidelines of one or more ratings agencies that may issue ratings on commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund. Such restrictions may be more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

The rights of lenders to the Fund to receive interest on and repayment of principal of any such borrowings would be senior to those of the Common Shareholders, and the terms of any such borrowings may contain provisions that limit certain activities of the Fund, including the payment of dividends to Common Shareholders in certain circumstances. Further, the 1940 Act would (in certain circumstances) grant to the lenders to the Fund certain voting rights in the event of default in the payment of interest on or repayment of principal. In the event that such provisions would impair the Fund’s status as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Code, the Fund would repay the borrowings. Any borrowings will likely be ranked senior or equal to all other existing and future borrowings of the Fund. The Fund also may borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes.

CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Fund’s Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for debts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such limited liability be given in each obligation, contract or instrument made or issued by the Fund or the trustees. The Fund’s Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The Fund believes that the likelihood of such circumstances is remote.

The Fund’s Declaration includes provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to convert the Fund to open-end status. Specifically, the Fund’s Declaration requires a vote by holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class, except as described below, to authorize (1) a conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company, (2) a merger or consolidation of the Fund with any corporation, association, trust or other organization or a reorganization or recapitalization of the Fund or a series or class of the Fund, (3) a sale, lease or

 

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transfer of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets (other than in the regular course of the Fund’s investment activities), (4) in certain circumstances, a termination of the Fund, or (5) a removal of trustees by shareholders, and then only for cause, unless, with respect to (1) through (4), such transaction has already been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration or the Fund’s by-laws, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Fund’s outstanding common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class, is required; provided, however, that, where only a particular class or series is affected (or, in the case of removing a trustee, when the trustee has been elected by only one class), only the required vote by the applicable class or series will be required. For purposes of the foregoing, the term “recapitalization” will not mean, without limitation, the issuance or redemption of preferred shares pursuant to the terms of the Declaration or the applicable Statement adopted with respect to such preferred shares, whether or not in conjunction with the issuance, retirement or redemption of other securities or indebtedness of the Fund. However, approval of shareholders is not required for any transaction, whether deemed a merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise, whereby the Fund issues shares in connection with the acquisition of assets (including those subject to liabilities) of any other investment company or similar entity. In the case of the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company, or in the case of any of the foregoing transactions constituting a plan of reorganization (as that term is used in the 1940 Act) which adversely affects the holders of preferred shares, the action in question will also require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, or, if such action has been authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Fund’s Declaration or the Fund’s by-laws, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Fund’s preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class. None of the foregoing voting provisions may be amended or repealed except by the vote of at least two-thirds of the common shares and preferred shares, voting as a single class. The votes required to approve the conversion of the Fund from a closed-end to an open-end investment company or to approve transactions constituting a plan of reorganization which adversely affects the holders of preferred shares are higher than those required by the 1940 Act. The Fund’s Board believes that the provisions of the Fund’s Declaration relating to such higher votes are in the best interests of the Fund.

The Fund’s Declaration provides that the obligations of the Fund are not binding upon the Fund’s trustees individually, but only upon the assets and property of the Fund, and that the trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, nothing in the Fund’s Declaration protects a trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

In addition, the Fund’s by-laws require the Board to be divided into three classes with staggered terms. This provision of the by-laws could delay for up to two years the replacement of a majority of the Board. Holders of preferred shares, voting as a separate class, are entitled to elect two of the Fund’s trustees.

The Fund’s by-laws provide that a shareholder who obtains beneficial ownership of common shares in a “Control Share Acquisition” shall have the same voting rights as other common shares only to the extent authorized by shareholders. Such authorization shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (more than 50%) of the shares of the Fund entitled to vote in the election of trustees excluding Interested Shares. Interested Shares include shares held by Fund officers and any person who has acquired common shares in a Control Share Acquisition (the “Control Share Provisions”). The by-laws define a “Control Share Acquisition,” subject to various conditions and exceptions, generally to mean an acquisition of common shares that would give the beneficial owner, upon the acquisition of such shares, the ability to exercise voting power, but for the Control Share Provisions, in the election of trustees in any one of the following ranges: (i) one-tenth or more, but less than one-fifth of all voting power; (ii) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third of all voting power; (iii) one-third or more, but less than a majority of all voting power; or (iv) a majority or more of all voting power. For this purpose, all common shares acquired by a person within ninety days before or after the date on which such person acquires shares that result in a Control Share Acquisition, and all common shares acquired by such person pursuant to a plan to make a Control Share Acquisition, shall be deemed to have been acquired in the same

 

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Control Share Acquisition. Subject to various conditions and procedural requirements, including the delivery of a “Control Share Acquisition Statement” to the Fund setting forth certain required information, a shareholder who obtains or proposes to obtain beneficial ownership of common shares in a Control Share Acquisition generally may request a vote of shareholders to approve the authorization of voting rights of such shareholder with respect to such shares.

The provisions of the Fund’s Declaration and by-laws described above could have the effect of depriving the common shareholders of opportunities to sell their common shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the common shares by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund in a tender offer or similar transaction. The overall effect of these provisions is to render more difficult the accomplishment of a merger or the assumption of control by a third party. However, they provide the advantage of potentially requiring persons seeking control of the Fund to negotiate with its management regarding the price to be paid and facilitating the continuity of the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. The Fund’s Board has considered the foregoing anti-takeover provisions and concluded that they are in the best interests of the Fund.

The Fund’s Declaration provides that common shareholders will have no right to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any shares or securities of the Fund, other than such right, if any, as the Fund’s Board in its discretion may determine.

Reference should be made to the Fund’s Declaration and by-laws on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.

 

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REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES; CONVERSION TO OPEN-END FUND

The Fund is a closed-end investment company and as such its shareholders will not have the right to cause the Fund to redeem their shares. Instead, the Fund’s Common Shares will trade in the open market at a price that will be a function of several factors, including distribution levels (which are in turn affected by expenses), NAV, distribution stability, relative demand for and supply of such shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors. Because shares of a closed-end investment company may frequently trade at prices lower than NAV, the Fund’s Board has currently determined that, at least annually, it will consider action that might be taken to reduce or eliminate any material discount from NAV in respect of Common Shares, which may include the repurchase of such shares in the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares at NAV, or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company. There can be no assurance, however, that the Board will decide to take any of these actions, or that share repurchases or tender offers, if undertaken, will reduce market discount. On August 4, 2020, the Fund’s Board renewed the Fund’s open market share repurchase program under which the Fund may repurchase up to 10% of its Common Shares. Since the inception of the Fund’s share repurchase program through July 7, 2021, the Fund has repurchased 383,763 Common Shares under the program.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time when the Fund’s Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Fund may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its Common Shares unless (1) all accrued Preferred shares dividends have been paid and (2) at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition, the NAV of the Fund’s portfolio (determined after deducting the acquisition price of the Common Shares) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding Preferred shares (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon). The staff of the SEC currently requires that any tender offer made by a closed-end investment company for its shares must be at a price equal to the NAV of such shares on the close of business on the last day of the tender offer. Any service fees incurred in connection with any tender offer made by the Fund will be borne by the Fund and will not reduce the stated consideration to be paid to tendering shareholders.

Subject to its investment limitations, the Fund may borrow to finance the repurchase of shares or to make a tender offer. Interest on any borrowings to finance share repurchase transactions or the accumulation of cash by the Fund in anticipation of share repurchases or tenders will reduce the Fund’s net income. Any share repurchase, tender offer or borrowing that might be approved by the Board would have to comply with the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Although the decision to take action in response to a discount from NAV will be made by the Board at the time it considers such issue, it is the Board’s present policy, which may be changed by the Board, not to authorize repurchases of Common Shares or a tender offer for such shares if (1) such transactions, if consummated, would (a) result in the delisting of the Common Shares from the NYSE or elsewhere, or (b) impair the Fund’s status as a RIC under the Code (which would make the Fund a taxable entity, causing the Fund’s income to be taxed at the corporate level in addition to the taxation of shareholders who receive dividends from the Fund) or as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act; (2) the Fund would not be able to liquidate portfolio securities in an orderly manner and consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies in order to repurchase shares; or (3) there is, in the Board’s judgment, any (a) material legal action or proceeding instituted or threatened challenging such transactions or otherwise materially adversely affecting the Fund, (b) general suspension of or limitation on prices for trading securities on the NYSE or elsewhere, (c) declaration of a banking moratorium by Federal or state authorities or any suspension of payment by United States or state banks in which the Fund invests, (d) material limitation affecting the Fund or the issuers of its portfolio securities by Federal or state authorities on the extension of credit by lending institutions or on the exchange of non-U.S. currency, (e) commencement of war, armed hostilities or other international or national calamity directly or indirectly involving the United States, or (f) other event or condition that would have a material adverse effect (including any adverse tax effect) on the Fund or its shareholders if shares were repurchased. The Board may in the future modify these conditions in light of experience.

 

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Conversion to an open-end company would require the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s Common Shares and Preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting together as a single class, and of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Fund’s Preferred shares outstanding at the time, voting as a separate class, provided however, that such separate class vote shall be a majority vote if the action in question has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of trustees fixed in accordance with the Declaration or By-laws. See the Prospectus under “Certain Provisions in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws” for a discussion of voting requirements applicable to conversion of the Fund to an open-end company. If the Fund converted to an open-end company, it would be required to redeem all Preferred shares then outstanding (requiring in turn that it liquidate a portion of its investment portfolio), and the Fund’s Common Shares would no longer be listed on the NYSE or elsewhere. Shareholders of an open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares on any business day (except in certain circumstances as authorized by or under the 1940 Act or rules thereunder) at their NAV, less such redemption charge, if any, as might be in effect at the time of redemption. In order to avoid maintaining large cash positions or liquidating favorable investments to meet redemptions, open-end companies typically engage in a continuous offering of their shares. Open-end companies are thus subject to periodic asset in-flows and out-flows that can complicate portfolio management. As a result, conversion to open-end status may require changes in the management of the Fund’s portfolio in order to meet the liquidity requirements applicable to open-end funds. Because portfolio securities may have to be liquidated to meet redemptions, conversion could affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or to use certain investment policies and techniques described above. If converted to an open-end fund, the Fund expects to pay all redemptions in cash, but intends to reserve the right to pay redemption requests in a combination of cash or securities. If such partial payment in securities were made, investors may incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. If the Fund were converted to an open-end fund, it is likely that new Common Shares would be sold at NAV plus a sales load. The Board of the Fund may at any time propose conversion of the Fund to an open-end company depending upon their judgment as to the advisability of such action in light of circumstances then prevailing.

The repurchase by the Fund of its shares at prices below NAV will result in an increase in the NAV of those shares that remain outstanding. However, there can be no assurance that share repurchases or tenders at or below NAV will result in the Fund’s shares trading at a price equal to their NAV. Nevertheless, the fact that the Fund’s shares may be the subject of repurchase or tender offers at NAV from time to time, or that the Fund may be converted to an open-end company, may reduce any spread between market price and NAV that might otherwise exist.

In addition, a purchase by the Fund of its Common Shares will decrease the Fund’s total assets, which would likely have the effect of increasing the Fund’s expense ratio. Any purchase by the Fund of its Common Shares at a time when Preferred Shares are outstanding will increase the leverage applicable to the outstanding Common Shares then remaining.

Before deciding whether to take any action if the Fund’s Common Shares trade below NAV, the Board would consider all relevant factors, including the extent and duration of the discount, the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of any action that might be taken on the Fund or its shareholders and market considerations. Based on these considerations, even if the Fund’s shares should trade at a discount, the Board may determine that, in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders, no action should be taken.

TAX MATTERS

FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS

The following is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a shareholder that acquires, holds and/or disposes of shares of the Fund. This discussion addresses only U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets and does not address

 

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all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to particular shareholders in light of their individual circumstances. This discussion also does not address the tax consequences to shareholders who are subject to special rules, including, without limitation, shareholders with large positions in the Fund, financial institutions, insurance companies, dealers in securities or foreign currencies, foreign holders, persons who hold their shares as or in a hedge against currency risk, a constructive sale, or conversion transaction, holders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax, or tax-exempt or tax-deferred plans, accounts, or entities. In addition, the discussion does not address any state, local, or foreign tax consequences. The discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the IRS regarding any matters discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to those set forth below. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income tax concerns affecting the Fund and its shareholders, and the discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the specific tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund, including the applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them and the effect of possible changes in tax laws.

The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” as defined in the Code (the “Qualifying Income Test”); (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for the purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of a single issuer, or two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”); and (c) distribute each year an amount equal to or greater than the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest. The requirements for qualification as a RIC may significantly limit the extent to which the Fund may invest in some investments.

If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, and was unable to cure such failure the Fund would be taxed in the same manner as a regular corporation on its taxable income (even if such income were distributed to its shareholders) and distributions to shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. Additionally, all distributions out of current and accumulated earnings and profits (including distributions from net capital gain and net tax-exempt interest) would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income,” as discussed below in the case of non-corporate shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction under Section 243 of the Code (the “Dividends Received Deduction”) in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to requalify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess

 

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of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders. The Fund may retain for investment its net capital gain. However, if the Fund retains any net capital gain or any investment company taxable income, it will be subject to tax at the regular corporate rate on the amount retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the federal income tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the federal income tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and the net capital gain not otherwise retained by the Fund.

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary taxable income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (3) any ordinary taxable income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years and on which the Fund paid no U.S. federal income tax. To prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement.

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Fund is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If the Fund has a “net capital loss” the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. In addition, the carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

As of December 31, 2020, the Fund’s tax year end, the Fund had unused capital loss carryforwards available for federal tax purposes in the amount of:

 

Not subject to expiration:

  

Short-Term

   $ 17,906,749  

Long-Term

     8,970,642  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 26,877,391  
  

 

 

 

Distributions

Except for distributions of qualified dividend income (discussed below), distributions to shareholders of net investment income received by the Fund and of net short-term capital gains realized by the Fund, if any, will be

 

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taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions by the Fund of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, are taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has owned the shares with respect to which such distributions are made. Distributions, if any, in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will first reduce the adjusted tax basis of a shareholder’s shares and, after that basis has been reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to the shareholder (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset).

“Qualified dividend income” received by non-corporate shareholders is taxed for federal income tax purpose at rates equivalent to long-term capital gain tax rates, which reach a maximum of 20%. Qualified dividend income generally includes dividends from domestic corporations and dividends from non-U.S. corporations that meet certain specified criteria. In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet the same holding period and other requirements with respect to the shareholder’s Fund shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (i) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held (or treated as held) for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (ii) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (iii) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (iv) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Distributions that the Fund receives from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.

In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the Fund will qualify for the Dividends Received Deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (i) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held (or is treated as holding) for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (ii) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the Dividends Received Deduction may be disallowed or reduced (i) if a corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the Fund or (ii) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the Dividends Received Deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)). For purposes of determining the holding period for stock on which a dividend is received, such holding period is reduced for any period the recipient has an option to sell, is under a contractual obligation to sell or has made (and not closed) a short sale of substantially identical stock or securities, and in certain other circumstances.

The straddle rules discussed below could cause distributions that would otherwise qualify for the Dividends Received Deduction or constitute qualified dividend income to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements.

The tax character of dividends and distributions is the same for federal income tax purposes whether reinvested in additional shares of the Fund or paid in cash.

 

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Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, dividends declared in October, November or December, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in one of those months and paid during the following January, will be treated as having been distributed by the Fund (and received by the shareholders) on December 31 of the year declared.

Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will receive a report as to the NAV of those shares.

A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares reduces the NAV of the shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the shareholder. If the NAV of shares were reduced below the shareholder’s cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends or distributions, although also in effect returns of capital, would be taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions. This is known as “buying a dividend” and should be avoided by taxable investors.

If the Fund utilizes leverage through borrowings, or otherwise, asset coverage limitations imposed by the 1940 Act as well as additional restrictions that may be imposed by certain lenders on the payment of dividends or distributions potentially could limit or eliminate the Fund’s ability to make distributions on its common shares and/or preferred shares, if any, until the asset coverage is restored. These limitations could prevent the Fund from distributing at least 90% of its investment company taxable income as is required under the Code and therefore might jeopardize the Fund’s qualification as a RIC and/or might subject the Fund to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax. Upon any failure to meet the asset coverage requirements imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may, in its sole discretion and to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, purchase or redeem preferred shares, if any, in order to maintain or restore the requisite asset coverage and avoid the adverse consequences to the Fund and its shareholders of failing to meet the distribution requirements. There can be no assurance, however, that any such action would achieve these objectives. The Fund endeavors to avoid restrictions on its ability to distribute dividends.

The IRS currently requires that the Fund report distributions paid with respect to its Common Shares and any Preferred Shares that may be subsequently issued as consisting of a portion of each type of income distributed by the Fund. The portion of each type of income deemed received by the holders of each class of shares will be equal to the portion of the total Fund dividends received by such class. Thus, the Fund will report dividends paid as capital gain or ordinary income in a manner that allocates such dividends between the holders of the Common Shares and any future holders of Preferred Shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each such class with respect to the taxable year, or otherwise as required by applicable law.

Sale, Exchange or Liquidation of Fund Shares

The sale or exchange of shares of the Fund normally will result in capital gain or loss to shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. The gain or loss on shares held for one year or less will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gains of corporations at the same rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, however, long-term capital gains are currently taxed at a maximum federal income tax rate of 20%, while short-term capital gains and other ordinary income are currently taxed at ordinary income rates. If a shareholder sells or otherwise disposes of shares before holding them for more than six months, any loss on the sale or disposition will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any net capital gain dividends received by the shareholder with respect to such shares. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund will be disallowed to the extent those shares of the Fund are replaced by other substantially identical shares of the Fund or other substantially identical stock or securities (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the original shares. In that event, the basis of the replacement stock or securities will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. The ability to deduct capital losses may be subject to other limitations under the Code.

 

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Net Investment Income Tax

Certain non-corporate shareholders are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on some or all of their “net investment income,” which includes dividends and net capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from taxable dispositions of Fund shares. This tax generally applies to the extent net investment income, when added to other modified adjusted gross income, exceeds $200,000 for an unmarried individual, $250,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return (or a surviving spouse), or $125,000 for a married individual filing a separate return. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the applicability of this tax in respect of their shares.

Nature of Fund’s Investments

The Fund’s investments may be subject to special provisions of the Code that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gains into higher taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss, (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely alter the characterization of certain Fund investments or distributions and/or (vi) affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC.

Certain derivative investments by the Fund, such as exchange-traded and OTC derivatives may not produce qualifying income for purposes of the “Qualifying Income Test” described above, which must be met in order for the Fund to maintain its status as a RIC under the Code. In addition, the determination of the value and the identity of the issuer of such derivative investments are often unclear for purposes of the “Asset Test” described above. The Fund intends to carefully monitor such investments to ensure that any non-qualifying income does not exceed permissible limits and to ensure that they are adequately diversified under the Asset Test. The Fund, however, may not be able to accurately predict the non-qualifying income from these investments and there are no assurances that the IRS will agree with the Fund’s determination of the “Asset Test” with respect to such derivatives.

Some of the Fund’s index call options may be considered “section 1256 contracts.” Code section 1256 generally will require any gain or loss arising from the lapse, closing out or exercise of such positions to be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. In addition, the Fund generally will be required to “mark to market” (i.e., treat as sold for fair market value) each outstanding index option position that is a section 1256 contract at the close of each taxable year (and on October 31 of each year for excise tax purposes). If a “section 1256 contract” held by the Fund at the end of a taxable year is sold in the following year, the amount of any gain or loss realized on such sale will be adjusted to reflect the gain or loss previously taken into account under the “mark to market” rules. In addition to most index call options, “section 1256 contracts” under the Code include certain other options contracts, certain regulated futures contracts, and certain other financial contracts.

The Fund’s call options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be governed by Code section 1234. Pursuant to Code section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the premium received for writing the option, and the amount paid to close out its position generally is short-term capital gain or loss.

Offsetting positions held by the Fund involving certain derivative instruments, such as options, forward, and futures, as well as its long and short positions in portfolio securities, may be considered, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” Straddles are defined to include “offsetting positions” in actively traded personal property. For instance, a straddle can arise if the Fund writes a covered call option on a stock (i.e., a call on a stock owned by the Fund), or writes a call option on a stock index to the extent the Fund’s stock holdings (and any subset thereof) and the index on which it has written a call overlap sufficiently to constitute a straddle under applicable Treasury Regulations. The tax treatment of “straddles” is governed by section 1092 of the Code which, in certain circumstances, overrides or modifies the provisions of section 1256 described above. If the

 

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Fund is treated as entering into a “straddle” and at least one (but not all) of the Fund’s positions in derivative contracts comprising a part of such straddle is a section 1256 contract, described above, then such straddle could be characterized as a “mixed straddle.” The Fund may make one or more elections with respect to “mixed straddles.” Depending upon which election is made, if any, the results with respect to the Fund may differ. Generally, to the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by the Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in any offsetting positions. Moreover, as a result of the straddle rules, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gain may be characterized as short-term capital gain. In addition, the existence of a straddle can cause the holding periods to be tolled on the offsetting positions. As a result, the straddle rules could cause distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the Dividends Received Deduction to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements described below. Furthermore, the Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense and carrying charges applicable to a position that is part of a straddle, including any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry any positions that are part of a straddle. The application of the straddle rules to certain offsetting Fund positions can therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders, and may result in significant differences from the amount, timing and/or character of distributions that would have been made by the Fund if it had not entered into offsetting positions in respect of certain of its portfolio securities.

If the Fund enters into a “constructive sale” of any appreciated financial position in its portfolio, the Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when the Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of the Fund’s taxable year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.

The Fund may acquire debt securities that are market discount bonds. Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original issue discount bond). If the Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary taxable income to the extent of the accrued market discount unless the Fund elects to include the market discount in taxable income as it accrues.

The application of certain requirements for qualification as a RIC and the application of certain other federal income tax rules may be unclear in some respects in connection with investments in certain derivatives and other investments. As a result, the Fund may be required to limit the extent to which it invests in such investments and it is also possible that the IRS may not agree with the Fund’s treatment of such investments. In addition, the tax treatment of derivatives and certain other investments may be affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations and guidance issued by the IRS (which could apply retroactively) that could affect the timing, character and amount of the Fund’s income and gains and distributions to shareholders, affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions and otherwise satisfied the requirements to maintain its qualification as a RIC and avoid federal income and excise taxes or limit the extent to which the Fund may invest in certain derivatives and other investments in the future.

 

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Generally, the character of the income or gains that the Fund receives from another investment company will pass through to the Fund’s shareholders as long as the Fund and the other investment company each qualify as RICs. However, to the extent that another investment company that qualifies as a RIC realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the Fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses until it disposes of shares of such investment company. Moreover, even when the Fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as an ordinary deduction. In particular, the Fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of shares of other investment companies against its ordinary income. As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, it is possible that the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the Fund will be required to distribute to shareholders will be greater than such amounts would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests, rather than investing in shares of the investment companies. For similar reasons, the character of distributions from the Fund (e.g., long-term capital gain, qualified dividend income, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests.

If the Fund acquires an equity interest in certain foreign corporations (i) that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation’s assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income (“PFICs”), the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or on gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund would not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. A “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) election or a “mark to market” election may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to RICs, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax on the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund. Gains from the sale of stock of PFICs may also be treated as ordinary income. In order for the Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its returns from these investments. The Fund’s income attributable to its investment in a PFIC that the Fund has elected to treat as a QEF is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, regardless of whether the PFIC makes a distribution equal to the amount included in income by the Fund.

Foreign Taxes

Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. The Fund does not expect to be eligible to elect to “pass through” to the Fund’s shareholders the amount of eligible foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund.

Tax-Exempt Shareholders

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one trade or business against the income or gain of another trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized

 

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by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in the Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.

The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Fund.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. The backup withholding percentage is 24%. Corporate shareholders and certain other shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.

Foreign Shareholders

U.S. taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, or a foreign corporation (“foreign shareholder”) depends on whether the income of the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder. If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Fund shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner in a partnership holding Fund shares should consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund shares.

Income not Effectively Connected

If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. Distributions which are reported by the Fund as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. Interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a foreign person and satisfy certain other requirements.

Distributions of capital gain dividends (including any amounts retained by the Fund which are reported as undistributed capital gains) and gains recognized on the sale or other disposition of our common stock will not be subject to U.S. tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) unless the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements. However, this 30% tax on capital gains of nonresident alien individuals who are physically present in the United States for more than the 182 day period only applies in exceptional cases because any individual present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year is generally

 

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treated as a resident for U.S. income tax purposes; in that case, he or she would be subject to U.S. income tax on his or her worldwide income at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, rather than the 30% U.S. tax. In the case of a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. income tax from distributions of net capital gain unless the foreign shareholder certifies his or her non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption. See “Tax Matters—Backup Withholding.”

Income Effectively Connected

The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

FATCA Reporting and Withholding Requirements

Under legislation known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund will be required to withhold 30% of the ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or foreign individual that timely provides the certifications required by the Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9, W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as foreign investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify itself and may be required to provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. A foreign shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA may be subject to different requirements provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Foreign shareholders are encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in Fund shares.

Regulations on Reportable Transactions

Under Treasury regulations, generally, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Common Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Tax Considerations

Fund shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Financial Statements and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report thereon, appearing in the Fund’s annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, is incorporated herein by reference in this SAI. The Fund’s annual report may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

The custodian of the Fund’s assets is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 (the “Custodian”). The Custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services. The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent is Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Computershare is located at 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts  02021.

SECURITIES LENDING AGENT

State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the securities lending agent to the Fund. Pursuant to a Securities Lending Authorization Agreement and in accordance with procedures established by the Board, State Street Bank and Trust Company effects loans of Fund securities to any firm on a list of approved borrowers, negotiates loan terms, monitors the value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests additional collateral as necessary, manages reinvestment of collateral in a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund, and maintains records and prepares reports regarding loans that are made and the income derived therefrom.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, provides auditing services to the Fund. The principal business address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is located at 1 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

LEGAL OPINION

Certain legal matters in connection with the Common Shares will be passed upon for the Fund by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004.

OTHER MATTERS

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”). S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the S&P 500 Index to track general stock market performance. S&P’s only relationship to Nuveen Fund Advisors is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P and of the S&P 500 Index which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to the Nuveen Fund Advisors or the Fund. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of the Nuveen Fund Advisors or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500 Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted

 

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into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

S&P DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND S&P SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. S&P MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY NUVEEN FUND ADVISORS, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. S&P MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE S&P 500 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S&P HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to the shares of the Fund offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC, Washington, D.C. The Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Fund and the shares offered hereby, reference is made to the Fund’s Registration Statement. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SEC’s principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC.

 

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APPENDIX A

Nuveen Asset Management, LLC

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

Effective Date: January 1, 2011, as last amended March 05, 2020

I.    General Principles

 

  A.

Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“NAM”) is an investment sub-adviser for certain of the Nuveen Funds (the “Funds”) and investment adviser for institutional and other separately managed accounts (collectively, with the Funds, “Accounts”). As such, Accounts may confer upon NAM complete discretion to vote proxies.1

 

  B.

When NAM has proxy voting authority, it is NAM’s duty to vote proxies in the best interests of its clients (which may involve affirmatively deciding that voting the proxies may not be in the best interests of certain clients on certain matters). In voting proxies, NAM also seeks to enhance total investment return for its clients.

 

  C.

If NAM contracts with another investment adviser to act as a sub-adviser for an Account, NAM may delegate proxy voting responsibility to the sub-adviser. Where NAM has delegated proxy voting responsibility, the sub-adviser will be responsible for developing and adhering to its own proxy voting policies, subject to oversight by NAM.

 

  D.

NAM’s Proxy Voting Committee (“PVC”) provides oversight of NAM’s proxy voting policies and procedures, including (1) providing an administrative framework to facilitate and monitor the exercise of such proxy voting and to fulfill the obligations of reporting and recordkeeping under the federal securities laws; and (2) approving the proxy voting policies and procedures.

II.    Policies

The PVC after reviewing and concluding that such policies are reasonably designed to vote proxies in the best interests of clients, has approved and adopted the proxy voting policies (“Policies”) of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”), a leading national provider of proxy voting administrative and research services.i As a result, such Policies set forth NAM’s positions on recurring proxy issues and criteria for addressing non-recurring issues. These Policies are reviewed periodically by ISS, and therefore are subject to change. Even though it has adopted the Policies as drafted by ISS, NAM maintains the fiduciary responsibility for all proxy voting decisions.

III.    Procedures

 

  A.

Supervision of Proxy Voting. Day-to-day administration of proxy voting may be provided internally or by a third-party service provider, depending on client type, subject to the ultimate oversight of the PVC. The PVC shall supervise the relationships with NAM’s proxy voting services, ISS. ISS apprises Nuveen Global Operations (“NGO”) of shareholder meeting dates, and casts the actual proxy votes. ISS also provides research on proxy proposals and voting recommendations. ISS serves as NAM’s proxy voting record keepers and generate reports on how proxies were voted. NGO periodically

 

1 

NAM does not vote proxies where a client withholds proxy voting authority, and in certain non-discretionary and model programs NAM votes proxies in accordance with its Policies in effect from time to time. Clients may opt to vote proxies themselves, or to have proxies voted by an independent third party or other named fiduciary or agent, at the client’s cost.

i 

ISS has separate polices for Taft Hartley plans and it is NAM’s policy to apply the Taft Hartley polices to accounts that are Taft Hartley plans and have requested the application of such policies.

 

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  reviews communications from ISS to determine whether ISS voted the correct amount of proxies, whether the votes were cast in a timely manner, and whether the vote was in accordance with the Policies or NAM’s specific instructions

 

  B.

General Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest.

 

  1.

NAM believe that most conflicts of interest faced by NAM in voting proxies can be avoided by voting in accordance with the Policies. Examples of such conflicts of interest are as follows:2

 

  a.

The issuer or proxy proponent (e.g., a special interest group) is TIAA-CREF, the ultimate principal owner of NAM, or any of its affiliates.

 

  b.

The issuer is an entity in which an executive officer of NAM or a spouse or domestic partner of any such executive officer is or was (within the past three years of the proxy vote) an executive officer or director.

 

  c.

The issuer is a registered or unregistered fund or other client for which NAM or another affiliated adviser has a material relationship as investment adviser or sub-adviser (e.g., Nuveen Funds and TIAA Funds) or an institutional separate account.

 

  d.

Any other circumstances that NAM is aware of where NAM’s duty to serve its clients’ interests, typically referred to as its “duty of loyalty,” could be materially compromised.

 

  2.

To further minimize this risk, Compliance will review ISS’ conflict avoidance policy at least annually to ensure that it adequately addresses both the actual and perceived conflicts of interest ISS may face.

 

  3.

In the event that ISS faces a material conflict of interest with respect to a specific vote, the PVC shall direct ISS how to vote. The PVC shall receive voting direction from appropriate investment personnel. Before doing so, the PVC will consult with Legal to confirm that NAM faces no material conflicts of its own with respect to the specific proxy vote.

 

  4.

Where ISS is determined to have a conflict of interest, or NAM determines to override the Policies and is determined to have a conflict, the PVC will recommend to NAM’s Compliance Committee or designee a course of action designed to address the conflict. Such actions could include, but are not limited to:

 

  a.

Obtaining instructions from the affected client(s) on how to vote the proxy;

 

  b.

Disclosing the conflict to the affected client(s) and seeking their consent to permit NAM to vote the proxy;

 

  c.

Voting in proportion to the other shareholders;

 

  e.

Recusing the individual with the actual or potential conflict of interest from all discussion or consideration of the matter, if the material conflict is due to such person’s actual or potential conflict of interest; or

 

  f.

Following the recommendation of a different independent third party.

 

  5.

In addition to all of the above-mentioned and other conflicts, the Head of Equity Research, NGO and any member of the PVC must notify NAM’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) of any direct, indirect or perceived improper influence exerted by any employee, officer or director of TIAA or its subsidiaries with regard to how NAM should vote proxies. NAM Compliance will

 

2 

A conflict of interest shall not be considered material for the purposes of these Policies and Procedures with respect to a specific vote or circumstance if the matter to be voted on relates to a restructuring of the terms of existing securities or the issuance of new securities or a similar matter arising out of the holding of securities, other than common equity, in the context of a bankruptcy or threatened bankruptcy of the issuer.

 

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  investigate any such allegations and will report the findings to the PVC and, if deemed appropriate, to NAM’s Compliance Committee. If it is determined that improper influence was attempted, appropriate action shall be taken. Such appropriate action may include disciplinary action, notification of the appropriate senior managers, or notification of the appropriate regulatory authorities. In all cases, NAM will not consider any improper influence in determining how to vote proxies, and will vote in the best interests of clients.

 

  C.

Proxy Vote Override. From time to time, a portfolio manager of an account (a “Portfolio Manager”) may initiate action to override the Policies’ recommendation for a particular vote. Any such override by a NAM Portfolio Manager (but not a sub-adviser Portfolio Manager) shall be reviewed by NAM’s Legal Department for material conflicts. If the Legal Department determines that no material conflicts exist, the approval of one member of the PVC shall authorize the override. If a material conflict exists, the conflict and, ultimately, the override recommendation will be rejected and will revert to the original Policies recommendation or will be addressed pursuant to the procedures described above under “Conflicts of Interest.”

In addition, the PVC may determine from time to time that a particular recommendation in the Policies should be overridden based on a determination that the recommendation is inappropriate and not in the best interests of shareholders. Any such determination shall be reflected in the minutes of a meeting of the PVC at which such decision is made.

 

  D.

Securities Lending.

 

  1.

In order to generate incremental revenue, some clients may participate in a securities lending program. If a client has elected to participate in the lending program then it will not have the right to vote the proxies of any securities that are on loan as of the shareholder meeting record date. A client, or a Portfolio Manager, may place restrictions on loaning securities and/or recall a security on loan at any time. Such actions must be affected prior to the record date for a meeting if the purpose for the restriction or recall is to secure the vote.

 

  2.

Portfolio Managers and/or analysts who become aware of upcoming proxy issues relating to any securities in portfolios they manage, or issuers they follow, will consider the desirability of recalling the affected securities that are on loan or restricting the affected securities prior to the record date for the matter. If the proxy issue is determined to be material, and the determination is made prior to the shareholder meeting record date the Portfolio Manager(s) will contact the Securities Lending Agent to recall securities on loan or restrict the loaning of any security held in any portfolio they manage, if they determine that it is in the best interest of shareholders to do so.

 

  E.

Proxy Voting Records. As required by Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, NAM shall make and retain five types of records relating to proxy voting; (1) NAM’s Policies; (2) proxy statements received for securities in client accounts; (3) records of proxy votes cast by NAM on behalf of clients accounts; (4) records of written requests from clients about how NAM voted their proxies, and written responses from NAM to either a written or oral request by clients; and (5) any documents prepared by the adviser that were material to making a proxy voting decision or that memorialized the basis for the decision. NAM relies on ISS to make and retain on NAM’s behalf certain records pertaining to Rule 204-2.

 

  F.

Fund of Funds Provision. In instances where NAM provides investment advice to a fund of funds that acquires shares of affiliated funds or three percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of an unaffiliated fund, the acquiring fund shall vote the shares in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of the acquired fund. If compliance with this procedure results in a vote of any shares in a manner different than the Policies’ recommendation, such vote will not require compliance with the Proxy Vote Override procedures set forth above.

 

  G.

Legacy Securities. To the extent that NAM receives proxies for securities that are transferred into an account’s portfolio that were not recommended or selected by it and are sold or expected to be sold

 

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  promptly in an orderly manner (“legacy securities”), NAM will generally refrain from voting such proxies. In such circumstances, since legacy securities are expected to be sold promptly, voting proxies on such securities would not further NAM’s interest in maximizing the value of client investments. NAM may agree to an account’s special request to vote a legacy security proxy, and would vote such proxy in accordance with the Policies.

 

  H.

Terminated Accounts. Proxies received after the termination date of an account generally will not be voted. An exception will be made if the record date is for a period in which an account was under NAM’s discretionary management or if a separately managed account (“SMA”) custodian failed to remove the account’s holdings from its aggregated voting list.

 

  I.

Non-votes. NGO shall be responsible for obtaining reasonable assurance from ISS that it voted proxies on NAM’s behalf, and that any special instructions from NAM about a given proxy or proxies are submitted to ISS in a timely manner. It should not be considered a breach of this responsibility if NGO or NAM does not receive a proxy from ISS or a custodian with adequate time to analyze and direct to vote or vote a proxy by the required voting deadline.

NAM may determine not to vote proxies associated with the securities of any issuer if as a result of voting such proxies, subsequent purchases or sales of such securities would be blocked. However, NAM may decide, on an individual security basis that it is in the best interests of its clients to vote the proxy associated with such a security, taking into account the loss of liquidity. In addition, NAM may determine not to vote proxies where the voting would in NAM’s judgment result in some other financial, legal, regulatory disability or burden to the client (such as imputing control with respect to the issuer) or to NAM or its affiliates.

NAM may determine not to vote securities held by SMAs where voting would require the transfer of the security to another custodian designated by the issuer. Such transfer is generally outside the scope of NAM’s authority and may result in significant operational limitations on NAM’s ability to conduct transactions relating to the securities during the period of transfer. From time to time, situations may arise (operational or otherwise) that prevent NAM from voting proxies after reasonable attempts have been made.

 

  J.

Review and Reports.

 

  1.

The PVC shall maintain a review schedule. The schedule shall include reviews of the Policies and the policies of any Sub-adviser engaged by NAM, the proxy voting record, account maintenance, and other reviews as deemed appropriate by the PVC. The PVC shall review the schedule at least annually.

 

  2.

The PVC will report to NAM’s Compliance Committee with respect to all identified conflicts and how they were addressed. These reports will include all accounts, including those that are sub-advised. NAM also shall provide the Funds that it sub-advises with information necessary for preparing Form N-PX.

 

  K.

Vote Disclosure to Clients. NAM’s institutional and SMA clients can contact their relationship manager for more information on NAM’s Policies and the proxy voting record for their account. The information available includes name of issuer, ticker/CUSIP, shareholder meeting date, description of item and NAM’s vote.

IV.    Responsible Parties

PVC

NGO

NAM Compliance

Legal Department

 

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Nuveen S&P 500 Dynamic Overwrite Fund

4,993,317 Common Shares

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

July 28, 2021