NPORT-EX 2 fp0057877_nportex.htm

CLOUGH FUNDS TRUST-CLOUGH GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

JULY 31, 2020 (UNAUDITED)

 

   Shares   Value 
COMMON STOCKS 76.32% 
Communication Services 5.16%          
Autohome, Inc. - ADR   2,900   $254,185 
Bilibili, Inc. - Sponsored ADR(a)   5,200    226,616 
GCI Liberty, Inc. - Class A(a)   3,500    274,365 
Netflix, Inc.(a)   497    242,973 
Tencent Holdings, Ltd.   10,300    709,676 
Tencent Music Entertainment Group - ADR(a)   16,600    267,924 
T-Mobile US, Inc.(a)(b)   7,797    837,242 
         2,812,981 
Consumer Discretionary 9.89% 
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd.(a)   14,670    465,636 
Amazon.com, Inc.(a)   364    1,151,944 
Carnival Corp.   13,500    187,380 
Carvana Co.(a)   2,148    332,833 
DR Horton, Inc.(b)   12,500    827,000 
Lennar Corp. - Class A   11,300    817,555 
Meituan Dianping - Class B(a)   10,500    259,983 
Pinduoduo, Inc. - ADR(a)   2,700    247,860 
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.   10,860    528,991 
Samsonite International S.A.(a)   287,100    268,567 
Wayfair, Inc. - Class A(a)   1,150    306,003 
         5,393,752 
Financials 19.35% 
AGNC Investment Corp.   76,900    1,045,840 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(b)   156,300    1,158,183 
Bank of America Corp.(b)   24,160    601,101 
Barings BDC, Inc.   51,100    388,871 
China Life Insurance Co., Ltd. - Class H   96,000    221,225 
Citigroup, Inc.   12,252    612,723 
First American Financial Corp.   28,100    1,433,381 
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.   44,935    531,581 
HDFC Bank, Ltd.   41,766    576,587 
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Ltd.   15,300    730,818 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.   6,750    652,320 
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc.(b)   40,300    1,944,878 
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc.   38,100    649,224 
         10,546,732 
Health Care 20.83% 
1Life Healthcare, Inc.(a)   7,900    233,919 
Amgen, Inc.   1,757    429,885 
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   13,500    349,515 
BeiGene, Ltd. - ADR(a)   1,410    294,690 

    Shares    Value 
Health Care (continued) 
CRISPR Therapeutics AG(a)   12,481   $1,066,626 
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   46,300    628,291 
Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   13,800    189,888 
Galapagos NV - Sponsored ADR(a)   560    103,119 
Gilead Sciences, Inc.   3,100    215,543 
Gossamer Bio, Inc.(a)   31,300    373,096 
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC - ADR(a)   4,553    581,099 
Hologic, Inc.(a)   4,500    314,010 
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.(a)   195    77,561 
Idorsia, Ltd.(a)   20,000    548,029 
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings(a)   2,885    556,574 
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   4,560    553,174 
Moderna, Inc.(a)   7,070    523,887 
Quest Diagnostics, Inc.   4,400    559,108 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   1,035    654,193 
Repare Therapeutics, Inc.(a)   800    19,088 
SmileDirectClub, Inc.(a)   21,600    182,520 
Teladoc Health, Inc.(a)(b)   2,510    596,451 
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.   1,448    599,400 
Veracyte, Inc.(a)   9,570    341,362 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)   1,058    287,776 
Vir Biotechnology, Inc.(a)   5,900    281,784 
Zai Lab, Ltd. - ADR(a)   6,020    458,182 
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.   445    60,013 
Zoetis, Inc.   1,834    278,181 
         11,356,964 
Industrials 0.45% 
TransDigm Group, Inc.   565    243,843 
           
Information Technology 17.81% 
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)   2,030    221,777 
Citrix Systems, Inc.   1,880    268,389 
Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. - Class A(a)   2,230    252,436 
Five9, Inc.(a)   1,200    144,984 
GDS Holdings, Ltd. - ADR(a)   2,841    228,104 
Infineon Technologies AG   17,034    423,979 
Intuit, Inc.   825    252,755 
Lam Research Corp.(b)   920    346,987 
Mastercard, Inc. - Class A(b)   824    254,229 
MediaTek, Inc.   11,900    284,760 
Microchip Technology, Inc.   3,100    315,363 
Micron Technology, Inc.(a)   8,649    432,926 
Microsoft Corp.(b)   4,066    833,571 

 

 

 

 

  

    Shares    Value 
Information Technology (continued) 
NVIDIA Corp.   730   $309,951 
Okta, Inc.(a)   1,290    285,064 
PayPal Holdings, Inc.(a)   1,955    383,317 
Qorvo, Inc.(a)   2,150    275,522 
RingCentral, Inc. - Class A(a)   1,205    349,775 
salesforce.com, Inc.(a)   1,092    212,776 
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.   10,634    516,794 
ServiceNow, Inc.(a)   353    155,038 
Shopify, Inc. - Class A(a)   138    141,312 
Smartsheet, Inc. - Class A(a)   4,000    190,960 
Splunk, Inc.(a)   1,250    262,275 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.   21,000    305,023 
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Sponsored ADR   5,400    426,006 
Teradyne, Inc.   2,900    257,984 
Twilio, Inc. - Class A(a)   1,170    324,581 
Visa, Inc. - Class A   1,272    242,189 
Weimob, Inc.(a)   89,000    122,873 
WNS Holdings, Ltd. - ADR(a)   4,500    287,820 
Workday, Inc. - Class A(a)   850    153,782 
Zendesk, Inc.(a)   2,700    246,105 
         9,709,407 
           
Real Estate 2.83% 
Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.   15,600    713,388 
Physicians Realty Trust   16,600    299,464 
SBA Communications Corp.   1,695    528,060 
         1,540,912 
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Cost $32,530,774)        41,604,591 
           
Underlying Security/Expiration Date/ Exercise Price/Notional Amount   Contracts    Value 
PURCHASED OPTIONS 0.57% 
Call Options Purchased 0.57% 
Eurodollar Future Option          
12/14/21, $100, $116,058,188   465    107,531 
Eurodollar Future Option          
12/14/21, $99.875, $174,711,250   700    201,250 
           
Total Call Options Purchased 
(Cost $331,444)        308,781 
           
TOTAL PURCHASED OPTIONS 
(Cost $331,444)        308,781 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate   Principal Amount    Value 
CORPORATE BONDS 10.00% 
Agile Group Holdings, Ltd.          
03/07/2022, 6.700%(c)  $250,000   $257,542 
Ares Capital Corp.          
07/15/2025, 3.250%   200,000    197,822 
Bank of America Corp.          
Series MM, Perpetual, 3M US L + 2.664%(d)(e)  300,000    283,665 
Delta Air Lines, Inc.          
04/19/2021, 3.400%   200,000    199,359 
03/15/2022, 3.625%   300,000    294,769 
Flex, Ltd.          
05/12/2030, 4.875%   250,000    291,211 
Goldman Sachs Capital II          
Perpetual, 3M US L + 0.768%(d)(e)   357,000    325,140 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.          
Series II, Perpetual, 1D US SOFR + 2.745%(d)(e)   200,000    186,875 
Marriott International, Inc.          
Series R, 06/15/2026, 3.125%   200,000    198,386 
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.          
04/15/2050, 3.375%(f)   170,000    188,936 
Mellon Capital IV          
Series 1, Perpetual, 3M US L + 0.565%(d)(e)   243,000    229,483 
NortonLifeLock, Inc.          
04/15/2025, 5.000%(f)   300,000    309,663 
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.          
06/01/2023, 10.875%(f)   180,000    189,829 
Southwest Airlines Co.          
11/15/2026, 3.000%   300,000    292,226 
Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.          
04/19/2023, 8.350%(c)   250,000    260,840 
SVB Financial Group          
06/05/2030, 3.125%   300,000    333,964 
Times China Holdings, Ltd.          
07/16/2023, 6.750%(c)   250,000    257,261 
Truist Financial Corp.          
Series N, Perpetual, 5Y US TI + 3.003%(d)(e)   400,000    403,625 
U.S. Bancorp          
Series I, Perpetual Maturity, 3M US L + 3.486%(d)(e)   300,000    298,260 
USB Capital IX          
Perpetual, 3M US L + 1.020%(d)(e)   233,000    203,468 

 

 

 

 

Description/Maturity Date/Rate   Principal Amount    Value 
CORPORATE BONDS (continued) 
Wachovia Capital Trust III          
Perpetual, 3M US L + 0.93%(d)(e)  $250,000   $249,108 
           
TOTAL CORPORATE BONDS 
(Cost $5,345,164)        5,451,432 
           
CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS 0.70% 
Ares Capital Corp.          
02/01/2022, 3.750%   380,000    381,851 
           
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE CORPORATE BONDS 
(Cost $370,526)        381,851 
           
GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 5.59%  
U.S. Treasury Bond          
11/15/2049, 2.375%   400,000    517,438 
05/15/2050, 1.250%   2,500,000    2,530,664 
           
TOTAL GOVERNMENT & AGENCY OBLIGATIONS 
(Cost $2,952,347)        3,048,102 
           
MUNICIPAL BONDS 0.39% 
University of Virginia, Higher Education Revenue Bonds          
09/01/2050, 2.256%   200,000    209,480 
           
TOTAL MUNICIPAL BONDS 
(Cost $202,499)        209,480 
           
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 3.54% 
Money Market Funds 3.54% 
BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund Portfolio - Institutional Class (0.087% 7-day yield)   1,932,401    1,932,401 
           
TOTAL SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 
(Cost $1,932,401)        1,932,401 
           
Total Investments - 97.11% 
(Cost $43,665,155)        52,936,638 
           
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities - 2.89%(g)        1,576,266 
           
NET ASSETS - 100.00%       $54,512,904 

 

SCHEDULE OF SECURITIES SOLD SHORT(a)   Shares    Value 
COMMON STOCKS (9.00%)          
Financials (2.90%)          
Deutsche Bank AG   (82,500)  $(735,900)
Invesco, Ltd.   (39,700)   (398,588)
Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA   (19,852)   (158,502)
Societe Generale S.A.   (5,724)   (87,546)
UniCredit SpA   (21,655)   (196,952)
         (1,577,488)
Health Care (2.76%) 
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.   (2,200)   (225,478)
Bruker Corp.   (4,140)   (184,727)
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.   (1,495)   (297,490)
IQVIA Holdings, Inc.   (1,680)   (266,095)
PerkinElmer Inc.   (1,200)   (142,692)
PRA Health Sciences, Inc.   (3,650)   (388,944)
         (1,505,426)
Information Technology (3.34%) 
Cree, Inc.   (4,000)   (275,680)
Fastly, Inc. - Class A   (1,700)   (164,033)
International Business Machines Corp.   (7,245)   (890,700)
Motorola Solutions, Inc.   (1,720)   (240,456)
Qualys, Inc.   (1,100)   (135,828)
Slack Technologies, Inc. - Class A   (3,900)   (115,245)
         (1,821,942)
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS 
(Proceeds $5,032,993)        (4,904,856)
           
TOTAL SECURITIES SOLD SHORT 
(Proceeds $5,032,993)       $(4,904,856)

 

(a) Non-income producing security.
(b) Pledged security; a portion or all of the security is pledged as collateral for securities sold short, total return swap contracts, futures contracts or written options. As of July 31, 2020, the aggregate market value of those securities was $2,332,281, representing 4.28% of net assets. (See Note 1)
(c) Security was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts securities offered and sold outside of the United States from registration. Such security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from registration. As of July 31, 2020, the aggregate value of those securities was $775,643 or 1.43% of net assets.
(d) Floating or variable rate security - rate disclosed as of July 31, 2020.
(e) This security has no contractual maturity date, is not redeemable and contractually pays an indefinite stream of interest.
(f) Security exempt from registration of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration under Rule 144A, normally to qualified institutional buyers. As of July 31, 2020, the aggregate value of those securities was $688,428 or 1.26% of net assets.
(g) Includes cash which is being held as collateral for total return swap contracts, securities sold short, futures contracts and written options.

 

 

 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS

 

Description  Counterparty  Position   Contracts   Expiration Date  Notional Value   Unrealized Appreciation 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   289   June 2021  $72,138,013   $815,743 
EURODOLLAR 90 DAY  Morgan Stanley  Long   132   March 2022   32,952,150    1,075 
                 $105,090,163   $816,818 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS

 

Counter Party   Reference Obligation   Notional Amount     Floating Rate Paid by the Fund   Floating Rate Index   Termination Date     Value     Net Unrealized Appreciation  
Morgan Stanley  Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd.  $313,679   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  1/6/2022   $432,799   $119,120 
Morgan Stanley  Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Ltd.   246,186   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  1/6/2022    336,195    90,009 
Morgan Stanley  Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.   587,570   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  1/6/2022    627,901    40,331 
Morgan Stanley  Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd.   147,513   1D FEDEF - 255 bps  1D FEDEF  5/4/2022    236,836    89,323 
Morgan Stanley  Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science   373,667   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  1/6/2022    428,651    54,984 
      $1,668,615             $2,062,382   $393,767 

 

Counter Party   Reference Entity/Obligation     Notional Amount     Floating Rate Paid by the Fund   Floating Rate Index   Termination  Date       Value       Net Unrealized Depreciation  
Morgan Stanley  Banco Santander SA  $(72,026)  1D FEDEF - 50 bps  1D FEDEF  5/20/2022   $(73,038)  $(1,012)
Morgan Stanley  C&S Paper Co., Ltd.   259,972   1D FEDEF - 250 bps  1D FEDEF  1/6/2022    259,156    (816)
      $187,946             $186,118   $(1,828)
TOTAL     $1,856,561             $2,248,500   $391,939

 

CALL OPTIONS WRITTEN

 

Underlying Security   Counterparty   Expiration Date   Strike Price     Contracts   Notional Amount     Value  
CRISPR Therapeutics AG  Morgan Stanley  09/18/2020  $105   (62)  $(529,852)  $(13,330)
                 $(529,852)  $(13,330)

 

 

 

Investment Abbreviations:

1D FEDEF - Federal Funds Effective Rate (Daily)

5Y US TI - U.S. 5 Year Treasury Note Rate

LIBOR - London Interbank Overnight Rates

SOFR - Secured Overnight Financing Rate

 

FEDEF Rates:

1D FEDEF - 1 Day FEDEF as of July 31, 2020 was 0.10%

 

Treasury Note Rates:

5Y US TI as of July 31, 2020 was 0.21%

 

LIBOR Rates:

3M US LIBOR- 3 Month US LIBOR as of July 31, 2020 was 0.25%

 

SOFR Rates:

1D SOFR - 1 Day SOFR as of July 31, 2020 was 0.10%

 

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

 

See Notes to Quarterly Statement of Investments.

 

 

 

CLOUGH FUNDS TRUST – CLOUGH GLOBAL LONG/SHORT FUND

NOTES TO QUARTERLY STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

July 31, 2020 (UNAUDITED)

 

1. Organization and SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING AND OPERATING POLICIES

 

Clough Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust was organized under the laws of the state of Delaware on March 17, 2015. The Trust currently offers shares of beneficial interest (“shares”) of the Clough Global Long/Short Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund’s commencement date is September 30, 2015. The Fund is a diversified investment company with an investment objective to seek to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund currently offers four Classes of shares: Class I, Investor Class, Class A and Class C. Prior to December 1, 2017, Investor Class shares were named Class A shares. On June 29, 2018, a new Class A commenced operations. Each share class of the Fund represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities, but each share class has its own expense structure. As of July 31, 2020, approximately 48% of the Fund is owned by affiliated parties. The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may establish additional funds and classes of shares at any time in the future without shareholder approval.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of July 31, 2020, in valuing the Fund’s investments carried at value.

 

Investments in Securities at Value*  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Common Stocks  $41,604,591   $   $   $41,604,591 
Purchased Options   308,781            308,781 
Corporate Bonds       5,451,432        5,451,432 
Convertible Corporate Bonds       381,851        381,851 
Government & Agency Obligations       3,048,102        3,048,102 
Municipal Bonds       209,480        209,480 
Short-Term Investments   1,932,401            1,932,401 
TOTAL  $43,845,773   $9,090,865   $   $52,936,638 

 

Other Financial Instruments
Assets                    
Future Contracts**  $816,818   $   $   $816,818 
Total Return Swap Contracts**       393,767        393,767 
Liabilities
Written Options   (13,330)           (13,330)
Securities Sold Short                    
Common Stocks   (4,904,856)           (4,904,856)
Total Return Swap Contracts**       (1,828)       (1,828)
TOTAL  $(4,101,368)  $391,939   $   $(3,709,429)

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

For the period ended July 31, 2020, the Fund did not have significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) used in determining fair value. Therefore, a reconciliation of assets in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value is not applicable.

 

Restricted Securities: Although the Fund will invest primarily in publicly traded securities, it may invest a portion of its assets (generally, 5% of its value) in restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may or may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or, if they are unregistered, may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration.

 

 

 

Restricted securities as of July 31, 2020 were as follows:

 

Security  % of
Net Assets
   Acquisition
Date
  Shares   Cost   Value 
Agile Group Holdings, Ltd.  0.47%   7/20/2020  250,000   $257,379   $257,542 
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.  0.35%   4/13/2020  170,000    171,372    188,936 
Norton LifeLock, Inc.  0.57%   4/16/2020  300,000    306,981    309,663 
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.  0.35%   5/14/2020-6/2/2020  180,000    179,019    189,829 
Sunac China Holdings, Ltd.  0.48%   7/17/2020  250,000    259,340    260,840 
Times China Holdings, Ltd.  0.47%   7/17/2020  250,000    256,197    257,261 
Total  2.69%          $1,430,288   $1,464,071 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The net U.S. dollar value of foreign currency underlying all contractual commitments held by the Fund and the resulting unrealized appreciation or depreciation are determined using prevailing forward foreign currency exchange rates. These spot contracts are used by the broker to settle investments denominated in foreign currencies.

 

Exchange Traded Funds: The Fund may invest in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), which are funds whose shares are traded on a national exchange. ETFs may be based on underlying equity or fixed income securities, as well as commodities or currencies. ETFs do not sell individual shares directly to investors and only issue their shares in large blocks known as “creation units.” The investor purchasing a creation unit then sells the individual shares on a secondary market. Although similar diversification benefits may be achieved through an investment in another investment company, ETFs generally offer greater liquidity and lower expenses. Because an ETF incurs its own fees and expenses, shareholders of a Fund investing in an ETF will indirectly bear those costs. Such Funds will also incur brokerage commissions and related charges when purchasing or selling shares of an ETF. Unlike typical investment company shares, which are valued once daily, shares in an ETF may be purchased or sold on a securities exchange throughout the trading day at market prices that are generally close to the NAV of the ETF.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities: The following discloses the Fund’s use of derivative instruments and hedging activities.

 

The Fund’s investment objective not only permits the Fund to purchase investment securities, it also allows the Fund to enter into various types of derivative contracts, including, but not limited to, forward foreign currency contracts, futures, options and swaps. The Fund may use derivatives, among other reasons, as part of the Fund’s investment strategy, to attempt to employ its currency strategies, to seek to hedge against foreign exchange risk, and to gain access to foreign markets.

 

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

 

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

 

Additional associated risks from investing in derivatives also exist and potentially could have significant effects on the valuation of the derivative and the Fund. Typically, the associated risks are not the risks that the Fund is attempting to increase or decrease exposure to its investment objective, but the additional risks from investing in derivatives. Associated risks can be different for each type of derivative and are discussed by each derivative type in the notes that follow.

 

Examples of these associated risks are liquidity risk, which is the risk that the Fund will not be able to sell the derivative in the open market in a timely manner, and counterparty credit risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Futures contract transactions may result in losses substantially in excess of the variation margin. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in the portfolio securities being hedged. An incorrect correlation could result in a loss on both the hedged securities in the Fund and the hedging vehicle so that the portfolio return might have been greater had hedging not been attempted. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a futures contract. Lack of a liquid market for any reason may prevent the Fund from liquidating an unfavorable position, and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. In addition, the Fund could be exposed to risk if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts. With exchange-traded futures contracts, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Fund since futures contracts are exchange-traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange-traded futures contracts, guarantees the futures contracts against default. The Fund invested in future contracts during the reporting period ended July 31, 2020.

 

 

 

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

 

When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received by the Fund is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current value of the option written. Premiums received from writing options that expire unexercised are treated by the Fund on the expiration date as realized gains. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is recorded as a realized gain or loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security or currency in determining whether the Fund has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the securities purchased by the Fund. The Fund, as writer of an option, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security underlying the written option. The Fund engaged in purchased and written options during the reporting period ended July 31, 2020.

 

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

 

Total return swaps involve an exchange by two parties in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset, which includes both the income it generates and any capital gains over the payment period. A Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or credit risk is the discounted value of the payments to be received from/paid to the counterparty over the contract’s remaining life, to the extent that the amount is positive. The risk is mitigated by having a netting arrangement between a Fund and the counterparty and by the posting of collateral to a Fund to cover the Fund’s exposure to the counterparty. The Fund pledges cash or liquid assets as collateral to satisfy the current obligations with respect to swap contracts. During the period ended July 31, 2020, the Fund invested in swap agreements consistent with the Fund’s investment strategies to seek to hedge against foreign exchange risk or to gain exposure to certain markets or indices.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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