As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 22, 2021
Securities Act Registration No. 333-257789
Investment Company Registration No. 811-23715
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-2
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | x |
Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1
Post-Effective Amendment No.
and/or
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | x |
Oaktree
Diversified Income Fund Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Brookfield
Place, 250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281-1023
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including
Area Code:
(855) 777-8001
Brian
F. Hurley, Esq.
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281-1023
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Thomas D. Peeney, Esq.
Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC Brookfield Place 250 Vesey Street New York, New York 10281-1023 |
Michael R. Rosella, Esq.
Vadim Avdeychik, Esq. Paul Hastings LLP 200 Park Avenue New York, New York 10166 (212) 318-6800 |
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Public Offering:
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
¨ | Check box if the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans. |
x | Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan. |
¨ | Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto. |
¨ | Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act. |
¨ | Check box if this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act. |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
¨ | when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
¨ | This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement]. |
¨ | This Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
¨ | This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
¨ | This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: . |
Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:
x | Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)). |
¨ | Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act). |
x | Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act). |
¨ | A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form). |
¨ | Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405 under the Securities Act). |
¨ | Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”). |
¨ | If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. |
x | New Registrant (registered or regulated under the Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing). |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that the Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such dates as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS DATED OCTOBER 22, 2021
Prospectus | [ ], 2021 |
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
Class D | ODIDX | |
Class T | ODITX |
The Fund. Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company that continuously offers its shares of common stock (the “Shares”), and is operated as an “interval fund.”
Securities Offered. The Fund intends to offer two classes of Shares: Class T Shares and Class D Shares. The Fund has applied for exemptive relief (the “Exemptive Relief”) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that, if granted, will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future. Class T Shares will not be offered to investors until exemptive relief is obtained.
Investment Objective. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and attractive total return.
Investment Strategy. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing globally, including in emerging market countries, in high-conviction opportunities across Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC’s performing credit platform of high-yield bonds, senior loans, including covenant-lite loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, inclusive of public sector companies that trade on the public markets and private companies that do not have securities trading on the public markets. High-conviction opportunities are investment opportunities that fall within the Fund’s investment strategy, which are identified by the Adviser based on its holistic, bottom-up proprietary research and credit analysis, including analysis of fundamental, valuation, technical and other market factors. The Adviser’s performing credit platform encompasses a broad array of credit strategy groups that invest in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. The Adviser utilizes its performing credit platform which consists of investment opportunities in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. High-yield bonds are also referred to as “below-investment grade rated securities” or “junk bonds,” as described in this prospectus. Structured credit may include collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and other asset-backed securities. The Fund seeks to add value through three sources: (1) providing exposure to asset classes that require specialized expertise; (2) performing well in each asset class through proprietary, bottom-up and credit research; and (3) allocating capital opportunistically among asset classes based on the Adviser’s assessment of relative value.
Interval Fund/Repurchase Offers. The Fund is an “interval fund,” a type of fund that, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, has adopted a fundamental investment policy to make quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Shares at net asset value. Subject to applicable law and approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors, for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase at least 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at net asset value, which is the minimum amount permitted. The Fund expects the first repurchase offer to be issued within six months following effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement. See “Periodic Repurchase Offers” and “Prncipal Risks of the Fund — Repurchase Offers Risk.”
1
Adviser. Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is an affiliate of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a leading global investment management firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California focused on less efficient markets and alternative investments, and a subsidiary of Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (the Adviser together with its affiliates, “Oaktree”). As of June 30, 2021, Oaktree had approximately $156.4 billion in assets under management.
Administrator. Brookfield Public Securities Group is the Fund’s administrator (the “Administrator” or “PSG”).
Investing in the Shares involves certain risks. See “Principal Risks of the Fund” beginning on page 22 of this prospectus.
Offering
|
Maximum
Sales Load |
Proceeds
to
|
||||||||||
Class D Shares, per share | $ | 10.00 | None | $ | 10.00 | |||||||
Class T Shares, per share | $ | 10.00 | 3.00 | % | $ | 9.70 | ||||||
Maximum Offering | $ | 10,000,000,000 | $ | 300,000,000 | $ | 9,700,000,000 |
1 | The price per share shown for each class of shares is equal to our net asset value (“NAV”) per Share as of October 22, 2021, plus, in the case of Class T Shares, a maximum sales load of up to 3.00% of the offering price. Each class of Shares is continuously offered at a price equal to NAV per Share, plus, in the case of Class T Shares, a maximum sales load of up to 3.00% of the offering price. Class D Shares are not subject to a sales load; however, investors transacting in Class D Shares through a broker acting as an agent for the investor may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. See “Plan of Distribution — Share Classes.” |
2 | Organizational expenses and offering costs prior to the Fund commencing its offering of the Shares are estimated to be approximately $850,000. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund, including organizational expenses and offering costs, to the extent necessary to maintain the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest (including, “Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds”), taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) at no more than 2.10% for Class D Shares and 2.85% for Class T Shares. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangement will continue for a period of no less than one year from the effective date of the Fund’s registration statement and may not be terminated by the Fund or the Adviser before such time. Thereafter, this arrangement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser will provide the Board of Directors with written notice of its intention to terminate the arrangement prior to the expiration of its then current term. Any waivers and/or reimbursements made by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the waiver and/or reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the expense cap in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current expense cap. |
Neither the 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.
Prospectus dated [ ], 2021
Risks. An investment in the Fund is subject to, among others, the following risks:
• | The Fund’s Shares are not listed for trading on any national securities exchange. The Fund’s Shares have no trading market and no market is expected to develop. |
• | An investment in the Fund is not suitable for investors who need certainty about their ability to access all of the money they invest in the short term. |
2
• | Even though the Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers for its outstanding Shares (currently expected to be for 5% per quarter), investors should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. |
• | There is no guarantee that you will be able to sell your Shares at any given time or in the quantity that you desire. |
• | There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to maintain a certain level of distributions to the holders of Shares of the Fund (the “Common Shareholders”). |
• | The Fund’s distributions may be funded from unlimited amounts of offering proceeds or borrowings, which may constitute a return of capital and reduce the amount of capital available to the Fund for investment. Any capital returned to Common Shareholders through distributions will be distributed after payment of fees and expenses. Although the Fund’s distributions may constitute a return of capital, return of capital does not constitute income. |
• | The ultimate tax characterization of the Fund’s distributions in a calendar year may not finally be determined until after the end of that calendar year. The Fund may make distributions during a calendar year that exceed the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains for that year. 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 or her Shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis treated as gain from the sale of his or her Shares. Upon a sale of shares, a return of capital distribution may result in an investor paying more taxes by reducing the investor’s tax basis. |
• | Investors should carefully consider the Fund’s risks and investment objective, as an investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not designed to be a complete investment program. |
• | Because of the risks associated with (i) the Fund’s ability to purchase high-yield bonds, senior loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, and (ii) the Fund’s ability to use leverage, an investment in the Fund should be considered speculative and involving a high degree of risk, including the risk of a substantial loss of investment. |
• | Before making an investment/allocation decision, investors and financial intermediaries should (i) consider the suitability of this investment with respect to an investor’s or a client’s investment objective and individual situation and (ii) consider factors such as an investor’s or a client’s net worth, income, age and risk tolerance. |
• | Investment should be avoided where an investor/client has a short-term investing horizon and/or cannot bear the loss of some or all of their investment. It is possible that investing in the Fund may result in a loss of some or all of the amount invested. |
Before buying any of the Fund’s Shares, you should read the discussion of the principal risks of investing in the Fund in “Principal Risks of the Fund” beginning on page 20 of this prospectus. No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved, and you could lose all of your investment in the Fund.
Leverage. The Fund intends to add leverage to its portfolio by utilizing borrowings, such as through bank loans and/or other credit facilities, including through one or more subsidiaries. Although it has no current intention to do so, the Fund may also determine to issue preferred shares or other types of senior securities to add leverage to its portfolio. The Fund’s Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of preferred shares without the approval of Common Shareholders; however, the Fund is not permitted under the “1940 Act to issue preferred shares as of the date of this prospectus. If the Fund issues preferred shares in the future, all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred shares will be borne by the Common Shareholders, and these costs and expenses may be significant. The Fund may choose to increase or decrease, or eliminate entirely, its use of leverage over time and from time to time based on the Adviser’s assessment of the yield curve environment, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors. Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act” or “Investment Company Act”), the Fund may use borrowings, including loans from certain financial institutions and the issuance of debt securities, in an aggregate amount of up to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets plus the amount of any such borrowings. Furthermore, the Fund may add leverage to its portfolio through the issuance of preferred shares in an aggregate amount of up to 50% of the Fund’s total assets immediately after such issuance. By using leverage, the Fund seeks to obtain a higher return for holders of Shares than if the Fund did not use leverage. Leveraging is a speculative technique and there are special risks and costs involved. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be used or that it will be successful during any period in which it is employed.
3
Plan of Distribution. Currently, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. The Fund has applied for Exemptive Relief from the SEC that, if granted, will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future. Class T Shares will not be offered to investors until the exemptive relief is obtained.
The Fund’s Shares will be sold at a public offering price equal to their net asset value per share, plus a sales charge where applicable. Each share class represents an investment in the same portfolio of investments, but each class has its own expense structure and arrangements for shareholder services or distribution, which allows you to choose the class that best fits your situation and eligibility requirements. Class T Shares of the Fund are primarily offered and sold to retail investors by certain broker-dealers which are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and which have agreements with the Fund’s distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), to sell Class T Shares, but may be made available through other financial firms, including banks and trust companies and to specified benefit plans (as defined below) and other retirement accounts. Only certain investors are eligible to purchase Class T Shares. See “Plan of Distribution — Share Classes.”
Class D Shares. The minimum initial investment for Class D Shares is $25,000 per account, except that the minimum investment may be modified for certain financial firms that submit orders on behalf of their customers, the Directors and certain employees and their extended family members of the Adviser and its affiliates. The minimum subsequent investment amount for Class D Shares is $5,000.
Class T Shares. The minimum initial investment for Class T Shares is $2,500 per account, except that the minimum investment may be modified for certain financial firms that submit orders on behalf of their customers, the Directors and certain employees and their extended family members of the Adviser and its affiliates. The minimum subsequent investment amount for Class T Shares is $500.
Please read and retain this prospectus for future reference. A Statement of Additional Information, dated October [•], 2021 (the “SAI”), and other materials containing additional information about the Fund have been filed with the SEC. The SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this prospectus, which means that it is considered to be part of this prospectus. You may request a free copy of the SAI, and other information filed with the SEC, by calling 1-855-862-5873 (toll-free), or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov. Upon completion of this offering, the Fund will file annual and semi-annual shareholder reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. To obtain this information or the Fund’s SAI electronically, please visit https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en or call 855-862-5873. You may also call this number to request additional information or to make other inquiries pertaining to the Fund. You may also obtain a copy of any information regarding the Fund filed with the SEC from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).
Important note: As permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Fund’s website (https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en), and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report. You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you may contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you may call 855-862-5873 or send an email request to publicsecurities.enquiries@brookfield.com to let the Fund know you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held within the fund complex if you invest directly with the Fund.
The Fund’s 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 insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
4
Table of Contents
Prospectus Summary | 1 | |
Summary of Fund Expenses | 14 | |
The Fund | 16 | |
Use of Proceeds | 16 | |
The Fund’s Investment Objective and Principal Strategies | 16 | |
Leverage | 18 | |
Principal Risks of the Fund | 20 | |
Management of the Fund | 33 | |
Periodic Repurchase Offers | 46 | |
Net Asset Value | 49 | |
Distributions | 49 | |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan | 50 | |
Description of Securities | 51 | |
Certain Provisions in the Charter and Bylaws | 53 | |
Tax Matters | 55 | |
Custodian and Transfer Agent | 58 | |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 58 | |
Legal Matters | 58 |
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The Fund has not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Fund is not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Prospectus Summary
This is only a summary. This summary may not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in Shares of the Fund. You should review the more detailed information contained in this prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information. In particular, you should carefully read the risks of investing in the Fund’s Shares, as discussed under “Principal Risks of the Fund.”
The Fund
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company that continuously offers its shares of common stock (the “Shares”). The Fund is operated as an “interval fund” (as defined below).
Continuous Offering
The Fund intends to offer two classes of Shares: Class T Shares and Class D Shares. Each share class represents an investment in the same portfolio of investments, but each class has its own expense structure and arrangements for shareholder services or distribution, which allows you to choose the class that best fits your situation and eligibility requirements. The Fund has applied for exemptive relief (the “Exemptive Relief”) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that, if granted, will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future.
The Fund continuously offers its Shares through Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), as principal underwriter, on a best efforts basis. Class D Shares and Class T Shares will be sold on a continuous basis at the Fund’s then current net asset value (“NAV”) per Share, plus for Class T Shares only, a maximum front-end sales commission of 3.00%. The sale of Shares may be suspended during any period in which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the SEC, when trading on the NYSE is restricted or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. While neither the Fund nor the Distributor impose a front-end sales commission on Class D Shares, if you buy Class D Shares through certain financial firms, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees in such amount as they may determine. Please consult your financial firm for additional information.
The minimum initial investment generally required for Class D Shares is $25,000 per account. The minimum may be waived for Class D Shares for certain wrap fee programs if approved by the Distributor and for certain intermediaries that have entered into a relevant agreement with the Distributor. The minimum initial investment generally required for Class T Shares is $5,000 per account. The minimum investments may be modified for certain financial firms that submit orders on behalf of their customers, the Directors and certain employees and their extended family members of the Adviser and its affiliates. The minimum subsequent investment amount for Class D Shares is $2,500. The minimum subsequent investment amount for Class T Shares is $500.
For additional information regarding each share class, please see “Plan of Distribution — Share Classes” in this prospectus. The Fund and the Distributor each reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of shares of the Fund or to reject any purchase order, in whole or in part, when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Fund. The sale of Shares may be suspended during any period in which the NYSE is closed other than weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the SEC, when trading on the NYSE is restricted or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. Shareholders will not have the right to redeem their Shares. However, as described below, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, the Fund will conduct periodic repurchase offers for a portion of its outstanding Shares.
1
Principal Strategies
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and attractive total return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing globally, including in emerging market countries, in high-conviction opportunities across Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC’s (the “Adviser”) performing credit platform of high-yield bonds, senior loans, including covenant-lite loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, inclusive of public sector companies that trade on the public markets and private companies that do not have securities trading on the public markets. High-conviction opportunities are investment opportunities that fall within the Fund’s investment strategy, which are identified by the Adviser based on its holistic, bottom-up proprietary research and credit analysis, including analysis of fundamental, valuation, technical and other market factors. The Adviser’s performing credit platform encompasses a broad array of credit strategy groups that invest in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. The Adviser utilizes its performing credit platform which consists of investment opportunities in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. High-yield bonds are also referred to as “below-investment grade rated securities” or “junk bonds”, as described in this prospectus. Structured credit may include collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), asset-backed securities (ABS) and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The Fund seeks to add value through three sources: (1) providing exposure to asset classes that require specialized expertise; (2) performing well in each asset class through proprietary, bottom-up, credit research; and (3) allocating capital opportunistically among asset classes based on the Adviser’s assessment of relative value.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective by investing, as a principal strategy, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in credit related investments, including, but not limited to, fixed income securities (investment grade debt and high-yield-debt), floating rate securities (senior loans or structured credit) and other debt instruments and in derivatives (futures, forward contracts, foreign currency exchange contracts, call and put options, selling or purchasing credit default swaps, and total return swaps) and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities or investments (the “80% Policy”). The Fund may invest in investment grade and below-investment grade rated debt instruments and securities of sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers, including debt issued by national, regional or local governments and other agencies. The Fund may invest in securities denominated in U.S. dollars or in other foreign currencies.
The Fund may change the 80% Policy without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide shareholders with written notice at least 60 days prior to the implementation of any such changes.
It is expected that the Fund normally will have a short average portfolio duration (i.e., within a 1 ½ to 3-year range), as calculated by the Adviser, although it may be shorter or longer at any time or from time to time depending on market conditions and other factors. While the Fund seeks to maintain a short average portfolio duration, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of any individual security in which the Fund may invest. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The Fund’s duration strategy may entail maintaining a negative average portfolio duration from time to time, which would potentially benefit the portfolio in an environment of rising market interest rates but would generally adversely impact the portfolio in an environment of falling or neutral market interest rates.
Adviser
The Adviser is an affiliate of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“OCM”), a leading global investment management firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California focused on less efficient markets and alternative investments, and is a subsidiary of Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (“OCG”, together with OCM and the Adviser, “Oaktree”). A number of the senior executives and investment professionals of Oaktree have been investing together for over 35 years and have generated impressive investment performance through multiple market cycles. Oaktree emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in distressed debt, corporate debt (including high yield debt and senior loans), control investing, real estate, convertible securities and listed equities. As of June 30, 2021, Oaktree had approximately $156.4 billion of assets under management. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
Oaktree’s primary firm-wide goal is to achieve attractive returns while bearing less than commensurate risk. Oaktree believes that it can achieve this goal by taking advantage of market inefficiencies in which financial markets and their participants fail to accurately value assets or fail to make available to companies the capital that they reasonably require.
2
Bruce Karsh, Wayne Dahl, Armen Panossian, Danielle Poli, and David Rosenberg are the portfolio managers that are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Bruce Karsh is the lead portfolio manager for the Fund.
Periodic Repurchase Offers
The Fund is an Interval Fund, a type of fund that, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, has adopted a fundamental investment policy, which may only be changed with Shareholder approval, to make quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Shares at NAV. Subject to applicable law and approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board” or “Board of Directors”), for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase at least 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at NAV, which is the minimum amount permitted. Written notification of each quarterly repurchase offer (the “Repurchase Offer Notice”) will be sent to shareholders at least 21 calendar days before the repurchase request deadline (i.e., the date by which shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer) (the “Repurchase Request Deadline”). The Fund expects the first repurchase offer to be issued within six months following effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement. The Fund does not currently charge a repurchase fee. However, in the future the Fund may charge a repurchase fee of up to 2.00%, which the Fund would retain to help offset non-de minimis estimated costs related to the repurchase incurred by the Fund, directly or indirectly, as a result of repurchasing Shares, thus allocating estimated transaction costs to the shareholder whose Shares are being repurchased. The Fund may introduce, or modify the amount of, a repurchase fee at any time. The Fund will provide advance notice to shareholders of any such introduction or modification of the repurchase fee. The Fund may also waive or reduce a repurchase fee if the Adviser determines that the repurchase is offset by a corresponding purchase or if for other reasons the Fund will not incur transaction costs or will incur reduced transaction costs. The Fund’s Shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange. There is currently no secondary market for its Shares and the Fund does not expect any secondary market to develop for its Shares. Accordingly, you may not be able to sell Shares when and/or in the amount that you desire. Investors should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. Thus, the Shares are appropriate only as a long-term investment. In addition, the Fund’s repurchase offers may subject the Fund and shareholders to special risks. See “Principal Risks of the Fund — Repurchase Offers Risk.”
Use of Leverage
The Fund intends to add leverage to its portfolio by utilizing borrowings, such as through bank loans and/or other credit facilities, including through one or more subsidiaries.
The Fund may also enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage including, among others, loans of portfolio securities. Although it has no current intention to do so, the Fund may also determine to issue preferred shares or other types of senior securities to add leverage to its portfolio. The Fund’s Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of preferred shares without the approval of the holders of Shares of the Fund (the “Common Shareholders”); however, the Fund is not permitted under the 1940 Act to issue preferred shares as of the date of this prospectus. If the Fund issues preferred shares in the future, all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred shares will be borne by the Common Shareholders, and these costs and expenses may be significant. The Fund may choose to increase or decrease, or eliminate entirely, its use of leverage over time and from time to time based on the Adviser’s assessment of the yield curve environment, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors. The net proceeds the Fund obtains from leverage utilized will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as described in this prospectus. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the debt obligations and other investments purchased by the Fund exceeds the costs to the Fund of the leverage it utilizes, the investment of the Fund’s assets attributable to leverage will generate more income than will be needed to pay the costs of the leverage. If so, and all other things being equal, the excess may be used to pay higher dividends to Common Shareholders than if the Fund were not so leveraged. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from engaging in most forms of leverage (including the use of bank loans or other credit facilities, certain derivative transactions, loans of portfolio securities, short sales and when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, to the extent that these instruments are not covered as described below) unless immediately after the issuance of the leverage the Fund has satisfied the asset coverage test with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness prescribed by the 1940 Act; that is, the value of the Fund’s total assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (for these purposes, “total net assets”) is at least 300% of the senior securities representing indebtedness (effectively limiting the use of leverage through senior securities representing indebtedness to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total net assets, including assets attributable to such leverage). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, this asset coverage test is satisfied. To the extent that the Fund engages in borrowings, it may prepay a portion of the principal amount of the borrowing to the extent necessary in order to maintain the required asset coverage. Failure to maintain certain asset coverage requirements could result in an event of default.
3
Leveraging is a speculative technique, and there are special risks and costs involved. There is no assurance that the Fund will utilize borrowings, issue preferred shares or utilize any other forms of leverage. If used, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s leveraging strategies will be successful or result in a higher yield on your Shares. When leverage is used, the net asset value of the Shares and the yield to Common Shareholders will be more volatile. In addition, interest and other expenses borne by the Fund with respect to its use of borrowings or any other forms of leverage are borne by the Common Shareholders and result in a reduction of the net asset value of the Shares. In addition, because the fees received by the Adviser are based on the average daily value of the Fund’s average daily net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes (“Managed Assets”), the Adviser has a financial incentive for the Fund to use certain forms of leverage (e.g., borrowings and preferred shares), which may create a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Common Shareholders, on the other hand.
Please see “Leverage,” and “Principal Risks of the Fund — Leverage Risk” for additional information regarding leverage and related risks.
Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income to shareholders in the form of dividends. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends quarterly to shareholders of record. In addition, the Fund intends to distribute any net capital gains earned from the sale of portfolio securities to shareholders no less frequently than annually. Net short-term capital gains may be paid more frequently.
Unless a shareholder specifies otherwise, dividends will be reinvested in Shares of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. The Fund may pay distributions from sources that may not be available in the future and that are unrelated to the Fund’s performance, such as from offering proceeds and/or borrowings. See “Distributions” and “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
Distributor, Custodian and Transfer Agent
Quasar Distributors, LLC, located at 111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter and distributor. U.S. Bank National Association, located at 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the custodian (the “Custodian”) of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a custody agreement. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 serves as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent with respect to the common shares of the Fund.
Unlisted Closed-End Fund Structure; Limited Liquidity
The Fund’s Shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange. There is currently no secondary market for its Shares and the Fund does not expect any secondary market to develop for its Shares. Shareholders of the Fund are not able to have their Shares redeemed or otherwise sell their Shares on a daily basis because the Fund is an unlisted closed-end fund. In order to provide liquidity to shareholders, the Fund is structured as an Interval Fund and conducts periodic repurchase offers for a portion of its outstanding Shares, as described herein. Investors should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for long-term investors who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of the Shares. Investors should consider their investment goals, time horizons and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund.
4
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to market risk. Market risk includes unexpected directional price movements, deviations from historical pricing relationships, changes in the regulatory environment, changes in market volatility, panicked or forced selling of assets and contraction of available credit or other financing sources. The success of the Fund’s activities may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws and national and international political circumstances.
Market turmoil may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Credit markets may become illiquid, credit spreads may widen and the equity markets may lose substantial value. Such market conditions may cause the Fund to suffer substantial losses and/or implement measures that adversely affect the Fund.
Many countries have experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses in recent decades, including swine flu, avian influenza, SARS, and most recently, “SARS-CoV-2” (and the resulting respiratory disease sometimes referred to as the “coronavirus” and abbreviated as “COVID-19”). In December 2019, an initial outbreak of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Since then, a large and growing number of cases have been confirmed around the world. COVID-19 has resulted in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, disruptions to healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, and disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, has affected and may continue to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global markets, including liquidity, in general in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has made emergency interest-rate cuts, moving short-term rates to near zero, issued forward guidance that rates will remain low until the economy weathers the COVID-19 crisis, and resumed quantitative easing. Additionally, Congress has approved stimulus to offset the severity and duration of the adverse economic effects of COVID-19 and related disruptions in economic and business activity. Dozens of central banks across Europe, Asia, and elsewhere have announced and/or adopted similar economic relief packages. The introduction and adoption of these packages could cause market disruptions and volatility which may negatively impact Fund investments. In addition, the end of any such program could cause market downturns, disruptions and volatility, particularly if markets view the ending as premature. The end of such programs may similarly have a negative effect on Fund investments.
Investor Suitability
An investment in the Fund involves a considerable amount of risk. It is possible that you will lose money. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for investors who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of the Shares and should be viewed as a long-term investment. Before making your investment decision, you should (i) consider the suitability of this investment with respect to your investment goals and personal financial situation, and (ii) consider factors such as your personal net worth, income, age, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. An investment in the Fund should not be viewed as a complete investment program.
Summary of Principal Risks of the Fund
Investing in the Fund’s Shares involves a number of significant risks. Below is a summary of some of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Before you invest in the Fund’s Shares, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. For a more complete discussion of the risks of investing in the Fund, see “Principal Risks of the Fund.”
5
No Operating History
The Fund is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end investment company. The Fund has a limited history of operations and no history of public trading and is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and not as a trading vehicle.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund’s Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. An investment in the Shares represents an indirect investment in the investments and other financial assets owned by the Fund. The value of the Fund’s investments will generally fluctuate with, among other things, changes in prevailing interest rates, federal tax rates, counterparty risk, general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets, developments or trends in any particular industry and the financial condition of the issuer. Lower-quality debt securities involve greater risk of default or price changes and their value can fluctuate, especially during periods of increased market volatility, economic recessions or periods of high interest rates. The Fund anticipates using leverage, which would magnify the Fund’s investment, market and certain other risks. See “Principal Risks of the Fund — Leverage Risk.”
Asset Allocation Risk
The Fund’s investment performance depends upon how its assets are allocated and reallocated. A principal risk of investing in the Fund is that the Adviser may make less than optimal or poor asset allocation decisions. The Adviser employs an active approach to allocation across multiple sectors, but there is no guarantee that such allocation techniques will produce the desired results. It is possible that the Adviser will focus on an investment that performs poorly or underperforms other investments under various market conditions. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund as a result of these allocation decisions.
Issuer Risk
The value of securities may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to a security’s issuer, such as its financial strength, management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets. A change in the financial condition of a single issuer may affect securities markets as a whole. These risks can apply to the Shares issued by the Fund and to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests.
Repurchase Offers Risk
As described under “Periodic Repurchase Offers” above, the Fund is an Interval Fund and, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, the Fund, subject to applicable law, conducts quarterly repurchase offers of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at NAV, subject to approval of the Board of Directors. In all cases such repurchases will be for at least 5% and not more than 25% of its outstanding Shares at NAV, pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act. The Fund currently expects to conduct quarterly repurchase offers for 5% of its outstanding Shares under ordinary circumstances. The Fund believes that these repurchase offers are generally beneficial to the Fund’s shareholders, and repurchases generally will be funded from available cash or sales of portfolio securities. However, repurchase offers and the need to fund repurchase obligations may affect the ability of the Fund to be fully invested or force the Fund to maintain a higher percentage of its assets in liquid investments, which may harm the Fund’s investment performance. Moreover, diminution in the size of the Fund through repurchases may result in untimely sales of portfolio securities (with associated imputed transaction costs, which may be significant), and may limit the ability of the Fund to participate in new investment opportunities or to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may accumulate cash by holding back (i.e., not reinvesting) payments received in connection with the Fund’s investments. The Fund believes that payments received in connection with the Fund’s investments will generate sufficient cash to meet the maximum potential amount of the Fund’s repurchase obligations. If at any time cash and other liquid assets held by the Fund are not sufficient to meet the Fund’s repurchase obligations, the Fund intends, if necessary, to sell investments. If, as expected, the Fund employs investment leverage, repurchases of Shares would compound the adverse effects of leverage in a declining market. In addition, if the Fund borrows to finance repurchases, interest on that borrowing will negatively affect Common Shareholders who do not tender their Shares by increasing the Fund’s expenses and reducing any net investment income.
6
If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed, the Fund may determine to increase the amount repurchased by up to 2% of the Fund’s outstanding shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline. In the event that the Fund determines not to repurchase more than the repurchase offer amount, or if shareholders tender more than the repurchase offer amount plus 2% of the Fund’s outstanding shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline, the Fund will repurchase the Shares tendered on a pro rata basis, and shareholders will have to wait until the next repurchase offer to make another repurchase request. As a result, shareholders may be unable to liquidate all or a given percentage of their investment in the Fund during a particular repurchase offer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may in its sole discretion and for administrative convenience accept all Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders who own less than one hundred Shares and who tender all of their Shares, before prorating other amounts tendered. Some shareholders, in anticipation of proration, may tender more Shares than they wish to have repurchased in a particular quarter, thereby increasing the likelihood that proration will occur. The NAV of the Fund’s Shares tendered in a repurchase offer may decline between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the date on which the NAV for tendered Shares is determined. In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to Common Shareholders, potentially even to those Common Shareholders that do not participate in the repurchase. For a discussion of these tax consequences, please see “Tax Matters” and “Taxation” in the Statement of Additional Information.
Large Shareholder Risk
To the extent a large proportion of Shares are held by a small number of Common Shareholders (or a single Common Shareholder), including affiliates of the Adviser, the Fund is subject to the risk that these Shareholders will seek to sell Shares in large amounts rapidly in connection with repurchase offers. These transactions could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to conduct its investment program. Furthermore, it is possible that in response to a repurchase offer, the total amount of Shares tendered by a small number of Common Shareholders (or a single Common Shareholder) may exceed the number of Shares that the Fund has offered to repurchase. If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed by Common Shareholders, the Fund will repurchase only a pro rata portion of shares tendered by each Common Shareholder. However, the Fund may determine to increase the repurchase offer by up to 2% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline. If the Fund only repurchases a pro rata portion of shares tendered in connection with an oversubscribed repurchase offer, Shareholders unaffiliated with the Adviser will not be given priority over Shareholders that are affiliates of the Adviser, whose holdings in the Fund may be significant and may have the effect of diluting third-party Shareholders with respect to any repurchase offer. See “Principal Risks of the Fund — Repurchase Offers Risk.”
Management Risk
The Fund does not have internal management capacity or employees. The Fund depends on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the senior investment professionals of the Adviser to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund expects that the Adviser will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor the Fund’s investments in accordance with the terms of the management agreement between the Fund and the Adviser (“Management Agreement”). The Fund can offer no assurance, however, that the senior investment professionals of the Adviser will continue to provide investment advice to us. The loss of any member of the Adviser’s investment committee or of other senior investment professionals of the Adviser and its affiliates would limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and operate as the Fund anticipates. This could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Interest Rate Risk
General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on the Fund’s investments and investment opportunities, and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s investment objective and rate of return on investment capital. A portion of the Fund’s income will depend upon the difference between the rate at which it borrows funds and the interest rate on the debt securities in which it invests. Because the Fund will borrow money to make investments and may issue debt securities, preferred stock or other securities, the Fund’s net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which the Fund borrows funds or pays interest or dividends on such debt securities, preferred stock or other securities and the rate at which the Fund invests these funds. Typically, the Fund anticipates that its interest-earning investments will accrue and pay interest at both variable and fixed rates, and that its interest-bearing liabilities will accrue interest at variable and fixed rates.
7
High-Yield (“Junk”) Securities Risk
Investors should recognize that below investment grade and unrated securities in which the Fund will invest subject Fund shareholders to greater levels of credit risk, call risk and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Generally, lower rated or unrated securities of equivalent credit quality offer a higher return potential than higher rated securities but involve greater volatility of price and greater risk of loss of income and principal, including the possibility of a default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities. Lower rated securities and comparable unrated securities will likely have larger uncertainties or major risk exposure to adverse conditions and are predominantly speculative. The occurrence of adverse conditions and uncertainties would likely reduce the value of securities held by the Fund, with a commensurate effect on the value of the Fund’s common shares.
Distressed Securities Risk
An investment in the securities of financially distressed issuers can involve substantial risks. These securities may present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment. The Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a portfolio company, the Fund may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than its original investment. Among the risks inherent in investments in a troubled entity is the fact that it frequently may be difficult to obtain information as to the true financial condition of such issuer. The Adviser’s judgment about the credit quality of the issuer and the relative value and liquidity of its securities may prove to be wrong.
Bank Loan Risk
Bank loans (including senior loans) are usually rated below investment grade. The market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Investments in bank loans are typically in the form of an assignment or participation. Investors in a loan participation assume the credit risk associated with the borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed financial intermediary. Accordingly, if a lead lender becomes insolvent or a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could experience delays in receiving payments or suffer a loss. In an assignment, the Fund effectively becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning bank or other financial intermediary.
Accordingly, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. Due to their lower place in the borrower’s capital structure and possible unsecured status, junior loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than senior loans of the same borrower. In addition, the floating rate feature of loans means that bank loans will not generally experience capital appreciation in a declining interest rate environment. Declines in interest rates may also increase prepayments of debt obligations and require the Fund to invest assets at lower yields.
The Fund may also invest in second-lien loans, which entail risks including (a) the subordination of the Fund’s claims to a senior lien in terms of the coverage and recovery of the collateral and (b) the prohibition of or limitation on the right to foreclose on a second-lien loan or exercise other rights as a second-lien holder. In certain cases, therefore, no recovery may be available from a defaulted second-lien loan. The level of risk associated with investments in second-lien loans increases to the extent such investments are loans of distressed or below investment grade companies.
Covenant-Lite Loans Risk
Covenant-lite loans contain fewer maintenance covenants than other types of loans, or no maintenance covenants, and may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. Covenant-lite loans may carry more risk than traditional loans as they allow individuals and corporations to engage in activities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible under a covenant-heavy loan agreement. In the event of default, covenant-lite loans may exhibit diminished recovery values as the lender may not have the opportunity to negotiate with the borrower prior to default.
8
Collateralized Loan Obligation (“CLO”) Risk
CLOs and other similarly structured securities are types of asset-backed securities. The cash flows from the CLO trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CLO trust typically has higher ratings and lower yields than the underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults and aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the collateral and the class of the CLO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CLOs and other similarly structured securities are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market, or other relevant measures of liquidity, may exist for CLOs allowing a CLO potentially to be deemed liquid by the Investment Adviser under liquidity policies approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. In addition to the risks associated with debt instruments (e.g., interest rate risk and credit risk), CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that the Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Mortgage and Asset-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in a variety of mortgage related and other asset-backed securities, including both commercial and residential mortgage securities and other mortgage backed instruments issued on a public or private basis. Mortgage backed securities represent the right to receive a portion of principal and/or interest payments made on a pool of residential or commercial mortgage loans. When interest rates fall, borrowers may refinance or otherwise repay principal on their mortgages earlier than scheduled. When this happens, certain types of mortgage backed securities will be paid off more quickly than originally anticipated and the Fund will have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields. This risk is known as “prepayment risk.” When interest rates rise, certain types of mortgage backed securities will be paid off more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of these securities will fall. This risk is known as “extension risk.” Because of prepayment risk, mortgage backed securities react differently to changes in interest rates than other fixed income securities. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage backed securities.
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities Risk
The investment characteristics of RMBS differ from those of traditional debt securities. The major differences include the fact that, on certain RMBS, prepayments of principal may be made at any time. Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Subordinated classes of CMOs are entitled to receive repayment of principal in many cases only after all required principal payments have been made to more senior classes and also have subordinated rights as to receipt of interest distributions. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater risk of non-payment than are senior classes of CMOs guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government.
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities Risk
CMBS may involve the risks of delinquent payments of interest and principal, early prepayments and potentially unrecoverable principal loss from the sale of foreclosed property. Subordinated classes of CMBS are entitled to receive repayment of principal only after all required principal payments have been made to more senior classes and also have subordinated rights as to receipt of interest distributions. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater risk of non-payment than are senior classes.
9
Derivatives Risk
The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks, such as liquidity risk (which may be heightened for highly-customized derivatives), interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk, leveraging risk, counterparty risk, tax risk, and management risk, as well as risks arising from changes in applicable requirements. They also involve the risk of mispricing, the risk of unfavorable or ambiguous documentation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase or accelerate the amount of taxes payable by Common Shareholders.
The regulation of the derivatives markets has increased over the past several years, and additional future regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. For instance, in October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of a registered investment company’s use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and certain other instruments. Under Rule 18f-4, a fund’s derivatives exposure is limited through a value-at-risk test and requires the adoption and implementation of a derivatives risk management program for certain derivatives users. However, subject to certain conditions, funds that do not invest heavily in derivatives may be deemed limited derivatives users (as defined in Rule 18f-4) and would not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC also eliminated the asset segregation and cover framework arising from prior SEC guidance for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments, as discussed herein, effective at the time that the Fund complies with Rule 18f-4. Rule 18f-4 could limit the Fund’s ability to engage in certain derivatives and other transactions and/or increase the costs of such transactions, which could adversely affect the value or performance of the Fund. Compliance with Rule 18f-4 will be required in August 2022.
Privacy and Data Security Laws
Many jurisdictions in which the Fund and its portfolio companies operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cyber security and protection of personal information, including the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in the European Union that went into effect in May 2018 and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) that took effect in January 2020 and provides for enhanced consumer protections for California residents, a private right of action for data breaches and statutory fines for data breaches or other CCPA violations. If the Fund or the Adviser fail to comply with the relevant laws and regulations, it could result in regulatory investigations and penalties, which could lead to negative publicity and may cause investors and clients to lose confidence in the effectiveness of the Fund’s security measures.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund intends to invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other investment that cannot be sold or disposed of within seven days or less in current market conditions without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments often can be resold only in privately negotiated transactions with a limited number of purchasers or in a public offering registered under the 1933 Act. Considerable delay could be encountered in either event and, unless otherwise contractually provided, the Fund’s proceeds upon sale may be reduced by the costs of registration or underwriting discounts. The difficulties and delays associated with such transactions could result in the Fund’s inability to realize a favorable price upon disposition of illiquid investments, and at times might make disposition of such securities impossible.
Valuation Risk
The Adviser may use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value certain fixed income securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain investments may be limited, they may be difficult to value. When market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable, the Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board of Directors. Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value pricing will result in adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets, or that fair value pricing will reflect actual market value, and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset will be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. Where market quotations are not readily available, valuation may require more research than for more liquid investments.
10
Leverage Risk
The Fund currently intends to use leverage to seek to achieve its investment objective. The borrowing of money or issuance of debt securities and preferred stock represents the leveraging of the Fund’s common stock. In addition, the Fund may also leverage its Shares through investment techniques, such as reverse repurchase agreements, writing credit default swaps, or futures. Leverage creates risks that may adversely affect the return for the holders of common stock.
Leverage is a speculative technique that could adversely affect the returns to Common Shareholders. Leverage can cause the Fund to lose money and can magnify the effect of any losses. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with funds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage or if the Fund incurs capital losses, the return of the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders as dividends and other distributions will be reduced or potentially eliminated (or, in the case of distributions, will consist of return of capital).
The Fund will pay (and the Common Shareholders will bear) all costs and expenses relating to the Fund’s use of leverage, which will result in the reduction of the NAV of the common stock.
Focused Investment Risk
To the extent that the Fund focuses its investments in a particular sector or country, the NAV of the Shares will be more susceptible to events or factors affecting companies in that sector or country. These may include, but are not limited to, governmental regulation, inflation, rising interest rates, cost increases in raw materials, fuel and other operating expenses, technological innovations that may render existing products and equipment obsolete, competition from new entrants, high research and development costs, increased costs associated with compliance with environmental or other regulation and other economic, market, political or other developments specific to that sector or country. Also, the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in companies in related sectors that may share common characteristics, are often subject to similar business risks and regulatory burdens and whose securities may react similarly to the types of events and factors described above, which will subject the Fund to greater risk.
Risk of Regulatory Changes
Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur and may adversely affect the Fund and its ability to pursue its investment strategies and/or increase the costs of implementing such strategies. New (or revised) laws or regulations may be imposed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the SEC, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), the U.S. Federal Reserve or other banking regulators, other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise the financial markets that could adversely affect the Fund. In particular, these agencies are implementing a variety of new rules pursuant to financial reform legislation in the United States. The EU (and some other countries) are implementing similar requirements. The Fund also may be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules by these governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations.
11
Risks Associated With Status as a Regulated Investment Company
The Fund intends to qualify for federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. Qualification requires, among other things, compliance by the Fund with certain distribution requirements. Statutory limitations on distributions on the common shares if the Fund is leveraged and fails to satisfy the 1940 Act’s asset coverage requirements could jeopardize the Fund’s ability to meet such distribution requirements. The Fund presently intends, however, to purchase or redeem any outstanding leverage to the extent necessary in order to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements.
Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk
The Adviser and its affiliates are involved worldwide with a broad spectrum of financial services and asset management activities and may engage in the ordinary course of business in activities in which their interests or the interests of their clients may conflict with those of the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates may provide investment management services to other funds and discretionary managed accounts that follow an investment program similar to that of the Fund. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Adviser and its affiliates intend to engage in such activities and may receive compensation from third parties for their services. Neither the Adviser nor its affiliates are under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Fund. As a result, the Adviser and its affiliates may compete with the Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of the Fund’s investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and its affiliates, and it is possible that the Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more of the proprietary or other accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates achieve profits.
Foreign Currency Risk
The Fund’s investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency may change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. As a result, a change in currency exchange rates may adversely affect the Fund’s profitability.
Income and Distribution Risk
The income that shareholders receive from the Fund is expected to be based in part on income from short-term gains that the Fund earns from dividends and other distributions received from its investments. If the distribution rates or yields of the Fund’s holdings decrease, shareholders’ income from that Fund could decline. In selecting equity income securities in which the Fund will invest, the Adviser will consider the issuer’s history of making regular periodic distributions (i.e., dividends) to its equity holders. An issuer’s history of paying dividends or other distributions, however, does not guarantee that the issuer will continue to pay dividends or other distributions in the future. The dividend income stream associated with equity income securities generally is not fixed but is elected and declared at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors and will be subordinate to payment obligations of the issuer on its debt and other liabilities. Accordingly, an issuer may forgo paying dividends on its equity securities. In addition, because in most instances issuers are not obligated to make periodic distributions to the holders of their equity securities, such distributions or dividends generally may be discontinued at the issuer’s discretion. There can be no assurance that quarterly distributions paid by the Fund to the shareholders will be maintained at initial levels or increase over time.
Cyber Security Risk
The occurrence of a disaster such as a cyber-attack, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, a terrorist attack or war, events unanticipated in the disaster recovery systems of the Fund, and Adviser, or a support failure from external providers, could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to conduct business and on its results of operations and financial condition, particularly if those events affect the Fund, or the Adviser’s computer-based data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems, or destroy data. If the Adviser was unavailable in the event of a disaster, the Fund’s ability to effectively conduct its business could be severely compromised.
12
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities of companies in an “emerging market.” Investments in emerging market securities involve a greater degree of risk than, and special risks in addition to the risks associated with, investments in domestic securities or in securities of foreign, developed countries. Foreign investment risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers based or doing business in emerging market countries or invests in securities denominated in the currencies of emerging market countries. Investing in securities of issuers based or doing business in emerging markets entails all of the risks of investing in securities of foreign issuers, including being less liquid, more volatile and harder to value than U.S. securities, but to a heightened degree.
Convertible Securities Risk
Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. In the absence of adequate anti-dilutive provisions in a convertible security, dilution in the value of the Fund’s holding may occur in the event the underlying stock is subdivided, additional equity securities are issued for below market value, a stock dividend is declared or the issuer enters into another type of corporate transaction that has a similar effect.
Credit Default Swaps Risk
Credit default swap agreements may involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. A buyer generally also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller (if any), coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. When the Fund acts as a seller of a credit default swap, it is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage described herein since if an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation.
Although the Fund may seek to realize gains by selling credit default swaps that increase in value, to realize gains on selling credit default swaps, an active secondary market for such instruments must exist or the Fund must otherwise be able to close out these transactions at advantageous times. In addition to the risk of losses described above, if no such secondary market exists or the Fund is otherwise unable to close out these transactions at advantageous times, selling credit default swaps may not be profitable for the Fund.
13
Summary of Fund Expenses
The following table illustrates the aggregate fees and expenses (based on average net assets) that the Fund expects to incur and that Shareholders can expect to bear directly or indirectly. Because the Fund has a limited operating history, many of these expenses are estimates.
Class D
Shares |
Class T
Shares |
|||||||
Shareholder Transaction Expenses: | ||||||||
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases (as a percentage of public offering price)1 | None | 3.00 | % | |||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of your purchase or redemption price)1 | None | None | ||||||
Repurchase Fee2 | 2.00 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as a percentage of average net assets attributable to Shares):3 | ||||||||
Management Fee4 | 1.75 | % | 1.75 | % | ||||
Distribution (12b-1) Fees5 | None | 0.75 | % | |||||
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds6 | 0.95 | % | 0.95 | % | ||||
Other Expenses7 | 1.32 | % | 1.32 | % | ||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 4.02 | % | 4.77 | % | ||||
Less Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement8 | (0.97 | )% | (0.97 | )% | ||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement | 3.05 | % | 3.80 | % |
(1) | While neither the Fund nor the Distributor imposes an initial sales charge on Class D Shares, if you buy Class D Shares through certain Financial Intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees in such amounts as they may determine. Class D Shares and Class T Shares will be sold on a continuous basis at the Fund’s then current net asset value (“NAV”) per Share, plus for Class T Shares only, a maximum front-end sales commission of 3.00%. Please consult your Financial Intermediary for additional information. Investors that purchase $1,000,000 or more of the Fund’s Class T Shares will not pay any initial sales charge on the purchase. However, unless eligible for a waiver, purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Class T Shares will be subject to an early withdrawal charge of 1.00% if the shares are repurchased during the first 12 months after their purchase. See “Early Withdrawal Charges - Class T Shares” and “Sales at Net Asset Value” below. |
(2) | The Fund may impose repurchase fees of up to 2.00% on shares accepted for repurchase that have been held for less than one year. |
(3) | Assumes estimated net assets of approximately $150,000,000 for the fiscal year ending 2021, resulting in estimated Managed Assets of approximately $210,000,000. Represents annualized Fund Operating Expenses. |
(4) | Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser receives an annual fee, payable monthly by the Fund, in an amount equal to 1.25% (the “Management Fee”) of the Fund’s Managed Assets. Managed Assets are defined as the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes) and derivatives will be valued at their market value. The Management Fee percentage calculation assumes the use of leverage by the Fund. To derive the annual Management Fee as a percentage of the Fund’s net assets (which are the Fund’s total assets less the Fund’s accrued liabilities), the Fund’s estimated Managed Assets (approximately $210,000,000) were multiplied by the annual Management Fee rate and then divided by the Fund’s estimated net assets (approximately $150,000,000). |
(5) | The maximum annual rate at which distribution fees may be paid under the Distribution Plan is 0.75% for Class T Shares (calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the Class T Shares). |
(6) | The table assumes the use of leverage in an amount equal to 28.6% of the Fund’s Managed Assets (after the leverage is incurred) and assumes the annual interest rate on borrowings is 2.38%. The Fund’s actual interest costs associated with leverage may differ from the estimates above. |
14
(7) | “Other Expenses” are estimated based on Fund net assets of $150,000,000 and anticipated expenses for the Fund’s first year of operations. In addition to the fees of the Adviser, the Fund is responsible for the payment of all its “Other Expenses” incurred in the operation of the Fund, which include, among other things, organizational expenses and offering costs, expenses for legal and the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm’s services, shareholder reports, charges of the Fund’s custodian, charges of the Fund’s fund accountant, charges of the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, SEC fees, expenses of directors’ meetings, fees and expenses of Directors who are not officers or employees of the Adviser or its affiliates, accounting and printing costs, the Fund’s pro rata portion of the Chief Compliance Officer’s compensation (if approved by the Board of Directors), fidelity bond coverage for the Fund’s officers and employees, Directors and officers liability policy, interest, brokerage costs, taxes, expenses of qualifying the Fund for sale in various states, expenses of personnel performing shareholder servicing functions, litigation and other extraordinary or non-recurring expenses and other expenses properly payable by the Fund. The Fund may charge up to 0.25% for shareholder servicing fees paid to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisers or other financial institutions, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents. |
(8) | The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund, including organizational expenses and offering costs, to the extent necessary to maintain the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest (including, “Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds”), taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) at no more than 2.10% for Class D Shares and 2.85% for Class T Shares. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangement will continue for a period of no less than one year from the effective date of the Fund’s registration statement and may not be terminated by the Fund or the Adviser before such time. Thereafter, this arrangement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser will provide the Board of Directors with written notice of its intention to terminate the arrangement prior to the expiration of its then current term. Any waivers and/or reimbursements made by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the waiver and/or reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the expense cap in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current expense cap. In addition, The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain such fees at no more than 0.10% (the “Annual Limit”) of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Class D Shares and Class T Shares, respectively, until at least December 31, 2022. Thereafter, this arrangement may be extended, terminated, or modified by the Adviser in its sole discretion and at any time. If the Fund’s Class D Shares or Class T Shares operate below the total expense ratio for each share class after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement (as discussed herein), this arrangement will continue to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain the shareholder servicing fee expense cap, as described above. The Fund’s actual shareholder servicing fees may differ from the estimates above. Any shareholder servicing fee reimbursed or otherwise absorbed by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s shareholder servicing fees (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the Annual Limit in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current Annual Limit. |
Example
The following example illustrates the expenses (including any applicable sales charge) that you would pay on a $1,000 investment in the Shares, assuming a 5% annual return. The fee waiver is taken into account only for the one-year expense example:1
If you redeem your Shares at the end of each period:
1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year | |||||||||||||||
Class D | Shares2 | $ | 51 | $ | 114 | $ | 198 | $ | 416 | |||||||||
Class T | Shares | $ | 87 | $ | 161 | $ | 255 | $ | 493 |
15
If you do not redeem your Shares:
1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year | |||||||||||||||
Class D | Shares2 | $ | 31 | $ | 114 | $ | 198 | $ | 416 | |||||||||
Class T | Shares | $ | 67 | $ | 161 | $ | 255 | $ | 493 |
(1) | The example above should not be considered a representation of future expenses, and actual expenses may be greater or less than those show. The example assumes that the estimated Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds and Other Expenses set forth in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table are accurate, that the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (as described above) remain the same for all time periods shown and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at NAV. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% annual return shown in the example. In addition to the fees and expenses described above, you may also be required to pay transaction or other fees on purchases of Class D Shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example. |
(2) | Currently only Class D Shares of the Fund are offered. The Fund expects to offer Class T Shares in the future, subject to obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC. |
The Fund
The Fund is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund continuously offers its Shares and is operated as an interval fund. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future. The Fund cannot ensure that Exemptive Relief will be obtained. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. The Fund was organized as a Maryland corporation on June 29, 2021, pursuant to articles of incorporation. The Fund’s principal office is located at 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10281-1023.
Use of Proceeds
The Fund expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares to invest in accordance with its investment objective and policies. Pending such investment, the Fund expects that the net proceeds of this offering will be invested in money market mutual funds, cash, cash equivalents, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its instrumentalities or agencies, high-quality, short-term money market instruments, short-term debt securities, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and other bank obligations, commercial paper or other liquid debt securities. It is currently anticipated that the Fund will be able to invest all or substantially all of the net proceeds according to its investment objectives and strategies within approximately three months after receipt of the proceeds, depending on the amount and timing of proceeds available to the Fund as well as the availability of investments consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and strategies, and except to the extent proceeds are held in cash to pay dividends or expenses, satisfy repurchase offers or for temporary defensive purposes. However, additional time may be required to fully deploy the Fund’s net proceeds to invest in certain of the Fund investments.
The Fund’s Investment Objective and Principal Strategies
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and attractive total return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing globally, including in emerging market countries, in high-conviction opportunities across Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC’s (the “Adviser”) performing credit platform of high-yield bonds, senior loans, including covenant-lite loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, inclusive of public sector companies that trade on the public markets and private companies that do not have securities trading on the public markets. High-conviction opportunities are investment opportunities that fall within the Fund’s investment strategy, which are identified by the Adviser based on its holistic, bottom-up proprietary research and credit analysis, including analysis of fundamental, valuation, technical and other market factors. The Adviser’s performing credit platform encompasses a broad array of credit strategy groups that invest in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. The Adviser utilizes its performing credit platform which consists of investment opportunities in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. High-yield bonds are also referred to as “below-investment grade rated securities” or “junk bonds”, as described in this prospectus. Structured credit may include collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), asset-backed securities (ABS) and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The Fund seeks to add value through three sources: (1) providing exposure to asset classes that require specialized expertise; (2) performing well in each asset class through proprietary, bottom-up, credit research; and (3) allocating capital opportunistically among asset classes based on the Adviser’s assessment of relative value.
16
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective by investing, as a principal strategy, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in credit related investments, including, but not limited to, fixed income securities (investment grade debt and high-yield debt), floating rate securities (senior loans or structured credit) and other debt instruments and in derivatives (futures, forward contracts, foreign currency exchange contracts, call and put options, selling or purchasing credit default swaps, and total return swaps) and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities or investments (the “80% Policy”). The Fund may invest in investment grade and below-investment grade rated debt instruments and securities of sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers, including debt issued by national, regional or local governments and other agencies. The Fund may invest in securities denominated in U.S. dollars or in other foreign currencies.
The Fund may change the 80% Policy without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide shareholders with written notice at least 60 days prior to the implementation of any such changes.
It is expected that the Fund normally will have a short average portfolio duration (i.e., within a 1 ½ to 3-year range), as calculated by the Adviser, although it may be shorter or longer at any time or from time to time depending on market conditions and other factors. While the Fund seeks to maintain a short average portfolio duration, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of any individual security in which the Fund may invest. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The Fund’s duration strategy may entail maintaining a negative average portfolio duration from time to time, which would potentially benefit the portfolio in an environment of rising market interest rates but would generally adversely impact the portfolio in an environment of falling or neutral market interest rates.
On behalf of the Fund, the Adviser employs a fundamental, value-driven approach with an emphasis on risk control. Bruce Karsh, Wayne Dahl, Armen Panossian, Danielle Poli and David Rosenberg are primarily responsible for management of the Fund. Bruce Karsh is the lead portfolio manager for the Fund. This seasoned team is responsible for building a portfolio from the bottom up, leveraging proprietary credit research and market analysis across the firm’s investment areas. The Fund allocates flexibly among credit asset classes, including public sector companies that trade on the public markets and private companies that do not have securities trading on the public markets, based on changing market conditions and relative value insights applied from Oaktree’s Global Credit Investment Committee, which in addition to the Fund’s co-portfolio managers includes senior credit investment professionals, which manage asset-class specific portfolios at the firm. The Fund’s all-weather investment strategy will enable the portfolio to perform well in periods of market dislocation, informed by Oaktree’s contrarian investment style. Oaktree’s contrarian investment style refers to investors who prioritize downside protection and patience over immediate capital deployment. Oaktree’s expertise and experience in distressed debt investing informs and guides it in analyzing new investments and as a result, its extensive distressed investing experience should allow it to minimize downside risk associated with investments made on behalf of the Fund. The Fund further manages risk and opportunity through holistic portfolio analysis conducted by Oaktree’s portfolio analytics and risk group. Holistic portfolio analysis encompasses a focus on the entire portfolio of investments versus a focus on a credit-by-credit basis.
The Fund generally invests in securities from the Adviser’s credit strategies selected with the objective of maximizing risk-adjusted returns. The Adviser’s credit strategy portfolio managers select these securities based upon input from the firm’s research analysts who are responsible for underwriting credit risk in the Fund. Fund allocations are determined by the Adviser’s analysis of fundamental, valuation, technical and other market factors. Both qualitative and quantitative inputs are considered in the allocation process. Importantly, the allocation of the Fund’s assets will change over time, sometimes rapidly, based on the Adviser’s relative value assessment. Active portfolio and risk management are designed to ensure optimal portfolio positioning, including diversity of industries and issuers across asset classes. The Fund’s investments, allocations, performance attribution, risk sensitivities and characteristics are monitored by the Adviser on a daily basis. Stress testing and scenario analysis is also performed.
17
The Fund follows the Adviser’s “buy” and “sell” disciplines, overseen by the Fund’s co-portfolio managers:
Buy Discipline
Investments are made if: (a) the absolute amount of risk is acceptable; (b) the promised yield compensates for the risk; and (c) the investment’s relationship between risk and return is adequately attractive relative to the opportunity set.
Sell Discipline
In general, the Fund will consider selling an investment if: (a) it is early in spotting actual or potential deterioration in credit quality before it is reflected in the security’s price; (b) the security’s price has significantly appreciated, lowering its yield; or (c) another security is available that offers a better risk/reward trade-off.
Monitoring
If the investment is made, it is systematically monitored by the strategy portfolio manager(s) and supporting analysts on an ongoing basis to assure its credit quality remains satisfactory. Broader portfolio and risk monitoring is performed by a dedicated risk and analytics team.
Implementation
Asset allocation decisions also necessitate trading activity, and securities may be bought or sold to increase or decrease various asset class exposures. Depending on the security type, buy and sell decisions are either transacted by the strategy portfolio manager or by execution traders.
Leverage
The Fund intends to add leverage to its portfolio by utilizing borrowings, such as through bank loans and/or other credit facilities, including through one or more subsidiaries. The Fund will treat the assets of wholly-owned and controlled subsidiaries formed by the Fund as assets of the Fund for purposes of determining compliance with various provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to the Fund, including those relating to investment policies (Section 8), affiliated transactions and custody (Section 17) and capital structure and leverage (Section 18). In addition, the Adviser and the Fund’s Board of Directors will comply with the provisions of Section 15 of the 1940 Act with respect to a subsidiary’s investment advisory contract.
The Fund may also enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage including, among others, loans of portfolio securities. Although it has no current intention to do so, the Fund may also determine to issue preferred shares or other types of senior securities to add leverage to its portfolio. The Fund’s Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of preferred shares without the approval of Common Shareholders; however, the Fund is not permitted under the 1940 Act to issue preferred shares as of the date of this prospectus. If the Fund issues preferred shares in the future, all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred shares will be borne by the Common Shareholders, and these costs and expenses may be significant. The Fund may choose to increase or decrease, or eliminate entirely, its use of leverage over time and from time to time based on the Adviser’s assessment of the yield curve environment, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors. See “Principal Risks of the Fund — Leverage Risk.”
The net proceeds the Fund obtains from leverage utilized will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as described in this prospectus. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the debt obligations and other investments purchased by the Fund exceeds the costs to the Fund of the leverage it utilizes, the investment of the Fund’s assets attributable to leverage will generate more income than will be needed to pay the costs of the leverage. If so, and all other things being equal, the excess may be used to pay higher dividends to Common Shareholders than if the Fund were not so leveraged.
18
The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from engaging in most forms of leverage (including the use of bank loans or other credit facilities, certain derivative transactions, loans of portfolio securities, short sales and when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, to the extent that these instruments are not covered as described below) unless immediately after the issuance of the leverage the Fund has satisfied the asset coverage test with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness prescribed by the 1940 Act; that is, the value of the Fund’s total assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (for these purposes, “total net assets”) is at least 300% of the senior securities representing indebtedness (effectively limiting the use of leverage through senior securities representing indebtedness to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total net assets, including assets attributable to such leverage). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, this asset coverage test is satisfied. To the extent that the Fund engages in borrowings, it may prepay a portion of the principal amount of the borrowing to the extent necessary in order to maintain the required asset coverage. Failure to maintain certain asset coverage requirements could result in an event of default.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue preferred shares unless immediately after such issuance the value of the Fund’s asset coverage is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 50% of the Fund’s assets less all liabilities other than borrowings and outstanding preferred shares). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Fund’s assets less liabilities other than borrowings and outstanding preferred shares satisfies the above-referenced 200% coverage requirement. If the Fund uses a combination of borrowing (including notes and other securities representing indebtedness) and issuing preferred shares, the maximum asset coverage required would be between 300% and 200% depending on the relative amounts of borrowings and preferred shares.
Leveraging is a speculative technique and there are special risks and costs involved. There is no assurance that the Fund will utilize borrowings, issue preferred shares or utilize any other forms of leverage. If used, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s leveraging strategies will be successful or result in a higher yield on your Shares. When leverage is used, the NAV of the Shares and the yield to Common Shareholders will be more volatile. In addition, interest and other expenses borne by the Fund with respect to its use of borrowings or any other forms of leverage are borne by the Common Shareholders and result in a reduction of the NAV of the Shares. In addition, because the fees received by the Adviser are based on the average daily value of the Fund’s Managed Assets, the Adviser has a financial incentive for the Fund to use certain forms of leverage (e.g., borrowings and preferred shares), which may create a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Common Shareholders, on the other hand.
The Fund also may borrow money in order to repurchase its shares or as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including for the payment of dividends or the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of portfolio securities held by the Fund.
Effects of Leverage
Assuming that leverage will represent approximately 28.6% of the Fund’s Managed Assets, the rate of return on the Fund’s investments would need to exceed 0.68% in order to cover the leverage costs on the borrowings.
The following table is designed to illustrate the effect of leverage on Common Share total return, assuming hypothetical investment portfolio total returns (comprised of income and changes in the value of securities held in the Fund’s portfolio) of -10%, -5%, 0%, 5% and 10%. These assumed investment portfolio returns are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns experienced or expected to be experienced by the Fund. “Principal Risks of the Fund — Leverage Risk.” Actual returns may be greater or less than those reflected in the table.
The table further reflects the (i) use of financial leverage representing approximately 28.60% of the Fund’s Managed Assets and (ii) interest costs to the Fund at an average annual rate of 2.38% on the borrowings with respect to such financial leverage.
Assumed Portfolio Total Return (Net of Expenses) | -10% | -5% | 0% | 5% | 10% | |||||||||||||||
Common Share Total Return | -14.95 | % | -7.95 | % | -0.95 | % | 6.05 | % | 13.05 | % |
19
“Common Share Total Return” is composed of two elements: (i) the Common Share dividends and distributions paid by the Fund (the amount of which is largely determined by the net investment income of the Fund after paying expenses on any forms of leverage outstanding) and (ii) gains or losses on the value of the securities the Fund owns. As required by SEC rules, the table above assumes that the Fund is more likely to suffer capital losses than to enjoy capital appreciation. For example, to assume a total return of 0% the Fund must assume that the interest it receives on its investments is entirely offset by losses in the value of those investments.
If the Fund uses leverage, the amount of fees paid to the Adviser for its services will be higher than if the Fund does not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated based on the average daily value of the Fund’s Managed Assets, which includes assets purchased with leverage. Therefore, the Adviser has a financial incentive to use leverage, which creates a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Common Shareholders, on the other hand, as only the Common Shareholders would bear the fees and expenses incurred through the Fund’s use of leverage. See “Principal Risks of the Fund.” The Fund’s willingness to use leverage, and the extent to which leverage is used at any time, will depend on many factors, including, among other things, the Advisers’ assessment of the yield curve, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors.
Principal Risks of the Fund
Investing in the Fund’s Shares involves a number of significant risks. Before you invest in the Fund’s Shares, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. The risks set out below are not the only risks the Fund will face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Fund or not presently deemed material may also impair the Fund’s operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the Fund’s NAV could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risk factors described below are the principal risk factors associated with an investment in the Fund as well as those factors generally associated with an investment company with investment objective, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to the Fund.
No Operating History
The Fund is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end investment company. The Fund has a limited history of operations and no history of public trading and is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and not as a trading vehicle.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund’s Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. An investment in the Shares represents an indirect investment in the investments and other financial assets owned by the Fund. The value of the Fund’s investments will generally fluctuate with, among other things, changes in prevailing interest rates, federal tax rates, counterparty risk, general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets, developments or trends in any particular industry and the financial condition of the issuer. The Fund anticipates using leverage, which would magnify the Fund’s investment, market and certain other risks. See “Principal Risks of the Fund—Leverage Risk.” During periods of limited liquidity and higher price volatility, the Fund’s ability to dispose of investments at a price and time that the Adviser deems advantageous may be impaired. Lower-quality debt securities involve greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer. The value of lower-quality debt securities often fluctuates in response to company, political or economic developments and can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of general or regional economic difficulty. Lower-quality debt securities can be thinly traded or have restrictions on resale, making them difficult to sell at an acceptable price. The default rate for lower-quality debt securities is likely to be higher during economic recessions or periods of high interest rates. In addition, the Adviser’s response to these market movements may not be successful. The Shares at any point in time may be worth less than the original cost, even after taking into account any reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
20
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to market risk. Market risk includes unexpected directional price movements, deviations from historical pricing relationships, changes in the regulatory environment, changes in market volatility, panicked or forced selling of assets and contraction of available credit or other financing sources. The success of the Fund’s activities may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws and national and international political circumstances. Although globally and among developed countries there has been a relatively stable political environment for decades, there is no guarantee that such stability will be maintained in the future. International policies, relationships and trade agreements, which have generally been perceived as stable or evolving, appear to be much more in flux. Adjustments in major trade relationships have already been met by retaliatory measures from other countries and could cause potential escalation in protectionist behavior leading to a drag on growth prospects as trade and investment and productivity growth are reinforcing and linked. Other drivers of geopolitical, economic and market risk may also come from, among other things, increased political tension on the international stage, substantial slowdown and outright recessions in certain markets, pressure on oil prices, rising corporate leverage, continuous abnormally low global interest rates, structural stresses in the European Union, international terrorist activity and armed conflict and risk of armed conflict in the Middle East, East Asia and elsewhere. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.
Any of these developments, or the perception that any of these developments are likely to occur or worsen, could have a material adverse effect on economic growth or business activity, result in the relocation of businesses, cause business interruptions, lead to economic recession or depression, and impact the stability of financial markets or financial institutions and the financial and monetary system. The Fund may be affected by these developments in ways that are not foreseeable, and there is a possibility that such developments could have a significant adverse effect on the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective.
Market turmoil may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Such factors may affect the level and volatility of security prices and liquidity of a Fund’s investments. Credit markets may become illiquid, credit spreads may widen and the equity markets may lose substantial value. Such market conditions may cause the Fund to suffer substantial losses and/or implement measures that adversely affect the Fund. Changes in the value of securities may be temporary or may last for extended periods.
Many countries have experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses in recent decades, including swine flu, avian influenza, SARS, and, most recently, COVID-19. In December 2019, an initial outbreak of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Since then, a large and growing number of cases have been confirmed around the world. COVID-19 has resulted in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, disruptions to healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, and disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, has affected and may continue to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global markets, including liquidity, in general in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater for a variety of reasons. Public health crises, including those caused by COVID-19, may exacerbate pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact may be short term or may last for an extended period of time.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has made emergency interest-rate cuts, moving short-term rates to near zero, issued forward guidance that rates will remain low until the economy weathers the COVID-19 crisis, and resumed quantitative easing. Additionally, Congress has approved stimulus to offset the severity and duration of the adverse economic effects of COVID-19 and related disruptions in economic and business activity. Dozens of central banks across Europe, Asia, and elsewhere have announced and/or adopted similar economic relief packages. The introduction and adoption of these packages could cause market disruptions and volatility which may negatively impact Fund investments. In addition, the end of any such program could cause market downturns, disruptions and volatility, particularly if markets view the ending as premature. The end of such programs may similarly have a negative effect on Fund investments.
21
Asset Allocation Risk
The Fund’s investment performance depends upon how its assets are allocated and reallocated. A principal risk of investing in the Fund is that the Adviser may make less than optimal or poor asset allocation decisions. The Adviser employs an active approach to allocation across multiple credit sectors, but there is no guarantee that such allocation techniques will produce the desired results. It is possible that the Adviser will focus on an investment that performs poorly or underperforms other investments under various market conditions. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund as a result of these allocation decisions.
Issuer Risk
The value of securities may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to a security’s issuer, such as its financial strength, management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets. A change in the financial condition of a single issuer may affect securities markets as a whole. These risks can apply to the Shares issued by the Fund and to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests.
The value of securities may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to a security’s issuer, such as its financial strength, management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Repurchase Offers Risk
As described under “Periodic Repurchase Offers” above, the Fund is an Interval Fund and, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, the Fund, subject to applicable law, conducts quarterly repurchase offers of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at NAV, subject to approval of the Board of Directors. In all cases such repurchases will be for at least 5% and not more than 25% of its outstanding Shares at NAV, pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act. The Fund currently expects to conduct quarterly repurchase offers for 5% of its outstanding Shares under ordinary circumstances. The Fund believes that these repurchase offers are generally beneficial to the Fund’s shareholders, and repurchases generally will be funded from available cash or sales of portfolio securities. However, repurchase offers and the need to fund repurchase obligations may affect the ability of the Fund to be fully invested or force the Fund to maintain a higher percentage of its assets in liquid investments, which may harm the Fund’s investment performance. Moreover, diminution in the size of the Fund through repurchases may result in untimely sales of portfolio securities (with associated imputed transaction costs, which may be significant), and may limit the ability of the Fund to participate in new investment opportunities or to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may accumulate cash by holding back (i.e., not reinvesting) payments received in connection with the Fund’s investments. The Fund believes that payments received in connection with the Fund’s investments will generate sufficient cash to meet the maximum potential amount of the Fund’s repurchase obligations. If at any time cash and other liquid assets held by the Fund are not sufficient to meet the Fund’s repurchase obligations, the Fund intends, if necessary, to sell investments. If, as expected, the Fund employs investment leverage, repurchases of Shares would compound the adverse effects of leverage in a declining market. In addition, if the Fund borrows to finance repurchases, interest on that borrowing will negatively affect Common Shareholders who do not tender their Shares by increasing the Fund’s expenses and reducing any net investment income.
If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed, the Fund may determine to increase the amount repurchased by up to 2% of the Fund’s outstanding shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline. In the event that the Fund determines not to repurchase more than the repurchase offer amount, or if shareholders tender more than the repurchase offer amount plus 2% of the Fund’s outstanding shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline, the Fund will repurchase the Shares tendered on a pro rata basis, and shareholders will have to wait until the next repurchase offer to make another repurchase request. As a result, shareholders may be unable to liquidate all or a given percentage of their investment in the Fund during a particular repurchase offer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may in its sole discretion and for administrative convenience accept all Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders who own less than one hundred Shares and who tender all of their Shares before prorating other amounts tendered. Some shareholders, in anticipation of proration, may tender more Shares than they wish to have repurchased in a particular quarter, thereby increasing the likelihood that proration will occur. The NAV of the Fund’s Shares tendered in a repurchase offer may decline between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the date on which the NAV for tendered Shares is determined. In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to Common Shareholders, potentially even to those Common Shareholders that do not participate in the repurchase. For a discussion of these tax consequences, please see “Tax Matters” and “Taxation” in the Statement of Additional Information.
22
Large Shareholder Risk
To the extent a large proportion of Shares are held by a small number of Common Shareholders (or a Single Common Shareholder), including affiliates of the Adviser, the Fund is subject to the risk that these Shareholders will seek to sell Shares in large amounts rapidly in connection with repurchase offers. These transactions could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to conduct its investment program. Furthermore, it is possible that in response to a repurchase offer, the total amount of Shares tendered by a small number of Common Shareholders (or a single Common Shareholder) may exceed the number of Shares that the Fund has offered to repurchase. If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed by Common Shareholders, the Fund will repurchase only a pro rata portion of shares tendered by each Common Shareholder. However, the Fund may determine to increase the repurchase offer by up to 2% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares as of the date of the Repurchase Request Deadline. If the Fund only repurchases a pro rata portion of shares tendered in connection with an oversubscribed repurchase offer, Shareholders unaffiliated with the Adviser will not be given priority over Shareholders that are affiliates of the Adviser, whose holdings in the Fund may be significant and may have the effect of diluting third-party Shareholders with respect to any repurchase offer. See “Principal Risks of the Fund — Repurchase Offers Risk.”
Management Risk
The Fund does not have internal management capacity or employees. The Fund depends on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the senior investment professionals of the Adviser to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund expects that the Adviser will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor the Fund’s investments in accordance with the terms of the Management Agreement. The Fund can offer no assurance, however, that the senior investment professionals of the Adviser will continue to provide investment advice to the Fund. The loss of any member of the Adviser’s investment committee or of other senior investment professionals of the Adviser and its affiliates would limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and operate as the Fund anticipates. This could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Interest Rate Risk
General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on the Fund’s investments and investment opportunities, and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s investment objective and rate of return on investment capital. A portion of the Fund’s income will depend upon the difference between the rate at which it borrows funds and the interest rate on the debt securities in which it invests. Because the Fund will borrow money to make investments and may issue debt securities, preferred stock or other securities, the Fund’s net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which the Fund borrows funds or pays interest or dividends on such debt securities, preferred stock or other securities and the rate at which the Fund invests these funds.
As of the date of this prospectus, interest rates in the United States are at, or near, historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Moreover, interest rate levels are currently impacted by extraordinarily accommodative monetary policy initiatives the effect of which is impossible to predict with certainty. A significant increase in market interest rates could harm the Fund’s ability to attract new portfolio companies and originate new loans and investments. The Fund expects that a majority of its investments in debt will continue to be at floating rates with a floor. However, in the event that the Fund makes investments in debt at variable rates, a significant increase in market interest rates could also result in an increase in the Fund’s non-performing assets and a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio because the Fund’s floating-rate loan portfolio companies may be unable to meet higher payment obligations. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund’s cost of funds would increase, resulting in a decrease in the Fund’s net investment income. In addition, a decrease in interest rates may reduce net income, because new investments may be made at lower rates despite the increased demand for the Fund’s capital that the decrease in interest rates may produce. The Adviser may, but is not required to, hedge against the risk of adverse movement in interest rates in the Fund’s short-term and long-term borrowings relative to the Fund’s portfolio of assets. If the Adviser engages in hedging activities on behalf of the Fund, it may limit the Fund’s ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, and results of operations.
23
Below Investment Grade (High-Yield or “Junk Bond”) Securities
Selection and supervision of high-yield securities, by the Adviser, involves continuous analysis of individual issuers, general business conditions and other factors which may be too time-consuming or too costly for the average investor. The furnishing of these services does not, of course, guarantee successful results. The Adviser’s analysis of issuers includes, among other things, historic and current financial conditions, current and anticipated cash flow and borrowing requirements, value of assets in relation to historical costs, strength of management, responsiveness to business conditions, credit standing, and current and anticipated results of operations. Analysis of general conditions and other factors may include anticipated changes in economic activity and interest rates, the availability of new investment opportunities and the economic outlook for specific industries.
The ratings of Moody’s, S&P and the other Rating Agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of the obligations which they undertake to rate. Ratings are relative and subjective and, although ratings may be useful in evaluating the safety of interest and principal payments, they do not evaluate the market value risk of such obligations. While the Adviser considers as one factor in its credit analysis the ratings assigned by the rating services, the Adviser performs its own independent credit analysis of issuers and, consequently, the Fund may invest, without limit, in unrated securities. As a result, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective may depend to a greater extent on the Adviser’s own credit analysis than investment companies which invest in investment grade securities. The Fund may continue to hold securities that are downgraded after the Fund purchases them and will sell such securities only if, in the Adviser’s judgment, it is advantageous to sell such securities. Investments in high-yield securities generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in investment grade fixed income securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy. High-yield securities are regarded as being predominantly speculative as to the issuer’s ability to make repayments of principal and payments of interest. Investment in such securities involves substantial risk. Issuers of high-yield securities may be highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risks associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally are greater than is the case with investment grade securities. For example, during an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, issuers of high-yield securities may be more likely to experience financial stress, especially if such issuers are highly leveraged. During periods of economic downturn, such issuers may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. The issuer’s ability to service its debt obligations also may be adversely affected by specific issuer developments, or the issuer’s inability to meet specific projected business forecasts or the unavailability of additional financing. Therefore, there can be no assurance that in the future there will not exist a higher default rate relative to the rates currently existing in the high-yield market. If an issuer of high-yield securities defaults, in addition to risking non-payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The market prices of high-yield securities structured as zero-coupon, step-up or payment-in-kind securities will normally be affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore tend to be more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest currently and in cash. Other than with respect to Distressed Securities (which are discussed below), the high-yield securities in which the Fund may invest do not include securities which, at the time of investment, are in default or the issuers of which are in bankruptcy. However, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur after the Fund purchases a particular security, in which case the Fund may experience losses and incur costs.
High-yield securities tend to be more volatile than investment grade fixed income securities, so that adverse events may have a greater impact on the prices of high-yield securities than on investment grade fixed income securities. Factors adversely affecting the market value of such securities are likely to affect adversely the Fund’s net asset value.
24
Like investment grade fixed income securities, high-yield securities are generally purchased and sold through dealers who make a market in such securities for their own accounts. There are fewer dealers, however, in the high-yield market, and thus the market may be less liquid than the market for investment grade fixed income securities, even under normal economic conditions. In addition, there may be significant disparities in the prices quoted for high-yield securities by various dealers and the spread between the bid and asked price is generally much larger than for investment grade securities. As a result, the Fund may experience difficulty acquiring appropriate high-yield securities for investment.
Adverse conditions and investor perceptions thereof (whether or not based on economic fundamentals) may impair liquidity in the high-yield market and may cause the prices the Fund receives for its high-yield securities to be reduced. In addition, the Fund may experience difficulty in liquidating a portion of its portfolio when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. Under such conditions, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market. In addition, the Fund may incur additional expenses if it is forced to seek recovery upon a default of a portfolio holding or if it participates in the restructuring of the obligation.
The risk of loss due to default by an issuer is significantly greater for the holders of junk bonds because such securities are often unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. In addition, junk bonds may have call or redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the securities from the Fund. If a call were to be exercised by an issuer during a period of declining interest rates, the Fund would likely have to replace such called securities with lower yielding securities, thereby decreasing the net investment income to the Fund and dividends to shareholders.
The high-yield securities in which the Fund invests may include credit-linked notes, structured notes or other instruments evidencing interests in special purpose vehicles or trusts that hold interests in high-yield securities. Structured notes and other related instruments are privately negotiated debt obligations in which the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a benchmark asset, market or interest rate (an “embedded index”), such as selected securities, an index of securities or specified interest rates, or the differential performance of two assets or markets. Structured instruments may be issued by corporations, including banks, and by governmental agencies. Structured instruments frequently are assembled in the form of medium-term notes, but a variety of forms are available and may be used in particular circumstances. The terms of such structured instruments normally provide that their principal and/or interest payments are to be adjusted upward or downward (but ordinarily not below zero) to reflect changes in the embedded index while the structured instruments are outstanding. As a result, the interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending on a variety of factors, including the volatility of the embedded index and the effect of changes in the embedded index on principal and/or interest payments. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of the referenced index(es) or other asset(s). Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss.
Structured instruments may be less liquid than other fixed income securities and the price of structured instruments may be more volatile. In some cases, depending on the terms of the embedded index, a structured instrument may provide that the principal and/or interest payments may be adjusted below zero. Structured instruments also may involve significant credit risk and risk of default by the counterparty. Structured instruments may also be illiquid. Like other sophisticated strategies, the Fund’s use of structured instruments may not work as intended.
The Fund may receive warrants or other non-income producing equity securities in connection with its investments in high-yield securities, including in unit offerings, in an exchange offer, upon the conversion of a convertible security or upon the restructuring or bankruptcy of investments owned by the Fund.
Warrants are privileges issued by corporations enabling the owners to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short life span to expiration. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrants’ expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.
25
Distressed Securities
The Fund may invest in securities of corporate issuers that are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest or in significant risk of being in such default, or that are rated in the lower rating categories (Ca or lower by Moody’s and CC or lower by S&P) or, if unrated, are considered by the Adviser to be of comparable quality (collectively, “Distressed Securities”). Investment in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risk. Distressed Securities frequently do not produce income while they are outstanding and may require the Fund to bear certain extraordinary expenses in order to protect and recover its investment. Therefore, to the extent the Fund seeks its secondary objective of capital appreciation through investment in Distressed Securities, the Fund’s ability to achieve current income for its shareholders may be diminished. The Fund also will be subject to significant uncertainty as to when and in what manner and for what value the obligations evidenced by the Distressed Securities will eventually be satisfied (e.g., through a liquidation of the obligor’s assets, an exchange offer or plan of reorganization involving the Distressed Securities or a payment of some amount in satisfaction of the obligation). In addition, even if an exchange offer is made or a plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by the Fund, there can be no assurance that the securities or other assets received by the Fund in connection with such exchange offer or plan of reorganization will not have a lower value or income potential than may have been anticipated when the investment was made. Moreover, any securities received by the Fund upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. As a result of the Fund’s participation in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Fund may be restricted from disposing of such securities.
Bank Loan Risk
Bank loans (including senior loans) are usually rated below investment grade. The market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Investments in bank loans are typically in the form of an assignment or participation. Investors in a loan participation assume the credit risk associated with the borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed financial intermediary. Accordingly, if a lead lender becomes insolvent or a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could experience delays in receiving payments or suffer a loss. In an assignment, the Fund effectively becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning bank or other financial intermediary. Accordingly, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. Due to their lower place in the borrower’s capital structure and possible unsecured status, junior loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than senior loans of the same borrower. In addition, the floating rate feature of loans means that bank loans will not generally experience capital appreciation in a declining interest rate environment. Declines in interest rates may also increase prepayments of debt obligations and require the Fund to invest assets at lower yields.
The Fund that invests in senior loans may be subject to greater levels of credit risk, call risk, settlement risk and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Senior Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale because, among other reasons, they may not be listed on any exchange, or a secondary market for such loans may not exist or if a secondary market exists, it may be comparatively illiquid relative to markets for other more liquid fixed income securities. As a result, in some cases, transactions in senior loans may involve greater costs than transactions in more actively traded securities. Furthermore, restrictions on transfers in loan agreements, a lack of publicly available information, irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads among other factors, may, in certain circumstances, make senior loans more difficult to sell at what the Adviser believes to be a fair price for such security. These factors may result in the Fund being unable to realize full value for the senior loans and/or may result in the Fund not receiving the proceeds from a sale of a senior loan for an extended period after such sale, each of which could result in losses to the Fund. Senior loans may have extended trade settlement periods which may result in cash not being immediately available to the Fund. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining the Fund’s NAV than if that value were based on available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in the Fund’s daily share price. At the same time, some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. The Adviser will determine the liquidity of the Fund’s investments by reference to market conditions and contractual provisions. Senior loans may not be securities and therefore an investor in senior loans may not receive the protection of the federal securities laws.
26
The Fund may also invest in second-lien loans, which entail risks including (a) the subordination of the Fund’s claims to a senior lien in terms of the coverage and recovery of the collateral and (b) the prohibition of or limitation on the right to foreclose on a second-lien or exercise other rights as a second-lien holder. In certain cases, therefore, no recovery may be available from a defaulted second-lien loan. The level of risk associated with investments in second-lien loans increases to the extent such investments are loans of distressed or below investment grade companies.
Covenant-Lite Loans
The Fund may invest in, or obtain exposure to, loans that may be “covenant-lite.” The Fund uses the term “covenant-lite” to refer generally to loans that do not have financial maintenance covenants. Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition or operating results. Accordingly, when the Fund invests in “covenant-lite” loans, the Fund may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.
Collateralized Loan Obligation (“CLO”)
CLOs and other similarly structured securities are types of asset-backed securities. The cash flows from the CLO trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CLO trust typically has higher ratings and lower yields than the underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults and aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the collateral and the class of the CLO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CLOs and other similarly structured securities are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market, or other relevant measures of liquidity, may exist for CLOs allowing a CLO potentially to be deemed liquid by the Investment Adviser under liquidity policies approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. In addition to the risks associated with debt instruments (e.g., interest rate risk and credit risk), CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that the Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
Mortgage and Asset-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in a variety of mortgage related and other asset-backed securities, including both commercial and residential mortgage securities and other mortgage backed instruments issued on a public or private basis. Mortgage backed securities represent the right to receive a portion of principal and/or interest payments made on a pool of residential or commercial mortgage loans. When interest rates fall, borrowers may refinance or otherwise repay principal on their mortgages earlier than scheduled. When this happens, certain types of mortgage backed securities will be paid off more quickly than originally anticipated and the Fund will have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields. This risk is known as “prepayment risk.” When interest rates rise, certain types of mortgage backed securities will be paid off more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of these securities will fall. This risk is known as “extension risk.” Because of prepayment risk, mortgage backed securities react differently to changes in interest rates than other fixed income securities. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage backed securities.
27
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities Risk
The investment characteristics of RMBS differ from those of traditional debt securities. The major differences include the fact that, on certain RMBS, prepayments of principal may be made at any time. Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. Subordinated classes of CMOs are entitled to receive repayment of principal in many cases only after all required principal payments have been made to more senior classes and also have subordinated rights as to receipt of interest distributions. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater risk of non-payment than are senior classes of CMOs guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government.
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities Risk
CMBS may involve the risks of delinquent payments of interest and principal, early prepayments and potentially unrecoverable principal loss from the sale of foreclosed property. Subordinated classes of CMBS are entitled to receive repayment of principal only after all required principal payments have been made to more senior classes and also have subordinated rights as to receipt of interest distributions. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater risk of non-payment than are senior classes.
Derivatives Risk
The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks, such as liquidity risk (which may be heightened for highly-customized derivatives), interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk, leveraging risk, counterparty risk, tax risk and management risk, as well as risks arising from changes in applicable requirements. They also involve the risk of mispricing, the risk of unfavorable or ambiguous documentation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. By investing in a derivative instrument, it could lose more than the amount invested and derivatives may increase the volatility of the Fund, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial or that, if used, such strategies will be successful. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may increase or accelerate the amount of taxes payable by Common Shareholders.
Over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives are also subject to the risk that a counterparty to the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations to the other party, as many of the protections afforded to centrally-cleared derivatives might not be available for OTC derivatives transactions. For derivatives traded on an exchange or through a central counterparty, credit risk resides with the Fund’s clearing broker, or the clearinghouse itself, rather than with a counterparty in an OTC derivative transaction. The primary credit risk on derivatives that are exchange-traded or traded through a central clearing counterparty resides with the Fund’s clearing broker, or the clearinghouse. Participation in the markets for derivative instruments involves investment risks and transaction costs to which the Fund may not be subject absent the use of these strategies. The skills needed to successfully execute derivative strategies may be different from those needed for other types of transactions. If the Fund incorrectly forecasts the value and/or creditworthiness of securities, currencies, interest rates, counterparties or other economic factors involved in a derivative transaction, the Fund might have been in a better position if the Fund had not entered into such derivative transaction. In evaluating the risks and contractual obligations associated with particular derivative instruments, it is important to consider that certain derivative transactions may be modified or terminated only by mutual consent of the Fund and its counterparty.
It may not be possible for the Fund to modify, terminate, or offset the Fund’s obligations or the Fund’s exposure to the risks associated with a derivative transaction prior to its scheduled termination or maturity date, which may create a possibility of increased volatility and/or decreased liquidity to the Fund. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying instrument, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. In such case, the Fund may lose money.
28
Privacy and Data Security Laws
Many jurisdictions in which the Fund and its portfolio companies operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cyber security and protection of personal information, including GDPR in the European Union that went into effect in May 2018 and the CCPA that took effect in January 2020 and provides for enhanced consumer protections for California residents, a private right of action for data breaches and statutory fines for data breaches or other CCPA violations. If the Fund or the Adviser fails to comply with the relevant laws and regulations, it could result in regulatory investigations and penalties, which could lead to negative publicity and may cause investors and clients to lose confidence in the effectiveness of the Fund’s security measures.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund intends to invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other investment that cannot be sold or disposed of within seven days or less in current market conditions without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments often can be resold only in privately negotiated transactions with a limited number of purchasers or in a public offering registered under the 1933 Act. Considerable delay could be encountered in either event and, unless otherwise contractually provided, the Fund’s proceeds upon sale may be reduced by the costs of registration or underwriting discounts. The difficulties and delays associated with such transactions could result in the Fund’s inability to realize a favorable price upon disposition of illiquid investments, and at times might make disposition of such securities impossible. In addition, the Fund may be unable to sell other illiquid investments when it desires to do so, resulting in the Fund obtaining a lower price or being required to retain the investment. Illiquid investments generally must be valued at fair value, which is inherently less precise than utilizing market value for liquid investments, and may lead to differences between the price at which a security is valued for determining the Fund’s NAV and the price the Fund actually receives upon sale. For the period between the repurchase offer notice and the end of the repurchase period, the Fund must maintain 100% of the repurchase offer amount in liquid assets.
Valuation Risk
The Adviser may use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value certain fixed income securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain investments may be limited, they may be difficult to value. When market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable, the Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board of Directors. Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value pricing will result in adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets, or that fair value pricing will reflect actual market value, and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset will be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. Where market quotations are not readily available, valuation may require more research than for more liquid investments. In addition, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation in such cases than for investments with a more active secondary market because there is less reliable objective data available.
Leverage Risk
The Fund currently intends to use leverage to seek to achieve its investment objective. The borrowing of money or issuance of debt securities and preferred stock represents the leveraging of the Fund’s Shares. In addition, the Fund may also leverage its Shares through investment techniques, such as reverse repurchase agreements, writing credit default swaps, or futures. Leverage creates risks which may adversely affect the return for the holders of Shares including:
● | the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV and market price of and distributions in the Fund’s Shares; |
● | fluctuations in the dividend rates on any preferred stock or in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt; |
29
● | increased operating costs, which are effectively borne by Common Shareholders, may reduce the Fund’s total return; and |
● | the potential for a decline in the value of an investment acquired with borrowed funds, while the Fund’s obligations under such borrowing or preferred stock remain fixed. |
In addition, the rights of lenders and the holders of preferred stock and debt securities issued by the Fund will be senior to the rights of the holders of Shares with respect to the payment of dividends or to the distribution of assets upon liquidation. Holders of preferred stock have voting rights in addition to and separate from the voting rights of Common Shareholders. The holders of preferred stock, on the one hand, and the holders of the Shares, on the other hand, may have interests that conflict in certain situations.
Leverage is a speculative technique that could adversely affect the returns to Common Shareholders. Leverage can cause the Fund to lose money and can magnify the effect of any losses. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with funds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage or if the Fund incurs capital losses, the return of the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders as dividends and other distributions will be reduced or potentially eliminated (or, in the case of distributions, will consist of return of capital).
The Fund will pay (and the Common Shareholders will bear) all costs and expenses relating to the Fund’s use of leverage, which will result in the reduction of the NAV of the Shares.
The Fund’s leverage strategy may not work as planned or achieve its goals. In addition, the amount of fees paid to the Adviser will be higher if the Fund uses leverage because the fees will be calculated on the Fund’s Managed Assets, which may create an incentive for the Adviser to leverage the Fund.
Certain types of borrowings may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements, including those relating to asset coverage, borrowing base and portfolio composition requirements and additional covenants that may affect the Fund’s ability to pay dividends and distributions on Shares in certain instances. The Fund may also be required to pledge its assets to the lenders in connection with certain types of borrowings. The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies which may issue ratings for any preferred shares or short-term debt instruments issued by the Fund. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.
Temporary Defensive Strategies Risk
From time to time, the Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies as a defensive measure when the Adviser anticipates unusual market or other conditions. When a temporary defensive posture is believed by the Adviser to be warranted (“temporary defensive periods”), the Fund may without limitation hold cash or invest its Managed Assets in money market instruments and repurchase agreements in respect of those instruments. The money market instruments in which the Fund may invest are obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; commercial paper rated A-1 or higher by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s; and certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic branches of U.S. banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may also invest to the extent permitted by applicable law in shares of money market mutual funds. Money market mutual funds are investment companies and the investments in those companies by the Fund are in some cases subject to applicable law. To the extent that the Fund invests defensively, it may not achieve its investment objective.
30
Focused Investment Risk
To the extent that the Fund focuses its investments in a particular industry, the NAV of the Shares will be more susceptible to events or factors affecting companies in that industry. These may include, but are not limited to, governmental regulation, inflation, rising interest rates, cost increases in raw materials, fuel and other operating expenses, technological innovations that may render existing products and equipment obsolete, competition from new entrants, high research and development costs, increased costs associated with compliance with environmental or other regulation and other economic, market, political or other developments specific to that industry. Also, the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in companies in related sectors that may share common characteristics, are often subject to similar business risks and regulatory burdens and whose securities may react similarly to the types of events and factors described above, which will subject the Fund to greater risk. The Fund also will be subject to focused investment risk to the extent that it invests a substantial portion of its assets in a particular country or geographic region.
Risk of Regulatory Changes
Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur and may adversely affect the Fund and its ability to pursue its investment strategies and/or increase the costs of implementing such strategies. New (or revised) laws or regulations may be imposed by the CFTC, the SEC, the IRS, the U.S. Federal Reserve or other banking regulators, other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise the financial markets that could adversely affect the Fund. In particular, these agencies are implementing a variety of new rules pursuant to financial reform legislation in the United States. The EU (and some other countries) are implementing similar requirements. The Fund also may be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules by these governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations.
In addition, the securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. The CFTC, the SEC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized under these statutes, regulations and otherwise to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The Fund and the Adviser historically have been eligible for exemptions from certain regulations. However, there is no assurance that the Fund and the Adviser will continue to be eligible for such exemptions. The CFTC and certain futures exchanges have established limits, referred to as “position limits,” on the maximum net long or net short positions which any person may hold or control in particular options and futures contracts.
Risks Associated with Status as a Regulated Investment Company
The Fund intends to qualify for federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. Qualification requires, among other things, compliance by the Fund with certain distribution requirements. Statutory limitations on distributions on the common shares if the Fund is leveraged and fails to satisfy the 1940 Act’s asset coverage requirements could jeopardize the Fund’s ability to meet such distribution requirements. The Fund presently intends, however, to purchase or redeem any outstanding leverage to the extent necessary in order to maintain compliance with such asset coverage requirements.
Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk
The Adviser and its affiliates are involved worldwide with a broad spectrum of financial services and asset management activities and may engage in the ordinary course of business in activities in which their interests or the interests of their clients may conflict with those of the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates may provide investment management services to other funds and discretionary managed accounts that follow an investment program similar to that of the Fund. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Adviser and its affiliates intend to engage in such activities and may receive compensation from third parties for their services. Neither the Adviser nor its affiliates are under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Fund. As a result, the Adviser and its affiliates may compete with the Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of the Fund’s investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and its affiliates, and it is possible that the Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more of the proprietary or other accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates achieve profits. The Adviser has informed the Fund’s Board of Directors that the investment professionals associated with the Adviser are actively involved in other investment activities not concerning the Fund and will not be able to devote all of their time to the Fund’s business and affairs. The Adviser and its affiliates have adopted policies and procedures designed to address potential conflicts of interests and to allocate investments among the accounts managed by the Adviser and its affiliates in a fair and equitable manner.
31
Foreign Currency Risk
The Fund’s investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency may change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. As a result, a change in currency exchange rates may adversely affect the Fund’s profitability.
Income and Distribution Risk
The income that shareholders receive from the Fund is expected to be based in part on income from short-term gains that the Fund earns from dividends and other distributions received from its investments. If the distribution rates or yields of the Fund’s holdings decrease, shareholders’ income from that Fund could decline. In selecting equity income securities in which the Fund will invest, the Adviser will consider the issuer’s history of making regular periodic distributions (i.e., dividends) to its equity holders. An issuer’s history of paying dividends or other distributions, however, does not guarantee that the issuer will continue to pay dividends or other distributions in the future. The dividend income stream associated with equity income securities generally is not fixed but is elected and declared at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors and will be subordinate to payment obligations of the issuer on its debt and other liabilities. Accordingly, an issuer may forgo paying dividends on its equity securities. In addition, because in most instances issuers are not obligated to make periodic distributions to the holders of their equity securities, such distributions or dividends generally may be discontinued at the issuer’s discretion. There can be no assurance that quarterly distributions paid by the Fund to the shareholders will be maintained at initial levels or increase over time.
Cyber Security Risk
The occurrence of a disaster such as a cyber-attack, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, a terrorist attack or war, events unanticipated in the disaster recovery systems of the Fund and Adviser, or a support failure from external providers, could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to conduct business and on its results of operations and financial condition, particularly if those events affect the Fund, the Adviser’s computer-based data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems or destroy data. If the Adviser was unavailable in the event of a disaster, the Fund’s ability to effectively conduct is business could be severely compromised.
The Fund and the Adviser depend heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite implementation of a variety of security measures, the computer systems of the Fund and the Adviser could be subject to cyber-attacks and unauthorized access, such as physical and electronic break-ins, “phishing” attempts or unauthorized tampering. Like other companies, the Fund and the Adviser may experience threats to their data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks, impersonation of authorized users, unauthorized access, system failures and disruptions. The Fund does not control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund, the Adviser, Common Shareholders and/or a portfolio company, each of which would be negatively impacted. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, the computer systems and networks of the Fund, or the Adviser, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in the Fund’s operations, which could result in damage to the Fund’s reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties and/or customer dissatisfaction or loss.
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities of companies in an “emerging market.” Investments in emerging market securities involve a greater degree of risk than, and special risks in addition to the risks associated with, investments in domestic securities or in securities of foreign, developed countries. Foreign investment risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of issuers based or doing business in emerging market countries or invests in securities denominated in the currencies of emerging market countries. Investing in securities of issuers based or doing business in emerging markets entails all of the risks of investing in securities of foreign issuers, including being less liquid, more volatile and harder to value than U.S. securities, but to a heightened degree. These heightened risks include: (i) greater risks of expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization and less social, political and economic stability; (ii) the smaller size of the market for such securities and a lower volume of trading, resulting in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests and requirements that government approval be obtained prior to investment by foreign persons; (iv) certain national policies that may restrict the Fund’s repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities, including temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances; (v) the lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and/or standards that may be significantly different from the standards required in the United States; (vi) less publicly available financial and other information regarding issuers; (vii) potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; and (viii) higher rates of inflation, higher interest rates and other economic concerns. Also, investing in emerging market countries may entail purchases of securities of issuers that are insolvent, bankrupt, in default or otherwise of questionable ability to satisfy their payment obligations as they become due, subjecting the Fund to a greater amount of credit risk and/or high-yield risk.
32
Convertible Securities Risk
Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. In the absence of adequate anti-dilutive provisions in a convertible security, dilution in the value of the Fund’s holding may occur in the event the underlying stock is subdivided, additional equity securities are issued for below market value, a stock dividend is declared or the issuer enters into another type of corporate transaction that has a similar effect.
Credit Default Swaps Risk
Credit default swap agreements may involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. A buyer generally also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller (if any), coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. When the Fund acts as a seller of a credit default swap, it is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage described herein since if an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation.
Although the Fund may seek to realize gains by selling credit default swaps that increase in value, to realize gains on selling credit default swaps, an active secondary market for such instruments must exist or the Fund must otherwise be able to close out these transactions at advantageous times. In addition to the risk of losses described above, if no such secondary market exists or the Fund is otherwise unable to close out these transactions at advantageous times, selling credit default swaps may not be profitable for the Fund.
The market for credit default swaps has become more volatile as the creditworthiness of certain counterparties has been questioned and/or downgraded. The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the credit default swap contract (whether a clearing corporation or another third party). If a counterparty’s credit becomes significantly impaired, multiple requests for collateral posting in a short period of time could increase the risk that the Fund may not receive adequate collateral. The Fund may exit its obligations under a credit default swap only by terminating the contract and paying applicable breakage fees, or by entering into an offsetting credit default swap position, which may cause the Fund to incur more losses.
Management of the Fund
Directors and Officers
The Fund’s business and affairs are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. Accordingly, the Board of Directors provides broad oversight over the Fund’s affairs, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser. The Company’s officers are responsible for the day-to-day operations. Each director and officer will hold office until his/her successor is duly elected and qualifies or until he/she resigns or is removed in the manner provided by the Fund’s Charter or Bylaws. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each director and officer is Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York, 10281-1023. Additional information regarding the Board and its committees, and officers, is set forth under “Management of the Fund” in the statement of additional information. The Board of Directors consists of a majority of directors who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Adviser or its affiliates.
33
Adviser
The Adviser is an affiliate of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“OCM”), a leading global investment management firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California focused on less efficient markets and alternative investments, and is a subsidiary of Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (“OCG”, together with OCM and the Adviser, “Oaktree”). A number of the senior executives and investment professionals of Oaktree have been investing together for over 35 years and have generated impressive investment performance through multiple market cycles. Oaktree emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in distressed debt, corporate debt (including high yield debt and senior loans), control investing, real estate, convertible securities and listed equities. As of June 30, 2021, Oaktree had approximately $156.4 billion of assets under management. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
Oaktree’s primary firm-wide goal is to achieve attractive returns while bearing less than commensurate risk. Oaktree believes that it can achieve this goal by taking advantage of market inefficiencies in which financial markets and their participants fail to accurately value assets or fail to make available to companies the capital that they reasonably require.
Management Agreement
Pursuant to a management agreement with the Fund (the “Management Agreement”), the Adviser is responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio. In return for its investment advisory services, the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly fee at the annual rate of 1.25% of the average daily value of the Fund’s Managed Assets. The management services of the Adviser to the Fund are not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and the Adviser is free to, and does, render management services to others.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to maintain the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) at no more than 2.10% for Class D Shares and 2.85% for Class T Shares. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangement will continue for a period of no less than one year from the effective date of the Fund’s registration statement and may not be terminated by the Fund or the Adviser before such time. Thereafter, this arrangement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser will provide the Board of Directors with written notice of its intention to terminate the arrangement prior to the expiration of its then current term. Any waivers and/or reimbursements made by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the waiver and/or reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the expense cap in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current expense cap.
The Management Agreement will have an initial term of two years, and continue in effect thereafter only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Directors in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
A discussion regarding the basis of the Board of Directors’ initial approval of the Management Agreement will be provided in the Fund’s initial shareholder report. The basis for subsequent continuations of the Fund’s Management Agreement will be provided in Annual or Semi-Annual reports to shareholders for the financial reporting periods in which the Agreement was acted upon by the Board of Directors.
34
Portfolio Managers
Bruce Karsh, Wayne Dahl, Armen Panossian, Danielle Poli, and David Rosenberg manage the Fund. Bruce Karsh is the lead portfolio manager for the Fund. Their professional backgrounds are below.
Bruce Karsh
Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager
Mr. Karsh is Oaktree’s Co-Chairman and one of the firm’s co-founders. He also is Chief Investment Officer and serves as portfolio manager for Oaktree’s Opportunities, Value Opportunities and Multi-Strategy Credit strategies, including the Oaktree Diversified Income Fund. Prior to co-founding Oaktree, Mr. Karsh was a managing director of TCW Asset Management Company, and the portfolio manager of the Special Credits Funds from 1988 until 1995. Prior to joining TCW, Mr. Karsh worked as Assistant to the Chairman of SunAmerica, Inc. Prior to that, he was an attorney with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers. Before working at O’Melveny & Myers, Mr. Karsh clerked for the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, then of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and retired Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Karsh holds an A.B. degree in economics summa cum laude from Duke University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Notes Editor of the Virginia Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. Mr. Karsh serves on the boards of a number of privately held companies. He is a member of the investment committee of the Broad Foundations. Mr. Karsh is Trustee Emeritus of Duke University, having served as Trustee from 2003 to 2015, and as Chairman of the Board of DUMAC, LLC, the entity that managed Duke’s endowment, from 2005 to 2014.
Wayne Dahl
Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager
Mr. Dahl is a managing director and Oaktree’s Investment Risk Officer. He also serves as a co-portfolio manager for the Oaktree Diversified Income Fund. Mr. Dahl joined Oaktree in 2016 from Prosiris Capital Management in New York, where he was the Chief Risk Officer. Prior thereto, Mr. Dahl was Head of Risk Management for Canyon Capital Advisors in Los Angeles for nine years where he developed, implemented and managed the firm’s risk measurement and reporting systems across all investment strategies. Mr. Dahl began his career at Rumson Capital in quantitative research and development focused on the convertible arbitrage strategy. He received his B.A. degree in economics with a minor in mathematics from Brigham Young University and his Master of Science in Mathematics in Finance degree from New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Science.
Armen Panossian
Managing Director, Head of Performing Credit and Co-Portfolio Manager
Mr. Panossian is a managing director and Oaktree’s Head of Performing Credit, as well as a member of the investment committee for Oaktree’s Direct Lending strategy. He also serves as portfolio manager for the Strategic Credit strategy and a co-portfolio manager for the Oaktree Diversified Income Fund. His responsibilities include oversight of the firm’s performing credit activities including the senior loan, high yield bond, private credit, convertibles, structured credit and emerging markets debt strategies. Mr. Panossian also serves as co-portfolio manager for Oaktree’s Life Sciences Lending platform, which focuses on investment opportunities across the healthcare spectrum from biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to medical devices and healthcare services. Mr. Panossian joined Oaktree in 2007 as a senior member of its Opportunities investment team. In January 2014, he joined the U.S. Senior Loan team to assume co-portfolio management responsibilities and lead the development of Oaktree’s CLO business. Mr. Panossian joined Oaktree from Pequot Capital Management, where he worked on their distressed debt strategy. Mr. Panossian received a B.A. degree in economics with honors and distinction from Stanford University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Panossian then went on to receive an M.S. degree in health services research from Stanford Medical School and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. Mr. Panossian serves on the Advisory Board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He is a member of the State Bar of California.
35
David Rosenberg
Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager
Mr. Rosenberg serves as the co-portfolio manager for Oaktree’s U.S. High Yield Bond and Global High Yield Bond strategies, as well as the assistant portfolio manager for the firm’s Global Credit strategy and a co-portfolio manager for the Oaktree Diversified Income Fund. He joined Oaktree in 2004 following graduation from the University of Southern California with an M.B.A. in business administration. Before attending graduate school, Mr. Rosenberg served as an associate in the Franchise Systems Finance Group at J.P. Morgan. Mr. Rosenberg holds an M.P.A. in professional accounting with a concentration in finance and a B.A. degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Danielle Poli
Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager
Danielle Poli is a managing director and co-portfolio manager for the Oaktree Diversified Income Fund. Since joining Oaktree in 2014, she has led the expansion of the firm’s multi-strategy credit offerings including the firm’s flagship Global Credit strategy for which she is a senior specialist and member of the Investment Committee. In addition, Ms. Poli oversees product management activities globally across Credit, Private Equity, Real Assets and Listed Equities, in her role as Head of Oaktree’s Product Specialist Group. Prior to joining Oaktree, Ms. Poli earned her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where she was the recipient of the Laurence and Lori Fink Investment Management Fellowship and an intern at Oaktree in 2013. Prior experience includes four years at PAAMCO KKR Prisma (formerly PAAMCO) where Ms. Poli helped manage hedge fund portfolios for institutional clients. Ms. Poli holds a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and is a CAIA charterholder.
Control Persons
A control person is a person who owns, either directly or indirectly, beneficially more than 25% of the voting securities of a company. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund could be deemed to be under control of Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P. which had voting authority with respect to approximately 100% of the value of the outstanding interests in the Fund on such date. However, it is anticipated that Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P. will no longer be a control person once the Fund commences investment operations and its Shares are sold to the public.
Plan of Distribution
Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund’s Shares pursuant to a distribution contract (the “Distribution Contract”) with the Fund. The Distributor, located at 111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor acts as the distributor of Shares for the Fund on a best efforts basis, subject to various conditions, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Contract. The Distributor is not obligated to sell any specific amount of Shares of the Fund.
Shares of the Fund are continuously offered through the Distributor and/or certain financial intermediaries that have agreements with the Distributor. As discussed below, the Fund may authorize one or more intermediaries (e.g., broker-dealers and other financial firms) to receive orders on its behalf. The Shares will be offered at NAV per share (plus any applicable sales load) calculated each regular business day. Please see “Net Asset Value” below.
36
The Fund and the Distributor have the sole right to accept orders to purchase Shares and reserve the right to reject any order in whole or in part.
The Fund’s Shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange. There is currently no secondary market for the Fund’s Shares and the Fund does not anticipate that a secondary market will develop for its Shares. Investors should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. None of the Adviser or the Distributor intends to make a market in the Fund’s Shares.
The Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor and certain of the Distributor’s affiliates against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the 1933 Act. To the extent consistent with applicable law, the Distributor has agreed to indemnify the Fund and each Director against certain liabilities under the 1933 Act and in connection with the services rendered to the Fund.
Share Classes
Subject to receiving Exemptive Relief, the Fund will implement a Multi-Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act. Although the Fund is not an open-end investment company, it intends to comply with the terms of Rule 18f-3 as a condition of the Exemptive Relief which, if granted, will permit the Fund to have, among other things, a multi-class structure and distribution and shareholder servicing fees.
Under the Multi-Class Plan, shares of each class of the Fund represent an equal pro rata interest in the Fund and, generally, have identical voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications and terms and conditions, except that: (a) each class has a different designation; (b) each class of shares bears any class-specific expenses; and (c) each class shall have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class, and shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class.
Currently, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. The Fund has applied for Exemptive Relief from the SEC that, if granted, will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future. Each share class will represent an investment in the same portfolio of investments, but each class has its own expense structure and arrangements for shareholder services or distribution, which allows you to choose the class that best fits your situation and eligibility requirements.
Class D Shares may be offered for investment to investors such as pension and profit sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations, corporations and individuals that can meet the minimum investment amount. Class T Shares may be offered for investment through certain financial firms that charge their customers transaction or other fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Fund.
Class T Shares are not available for purchase directly from the Distributor and are primarily offered and sold to retail investors by certain broker-dealers which are members of FINRA and which have agreements with the Distributor to sell Class T Shares, but may be made available through other financial firms, including banks and trust companies, and to specified benefit plans (as defined below) and other retirement accounts.
Class T Distribution Plan
Subject to receiving Exemptive Relief, the Fund will implement a Distribution Plan for the Class T Shares of the Fund. The Distribution Plan operates in a manner consistent with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the manner in which an open-end investment company may directly or indirectly bear the expenses of distributing its shares. Although the Fund is not an open-end investment company, it intends to comply with the terms of Rule 12b-1 as a condition of the Exemptive Relief which, if granted, permits the Fund to have, among other things, a multi-class structure and distribution and shareholder servicing fees. Each Distribution and Servicing Plan permits the Fund to compensate the Distributor for providing or procuring through financial firms, distribution, administrative, recordkeeping, shareholder and/or related services with respect to the Class T Shares, as applicable. Most or all of the distribution and/or service fees are paid to financial firms through which Common Shareholders may purchase or hold Class T Shares, as applicable. Because these fees are paid out of the applicable share class’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in Class T Shares and may cost you more than other types of sales charges.
37
The maximum annual rates at which the distribution fees may be paid under the Distribution Plan is 0.75% for Class T Shares (calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the Class T Shares).
Shareholder Servicing Plan
Subject to receiving Exemptive Relief, the Fund will implement a “Shareholder Services Plan” with respect to its Class D and Class T shares under which the Fund may compensate financial intermediaries for providing ongoing services in respect of Fund shareholders. Such services may include responding to customer inquiries of a general nature regarding the Fund; crediting distributions from the Fund to customer accounts; arranging for bank wire transfer of funds to or from a customer’s account; responding to customer inquiries and requests regarding Statements of Additional information, shareholder reports, notices, proxies and proxy statements, and other Fund documents; forwarding prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, tax notices and annual and semi-annual reports to beneficial owners of Fund shares; and providing such other similar services as a Fund may reasonably request to the extent a financial intermediary is permitted to do so under applicable statutes, rules, or regulations.
Under the Shareholder Services Plan, the Fund, with respect to each of Class D and Class T shares, may incur expenses on an annual basis equal up to 0.25% of its average net assets attributable to Class D and Class T shares, respectively. The Adviser, the Distributor or an affiliate may make additional payments to intermediaries for these and other services, and their payments may be based on the same or other methods of calculation. See Revenue Sharing below.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain the shareholder servicing fees at no more than 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Class D Shares and Class T Shares, respectively, until at least December 31, 2022. Thereafter, this arrangement may be extended, terminated, or modified by the Adviser in its sole discretion and at any time. If the Fund’s Class D Shares or Class T Shares operate below the total expense ratio for each share class after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement, this arrangement will continue to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain the shareholder servicing fee expense cap, as described above. The Fund’s actual shareholder servicing fees may differ from the estimates above. Any shareholder servicing fee reimbursed or otherwise absorbed by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s shareholder servicing fees (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the Annual Limit in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current Annual Limit.
Revenue Sharing
The Adviser, the Distributor, the Administrator or an affiliate of each may make cash payments from their own resources to broker-dealers or financial intermediaries for various reasons. These payments, often referred to as “revenue sharing,” may support the delivery of services to the Fund or shareholders in the Fund, including transaction processing and sub-accounting services.
These payments also may serve as an incentive to sell Fund Shares or to promote shareholder retention. As such, the payments may go to firms providing various marketing support or other promotional services relating to the Fund, including advertising and sales meetings, as well as inclusion of the Fund in various promotional and sales programs. Marketing support services also may include business planning assistance, broker-dealer education about the Fund and shareholder financial planning assistance.
Please be aware that revenue sharing arrangements or other payments to intermediaries could create incentives on the part of the parties receiving the payments to more positively consider the Fund relative to other funds either not making payments of this nature or making smaller such payments. A shareholder or prospective investor with questions regarding revenue sharing or other such payments may obtain more details by contacting his or her broker representative or other financial intermediary directly. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information includes a listing of certain parties receiving revenue sharing payments in respect of the Fund.
38
Purchasing Shares
The following section provides basic information about how to purchase Shares of the Fund.
The Fund typically does not offer or sell its shares to non-U.S. residents. For purposes of this policy, a U.S. resident is defined as an account with (i) a U.S. address of record and (ii) all account owners residing in the U.S. at the time of sale.
If you are eligible to buy Class D Shares and Class T Shares, you should buy Class D Shares because Class T Shares may be subject to sales charges and will pay an annual distribution fee.
Individual shareholders who purchase Shares through financial intermediaries, pensions or profit sharing plans may not be eligible to hold Shares outside of their respective plan or financial intermediary platform.
Class T Shares
Eligible investors may purchase Class T Shares through their broker-dealer or other financial firm. Class T Shares are not available for purchase directly from the Distributor.
• | Through your broker-dealer or other financial firm. Class T Shares are primarily offered and sold to retail investors by certain broker-dealers which are members of FINRA and which have agreements with the Fund’s distributor to offer Class T Shares, but may be made available through other financial firms, including banks and trust companies and to specified benefit plans and other retirement accounts. Your broker-dealer or other financial firm may establish different minimum investment requirements than the Fund and may also independently charge you transaction or other fees and additional amounts (which may vary) in return for its services, which will reduce your return. Shares you purchase through your broker-dealer or other financial firm will normally be held in your account with that firm and instructions for buying, selling, exchanging or transferring Class T Shares must be submitted by your broker-dealer or other financial firm on your behalf. |
Class D Shares
Eligible investors may purchase Class D Shares in the following ways:
• | Through your broker-dealer or other financial firm. Class D Shares may be offered through certain financial firms that charge their customers transaction or other fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Fund. Class D Shares may also be offered to investors in pension and profit sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations, corporations and individuals that can meet the minimum investment amount. Your broker-dealer or other financial firm may establish different minimum investment requirements than the Fund and may also independently charge you transaction or other fees and additional amounts (which may vary) in return for its services, which will reduce your return. Shares you purchase through your broker-dealer or other financial firm will normally be held in your account with that firm. If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial firm, instructions for buying, selling, exchanging or transferring Class D Shares must be submitted by your financial firm or broker-dealer on your behalf. |
• | Through the Transfer Agent. You should discuss your investment with your financial adviser before you make a purchase to be sure the Fund is appropriate for you. Individual investors who meet the minimum investment amount and wish to invest directly in Class D Shares may obtain an Account Application online at https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en or by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-855-862-5873. If you do not list a financial adviser and his/her brokerage firm on the Account Application, the Distributor is designated as the broker of record, but solely for purposes of acting as your agent to purchase shares. |
39
The completed Account Application may be submitted using the following methods:
Overnight Mail: | Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. | |
c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC | ||
615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor | ||
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
Regular Mail: | Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. | |
c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC | ||
P.O. Box 701 | ||
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 |
For inquiries, please call 1-855-862-5873
Payment for the purchase of Shares may be made by check payable to the transfer agent and sent to the Regular Mail address above; or by wiring federal funds to:
U.S. Bank National Association
1555 North River Center Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
ABA: | #075000022 |
Account#: | 112-952-137 |
Account Name: | U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC |
FFC: | (include Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. Account Number) |
In order to receive the current day’s NAV, order instructions must be received in good order prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (“NYSE Close”). Instructions must include the name and signature of an appropriate person designated on the Account Application (“Authorized Person”), account name, account number, name of the Fund and dollar amount. Payments received without order instructions could result in a processing delay or a return of wire. Failure to send the accompanying payment on the same day may result in the cancellation of the order.
Investment Minimums
Class D Shares. The following investment minimums apply for purchases of Class D Shares:
Initial Investment | Subsequent Investments | |||
$25,000 per account | $ | 5,000 |
Class T Shares. The following investment minimums apply for purchases of Class T Shares:
Initial Investment | Subsequent Investments | |||
$2,500 per account | $ | 500 |
The initial investment minimums may be modified for certain financial firms that submit orders on behalf of their customers. The Fund or the Distributor may lower or waive the minimum initial investment for certain classes of shares or categories of investors at their discretion. The minimum initial investment may also be modified for the Directors and certain employees and their extended family members of current officers, directors, and employees of the Fund, the Adviser, Administrator, certain other subsidiaries of Oaktree, employees of certain firms providing services to the Fund (such as the custodian and the shareholder servicing agent), and to the immediate family members of any such persons or to any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for only such persons. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.
40
Additional Investments. An investor may purchase additional Class D Shares at any time. If you invest in Shares through a broker-dealer, contact your financial firm for information on purchasing additional Shares.
Other Purchase Information. Purchases of a Fund’s Shares will be made in full and fractional shares.
The Fund and the Distributor each reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of shares of the Fund or to reject any purchase order, in whole or in part, when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Fund.
In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.
Sales Charge – Class T Shares
This section includes important information about sales charge reduction programs available to investors in Class T Shares of the Fund and describes information or records you may need to provide to the Distributor or your financial firm in order to be eligible for sales charge reduction programs.
Unless you are eligible for a waiver, the public offering price you pay when you buy Class T of the Fund is the NAV of the shares plus an initial sales charge. The initial sales charge varies depending upon the size of your purchase, as set forth below.
No sales charge is imposed where Class T Shares are issued to you pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of income dividends or capital gains distributions. For investors investing in Class T Shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, it is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure that you obtain the proper “breakpoint” discount.
Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.
Class T Shares are subject to a 3.00% maximum sales charge as a percentage of the offering price.
Amount Purchased |
Sales
Load as
a % of Offering Price |
Sales
Load as
a % of Amount Invested |
Dealer’s
Concession as a % of Offering Price |
|||||||||
Under $250,000 | 3.00 | % | 3.09 | % | 3.00 | % | ||||||
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50 | % | 2.56 | % | 2.50 | % | ||||||
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.50 | % | 1.52 | % | 1.50 | % | ||||||
$1,000,000 or over* | 0.00 | % | 0.00 | % | 0.00 | % |
* | As shown, investors that purchase $1,000,000 or more of the Fund’s Class T Shares will not pay any initial sales charge on the purchase. However, unless eligible for a waiver, purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Class T Shares will be subject to an early withdrawal charge of 1.00% if the shares are repurchased during the first 12 months after their purchase. See “Early Withdrawal Charges - Class T Shares” and “Sales at Net Asset Value” below. |
Investors in the Fund may reduce or eliminate sales charges applicable to purchases of Class T Shares through utilization of the Combined Purchase Privilege, Right of Accumulation, Letter of Intent or Reinstatement Privilege. These programs will apply to purchases of other closed-end funds that Oaktree or PSG sponsors currently or in the future (collectively, “Eligible Funds”), which offer Class T Shares. These programs are summarized below and described in the Statement of Additional Information. Eligible Funds do not include any open-end funds sponsored by PSG.
41
Combined Purchase Privilege and Right of Accumulation (Breakpoints). A Qualifying Investor (as defined below) may qualify for a reduced sales charge on Class T Shares at the breakpoint levels disclosed herein by combining concurrent purchases of the Class T common shares of one or more Eligible Funds into a single purchase (the “Combined Purchase Privilege”). In addition, a Qualifying Investor may obtain a reduced sales charge on Class T Shares of the Fund by adding the purchase value of Class T Shares of an Eligible Fund with the current aggregate net asset value of all Class T common shares of any Eligible Fund held by accounts for the benefit of such Qualifying Investor (the “Right of Accumulation” or “Cumulative Quantity Discount”).
The term “Qualifying Investor” refers to:
1. | an individual, such individual’s spouse or domestic partner, as recognized by applicable state law, or such individual’s children under the age of 21 years (each a “family member”) (including family trust* accounts established by such a family member); or |
2. | a trustee or other fiduciary for a single trust (except family trusts* noted above), estate or fiduciary account although more than one beneficiary may be involved; or |
3. | an employee benefit plan of a single employer. |
* For these purposes, a “family trust” is one in which a family member, as defined in section (1) above, or a direct lineal descendant(s) of such person is/are the beneficiary(ies), and such person or another family member, direct lineal ancestor or sibling of such person is/are the trustee(s).
Letter of Intent. By signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) a shareholder can reduce its Class T sales charges. A shareholder’s individual purchases will be made at the applicable sales charge based on the amount they intend to invest over a 13-month period. The LOI will apply to all purchases of Class T Shares. Any shares purchased within 90 days of the date a shareholder signs the letter of intent may be used as credit toward completion, but the reduced sales charge will only apply to new purchases made on or after that date. Purchases resulting from the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains do not apply toward fulfillment of the LOI. Shares equal to 4.75% of the amount of the LOI will be held in escrow during the 13-month period. If, at the end of that time the total amount of purchases made is less than the amount intended, a shareholder will be required to pay the difference between the reduced sales charge and the sales charge applicable to the individual purchases had the LOI not been in effect. This amount will be obtained from redemption of the escrow shares. Any remaining escrow shares will be released to the shareholder.
Reinstatement Privilege. Shareholders who redeemed Class T shares of the Fund that were originally subject to a front-end sales load may buy back Class T shares of the Fund into the same shareholder account within 45 days of the redemption date without paying a sales charge on the reinstated shares. The amount eligible to be repurchased under this Reinstatement Privilege may not exceed the amount of a shareholder’s redemption proceeds originally received from the reinstated shares. Reinstatements will be priced at the Fund’s current NAV. To exercise this Reinstatement Privilege, a shareholder must notify its financial consultant or the Fund’s transfer agent at the time of the transaction that is believed to qualify the shareholder for the privilege.
Sales at Net Asset Value. Shares of the Fund may be offered without a sales charge to: (1) any other investment company in connection with the combination of such company with the Fund by merger, acquisition of assets, or otherwise; (2) any unit investment trusts registered under the 1940 Act which have shares of the Fund as a principal investment; and (3) persons investing in certain fee-based programs under which they pay advisory fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution that has entered into an agreement with the Fund and/or its Distributor.
42
In addition, as discussed above, shareholders who redeemed shares of the Fund that were originally subject to a sales charge may buy back shares of the Fund into the same shareholder account within 45 days of the redemption date without paying a sales charge on the reinstated shares. The amount eligible to be repurchased may not exceed the amount of a shareholder’s redemption proceeds originally received from the reinstated shares. Reinstatements will be priced at the Fund’s current NAV. To exercise this reinstatement privilege, a shareholder must notify its financial consultant or the Fund’s transfer agent at the time of the transaction that is believed to qualify the shareholder for the privilege.
Exchanges. Exchanges of Shares for Class T Shares of the Fund will not be subject to a sales charge.
Early Withdrawal Charges – Class T Shares
Unless a shareholder is eligible for a waiver, if the shareholder purchases $1,000,000 or more of Class T Shares (and, thus, pays no initial sales charge) of the Fund, the shareholder will generally be subject to a 1% early withdrawal charge (“EWC”) if the Class T Shares are repurchased within 12 months of their purchase. The Class T EWC does not apply if a shareholder is otherwise eligible to purchase Class T Shares without an initial sales charge or is eligible for a waiver of the EWC.
How EWCs Will Be Calculated
An EWC is imposed on repurchases of Class T Shares on the amount of the repurchase which causes the current value of a shareholder’s account for the Class T Shares of the Fund to fall below the total dollar amount of the shareholder’s purchase payments on which they paid no initial sales charge as a result of reaching a breakpoint on the initial purchase and have not been held 12 months.
The following rules apply under the method for calculating EWCs:
• | Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions will be repurchased first and will not be subject to any EWC. |
• | For the repurchase of all other Shares, the EWC will be based on either your original purchase price or the then current NAV of the Shares being sold, whichever is lower. To illustrate this point, consider Shares purchased at an NAV of $10. If the Fund’s NAV per Common Share at the time of repurchase is $12, the EWC will apply to the purchase price of $10. If the NAV per Common Share at the time of repurchase is $8, the EWC will apply to the $8 current NAV per Common Share. |
EWCs will be deducted from the proceeds of a shareholder’s repurchase, not from amounts remaining in the shareholder’s account.
In determining whether an EWC is payable, it is assumed that a shareholder will have repurchased first the lot of Shares which will incur the lowest EWC.
Reductions and Waivers of Initial Sales Charges and EWCs
The initial sales charges and EWCs on Class T Shares may be reduced or waived under certain purchase arrangements and for certain categories of investors. See “Sales at Net Asset Value” above for information on such reductions or waivers that may be applicable to Class T Share initial sales charges.
In addition to EWC waivers described under “Early Withdrawal Charges – Class T Shares” above, EWCs on Class T Shares may also be reduced or waived for repurchases where the shareholder can demonstrate hardship, which shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Distributor, and there will be minimal cost borne by the Distributor associated with the repurchase, which shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Distributor. What qualifies as “hardship” and “minimal cost” borne by the Distributor will be determined in the sole discretion of the Distributor, but will be applied uniformly to all shareholders that can demonstrate such hardship or for which there will be such minimal cost. The Distributor follows how Internal Revenue Service regulations classify “hardship” – a financial hardship may occur when an individual has an immediate and heavy financial need and the money to be withdrawn from the shareholder’s account is necessary to meet that need. The Distributor generally determines an EWC waiver or reduction to be of “minimal cost” where the shareholder can demonstrate that the repurchase triggering the EWC was inadvertently executed during the period subject to the EWC and substantially all of the EWC period has lapsed.
43
Required Shareholder Information and Records. In order for investors in Class T Shares of the Fund to take advantage of sales charge reductions, an investor or his or her financial firm must notify the Fund that the investor qualifies for such a reduction. If the Fund is not notified that the investor is eligible for these reductions, the Fund will be unable to ensure that the reduction is applied to the investor’s account. An investor may have to provide certain information or records to his or her financial firm or the Fund to verify the investor’s eligibility for breakpoint discounts or sales charge waivers.
An investor may be asked to provide information or records, including account statements, regarding shares of the Fund or other Eligible Funds held in:
• | any account of the investor at another financial firm; and |
• | accounts of Qualifying Investors at any financial firm. |
Exchanging Shares
Intra-Fund Exchanges: Shares of one class of the Fund may be exchanged at any time, at a shareholder’s option, directly for shares of another class of the Fund (an “intra-fund exchange”), subject to the terms and conditions described below and provided that the shareholder for whom the intra-fund exchange is being requested meets the eligibility requirements of the class into which such shareholder seeks to exchange. Additional information regarding the eligibility requirements of different share classes, including investment minimums and intended distribution channels, is described under “Purchasing Shares” and “Investment Minimums” above.
Shares of one class of the Fund will be exchanged for shares of a different class of the Fund on the basis of their respective NAVs. Ongoing fees and expenses incurred by a given share class will differ from those of other share classes, and a shareholder receiving new shares in an intra-fund exchange may be subject to higher or lower total expenses following such exchange. Intra-fund exchanges generally should not result in the realization of income or gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Financial Intermediary-Directed Exchanges: Financial intermediaries may, in connection with a change in a client’s account type, at the direction of a client, or otherwise in accordance with a financial intermediary’s policies and procedures, direct the Fund on behalf of the intermediary’s clients to exchange shares of one class of Shares of the Fund for shares of another class of Shares of the Fund, or exchange Shares of the Fund for the same class or another class of common shares of another Eligible Fund. Any such exchange will not be subject to a sales charge. Class Shares of the Fund are, however, subject to higher annual operating expenses than Class Shares. See “Summary of Fund Expenses.” The Fund will only complete such an exchange at the direction of a financial intermediary and without making inquiry as to whether the exchange is consistent with the particular intermediary’s policies and procedures or the client’s account type and/or suitability criteria. An investor should contact his or her financial intermediary to learn more about the details of this exchange feature and whether and under what circumstances it may apply in accordance with the investor’s arrangements with the particular intermediary.
Shares Purchased or Held Through Financial Intermediaries
The availability of sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on the particular financial intermediary or type of account through which you purchase or hold Fund shares. The Fund’s sales charge waivers and discounts disclosed in this prospectus are available for qualifying purchases and are generally available through financial firms. Please contact your financial firm for more information regarding applicable sales charge waivers, discounts and/or breakpoints available to you and the financial firm’s related policies and procedures.
44
While neither the Fund nor the Distributor imposes an initial sales charge on Class D Shares, if you buy Class D Shares through certain financial firms they may directly charge you transaction or other fees in such amount as they may determine. Please consult your financial firm for additional information.
Signature Validation
The following section provides additional information for investors who purchase shares directly from the Fund. If you are investing through a financial intermediary, please contact your financial intermediary directly for more information. A signature guarantee from an acceptable guarantor is required if you want repurchase proceeds sent to an address other than the address of record, to a person other than the registered shareholder(s) for the account or to a bank account number other than the one previously designated. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund and/or the Fund’s transfer agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.
Information Regarding State Escheatment Laws
It is important that the Fund maintains a correct address for each investor. An incorrect address may cause an investor’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the investor or rightful owner of the account. If the Fund is unable to locate the investor, then it will determine whether the investor’s account can legally be considered abandoned. The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The investor’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction.
Request for Multiple Copies of Shareholder Documents
To reduce expenses, it is intended that only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report, when available, will be mailed to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents and your shares are held directly with the Fund, call the Fund at 1-855-862-5873. You will receive the additional copy within 30 days after receipt of your request by the Fund. Alternatively, if your shares are held through a financial institution, please contact the financial institution directly.
Acceptance and Timing of Purchase Orders
You may purchase shares of the Fund by check, by wire transfer, via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network or through a bank or through one or more brokers authorized by the Fund to receive purchase orders. Please use the appropriate account application when purchasing by mail or wire. If you have any questions or need further information about how to purchase shares of the Fund, you may call a customer service representative of the Fund toll-free at 1-855-862-5873. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order. For example, a purchase order may be refused if, in the Adviser’s opinion, it is so large that it would disrupt the management of the Fund. Orders may also be rejected from persons believed by the Fund to be “market timers.”
All checks must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a domestic financial institution. The Fund will not accept payment in cash or money orders. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third-party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares. The Fund is unable to accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment.
To buy shares of the Fund, complete an account application and send it together with your check for the amount you wish to invest in the Fund to the address below. To make additional investments once you have opened your account, write your account number on the check and send it together with the most recent confirmation statement received from the transfer agent. If your payment is returned for any reason, your purchase will be canceled and a $25 fee will be assessed against your account by the transfer agent. You may also be responsible for any loss sustained by the Fund.
45
In addition to cash purchases, Fund shares may be purchased by tendering payment in-kind in the form of shares of stock, bonds or other securities. Any securities used to buy Fund shares must be readily marketable, their acquisition consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and otherwise acceptable to the Adviser and the Board. For further information, you may call a customer service representative of the Fund toll-free at .
In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the transfer agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Please contact the transfer agent at 855-862-5873 if you need additional assistance when completing your account application.
If the transfer agent does not have a reasonable belief of the identity of an investor, the account application will be rejected or the investor will not be allowed to perform a transaction on the account until such information is received. The Fund may also reserve the right to close the account within five business days if clarifying information/documentation is not received.
Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States. The Adviser generally does not sell shares to investors residing outside of the United States, even if they are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, except to investors with United States military APO or FPO addresses.
Periodic Repurchase Offers
The Fund is a closed-end Interval Fund, a type of fund that, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, has adopted a fundamental investment policy to make offers to repurchase Shares. No shareholder will have the right to require the Fund to repurchase its Shares, except as permitted by the Fund’s Interval Fund structure. No public market for the Shares exists, and none is expected to develop in the future. Consequently, shareholders generally will not be able to liquidate their investment other than as a result of repurchases of their Shares by the Fund, and then only on a limited basis.
The Fund has adopted, pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act, a fundamental policy, which cannot be changed without shareholder approval, requiring the Fund to offer to repurchase at least 5% and up to 25% of its Shares at NAV on a regular schedule. Although the policy permits repurchases of between 5% and 25% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares, for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase at least 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at NAV subject to approval of the Board of Directors. The schedule requires the Fund to make repurchase offers every three months. The Fund expects the first repurchase offer to be issued within six months following effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement.
Repurchase Dates
The Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers. Subject to Board approval, Repurchase Request Deadlines are expected to occur each February, May, August and November, and Repurchase Offer Notices are expected to be sent to shareholders each January, April, July and October preceding each such Repurchase Request Deadline. As discussed below, the date on which the repurchase price for Shares is determined will occur no later than the 14th day after the Repurchase Request Deadline (or the next business day, if the 14th day is not a business day). A repurchase schedule setting forth each of these dates for the Fund’s current calendar year is available on the Fund’s website at https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en.
46
Repurchase Request Deadline
The date by which shareholders wishing to tender Shares for repurchase must respond to the repurchase offer will be no more than 14 days before the Repurchase Pricing Date (defined below). When a repurchase offer commences, the Fund sends, at least 21 days before the Repurchase Request Deadline, written notice to each shareholder setting forth, among other things:
• | The percentage of outstanding Shares that the Fund is offering to repurchase and how the Fund will purchase Shares on a pro rata basis if the offer is oversubscribed. |
• | The date on which a shareholder’s repurchase request is due. |
• | The date that will be used to determine the Fund’s NAV applicable to the repurchase offer (the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). |
• | The date by which the Fund will pay to shareholders the proceeds from their Shares accepted for repurchase. |
• | The NAV of the Shares as of a date no more than seven days before the date of the written notice and the means by which shareholders may ascertain the NAV. |
• | The procedures by which shareholders may tender their Shares and the right of shareholders to withdraw or modify their tenders before the Repurchase Request Deadline. |
• | The circumstances in which the Fund may suspend or postpone the repurchase offer. |
This notice may be included in a shareholder report or other Fund document. Shareholders that hold shares through a financial intermediary will need to ask their financial intermediary to submit their repurchase requests and tender shares on their behalf. The Repurchase Request Deadline will be strictly observed. If a shareholder’s repurchase request is not submitted to the Fund’s transfer agent in properly completed form by the Repurchase Request Deadline, the shareholder will be unable to sell his or her shares to the Fund until a subsequent repurchase offer, and the shareholder’s request for that offer must be resubmitted. If a shareholder’s authorized intermediary will submit his or her repurchase request, the shareholder should submit his or her request to the authorized intermediary in the form requested by the authorized intermediary sufficiently in advance of the Repurchase Request Deadline to allow the authorized intermediary to submit the request to the Fund. If a shareholder’s authorized intermediary is unable or fails to submit the shareholder’s request to the Fund in a timely manner, or if the shareholder fails to submit his or her request to the shareholder’s authorized intermediary, the shareholder will be unable to sell his or her shares to the Fund until a subsequent repurchase offer, and the shareholder’s request for that offer must be resubmitted.
Shareholders may withdraw or change a repurchase request with a proper instruction submitted in good form at any point before the Repurchase Request Deadline.
Determination of Repurchase Price and Payment for Shares
The Repurchase Pricing Date will occur no later than the 14th day after the Repurchase Request Deadline (or the next business day, if the 14th day is not a business day). The Fund expects to distribute payment to shareholders within (5) business days after the Repurchase Pricing Date and will distribute such payment no later than seven (7) calendar days after such date. The Fund’s NAV per share may change materially between the date a repurchase offer is mailed and the Repurchase Request Deadline, and it may also change materially between the Repurchase Request Deadline and Repurchase Pricing Date. The method by which the Fund calculates NAV is discussed below under “Net Asset Value.” During the period an offer to repurchase is open, shareholders may obtain the current NAV by visiting https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en or calling the Fund’s Investor Relations Team (toll-free) at 1-855-777-8001 or by sending an e-mail request to the Fund at publicsecurities.enquiries@brookfield.com.
Repurchase Fee
The Fund does not currently charge a repurchase fee. However, in the future the Fund may charge a repurchase fee of up to 2.00%, which the Fund would retain to help offset non-de minimis estimated costs related to the repurchase incurred by the Fund, directly or indirectly, as a result of repurchasing Shares, thus allocating estimated transaction costs to the shareholder whose Shares are being repurchased. The Fund may introduce, or modify the amount of, a repurchase fee at any time. The Fund will provide advance notice to shareholders of any such introduction or modification of the repurchase fee. The Fund may also waive or reduce a repurchase fee if the Adviser determines that the repurchase is offset by a corresponding purchase or if for other reasons the Fund will not incur transaction costs or will incur reduced transaction costs.
47
Suspension or Postponement of Repurchase Offers
The Fund may suspend or postpone a repurchase offer in limited circumstances set forth in Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act, as described below, but only with the approval of a majority of the Directors, including a majority of Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund may suspend or postpone a repurchase offer only: (1) if making or effecting the repurchase offer would cause the Fund to lose its status as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code; (2) for any period during which the NYSE or any other market in which the securities owned by the Fund are principally traded is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or during which trading in such market is restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable, or during which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets; or (4) for such other periods as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of shareholders of the Fund.
Oversubscribed Repurchase Offers
There is no minimum number of Shares that must be tendered before the Fund will honor repurchase requests. However, the Fund’s Directors set for each repurchase offer a maximum percentage of Shares that may be repurchased by the Fund, which is currently expected to be at least 5% and up to 25% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares. In the event a repurchase offer by the Fund is oversubscribed, the Fund may repurchase, but is not required to repurchase, additional Shares up to a maximum amount of 2% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. If the Fund determines not to repurchase additional Shares beyond the repurchase offer amount, or if shareholders tender an amount of Shares greater than that which the Fund is entitled to repurchase, the Fund will repurchase the Shares tendered on a pro rata basis. The Fund may in its sole discretion and for administrative convenience accept all shares tendered by shareholders who own less than one hundred shares and who tender all of their shares, before prorating other amounts tendered.
If any Shares that you wish to tender to the Fund are not repurchased because of proration, you will have to wait until the next repurchase offer and resubmit a new repurchase request, and your repurchase request will not be given any priority over other shareholders’ requests. Thus, there is a risk that the Fund may not purchase all of the Shares you wish to have repurchased in a given repurchase offer or in any subsequent repurchase offer. In anticipation of the possibility of proration, some shareholders may tender more Shares than they wish to have repurchased in a particular quarter, increasing the likelihood of proration.
There is no assurance that you will be able to tender your Shares when or in the amount that you desire.
Consequences of Repurchase Offers
From the time the Fund distributes or publishes each repurchase offer notification until the Repurchase Pricing Date for that offer, the Fund must maintain liquid assets at least equal to the percentage of its Shares subject to the repurchase offer. For this purpose, “liquid assets” means assets that may be sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business, at approximately the price at which the Fund values them, within the period between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the repurchase payment deadline, or which mature by the repurchase payment deadline. The Fund is also permitted to borrow up to the maximum extent permitted under the 1940 Act to meet repurchase requests.
If the Fund borrows to finance repurchases, interest on that borrowing will negatively affect shareholders who do not tender their Shares by increasing the Fund’s expenses and reducing any net investment income. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a significant amount of additional Shares so as to mitigate these effects.
These and other possible risks associated with the Fund’s repurchase offers are described under “Principal Risks of the Fund—Repurchase Offers Risk” above. In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to shareholders, potentially even to those shareholders that do not participate in the repurchase. For a discussion of these tax consequences, see “Tax Matters” below and “Taxation” in the Statement of Additional Information.
48
Net Asset Value
The Fund’s NAV per Share is computed by dividing the total current value of the assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding at the time of such computation. The Fund computes its NAV per Share as of the close of trading on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading.
Portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. In circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, the Board of Directors has adopted methods for determining the fair value of such securities and other assets. The Board of Directors is responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, as determined in good faith pursuant to the Fund’s valuation policy and consistently applied valuation process. The Board of Directors has delegated day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the Fund’s valuation policy, as amended from time to time, to the Adviser and has authorized the use of independent third-party pricing and valuation services that have been approved by the Board of Directors.
Valuations of Fund investments are disclosed in reports publicly filed with the SEC. The Advisers will provide the Board of Directors with periodic reports, no less than quarterly, that discuss the functioning of the valuation process, if applicable to that period, and that identify issues and valuation problems that have arisen, if any.
Under certain circumstances, the NAV per Share of a class of the Fund’s Shares may be different from the per share NAV of another class of shares as a result of the different daily expense accruals applicable to each class of shares.
Distributions
The Fund intends to declare and pay distributions quarterly at rates from net investment income. Subject to applicable law, the Fund may fund a portion of its distributions with gains from the sale of portfolio securities and other sources. The dividend rate that the Fund pays on its Shares may vary as portfolio and market conditions change, and will depend on a number of factors, including without limitation the amount of the Fund’s undistributed net investment income and net short- and long-term capital gains, as well as the costs of any leverage obtained by the Fund (including interest expenses on borrowings and dividends payable on any preferred shares issued by the Fund). As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions on the Shares and the Fund’s dividend policy could change. For a discussion of factors that may cause the Fund’s income and capital gains (and therefore the dividend) to vary, see “Principal Risks of the Fund.” The net investment income of the Fund consists of all income (other than net short-term and long-term capital gains) less all expenses of the Fund (after it pays accrued dividends on any outstanding preferred shares).
The Fund may distribute less than the entire amount of net investment income earned in a particular period. The undistributed net investment income would be available to supplement future distributions. As a result, the distributions paid by the Fund for any particular month may be more or less than the amount of net investment income actually earned by the Fund during the period.
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. If the Fund estimates that a portion of one of its dividend distributions may be comprised of amounts from sources other than net investment income in accordance with its policies and accounting practices, the Fund will notify shareholders of record of the estimated composition of such distribution through a section 19 notice (“Section 19 Notice”). To determine the sources of the Fund’s distributions during the reporting period, the Fund references its internal accounting records at the time the distribution is paid and generally bases its projections of the final tax character of those distributions on the tax characteristics of the distribution reflected in its internal accounting records at the time of such payment. If, based on such records, a particular distribution does not include capital gains or paid-in surplus or other capital sources, a Section 19 Notice generally would not be issued. It is important to note that differences exist between the Fund’s daily internal accounting records, the Fund’s financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and recordkeeping practices under income tax regulations. Examples of such differences may include, among others, the treatment of paydowns on mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount and periodic payments under interest rate swap contracts. Notwithstanding the Fund’s estimates and projections, it is possible that the Fund may not issue a Section 19 Notice in situations where the Fund’s financial statements prepared later and in accordance with U.S. GAAP or the final tax character of those distributions might later report that the sources of those distributions included capital gains and/or a return of capital. Additionally, given differences in tax and U.S. GAAP treatment of certain distributions, the Fund may not issue a Section 19 Notice in situations where the Fund’s financial statements prepared later and in accordance with U.S. GAAP might report that the sources of these distributions included capital gains and/or a return of capital.
49
The tax characterization of the Fund’s distributions made in a taxable year cannot finally be determined until at or after the end of the year. As a result, there is a possibility that the Fund may make total distributions during a taxable year in an amount that exceeds the Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains (as reduced by any capital loss carry-forwards) for the relevant year. For example, the Fund may distribute amounts early in the year that are derived from short-term capital gains, but incur net short-term capital losses later in the year, thereby offsetting short-term capital gains out of 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 a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis treated as gain from the sale of Shares. In general terms, a return of capital would occur where a Fund distribution (or portion thereof) represents a return of a portion of your investment, rather than net income or capital gains generated from your investment during a particular period. A return of capital distribution is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of the Shares. The Fund will send shareholders detailed tax information with respect to the Fund’s distributions annually. See “Tax Matters.”
The 1940 Act currently limits the number of times the Fund may distribute long-term capital gains in any tax year, which may increase the variability of the Fund’s distributions and result in certain distributions being comprised more or less heavily than others of long-term capital gains currently eligible for favorable income tax rates.
Unless a Common Shareholder elects to receive distributions in cash, all distributions of Common Shareholders whose shares are registered with the plan agent will be automatically reinvested in additional Shares under the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
Although it does not currently intend to do so, the Board of Directors may change the Fund’s distribution policy and the amount or timing of distributions, based on a number of factors, including the amount of the Fund’s undistributed net investment income and net short- and long-term capital gains and historical and projected net investment income and net short- and long-term capital gains.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income to shareholders in the form of dividends. The Fund intends to declare and pay distributions quarterly from net investment income. In addition, the Fund intends to distribute any net capital gains earned from the sale of portfolio securities to shareholders no less frequently than annually. Net short-term capital gains may be paid more frequently. Unless Common Shareholders specify otherwise, dividends will be reinvested in Shares of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. The Fund may pay distributions from sources that may not be available in the future and that are unrelated to the Fund’s performance, such as from offering proceeds and/or borrowings.
The Fund has adopted a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) that provides that, unless Common Shareholders elect to receive their distributions in cash, they will be automatically reinvested by U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the “Plan Administrator”), in additional Shares. If Common Shareholders elect to receive distributions in cash, they will receive them paid by check mailed directly to them by the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator can be contacted through mail at by writing to U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 or by phone at 1-855-862-5873.
50
Shares received under the Plan will be issued to Common Shareholders at their NAV on the ex-dividend date; there is no sales or other charge for reinvestment. Common Shareholders are free to withdraw from the Plan and elect to receive cash at any time by giving written notice to the Plan Administrator or by contacting the broker or dealer, who will inform the Fund.
The Plan Administrator provides written confirmation of all transactions in the shareholder accounts in the Plan, including information Common Shareholders may need for tax records. Any proxy Common Shareholders receive will include all Shares received under the Plan.
Automatically reinvested dividends and distributions are taxed in the same manner as cash dividends and distributions. See “Tax Matters.”
The Fund and the Plan Administrator reserve the right to amend or terminate the Plan. 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. If the Plan is amended to include such service charges, the Plan Administrator will include a notification to registered holders of Shares with the Plan Administrator.
Additional information about the Plan may be obtained from the Plan Administrator.
Description of Securities
The information contained under this heading is only a summary and is subject to the provisions contained in the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws and the laws of the State of Maryland.
Common Stock
General. The Charter authorizes the Fund to issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, $.001 par value per share, 5000,000,000 of which have been classified as Class D Shares and 500,000,000 of which have been classified as Class T Shares (collective, “Shares” and respectively, “Class D Shares” and “Class D Shares”). The Board of Directors may, without any action by the shareholders, amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Fund has authority to issue under the Charter and the 1940 Act. In addition, the Charter authorizes the Board of Directors, without any action by the shareholders, to classify and reclassify any unissued common stock and preferred stock into other classes or series of stock from time to time by setting or changing the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series. Although the Fund has no present intention of doing so, it could issue a class or series of stock that could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of the Fund that might otherwise be in the shareholders’ best interests. Under Maryland law, shareholders generally are not liable for the Fund’s debts or obligations.
All common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus will be, upon issuance, duly authorized, fully paid and nonassessable. Holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive distributions when authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Fund out of assets legally available for the payment of distributions. Holders of common stock have no preference, conversion, exchange, sinking fund, redemption or appraisal rights and have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any of the Fund’s securities. All shares of common stock have equal distribution, liquidation and other rights. The Fund may offer multiple classes of common stock, which may be subject to differing fees and expenses. Distributions may vary among the classes as a result of the different fee structure of the classes.
Limitations on Distributions. If any shares of preferred stock are outstanding, holders of shares of common stock will not be entitled to receive any distributions from the Fund unless it has paid all accumulated distributions on preferred stock and unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to preferred stock would be at least 200% after giving effect to such distributions. See “Leverage.”
51
If any senior securities representing indebtedness are outstanding, holders of shares of common stock will not be entitled to receive any distributions from the Fund unless it has paid all accrued interest on such senior indebtedness and unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to any outstanding senior indebtedness would be at least 300% after giving effect to such distributions.
Liquidation Rights. Common Shareholders are entitled to share ratably in the assets legally available for distribution to shareholders in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after payment of or adequate provision for all known debts and liabilities, including any outstanding debt securities or other borrowings and any interest accrued thereon. These rights are subject to the preferential rights of any other class or series of stock, including any preferred stock. The rights of Common Shareholders upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up would be subordinated to the rights of holders of any preferred stock or senior securities representing indebtedness.
Voting Rights. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of directors. The Charter provides that, in the event that the Board of Directors determines that any matter affects only one or more classes of common stock, only the holders of the affected classes will be entitled to vote on the matter. The presence of the holders of shares of stock entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) will constitute a quorum at a meeting of shareholders. The Bylaws provide that directors are elected by a plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors. Consequently, at each annual meeting of shareholders, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote will be able to elect all of the successors of the class of directors whose terms expire at that meeting. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, holders of preferred stock will have the right to elect two directors at all times. Pursuant to the Charter and Bylaws, the Board of Directors may amend the Bylaws to alter the vote required to elect directors.
Preferred Stock
General. The Charter authorizes the issuance of up to 1,000,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $.001 par value per share, with preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as determined by the Board of Directors.
Our Board of Directors may, without any action by the shareholders, amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Fund has authority to issue under the Charter and under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Charter authorizes the Board of Directors, without any action by the shareholders, to classify and reclassify any unissued preferred stock into other classes or series of stock from time to time by setting or changing the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series.
Distributions. Holders of any preferred stock will be entitled to receive cash distributions, when, as and if authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by us, out of funds legally available therefor. The prospectus for any preferred stock will describe the distribution payment provisions for those shares. Distributions so declared and payable will be paid to the extent permitted under Maryland law and to the extent available and in preference to and priority over any distribution declared and payable on the common stock.
Limitations on Distributions. If the Fund has senior securities representing indebtedness outstanding, holders of preferred stock will not be entitled to receive any distributions from the Fund unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with respect to outstanding debt securities and preferred stock would be at least 200% after giving effect to such distributions. See “Leverage.”
Liquidation Rights. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of preferred stock would be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating distribution, which is expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus accumulated and unpaid distributions, whether or not declared, before any distribution of assets is made to holders of common stock. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the holders of preferred stock will not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of the Fund’s assets. Preferred stock ranks junior to the Fund’s debt securities upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
52
Voting Rights. Except as otherwise indicated in the Charter or Bylaws, or as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of any preferred stock will have one vote per share and vote together with holders of common stock as a single class.
The 1940 Act requires that the holders of any preferred stock, voting separately as a single class, have the right to elect at least two directors at all times. The remaining directors will be elected by holders of common stock and preferred stock, voting together as a single class. In addition, subject to the prior rights, if any, of the holders of any other class of senior securities outstanding, the holders of any shares of preferred stock have the right to elect a majority of the directors at any time two years’ accumulated distributions on any preferred stock are unpaid. The 1940 Act also requires that, in addition to any approval by shareholders that might otherwise be required, the approval of the holders of a majority of shares of any outstanding preferred stock, voting separately as a class, would be required to (1) adopt any plan of reorganization that would adversely affect the preferred stock, and (2) take any action requiring a vote of security holders under Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act, including, among other things, changes in the Fund’s subclassification as a closed-end investment company or changes in the Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions. See “Certain Provisions in the Charter and Bylaws.” As a result of these voting rights, the Fund’s ability to take any such actions may be impeded to the extent that any shares of the Fund’s preferred stock are outstanding.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of any outstanding preferred stock, voting as a separate class, generally will be required to amend, alter or repeal any of the preferences, rights or powers of holders of preferred stock so as to affect materially and adversely such preferences, rights or powers. The class vote of holders of preferred stock described above will in each case be in addition to any other vote required to authorize the action in question.
Certain Provisions in the Charter and Bylaws
The following description of certain provisions of the Charter and Bylaws is only a summary. For a complete description, please refer to the Charter and Bylaws, which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement on Form N-2, of which this prospectus forms a part.
The Charter and Bylaws include provisions that could delay, defer or prevent other entities or persons from acquiring control of the Fund, causing the Fund to engage in certain transactions or modifying the structure.
Furthermore, these provisions can have the effect of depriving shareholders of the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of us. These provisions, all of which are summarized below, may be regarded as “anti-takeover” provisions.
Board of Directors; Election of Directors
Our Charter provides that the number of directors may be established only by the Board of Directors pursuant to the Bylaws, but may not be less than one. The Bylaws provide that the number of directors may not be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, which is one, nor more than fifteen. Subject to any applicable limitations of the 1940 Act, any vacancy may be filled by the directors in the manner provided in the Bylaws. As permitted by Maryland law, the Bylaws provide that the Fund is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders in any year in which the election of directors is not required under the 1940 Act and the Fund does not intend to hold regular annual meetings of shareholders. Accordingly, directors will be elected to serve indefinite terms between annual meetings of shareholders.
53
Removal of Directors
Our Charter provides that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes of preferred stock, a director may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, convert, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless declared advisable by the Board of Directors and approved by the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for shareholder approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Subject to certain exceptions described below, the Charter provides for approval of Charter amendments by the shareholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The Charter provides that (1) the Fund’s liquidation or dissolution, or any merger, consolidation, share exchange or sale or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets that requires the approval of the shareholders under the Maryland General Corporation Law, (2) certain transactions between the Fund and any person or group of persons acting together and any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any such person or member of such group, that may exercise or direct the exercise of 10% or more of the voting power in the election of directors, (3) any amendment to the Charter that would convert the Fund from a closed-end investment company to an open-end investment company or otherwise make the Fund’s common stock a redeemable security and (4) any amendment to certain provisions of the Charter, including the provisions relating to the number, qualifications, election and removal of directors, requires the approval of the shareholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter. If such a proposal is approved by at least two-thirds of the Continuing Directors (defined below), in addition to approval by the full Board, such proposal may be approved by the shareholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter or, in the case of transactions with a group described above, by the vote, if any, of the shareholders required by applicable law. The “Continuing Directors” are defined in the Charter as (1) the Fund’s current directors, (2) those directors whose nomination for election by the shareholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of Continuing Directors then on the Board and (3) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the shareholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors then in office. This provision could make it more difficult for certain extraordinary transactions to be approved if they are opposed by the Continuing Directors and discourage proxy contests for control of the Board by persons wishing to cause such transactions to take place.
Our Charter and Bylaws provide that the Board of Directors has the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal any provision of the Fund’s Bylaws.
Shareholder-Requested Special Meetings
Our Bylaws provide that special meetings of shareholders may be called by the Board of Directors and certain officers of the Fund. In addition, the Bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the shareholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of shareholders will be called by the secretary of the Fund upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
Action by Shareholders
Under Maryland law, shareholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of shareholders or, unless the charter provides for shareholder action by less than unanimous written consent (which is not the case for the Charter), by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting.
54
Certain Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law
The Maryland Business Combination Act prohibits certain business combinations, subject to exceptions and limitations, between a Maryland corporation and an “interested shareholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock or an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s then outstanding shares of stock) or an affiliate of any interested shareholder for five years after the most recent date on which the shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, and thereafter imposes two super-majority shareholder voting requirements on these combinations, unless, among other conditions, the common shareholders receive a minimum price, as defined in the statute, for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested shareholder for its shares of stock. The Maryland Business Combination Act does not apply to a corporation registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end investment company, such as the Fund, unless the board of directors adopts a resolution to be subject to the statute. The Board of Directors has not adopted a resolution electing to be subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act.
The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that, subject to certain exceptions, holders of “control shares” (defined as voting shares that, when aggregated with all other shares controlled by the shareholder, entitle the shareholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding “control shares”) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the Fund’s shareholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares owned by the acquirer, by the Fund’s officers or by the Fund’s employees who are also directors of the Fund. The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act does not apply to a corporation registered under the 1940 Act as a closed-end investment company, such as the Fund, unless the board of directors adopts a resolution to be subject to the statute. The Board of Directors has not adopted a resolution electing to be subject to the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act.
Tax Matters
The discussion below and certain disclosure in the SAI provide general tax information related to an investment in Shares of the Fund. Because tax laws are complex and often change, Common Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. Unless otherwise noted, the following tax discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold the Shares as capital assets. A U.S. shareholder is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, a U.S. corporation, a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the Fund or (b) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person, or any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source.
The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each taxable year thereafter, as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. To qualify under Subchapter M for the favorable tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things: (1) distribute to its shareholders in each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and its net tax-exempt income; (2) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gain from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (b) net income derived from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each, a “Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership”); and (3) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year of the Fund (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash, cash items, U.S. government securities and securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, with respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly Traded Partnerships. As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to its shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain.
55
If the Fund failed to qualify for the favorable tax treatment accorded to RICs in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including its net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits (including distributions of net capital gain) would be taxed to Common Shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate Common Shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate Common Shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.
A RIC that fails to distribute, by the close of each calendar year, an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary taxable income for such calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any shortfalls from any prior year’s required distribution, is liable for a 4% excise tax on the portion of the undistributed amounts of such income that are less than the required distributions. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gain on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.
Distributions to Common Shareholders of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to Common Shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the Common Shareholder has owned Shares of the Fund. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a Common Shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares, the excess will be treated by the Common Shareholder as gain from a sale of the Shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate Common Shareholders.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional Shares of the Fund pursuant to the Plan. Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Shares of the Fund will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash. The additional Shares received by a Common Shareholder pursuant to the Plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the Shares were credited to the Common Shareholder’s account.
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, dividends declared in October, November, or December, payable to Common 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 Common Shareholders) on December 31 of the year in which declared.
In general, the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below) will result in capital gain or loss to Common Shareholders. A holder’s gain or loss generally will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Present law taxes both long- and short-term capital gains of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income. For non-corporate taxpayers, however, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation. Losses realized by a holder on the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts designated as undistributed capital gains, as discussed under “Taxation — Distributions” in the SAI) with respect to such Shares. In addition, no loss will be allowed on the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares if the owner acquires (including pursuant to the Plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such Shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
56
From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding Shares. Common Shareholders who tender all Shares held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a Common Shareholder tenders fewer than all of its Shares or fewer than all Shares tendered are repurchased, such Common Shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its Shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering Common Shareholders, and Common Shareholders who tender some but not all of their Shares or fewer than all of whose Shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund.
The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain Common Shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the Common Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
If a Common Shareholder (other than a partnership) is not a U.S. shareholder (other than such a Common Shareholder whose ownership of shares is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business), certain dividends received by such Common Shareholder may be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax. To the extent that Fund distributions consist of ordinary dividends that are subject to withholding, the applicable withholding agent will generally be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at the rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding, in each case to the extent the Fund properly reports such dividends to Common Shareholders. For these purposes, 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. federal withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a non-U.S. shareholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. Net capital gain dividends (that is, distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) distributed by the Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax.
The Fund may be required to withhold from distributions to a non-U.S. shareholder that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless the non-U.S. shareholder certifies his or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% United States federal withholding tax may apply to any ordinary dividends and other distributions that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such non-financial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Finally, under proposed Treasury regulations, which may be relied upon until final Treasury regulations are published, there is no FATCA withholding on gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of Fund shares or on certain capital gains distributions. You should consult your own tax adviser regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of Shares.
57
The foregoing tax discussion is for general information only. The provisions of the Code and regulations thereunder presently in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Fund and Common Shareholders are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive with respect to the Fund’s transactions. The foregoing does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to special classes of taxpayers including, without limitation, financial institutions, insurance companies, pass-through entities (or investors therein), U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold Shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax.
Common Shareholders are advised to consult with their own tax advisers for more detailed information concerning federal income tax matters.
Custodian and Transfer Agent
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement between the Fund and U.S. Bank National Association, located at 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 (the “Custodian”), the Custodian serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets, holds the Fund’s portfolio securities in safekeeping and keeps all necessary records and documents relating to its duties. The Custodian is compensated with an asset-based fee plus transaction fees and is reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent with respect to the Shares of the Fund.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Deloitte & Touche LLP is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund and audits the financial statements of the Fund. Deloitte & Touche LLP is located at 111 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Legal Matters
Certain legal matters in connection with the common shares will be passed upon for the Fund by Paul Hastings LLP and, with respect to certain matters of Maryland law, by Venable LLP. Paul Hastings LLP may rely on the opinion of Venable LLP as to certain matters of Maryland law.
58
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
CLASS D SHARES
CLASS T SHARES
PROSPECTUS
[•], 2021
All dealers that buy, sell or trade the Fund’s Shares, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus in accordance with the terms of the dealers’ agreements with the Fund’s Distributor.
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The Fund has not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Fund is not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information, which is not a prospectus, is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion dated October 22, 2021
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
Statement of Additional Information
[ ], 2021
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company that continuously offers its shares of common stock (the “Shares”), and is operated as an “interval fund.” The Fund intends to offer two classes of Shares: Class D Shares and Class T Shares. The Fund has applied for exemptive relief (the “Exemptive Relief”) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will offer Class T Shares.
This Statement of Additional Information relating to the Shares of the Fund is not a prospectus, and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus relating thereto dated October [ ], 2021, as supplemented from time to time (the “Prospectus”). This Statement of Additional Information does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing Shares, and investors should obtain and read the Prospectus prior to purchasing such shares.
Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.
A copy of the Prospectus and annual or semi-annual reports for the Fund may be obtained free of charge at the telephone number and address listed below or by visiting https://publicsecurities.brookfield.com/en.
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10281-1023
Telephone: (212) 417-7049
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Statement of Additional Information have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus.
Table of Contents
THE FUND | 1 | |||
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES | 1 | |||
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND | 17 | |||
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES | 31 | |||
REPURCHASE OF COMMON SHARES | 34 | |||
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE | 34 | |||
DISTRIBUTIONS | 35 | |||
NET ASSET VALUE | 35 | |||
TAXATION | 36 | |||
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT, AND DIVIDEND DISBURSEMENT AGENT | 41 | |||
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | 41 | |||
COUNSEL | 41 | |||
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 41 | |||
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | 42 | |||
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 43 |
THE FUND
The Fund is a newly organized, diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund continuously offers its Shares and is operated as an “interval fund.” At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will also offer Class T Shares and may offer additional classes of shares in the future. The Fund cannot ensure that Exemptive Relief will be obtained. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. The Fund was organized as a Maryland corporation on June 29, 2021, pursuant to articles of incorporation. The Fund’s fiscal year ends on December 31. The Fund’s principal office is located at 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor New York, New York 10281-1023.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and attractive total return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing globally, including in emerging market countries, in high-conviction opportunities across Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC’s (the “Adviser”) performing credit platform of high-yield bonds, senior loans, including covenant-lite loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, inclusive of public sector companies that trade on the public markets and private companies that do not have securities trading on the public markets. High-conviction opportunities are investment opportunities that fall within the Fund’s investment strategy, which are identified by the Adviser based on its holistic, bottom-up proprietary research and credit analysis, including analysis of fundamental, valuation, technical and other market factors. The Adviser’s performing credit platform encompasses a broad array of credit strategy groups that invest in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. Oaktree utilizes its performing credit platform which consists of investment opportunities in public and private corporate credit instruments across the liquidity spectrum. High-yield bonds are also referred to as “below-investment grade rated securities” or “junk bonds”, as described in this prospectus. Structured credit may include collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), asset-backed securities (ABS) and residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The Fund seeks to add value through three sources: (1) providing exposure to asset classes that require specialized expertise; (2) performing well in each asset class through proprietary, bottom-up, credit research; and (3) allocating capital opportunistically among asset classes based on Oaktree’s assessment of relative value. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Additional information concerning the characteristics of certain of the Fund’s investments, strategies and risks is set forth below.
Leverage and Borrowing
The Fund intends to add leverage to its portfolio by utilizing borrowings, such as through bank loans and/or other credit facilities, including through one or more subsidiaries. The Fund may also enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage including, among others, loans of portfolio securities. Although it has no current intention to do so, the Fund may also determine to issue preferred shares or other types of senior securities to add leverage to its portfolio. The Fund’s Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of preferred shares without the approval of Common Shareholders; however, the Fund is not permitted under the 1940 Act to issue preferred shares as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. If the Fund issues preferred shares in the future, all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred shares will be borne by the Common Shareholders, and these costs and expenses may be significant. The Fund may choose to increase or decrease, or eliminate entirely, its use of leverage over time and from time to time based on the Adviser’s assessment of the yield curve environment, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors.
The net proceeds the Fund obtains from leverage utilized will be invested in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies as described in the Prospectus. So long as the rate of return, net of applicable Fund expenses, on the debt obligations and other investments purchased by the Fund exceeds the costs to the Fund of the leverage it utilizes, the investment of the Fund’s assets attributable to leverage will generate more income than will be needed to pay the costs of the leverage. If so, and all other things being equal, the excess may be used to pay higher dividends to Common Shareholders than if the Fund were not so leveraged.
1
The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from engaging in most forms of leverage representing indebtedness (including the use of bank loans, loans of portfolio securities, short sales and when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, to the extent that these instruments are not covered as described below) unless immediately after the issuance of the leverage the Fund has satisfied the asset coverage test with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness prescribed by the 1940 Act; that is, the value of the Fund’s total assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (for these purposes, “total net assets”) is at least 300% of the senior securities representing indebtedness (effectively limiting the use of leverage through senior securities representing indebtedness to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total net assets, including assets attributable to such leverage). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, this asset coverage test is satisfied. To the extent that the Fund engages in borrowings, it may prepay a portion of the principal amount of the borrowing to the extent necessary in order to maintain the required asset coverage. Failure to maintain certain asset coverage requirements could result in an event of default.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue preferred shares unless immediately after such issuance the Fund’s asset coverage is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred shares (i.e., such liquidation value may not exceed 50% of the Fund’s assets less all liabilities other than borrowings and outstanding preferred shares). In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its Shares unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Fund’s assets less liabilities other than borrowings and outstanding preferred shares satisfies the above-referenced 200% coverage requirement. If the Fund uses a combination of borrowing (including notes and other securities representing indebtedness) and issuing preferred shares, the minimum asset coverage required would be between 300% and 200% depending on the relative amounts of borrowings and preferred shares.
Leveraging is a speculative technique and there are special risks and costs involved. There is no assurance that the Fund will utilize borrowings, issue preferred shares or utilize any other forms of leverage. If used, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s leveraging strategies will be successful or result in a higher yield on your Shares. When leverage is used, the NAV of the Shares and the yield to Common Shareholders will be more volatile. In addition, interest and other expenses borne by the Fund with respect to its use of borrowings or any other forms of leverage are borne by the Common Shareholders and result in a reduction of the NAV of the Shares. In addition, because the fees received by the Adviser are based on the average daily value of the Fund’s Managed Assets (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes), the Adviser has a financial incentive for the Fund to use certain forms of leverage (e.g., borrowings and preferred shares), which may create a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Common Shareholders, on the other hand.
The Fund also may borrow money in order to repurchase its shares or as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including for the payment of dividends or the settlement of securities transactions which otherwise might require untimely dispositions of portfolio securities held by the Fund.
Illiquid Investments
The Fund intends to invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other investment that cannot be sold or disposed of within seven days or less in current market conditions without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments often can be resold only in privately negotiated transactions with a limited number of purchasers or in a public offering registered under the 1933 Act. Considerable delay could be encountered in either event and, unless otherwise contractually provided, the Fund’s proceeds upon sale may be reduced by the costs of registration or underwriting discounts. The difficulties and delays associated with such transactions could result in the Fund’s inability to realize a favorable price upon disposition of illiquid investments, and at times might make disposition of such securities impossible. In addition, the Fund may be unable to sell other illiquid investments when it desires to do so, resulting in the Fund obtaining a lower price or being required to retain the investment. Illiquid investments generally must be valued at fair value, which is inherently less precise than utilizing market value for liquid investments, and may lead to differences between the price at which a security is valued for determining the Fund’s NAV and the price the Fund actually receives upon sale. For the period between the repurchase offer notice and the end of the repurchase period, the Fund must maintain 100% of the repurchase offer amount in liquid assets.
2
Derivatives and Hedging
While the Adviser may, but is not required to, enter into transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if the Adviser had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Adviser may not seek or be able to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent the Adviser from achieving the intended hedge and expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.
Tax Consequences
The Fund’s investments in certain securities and transactions described above will potentially be limited by its intention to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company. In addition, the Fund’s utilization of certain investment instruments may alter the amount, timing and character of the Fund’s income, and, in turn, of the Fund’s distributions to its shareholders, relative to other means of achieving similar investment exposure. In certain circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell assets in order to meet regulated investment company distribution requirements even when investment considerations make such sales otherwise undesirable. For more information concerning these requirements and the taxation of the Fund’s investments, see “Taxation” below.
Illiquid Securities and Rule 144A Securities
The Fund may invest its net assets in securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist, provided such investments are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. Such securities may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as certain securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice, and certain privately negotiated, non-exchange traded options and securities used to cover such options. As to these securities, the Fund is subject to a risk that should the Fund desire to sell them when a ready buyer is not available at a price the Fund deems representative of their value, the value of the Fund’s net assets could be adversely affected. Illiquid securities do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or other restricted securities, which have been determined to be liquid in accordance with procedures established by the Board.
Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Restricted or illiquid securities have the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.
A large institutional market has developed for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities, and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. As a result, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments.
Rule 144A under the Securities Act allows a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restriction on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the Securities Act applicable to resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. It is the intent of the Fund to invest, pursuant to procedures established by the Board and subject to applicable investment restrictions, in securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A which are determined to be liquid based upon the trading markets for the securities.
3
The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A in the Fund’s portfolio under the supervision of the Directors. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser will consider, inter alia, the following factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security over the course of six months or as determined in the discretion of the Adviser; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers over the course of six months or as determined in the discretion of the Adviser; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (4) the nature of the security and the nature of how the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of the transfer); and (5) other factors, if any, which the Adviser deems relevant.
Contingent Convertible Securities
Contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) are a form of hybrid debt security issued primarily by non-U.S. issuers, which have loss absorption mechanisms built into their terms. CoCos have no stated maturity, have fully discretionary coupons and are typically issued in the form of subordinated debt instruments. CoCos generally either convert into common stock of the issuer or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain triggering events (“triggers”) linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institution’s continued viability as a going-concern. In certain scenarios, investors in CoCos may suffer a loss of capital ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not. There is no guarantee that the Fund will receive a return of principal on CoCos. Any indication that an automatic write-down or conversion event may occur can be expected to have an adverse effect on the market price of CoCos. CoCos are often rated below investment grade and are subject to the risks of high yield securities. Because CoCos are issued primarily by financial institutions, CoCos may present substantially increased risks at times of financial turmoil, which could affect financial institutions more than companies in other sectors and industries. Further, the value of an investment in CoCos is unpredictable and will be influenced by many factors and risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. An investment by the Fund in CoCos may result in losses to the Fund.
Special Risks Related to Cyber Security
As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, each Fund has become potentially more susceptible to operational and informational security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional cyber events that may, among other things, cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption and/or destruction, lose operational capacity, result in the unauthorized release or other misuse of confidential information, or otherwise disrupt normal business operations. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding), but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). In addition, cyber security breaches involving the Fund’s third-party service providers (including but not limited to advisers, administrators, transfer agents, custodians, distributors and other third parties), trading counterparties or issuers in which the Fund invests can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Moreover, cyber security breaches involving trading counterparties or issuers in which the Fund invests could adversely impact such counterparties or issuers and cause the Fund’s investment to lose value. Cyber security failures or breaches may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. These failures or breaches may also result in disruptions to business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, process shareholder transactions or otherwise transact business with shareholders; impediments to trading; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines; penalties; reputational damage; reimbursement or other compensation costs; additional compliance costs and cyber security risk management costs; and other adverse consequences. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in an attempt to prevent any cyber incidents in the future.
Like with operational risk in general, the Fund has established risk management systems and business continuity plans designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. As such, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers in which the Fund may invest, trading counterparties or third-party service providers to the Fund. There is also a risk that cyber security breaches may not be detected. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
4
Government Intervention in Financial Markets
Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region may adversely affect companies in a different country or region. In the past, instability in the financial markets has led governments and regulators around the world to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Fund.
The SEC and its staff have been engaged in various initiatives and reviews that seek to improve and modernize the regulatory structure governing investment companies. These efforts have been focused on risk identification and controls in various areas, including imbedded leverage through the use of derivatives and other trading practices, cyber security, liquidity, enhanced regulatory and public reporting requirements and the evaluation of systemic risks.
Any new rules, guidance or regulatory initiatives resulting from these efforts could increase the Fund’s expenses and impact its returns to shareholders or, in the extreme case, impact or limit its use of various portfolio management strategies or techniques and adversely impact the Fund.
The U.S. presidential election occurred on November 3, 2020. Commencing January 2021, the Democratic Party took control of the executive and legislative branches of government. Changes in federal policy, including tax policies, and at regulatory agencies occur over time through policy and personnel changes following elections, which lead to changes involving the level of oversight and focus on the financial services industry or the tax rates paid by corporate entities. The nature, timing and economic and political effects of potential changes to the current legal and regulatory framework affecting markets remain highly uncertain. Uncertainty surrounding future changes may adversely affect the Fund’s operating environment and therefore its investment performance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in governments around the world implementing a broad suite of measures to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, travel restrictions and business curtailments and other measures. In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Shortly thereafter, the President of the United States declared a National Emergency throughout the United States attributable to such outbreak. The outbreak has become increasingly widespread in the United States, and the rapid spread of COVID-19 resulted in governmental authorities imposing restrictions on travel and the temporary closure of many corporate offices, retail stores, restaurants, fitness clubs and manufacturing facilities and factories in affected jurisdictions.
The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be predicted, including its duration in the United States and worldwide, the effectiveness of governmental responses designed to mitigate strain to businesses and the economy and the magnitude of the economic impact of the outbreak, including with respect to the travel restrictions, business closures and other quarantine measures imposed on service providers and other individuals by various local, state and federal governmental authorities, as well as non-U.S. governmental authorities. While many countries, as well as most states in the United States, have begun to lift travel restrictions, business closures and other quarantine measures with a view to reopening their economies, recurring COVID-19 outbreaks have led to the re-introduction of such restrictions in certain states in the United States and globally and could continue to lead to the re-introduction of such restrictions elsewhere.
5
Temporary Defensive Strategies Risk
From time to time, the Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies as a defensive measure when the Adviser anticipates unusual market or other conditions. When a temporary defensive posture is believed by the Adviser to be warranted (“temporary defensive periods”), the Fund may without limitation hold cash or invest its Managed Assets in money market instruments and repurchase agreements in respect of those instruments. The money market instruments in which the Fund may invest are obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; commercial paper rated A-1 or higher by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s; and certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic branches of U.S. banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may also invest to the extent permitted by applicable law in shares of money market mutual funds. Money market mutual funds are investment companies and the investments in those companies by the Fund are in some cases subject to applicable law. See “Investment Restrictions” in the SAI. To the extent that the Fund invests defensively, it may not achieve its investment objective.
Investments in Different Parts of the Capital Structure
The Fund may make investments in an issuer where other funds advised by Oaktree (each an “Other Fund” and collectively, the “Other Funds”) hold an investment in a different class of debt or equity. In such circumstances, Oaktree may have conflicting interests between its duties to the Fund and to such Other Fund. Generally, the Fund will make investments that potentially conflict with the interests of Other Funds only when, at the time of investment by the Fund, Oaktree determines that (a) such investment is in the best interests of the Fund and (b)(i) the possibility of actual conflict between the Fund and the Other Fund is remote, (ii) either the potential investment by the Fund or the investment of such Other Fund is not large enough to control any actions taken by the collective holders of securities of such issuer or (iii) in light of the particular circumstances, Oaktree determines that such investment is appropriate for the Fund, notwithstanding the potential for conflict. In those circumstances where the Fund and an Other Fund hold investments in different parts of the capital structure, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, steps may be taken to reduce the potential for conflict between the Fund and the Other Fund, including causing the Fund to take certain actions that, in the absence of such conflict, it would not take, such as: (A) remaining passive in a restructuring, foreclosure, refinancing or similar situations (including electing not to vote or voting pro rata with other security holders), (B) investing in the same or similar classes of securities as the Other Fund in order to align their interests, (C) divesting investments, or (D) otherwise taking an action designed to reduce adversity. Any such step could have the effect of benefiting an Other Fund (or Oaktree or one of its affiliates) and therefore may not have been in the best interests of, and may have been adverse to, the Fund. A similar standard generally will apply if any Other Fund makes an investment in an issuer in which the Fund holds an investment in a different part of the same issuer’s capital structure. The negative effects described above may be more pronounced in connection with transactions in, or the Fund’s use of, small capitalization, emerging market, distressed or less liquid strategies.
Investments Where Other Funds Hold Related Investments
From time to time, Other Funds or accounts managed by Oaktree may hold existing real estate related investments and may in the future make additional investments in the same real estate related assets. Subject to applicable rules, regulation and SEC guidance, the Fund may make investments either in those same assets or in related assets. In addition, the Adviser anticipates that the Fund may make investments in entities or assets in which an Other Fund holds an investment in a different part of the capital structure of the same issuer (see “Investments in Different Parts of the Capital Structure” risk factor). For example, Other Funds have made investments in, and are expected to continue to invest in, various tranches of CMBS securitizations. The Fund may invest in different tranches of those same CMBS securitizations, purchase loans that are part of the pool of loans relating to a CMBS securitization in which an Other Fund holds an investment, or engage in transactions relating to the real estate assets that secure the pooled loans or with the entities that are the borrowers under those loans.
6
In the foregoing circumstances, Oaktree could have conflicting loyalties between its duties to the Fund and such Other Fund. For example, Oaktree could have an incentive to cause the Fund to pay a higher purchase price (whether in an auction, the exercise of a fair value purchase option or otherwise) for a loan or related property that is collateral for a CMBS security held by an Other Fund. If the Fund controls or acts as the operating adviser to a special servicer with respect to a loan in a CMBS securitization in which an Other Fund holds CMBS in a different tranche of the securitization, Oaktree similarly could have conflicting loyalties in directing the actions of the special servicer with respect to the loan if the interests of the Fund and the Other Fund diverge. Likewise, if an Other Fund controls or acts as the operating adviser to a special servicer with respect to a loan in a CMBS securitization in which the Fund holds CMBS in a different tranche of the securitization, the Other Fund may direct the special servicer to take certain actions with respect to the loan that may not be in the best interests of the Fund.
Affiliated Transactions Restrictions
The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between investment companies and their affiliates (including the Adviser), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. Under these restrictions, the Fund and any portfolio company that the Fund controls are generally prohibited from knowingly participating in a joint transaction, including co-investments in a portfolio company, with an affiliated person, including any directors or officers of the Fund, the Adviser or any entity controlled or advised by any of them. These restrictions also generally prohibit the Fund’s affiliates, principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters from knowingly purchasing from or selling to the Fund or any portfolio company controlled by the Fund certain securities or other property and from lending to and borrowing from the Fund or any portfolio company controlled by the Fund monies or other properties. The Fund and its affiliates may be precluded from co-investing in private placements of securities, including in any portfolio companies controlled by the Fund. The Fund, its affiliates and portfolio companies controlled by the Fund may from time to time engage in certain joint transactions, purchases, sales and loans in reliance upon and in compliance with the conditions of certain positions promulgated by the SEC and its staff. There can be no assurance that the Fund would be able to satisfy these conditions with respect to any particular transaction. As a result of these prohibitions, restrictions may be imposed on the size of positions or the type of investments that the Fund could make. Furthermore, Oaktree has received exemptive relief from the SEC to allow certain managed funds and accounts, each of whose investment adviser is Oaktree or an investment adviser controlling, controlled by or under common control with Oaktree, to participate in negotiated co-investment transactions where doing so is consistent with the applicable registered fund’s investment objective and strategies as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to the conditions thereof (the “Exemptive Relief”). In addition, on December 15, 2020, Oaktree and certain other affiliates received a modified exemptive order that allows Oaktree proprietary accounts to participate in co-investment transactions subject to certain conditions.
Although the Adviser will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, the Fund and the shareholders could be adversely affected to the extent investment opportunities are allocated to other investment vehicles managed or sponsored by, or affiliated with, the Fund’s executive officers, directors and members of the Adviser. The Fund might not participate in each individual opportunity but will, on an overall basis, be entitled to participate equitably with other entities managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. The Adviser seeks to treat all clients fairly and equitably over time such that none receives preferential treatment vis-à-vis the others over time, in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duty to each of them; however, in some instances, especially in instances of limited liquidity, the factors may not result in pro rata allocations or may result in situations where certain funds or accounts receive allocations where others do not.
Private Investment Risk
The Fund may invest in unregistered or restricted securities, including private investment in public equities (“PIPE”). Unregistered or restricted securities may not be readily marketable and are often more difficult to value. Further, the Adviser may not have timely or accurate information about the business, financial condition and results of operations which may adversely affect the Adviser’s ability to value those investments. PIPE investors may purchase securities directly from a publicly traded company in a private placement transaction, typically at a discount to the market price of the company’s common stock. In a PIPE transaction, the Fund may bear the price risk from the time of pricing until the time of closing. In addition, the Fund may have to commit to purchase a specified number of shares at a fixed price, with the closing conditioned upon, among other things, the SEC’s preparedness to declare effective a resale registration statement covering the resale, from time to time, of the shares sold in the private financing. Because the sale of the securities is not registered under the Securities Act, the securities are “restricted” and cannot be immediately resold by the investors into the public markets. Accordingly, PIPE securities may be deemed illiquid.
7
Private Company Management Risk
Private companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the company. The Fund generally does not intend to hold controlling positions in the private companies in which it invests. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a company may make business decisions with which the Fund disagrees, and that the management and/or shareholders of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to the Fund’s interests. Due to the lack of liquidity of such private investments, the Fund may not be able to dispose of its investments in the event it disagrees with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of the investment.
Private Company Liquidity Risk
Securities issued by private companies are typically illiquid. If there is no readily available trading market for privately issued securities, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell them if they were more widely traded.
Private Company Valuation Risk
There is typically not a readily available market value for the Fund’s private investments. The Fund values private company investments in accordance with valuation guidelines adopted by the Board of Directors, that the Board of Directors believes are designed to accurately reflect the fair value of securities valued in accordance with such guidelines. The Fund is not required to but may utilize the services of one or more independent valuation firms to aid in determining the fair value of these investments. Valuation of private company investments may involve application of one or more of the following factors: (i) analysis of valuations of publicly traded companies in a similar line of business, (ii) analysis of valuations for comparable merger or acquisition transactions, (iii) yield analysis, and (iv) discounted cash flow analysis. Due to the inherent uncertainty and subjectivity of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Fund’s private investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments and may differ materially from the amounts the Fund may realize on any dispositions of such investments. In addition, the impact of changes in the market environment and other events on the fair values of the Fund’s investments that have no readily available market values may differ from the impact of such changes on the readily available market values for the Fund’s other investments. The Fund’s net asset value could be adversely affected if the Fund’s determinations regarding the fair value of the Fund’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Fund ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such investments.
Risks Associated with Long-Term Objective — Not a Complete Investment Program
The Fund is intended for investors seeking a high level of total return, with an emphasis on income. The Fund is not meant to provide a vehicle for those who wish to exploit short-term swings in the stock market and is intended for long-term investors. An investment in shares of the Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Each shareholder should take into account the Fund’s investment objective as well as the shareholder’s other investments when considering an investment in that Fund.
Brexit Risk
The decision made in the United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union has led to volatility in global financial markets, and in particular in the markets of the United Kingdom and across Europe, and may also lead to weakening in consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the United Kingdom and Europe.
8
The United Kingdom and the European Union announced in March 2018 an agreement in principle to transitional provisions under which European Union law would remain in force in the United Kingdom until the end of December 2020, but this remains subject to the successful conclusion of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. In the absence of such an agreement there would be no transitional provisions and the United Kingdom would exit the European Union and the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union would be based on the World Trade Organization rules (a “hard Brexit”). On October 28, 2019, the United Kingdom came to an agreement with the European Union to delay the deadline for withdrawal; however, the United Kingdom parliament did not approve the withdrawal agreement by January 31, 2020 and there was a hard Brexit on that date and the United Kingdom entered an 11-month transition period during which the United Kingdom remained part of the European Union single market and customs union, the laws of which governed the economic, trade and security relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and the United Kingdom left the European Union single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement. The agreement governs the new relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. It is not currently possible to determine the full extent to which Brexit will impact financial markets and, potentially, Fund investments. The longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the United Kingdom and the European Union remains unclear at this stage and is likely to lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European markets for some time. In particular, the decision made in the United Kingdom referendum may lead to a call for similar referenda in other European jurisdictions which may cause increased economic volatility and uncertainty in the European and global markets. This volatility and uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and the Fund’s ability, and the ability of its investments, to execute respective strategies and to receive attractive returns.
Systemic Risk
Credit risk may arise through a default by one of several large institutions that are dependent on one another to meet their liquidity or operational needs, so that a default by one institution causes a series of defaults by the other institutions. This is sometimes referred to as a “systemic risk” and may adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing houses, securities firms and exchanges, with which the Fund interacts on a daily basis.
Event Risk
Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers or similar events financed by increased debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company’s bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
Asset Allocation Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the Adviser’s selection and weighting of asset classes may cause the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective, cause the Fund to underperform other funds with a similar investment objective or cause an investor to lose money.
Investments in Sovereign Debt
The Fund may make investments in the debt instruments and securities of sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers, including debt issued by national, regional or local governments and other agencies. In addition to the general risks of non-U.S. investments described above, the specific risks of investing in sovereign debt include (a) the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due (where such debt is denominated in a currency other than the government debtor’s own currency), (b) the relative size of the issuer’s debt service burden to its economy as a whole and (c) the government debtor’s policy toward the International Monetary Fund (or similar bodies) and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject. The governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such securities due to the extent of its foreign reserves. If an issuer of sovereign debt defaults on payments of principal and/or interest, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. In certain cases, remedies must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, limiting the Fund’s ability to obtain recourse. Even where a judgment is obtained in a U.S. court against a sovereign issuer, enforcement of such judgment to obtain payment may be difficult or impracticable.
9
Equity Securities
The Fund’s investments may include equity securities. Such equity investments will be subordinated to the senior obligations of an issuer and such subordinated investments may be characterized by greater credit risks than those associated with the senior obligations of the same issuer.
When-Issued; When, As, and If Issued; and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments
Securities purchased or sold by the Fund on a when-issued, “when, as, and if issued,” delayed delivery or forward commitment basis are subject to market fluctuation, and no interest or dividends accrue to the purchaser prior to the settlement date. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. In the case of “when, as, and if issued” securities, the Fund could lose an investment opportunity if the securities are not issued. An increase in the percentage of the Fund’s assets committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued, “when, as, and if issued,” delayed delivery or forward commitment basis may increase the volatility of the Fund’s assets.
Derivatives
While not anticipated to be a meaningful aspect of the Fund’s investment strategy, the Fund may enter into derivative instruments from time to time. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to individual debt or equity instruments, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, related indices and other assets. The Fund may enter into such derivative contracts including, but not limited to, options contracts, forward contracts, futures contracts, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps. The Fund may also enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objective and strategies, including, among others, for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or exposure at a lower cost than obtaining that return or exposure through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to reduce currency exposures, as a duration management technique, to 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. Although the Fund may (or has the option to) use derivative instruments to further its investment objective and strategies, no assurance can be given that the Fund will be successful. The Fund may enter into OTC contracts on a bilateral basis with banks or other dealers. The Fund may also enter into certain derivatives that are traded on swap execution facilities (“SEFs”), security-based swap execution facilities (“SB SEFs”) or other similar multi-lateral trading platforms. Certain of such derivatives may be cleared through central counterparties (“CCPs”). Investing in derivative instruments, particularly OTC derivatives, presents various risks, including market, counterparty, operational and liquidity risks. The prices of derivative instruments, including swaps, forwards and options, may be highly volatile. The value of derivatives also depends upon the price of the underlying security or other asset or rate, and there may be imperfect correlation between the value and/or duration of the derivative instrument and the underlying security, asset or rate. Typically, investing in a derivative instrument requires the deposit or payment of an initial amount much smaller than the notional or nominal exposure amount from such derivative instrument, potentially magnifying the loss if the relevant cash market moves against the Fund. In addition, significant disparities may exist between “bid” and “ask” prices for derivative instruments that are traded over the counter and not on an exchange. While such OTC derivatives are and will be subject to increased regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act, the investor protections and other regulations applicable to such OTC derivatives differ from those applicable to exchange-traded instruments. In addition, compared with such exchange-traded instruments, the market for OTC derivatives is less liquid, and these derivative instruments, if used by the Fund, may be difficult to value or involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation, especially where the markets for such derivatives instruments are illiquid and/or such derivatives involve complex structures, or where there is imperfect correlation between the value of a derivative instrument and the underlying asset, reference rate or index.
10
Dodd-Frank Act and Other Derivatives Regulations
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act establishes a general framework for systemic regulation of the over-the-counter derivatives market that has imposed or will impose mandatory requirements, including, but not limited to, those relating to clearing, exchange trading, margin, registration, recordkeeping, reporting, disclosure, capital, business conduct and documentation. Although some of these requirements (e.g., recordkeeping and documentation) apply directly to the Fund, the bulk of these new requirements, a large number of which have already been implemented, apply directly to new categories of regulated market participants, such as “swap dealers” (“SDs”) and “security based swap dealers” (“SBSDs”). While this regulatory framework has rendered the derivatives market safer, it may significantly increase the costs of entering into derivatives transactions for end-users of derivatives, such as the Fund. In particular, new margin requirements and capital charges, even when not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the pricing of derivatives transacted by the Fund. New exchange trading and trade reporting requirements and position limits may lead to changes in the liquidity of derivative transactions, or higher pricing or reduced liquidity in the derivatives markets, or the reduction of arbitrage opportunities for the Fund.
In addition to U.S. laws and regulations relating to derivatives, certain non-U.S. regulatory authorities, such as those in the European Union, have passed or proposed, or may propose in the future, legislation similar to that imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act. The regulatory changes in the European Union will impact a broad range of counterparties, both outside and within the European Union, and are expected to potentially increase the cost of transacting derivatives for the Fund (particularly with banks and other dealers directly subject to such regulations).
In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the ability of registered investment companies to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations. Under the newly adopted Rule 18f-4, a closed-end fund that is not a limited user of derivatives, as defined under the rule, generally must comply with an outer limit on fund leverage risk based on value-at-risk, or “VaR.” This outer limit is based on a relative VaR test that compares a fund’s VaR to the VaR of a “designated reference portfolio” for that fund. A fund generally can use either an index that meets certain requirements or the fund’s own securities portfolio (excluding derivatives transactions) as its designated reference portfolio. If a fund’s derivatives risk manager reasonably determines that a designated reference portfolio would not provide an appropriate reference portfolio for purposes of the relative VaR test, the fund would be required to comply with an absolute VaR test. A closed-end fund’s VaR is not permitted to exceed 250% of the VaR of the fund’s designated reference portfolio under the relative VaR test or 25% of the fund’s net assets under the absolute VaR test.
In addition, under the newly adopted rule, unless the Fund qualifies as a limited user of derivatives, it will need to implement a written derivatives risk management program. The program must include risk guidelines as well as stress testing, back testing, internal reporting and escalation, and program review elements. A derivatives risk manager approved by the Fund’s board of directors will administer the program. The Fund’s derivatives risk manager will have to report to the Fund’s Board on the derivatives risk management program’s implementation and effectiveness to facilitate the Board’s oversight of the Fund’s derivatives risk management. Rule 18f-4 also provides that a fund will be permitted to engage in reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions so long as the fund meets the asset coverage requirements under section 18; that is, the value of the Fund’s total assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities (for these purposes, “total net assets”) is at least 300% of the senior securities representing indebtedness (effectively limiting the use of leverage through senior securities representing indebtedness to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total net assets, including assets attributable to such leverage). Thus, if a fund also borrows from a bank or issues bonds, for example, these senior securities as well as the reverse repurchase agreement would be required to comply with the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act. This approach provides the same asset coverage requirements under section 18 for reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, bank borrowings and other borrowings permitted under the 1940 Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund also will be permitted to enter into these transactions by electing to treat reverse repurchase agreements as derivatives transactions under Rule 18f-4 and thus be subject to the VaR thresholds applicable to closed-end funds. This alternative approach will permit the Fund to apply a consistent set of requirements to its derivatives transactions and any reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions. The Fund will be required to implement and comply with new Rule 18f-4 by the third quarter of 2022.
11
Counterparty Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to its derivative contracts (whether a clearing corporation in the case of exchange-traded instruments or to its hedge counterparty in the case of over-the-counter instruments). If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a dissolution, assignment for the benefit of creditors, liquidation, winding-up, bankruptcy or other analogous proceeding. In the event of the insolvency of a counterparty to a derivative transaction, the derivative transaction would typically be terminated at its fair market value. If the Fund is owed this fair market value upon the termination of the derivative transaction and its claim is unsecured, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such counterparty, and will not have any claim with respect to the underlying security. In this case, the Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. In addition, the business failure of a hedging counterparty with whom the Fund enters into a hedging transaction will most likely result in its default, which may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force the Fund to cover its commitments, if any, at the then current market price.
Investments in Real Estate
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in public and/or private debt investments and other real estate assets or real estate-related securities and obligations. The value of these debt investments and whether and to what extent such investments perform as expected will depend, in part, on the prevailing conditions in the market for real estate investment generally and, in particular, on the value of the underlying real estate asset collateral or real estate-related companies to which such debt investments relate. The real estate industry is cyclical in nature, and a deterioration of real estate fundamentals in the markets in which the Fund invests will have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund’s investments. The value of real estate assets and real estate-related investments can fluctuate for various reasons. Real estate values can be seriously affected by interest rate fluctuations, changes in general and local economic conditions, bank liquidity, the availability of financing, changes in environmental and zoning laws, overbuilding and increased competition, changes in supply and demand fundamentals, an increase in property taxes, casualty or condemnation losses, bankruptcy or financial difficulty of a major tenant, regulatory limitations on rent, increased mortgage defaults and the availability of mortgage funds which may render the sale or refinancing of properties difficult or impracticable.
Reductions in value or cash flow could impair the Fund’s ability to make distributions to Common Shareholders, adversely impact its ability to effectively achieve its investment objective and reduce overall returns on investments.
Mortgage-Backed (or Mortgage-Related) Instruments
To the extent the Fund invests in mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) securities or other instruments, its exposure to certain legal and structural risks may be greater than with investments in other fixed income instruments. For example, the rate of interest payable on mortgage-backed securities may be set or effectively capped at the weighted average net coupon of the underlying assets themselves. As a result of this cap, the return to investors in such a security would be dependent on the relative timing and rate of delinquencies and prepayments of mortgage loans bearing a higher rate of interest. In addition, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of certain mortgage-backed instruments, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Privately issued asset-backed and mortgage-backed instruments are typically not traded on an exchange and may have a limited market. Without an active trading market, these instruments may be particularly difficult to value given the complexities in valuing the underlying collateral. Unlike many mortgage-backed instruments issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or a government-sponsored enterprise, asset-backed and mortgage-backed instruments issued by private issuers do not have a government or government-sponsored enterprise guarantee and may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other characteristics.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in pools or tranches of commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS” or “CMBS Interests”). The collateral underlying CMBS generally consists of commercial mortgages or real property that have a multi-family or commercial use, such as retail space, office buildings, warehouse property and hotels. CMBS are issued with varying structures, including senior and subordinated classes. The commercial mortgages underlying CMBS generally have shorter maturities than residential mortgages, allow a substantial portion of the loan balance to be paid at maturity and are usually non-recourse against the commercial borrower.
12
Unlike residential mortgage loans, most commercial mortgage loans are not significantly amortized over the loans’ terms. Instead, with most commercial mortgage loans the bulk of the loan balance is payable at maturity with a one-time payment, commonly known as a “balloon payment.” Full satisfaction of the balloon payment by a commercial borrower is heavily dependent on the availability of subsequent financing, which can be negatively impacted by a difficult credit environment. Usually, a commercial borrower will seek out another loan to satisfy the balloon payment on a commercial mortgage loan. Therefore, full satisfaction of a commercial mortgage loan will be affected by a commercial borrower’s access to credit. In certain situations, including during periods of credit distress, the unavailability of real estate financing may lead to default by a commercial borrower. Commercial mortgage loans are usually non-recourse in nature. Therefore, if a commercial borrower defaults on the commercial mortgage loan underlying CMBS, the options for financial recovery are limited in nature. To the extent the underlying default rates with respect to the loans comprising a pool or tranche of CMBS in which the Fund invests increase, the performance of the Fund investments related thereto may be adversely affected. Default rates and losses on commercial mortgage loans underlying the CMBS will be affected by a number of factors, including global, regional and local economic conditions in the area where the mortgage properties are located, the borrower’s equity in the mortgage property and the financial circumstances of the borrower. A decline in specific commercial real estate markets and property valuations may result in higher delinquencies and defaults. In the event of default, the lender will have no right to assets beyond collateral attached to the commercial mortgage loan. In certain instances, a negotiated settlement or an amendment to the terms of the commercial mortgage loan are the only options before an ultimate foreclosure on the commercial property. Foreclosure is costly and often protracted by litigation and bankruptcy restrictions. The ultimate disposition of a foreclosed property may also yield a price insufficient to cover the cost of the foreclosure process and the balance attached to the defaulted commercial mortgage loan. It may be difficult for lenders to dispose of foreclosed commercial real estate without incurring substantial investment losses, ultimately leading to a decline in the value of CMBS. There can be no guarantee that the Fund’s investments in CMBS will not be adversely affected by such risks.
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest from time to time in financing opportunities relating to certain residential real estate assets or portfolios thereof, including residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”). In such circumstances, the performance of such investments may become increasingly susceptible to adverse changes in prevailing economic and employment conditions in the United States and the other jurisdictions where such properties are located. Any downturn in the U.S. or global economies may adversely affect the financial condition of residential owners and tenants, making it more difficult for them to meet their periodic repayment obligations relating to certain residential real estate properties, which could adversely impact the Fund’s investments. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to effectively partner with suitable operating partners and third parties in connection with its residential real estate-related investment activities, which may impact the Fund’s ability to effectively identify and consummate such investments.
Investments in Real Estate Loans
While the Fund intends to invest primarily in “performing” real estate debt securities, real estate loans underlying the securities acquired by the Fund may be non-performing at the time of their acquisition and/or may become non-performing following their acquisition for a wide variety of reasons. Such non-performing real estate loans may require a substantial amount of workout negotiations and/or restructuring, which may entail, among other things, a substantial reduction in the interest rate and a substantial writedown of the principal of such loan. However, even if a restructuring were successfully accomplished, a risk exists that, upon maturity of such real estate loan, replacement “takeout” financing will not be available. Purchases of participations in real estate loans raise many of the same risks as investments in real estate loans and also carry risks of illiquidity and lack of control.
13
Prepayment of Obligations
Early repayment of loans acquired by the Fund may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment portfolio. The Fund may purchase loans where the underlying borrowers are not subject to any prepayment penalties, even if a borrower determines to prepay the obligation early during the term of the loan. Similarly, the Fund may invest in loans and other assets secured or, in the case of certain assets (including mezzanine loans and preferred equity), supported by transitional real estate assets, where significant improvement in the performance of such assets may result in prepayments as other, less expensive or restrictive financing alternatives become available to the borrower. In either case, prepayment rates cannot be predicted with certainty, and no strategy can completely insulate the Fund from increases in such rates. Furthermore, the Fund may acquire debt at a discount or premium, and the Fund’s anticipated yield on such assets would be impacted if such debt is prepaid more quickly than anticipated. Under certain prepayment scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully the cost of its investment. While the Fund may be entitled to fees upon prepayment, such fees may not adequately compensate the Fund as the functional equivalent of a “make whole” payment, and, in certain cases, the Fund may not be entitled to prepayment fees at all.
Collateralized Loan Obligations and Other Securitizations
The Fund may invest in CLOs and other securitizations, which are generally limited recourse obligations of the issuer (“Securitization Vehicles”) payable solely from the underlying assets (“Securitization Assets”) of the issuer or proceeds thereof. Holders of equity or other securities issued by Securitization Vehicles must rely solely on distributions on the Securitization Assets or proceeds thereof for payment in respect thereof. Consequently, the Fund will typically not have any direct rights against the issuer of, or the entity that sold, assets underlying the securitization. The Securitization Assets may include, without limitation, broadly syndicated leverage loans, middle-market bank loans, CDO debt tranches, trust preferred securities, insurance surplus notes, asset-backed securities, mortgages, REITs, high-yield bonds, mezzanine debt, second-lien leverage loans, credit default swaps and emerging market debt and corporate bonds, which are subject to liquidity, market value, credit, interest rate, reinvestment and certain other risks.
Underlying Default Risks
To the extent underlying default rates with respect to the Securitization Assets occur or otherwise increase, the performance of the Fund’s investments will be adversely affected. The rate of defaults and losses on debt instruments will be affected by a number of factors, including global, regional and local economic conditions in the area where the borrower operates, the financial circumstances of the borrower as well as general market conditions. A decline in global markets (or any particular sub-market thereof) may result in higher delinquencies and/or defaults as borrowers may not be able to repay or refinance their outstanding debt obligations when due for a variety of reasons, which may adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments. In addition, such investments may be subject to the risk of bankruptcy of the issuer of such assets or a claim that the pledging of collateral to secure any such asset constituted a fraudulent conveyance or preferential transfer that can be subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuer of such asset or nullified under applicable law.
Failure to Satisfy Certain Tests
The failure by a Securitization Vehicle to satisfy financial covenants, including with respect to adequate collateralization and/or interest coverage tests, could lead to a reduction in its payments to the Fund. In the event that a Securitization Vehicle fails certain tests, holders of senior debt tranches may be entitled to additional payments that would, in turn, reduce the payments the Fund would otherwise be entitled to receive. Separately, the Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting Securitization Vehicle. If any of these occur, it could materially and adversely affect the return on the Fund’s investments.
Leveraged Credit Risk
The Fund’s investments in securitizations may also be subject to leverage risks. The leveraged nature of CLOs, in particular, magnifies the adverse impact of loan defaults. Because CLO investments represent a leveraged investment with respect to the underlying loans, changes in the market value of CLO investments could be greater than the change in the market value of the underlying loans, which are subject to credit, liquidity and interest rate risks.
14
Liquidity Risk
Certain debt tranches of Securitization Vehicles may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of decreasing the Fund’s liquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified buyers for, and may have difficulty valuing, these securities.
Prepayments and Re-Investment Risk
The Fund’s investments in securitizations and the Securitization Assets that collateralize them may prepay more quickly than expected and have an impact on the value of the Fund’s investments. See “Prepayment of Obligations” above. Early prepayments give rise to increased re-investment risk, as the Fund or a CLO collateral manager might realize excess cash from prepayments earlier than expected. If the Fund or a CLO collateral manager is unable to reinvest such cash in a new investment with an expected rate of return at least equal to that of the investment repaid, this may reduce net income and the fair value of that asset.
Reliance on Collateral Managers
Securitization Assets are typically actively managed by a third-party investment manager, and, as a result, the Securitization Assets will be traded, subject to rating agency and other constraints, by such investment manager. With respect to CLOs, the Fund is expected to rely on CLO collateral managers to administer and review the portfolios of collateral they manage. The actions of the CLO collateral managers may significantly affect the performance of the Fund’s investments. The ability of each CLO collateral manager to identify and report on issues affecting its securitization portfolio on a timely basis could also affect the returns to the Fund, as the Fund may not be provided with information on a timely basis in order to take appropriate measures to manage its risks. The Fund is also expected to rely on CLO collateral managers to act in the best interests of the CLO it manages. If any CLO collateral manager were to act in a manner that was not in the best interests of the CLOs (i.e., gross negligence, with reckless disregard or in bad faith), this could adversely impact the overall performance of the Fund’s investments. For securitizations with corporate loans, the collateral manager’s role in reinvestment of principal amortization in performing credits and with respect to loans that default, as well as its ability to actively manage the portfolio through trading, will have a significant impact on the value of the underlying collateral and the performance of its securitization. If the collateral manager reinvests proceeds into loans which then default, does not sell loans before such loans default close to the original purchase price or does not effectively contribute to a restructuring process to maximize value of the loan the securitization owns, the collateral manager could materially and adversely impact the Fund’s investments.
Failure of Servicers to Effectively Service Loans
The failure of servicers to effectively service the loans underlying certain of the Fund’s investments would materially and adversely affect the Fund. Most securitizations of loans require a servicer to manage collections on each of the underlying loans. Both default frequency and default severity of loans may depend upon the quality of the servicer. If servicers are not vigilant in encouraging borrowers to make their monthly payments, the borrowers may be far less likely to make these payments, which could result in a higher frequency of default. If servicers take longer to liquidate non-performing assets, loss severities may tend to be higher than originally anticipated. The failure of servicers to effectively service the receivables underlying such assets could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments and its performance. Servicer quality is of prime importance in the default performance of certain personal loans. Servicers may go out of business, which would require a transfer of servicing to another servicer. Such transfers take time and loans may become delinquent because of confusion or lack of attention. Servicers may be required to advance interest on delinquent loans to the extent the servicer deems those advances recoverable. In the event the servicer does not advance, interest may be interrupted even on more senior securities. Servicers may also advance more than is in fact recoverable once a defaulted loan is disposed, causing losses to be greater than the outstanding principal balance of that loan.
15
Hedging and Risk Management Transactions; Currency Risks
The Fund may, but is not required to, utilize financial instruments for hedging and risk management purposes in order to: (a) protect against possible changes in the market value of the Fund’s investment portfolios resulting from fluctuations in the securities markets and changes in interest rates, (b) protect the Fund’s unrealized gains in the value of the Fund’s investment portfolios, (c) facilitate the sale of any such investments, (d) preserve returns, spreads or gains on any investment in the Fund’s portfolios, (e) hedge the interest rate or currency exchange rate on any of the Fund’s liabilities or assets, (f) protect against any increase in the price of any investments the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or (g) for any other similar reason that the Adviser deems appropriate. The success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged and the Adviser’s ability to continually recalculate, readjust and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. The successful utilization of hedging and risk management transactions requires skills complementary to those needed in the selection of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Regardless of skill, there can be no guarantee that instruments suitable for hedging purposes will be available at the time the Fund wishes to use them or that any hedge would reduce applicable risks. For example, Oaktree does not expect that the full risk of currency fluctuations can be eliminated due to the limitations in the foreign currency market. Foreign currency exchange rates (or prices in currencies) can make substantial moves in short periods of time and in unanticipated directions due to a number of factors, including changing supply and demand relationships; fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies of governments; national and international political and economic events; government trade programs; changes in interest rates and rates of inflation; changes in currency valuations; and technical fluctuations of the marketplace. Because a material portion of the Fund’s investments may be denominated in or rely upon underlying cash flows denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, such changes could have a significant adverse impact on the Fund. Finally, while the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce risk, such transactions themselves may entail certain other risks, such as unanticipated changes in interest rates, the prices of investments or currency exchanges, which may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in such hedging transactions.
Highly Volatile Markets
The prices of the Fund’s investments can be highly volatile. Governments from time to time intervene, directly and by regulation, in certain markets. Such intervention often is intended directly to influence prices and may, together with other factors, cause all of such markets to move rapidly in the same direction because of, among other things, interest rate fluctuations. The Fund also is subject to the risk of the failure of any exchanges on which its positions trade or of their clearinghouses. In addition, because of the nature of the Fund’s trading activities, the results of the Fund’s operations may fluctuate on a daily basis. Accordingly, investors in the Fund should understand that the results of a particular period will not necessarily be indicative of results in future periods. Variance in the degree of volatility of the market from the Fund’s expectations may produce significant losses to the Fund.
High Portfolio Turnover
The different strategies used by the Fund may, from time to time, require frequent trading and a high portfolio turnover. The more frequently the Fund trades, the higher the commission and transaction costs and certain other expenses involved in the Fund’s operations. These costs will be borne by the Fund regardless of the profitability of the Fund’s investment and trading activities. In addition, a high portfolio turnover may increase the recognition of short-term, rather than long-term, capital gains.
Investment Restrictions
The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s voting securities present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities). Except as otherwise noted, all percentage limitations set forth below apply immediately after a purchase and any subsequent change in any applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations does not require any action. The Fund’s fundamental policies are as follows:
(1) | Borrowing Money. The Fund will not borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. |
16
(2) | Senior Securities. The Fund will not issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. |
(3) | Underwriting. The Fund will not act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. |
(4) | Concentration. The Fund will not “concentrate” its investments in an industry. The Fund would “concentrate” its investments if more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. |
(5) | Real Estate. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate. |
(6) | Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. |
(7) | Loans. The Fund will not make loans to other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. |
The Board has adopted a repurchase offer fundamental policy resolution setting forth the Fund’s fundamental policy that it will conduct quarterly repurchase offers. This fundamental policy may be changed only with the approval of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, including a majority of any holders of preferred shares voting separately as a class. The Fund is required to offer to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Shares with each repurchase offer.
In addition, the Fund has adopted the following fundamental policies with respect to repurchase offers, which may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s voting securities present at a meeting at which more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities).
a. | The Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act, as it may be amended from time to time. |
b. | The Fund will repurchase shares that are tendered by a specific date (the “Repurchase Request Deadline”), which will be established by the Board in accordance with Rule 23c-3, as amended from time to time. Rule 23c-3 requires the Repurchase Request Deadline to be no less than 21 and no more than 42 days after the Fund sends notification to shareholders of the repurchase offer. |
c. | There will be a maximum fourteen (14) calendar day period (or the next business day if the 14th calendar day is not a business day) between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the date on which the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) applicable to the repurchase offer is determined (the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). |
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Directors and Officers
The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors approves all significant agreements between the Fund and the companies that furnish the Fund with services, including agreements with the Adviser, the Fund’s Custodian and the Fund’s Transfer Agent. The day-to-day operations of the Fund are delegated to the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors.
17
The names and business addresses of the Directors and principal officers of the Fund are set forth in the following table, together with their positions and their principal occupations during the past five years and, in the case of the Directors, their positions with certain other organizations and companies.
18
Name, position(s),
|
Term of office
|
Number of funds
|
Principal
|
Other
|
||||
William H. Wright II Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee, Member of the Nominating and Compensation Committee Born: 1960 | Since 2021 | 9 | Retired. Prior to that, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley (1982 – 2010). | Director/Trustee of several investment companies advised by PSG (2020 – Present); Director of Alcentra Capital Corporation (1940 Act BDC) (2018-2019); Advisory Director of Virtus Global Dividend & Income Fund, Virtus Global Multi-Sector Income Fund, Virtus Total Return Fund and Duff & Phelps Select Energy MLP Fund (2016 – 2019);Director of The Zweig Fund, Inc. and The Zweig Total Return Fund (2013-2019); Director of the Carlyle Group, TCG BDC, Inc. and TCG BDC II, Inc. (February 2021-Present). |
(1) | Address: Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York, 10281-1023, unless otherwise noted. |
(2) | The Fund Complex is comprised of the Fund, Brookfield Investment Funds (six series of underlying portfolios), Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. and Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund. |
(3) | Directors who are not considered to be “interested persons” of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act are considered to be “Independent Directors.” |
(4) | This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the 1934 Act, (i.e., public companies) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
(5) | The term of office of Independent Directors is indefinite. |
19
20
Name, position(s),
|
Term of office
|
Number of
|
Principal
|
Other
|
||||
Adam
R. Sachs
Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) Born: 1984 |
Since 2021 | N/A |
CCO of several investment companies advised by PSG (2017 – Present); Director of the Adviser (2017 – Present); CCO of Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. (2017 – Present); Senior Compliance Officer of Corporate Legal and Compliance at the Adviser (2011 – 2017). |
N/A | ||||
Mohamed S. Rasul
Assistant Treasurer Born: 1981 |
Since 2021 | N/A | Assistant Treasurer of several investment companies advised by PSG (2016 – Present); Vice President of the Adviser (2019 – Present); Assistant Vice President of the Adviser (2014 – 2019). | N/A |
(1) | Address: Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York, 10281-1023, unless otherwise noted. |
(2) | The Fund Complex is comprised of the Fund, Brookfield Investment Funds (six series of underlying portfolios), Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. and Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund. |
(3) | This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the 1934 Act, (i.e., public companies) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
21
Additional Information Concerning the Board of Directors
The role of the Board
The Board provides oversight of the management and operations of the Fund. As is the case with virtually all investment companies (as distinguished from operating companies), the day-to-day management and operation of the Fund is the responsibility of various service providers to the Fund, such as the Fund’s investment adviser and administrator, custodian, and transfer agent, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Fund and its service providers. The Board has appointed senior employees of the Administrator as officers of the Fund, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Fund’s day-to-day operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and service providers regarding the Fund’s operations. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who administers the Fund’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal “Board meetings” which are typically held quarterly, in person, and involve the Board’s review of recent Fund operations. From time to time, one or more members of the Board may also meet with management in less formal settings, between scheduled “Board meetings,” to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Director is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Fund and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Fund’s investments, operations, or activities.
Board leadership structure
The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to perform its oversight function effectively. It has established three standing committees, an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Compensation Committee, and a Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (the “QLCC”) (collectively, the “Committees”), which are discussed in greater detail below. Currently, five of the six members of the Board, including the Chairman of the Board, are Independent Directors, which are Directors that are not affiliated with the Adviser, Administrator, or its affiliates, and each of the Audit Committee, Nominating and Compensation Committee, and QLCC are comprised entirely of Independent Directors. Each of the Independent Directors helps identify matters for consideration by the Board and the Chairman has an active role in the agenda-setting process for Board meetings. The Audit Committee Chairman also has an active role in the agenda-setting process for the Audit Committee meetings. The Fund’s Board has adopted Fund Governance Policies and Procedures to ensure that the Board is properly constituted in accordance with the 1940 Act and to set forth examples of certain of the significant matters for consideration by the Board and/or its Committees in order to facilitate the Board’s oversight function.
The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate. In addition, the Board also has determined that the structure, function, and composition of the Committees are appropriate means to provide effective oversight on behalf of Fund shareholders. The Independent Directors have engaged their own independent counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities to the Fund.
Board oversight of risk management
As part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel. Because risk management is a broad concept comprised of many elements, Board oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the full Board receives and reviews reports from senior personnel of the Adviser and Administrator (including senior compliance, financial reporting, and investment personnel) or their affiliates regarding various types of risks, including, but not limited to, operational, compliance, investment, and business continuity risks, and how they are being managed. From time to time, the full Board meets with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance risks relating to the Fund, the Adviser, and the Fund’s other service providers. The Audit Committee supports the Board’s oversight of risk management in a variety of ways, including meeting regularly with the Fund’s Treasurer and with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and, when appropriate, with other personnel employed by the Adviser to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Fund’s financial reporting function and compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Audit Committee also meets regularly with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance and operational risks and receives reports from the Adviser’s internal audit group as to these and other matters.
22
Information about each director’s qualifications, experience, attributes, or skills
The Board believes that each of the Directors has the qualifications, experience, attributes, and skills (“Director Attributes”) appropriate to serve as a Director of the Fund in light of the Fund’s business and structure. Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail in the table above. The Directors have substantial board experience or other professional experience and have demonstrated a commitment to discharging their oversight responsibilities as Directors. The Board, with the assistance of the Nominating and Compensation Committee, annually conducts a “self-assessment” wherein the performance of the Board and the effectiveness of the Board and the Committees are reviewed.
In addition to the information provided in the table above, below is certain additional information regarding each particular Director and certain of their Director Attributes. The information provided below, and in the table above, is not all-inclusive. Many Director Attributes involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, integrity and work ethic, the ability to work together, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment, the ability to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder interests. In conducting its self-assessment, the Board has determined that the Directors have the appropriate attributes and experience to serve effectively as Directors of the Fund.
Edward A. Kuczmarski. Mr. Kuczmarski has financial accounting experience as a Certified Public Accountant. He also currently serves on the board of directors/trustees for several other investment management companies. In serving on these boards, Mr. Kuczmarski has come to understand and appreciate the role of a director and has been exposed to many of the challenges facing a board and the appropriate ways of dealing with those challenges. Mr. Kuczmarski serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Nominating and Compensation Committee, and is a member of the Audit Committee.
Heather S. Goldman. Ms. Goldman has extensive experience in executive leadership, business development and marketing of investment vehicles similar to those managed by the Adviser. Ms. Goldman is a financial services and tech executive, who over a twenty-plus year career has worked in a senior capacity across a diverse array of firms in the private equity, investment management and commercial banking industries. She previously served as head of global marketing for the Adviser, and as such has extensive knowledge of the Adviser, its operations and personnel. She also has experience working in other roles for the parent company of the Adviser. Prior to working with the Adviser, and for nearly five years, she acted as CEO and Chairman, co-founding and managing Capital Thinking, a financial services risk-management technology company in New York. She is a fintech angel investor. Ms. Goldman is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Compensation Committee.
Stuart A. McFarland. Mr. McFarland has extensive experience in executive leadership, business development and operations, corporate restructuring and corporate finance. He previously served in senior executive management roles in the private sector, including serving as Executive Vice President and General Manager of GE Capital Mortgage Services, Corp. Mr. McFarland currently serves on the board of directors/trustees for various other investment management companies and non-profit entities, and is the Managing Partner of Federal City Capital Advisors. Mr. McFarland is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Compensation Committee.
William H. Wright II. Mr. Wright has extensive experience in executive leadership, investment banking and corporate finance. He previously served as a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley until his retirement in 2010, having joined the firm in 1982. During his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Wright headed the corporate finance execution group where he was responsible for leading and coordinating teams in the execution of complex equity offerings for multinational corporations. Following his career in investment banking, Mr. Wright served on the board of directors/trustees for various other investment management companies and non-profit entities. Mr. Wright serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Nominating and Compensation Committee.
David W. Levi. Mr. Levi is Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC and a Managing Partner of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. He has over 26 years of industry experience in asset management. Mr. Levi’s background includes extensive strategy-related, client-facing and business development experience globally within both the institutional and high net worth markets. Prior to joining the firm in 2014, Mr. Levi was Managing Director and Head of Global Business Development at Nuveen Investments, after holding similar positions at AllianceBernstein Investments and Legg Mason and senior strategy roles within J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Mr. Levi is a Fellow of the 2019 class of the Aspen Finance Leaders Fellowship, is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College.
23
Board Committees
The Fund established the following three standing committees and the membership of each committee to assist in its oversight functions, including its oversight of the risks the Fund faces: the Audit Committee, the QLCC, and the Nominating and Compensation Committee. There is no assurance, however, that the Board’s committee structure will prevent or mitigate risks in actual practice. The Fund’s committee structure is specifically not intended or designed to prevent or mitigate the Fund’s investment risks. The Fund is designed for investors that are prepared to accept investment risk, including the possibility that unforeseen risks may emerge in the future.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is comprised of Messrs. Wright, Kuczmarski, McFarland and Ms. Goldman. It does not include any interested Directors. The Audit Committee meets regularly with respect to the various series of the Fund. The principal functions of the Audit Committee are to review the Fund’s audited financial statements, to select the Fund’s independent auditors, to review with the Fund’s auditors the scope and anticipated costs of their audit, and to receive and consider a report from the auditors concerning their conduct of the audit, including any comments or recommendations they might want to make in connection therewith. During the Fund’s current fiscal year, the Audit Committee held one Committee meeting.
The Audit Committee also serves as the QLCC for the Fund for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer’s attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Fund, or by any officer, Director, employee, or agent of the Fund, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and, potentially, “up the ladder” to other entities). The QLCC meets as needed, and did not meet during the current fiscal year.
Nominating and Compensation Committee
The Nominating and Compensation Committee is comprised of Messrs. Kuczmarski, McFarland and Wright and Ms. Goldman. The function of the Fund’s Nominating and Compensation Committee is to recommend candidates for election to its Board as Independent Directors. The Fund’s Nominating and Compensation Committee evaluates each candidate’s qualifications for Board membership and their independence from the Adviser and other principal service providers. The Nominating and Compensation Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders who, separately or as a group, own at least one percent of the Fund’s shares. The Nominating and Compensation Committee held one meeting during the current fiscal year.
Board Meetings
The Fund’s Board held one regular meeting during the current fiscal year. During the current fiscal year, each Director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the meetings of the Fund’s Board of Directors. The Fund’s Fund Governance Policies and Procedures provide that the Chairman of the Board, who is elected by the Independent Directors, will preside at each executive session of the Board, or if one has not been designated, the chairperson of the Nominating and Compensation Committee shall serve as such.
Beneficial Ownership of Shares Held in the Fund and the Family of Investment Companies for Each Director
Set forth in the table below is the dollar range of equity securities in the Fund beneficially owned by each Director and the aggregate dollar range of equity securities in the Fund Complex beneficially owned by each Director.
24
Name of director |
Aggregate
|
Aggregate
|
||
Interested Director: | ||||
David W. Levi | A | A | ||
Independent Director: | ||||
Heather S. Goldman | A | E | ||
Edward A. Kuczmarski | A | E | ||
Stuart A. McFarland | A | E | ||
William H. Wright II | A | E | ||
A | A |
*Key to Dollar Ranges
A. None
B. $1 - $10,000
C. $10,001 - $50,000
D. $50,001 - $100,000
E. Over $100,000
All shares were valued as of December 31, 2020.
(1) | This information has been furnished by each Director as of December 31, 2020. “Beneficial Ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the 1934 Act. |
(2) | The aggregate dollar range of equity securities owned by each Director of the Fund and of all funds overseen by each Director in the same family of investment companies (the “Fund Complex”) as of December 31, 2020. As of the date of this SAI the Fund Complex is comprised of the Fund, Brookfield Investment Funds (6 series of underlying portfolios), Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. and Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund. |
As of September 30, 2021, none of the Independent Directors nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially or of record in the Adviser or any affiliate thereof. Accordingly, neither the Independent Directors nor members of their immediate family, have direct or indirect interest, the value of which exceeds $120,000, in the Adviser, or any of their affiliates. In addition, during the two most recently completed calendar years, neither the Independent Directors nor members of their immediate families have conducted any transactions (or series of transactions) in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and to which the Adviser or any affiliate thereof was a party.
Remuneration of Directors and Officers
No remuneration was paid by the Fund to persons who were directors, officers, or employees of the Adviser or any affiliate thereof for their services as Directors or officers of the Fund. Set forth below is the compensation received by the Independent Directors from the Fund and the Fund Complex for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Effective March 2021, the aggregate annual retainer paid to each Independent Director of the Fund Complex is $190,000. The Independent Chairman of the Fund and the Chairman of the Audit Committee each receive an additional payment of $30,000 per year. The Independent Directors also receive reimbursement from the Fund for expenses incurred in connection with attendance at regular meetings. The Fund does not have a pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Fund pays any compensation to the Directors.
25
Compensation Table
Name of person and position |
Aggregate compensation from the Fund(1) |
Total compensation from the Fund and Fund Complex(1)(2) |
|||||
Interested Director: | |||||||
David W. Levi | $ | N/A | $ | N/A | |||
Independent Director: | |||||||
Heather S. Goldman | N/A | $ | 180,000 | (8) | |||
Edward A. Kuczmarski | N/A | $ | 210,000 | (8) | |||
Stuart A. McFarland | N/A | $ | 180,000 | (8) | |||
William H. Wright II | N/A | $ | 60,000 | (8) |
(1) | The Fund did not commence operations during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. |
(2) | Represents the total compensation paid to such persons during the fiscal year ended December 31 2020, by investment companies (including the Fund) or portfolios thereof from which such person receives compensation that are considered part of the same fund complex as the Fund because they have common or affiliated investment advisers. The total does not include, among other things, out-of-pocket Director expenses. The number in parentheses represents the number of such investment companies and portfolios as of December 31, 2020. |
Indemnification of Officers and Directors; Limitations on Liability
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its shareholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Fund’s charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
The Fund’s charter, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, obligates the Fund to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as a director or officer of the Fund and, at the Fund’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, trustee, manager, or managing member from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity, and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding.
The Fund’s charter also permits the Fund to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served any predecessor of the Fund in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of the Fund or a predecessor of the Fund, if any.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Fund’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property, or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
26
In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Fund will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Investment Advisory and Administrative Arrangements
Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser,”), a Delaware limited liability company and a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Located at 333 South Grand Avenue, 28th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90071. The Adviser is an affiliate of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a leading global investment management firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California focused on less efficient markets and alternative investments, and a subsidiary of Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (the Adviser together with its affiliates, “Oaktree”). Oaktree is a leading global alternative investment management firm with expertise in credit strategies. The firm was formed in 1995 by a group of individuals who had been investing together since the mid-1980s in high yield bonds, convertible securities, distressed debt, real estate, control investments and listed equities. The firm has over 1000 employees and offices in 19 cities worldwide. The firm’s competitive advantages include its experienced team of investment professionals, a global platform and a unifying investment philosophy. This investment philosophy — the six tenets of which are risk control, consistency, market inefficiency, specialization, bottom-up analysis and disavowal of market timing — is complemented by a set of core business principles that articulate Oaktree’s commitment to excellence in investing; commonality of interests with clients; a collaborative and cooperative culture; and a disciplined, opportunistic approach to the expansion of offerings. As a result of consistent application of its philosophy and principles, Oaktree has earned a large and distinguished clientele. Among Oaktree’s global clients are 69 of the 100 largest U.S. pension plans, more than 400 corporations around the world, 39 of the 50 primary state retirement plans in the United States, over 320 endowments and foundations globally, and over 15 sovereign wealth funds. Oaktree’s expertise in investing across the capital structure has allowed us to cultivate a diversified mix of global investment strategies in four categories: credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. Importantly, the expansion of Oaktree’s strategies has been achieved primarily through “step-outs” into highly related fields, based on identifying markets that (a) the firm believes have the potential for attractive returns, and (b) can be exploited in a manner consistent with the firm’s philosophy focused on risk control. As of June 30, 2021, Oaktree had approximately $156.4 billion in assets under management.
In 2019, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (TSX/NYSE: BAM; EURONEXT: BAMA) (“Brookfield”), a publicly held global asset manager focused on property, power and other infrastructure assets with over $625 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2021, acquired a majority interest in Oaktree. Together, Brookfield and Oaktree provide investors with one of the most comprehensive offerings of alternative investment products available today. While partnering to leverage one another’s strengths, Oaktree operates as an independent business within the Brookfield family, with its own product offerings and investment, marketing, and support teams.
Pursuant to a management agreement with the Fund (the “Management Agreement”), the Adviser is responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio. In return for its investment advisory services, the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly fee at the annual rate of 1.25% of the average daily value of the Fund’s Managed Assets. The management services of the Adviser to the Fund are not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and the Adviser is free to, and does, render management services to others.
The Management Agreement provides that the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment by the Adviser or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case, any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. The Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by either the Adviser or the Fund by the Board of Directors or vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) upon not more than 60 days’, nor less than 30 days’, written notice. The Management Agreement will have an initial term of two years, and continue in effect thereafter only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Directors in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
27
A discussion regarding the basis of the Board of Directors’ initial approval of the Management Agreement is available in the Annual or Semi-Annual Report to shareholders for financial reporting periods in which the Agreement was acted upon by the Board of Directors.
During periods when the Fund is using leverage, if any, the fees paid to the Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated on the basis of the Fund’s total Managed Assets (including assets attributable to such leverage).
Pursuant to an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), between the Adviser, on behalf of the Fund and Brookfield Public Securities Group, LLC (the “Administrator”), the Administrator provides administrative services reasonably necessary for the Fund’s operations, other than those services that the Adviser provides to the Fund pursuant to the Management Agreement. The Adviser is responsible for any fees due to the Administrator.
Portfolio Managers
Bruce Karsh, Wayne Dahl, Armen Panossian, Danielle Poli and David Rosenberg are responsible for management of the Fund. Bruce Karsh is the lead portfolio manager for the Fund.
The table below identifies the number of accounts (other than the Fund) for which the Fund’s portfolio managers have day-to-day management responsibilities and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts. For each category, the number of accounts and total assets in the accounts where fees are based on performance is also indicated as of June 30, 2021.
Portfolio
Manager |
Number
of
|
Beneficial Ownership
of Equity Securities in Funds Managed by each Portfolio Manager |
Number of
|
Number of
|
|||||||||
Bruce Karsh | 0 | $ | 0 | 12/$35,290 | 22/$7,296 | ||||||||
Wayne Dahl | 0 | $ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
Armen Panossian | 0 | $ | 0 | 9/$6,262 | 22/$6,979 | ||||||||
Danielle Poli | 0 | $ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
David Rosenberg | 1/$21 | $ | 0 | 10/$4,471 | 48/$16,912 |
* Assets in millions
Because the Fund is newly organized, no shares of the Fund were owned by the portfolio managers as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information.
Oaktree attracts, motivates and retains talented employees by making them active participants in, and beneficiaries of, the firm’s success. In addition to salaries, all Oaktree employees share in the discretionary bonus pool (which receives a participation of 10% or more in all of Oaktree’s profits). An employee’s participation in the bonus pool is based on unit and company success, level of responsibility, and individual performance. Oaktree also matches employee retirement plan contributions up to a pre-determined percentage.
28
Oaktree’s compensation program design allows for participation in all products’ results to further align its employees’ interests with those of its clients. This is evidenced by Oaktree’s long-term incentive program, which allows eligible senior employees to participate in the success of multiple Oaktree investment strategies and products. Awards under Oaktree’s primary long-term incentive program will, unless otherwise elected by the receiving employee, track the performance of Oaktree’s Global Credit Fund. Therefore, employees have a financial interest in the success of multiple Oaktree investment strategies, which supports an alignment of interests with Oaktree clients. The most important determinants of incentive compensation are the success of the firm and strategy and the contribution of the individual. A significant portion of employee compensation is derived from bonuses, which are a function of the firm’s profitability and the individual employee’s responsibilities and performance. Salaries are fixed at different levels based upon total compensation bands.
Key investment professionals who devote substantial time to certain funds may be awarded a right to participate in the carried interest from such funds, subject to a vesting schedule. Key investment professionals who devote substantial time to certain evergreen funds may be awarded a share of the annual incentive fees, if any, received by Oaktree from such funds. Taken together, the incentive compensation elements of bonuses, long-term incentive awards, incentive fee sharing and/or participation in carried interest represent a far greater proportion of a senior investment professional’s long-term compensation than does the fixed annual salary.
Founding Principals do not receive salaries or bonuses but rather derive the majority of their compensation from equity holdings. As a founding Principal, Bruce Karsh does not receive a salary or bonus, but does receive compensation through his equity holdings and carried interest.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
In the course of providing investment management services, Oaktree and all principals, partners, officers, employees of Oaktree, as well as certain consultants and other external service providers, and its affiliates (collectively, “Oaktree Representatives”), likely will come into possession of material, nonpublic information which, if disclosed, might affect an investor’s decision to buy, sell or hold a security. Under applicable law, Oaktree and Oaktree Representatives may be prohibited from improperly disclosing or using such information for their personal benefit or for the benefit of any other person, including the Fund. In addition, certain accounts have acquired, and may in the future acquire, interests in companies that provide services to one or more other accounts. The payment of fees by accounts to a service provider owned in whole or in part by other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest to the extent Oaktree directed or initiated such transaction. If Oaktree believes such instances may give rise to a conflict of interest, Oaktree will address such conflicts based on the facts and circumstances presented by each situation and attempt to employ measures to ensure that the accounts using the company’s services are charged arm’s-length prices for the services they receive. Such measures may include, where appropriate, having the company’s management control the negotiation of fees with the accounts to which services are provided and/or obtaining a “most favored nations” clause so that the accounts will automatically receive the benefit of the most favorable fees charged by the service provider to similarly situated clients. Oaktree and its employees may also receive certain benefits, such as discounts on products or services from companies in which an Oaktree account holds a significant ownership interest.
Conflicts Relating to Brookfield Asset Management. In 2019, Brookfield acquired a majority interest in Oaktree. Oaktree is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield. Together, Brookfield and Oaktree provide investors with one of the most comprehensive offerings of alternative investment products available today. While partnering to leverage one another’s strengths, Oaktree operates as an independent business within the Brookfield family, with its own product offerings and investment, marketing, and support teams. Brookfield and Oaktree have continued to operate their respective investment businesses largely independently, with each remaining under its own brand and led by its own management and investment teams. Brookfield and Oaktree manage their investment team independently of each other pursuant to an information barrier.
29
Oaktree accounts and their portfolio companies sometimes engage in activities and have business relationships that give rise to conflicts (and potential conflicts) of interest between them, on the one hand, and, Brookfield and Brookfield’s clients (together, “Brookfield Accounts”) and their portfolio companies on the other hand. For so long as Brookfield and Oaktree manage their investment teams independently of each other pursuant to an information barrier, Oaktree, Oaktree accounts and their respective portfolio companies generally will not be treated as affiliates of Brookfield, Brookfield Accounts and their portfolio companies, and conflicts (and potential conflicts) considerations, including in connection with allocation of investment opportunities, investment and trading activities, and agreements, transactions and other arrangements entered into with Oaktree, Oaktree accounts and their portfolio companies, generally will be managed in accordance with disclosures set out in the governing documents and independently.
There is (and in the future will continue to be) overlap in investment strategies and investments pursued by Oaktree and Brookfield. Nevertheless, Oaktree generally does not coordinate or consult with Brookfield with respect to investment decisions of Oaktree accounts. While this absence of coordination and consultation, and the information barrier described above, in some respects serves to mitigate conflicts of interests between Oaktree and Brookfield, these same factors also give rise to certain conflicts and risks in connection with Brookfield’s and Oaktree’s investment activities, and make it more difficult to mitigate, ameliorate or avoid such situations. For example, because neither Brookfield nor Oaktree generally coordinate or consult with the other about investment activities and/or decisions made by the other, and neither Brookfield nor Oaktree is subject to any internal approvals over its respective investment activities and decisions by any person who would have knowledge and/or decision-making control of the investment decisions of the other, Brookfield will pursue investment opportunities for Brookfield Accounts which would also be suitable for Oaktree accounts, but which are not made available to such Oaktree accounts. Brookfield Accounts and Oaktree accounts compete, from time to time, for the same investment opportunities. Such competition could, under certain circumstances, adversely impact the purchase price of investments. Brookfield has no obligation to, and generally will not, share investment opportunities that would also be suitable for the Oaktree accounts, and Oaktree and Oaktree accounts have no rights with respect to any such opportunities.
In addition, Brookfield is not restricted from forming or establishing new Brookfield Accounts, such as additional funds or successor funds, which directly compete with Oaktree accounts for investment opportunities. Brookfield Accounts also are not restricted from pursuing investment opportunities based in whole or in part on information, support and knowledge provided directly or indirectly by Oaktree. For example, Oaktree may provide Brookfield, from time to time, with access to marketing-related support, including, for example, introductions to investor relationships and other marketing facilitation activities. Such Brookfield Accounts could compete with or otherwise conduct their affairs without regard to any adverse impact on Oaktree accounts. In addition, Brookfield Accounts are permitted to make investments suitable for Oaktree accounts without the consent of the Oaktree accounts or Oaktree. From time to time, Brookfield Accounts and Oaktree accounts may purchase or sell an investment from or to each other, as well as jointly pursue investments.
In addition, from time to time, Brookfield Accounts hold interests in investments held by Oaktree accounts (or potential Oaktree account investments) and/or subsequently purchase (or sell) an interest in an investment held by Oaktree accounts (or potential Oaktree account investments). In such situations, Brookfield Accounts could benefit from Oaktree accounts’ activities. Conversely, Oaktree accounts could be adversely impacted by Brookfield’s activities. In addition, as a result of different investment objectives, views and/or interests in investments, Brookfield may manage certain Brookfield Accounts’ investments in particular issuers in a way that is different from Oaktree accounts’ investments in the same issuers (including, for example, by investing in different portions of the issuer’s capital structure, short selling securities, voting securities or exercising rights it holds in a different manner and/or buying or selling its interests at different times than the Oaktree accounts), which could adversely impact Oaktree accounts’ interests. Brookfield and its affiliates may take positions, give advice and provide recommendations that are different from, and potentially contrary to, those which are taken by, given or provided to Oaktree accounts, and are expected to hold interests that potentially are adverse to those held by Oaktree accounts. Brookfield has no obligation or duty to make available for the benefit of Oaktree accounts any information regarding its activities, strategies and/or views.
30
Brookfield and Oaktree are likely to be deemed to be affiliates of each other for purposes of certain laws and regulations, notwithstanding their operational independence and the existence of an information barrier between them, and from time to time Brookfield Accounts and Oaktree accounts will have positions (which in some cases will be significant) in the same issuers. In those cases Brookfield and Oaktree will frequently need to aggregate their investment holdings, including holdings of Brookfield Accounts and Oaktree accounts, for certain securities law purposes (including trading restrictions under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, reporting obligations under Section 13 of the Exchange Act and reporting and short-swing
Control Persons
A control person is a person who owns, either directly or indirectly, beneficially more than 25% of the voting securities of a company. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund could be deemed to be under control of Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P. which had voting authority with respect to approximately 100% of the value of the outstanding interests in the Fund on such date. However, it is anticipated that Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P. will no longer be a control person once the Fund commences investment operations and its Shares are sold to the public.
Voting of Proxies
The Fund has delegated the voting of portfolio securities to the Adviser. The Fund has adopted the proxy voting procedures of the Adviser and has directed the Adviser to vote all proxies relating to the Fund’s voting securities in accordance with such procedures. The proxy voting procedures are attached as Appendix A. They are also on file with the SEC and can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202-551-8090. The proxy voting procedures are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) and copies of the proxy voting procedures may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES
Quasar Distributors, LLC serves as the principal underwriter in the continuous public offering of the Fund’s shares pursuant to a distribution contract (the “Distribution Contract”) with the Fund, which is subject to annual approval by the Board. Quasar Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Quasar Distributors, LLC’s principal business address is 111 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
The Distribution Contract will continue in effect with respect to the Fund for successive one-year periods, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved: (i) by the vote of a majority of the Directors who are not interested persons of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Contract or the Management Agreement; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose.
The Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor and certain of the Distributor’s affiliates against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the 1933 Act, as amended. To the extent consistent with applicable law, the Distributor has agreed to indemnify the Fund and each Director against certain liabilities under the 1933 Act, as amended, and in connection with the services rendered to the Fund.
The Distributor acts as the distributor of Shares for the Fund on a best efforts basis, subject to various conditions, pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Contract. The Distributor is not obligated to sell any specific amount of Shares of the Fund.
The Fund has applied for Exemptive Relief from the SEC that will permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early-withdrawal fees; there is no assurance, however, that the relief will be granted. At present, only Class D Shares are available for purchase. Upon receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will offer Class T Shares.
31
Pursuant to the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will maintain a Multi-Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act. Although the Fund is not an open-end investment company, it will undertake to comply with the terms of Rule 18f-3 as a condition of the Exemptive Relief (which relief permits it to have, among other things, a multi-class structure and distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees). Under the Multi-Class Plan, shares of each class of the Fund will represent an equal pro rata interest in the Fund and, generally, have identical voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications, and terms and conditions, except that: (a) each class has a different designation; (b) each class of shares bears any class-specific expenses; and (c) each class shall have separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class, and shall have exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class.
Subject to receiving the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will pay the Distributor a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to 0.75% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s outstanding Class T Shares, which may be used to cover expenses incurred by the Distributor for providing sales and promotional activities under the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan, including the printing and distribution of sales literature and prospectuses sent to prospective investors. Authorized dealers to whom substantially the entire sales charge is reallowed may be deemed to be underwriters, according to the definition under the 1933 Act. Pursuant to the Distribution Contract between the Distributor and the Fund, the Fund agrees to indemnify the Distributor against certain liabilities under the 1933 Act. Any distribution-related (Rule 12b-1) fee may be used in whole or in part to finance distribution activities, including sales compensation, and/or shareholder account liaison and servicing activities. The Distributor pays financial services firms’ fees for distributing the applicable shares. The Class D Shares of the Fund will not participate in the Plan.
The Fund may enter into arrangements with financial intermediaries to provide sub-transfer agent services and other related services (e.g., client statements, tax reporting, order-processing, and client relations) that otherwise could be handled by the Fund’s transfer agent, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. As a result, these third parties may charge fees (sometimes called “sub-transfer agency fees”) to the Fund for these services, so long as such compensation does not exceed certain limits set from time to time by the Board of Directors in consultation with management. The Fund may compensate the institution rendering such services on a per-account basis, as an asset-based fee, based on transaction fees or other charges, or on a cost reimbursement basis, or in some cases, a combination of these inputs. The aggregate amount of sub-transfer agency fees may be substantial and may exceed the actual costs incurred in engaging in these services. Accordingly, financial intermediaries may realize a profit in connection with such services. (The Adviser, the Distributor, or an affiliate may make additional payments to intermediaries for these and other services, and their payments may be based on the same or other methods of calculation. See “Revenue Sharing” below.) Sub-transfer agency fees can comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s ongoing expenses. While the Adviser and the Distributor consider these sub-transfer agency fees to be payments for services rendered, they represent an additional business relationship between these sub-transfer agents and the Fund that often results, at least in part, from past or present sales of Fund shares by the sub-transfer agents or their affiliates. While sub-transfer agency fees and service levels are set in the market, there generally is limited comparative information available about them. The Fund and the Adviser also face certain conflicts of interest when considering these relationships in that the counterparty is both a prospective service provider and, typically, a distribution partner. The Adviser’s practice of paying sub-transfer agency fees above agreed limits as revenue sharing (as discussed further below) also creates conflicts of interest for the parties when considering sub-transfer agency relationships, and that is so both generally and in terms of the allocation of those fees between the Fund and the Adviser.
Shareholder Servicing Plan
Subject to receiving Exemptive Relief, the Fund will implement a “Shareholder Services Plan” with respect to its Class D and Class T shares under which the Fund may compensate financial intermediaries for providing ongoing services in respect of Fund shareholders. Such services may include responding to customer inquiries of a general nature regarding the Fund; crediting distributions from the Fund to customer accounts; arranging for bank wire transfer of funds to or from a customer’s account; responding to customer inquiries and requests regarding Statements of Additional information, shareholder reports, notices, proxies and proxy statements, and other Fund documents; forwarding prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, tax notices and annual and semi-annual reports to beneficial owners of Fund shares; and providing such other similar services as a Fund may reasonably request to the extent a financial intermediary is permitted to do so under applicable statutes, rules, or regulations.
32
Under the Shareholder Services Plan, the Fund, with respect to each of Class D and Class T shares, may incur expenses on an annual basis equal up to 0.25% of its average net assets attributable to Class D and Class T shares, respectively. The Adviser, the Distributor or an affiliate may make additional payments to intermediaries for these and other services, and their payments may be based on the same or other methods of calculation. See Revenue Sharing below.
Revenue Sharing
The Adviser, the Administrator, or an affiliate may, from time to time, out of its (or their) own resources, make substantial cash payments—sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing”—to broker-dealers or financial intermediaries for various reasons. The revenue sharing payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of the Fund’s shares or the amount the Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Although a broker-dealer or financial intermediary may seek revenue sharing payments to offset costs incurred by the firm in servicing its clients who have invested in the Fund, the aggregate amount of these payments to broker-dealers or financial intermediaries may be substantial and may exceed the actual costs incurred in engaging in these promotional activities or services. Accordingly, broker-dealers or financial intermediaries may realize a profit in connection with such activities or services.
Revenue sharing payments may support the delivery of services to the Fund or to shareholders in the Fund, including, without limitation, transaction processing and sub-accounting services. These payments also may serve as an incentive to sell shares of the Fund and/or to promote retention of customer assets in the Fund. The Distributor, the Adviser, the Administrator, or an affiliate does not consider a broker-dealer or financial intermediary’s sale of shares of the Fund when selecting brokers or dealers to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund.
Revenue sharing also may include any other payment requirement of a broker-dealer or another third-party intermediary. All such payments are paid by the Adviser, the Distributor, the Administrator, or an affiliate of either out of its (or their) own resources and are in addition to any Rule 12b-1 payments described elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information. Revenue sharing payments may be structured, among other means, (i) as a percentage of sales; (ii) as a percentage of net assets; (iii) as a flat fee per transaction; (iv) as a fixed dollar amount; or (v) as some combination of any of these. In many cases, they therefore may be viewed as encouraging sales activity or retention of assets in the Fund. Generally, any revenue sharing or other payments of the type just described will have been requested by the party receiving them, often as a condition of distribution, but are subject to negotiation as to their structure and scope. Various factors are used to determine whether to make revenue sharing payments. Possible considerations include, without limitation, the types of services provided by the broker-dealer or financial intermediary, sales of Fund shares, the redemption rates on accounts of clients of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary or overall asset levels of the Fund held for or by clients of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary, the willingness of the broker-dealer or financial intermediary to allow the Distributor, the Adviser, or an affiliate to provide educational and training support for the broker-dealer’s or financial intermediary’s sales personnel relating to the Fund, as well as the overall quality of the services provided by the broker-dealer or financial intermediary
Shareholders or prospective investors should be aware that revenue sharing arrangements or other payments to intermediaries could create incentives on the part of the parties receiving the payments to consider selling more shares of the Fund relative to other funds either not making payments of this nature or making smaller such payments. A shareholder or prospective investor with questions regarding revenue sharing or other such payments may obtain more details by contacting his or her broker representative or other financial intermediary directly.
How to Purchase Shares
The methods of buying and selling shares and the sales charges applicable to purchases of shares of the Fund are described in the Prospectus.
33
REPURCHASE OF COMMON SHARES
In order to provide some liquidity to shareholders, the Fund makes quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Shares at net asset value. Although the policy permits repurchases of between 5% and 25% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares, for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase at least 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares at NAV, subject to approval of the Board. Notices of each quarterly repurchase offer are sent to shareholders at least 21 days before the “Repurchase Request Deadline” (i.e., the date by which shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer). The Fund determines the NAV applicable to repurchases no later than the 14 days after the Repurchase Request Deadline (or the next business day, if the 14th day is not a business day) (the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). The Fund expects to distribute payment to shareholders within 5 business days after the Repurchase Pricing Date and will distribute such payment no later than seven calendar days after such date. The Fund’s Shares are not listed on any securities exchange, and the Fund anticipates that no secondary market will develop for its Shares. Investors should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. Accordingly, you may not be able to sell Shares when and/or in the amount that you desire. Thus, Shares are appropriate only as a long-term investment. In addition, the Fund’s repurchase offers may subject the Fund and shareholders to special risks.
The section entitled “Periodic Repurchase Offers” in the Prospectus discusses the type and timing of notice for repurchase offers, the effects of oversubscribed repurchase offers, the determination of the repurchase price, payment by the Fund for Shares tendered in a repurchase offer, the effect of repurchase policies on the liquidity of the Fund, the consequences of repurchase offers, and other details regarding the repurchase offers, including associated risks. The Fund’s fundamental policies with respect to repurchase offers are discussed in “Investment Restrictions” in this Statement of Additional Information.
See “Principal Risks of the Fund—Repurchase Offers Risk” in the Prospectus for a description of the risks associated with the Fund’s repurchase offers. In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to shareholders. For a discussion of these tax consequences, see “Taxation” below.
In addition to the Fund’s policy to make periodic repurchase offers as described above, the Board may consider additional repurchases of its Shares on the open market or in private transactions, the making of a tender offer for such shares, or the conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company (described below). The Fund cannot assure you that its Board will decide to take or propose any of these actions.
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 and gains. Any share repurchase, tender offer, or borrowing that might be approved by the Board would have to comply with the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and other applicable law.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Adviser determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions. The Fund does not intend to use any affiliated broker-dealers.
In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser will seek best execution. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations, such as: the price of the security; the commission rate; the execution capability, including execution speed and reliability; trading expertise and knowledge of the other side of the trade; reputation and integrity; market depth and available liquidity; recent order flow; timing and size of an order; and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be given to those broker-dealers which furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Adviser that it may lawfully and appropriately use in its investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other services in addition to execution services. The Adviser considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Management Agreement, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.
34
While it is the Fund’s general policy to first seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, in accordance with Section 28(e) under the 1934 Act, when it is determined that more than one broker can deliver best execution, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services to the Fund or to the Adviser, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Adviser in advising other clients. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Adviser to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts or other funds managed or advised by the Adviser. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times identical securities will be acceptable for both the Fund and one or more of such client accounts or other funds. In such event, the position of the Fund and such client account(s) or other funds in the same issuer may vary and the length of time that each may choose to hold its investment in the same issuer may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts or other funds seek to acquire the same security as the Fund at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a portion of such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time. If one or more of such client accounts or other funds simultaneously purchases or sells the same security that the Fund is purchasing or selling, each day’s transactions in such security will be allocated between the Fund and all such client accounts or other funds in a manner deemed equitable by the Adviser, taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount of cash available for investment, the investment objective of the account, and the ease with which a client’s appropriate amount can be bought, as well as the liquidity and volatility of the account and the urgency involved in making an investment decision for the client. It is recognized that in some cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security insofar as the Fund is concerned. In other cases, however, it is believed that the ability of the Fund to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for the Fund.
The Fund is a newly created fund and did not pay brokerage commissions on the Fund’s securities purchased as of the date of the Prospectus.
DISTRIBUTIONS
See “Distributions” in the Prospectus for information relating to distributions to Fund shareholders.
NET ASSET VALUE
The Fund’s NAV per Share is computed by dividing the total current value of the assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding at the time of such computation. The Fund computes its NAV per Share as of the close of trading on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading.
Portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. In circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, the Board of Directors has adopted methods for determining the fair value of such securities and other assets. The Board of Directors is responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, as determined in good faith pursuant to the Fund’s valuation policy and consistently applied valuation process. The Board of Directors has delegated day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the Fund’s valuation policy, as amended from time to time, to the Adviser, and has authorized the use of independent third-party pricing and valuation services that have been approved by the Board of Directors.
Valuations of Fund investments are disclosed in reports publicly filed with the SEC. The Advisers will provide the Board of Directors with periodic reports, no less than quarterly, that discuss the functioning of the valuation process, if applicable to that period, and that identify issues and valuation problems that have arisen, if any.
35
Under certain circumstances, the NAV per Share of a class of the Fund’s Shares may be different from the per share NAV of another class of shares as a result of the different daily expense accruals applicable to each class of shares.
TAXATION
Set forth below is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax aspects concerning the Fund and the purchase, ownership, and disposition of Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to Common Shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold Shares as capital assets. A U.S. shareholder is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, a U.S. corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes), a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person, or any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source. This 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, or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to special classes of taxpayers including, without limitation, financial institutions, insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, pass-through entities (or investors therein), U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold Shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge,” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other taxing jurisdiction.
Taxation of the Fund
The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company (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: (i) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest (including tax-exempt interest), payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies; and (b) net income derived from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each a “Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership”); and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, (a) 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 limited, with respect to any one issuer, 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 (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is represented by the securities of (I) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs), (II) any two or more issuers (other than securities of other RICs) that the Fund controls (by owning 20% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly Traded Partnerships.
As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and its net tax-exempt income for such taxable year. The Fund intends to distribute to shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain.
36
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. 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 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 income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.
A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of any calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November, or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to Common Shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.
If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including its net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits (including distributions of net capital gain) would be taxed to Common Shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate Common Shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate Common Shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes, and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.
Distributions
Distributions to Common Shareholders of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to Common Shareholders as ordinary income to the extent that such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the Common Shareholder has owned Shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a Common Shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the Common Shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Shares (but not below zero). To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the Common Shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares, the excess will be treated by the Common Shareholder as gain from a sale of the Shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate Common Shareholders.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional Shares pursuant to the Plan. Common Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash. The additional Shares received by a Common Shareholder pursuant to the Plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the Shares were credited to the Common Shareholder’s account.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain or a portion thereof for investment and be taxed at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to Common Shareholders, who will be treated as if each received a distribution of his pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each Common Shareholder will (i) be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis for its Shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues preferred shares, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its Shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Common Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions.
37
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares
Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below), a Common Shareholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the Common Shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the Common Shareholder’s holding period for the Shares. Generally, a Common Shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. For non-corporate taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation.
No loss will be allowed on the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares if the owner acquires (including pursuant to the Plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such Shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Losses realized by a Common Shareholder on the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts designated as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such Shares.
From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding Shares. Common Shareholders who tender all Shares held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their Shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a Common Shareholder tenders fewer than all of its Shares or fewer than all Shares tendered are repurchased, such Common Shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its Shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering Common Shareholders, and Common Shareholders who tender some but not all of their Shares or fewer than all of whose Shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a Common Shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS 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. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. 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 advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Nature of Fund’s Investments
Certain of the Fund’s hedging and derivatives transactions are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions 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 gain into higher-taxed, short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions, and (vii) produce income that will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above.
These rules could therefore affect the character, amount, and timing of distributions to Common Shareholders and the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.
38
Below Grade Investments
The Fund expects to invest a substantial portion of its Managed Assets in below investment grade (high-yield) instruments, commonly known as “high-yield” or “junk” instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income, and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, to preserve its status as a RIC and to distribute sufficient income to not become subject to U.S. federal income tax.
Original Issue Discount
Investments by the Fund in debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero coupon securities, debt instruments with pay-in-kind interest, step-up bonds, or other discount securities) will result in income to the Fund equal to the accrued original issue discount each year during which the Fund holds the securities, even if the Fund receives no corresponding cash interest payments. If the Fund purchases debt instruments as part of a package of investments where the Fund also invests in common stock, other equity securities, or warrants, the Fund might be required to accrue original issue discount in an amount equal to the value of such common stock, other equity securities, or warrants (even if the face amount of such debt instruments does not exceed the Fund’s purchase price for such package of investments). Original issue discount is included in determining the amount of income which the Fund must distribute to maintain its qualification for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs and to avoid the payment of U.S. federal income tax and the nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. Because such income may not be matched by a corresponding cash distribution to the Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of other securities to be able to make distributions to Common Shareholders.
Market Discount Securities
In general, the Fund will be treated as having acquired a security with market discount if its stated redemption price at maturity (or, in the case of a security issued with original issue discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Fund’s initial tax basis in the security by more than a statutory de minimis amount. The Fund will be required to treat any principal payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any securities acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. If this election is not made, all or a portion of any deduction for interest expense incurred to purchase or carry a market discount security may be deferred until the Fund sells or otherwise disposes of such security.
Currency Fluctuations
Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts, and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.
Foreign Taxes
The Fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. Common Shareholders will generally not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund.
39
Preferred Shares or Borrowings
If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred shares or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on Shares in certain circumstances. Limits on the Fund’s payments of dividends on Shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore, jeopardize the Fund’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and possibly subject the Fund to the 4% excise tax. The Fund will endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend payments.
Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the Common Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Foreign Shareholders
U.S. taxation of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, or a foreign corporation, as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder.
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. However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding, in each case to the extent the Fund properly reports such dividends to shareholders. For these purposes, 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. federal withholding tax at the source if received directly by a foreign shareholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. A foreign shareholder whose income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains, and any gains realized upon the sale or taxable disposition of Shares.
However, a foreign shareholder who 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 will nevertheless be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% on such capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains, and gains realized upon the sale or taxable disposition of Shares.
If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income, any capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains, and any gains realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of Shares will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents, or domestic corporations. Foreign corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code.
The Fund may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless the foreign shareholder certifies his or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.
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.
40
Additional Withholding Requirements
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% United States federal withholding tax may apply to any ordinary dividends and other distributions that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report, and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such non-financial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. You should consult your own tax adviser regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of Shares.
Other Taxation
Common Shareholders may be subject to state, local, and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Common Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AGENT, AND DIVIDEND DISBURSEMENT AGENT
The primary custodian of the assets of the Fund is U.S. Bank National Association, located at 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. The custodian performs custodial and fund accounting services and compliance services on behalf of the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent with respect to the Shares of the Fund.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Deloitte & Touche LLP is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund and audits the financial statements of the Fund. Deloitte & Touche LLP is located at 111 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
COUNSEL
Certain legal matters in connection with the common shares will be passed upon for the Fund by Paul Hastings LLP and, with respect to certain matters of Maryland law, by Venable LLP. Paul Hastings LLP may rely on the opinion of Venable LLP as to certain matters of Maryland law.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to the Shares offered hereby, has been filed by the Fund with the SEC in Washington, D.C. The Fund’s prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information 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. Statements contained in the Fund’s prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. 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 or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
41
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholder and Board of Trustees of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the "Fund"), as of October 4, 2021, and the related statement of operations for the period from June 24, 2021 (date of formation) to October 4, 2021, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of October 4, 2021, and the results of its operations for the period from June 24, 2021 to October 4, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Chicago, Illinois
October 8, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more Brookfield Securities Group LLC’s investment companies since 2011.
42
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Statement of Assets
and Liabilities
October 4, 2021
Assets: | ||||
Cash | $ | 100,000 | ||
Deferred offering costs | 38,036 | |||
Due from Adviser | 358,277 | |||
Total assets | 496,313 | |||
Liabilities: | ||||
Offering costs payable | 38,036 | |||
Organizational costs payable | 358,277 | |||
Total Liabilities | 396,313 | |||
Net Assets | $ | 100,000 | ||
Composition of Net Assets: | ||||
Paid-in capital (unlimited shares authorized) | 100,000 | |||
Net Assets | $ | 100,000 | ||
Shares Outstanding and Net Asset Value Per Share: | ||||
Shares outstanding | 10,000 | |||
Net asset value per share | $ | 10.00 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Statement of Operations
For the Period from June 24, 2021 (date of formation) to October 4, 2021
Expenses | ||||
Organizational costs | $ | 358,277 | ||
Total operating expenses | 358,277 | |||
Less expenses reimbursed by the investment adviser | (358,277 | ) | ||
Net expenses | $ | - | ||
Net investment income | $ | - |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
Note 1. Organization
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) was organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland on June 24, 2021. The Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a diversified, closed-end management investment company that continuously offers its shares of common stock, $.001 par value per share (the “Shares”), and is operated as an “interval fund.” As a newly organized entity, the Fund has no operating history. The Fund has had no operations through October 4, 2021, other than those relating to organizational matters and the sale and issuance of 10,000 shares of beneficial interest to Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P.
As of October 4, 2021, the only capital contribution to the Fund resulted in the issuance of 10,000 Shares of the Fund at an aggregate purchase price of $100,000 on October 4, 2021. As a result, the Adviser owns 100% of the initial outstanding Shares of the Fund.
In 2019, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (TSX/NYSE: BAM; EURONEXT: BAMA) (“Brookfield”), a publicly held global asset manager focused on property, power, and other infrastructure assets with approximately $600 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2021, acquired a majority interest in Oaktree. Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (the “Administrator”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield, provides administrative services reasonably necessary for the Fund’s operations, other than those services that the Adviser provides to the Fund pursuant to the investment advisory agreement.
43
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and attractive total return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing globally in high-conviction opportunities across Oaktree’s performing credit platform of high-yield bonds, senior loans, structured credit, emerging markets debt and convertibles, inclusive of both public and private credit sectors. High-yield bonds are also referred to as “below-investment grade rated securities” or “junk bonds,” as described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The Fund seeks to add value through three sources: (1) providing exposure to asset classes that require specialized expertise; (2) performing well in each asset class through proprietary, bottom-up and credit research; and (3) allocating capital opportunistically among asset classes based on Oaktree’s assessment of relative value.
Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Fund is an investment company within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2013-08 and follows accounting and reporting guidance under FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946 Financial Services-Investment Companies.
Organizational Expenses and Offering Costs: Organizational costs are expensed as incurred. Organizational costs consist of costs incurred to establish the Fund and enable it legally to do business. Organizational costs will be reimbursed by the Adviser, subject to potential recoupment as described in Note 3. For the period from June 24, 2021 (date of formation) to October 4, 2021, the Fund incurred organization costs of $358,277. Offering costs include registration fees and legal fees regarding the preparation of the Fund’s initial Registration Statement on Form N-2. Offering costs are accounted for as deferred costs until operations begin. Offering costs are then amortized over the first twelve months of operations on a straight-line basis. The total amount of the offering costs incurred by the Fund was $38,036 for the period from June 24, 2021 (date of formation) to October 4, 2021.
Income Taxes: The Fund intends to comply in its initial fiscal year and thereafter with provisions of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and as such, will not be subject to federal income taxes on otherwise taxable income (including net realized capital gains) distributed to shareholders.
Note 3. Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliated Parties
At the organizational meeting (the “Organizational Meeting”) of the Fund held on September 30, 2021, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Fund approved an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) between the Fund and the Adviser under which the Adviser is responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio and provides the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment, and certain other services necessary to the operations of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Fund shall pay the Adviser a monthly fee for its services at an annual rate of 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (plus the amount of borrowing for investment purposes).
At the Organizational Meeting, the Board also approved an Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”) pursuant to which the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund, including organizational expenses and offering costs, to the extent necessary to maintain the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred sales loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest (including, “Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds”), taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) at no more than 2.10% for Class D Shares and 2.85% for Class T Shares. The Expense Limitation Agreement will continue for a period of no less than one year from the effective date of the Fund’s Registration Statement and may not be terminated by the Fund or the Adviser before such time. Thereafter, the Expense Limitation Agreement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser will provide the Board with written notice of its intention to terminate the arrangement prior to the expiration of its then current term. Any waivers and/or reimbursements made by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the waiver and/or reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of: (1) the expense cap in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the Fund’s current expense cap.
44
The Fund may charge up to 0.25% for shareholder servicing fees paid to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisers or other financial institutions, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents. The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain such fees at no more than 0.10% (the “Annual Limit”) of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Class D Shares and Class T Shares, respectively, until at least December 31, 2022. Thereafter, this arrangement may be extended, terminated, or modified by the Adviser in its sole discretion and at any time. If the Fund’s Class D Shares or Class T Shares operate below the total expense ratio for each share class after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement, this arrangement will continue to limit the shareholder servicing fees for each share class to the extent necessary to maintain the shareholder servicing fee expense cap, as described above. The Fund’s actual shareholder servicing fees may differ from the estimates above. Any shareholder servicing fees reimbursed or otherwise absorbed by the Adviser are subject to recoupment from the Fund for a period not to exceed three years after the occurrence of the reimbursement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause the Fund’s shareholder servicing fees (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of (1) the Annual Limit in place at the time such amounts were waived, or (2) the Fund’s current Annual Limit.
In addition, at the Organizational Meeting the Board approved an Administration Agreement with the Administrator and a Sub-Administration Agreement with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the “Sub-Administrator”). The Administrator and the Sub-Administrator perform administrative services necessary for the operation of the Fund, including maintaining certain books and records of the Fund and preparing reports and other documents required by federal, state and other applicable laws and regulations, and providing the Fund with administrative office facilities. The Adviser is responsible for any fees due to the Administrator and the Fund is responsible for any fees due to the Sub-Administrator.
Certain officers and/or directors of the Fund are officers and/or employees of the Administrator.
45
PART C—OTHER INFORMATION
Item 25. Financial Statements and Exhibits
The agreements included or incorporated by reference as exhibits to this registration statement contain representations and warranties by each of the parties to the applicable agreement. These representations and warranties were made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreement and (i) were not intended to be treated as categorical statements of fact, but rather as a way of allocating the risk to one of the parties if those statements prove to be inaccurate; (ii) may have been qualified in such agreement by disclosures that were made to the other party in connection with the negotiation of the applicable agreement; (iii) may apply contract standards of “materiality” that are different from “materiality” under the applicable securities laws; and (iv) were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement or such other date or dates as may be specified in the agreement.
The Registrant acknowledges that, notwithstanding the inclusion of the foregoing cautionary statements, it is responsible for considering whether additional specific disclosures of material information regarding material contractual provisions are required to make the statements in this registration statement not misleading
1. | Financial Statements: |
Part A: Not applicable, as Registrant has not yet commenced operations.
Part B: Financial statements indicating that the Registrant has met the net worth requirements of Section 14(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are included in Part B of this Registration Statement.
2. | Exhibits: |
(k)(3) | Expense Limitation Agreement.(*) |
(k)(4) | Shareholder Service Fee Expense Limitation Agreement.(*) |
(l)(1) | Consent of Paul Hastings LLP.(*) |
(l)(2) | Opinion of Venable.(*) |
(m) | Not applicable. |
(n) | Consent and Opinion of Independent Registered Public Accountant.(*) |
(o) | Not applicable. |
(p) | Initial Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P.(*) |
(q) | Not applicable. |
(r)(1) | Code of Ethics for the Registrant.(*) |
(r)(2) | Code of Ethics for Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC.(*) |
(s) | Power of Attorney.(*) |
(*) | Filed herewith. |
Item 26. Marketing Arrangements
See the Underwriting Agreement to be filed by amendment as Exhibit.
Item 27. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses to be incurred in connection with the offering described in this registration statement:
Registration fee | $ | 31,851 | ||
Printing and engraving expenses | 50,000 | |||
Accounting fees and expenses | 18,500 | |||
Legal fees and expenses | 700,000 | |||
Miscellaneous | 49,649 | |||
Total | $ | 850,000 |
Item 28. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
None.
Item 29. Number of Holders of Shares
As of October 4, 2021:
Title of Class | Number of Record Holders | |||
Shares | 1 |
Item 30. Indemnification
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its shareholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property, or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Registrant’s charter contains such a provision that limits present and former directors’ and officers’ liability to the Registrant and its shareholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
The Registrant’s charter obligates, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the 1940 Act, the Registrant to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of the Registrant and at the Registrant’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her status as a present or former director or officer of the Registrant or as a present or former director, officer, partner, or trustee of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise, and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The Registrant’s obligation to indemnify any director, officer, or other individual, however, is limited by the 1940 Act which prohibits the Registrant from indemnifying any director, officer, or other individual from any liability resulting from the willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of duties, or reckless disregard of applicable obligations and duties of the directors, officers, or other individuals. To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the 1940 Act, the Registrant’s charter also permits the Registrant to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of the Registrant or a predecessor of the Registrant.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property, or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”), a Delaware limited liability company and a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, serves as investment adviser to the Registrant. The Adviser’s offices are located at 333 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90071. Information as to the officers and directors of the Adviser is included in its current Form ADV File No. 801-112570 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item 32. Location of Accounts and Records
All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act relating to the Registrant are maintained at the following offices:
1. |
Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC
Brookfield Place 250 Vesey Street New York, New York 10281-1023 |
2. |
Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC
333 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California 90071 |
3. |
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 |
4. |
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
1201 South Alma School Road, Suite 3000 Mesa, Arizona 85210 |
5. |
U.S. Bank National Association
1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 |
Item 33. Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 34. Undertakings
1. | Not applicable. |
2. | Not applicable. |
3. | The Registrant undertakes: |
a. | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement: |
i. | to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act; |
ii. | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement. |
iii. | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
b. | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
c. | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
d. | that, for the purpose of determining liability under the 1933 Act to any purchaser: (1) if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act: (A) each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and (B) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) under the 1933 Act for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or (2) if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C under the 1933 Act: Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A under the 1933 Act, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
e. | that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the 1933 Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities: |
The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:
(1) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act; |
(2) | free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant; |
(3) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the 1933 Act relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and |
(4) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser. |
4.
a. | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant under Rule 424(b)(1) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and: |
b. | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
5. | Not applicable. |
6. | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such, indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
7. | The Registrant undertakes to send by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form N-2 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, and State of New York, on the 22nd day of October, 2021.
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. |
By: | /s/ Brian F. Hurley | |
Brian F. Hurley | ||
President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE | CAPACITY | DATE | ||
/s/ Brian F. Hurley | President (Principal Executive Officer) | October 22, 2021 | ||
Brian F. Hurley | ||||
/s/ Casey P. Tushaus* | Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | October 22, 2021 | ||
Casey P. Tushaus | ||||
/s/ Heather S. Goldman* | Director | October 22, 2021 | ||
Heather S. Goldman | ||||
/s/ David Levi* | Director | October 22, 2021 | ||
David Levi | ||||
/s/ Edward A. Kuczmarski* | Director | October 22, 2021 | ||
Edward A. Kuczmarski | ||||
/s/ Stuart A. McFarland* | Director | October 22, 2021 | ||
Stuart A. McFarland | ||||
/s/ William H. Wright II* | Director | October 22, 2021 | ||
William H. Wright II |
*By: | /s/ Brian F. Hurley | |
Brian F. Hurley | ||
Attorney-In-Fact, pursuant to Power of Attorney |
Exhibit Index
Exhibit 99.(a)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT
FIRST: Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), desires to amend and restate its charter as currently in effect and as hereinafter amended.
SECOND: The following provisions are all the provisions of the charter of the Corporation currently in effect and as hereinafter amended:
ARTICLE I
INCORPORATOR
Hirsh M. Ament, whose address is c/o Venable LLP, 750 E. Pratt Street, Suite 900, Baltimore, MD 21202, being at least 18 years of age, formed a corporation under the general laws of the State of Maryland on June 29, 2021.
ARTICLE II
NAME
The name of the corporation (the “Corporation”) is:
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
ARTICLE III
PURPOSE
The purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to conduct and carry on the business of a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.
ARTICLE IV
PRINCIPAL OFFICE IN STATE AND RESIDENT AGENT
The address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The name and address of the resident agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland are CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The resident agent is a Maryland corporation.
ARTICLE V
PROVISIONS FOR DEFINING, LIMITING
AND REGULATING CERTAIN POWERS OF THE
CORPORATION AND OF THE STOCKHOLDERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 5.1 Number, Vacancies and Election of Directors. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors of the Corporation initially shall be five, which number may be increased or decreased only by the Board of Directors pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”), but shall never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”). Each director shall have the qualifications, if any, specified in the Bylaws. The names of the directors who shall serve an indefinite term and until their successors are duly elected and qualified are:
Heather Goldman
Edward A. Kuczmarski
Stuart A. McFarland
William H. Wright II
David Levi
Any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled in the manner provided in the Bylaws.
Section 5.2 Extraordinary Actions. Except as specifically provided in Section 5.6 (relating to removal of directors), and in Section 7.2 (relating to certain actions and certain amendments to the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”)), notwithstanding any provision of law requiring any action to be taken or approved by the affirmative vote of the stockholders entitled to cast a greater number of votes, any such action shall be effective and valid if declared advisable by the Board of Directors and taken or approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Section 5.3 Authorization by Board of Stock Issuance. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance from time to time of shares of stock of the Corporation of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, or securities or rights convertible into shares of its stock of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration, if any, as the Board of Directors may deem advisable (or without consideration in the case of a stock split or stock dividend), subject to such restrictions or limitations, if any, as may be set forth in the Charter or the Bylaws.
2
Section 5.4 Preemptive Rights and Appraisal Rights. Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares of stock pursuant to Section 6.6 or as may otherwise be provided by a contract approved by the Board of Directors, no holder of shares of stock of the Corporation shall, as such holder, have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any additional shares of stock of the Corporation or any other security of the Corporation which it may issue or sell. Holders of shares of stock of the Corporation shall not be entitled to exercise any rights of an objecting stockholder provided for under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor statute unless the Board of Directors, upon such terms and conditions as specified by the Board of Directors, shall determine that such rights apply, with respect to all or any shares of all or any classes or series of stock, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.
Section 5.5 Determinations by Board. The determination as to any of the following matters, made by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Corporation and every holder of shares of its stock: the amount of the net income of the Corporation for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, acquisition of its stock or the payment of other distributions on its stock; the amount of paid-in surplus, net assets, other surplus, cash flow, net profit, net assets in excess of capital, undivided profits or excess of profits over losses on sales of assets; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges shall have been created shall have been paid or discharged); any interpretation or resolution of any ambiguity with respect to any provision of the Charter (including any of the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of any shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation) or of the Bylaws; the fair value, or any sale, bid or asked price to be applied in determining the fair value, of any asset owned or held by the Corporation or of any shares of stock of the Corporation; the number of shares of stock of any class or series of the Corporation; any matter relating to the acquisition, holding and disposition of any assets by the Corporation; any interpretation of the terms and conditions of one or more agreements with any person, corporation, association, company, trust, partnership (limited or general) or other organization; the compensation of directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation; or any other matter relating to the business and affairs of the Corporation or required or permitted by applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws or otherwise to be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 5.6 Removal of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock (as defined below) to elect or remove one or more directors, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. For the purpose of this paragraph, “cause” shall mean, with respect to any particular director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to the Corporation through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty.
3
ARTICLE VI
STOCK
Section 6.1 Authorized Shares. The Corporation has authority to issue 2,000,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 1,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and 1,000,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”). The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $2,000,000. The Common Stock is initially classified in two classes consisting of (a) 500,000,000 shares of Class T Common Stock (the “Class T Common Stock”), and (b) 500,000,000 shares of Class D Common Stock (the “Class D Common Stock”). If shares of one class or series of stock are classified or reclassified into shares of another class or series of stock pursuant to this Article VI, the number of authorized shares of the former class or series shall be automatically decreased and the number of shares of the latter class or series shall be automatically increased, in each case by the number of shares so classified or reclassified, so that the aggregate number of shares of stock of all classes and series that the Corporation has authority to issue shall not be more than the total number of shares of stock set forth in the first sentence of this paragraph. The Board of Directors, with the approval of a majority of the entire Board of Directors and without any action by the stockholders of the Corporation, may amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue.
Section 6.2 Common Stock.
Section 6.2.1 General. The Class T Common Stock, and Class D Common Stock, and each other class of Common Stock authorized from time to time shall have the same preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption, except as provided in the Charter and any multiple class plan adopted by the Corporation. The Board of Directors may reclassify any unissued shares of Common Stock from time to time in one or more classes or series of stock.
Section 6.2.2 Net Asset Value. The net asset value of each class of Common Stock shall be calculated in accordance with the 1940 Act and separately from each other class of shares of the Corporation based on (a) the fees and charges specifically attributable to such class, including, without limitation, any distribution fees and stockholder servicing expenses attributable to that class and (b) the proportionate amount of all other fees and expenses of the Corporation not attributable to a particular class that are allocated among the classes of Common Stock.
Section 6.2.3 Distributions on Common Stock. Shares of each class of Common Stock shall be entitled to such dividends or other distributions, in cash, property or additional shares of stock of the same or another class, as may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors (by resolution adopted from time to time, or pursuant to a standing resolution or resolutions adopted only once or with such frequency as the Board of Directors may determine) and declared by the Corporation with respect to such class of Common Stock. The nature of in-kind property distributions may vary among the holders of a class of Common Stock, provided that the amount of the distribution per share, as determined by the Board of Directors, shall be equivalent for all holders of such class of Common Stock. Specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the dividends and distributions of investment income and capital gains with respect to the class of Common Stock may vary with respect to each such class of Common Stock to reflect differing allocations of the expenses of the Corporation among the holders of such classes of Common Stock and any resultant differences between the net asset values per share of such classes of Common Stock, to such extent and for such purposes as the Board of Directors may deem appropriate. The Board of Directors may determine that dividends may be payable only with respect to those shares of stock that have been held of record continuously by the stockholder for a specified period prior to the record date of the date of the distribution.
4
Section 6.3 Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors may classify any unissued shares of Preferred Stock and reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of Preferred Stock of any class or series from time to time, in one or more classes or series of stock.
Section 6.4 Voting. Except as provided below, each outstanding share, regardless of class, entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders and fractional shares shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote on any matter submitted to a vote of stockholders. Subject to the terms of any class or series of Preferred Stock, the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and other applicable law, all holders of shares of stock shall vote as a single class except with respect to any matter which the Board of Directors shall have determined affects only one or more (but less than all) classes of Common Stock, in which case only the holders of shares of classes of Common Stock affected shall be entitled to vote. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and other applicable law, the holders of each class of Common Stock shall have, respectively, with respect to any matter submitted to a vote of stockholders (i) exclusive voting rights with respect to any such matter that only affects the class of Common Stock of which they are holders, including, without limitation, the provisions of any distribution plan adopted by the Corporation with respect to the class of Common Stock of which they are holders and (ii) no voting rights with respect to the provisions of any distribution plan that affects one or more of such other classes of Common Stock, but not the class of Common Stock of which they are holders, or with respect to any other matter that does not affect the class of Common Stock of which they are holders.
Section 6.5 Quorum. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast one-third of all the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders, except with respect to any matter which, under applicable law, regulatory requirements or the Charter, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes of Common Stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast one-third of all the votes entitled to be cast by holders of shares of each class of Common Stock entitled to vote as a class on the matter shall constitute a quorum.
5
Section 6.6 Classified or Reclassified Shares. Prior to issuance of classified or reclassified shares of any class or series, the Board of Directors by resolution shall: (a) designate that class or series to distinguish it from all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation; (b) specify the number of shares to be included in the class or series; (c) set or change, subject to the express terms of any class or series of stock of the Corporation outstanding at the time, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers (including exclusive voting rights, if any), restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series; and (d) cause the Corporation to file articles supplementary with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (“SDAT”). Any of the terms of any class or series of stock set or changed pursuant to clause (c) of this Section 6.6 may be made dependent upon facts or events ascertainable outside the Charter (including determinations by the Board of Directors or other facts or events within the control of the Corporation) and may vary among holders thereof, provided that the manner in which such facts, events or variations shall operate upon the terms of such class or series of stock is clearly and expressly set forth in the articles supplementary or other Charter document filed with the SDAT.
Section 6.7 Charter and Bylaws. The rights of all stockholders and the terms of all stock are subject to the provisions of the Charter and the Bylaws. The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VII
AMENDMENTS; CERTAIN EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTIONS
Section 7.1 Amendments Generally. The Corporation reserves the right from time to time to make any amendment to the Charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of any shares of outstanding stock. All rights and powers conferred by the Charter on stockholders, directors and officers are granted subject to this reservation.
6
Section 7.2. Approval of Certain Extraordinary Actions and Charter Amendments.
(a) Required Votes. The affirmative vote of the holders of shares entitled to cast at least 80 percent of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, each voting as a separate class (except as provided with respect to a particular class or series of stock, when required by the 1940 Act to be voted in the aggregate and not by individual class or series), shall be necessary to effect:
(i) Any amendment to the Charter to make the Corporation's Common Stock a “redeemable security” or any other proposal to convert the Corporation, whether by merger or otherwise, from a “closed-end company” to an “open-end company” (as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act);
(ii) The liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation and any amendment to the Charter to effect any such liquidation or dissolution;
(iii) Any amendment to, or any amendment inconsistent with the provisions of, Section 5.1, Section 5.2, Section 5.6, Section 7.1 or this Section 7.2;
(iv) Any merger, conversion, consolidation, share exchange or sale or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation that the MGCL requires be approved by the stockholders of the Corporation; and
(v) Any transaction between the Corporation and a person, or group of persons acting together (including, without limitation, a “group” for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor provision), and any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any such person or member of such group, that is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise, or acquire the right to exercise or direct the exercise, directly or indirectly, other than solely by virtue of a revocable proxy, of one-tenth or more of the voting power in the election of directors generally;
provided, however, that, if the Continuing Directors (as defined herein), by a vote of at least two-thirds of such Continuing Directors, in addition to approval by the Board of Directors, approve such proposal or amendment, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast shall be sufficient to approve such matter; and provided further, that, with respect to any transaction referred to in (a)(v) above, if such transaction is approved by the Continuing Directors, by a vote of at least two-thirds of such Continuing Directors, no stockholder approval of such transaction shall be required unless the MGCL or another provision of the Charter or Bylaws otherwise requires such approval.
(b) Continuing Directors. “Continuing Directors” means (i) the directors identified in Section 5.1, (ii) the directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the directors identified in Section 5.1, who are on the Board at the time of the nomination or election, as applicable, or (iii) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors or successor Continuing Directors, who are on the Board at the time of the nomination or election, as applicable.
7
ARTICLE VIII
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
Section 8.1 Limitation of Liability. To the maximum extent that Maryland law in effect from time to time permits limitation of the liability of directors and officers of a corporation, no present or former director or officer of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages.
Section 8.2 Indemnification and Advance of Expenses. To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity and (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity, in either case, from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his or her service in such capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Charter shall vest immediately upon election of a director or officer. The Corporation may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advance of expenses to an individual who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation. The indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in the Charter shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, resolution, insurance, agreement or otherwise.
Section 8.3 1940 Act. The provisions of this Article VIII shall be subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act.
Section 8.4 Amendment or Repeal. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article VIII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Charter or Bylaws inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sections of this Article VIII with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
THIRD: The amendment to and restatement of the charter as hereinabove set forth have been duly advised by the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders of the Corporation as required by law.
8
FOURTH: The current address of the principal office of the Corporation is as set forth in Article IV of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
FIFTH: The name and address of the Corporation’s current resident agent are as set forth in Article IV of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
SIXTH: The number of directors of the Corporation and the names of those currently in office are as set forth in Article V of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
SEVENTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation had authority to issue immediately prior to this amendment and restatement was 1,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $.001 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all shares of stock having par value was $1,000,000.
EIGHTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation has authority to issue pursuant to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter is 2,000,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 1,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $.001 par value per share, and 1,000,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $.001 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $2,000,000. The Common Stock is classified in two classes consisting of (a) 500,000,000 shares of Class T Common Stock, and (b) 500,0000,000 shares of Class D Common Stock.
NINTH: These Articles of Amendment and Restatement shall become effective at ______ [a][p].m., Eastern Time, on _________, 2021.
TENTH: The undersigned officer acknowledges these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned officer acknowledges that, to the best of the officer’s knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
9
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and attested to by its Secretary on this [__] day of October, 2021.
ATTEST: | OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND, INC. | |||
By: | (SEAL) | |||
Thomas D. Peeney | Brian F. Hurley | |||
Secretary | President |
10
Exhibit 99.(b)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors may designate.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. The Corporation shall not be required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders in any year in which the election of directors is not required to be acted upon under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). In the event that the Corporation is required to hold a meeting of stockholders to elect directors under the 1940 Act, such meeting shall be designated the annual meeting of stockholders for that year and shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”). An annual meeting of stockholders called for any other reason shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS.
(a) General. Each of the chair of the board, chief executive officer, president and Board of Directors may call a special meeting of stockholders. Except as provided in subsection (b)(4) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the chair of the board, chief executive officer, president or Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting (the “Special Meeting Percentage”).
(b) Stockholder-Requested Special Meetings. (1) Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder, each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director and each matter proposed to be acted on at the meeting that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of directors or the election of each such individual, as applicable, in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which a Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.
(2) In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders, one or more written requests for a special meeting (collectively, the “Special Meeting Request”) signed by stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage shall be delivered to the secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall (a) set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) set forth (i) the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), (ii) the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned (beneficially or of record) by each such stockholder and (iii) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares of stock of the Corporation owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder, (d) be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting stockholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation of the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.
(3) The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing or delivering the notice of the meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the preparation and mailing or delivery of such notice of the meeting.
- 2 -
(4) In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a “Stockholder-Requested Meeting”), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder-Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m., local time, on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation. In fixing a date for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting, the Board of Directors may consider such factors as it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Stockholder-Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date or, if such 30th day after the Delivery Date is not a Business Day, the first preceding Business Day, shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Directors may revoke the notice for any Stockholder-Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting stockholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b).
(5) If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the secretary and the result is that stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting on the matter to the secretary: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been delivered, the secretary shall refrain from delivering the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for a special meeting on the matter, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been delivered and if the secretary first sends to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting on the matter written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the Corporation’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting or for the chair of the meeting to adjourn the meeting without action on the matter, (A) the secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting or (B) the chair of the meeting may call the meeting to order and adjourn the meeting from time to time without acting on the matter. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
(6) The chair of the board, chief executive officer, president or Board of Directors may appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed to have been received by the secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after actual receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, stockholders of record entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
- 3 -
(7) For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Section 4. NOTICE OF MEETINGS. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business, by electronic transmission or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a single notice to all stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any stockholder at such address, unless such stockholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.
Subject to Section 11(a) of this Article II, any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Corporation may postpone or cancel a meeting of stockholders by making a public announcement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting. Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this section.
- 4 -
Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chair of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the chair of the board or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chair of the board, by one of the following individuals present at the meeting in the following order: the lead independent director, if there is one, the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and, within each rank, in their order of seniority, the secretary, or, in the absence of such officers, a chair chosen by the stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the secretary, an assistant secretary or an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of stockholders, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. Even if present at the meeting, the person holding the office named herein may delegate to another person the power to act as chair or secretary of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chair of the meeting. The chair of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chair and without any action by the stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance or participation at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chair of the meeting may determine; (c) recognizing speakers at the meeting and determining when and for how long speakers and any individual speaker may address the meeting; (d) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed and when announcement of the results should be made; (e) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (f) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chair of the meeting; (g) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting (with respect to one or more matters to be considered at such meeting), whether or not a quorum is present, to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (h) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chair of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with any rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 6. QUORUM. The presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast one-third of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders, except with respect to any matter that, under applicable law or regulatory requirements or the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”), requires approval by a separate vote of the holders of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of stock of each such class on such a matter shall constitute a quorum. This section shall not affect any requirement under law or the Charter for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter.
If, however, such quorum is not established at any meeting of the stockholders, the chair of the meeting may adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
- 5 -
The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough stockholders to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a director. Each share entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the holder of such share is entitled to vote. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless a different number or proportion is required by any law or the Charter. Unless otherwise provided by any law or the Charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, entitles the holder thereof to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders and fractional shares shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote on any matter submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Section 8. PROXIES. A stockholder of record may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 9. VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, managing member, manager, general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any trustee or fiduciary, in such capacity, may vote stock registered in such trustee’s or fiduciary’s name, either in person or by proxy.
Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.
- 6 -
The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable. On receipt by the Corporation of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the holder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.
Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor to the inspector. Except as otherwise provided by the chair of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of stock represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chair of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
Section 11. ADVANCE NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS.
(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board of Directors for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, at the time of giving of notice by the stockholder as provided for in this Section 11(a) and at the time of the annual meeting (and any postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with this Section 11(a).
(2) In addition to complying with any other requirements under all applicable federal and state laws, including the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and the Charter and these Bylaws, for any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 11, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and, in the case of any such other business, such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the stockholders. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 11 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) for the most recent year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in connection with the Corporation’s first annual meeting or in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the anniversary of the date of the most recent year’s annual meeting, in order for notice by the stockholder to be timely, such notice must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. If a stockholder of record is entitled to vote only for a specific class or category of directors at a meeting (annual or special), such stockholder’s right to nominate one or more individuals for election as a director at the meeting shall be limited to such class or category of directors.
- 7 -
(3) Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth:
(i) as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director (each, a “Proposed Nominee”),
(A) all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act;
(B) a representation that the Proposed Nominee is not and will not be an “interested person” of the Corporation (as defined in the 1940 Act), and information regarding the Proposed Nominee that will be sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, for the Corporation to confirm such representation; and
(C) a representation that the Proposed Nominee meets all applicable legal requirements relevant to service as a director, including, but not limited to, the rules adopted by the principal listing exchange (if any) upon which Corporation’s securities are listed, Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor provision thereto), Article 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act with respect to the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm (or any successor provision thereto) and any other criteria established by the 1940 Act related to service as a director of a management investment company or the permitted composition of the board of directors of a management investment company, together with information regarding such Proposed Nominee that will be sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, to confirm such representation;
(ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting,
(A) a description of such business (including the text of any resolution proposed for consideration), the stockholder’s reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder or the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom; and
- 8 -
(B) whether the stockholder has received any financial assistance, funding or other consideration from any Stockholder Associated Person in respect of the proposal and the details thereof;
(iii) as to the stockholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Stockholder Associated Person,
(A) the class, series and number of all shares of stock or other securities of the Corporation or any affiliate thereof (collectively, the “Company Securities”), if any, which are owned (beneficially or of record) by such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit from any decrease in the price of such stock or other security) in any Company Securities of any such person;
(B) the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person;
(C) whether and the extent to which such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), is subject to or during the last twelve months has engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to (I) manage risk or benefit of changes in the price of (x) Company Securities or (y) any security of any other closed-end investment company (a “Peer Group Company”) for such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person or (II) increase or decrease the voting power of such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person in the Corporation or any affiliate thereof (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company) disproportionately to such person’s economic interest in the Company Securities (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company); and
(D) any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Corporation), by security holdings or otherwise, of such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, in the Corporation or any affiliate thereof, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company Securities where such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person receives no extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of the same class or series;
(iv) as to the stockholder giving the notice, any Stockholder Associated Person with an interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (3) of this Section 11(a) and any Proposed Nominee,
- 9 -
(A) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock ledger, and the current name and business address, if different, of each such Stockholder Associated Person and any Proposed Nominee; and
(B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person;
(v) the name and address of any person who contacted or was contacted by the stockholder giving the notice or any Stockholder Associated Person about the Proposed Nominee or other business proposal; and
(vi) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice.
(4) Such stockholder’s notice shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by a written undertaking executed by the Proposed Nominee (i) certifying that such Proposed Nominee (a) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation and (b) will serve as a director of the Corporation if elected; and (ii) attaching a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Corporation, upon request, to the stockholder providing the notice and shall include all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act, or would be required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange or over-the-counter market on which the Corporation’s securities are listed or traded).
(5) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 11 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased, and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 11(c)(3) of this Article II) for the most recent year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 11(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(6) For purposes of this Section 11, “Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder means (i) any person acting in concert with such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder (other than a stockholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person or is an officer, director, partner, member, employee or agent of such stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person.
- 10 -
(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) by a stockholder that has requested that a special meeting be called for the purpose of electing directors in compliance with Section 3 of this Article II and that has supplied the information required by Section 3 of this Article II about each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election of directors or (iii) provided that the special meeting has been called in accordance with Section 3 of this Article II for the purpose of electing directors, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the record date set by the Board of Directors for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11 and at the time of the special meeting (and any postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice, containing the information required by paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this Section 11 shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.
(c) General. (1) If information submitted pursuant to this Section 11 by any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information, nomination or proposal may be deemed not to have been provided or made in accordance with this Section 11. Any such stockholder shall notify the Corporation of any inaccuracy or change (within two Business Days of becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change) in any such information. Upon written request by the secretary of the Corporation or the Board of Directors, any such stockholder shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11, and (B) a written update of any information (including, if requested by the Corporation, written confirmation by such stockholder that it continues to intend to bring such nomination or other business proposal before the meeting) submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 as of an earlier date. If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification or written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written update was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.
- 11 -
(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 11 shall be eligible for election by stockholders as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 11. The chair of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 11.
(3) For purposes of this Section 11, “the date of the proxy statement” shall have the same meaning as “the date of the company’s proxy statement released to shareholders” as used in Rule 14a-8(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as interpreted by the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. “Public announcement” shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the 1940 Act.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11. Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to affect any right of a stockholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, or the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, any proxy statement filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Section 11 shall require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act
(5) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, except as otherwise determined by the chair of the meeting, if the stockholder giving notice as provided for in this Section 11 does not appear in person or by proxy at such annual or special meeting to present each nominee for election as a director or the proposed business, as applicable, such matter shall not be considered at the meeting.
Section 12. VOTING BY BALLOT. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 1. GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.
- 12 -
Section 2. NUMBER AND TENURE. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors. Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chair of the board or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held from time to time at such places and times as provided by the Board of Directors by resolution, without notice other than such resolution.
Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chair of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without notice other than such resolution.
Section 5. NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.
Section 6. QUORUM. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors is present at such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to any law, the Charter or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or such other percentage of such group.
- 13 -
The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough directors to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. The action of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by any law, the Charter or these Bylaws. If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by any law, the Charter or these Bylaws.
Section 8. ORGANIZATION. At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the chair of the board or, in the absence of the chair, the vice chair of the board, if any, shall act as chair of the meeting. In the absence of both the chair and vice chair of the board, the chief executive officer or, in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or, in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall act as chair of the meeting. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation, or, in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the chair of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting
Section 9. CHAIR. The Board of Directors may designate from among its members a chair and a vice chair of the board, who shall not, solely by reason of such designation, be officers of the Corporation but shall have such powers and duties as specified in these Bylaws or determined by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 10. MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Section 11. CONSENT BY DIRECTORS WITHOUT A MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each director and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.
Section 12. VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all of the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors for any cause other than an increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, even if such majority is less than a quorum. Any vacancy in the number of directors created by an increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority of the entire Board of Directors. Any individual so elected as director shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.
- 14 -
Section 13. COMPENSATION. Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting (including telephonic meetings) and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with any service or activity they perform or engage in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 14. LOSS OF DEPOSITS. No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.
Section 15. SURETY BONDS. Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties.
Section 16. RELIANCE. Each director and officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Corporation whom the director or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a director, by a committee of the Board of Directors on which the director does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the director reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
Section 17. RATIFICATION. The Board of Directors or the stockholders may ratify any act, omission, failure to act or determination made not to act (an “Act”) by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the stockholders could have originally authorized the Act and, if so ratified, such Act shall have the same force and effect as if originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders. Any Act questioned in any proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, and such ratification shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned Act.
- 15 -
Section 18. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision in the Charter or these Bylaws, this Section 18 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Directors under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an “Emergency”). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, (i) a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof may be called by any director or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (ii) notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many directors and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio; and (iii) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Compensation Committee, a Qualified Legal Compliance Committee and one or more other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, any committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority to one or more subcommittees, composed of one or more directors, as the committee deems appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.
Section 3. MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Directors may designate a chair of any committee, and such chair or, in the absence of a chair, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide.
Section 4. MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
- 16 -
Section 6. VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to appoint the chair of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, a chief compliance officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Corporation, including any officers elected to fill a vacancy among the officers, shall be elected by the Board of Directors, except that the chief executive officer or the president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or any other officers. Each officer shall serve for the term specified by the Board of Directors or the appointing officer or, if no such term is specified, until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.
Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chair of the board, the chief executive officer, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.
Section 3. VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.
Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer. In the absence of such designation, the president shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
- 17 -
Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer from time to time.
Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer from time to time.
Section 7. CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief compliance officer to the extent required by, and consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The chief compliance officer, subject to the discretion of and reporting to the Board of Directors, shall be responsible for the oversight of the Company's compliance with the federal securities laws and other applicable regulatory requirements. The designation, compensation and removal of the chief compliance officer shall be approved by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law. The chief compliance officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 8. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a designation of a chief executive officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief executive officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer from time to time.
Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.
Section 10. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors.
- 18 -
Section 11. TREASURER. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors and in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.
The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, upon request, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.
Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors.
Section 13. COMPENSATION. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, officers shall not receive any stated salary or other compensation for their services as officers.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors or any manager of the Corporation approved by the Board of Directors and acting within the scope of its authority pursuant to a management agreement with the Corporation may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors or a manager acting within the scope of its authority pursuant to a management agreement and executed by the chief executive officer, the president or any other person authorized by the Board of Directors or such a manager.
Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
- 19 -
Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Corporation as the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer, or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors may determine.
ARTICLE VII
STOCK
Section 1. CERTIFICATES. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation, stockholders of the Corporation are not entitled to certificates representing the shares of stock held by them. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MGCL and shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in any manner permitted by the MGCL. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, to the extent then required by the MGCL the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates. There shall be no difference in the rights and obligations of stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.
Section 2. TRANSFERS. All transfers of shares of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation in such manner as the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Directors or an officer of the Corporation that such shares shall no longer be represented by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares, to the extent then required by the MGCL, a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.
The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the Charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.
Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Any officer of the Corporation may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such stockholder and the Board of Directors or an officer of the Corporation has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Corporation, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Corporation a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation.
- 20 -
Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such record date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.
When a record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if postponed or adjourned, except if the meeting is postponed or adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting shall be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. STOCK LEDGER. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate stock ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.
Section 6. FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Directors may authorize the Corporation to issue fractional stock on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter.
- 21 -
Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
SEAL
Section 1. SEAL. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words “Incorporated Maryland,” or shall be in such other form as may approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.
ARTICLE XI
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XII
INSPECTION OF RECORDS
A stockholder that is otherwise eligible under applicable law to inspect the Corporation’s books of account, stock ledger, or other specified documents of the Corporation shall have no right to make such inspection if the Board of Directors determines that such stockholder has an improper purpose for requesting such inspection.
- 22 -
ARTICLE XIII
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the MGCL, (b) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, other than actions arising under United States federal securities laws, (c) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any director or officer or other agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the stockholders of the Corporation, (d) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other agent of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or the Charter or these Bylaws, or (e) any other action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other agent of the Corporation that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. None of the foregoing actions, claims or proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of Maryland unless the Corporation consents in writing to such court.
ARTICLE XIV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power, at any time, to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.
- 23 -
Exhibit 99.(e)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
A Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) is available to shareholders of the Fund pursuant to which they may elect to have all distributions of dividends and capital gains automatically reinvested by [ ] (the “Plan Agent”) in additional Fund shares. Shareholders who do not participate in the Plan will receive all distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to the shareholder of record (or if the shares are held in street or other nominee name, then to the nominee) by the Fund’s Custodian, as Dividend Disbursing Agent.
The Plan Agent serves as agent for the shareholders in administering the Plan. After the Fund declares a dividend or determines to make a capital gain distribution, payable in cash, if (1) the market price is lower than the net asset value, the participants in the Plan will receive the equivalent in Fund shares valued at the market price determined as of the time of purchase (generally, the payment date of the dividend or distribution); or if (2) the market price of the shares on the payment date of the dividend or distribution is equal to or exceeds their net asset value, participants will be issued Fund shares at the higher of net asset value or 95% of the market price. This discount reflects savings in underwriting and other costs that the Fund otherwise will be required to incur to raise additional capital. If, before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases, the market price exceeds the net asset value of the Fund’s shares, the average per share purchase price paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the net asset value of the Fund’s shares, resulting in the acquisition of fewer shares than if the dividend or distribution had been paid in shares issued by the Fund. The Fund will not issue shares under the Plan below net asset value.
Participants in the Plan may withdraw from the Plan upon written notice to the Plan Agent. When a participant withdraws from the Plan or upon termination of the Plan by the Fund, certificates for whole shares credited to his or her account under the Plan will be issued and a cash payment will be made for any fraction of a share credited to such account.
There is no charge to participants for reinvesting dividends or capital gain distributions, except for certain brokerage commissions, as described below. The Plan Agent’s fees for handling the reinvestment of dividends and distributions are paid by the Fund. There are no brokerage commissions charged with respect to shares issued directly by the Fund. However, each participant will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the Plan Agent’s open market purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve participants of any federal income tax that may be payable on such dividends or distributions.
A brochure describing the Plan is available from the Plan Agent, by calling [ ].
If you wish to participate in the Plan and your shares are held in your name, you may simply complete and mail the enrollment form in the brochure. If your shares are held in the name of your brokerage firm, bank or other nominee, you should ask them whether or how you can participate in the Plan. Shareholders whose shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank or other nominee and are participating in the Plan may not be able to continue participating in the Plan if they transfer their shares to a different brokerage firm, bank or other nominee, since such shareholders may participate only if permitted by the brokerage firm, bank or other nominee to which their shares are transferred.
Brookfield Investment Management Inc.
Exhibit 99.(g)(1)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made as of [●], 2021, by and between Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”).
WHEREAS, the Fund is a newly organized diversified, closed-end management investment company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) that intends to operate as an interval fund under the 1940 Act;
WHEREAS, the Fund is authorized to issue its shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) in one or more classes, with each such class representing interests in the same portfolio of securities and other assets;
WHEREAS, the Adviser is engaged principally in the business of rendering investment management services and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended;
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Adviser to provide investment advisory services to the Fund in the manner and on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is willing to provide services to the Fund in the manner and on the terms and conditions set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, WITNESSETH: That it is hereby agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
SECTION 1. Appointment of Adviser.
The Fund hereby appoints the Adviser to act as manager and investment adviser to the Fund for the period and on the terms herein set forth. The Adviser accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services herein set forth, for the compensation herein provided.
SECTION 2. Duties of Adviser.
The Adviser, at its own expense, shall furnish the following services and facilities to the Fund:
(a) Investment Program. The Adviser shall (i) furnish continuously an investment program for the Fund, (ii) determine (subject to the overall supervision and review of the Fund’s Board of Directors) the investments to be purchased, held, sold or exchanged by the Fund and the portion, if any, of the assets of the Fund to be held uninvested, (iii) make changes in the investments of the Fund and (iv) vote, exercise consents and exercise all other rights pertaining to such investments. The Adviser also shall manage, supervise and conduct the other affairs and business of the Fund and matters incidental thereto, subject always to the control of the Fund’s Board of Directors, and to the provisions of the organizational documents of the Fund, the registration statement of the Fund on Form N-2 (the “Registration Statement”), including the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, any public filings made pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the New York Stock Exchange requirements, if applicable, including any press releases, and the 1940 Act and other applicable law, in each case as from time to time amended and in effect. Subject to the foregoing, the Adviser may delegate any or all of its responsibilities to one or more investment sub-advisers, which sub-advisers may be affiliates of the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Fund; provided, however, that the Adviser shall remain responsible to the Fund with respect to its duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement. The Adviser agrees to furnish advice and recommendations to the Fund and the Board with respect to the selection and continued employment of any sub-adviser(s) to provide investment advisory services to the Fund on terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, the compensation payable to any such sub-adviser(s), approved in the manner provided by applicable law.
(b) Portfolio Transactions. The Adviser shall place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund with brokers or dealers selected by the Adviser, although the Fund will pay the actual brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions in accordance with Section 3(d).
In placing portfolio transactions for the Fund, it is recognized that the Adviser will use commercially reasonable efforts to secure the most favorable price and efficient execution. Consistent with this policy, the Adviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers or dealers who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which other clients of the Adviser may be a party. It is understood that neither the Fund nor the Adviser has adopted a formula for allocation of the Fund’s investment transaction business. It is also understood that it is desirable for the Fund that the Adviser have access to supplemental investment and market research and security and economic analysis provided by brokers who may execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to the Fund than would otherwise result when allocating brokerage transactions to other brokers on the basis of seeking the most favorable price and efficient execution. Therefore, subject to Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any restrictions and guidelines established by the Board of Directors, the Adviser is authorized to place orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund with such brokers. It is understood that the services provided by such brokers may be useful or beneficial to the Adviser in connection with its services to other clients.
On occasions when the Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients, the Adviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities to be so sold or purchased in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Adviser in the manner it considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.
SECTION 3. Allocation of Expenses.
The Fund assumes and shall pay all expenses for all other Fund operations and activities and shall reimburse the Adviser for any such expenses incurred by the Adviser. Unless the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information of the Fund provides otherwise, the expenses to be borne by the Fund shall include, without limitation:
(a) all expenses of organizing the Fund;
(b) the charges and expenses of any registrar, stock transfer or dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or depository appointed by the Fund for the safekeeping of its cash, portfolio securities and other property, including the costs of servicing shareholder investment accounts, and bookkeeping, accounting and pricing services provided to the Fund (other than those utilized by the Adviser in providing the services described in Section 2);
(c) the charges and expenses of bookkeeping, accounting and auditors;
(d) brokerage commissions and other costs incurred in connection with transactions in the portfolio securities of the Fund, including any portion of such commissions attributable to brokerage and research services as defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
(e) taxes, including issuance and transfer taxes, and fund registration, filing or other fees payable by the Fund to federal, state or other governmental agencies;
(f) expenses relating to the issuance of Shares of the Fund;
(g) expenses involved in registering and maintaining registrations of the Fund and of its Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and various states and other jurisdictions;
(h) expenses involved in registering and maintaining registrations of the Fund and of its Shares with any securities exchange or other trading system, as applicable;
(i) expenses of shareholders’ and directors’ meetings, including meetings of committees, and of preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements, quarterly reports, if any, semi-annual reports, annual reports and other communications to existing shareholders;
2
(j) expenses of preparing and printing prospectuses;
(k) compensation and expenses of directors who are not affiliated with the Adviser;
(l) if approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors, compensation and expenses of the Fund’s chief compliance officer and expenses associated with the Fund’s compliance program;
(m) charges and expenses of legal counsel in connection with matters relating to the Fund, including, without limitation, legal services rendered in connection with the Fund’s organization and financial structure and relations with its shareholders, issuance of Shares of the Fund and registration and qualification of Shares under federal, state and other laws and fees and expenses associated with seeking, expenses of issuing, redeeming and repurchasing (including expenses associated with the Fund’s Share repurchases pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act), applying for and obtaining formal exemptive, no-action and/or other relief from the SEC in connection with the issuance of multiple share classes;
(n) the cost and expense of maintaining the books and records of the Fund, including general ledger accounting;
(o) insurance premiums on fidelity, errors and omissions and other coverages, including the expense of obtaining and maintaining a fidelity bond as required by Section 17(g) of the 1940 Act which may also cover the Adviser;
(p) expenses incurred in obtaining and maintaining any surety bond or similar coverage with respect to securities of the Fund;
(q) costs, including interest payable on Fund borrowings, of borrowing money or engaging in other types of leverage financing including, without limitation, through the use by the Fund of reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, bank borrowings, and credit facilities;
(r) such other non-recurring expenses of the Fund as may arise, including expenses of actions, suits or proceedings to which the Fund is a party and expenses resulting from the legal obligation that the Fund may have to provide indemnity with respect thereto;
(s) expenses and fees reasonably incidental to any of the foregoing specifically identified expenses;
(t) any expenses allocated or allocable to a specific class of Shares, including without limitation sub-transfer agency expenses, shareholder servicing fees, and distribution fees paid pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 or similar plan adopted by the Board of Directors of the Fund for a particular Share class;
(u) ordinary legal fees, including the legal fees that arise in the ordinary course of business for the Fund, registered as a closed-end management investment company and, as applicable, that operates as an “interval fund” pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940;
(v) all other expenses permitted by the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the Fund as being paid by the Fund; and
(w) cost and expenses relating to any special purpose vehicles held or established by the Fund; costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute in connection with the business of the Fund and the amount of any judgment or settlement paid in connection therewith, or the enforcement of the Fund’s rights against any person and indemnification or contribution expenses payable by the Fund to any person and other extraordinary expenses.
3
SECTION 4. Advisory Fee.
(a) The Fund hereby agrees to compensate the Adviser for its services and its related expenses at an annual rate of 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily “Managed Assets” payable monthly in arrears. “Managed Assets” of the Fund shall mean the Fund’s net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. The Adviser may waive a portion of its fees. If this Agreement becomes effective subsequent to the first day of a month or shall terminate before the last day of a month, compensation for such month shall be computed in a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees payable on a monthly basis. Subject to the provisions of Section 5 below, the accrued fees will be payable monthly as promptly as possible after the end of each month during which this Agreement is in effect.
(b) The Adviser may direct the Fund’s administrator or sub-administrator to pay to any sub-adviser a portion of the compensation payable to the Adviser pursuant to Section 4(a) out of the assets of the Fund; provided, however, that in such case the compensation payable to the Adviser hereunder will be reduced by the amount of any compensation paid directly by the Fund to such sub-adviser.
SECTION 5. Indemnification.
(a) The Fund hereby agrees to indemnify the Adviser and each of the Adviser’s partners, officers, employees, and agents (including any individual who serves at the Adviser’s request as director, officer, partner, trustee or the like of another corporation) and controlling persons (each such person being an “Indemnitee”) against any liabilities and expenses, including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees (all as provided in accordance with applicable state law) reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or investigative body in which he may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which he may be or may have been threatened, while acting in any capacity set forth above in this paragraph or thereafter by reason of his having acted in any such capacity, except with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Fund and furthermore, in the case of any criminal proceeding, so long as he had no reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful, provided, however, that (1) no Indemnitee shall be indemnified hereunder against any liability to the Fund or its stockholders or any expense of such Indemnitee arising by reason of (i) willful misfeasance, (ii) bad faith, (iii) gross negligence (iv) reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his position (the conduct referred to in such clauses (i) through (iv) being sometimes referred to herein as “Disabling Conduct”), (2) as to any matter disposed of by settlement or a compromise payment by such Indemnitee, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no indemnification either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless there has been a determination that such settlement or compromise is in the best interests of the Fund and that such Indemnitee appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Fund and did not involve Disabling Conduct by such Indemnitee and (3) with respect to any action, suit or other proceeding voluntarily prosecuted by any Indemnitee as plaintiff, indemnification shall be mandatory only if the prosecution of such action, suit or other proceeding by such Indemnitee was authorized by a majority of the full Board of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund shall not be obligated to provide any such indemnification to the extent such provision would waive any right that the Fund cannot lawfully waive.
(b) The Fund shall make advance payments in connection with the expenses of defending any action with respect to which indemnification might be sought hereunder if the Fund receives a written affirmation of the Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met and a written undertaking to reimburse the Fund unless it is subsequently determined that he is entitled to such indemnification and if the Director of the Fund determine that the facts then known to them would not preclude indemnification. In addition, at least one of the following conditions must be met: (1) the Indemnitee shall provide adequate security for his undertaking, (2) the Fund shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, (3) a majority of a quorum of Director of the Fund who are neither “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) nor parties to the proceeding (“Disinterested Non-Party Director”) or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Indemnitee ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification or (4) there is not a Disinterested Non-Party Trustee, Indemnitee provides the written affirmation referred to above.
4
(c) All determinations with respect to indemnification hereunder shall be made (1) by a final decision on the merits by a court or other body of competent jurisdiction before whom the proceeding was brought that such Indemnitee is not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct or, (2) in the absence of such a decision, by (i) a majority vote of a quorum of the Disinterested Non-Party Director of the Fund, or (ii) if such a quorum is not obtainable or even if obtainable, if a majority vote of such quorum so directs, independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
(d) Each Indemnitee shall, in the performance of its duties, be fully and completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Fund, upon an opinion of counsel, or upon reports made to the Fund by any of the Fund’s officers or employees or by any advisor, administrator, manager, distributor, selected dealer, accountant, appraiser or other expert or consultant selected with reasonable care by the Director, officers or employees of the Fund, regardless of whether such counsel or other person may also be a Trustee.
(e) The rights accruing to any Indemnitee under these provisions shall not exclude any other right to which he may be lawfully entitled.
SECTION 6. Relations with Fund.
Subject to and in accordance with the organizational documents of the Adviser and the Fund, as well as their policies and procedures and codes of ethics, it is understood that Director, officers, agents and stockholders of the Fund are or may be interested in the Adviser (or any successor thereof) as directors, officers or otherwise, that partners, officers and agents of the Adviser (or any successor thereof) are or may be interested in the Fund as Director, officers, agents, stockholders or otherwise, and that the Adviser (or any such successor thereof) is or may be interested in the Fund as a shareholder or otherwise.
SECTION 7. Liability of Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Fund for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates; provided, however, that no provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Fund or its stockholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any Disabling Conduct nor shall any provision hereof be deemed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Fund against any such liability to which he might otherwise be subject by reason of any Disabling Conduct.
SECTION 8. Duration and Termination of this Agreement.
(a) Duration. This Agreement shall become effective on the date first set forth above, such date being the date on which this Agreement has been executed following: (1) the approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors, including approval by a vote of a majority of the Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Adviser or the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval; and (2) the approval by a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. Unless terminated as herein provided, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until the date that is two years after the effective date of this Agreement. Subsequent to such initial period of effectiveness, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect, subject to paragraph 8(c), so long as such continuance is approved at least annually (a) by either the Fund’s Board of Directors or by a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund and (b) in either event, by the vote of a majority of the Directors of the Fund who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
(b) Amendment. No provision of this Agreement may be amended, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the amendment, waiver, discharge or termination is sought. Any amendment of this Agreement shall be subject to the 1940 Act including the interpretation thereof that amendments that do not increase the compensation of the Adviser or otherwise fundamentally alter the relationship of the Fund with the Adviser do not require shareholder approval if approved by the requisite majority of the Fund’s Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund.
5
(c) Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of the Fund’s Board of Directors, or by a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Adviser, in each case on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ prior written notice to the other party.
(d) Automatic Termination. This Agreement shall automatically and immediately terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
SECTION 9. Services Not Exclusive.
The services of the Adviser to the Fund hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser (and its affiliates) shall be free to render similar services to others so long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby; provided, however, that the Adviser will undertake no activities that, in its reasonable good faith judgment, will adversely affect the performance of its obligations under this Agreement. In addition, the parties may enter into other agreements pursuant to which the Adviser provides administrative or other, non-investment advisory services to the Fund, and the Adviser may be compensated for such other services.
SECTION 10. Notices.
Notices under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be addressed, and delivered or mailed postage prepaid, to the other party at such address as such other party may designate from time to time for the receipt of such notices. Until further notice to the other party, the address of each party to this Agreement for this purpose shall be Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10281-1010.
SECTION 11. Governing Law; Severability; Counterparts.
(a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, and the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that applicable law of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall, together, constitute only one instrument.
(b) Exclusive jurisdiction over any action, suit, or proceeding under, arising out of, or relating to this Agreement shall lie in the federal and state courts within the State of New York, and each party hereby waives any objection it may have at any time to the laying of venue of any such proceedings brought in any such courts, waives any claim that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum, and further waives the right to object, with respect to such proceedings, that any such court does not have jurisdiction over that party.
SECTION 12. Miscellaneous.
(a) If the Adviser enters into a definitive agreement that would result in a change of control (within the meaning of the 1940 Act) of the Adviser, it agrees to give the Fund the lesser of 60 days’ written notice and such notice as is reasonably practicable before consummating the transaction.
(b) Where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in or contemplated by any provisions of this Agreement is altered by a rule, regulation or order of the SEC, whether of special or general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.
(c) No person other than the Fund and the Adviser is a party to this Agreement or shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under or in respect of this Agreement; there are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be read to, (i) create in any person other than the Fund in question (including without limitation any shareholder in any Fund) any direct, indirect, derivative, or other rights against the Adviser, or (ii) create or give rise to any duty or obligation on the part of the Adviser (including without limitation any fiduciary duty) to any person other than the Fund, all of which rights, benefits, duties, and obligations are hereby expressly excluded.
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW]
6
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first set forth above.
OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: Ting He | ||
Title: Senior Vice President | ||
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: President |
7
Exhibit 99.(g)(2)
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the [●] day of [●], 2021 (the “Agreement”) by and among OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”) and OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Oaktree”) (solely with respect to Sections 7, 9 and 10 of this Agreement).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Fund is a newly organized diversified, closed-end management investment company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), that intends to operate as an interval fund under the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Fund wishes to retain the Administrator to provide certain administrative services in connection with the management of the Fund’s operations and the Administrator is willing to furnish such services;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, it is agreed between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Administrator to provide certain administrative services, hereinafter enumerated, in connection with the management of the Fund’s operations for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator accepts such appointment and agrees to comply with all relevant provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable rules and regulations thereunder, and other applicable law.
2. Services on a Continuing Basis. Subject to the overall supervision of the Board of Directors of the Fund, the Administrator will perform the following services on a regular basis which would be daily, weekly or as otherwise appropriate:
A) perform the services in Exhibit 1 attached; and
B) such additional services as may be agreed upon by the Fund and the Administrator.
3. Responsibility of the Administrator. The Administrator shall be under no duty to take any action on behalf of the Fund except as set forth herein or as may be agreed to by the Administrator in writing. In the performance of its duties hereunder, the Administrator shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care and diligence and to act in good faith and to use its best efforts. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing or any other provision of this Agreement, the Administrator shall not be liable for delays or errors or loss of data occurring by reason of circumstances beyond the Administrator’s control. The Administrator may delegate any and all of its responsibilities to one or more sub-administrators; provided, however, that the Administrator shall remain responsible to the Fund with respect to its duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement.
4. Reliance Upon Instructions. The Fund agrees that the Administrator shall be entitled to rely upon any instructions, oral or written, actually received by the Administrator from the Board of Directors of the Fund and shall incur no liability to the Fund in acting upon such oral or written instructions, provided such instructions reasonably appear to have been received from a person duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the Fund to give oral or written instructions.
5. Confidentiality. The Administrator agrees on behalf of itself and its employees to treat confidentially all records and other information relative to the Fund and all prior, present or potential shareholders of the Fund, except after prior notification to, and approval of release of information in writing by, the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld where the Administrator may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Fund.
6. Equipment Failures. In the event of equipment failures or the occurrence of events beyond the Administrator’s control which render the performance of the Administrator’s functions under this Agreement impossible, the Administrator shall take reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions and is authorized to engage the services of third parties (at the Administrator’s expense) to prevent or remedy such service interruptions.
7. Compensation. Oaktree hereby agrees to compensate the Administrator for its services pursuant to this Agreement as may be agreed from time to time in a written Fee Schedule approved by the parties. All rights of compensation and expense reimbursement under this Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive the termination of this Agreement. In addition, Oaktree shall reimburse the Administrator for its reasonable out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with this Agreement upon presentation of an itemized invoice documenting such expenses.
8. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator; Indemnification.
A) The Administrator shall not be liable to the Fund for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any act or omission by the Administrator in the performance of its duties hereunder. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to protect the Administrator against any liability to the Fund, its shareholders, the Administrator, as investment adviser to the Fund, or any sub-adviser to which the Administrator shall otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
B) The Administrator may, with respect to questions of law, apply for and obtain the advice and opinion of counsel to the Fund, at the expense of the Fund, and with respect to the application of generally accepted accounting principles or Federal tax accounting principles, apply for and obtain the advice and opinion of the independent auditors of the Fund, at the expense of the Fund. The Administrator shall be fully protected with respect to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in conformity with such advice or opinion.
C) The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Administrator from and against all charges, claims, expenses (including legal fees) and liabilities reasonably incurred by the Administrator in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder, except such as may arise from the Administrator’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder. The Fund shall make advance payments in connection with the expenses of defending any action with respect to which indemnification might be sought hereunder if the Fund receives a written affirmation of the Administrator’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification has been met and a written undertaking to reimburse the Fund unless it is subsequently determined that it is entitled to such indemnification and if the directors of the Fund determine that the facts then known to them would not preclude indemnification. In addition, at least one of the following conditions must be met: (A) the Administrator shall provide a security for this undertaking; (B) the Fund shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (C) a majority of a quorum consisting of directors of the Fund who are neither “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) nor parties to the proceeding (“Independent Directors”) or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Administrator ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
D) As used in this Paragraph 8, the term “Administrator” shall include any affiliates of the Administrator performing services for the Fund contemplated hereby and directors, officers, agents and employees of the Administrator and such affiliates.
9. Duration and Termination. This Agreement shall become effective on the date first set forth above, such date being the date on which this Agreement has been executed and shall continue in full force and effect, unless terminated as herein provided, for successive annual periods so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the Fund’s Board of Directors, including by the vote of a majority of the Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Fund (through the Board of Directors of the Fund) or the Administrator on 30 days’ written notice to the other. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing. This Agreement cannot be assigned without the prior written consent of the other party hereto.
10. Notices. Notices under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be addressed, and delivered or mailed postage prepaid, to the other party at such address as such other party may designate from time to time for the receipt of such notices. Until further notice to the other party, the address of each party to this Agreement for this purpose shall be Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street, New York, New York 10281-1023.
2
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall, together, constitute only one instrument.
12. Services Not Exclusive. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the Administrator from providing services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the services provided hereunder.
13. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
14. Amendments. This Agreement or any part hereof may be changed or waived only by instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of such change or waiver is sought.
15. Miscellaneous. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the services to be performed hereunder, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. This Agreement shall be deemed to be a contract made in New York and governed by New York law. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement will not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW]
3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below on the day and year first written above.
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: President | ||
Attest: | ||
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: General Counsel | ||
Attest: | ||
OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC (solely with respect to Sections 7, 9 and 10 of this Agreement) |
||
By: | ||
Name: Ting He | ||
Title: Senior Vice President | ||
Attest: |
EXHIBIT 1
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP LLC (“PSG”)
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Pursuant to Section 2 of the Administration Agreement between PSG and OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. (the “Fund”), PSG will perform the following services on a regular basis which shall be daily, weekly or as otherwise appropriate:
1) prepare and coordinate reports and other materials to be supplied to the Board of Directors of the Fund;
2) prepare and/or supervise the preparation and filing with the applicable regulatory authority of all securities filings (i.e., N-CSR, N-CEN, Form N-PX, N-23C-3 and N-PORT), periodic financial reports, prospectuses, supplements, statements of additional information, marketing materials, tax returns, shareholder reports and other regulatory reports and filings required of the Fund;
3) supervise and monitor the preparation of all required filings necessary to maintain the Fund’s qualification and/or registration to sell shares in all states where the Fund currently does, or intends to do business;
4) coordinate the preparation, printing and mailing of all materials (e.g., Annual Reports) required to be sent to shareholders;
5) coordinate the preparation and payment of Fund-related expenses;
6) monitor and oversee the activities of the Fund’s servicing agents (i.e., transfer agent, custodian, fund accountants, etc.);
7) review and adjust as necessary the Fund’s daily expense accruals;
8) monitor daily, monthly and periodic compliance with respect to Federal and State Securities Laws, Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA Rules and prospectus guidelines and restrictions;
9) send periodic information (i.e., performance figures) to service organizations that track investment company information;
10) prepare and/or supervise the preparation and filing with a securities exchange or trading platform all reports and filings required of the Fund, if applicable;
11) prepare and/or supervise the preparation and filing of any press releases required of the Fund;
12) undertake to make public information pertaining to the Fund on an ongoing basis and to communicate to investors and prospective investors the Fund’s features and benefits (including periodic seminars or conference calls, responses to questions from current or prospectus shareholders and specific shareholder contact where appropriate);
13) make available to investors and prospective investors net asset value, yield and other information regarding the Fund, if reasonably obtainable, for the purpose of maintaining the visibility of the Fund in the investor community;
14) at the request of the Fund, provide certain economic research and statistical information and reports, if reasonably obtainable, on behalf of the Fund and consult with representatives and Directors of the Fund in connection therewith, which information and reports shall include: (i) statistical and financial market information with respect to the Fund’s market performance; and (ii) comparative information regarding the Fund and other closed-end management investment companies with respect to (x) the net asset value of their respective shares, (y) and (z) other relevant performance indicators;
15) at the request of the Fund, provide information to and consult with the Board of Directors of the Fund with respect to applicable strategies designed to address market value discounts, which may include share repurchases, tender offers, modifications to dividend policies or capital structure, repositioning or restructuring of the Fund, conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company, liquidation or merger, including providing information concerning the use and impact of the above strategic alternatives by other market participants;
16) coordinating any sales and repurchases of Fund shares; and
17) perform such additional services as may be agreed upon by the Fund and PSG.
Exhibit 99.(h)(1)
DISTRIBUTION SERVICES AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made this __________ day of __________, 2021, by and between Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and Quasar Distributors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Distributor”).
WHEREAS, the Distributor and Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”) have entered into a distribution agreement dated as of ____________, 2021 (the “Distribution Agreement”) whereby the Distributor acts as the principal underwriter of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser has agreed to compensate the Distributor to the extent that the Fund is not authorized to so compensate the Distributor;
NOW THEREFORE, the Adviser and the Distributor hereby agree as follows:
1. Compensation and Expenses.
The Distributor has agreed to provide the services set forth in the Distribution Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, and the Adviser has agreed to pay the Distributor the compensation set forth in Exhibit B.
2. Term and Termination.
(a) This Agreement will become effective upon the date first set forth above, will continue in effect throughout the term of the Distribution Agreement, and will terminate automatically upon any termination of the Distribution Agreement; provided, however, that, notwithstanding such termination of the Distribution Agreement, the Adviser will continue to pay to Distributor all fees and expenses to which Distributor is entitled pursuant to the Distribution Agreement for services performed through such termination date.
(b) This Agreement may be terminated by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice to the Distributor in the event the Adviser no longer serves as investment adviser to the Fund; provided that prior to or on such termination date, the Adviser pay to Distributor all compensation due as of such termination date.
3. Limitation of Liability
The Distributor shall not be liable to the Adviser for any action taken or omitted by it in the absence of bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by it (or its agents or employees) of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
4. Payment of Fees to Financial Intermediaries
Adviser acknowledges and agrees that the Distributor may enter into, assume, or become a party to certain agreements (“Non-Standard Dealer Agreements”) which require the Distributor to pay fees or make payments in excess of funds made available to the Distributor through the Fund’s 12b-1 Plan (“Fees”). To the extent that the Distributor is required to pay Fees under any Non-Standard Agreement, the Adviser hereby agrees to make all such payments. Adviser hereby agrees to pay all such Fees required pursuant to such Non-Standard Agreements, including the reimbursement of any costs and expenses of the applicable financial intermediary, to the Distributor at least 10 days in advance of the date on which such payments are due from Distributor to the applicable financial intermediary, or in the alternative, to pay such Fees directly to the applicable financial intermediary on or before the date on which such payments are due.
1
5. Notices. Any notice or other communication authorized or required by this Agreement to be given to either party shall be in writing and deemed to have been given when delivered in person or by confirmed facsimile, email, or posted by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the following address (or such other address as a party may specify by written notice to the other):
(i) To Distributor: | (ii) If to the Adviser: |
Quasar Distributors, LLC Attn: Legal Department Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101 Telephone: (207) 553-7110 Email:legal@foreside.com
|
Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC Attn: «Address1» «City», «State» «ZipCode» Phone: Email: |
6. Assignment.
This Agreement and the rights and duties hereunder shall not be assignable with respect to a Fund by either of the parties hereto except by the specific written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
7. Governing Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware.
8. Miscellaneous.
(a) Paragraph headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and are not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
(b) This Agreement constitutes the complete agreement of the parties hereto as to the subject matter covered by this Agreement, and supersedes all prior negotiations, understandings and agreements bearing upon the subject matter covered by this Agreement.
(c) If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if this Agreement did not contain such part, term or provision.
- 2 -
(d) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which, taken together, shall constitute one and the same agreement.
(e) No amendment to this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and executed by both parties hereto.
(f) Invoices for fees and expenses due to Distributor hereunder and as set forth in Exhibit B hereto shall be sent by Distributor to the address furnished above in Section 5(ii) unless and until changed by Adviser (Adviser to provide reasonable advance notice of any change of billing address to Distributor).
(g) This Agreement has been negotiated and executed by the parties in English. In the event any translation of this Agreement is prepared for convenience or any other purpose, the provisions of the English version shall prevail.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC | QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC | |||
By: | By: | |||
Name: | Name: Mark Fairbanks | |||
Title: | Title: Vice President |
- 3 -
EXHIBIT A
Distribution Agreement
A-1
EXHIBIT B
Compensation
DISTRIBUTION SERVICES FEES
Base Fee of $9,000 on the first $250 million of the Fund’s net assets and .5 basis point on the balance
Initial service and implementation fee includes consulting related to industry practices, products and dealers, NSCC connectivity and other Fund launch requirements | ¾ $5,000 reduced to $1,000 | ||
Review of Fund Marketing Material |
Standard fee per communication piece for the first 10 pages (minutes if audio or video)
Fee after 10 pages/minutes
Expedited fee per communication piece requiring 24 hour expedited review for the first 10 pages (minutes if audio or video)
Fee after 10 pages/minutes (expedited) |
$125 standard review
$10 per page/minute
$600 expedited review
$25 per page/minute |
|
OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Distributor in connection with the services provided pursuant to the Distribution Agreement. Such expenses may include, without limitation, regulatory filing fees; marketing materials regulatory review fees; communications; postage and delivery service fees; bank fees; reproduction and record retention fees; travel, lodging and meals.
Notes:
Ø | Fees will be calculated and payable monthly. |
B-1
Exhibit 99.(h)(2)
CLASS D and T SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN
OF
OAKTREE/BROOKFIELD ADVISED INTERVAL FUNDS
WHEREAS, each closed-end management investment company listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) is operated as a closed-end interval fund pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”); and
WHEREAS, each Fund relies on an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Multi-Class Order”) permitting a Fund to issue multiple classes of shares and to impose asset-based distribution fees and early withdrawal charges so long as a Fund complies with the provisions of Rules 6c-10, 12b-1, 17d-3, 18f-3, 22d-1 and, where applicable, 11a-3 under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, as if those rules applied to closed-end management investment companies, and complies with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Rule 2341(d), as amended from time to time;
WHEREAS, a Fund desires to adopt the shareholder servicing plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which each share class identified on Schedule A attached hereto may pay a shareholder servicing fee up to an amount equal to, in total, 0.25% of the average weekly net assets of such class of shares of a Fund in connection with the servicing of the shares of a Fund; and
WHEREAS, as set out in Schedule B hereto, a Fund intends to enter into agreements (“Shareholder Services Agreements”) with a Fund’s distributor, certain financial institutions, broker-dealers, a Fund’s investment adviser and other financial intermediaries (“Authorized Service Providers”) pursuant to which the Authorized Service Providers will provide certain shareholder services, including, administrative shareholder support services to the beneficial owners of each class of share identified Schedule A;
NOW THEREFORE, a Fund hereby adopts this Plan:
1. Any officer of a Fund is authorized to execute and deliver, in the name of a Fund and on behalf of a Fund, written Shareholder Services Agreements with Authorized Service Providers that are record owners of each class of share identified on Schedule A or that have a servicing relationship with the beneficial owners of such class of shares of a Fund, including the investment adviser to the Fund. In addition, any officer of a Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”) is authorized to execute and deliver, in the name of the Fund and on behalf of the Fund, written Shareholder Services Agreements with Authorized Service Providers. Furthermore, a Fund hereby authorizes Distributor to enter into sub-agreements with service providers to provide “Services” as defined below with respect to Distributor’s Shareholder Services Agreement with the Fund.
2. Pursuant to the relevant Shareholder Services Agreement, the Authorized Service Provider shall provide to those customers who own each class of shares identified on Schedule A with certain services, including administrative shareholder support services, not primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund, as set forth therein and as described in the Fund’s prospectus. Administrative shareholder support services include, but are not limited to: (i)
1 |
responding to customer inquiries of a general nature regarding a Fund; (ii) crediting distributions from a Fund to customer accounts; (iii) arranging for bank wire transfer of funds to or from a customer’s account; (iv) responding to customer inquiries and requests regarding Statements of Additional information, shareholder reports, notices, proxies and proxy statements, and other Fund documents; (v) forwarding prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, tax notices and annual and semi-annual reports to beneficial owners of Fund shares; (vi) assisting the Fund in establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts and records; (vii) providing sub-accounting for Fund share transactions at the shareholder level; (viii) forwarding to customers proxy statements and proxies; (ix) determining amounts to be reinvested in a Fund; (x) assisting customers in changing account options, account designations and account addresses, and (xi) providing such other similar services as a Fund may reasonably request to the extent the Authorized Service Provider is permitted to do so under applicable statutes, rules, or regulations (collectively “Services”).
3. A Fund’s shareholder servicing fee shall be an amount not exceeding 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average net assets attributable to each class of shares identified on Schedule A of the Fund. Such fees are to be paid by a Fund monthly, or at such other intervals as the Board of Directors of the Fund (the “Board”) shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon a Fund as average weekly net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued weekly. In consideration for Services, the Authorized Service Providers will receive a fee, computed weekly and paid monthly in the manner set forth in the respective Shareholder Services Agreements.
4. The officers, Adviser, administrator or Distributor of a Fund, as appropriate, shall provide to the Board and the Board shall review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts expended pursuant to this Plan and the purposes for which such Payments were made.
5. This Plan shall not take effect unless it has been approved, by a majority vote, at an in-person meeting (or meetings) called for the purpose of voting on such approval, of: (a) the Board; and (b) those Directors of the Fund who are not an “interested person” of the Fund and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan or any agreements related thereto (the “Disinterested Directors”). The Fund may terminate this Plan at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of the Board, by vote of a majority of the Independent Directors, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
6. The Plan may be amended at any time by the Board of Directors with respect to the Fund, provided that all material amendments to the Plan shall be approved by the Directors in the manner provided herein with respect to the initial approval of the Plan.
Dated:
2 |
SCHEDULE A
Name of Fund and Share Classes
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.: Class D and
Class T
Dated:
SCHEDULE B
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AGREEMENT
This Shareholder Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made as of ___________, 202[_], by and between [__________________], and [_____________________] (the “Authorized Service Provider”) solely for the purpose of providing administrative services, as provided below:
1. The Authorized Service Provider shall provide those shareholder services, including administrative shareholder services and/or account maintenance services listed on Exhibit A attached hereto, to those individuals or entities with whom the Authorized Service Provider has a servicing and/or other relationship and who may from time to time directly or beneficially own Class T shares of the Fund. Exhibit A may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement of the parties.
2. The fee to be paid with respect to the Class T shares of the Fund will be computed and paid monthly at an annual rate not to exceed 0.__% of the average daily net asset value of the Class T shares of the Fund, provided that such shares are beneficially owned of record at the close of business on the last business day of the payment period by shareholders with whom the Authorized Service Provider has a servicing relationship as indicated by the records maintained by the Fund or its transfer agent (the “Subject Shares”).
[ ] shall pay the Authorized Service Provider the total of the fees calculated for the Fund for any period with respect to which such calculations are made within 45 days after the close of such period.
3. The Authorized Service Provider shall furnish the [ ] with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Directors of the Fund with respect to the fees paid to the Authorized Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement.
4. The parties acknowledge and agree that the services discussed in Section 1 above and listed in Schedule A attached hereto are not primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund and are not the services of an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act.
Neither the Authorized Service Provider nor any of its employees or agents are authorized to make any representation concerning shares of the Fund except those contained in the then current Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information for the Fund, and the Authorized Service Provider shall have no authority to act as agent for the Fund outside the parameters of this Agreement.
5. This Agreement may be terminated by either party at any time without payment of any penalty upon sixty (60) days’ written notice.
6. This Agreement and any Schedule hereto may not be revised except by mutual
1 |
written agreement between the parties. This Agreement may be revised only after 60 days’ written notice or upon such shorter notice as the parties may mutually agree.
7. All communications to the Fund should be sent to:
[____________________]
Any notice to authorized service provider shall be sent to:
[_____________________]
All communications and any notices required hereunder shall be deemed to be duly given if mailed or faxed to the respective party at the address for such party specified above.
8. The parties to this Agreement mutually acknowledge that the Fund maintains and is subject to a Privacy Policy that restricts the disclosure of certain types of non-public information regarding the customers of the Fund and the parties agree to be bound by the restrictions imposed by such Privacy Policy.
9. [________] agrees to indemnify and hold the Authorized Service Provider harmless against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including attorney’s fees) to which the Authorized Service Provider may become subject insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses or actions in respect thereof arise out of or are based upon any material breach by [____________] of any provision of this Agreement or the [___________] negligence or willful misconduct in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this Agreement.
The Authorized Service Provider agrees to indemnify and hold [____________] harmless against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including attorney’s fees) to which the [____________] may become subject insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses or actions in respect thereof arise out of or are based upon any material breach by the Authorized Service Provider of any provision of this Agreement or the Authorized Service Provider’s negligence or willful misconduct in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this Agreement.
10. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
11. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one agreement, and any party hereto may execute this Agreement by signing any such counterpart.
12. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
13. This Agreement, including the Attachments hereto, constitutes the entire agreement
2 |
between the parties with respect to the matters dealt with herein, and supersedes all previous agreements, written or oral, with respect to such matters.
3 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned parties have executed this Agreement as of the ____ day of _______________, 202[_].
Name:
Title:
Name:
Title:
4 |
EXHIBIT
LIST OF SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
Exhibit 99.(j)
CUSTODY AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of this [●] day of [●], 2021, by and between OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America with its principal place of business at Minneapolis, Minnesota (the “Custodian”).
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company, and is authorized to issue shares of common stock; and
WHEREAS, the Custodian is a bank having the qualifications prescribed in Section 26(a)(1) of the 1940 Act;
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain the Custodian to act as custodian of its cash and securities; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth below unless the context otherwise requires:
1.01 “Authorized Person” means any Officer or person (including an investment advisor or other agent) who has been designated by written notice as such from the Fund or the Fund’s investment advisor or other agent and is named in Exhibit A attached hereto. Such officer or person shall continue to be an Authorized Person until such time as the Custodian receives Written Instructions from the Fund or the Fund’s investment advisor or other agent that any such person is no longer an Authorized Person.
1.02 “Board of Directors” shall mean the directors from time to time serving under the Fund’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, as amended from time to time.
1.03 “Book-Entry System” shall mean a federal book-entry system as provided in Subpart O of Treasury Circular No. 300, 31 CFR 306, in Subpart B of 31 CFR Part 350, or in such book-entry regulations of federal agencies as are substantially in the form of such Subpart O.
1.04 “Business Day” shall mean any day recognized as a settlement day by The New York Stock Exchange, Inc., and any other day for which the Fund computes the net asset value of Shares of the Fund.
1.05 “Eligible Foreign Custodian” has the meaning set forth in Rule 17f-5(a)(1), including a majority-owned or indirect subsidiary of a U.S. Bank (as defined in Rule 17f-5), a bank holding company meeting the requirements of an Eligible Foreign Custodian (as set forth in Rule 17f-5 or by other appropriate action of the SEC), or a foreign branch of a Bank (as defined in Section 2(a)(5) of the 1940 Act) meeting the requirements of a custodian under Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act; the term does not include any Eligible Securities Depository.
1.06 “Eligible Securities Depository” shall mean a system for the central handling of securities as that term is defined in Rule 17f-4 and 17f-7 under the 1940 Act.
1.07 “Foreign Securities” means any of the Fund’s investments (including foreign currencies) for which the primary market is outside the United States and such cash and cash equivalents as are reasonably necessary to effect the Fund’s transactions in such investments.
1
1.08 “Fund Custody Account” shall mean any of the accounts in the name of the Fund, which is provided for in Section 3.2 below.
1.09 “IRS” shall mean the Internal Revenue Service.
1.10 “FINRA” shall mean the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
1.11 “Officer” shall mean the Chairman, President, any Vice President, any Assistant Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, or any Assistant Treasurer of the Fund.
1.12 “Proper Instructions” shall mean Written Instructions.
1.13 “SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.14 “Securities” shall include, without limitation, common and preferred stocks, bonds, call options, put options, debentures, notes, bank certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, mortgage-backed securities or other obligations, and any certificates, receipts, warrants or other instruments or documents representing rights to receive, purchase or subscribe for the same, or evidencing or representing any other rights or interests therein, or any similar property or assets that the Custodian or its agents have the facilities to clear and service.
1.15 “Securities Depository” shall mean The Depository Trust Company and any other clearing agency registered with the SEC under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which acts as a system for the central handling of Securities where all Securities of any particular class or series of an issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of the Securities.
1.16 “Shares” shall mean, with respect to a Fund, the shares of common stock issued by the Fund on account of the Fund.
1.17 “Sub-Custodian” shall mean and include (i) any branch of a “U.S. bank,” as that term is defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act, and (ii) any “Eligible Foreign Custodian” having a contract with the Custodian which the Custodian has determined will provide reasonable care of assets of the Fund based on the standards specified in Section 3.3 below. Such contract shall be in writing and shall include provisions that provide: (i) for indemnification or insurance arrangements (or any combination of the foregoing) such that the Fund will be adequately protected against the risk of loss of assets held in accordance with such contract; (ii) that the Foreign Securities will not be subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of the Sub-Custodian or its creditors except a claim of payment for their safe custody or administration, in the case of cash deposits, liens or rights in favor of creditors of the Sub-Custodian arising under bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws; (iii) that beneficial ownership for the Foreign Securities will be freely transferable without the payment of money or value other than for safe custody or administration; (iv) that adequate records will be maintained identifying the assets as belonging to the Fund or as being held by a third party for the benefit of the Fund; (v) that the Fund’s independent public accountants will be given access to those records or confirmation of the contents of those records; and (vi) that the Fund will receive periodic reports with respect to the safekeeping of the Fund’s assets, including, but not limited to, notification of any transfer to or from a Fund's account or a third party account containing assets held for the benefit of the Fund. Such contract may contain, in lieu of any or all of the provisions specified in (i)-(vi) above, such other provisions that the Custodian determines will provide, in their entirety, the same or a greater level of care and protection for Fund assets as the specified provisions.
1.18 “Written Instructions” shall mean (i) written communications actually received by the Custodian and signed by any Authorized Person (ii) communications by facsimile or internet e-mail or any other such system from one or more persons reasonably believed by the Custodian to be Authorized Persons, or (iii) communications between electronic devices provided that the use of such devices and the procedures for the use thereof shall have been approved by the Board of Directors.
2
ARTICLE II.
APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN
2.01 Appointment. The Fund hereby appoints the Custodian as custodian of all Securities and cash owned by or in the possession of the Fund at any time during the period of this Agreement, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Custodian hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement. The Fund hereby delegates to the Custodian, subject to Rule 17f-5(b), the responsibilities with respect to the Fund’s Foreign Securities, and the Custodian hereby accepts such delegation as foreign custody manager with respect to the Fund. The services and duties of the Custodian shall be confined to those matters expressly set forth herein, and no implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Custodian hereunder.
2.02 Documents to be Furnished. The following documents, including any amendments thereto, will be provided contemporaneously with the execution of the Agreement to the Custodian by the Fund:
(a) | A copy of the Fund’s Articles of Incorporation, certified by the Secretary or other Authorized Person ; |
(b) | A copy of the the Bylaws, certified by the Secretary or other Authorized Person; |
(c) | A copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors of the Fund appointing the Custodian, certified by the Secretary or other Authorized Person; |
(d) | A certification of the Chairman or the President and the Secretary or other Authorized Person of the Fund setting forth the names and signatures of the current Officers of the Fund and other Authorized Persons; |
(e) | A copy of the current prospectus of the Fund; and |
(f) | An executed authorization required by the Shareholder Communications Act of 1985, attached hereto as Exhibit C. |
2.03 Notice of Appointment of Transfer Agent. The Fund agrees to notify the Custodian in writing of the appointment, termination or change in appointment of any transfer agent of the Fund.
ARTICLE III.
CUSTODY OF CASH AND SECURITIES
3.01 Segregation. All Securities and non-cash property held by the Custodian for the account of the Fund (other than Securities maintained in a Securities Depository, Eligible Securities Depository or Book-Entry System) shall be physically segregated from other Securities and non-cash property in the possession of the Custodian (including the Securities and non-cash property of the other series of the Fund, if applicable) and shall be identified as subject to this Agreement.
3.02 Fund Custody Accounts. The Custodian shall open and maintain in its trust department a custody account in the name of the Fund coupled with the name of the Fund, subject only to draft or order of the Custodian, in which the Custodian shall enter and carry all Securities, cash and other assets of the Fund which are delivered to it.
3.03 Appointment of Agents.
(a) | In its discretion, the Custodian may appoint one or more Sub-Custodians to establish and maintain arrangements with (i) Eligible Securities Depositories or (ii) Eligible Foreign Custodians who are members of the Sub-Custodian’s network to hold Securities and cash of the Fund and to carry out such other provisions of this Agreement as it may determine; provided, however, that the appointment of any such agents and maintenance of any Securities and cash of the Fund shall be at the Custodian's expense and shall not relieve the Custodian of any of its obligations or liabilities under this Agreement. The Custodian shall be liable for the actions of any Sub-Custodians (regardless of whether assets are maintained in the custody of a Sub-Custodian, a member of its network or an Eligible Securities Depository) appointed by it as if such actions had been done by the Custodian. |
3
(b) | If, after the initial appointment of Sub-Custodians by the Board of Directors in connection with this Agreement, the Custodian wishes to appoint other Sub-Custodians to hold property of the Fund, it will so notify the Fund and make the necessary determinations as to any such new Sub-Custodian's eligibility under Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act. |
(c) | In performing its delegated responsibilities as foreign custody manager to place or maintain the Fund’s assets with a Sub-Custodian, the Custodian will determine that the Fund’s assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on the standards applicable to custodians in the country in which the Fund’s assets will be held by that Sub-Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation the factors specified in Rule 17f-5(c)(1). |
(d) | The agreement between the Custodian and each Sub-Custodian acting hereunder shall contain the required provisions set forth in Rule 17f-5(c)(2) under the 1940 Act. |
(e) | At the end of each calendar quarter, the Custodian shall provide written reports notifying the Board of Directors of the withdrawal or placement of the Securities and cash of the Fund with a Sub-Custodian and of any material changes in the Fund’s arrangements. Such reports shall include an analysis of the custody risks associated with maintaining assets with any Eligible Securities Depositories. The Custodian shall promptly take such steps as may be required to withdraw assets of the Fund from any Sub-Custodian arrangement that has ceased to meet the requirements of Rule 17f-5 or Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act, as applicable. |
(f) | With respect to its responsibilities under this Section 3.3, the Custodian hereby warrants to the Fund that it agrees to exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence such as a person having responsibility for the safekeeping of property of the Fund. The Custodian further warrants that the Fund's assets will be subject to reasonable care if maintained with a Sub-Custodian, after considering all factors relevant to the safekeeping of such assets, including, without limitation: (i) the Sub-Custodian's practices, procedures, and internal controls for certificated securities (if applicable), its method of keeping custodial records, and its security and data protection practices; (ii) whether the Sub-Custodian has the requisite financial strength to provide reasonable care for Fund assets; (iii) the Sub-Custodian's general reputation and standing and, in the case of a Securities Depository, the Securities Depository's operating history and number of participants; and (iv) whether the Fund will have jurisdiction over and be able to enforce judgments against the Sub-Custodian, such as by virtue of the existence of any offices of the Sub-Custodian in the United States or the Sub-Custodian's consent to service of process in the United States. |
(g) | The Custodian shall establish a system or ensure that its Sub-Custodian has established a system to monitor on a continuing basis (i) the appropriateness of maintaining the Fund’s assets with a Sub-Custodian or Eligible Foreign Custodians who are members of a Sub-Custodian’s network; (ii) the performance of the contract governing the Fund’s arrangements with such Sub-Custodian or Eligible Foreign Custodian’s members of a Sub-Custodian’s network; and (iii) the custody risks of maintaining assets with an Eligible Securities Depository. The Custodian must promptly notify the Fund or its investment adviser of any material change in these risks. |
(h) | The Custodian shall use reasonable commercial efforts to collect all income and other payments with respect to Foreign Securities to which the Fund shall be entitled and shall credit such income, as collected, to the Fund. In the event that extraordinary measures are required to collect such income, the Fund and Custodian shall consult as to the measurers and as to the compensation and expenses of the Custodian relating to such measures. |
4
3.04 Delivery of Assets to Custodian. The Fund shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Custodian all of the Fund's Securities, cash and other investment assets, including (i) all payments of income, payments of principal and capital distributions received by the Fund with respect to such Securities, cash or other assets owned by the Fund at any time during the period of this Agreement, and (ii) all cash received by the Fund for the issuance of Shares. The Custodian shall not be responsible for such Securities, cash or other assets until actually received by it.
3.05 Securities Depositories and Book-Entry Systems. The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain Securities of the Fund in a Securities Depository or in a Book-Entry System, subject to the following provisions:
(a) | The Custodian, on an on-going basis, shall deposit in a Securities Depository or Book-Entry System all Securities eligible for deposit therein and shall make use of such Securities Depository or Book-Entry System to the extent possible and practical in connection with its performance hereunder, including, without limitation, in connection with settlements of purchases and sales of Securities, loans of Securities, and deliveries and returns of collateral consisting of Securities. |
(b) | Securities of the Fund kept in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository shall be kept in an account (“Depository Account”) of the Custodian in such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository which includes only assets held by the Custodian as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers. |
(c) | The records of the Custodian with respect to Securities of the Fund maintained in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository shall, by book-entry, identify such Securities as belonging to the Fund. |
(d) | If Securities purchased by the Fund are to be held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, the Custodian shall pay for such Securities upon (i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System or Securities Depository that such Securities have been transferred to the Depository Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. If Securities sold by the Fund are held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, the Custodian shall transfer such Securities upon (i) receipt of advice from the Book-Entry System or Securities Depository that payment for such Securities has been transferred to the Depository Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of the Fund. |
(e) | The Custodian shall provide the Fund with copies of any report (obtained by the Custodian from a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository in which Securities of the Fund are kept) on the internal accounting controls and procedures for safeguarding Securities deposited in such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository. |
(f) | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund resulting from (i) the use of a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository by reason of any negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian, or (ii) failure of the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository. At its election, the Fund shall be subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claim against a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository or any other person from any loss or damage to the Fund arising from the use of such Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, if and to the extent that the Fund has not been made whole for any such loss or damage. |
(g) | With respect to its responsibilities under this Section 3.5 and pursuant to Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, the Custodian hereby warrants to the Fund that it agrees to (i) exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duty as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain such assets, (ii) provide, promptly upon request by the Fund, such reports as are available concerning the Custodian’s internal accounting controls and financial strength, and (iii) require any Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in accordance with reasonable commercial standards in discharging its duty as a securities intermediary to obtain and thereafter maintain assets corresponding to the security entitlements of its entitlement holders. |
5
3.06 Disbursement of Moneys from Fund Custody Account. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall disburse moneys from the Fund Custody Account but only in the following cases:
(a) | For the purchase of Securities for the Fund but only in accordance with Section 4.1 of this Agreement and only (i) in the case of Securities (other than options on Securities, futures contracts and options on futures contracts), against the delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of such Securities registered as provided in Section 3.9 below or in proper form for transfer, or if the purchase of such Securities is effected through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 3.5 above; (ii) in the case of options on Securities, against delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of such receipts as are required by the customs prevailing among dealers in such options; (iii) in the case of futures contracts and options on futures contracts, against delivery to the Custodian (or any Sub-Custodian) of evidence of title thereto in favor of the Fund or any nominee referred to in Section 3.9 below; and (iv) in the case of repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements entered into between the Fund and a bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve System or between the Fund and a primary dealer in U.S. Government securities, against delivery of the purchased Securities either in certificate form or through an entry crediting the Custodian's account at a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository with such Securities; |
(b) | In connection with the conversion, exchange or surrender, as set forth in Section 3.7(f) below, of Securities owned by the Fund; |
(c) | For the payment of any dividends or capital gain distributions declared by the Fund; |
(d) | In payment of the repurchase price of Shares as provided in Section 5.1 below; |
(e) | For the payment of any expense or liability incurred by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the following payments for the account of the Fund: interest; taxes; administration, investment advisory, accounting, auditing, transfer agent, custodian, director and legal fees; and other operating expenses of the Fund; in all cases, whether or not such expenses are to be in whole or in part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses; |
(f) | For transfer in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA, relating to compliance with rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or of any similar organization or organizations) regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund; |
(g) | For transfer in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any contract market (or any similar organization or organizations) regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund; |
(h) | For the funding of any uncertificated time deposit or other interest-bearing account with any banking institution (including the Custodian), which deposit or account has a term of one year or less; and |
(i) | For any other proper purpose, but only upon receipt, in addition to Proper Instructions, specifying the amount and purpose of such payment, declaring such purpose to be a proper corporate purpose, and naming the person or persons to whom such payment is to be made. |
3.07 Delivery of Securities from Fund Custody Account. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall release and deliver, or cause the Sub-Custodian to release and deliver, Securities from the Fund Custody Account but only in the following cases:
(a) | Upon the sale of Securities for the account of the Fund but only against receipt of payment therefor in cash, by certified or cashiers check or bank credit; |
6
(b) | In the case of a sale effected through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.5 above; |
(c) | To an offeror’s depository agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for Securities of the Fund; provided that, in any such case, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian; |
(d) | To the issuer thereof or its agent (i) for transfer into the name of the Fund, the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian, or any nominee or nominees of any of the foregoing, or (ii) for exchange for a different number of certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case, the new Securities are to be delivered to the Custodian; |
(e) | To the broker selling the Securities, for examination in accordance with the “street delivery” custom; |
(f) | For exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the issuer of such Securities, or pursuant to provisions for conversion contained in such Securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement, including surrender or receipt of underlying Securities in connection with the issuance or cancellation of depository receipts; provided that, in any such case, the new Securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian; |
(g) | Upon receipt of payment therefor pursuant to any repurchase or reverse repurchase agreement entered into by the Fund; |
(h) | In the case of warrants, rights or similar Securities, upon the exercise thereof, provided that, in any such case, the new Securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian; |
(i) | For delivery in connection with any loans of Securities of the Fund, but only against receipt of such collateral as the Fund shall have specified to the Custodian in Proper Instructions; |
(j) | For delivery as security in connection with any borrowings by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund, but only against receipt by the Custodian of the amounts borrowed; |
(k) | Pursuant to any authorized plan of liquidation, reorganization, merger, consolidation or recapitalization of the Fund; |
(l) | For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA, relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or of any similar organization or organizations) regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund; |
(m) | For delivery in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act, relating to compliance with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any contract market (or any similar organization or organizations) regarding account deposits in connection with transactions by the Fund; |
(n) | For any other proper corporate purpose, but only upon receipt, in addition to Proper Instructions, setting forth the purpose for which such delivery is to be made, declaring such purpose to be a proper corporate purpose, and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such Securities shall be made; or |
(o) | To brokers, clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination or trade execution in accordance with market custom; provided that in any such case the Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from the delivery of such securities prior to receiving payment for such securities except as may arise from the Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct. |
7
3.08 Actions Not Requiring Proper Instructions. Unless otherwise instructed by the Fund, the Custodian shall with respect to all Securities held for the Fund:
(a) | Subject to Section 9.4 below, collect on a timely basis all income and other payments to which the Fund is entitled either by law or pursuant to custom in the securities business; |
(b) | Present for payment and, subject to Section 9.4 below, collect on a timely basis the amount payable upon all Securities which may mature or be called, redeemed, or retired, or otherwise become payable; |
(c) | Endorse for collection, in the name of the Fund, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; |
(d) | Surrender interim receipts or Securities in temporary form for Securities in definitive form; |
(e) | Execute, as custodian, any necessary declarations or certificates of ownership under the federal income tax laws or the laws or regulations of any other taxing authority now or hereafter in effect, and prepare and submit reports to the IRS and the Fund at such time, in such manner and containing such information as is prescribed by the IRS; |
(f) | Hold for the Fund, either directly or, with respect to Securities held therein, through a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, all rights and similar Securities issued with respect to Securities of the Fund; and |
(g) | In general, and except as otherwise directed in Proper Instructions, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with Securities and other assets of the Fund. |
3.09 Registration and Transfer of Securities. All Securities held for the Fund that are issued or issuable only in bearer form shall be held by the Custodian in that form, provided that any such Securities shall be held in a Book-Entry System if eligible therefor. All other Securities held for the Fund may be registered in the name of the Fund, the Custodian, a Sub-Custodian or any nominee thereof, or in the name of a Book-Entry System, Securities Depository or any nominee of either thereof. The records of the Custodian with respect to foreign securities of the Fund that are maintained with a Sub-Custodian in an account that is identified as belonging to the Custodian for the benefit of its customers shall identify those securities as belonging to the Fund. The Fund shall furnish to the Custodian appropriate instruments to enable the Custodian to hold or deliver in proper form for transfer, or to register in the name of any of the nominees referred to above or in the name of a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository, any Securities registered in the name of the Fund.
3.10 Records.
(a) | The Custodian shall maintain complete and accurate records with respect to Securities, cash or other property held for the Fund, including (i) journals or other records of original entry containing an itemized daily record in detail of all receipts and deliveries of Securities and all receipts and disbursements of cash; (ii) ledgers (or other records) reflecting (A) Securities in transfer, (B) Securities in physical possession, (C) monies and Securities borrowed and monies and Securities loaned (together with a record of the collateral therefor and substitutions of such collateral), (D) dividends and interest received, and (E) dividends receivable and interest receivable; (iii) canceled checks and bank records related thereto; and (iv) all records relating to its activities and obligations under this Agreement. The Custodian shall keep such other books and records of the Fund as the Fund shall reasonably request, or as may be required by the 1940 Act, including, but not limited to, Section 31 of the 1940 Act and Rule 31a-2 promulgated thereunder. |
(b) | All such books and records maintained by the Custodian shall (i) be maintained in a form acceptable to the Fund and in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, (ii) be the property of the Fund and at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be made available upon request for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Fund and employees or agents of the SEC, and (iii) if required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, be preserved for the periods prescribed in Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. |
8
3.11 Fund Reports by Custodian. The Custodian shall furnish the Fund with a daily activity statement and a summary of all transfers to or from each Fund Custody Account on the day following such transfers. At least monthly, the Custodian shall furnish the Fund with a detailed statement of the Securities and moneys held by the Custodian and the Sub-Custodians for the Fund under this Agreement.
3.12 Other Reports by Custodian. As the Fund may reasonably request from time to time, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with reports on the internal accounting controls and procedures for safeguarding Securities which are employed by the Custodian or any Sub-Custodian.
3.13 Proxies and Other Materials. The Custodian shall cause all proxies relating to Securities which are not registered in the name of the Fund to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such Securities, without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and shall promptly deliver to the Fund such proxies, all proxy soliciting materials and all notices relating to such Securities. With respect to the foreign Securities, the Custodian will use reasonable commercial efforts to facilitate the exercise of voting and other shareholder rights, subject to the laws, regulations and practical constraints that may exist in the country where such securities are issued. The Fund acknowledges that local conditions, including lack of regulation, onerous procedural obligations, lack of notice and other factors may have the effect of severely limiting the ability of the Fund to exercise shareholder rights.
3.14 Information on Corporate Actions. The Custodian shall promptly deliver to the Fund all information received by the Custodian and pertaining to Securities being held by the Fund with respect to optional tender or exchange offers, calls for redemption or purchase or expiration of rights. If the Fund desires to take action with respect to any tender offer, exchange offer or other similar transaction, the Fund shall notify the Custodian at least three Business Days prior to the date on which the Custodian is to take such action. The Fund will provide or cause to be provided to the Custodian all relevant information for any Security which has unique put/option provisions at least three Business Days prior to the beginning date of the tender period.
ARTICLE IV.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF INVESTMENTS OF THE FUND
4.01 Purchase of Securities. Promptly upon each purchase of Securities for the Fund, Written Instructions shall be delivered to the Custodian, specifying (i) the name of the issuer or writer of such Securities, and the title or other description thereof, (ii) the number of shares, principal amount (and accrued interest, if any) or other units purchased, (iii) the date of purchase and settlement, (iv) the purchase price per unit, (v) the total amount payable upon such purchase, and (vi) the name of the person to whom such amount is payable. The Custodian shall upon receipt of such Securities purchased by the Fund pay out of the moneys held for the account of the Fund the total amount specified in such Written Instructions to the person named therein. The Custodian shall not be under any obligation to pay out moneys to cover the cost of a purchase of Securities for the Fund, if in the Fund Custody Account there is insufficient cash available to the Fund for which such purchase was made.
4.02 Liability for Payment in Advance of Receipt of Securities Purchased. In any and every case where payment for the purchase of Securities for the Fund is made by the Custodian in advance of receipt of the Securities purchased and in the absence of specified Written Instructions to so pay in advance, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund for such payment.
4.03 Sale of Securities. Promptly upon each sale of Securities by the Fund, Written Instructions shall be delivered to the Custodian, specifying (i) the name of the issuer or writer of such Securities, and the title or other description thereof, (ii) the number of shares, principal amount (and accrued interest, if any), or other units sold, (iii) the date of sale and settlement, (iv) the sale price per unit, (v) the total amount payable upon such sale, and (vi) the person to whom such Securities are to be delivered. Upon receipt of the total amount payable to the Fund as specified in such Written Instructions, the Custodian shall deliver such Securities to the person specified in such Written Instructions. Subject to the foregoing, the Custodian may accept payment in such form as shall be satisfactory to it, and may deliver Securities and arrange for payment in accordance with the customs prevailing among dealers in Securities.
9
4.04 Delivery of Securities Sold. Notwithstanding Section 4.03 above or any other provision of this Agreement, the Custodian, when instructed to deliver Securities against payment, shall be entitled, if in accordance with generally accepted market practice, to deliver such Securities prior to actual receipt of final payment therefor. In any such case, the Fund shall bear the risk that final payment for such Securities may not be made or that such Securities may be returned or otherwise held or disposed of by or through the person to whom they were delivered, and the Custodian shall have no liability for any for the foregoing.
4.05 Payment for Securities Sold. In its sole discretion and from time to time, the Custodian may credit the Fund Custody Account, prior to actual receipt of final payment thereof, with (i) proceeds from the sale of Securities which it has been instructed to deliver against payment, (ii) proceeds from the redemption of Securities or other assets of the Fund, and (iii) income from cash, Securities or other assets of the Fund. Any such credit shall be conditional upon actual receipt by Custodian of final payment and may be reversed if final payment is not actually received in full. The Custodian may, in its sole discretion and from time to time, permit the Fund to use funds so credited to the Fund Custody Account in anticipation of actual receipt of final payment. Any such funds shall be repayable immediately upon demand made by the Custodian at any time prior to the actual receipt of all final payments in anticipation of which funds were credited to the Fund Custody Account.
4.06 Advances by Custodian for Settlement. The Custodian may, in its sole discretion and from time to time, advance funds to the Fund to facilitate the settlement of a Fund's transactions in the Fund Custody Account. Any such advance shall be repayable immediately upon demand made by Custodian.
ARTICLE V.
REPURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
5.01 Transfer of Funds. From such funds as may be available for the purpose in the relevant Fund Custody Account, and upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying that the funds are required to repurchase Shares of the Fund, the Custodian shall wire each amount specified in such Proper Instructions to or through such bank or broker-dealer as the Fund may designate.
5.02 No Duty Regarding Paying Banks. Once the Custodian has wired amounts to a bank or broker-dealer pursuant to Section 5.1 above, the Custodian shall not be under any obligation to effect any further payment or distribution by such bank or broker-dealer.
ARTICLE VI.
SEGREGATED ACCOUNTS
Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of the Fund, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or Securities, including Securities maintained in a Depository Account:
(a) | in accordance with the provisions of any agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA (or any futures commission merchant registered under the Commodity Exchange Act), relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation and of any registered national securities exchange (or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or any registered contract market), or of any similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in connection with transactions by the Fund; |
(b) | for purposes of segregating cash or Securities in connection with securities options purchased or written by the Fund or in connection with financial futures contracts (or options thereon) purchased or sold by the Fund; |
(c) | which constitute collateral for loans of Securities made by the Fund; |
10
(d) | for purposes of compliance by the Fund with requirements under the 1940 Act for the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies in connection with reverse repurchase agreements and when-issued, delayed delivery and firm commitment transactions; and |
(e) | for other proper corporate purposes, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions, setting forth the purpose or purposes of such segregated account and declaring such purposes to be proper corporate purposes. |
Each segregated account established under this Article VI shall be established and maintained for the Fund only. All Proper Instructions relating to a segregated account shall specify the Fund.
ARTICLE VII.
COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
7.01 Compensation. The Custodian shall be compensated for providing the services set forth in this Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit B hereto (as amended from time to time). The Custodian shall also be compensated for such out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., telecommunication charges, postage and delivery charges, and reproduction charges) as are reasonably incurred by the Custodian in performing its duties hereunder. The Fund shall pay all such fees and reimbursable expenses within 30 calendar days following receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense subject to a good faith dispute. The Fund shall notify the Custodian in writing within 30 calendar days following receipt of each invoice if the Fund is disputing any amounts in good faith. The Fund shall pay such disputed amounts within 10 calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount to be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the Fund is disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices shall accrue a finance charge of 1½% per month after the due date. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, amounts owed by the Fund to the Custodian shall only be paid out of the assets and property of the particular Fund involved.
7.02 Overdrafts. The Fund is responsible for maintaining an appropriate level of short term cash investments to accommodate cash outflows. The Fund may, but is under no obligation to, obtain a formal line of credit for potential overdrafts of its custody account. In the event of an overdraft or in the event the line of credit is insufficient to cover an overdraft, the overdraft amount or the overdraft amount that exceeds the line of credit will be charged in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit B hereto (as amended from time to time)
ARTICLE VIII.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
8.01 Representations and Warranties of the Fund. The Fund hereby represents and warrants to the Custodian, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
(a) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(b) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and |
(c) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement. |
11
8.02 Representations and Warranties of the Custodian. The Custodian hereby represents and warrants to the Fund, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that:
(a) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(b) | It is a U.S. Bank as defined in section (a)(7) of Rule 17f-5. |
(c) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Custodian in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Custodian, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and |
(d) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement. |
ARTICLE IX.
CONCERNING THE CUSTODIAN
9.01 Standard of Care. The Custodian shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Custodian shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with its duties under this Agreement, except a loss arising out of or relating to the Custodian’s (or a Sub-Custodian’s) refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement) or from its (or a Sub-Custodian’s) bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). The Custodian shall be entitled to rely on and may act upon advice of counsel on all matters, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. The Custodian shall promptly notify the Fund of any action taken or omitted by the Custodian pursuant to advice of counsel.
9.02 Actual Collection Required. The Custodian shall not be liable for, or considered to be the custodian of, any cash belonging to the Fund or any money represented by a check, draft or other instrument for the payment of money, until the Custodian or its agents actually receive such cash or collect on such instrument.
9.03 No Responsibility for Title, etc. So long as and to the extent that it is in the exercise of reasonable care, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property or evidence of title thereto received or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.
9.04 Limitation on Duty to Collect. Custodian shall not be required to enforce collection, by legal means or otherwise, of any money or property due and payable with respect to Securities held for the Fund if such Securities are in default or payment is not made after due demand or presentation.
9.05 Reliance Upon Documents and Instructions. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon any certificate, notice or other instrument in writing received by it and reasonably believed by it to be genuine. The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon any Oral Instructions and any Written Instructions actually received by it pursuant to this Agreement.
9.06 Cooperation. The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information to the entity or entities appointed by the Fund to keep the books of account of the Fund and/or compute the value of the assets of the Fund. The Custodian shall take all such reasonable actions as the Fund may from time to time request to enable the Fund to obtain, from year to year, favorable opinions from the Fund's independent accountants with respect to the Custodian's activities hereunder in connection with (i) the preparation of the Fund's reports on Form N-SAR, Form N-CSR and any other reports required by the SEC or any future registration statement on Form N-2, and (ii) the fulfillment by the Fund of any other requirements of the SEC.
12
ARTICLE X.
INDEMNIFICATION
10.01 Indemnification by Fund. The Fund shall indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian, any Sub-Custodian and any nominee thereof (each, an “Indemnified Party” and collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys' fees) that an Indemnified Party may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against an Indemnified Party by any person arising directly or indirectly (i) from the fact that Securities are registered in the name of any such nominee, (ii) from any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Custodian or such Sub-Custodian (a) at the request or direction of or in reliance on the advice of the Fund, or (b) upon Proper Instructions, or (iii) from the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or any sub-custody agreement, provided that neither the Custodian nor any such Sub-Custodian shall be indemnified and held harmless from and against any such claim, demand, loss, expense or liability arising out of or relating to its refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement), or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Fund, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the terms “Custodian” and “Sub-Custodian” shall include their respective directors, officers and employees.
10.02 Indemnification by Custodian. The Custodian shall indemnify and hold harmless the Fund from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that the Fund may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against the Fund by any person arising directly or indirectly out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by an Indemnified Party as a result of the Indemnified Party’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement), or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement (or any sub-custody agreement). This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Custodian, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “Fund” shall include the Fund’s directors, officers and employees.
10.03 Security. If the Custodian advances cash or Securities to the Fund for any purpose, either at the Fund's request or as otherwise contemplated in this Agreement, or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee incurs, in connection with its performance under this Agreement, any claim, demand, loss, expense or liability (including reasonable attorneys' fees) (except such as may arise from its or its nominee's bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct), then, in any such event, any property at any time held for the account of the Fund shall be security therefor, and should the Fund fail promptly to repay or indemnify the Custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to utilize available cash of such Fund and to dispose of other assets of such Fund to the extent necessary to obtain reimbursement or indemnification.
10.04 Miscellaneous.
(a) | Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for consequential, special or punitive damages under any provision of this Agreement. |
(b) | The indemnity provisions of this Article shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement. |
(c) | In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Article shall apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification under this section. The indemnitee shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the indemnitor’s prior written consent. |
13
ARTICLE XI.
FORCE MAJEURE
Neither the Custodian nor the Fund shall be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; acts of terrorism; sabotage; strikes; epidemics; riots; power failures; computer failure and any such circumstances beyond its reasonable control as may cause interruption, loss or malfunction of utility, transportation, computer (hardware or software) or telephone communication service; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority; governmental actions; or inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation; provided, however, that in the event of a failure or delay, the Custodian (i) shall not discriminate against the Fund in favor of any other customer of the Custodian in making computer time and personnel available to input or process the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (ii) shall use its best efforts to ameliorate the effects of any such failure or delay.
ARTICLE XII.
PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
12.01 The Custodian agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund, all records and other information relative to the Fund and prior, present, or potential shareholders of the Fund (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i) after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where the Custodian may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so requested by the Fund. Records and other information which have become known to the public through no wrongful act of the Custodian or any of its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of the Custodian prior to receipt thereof from the Fund or its agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph.
12.02 Further, the Custodian will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the Fund pursuant to Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. In this regard, the Custodian shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Fund and its shareholders.
ARTICLE XIII.
EFFECTIVE PERIOD; TERMINATION
13.01 Effective Period. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and will continue in effect for a period of one year and thereafter will continue indefinitely.
13.02 Termination. Subsequent to the period of one year, this Agreement may be terminated by either party upon giving 60 days prior written notice to the other party or such shorter period as is mutually agreed upon by the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by any party upon the breach of the other party of any material term of this Agreement if such breach is not cured within 15 days of notice of such breach to the breaching party. In addition, the Fund may, at any time, immediately terminate this Agreement in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Custodian by regulatory authorities or upon the happening of a like event at the direction of an appropriate regulatory agency or court of competent jurisdiction.
14
13.03 Early Termination. In the absence of any material breach of this agreement, should the Fund elect to terminate this agreement prior to the end of the initial term, the Fund agrees to pay the following fees:
a) | All the monthly fees through the life of the Agreement; |
b) | All out-of-pocket fees associated with converting services to successor service provider; |
c) | All fees associated with any record retention and/or tax reporting obligations that may not be eliminated due to the conversion to a successor service provider; |
d) | All out-of-pocket costs associated with a) thru c) above. |
13.04 Appointment of Successor Custodian. If a successor custodian shall have been appointed by the Board of Directors, the Custodian shall, upon receipt of a notice of acceptance by the successor custodian, on such specified date of termination (i) deliver directly to the successor custodian all Securities (other than Securities held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository) and cash then owned by the Fund and held by the Custodian as custodian, and (ii) transfer any Securities held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository to an account of or for the benefit of the Fund at the successor custodian, provided that the Fund shall have paid to the Custodian all fees, expenses and other amounts to the payment or reimbursement of which it shall then be entitled. In addition, the Custodian shall, at the expense of the Fund (in the absence of a material breach by the Custodian, in which case all expenses shall be borne by the Custodian), transfer to such successor all relevant books, records, correspondence, and other data established or maintained by the Custodian under this Agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Fund (if such form differs from the form in which the Custodian has maintained the same, the Fund shall pay any expenses associated with transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for assistance from the Custodian’s personnel in the establishment of books, records, and other data by such successor. Upon such delivery and transfer, the Custodian shall be relieved of all obligations under this Agreement.
13.05 Failure to Appoint Successor Custodian. If a successor custodian is not designated by the Fund on or before the date of termination of this Agreement, then the Custodian shall have the right to deliver to a bank or trust company of its own selection, which bank or trust company (i) is a “bank” as defined in the 1940 Act, and (ii) has aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits as shown on its most recent published report of not less than $25 million, all Securities, cash and other property held by Custodian under this Agreement and to transfer to an account of or for the Fund at such bank or trust company all Securities of the Fund held in a Book-Entry System or Securities Depository. Upon such delivery and transfer, such bank or trust company shall be the successor custodian under this Agreement and the Custodian shall be relieved of all obligations under this Agreement. In addition, under these circumstances, all books, records and other data of the Fund shall be returned to the Fund.
ARTICLE XIV.
CLASS ACTIONS
The Custodian shall use its best efforts to identify and file claims for the Fund(s) involving any class action litigation that impacts any security the Fund(s) may have held during the class period. The Fund agrees that the Custodian may file such claims on its behalf and understands that it may be waiving and/or releasing certain rights to make claims or otherwise pursue class action defendants who settle their claims. Further, the Fund acknowledges that there is no guarantee these claims will result in any payment or partial payment of potential class action proceeds and that the timing of such payment, if any, is uncertain.
15
However, the Fund may instruct the Custodian to distribute class action notices and other relevant documentation to the Fund(s) or its designee and, if it so elects, will relieve the Custodian from any and all liability and responsibility for filing class action claims on behalf of the Fund(s).
In the event the Fund(s) are closed, the Custodian shall only file the class action claims upon written instructions by an authorized representative of the closed Fund(s). Any expenses associated with such filing will be assessed against the proceeds received of any class action settlement.
ARTICLE XV.
MISCELLANEOUS
15.01 Compliance with Laws. The Fund has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to the Fund, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the policies and limitations of the Fund relating to its portfolio investments as set forth in its prospectus and statement of additional information on Form N-2. The Custodian’s services hereunder shall not relieve the Fund of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board of Director’s oversight responsibility with respect thereto.
15.02 Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by written agreement executed by the Custodian and the Fund, and authorized or approved by the Board of Directors.
15.03 Assignment. This Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the written consent of the Custodian, or by the Custodian without the written consent of the Fund accompanied by the authorization or approval of the Board of Directors.
15.04 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Minnesota, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control, and nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the SEC thereunder.
15.05 No Agency Relationship. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower either party to act as agent for the other party to this Agreement, or to conduct business in the name, or for the account, of the other party to this Agreement.
15.06 Services Not Exclusive. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the Custodian from providing services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the services provided hereunder.
15.07 Invalidity. Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case, the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent with the original intent of the parties.
16
15.08 Notices. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent and confirmed received by facsimile transmission to the other party’s address set forth below:
Notice to the Custodian shall be sent to:
U.S. Bank, N.A.
1555 N. Rivercenter Dr., MK-WI-S302
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Attn: Tom Fuller
Phone: 414-905-6118
Fax: 866-350-5066
and notice to the Fund shall be sent to:
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
c/o Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC
250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10281-1023
Attn: Brian Hurley
15.09 Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed on two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
15.10 No Waiver. No failure by either party hereto to exercise, and no delay by such party in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. The exercise by either party hereto of any right hereunder shall not preclude the exercise of any other right, and the remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided at law or in equity.
15.11 References to Custodian. The Fund shall not circulate any printed matter which contains any reference to Custodian without the prior written approval of Custodian, excepting printed matter contained in the prospectus or statement of additional information for the Fund and such other printed matter as merely identifies Custodian as custodian for the Fund. The Fund shall submit printed matter requiring approval to Custodian in draft form, allowing sufficient time for review by Custodian and its counsel prior to any deadline for printing.
SIGNATURES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
17
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above written.
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: | |||
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. : | |||
By: | |||
Name | Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: | President |
18
Exhibit A to the Custody Agreement
AUTHORIZED PERSONS – [ ]
Set forth below are the names and specimen signatures of the persons authorized by the Fund to administer the Fund Custody Accounts.
Name | Telephone/Fax Number | Signature | ||||||
19
Exhibit C to the Custody Agreement
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS ACT AUTHORIZATION
[ ]
The Shareholder Communications Act of 1985 requires banks and trust companies to make an effort to permit direct communication between a company which issues securities and the shareholder who votes those securities.
Unless you specifically require us to NOT release your name and address to requesting companies, we are required by law to disclose your name and address.
Your “yes” or “no” to disclosure will apply to all securities U.S. Bank holds for you now and in the future, unless you change your mind and notify us in writing.
______ YES | U.S. Bank is authorized to provide the Fund’s name, address and security position to requesting companies whose stock is owned by the Company. | |
______ NO | U.S. Bank is NOT authorized to provide the Fund’s name, address and security position to requesting companies whose stock is owned by the Company. |
[ ]
By: | |||
Title: | |||
Date: |
20
Exhibit 99.(k)(1)
TRANSFER AGENT SERVICING AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of [●], 2021 (the “Agreement”), is entered into by and between OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), and U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company (“USBFS”).
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company, and is authorized to issue shares of common stock; and
WHEREAS, USBFS is, among other things, in the business of administering transfer and dividend disbursing agent functions for the benefit of its customers; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain USBFS to provide transfer and dividend disbursing agent services to the Fund.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
1. | Appointment of USBFS as Transfer Agent |
The Fund hereby appoints USBFS as transfer agent of the Fund on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and USBFS hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement. The services and duties of USBFS shall be confined to those matters expressly set forth herein, and no implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against USBFS hereunder.
2. | Services and Duties of USBFS |
USBFS shall provide the following transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent services to each Fund:
A. | Receive and process all orders for the purchase, exchange, transfer and/or redemption of the Fund shares in accordance with Rule 22c-1 under the 1940 Act, other applicable regulations, and as specified in the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”). |
B. | Process purchase and redemption orders with prompt delivery, where appropriate, of payment and supporting documentation to the shareholder based on the shareholder’s or Fund’s custodian’s instructions, and record the appropriate number of shares being held in the appropriate shareholder account. |
C. | Process redemption requests received in good order and, where relevant, deliver appropriate documentation to the Fund’s custodian. |
D. | Pay proceeds upon receipt from the Fund’s custodian, where relevant, in accordance with the instructions of redeeming shareholders. |
E. | Process transfers of shares in accordance with the shareholder’s instructions, after receipt of appropriate documentation from the shareholder as specified in the Prospectus. |
F. | Prepare and transmit payments, or apply reinvestments for income dividends and capital gains distributions declared by the Fund with respect to each Fund, after deducting any amount required to be withheld by any applicable laws, rules and regulations and in accordance with shareholder instructions. |
G. | Serve as a Fund’s agent in connection with systematic plans including, but not limited to, systematic investment plans, systematic withdrawal plans, and systematic exchange plans. |
H. | Make changes to shareholder records, including, but not limited to, address and plan changes (e.g., systematic investment and withdrawal, dividend reinvestment). |
I. | Handle load and multi-class processing, including rights of accumulation and purchases by letters of intent in accordance with the Prospectus. |
J. | Record the issuance of shares of each Fund and maintain, pursuant to Rule 17Ad-10(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), a record of the total number of shares of each Fund which are authorized, issued and outstanding. |
K. | Prepare ad-hoc reports as necessary at prevailing rates. |
L. | Mail shareholder reports and Prospectuses to current shareholders. |
M. | Prepare and file U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099 and other appropriate information returns required with respect to dividends and distributions for all shareholders. |
N. | Provide shareholder account information upon shareholder request, and prepare and mail confirmations and statements of account to shareholders for all purchases, redemptions and other confirmable transactions as agreed upon with the Fund. |
O. | Mail and/or obtain shareholders’ certifications under penalties of perjury and pay on a timely basis to the appropriate federal authorities any taxes to be withheld on dividends and distributions paid by the Fund, all as required by applicable federal and state tax laws and regulations. |
P. | Answer correspondence from shareholders, securities brokers and others relating to USBFS’s duties hereunder within required time periods established by applicable regulation. |
Q. | Reimburse each Fund each month for all material losses resulting from “as of” processing errors for which USBFS is responsible in accordance with the “as of” processing guidelines set forth on Exhibit A hereto. |
R. | Calculate average assets held in shareholder accounts for purposes of paying Rule 12b-1 and/or shareholder servicing fees as directed by each Fund. |
S. | Provide service and support to financial intermediaries including, but not limited to, trade placements, settlements, and corrections. |
3. | Additional Services to be Provided by USBFS |
A. | If the Fund so elects, by including the service it wishes to receive in its fee schedule, USBFS shall provide the following services that are further described and that may be subject to additional terms and conditions specified in their respective exhibits, as such may be amended from time to time: |
Internet Access, Fan Web, Vision Mutual Fund Gateway (Exhibit A)
The Fund hereby acknowledges that exhibits are an integral part of this Agreement and, to the extent services included in Exhibit B are selected by the Fund, such services shall also be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. To the extent the terms and conditions of this Agreement conflict with the terms and conditions included in Exhibit A, the exhibits shall control. The provisions of Exhibit A, as applicable, shall continue in effect for as long as this Agreement remains in effect, unless sooner terminated pursuant to Section 13 hereof.
B. | USBFS shall allow the Fund access to various fund data, systems, industry information and processes as the parties may agree to from time to time, through Mutual Fund eXchange (“MFx”), subject to the terms of this Agreement and the additional terms and conditions contained in the on-line MFx access agreement to be entered into upon accessing MFx for the first time. USBFS shall enable the Fund to access MFx services by supplying the Fund with necessary software, training, information and connectivity support as mutually agreed upon, all of which shall constitute confidential knowledge and information of USBFS and shall be used by the Fund only as necessary to access MFx services pursuant to this Agreement. The Fund shall provide for the security of all codes and system access mechanisms relating to MFx provided to it by USBFS and implement such security procedures and/or devices to ensure the integrity of MFx. The Fund hereby understands that USBFS will perform periodic maintenance to the MFx hardware and software being accessed, which may cause temporary service interruptions. USBFS shall notify the Fund of all planned outages and, to the extent possible, will perform any necessary maintenance during non-business hours. |
2
The Fund hereby acknowledges that all programs, software, manuals and other written information relating to MFx access provided by USBFS pursuant to this Agreement shall remain the exclusive property of USBFS at all times.
The Fund acknowledges that it is responsible for determining the suitability and accuracy of the information obtained through its access to MFx. USBFS MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE SUITABILITY AND ACCURACY OF FUND DATA, SYSTEMS, INDUSTRY INFORMATION AND PROCESSES ACCESSED THROUGH MFx. However, USBFS will assist the Fund in verifying the accuracy of any of the information made available to the Fund through MFx and covered by this Agreement.
In the event of termination of this Agreement, in addition to the requirements set forth in Section 14 hereof, the Fund shall immediately end its access to MFx and return all codes, system access mechanisms, programs, manuals and other written information to USBFS, and shall destroy or erase all such information on any diskettes or other storage medium, unless such access continues to be permitted pursuant to a separate agreement.
4. | Lost Shareholder Due Diligence Searches and Servicing |
The Fund hereby acknowledges that USBFS has an arrangement with an outside vendor to conduct lost shareholder searches required by Rule 17Ad-17 under the Exchange Act. Costs associated with such searches will be passed through to the Fund as an out-of-pocket expense in accordance with the fee schedule set forth in Exhibit C hereto. If a shareholder remains lost and the shareholder’s account unresolved after completion of the mandatory Rule 17Ad-17 search, the Fund hereby authorizes vendor to enter, at its discretion, into fee sharing arrangements with the lost shareholder (or such lost shareholder’s representative or executor) to conduct a more in-depth search in order to locate the lost shareholder before the shareholder’s assets escheat to the applicable state. The Fund hereby acknowledges that USBFS is not a party to these arrangements and does not receive any revenue sharing or other fees relating to these arrangements. Furthermore, the Fund hereby acknowledges that vendor may receive up to 35% of the lost shareholder’s assets as compensation for its efforts in locating the lost shareholder.
5. | Anti-Money Laundering and Red Flag Identity Theft Prevention Programs |
The Fund acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to review, consider and comment upon the written procedures provided by USBFS describing various tools used by USBFS which are designed to promote the detection and reporting of potential money laundering activity and identity theft by monitoring certain aspects of shareholder activity as well as written procedures for verifying a customer’s identity (collectively, the “Procedures”). Further, the Fund and USBFS have each determined that the Procedures, as part of the Fund’s overall Anti-Money Laundering Program and Red Flag Identity Theft Prevention Program, are reasonably designed to: (i) prevent each Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities, (ii) achieve compliance with the applicable provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act, Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 and the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the implementing regulations thereunder.
Based on this determination, the Fund hereby instructs and directs USBFS to implement the Procedures on the Fund’s behalf, as such may be amended or revised from time to time. It is contemplated that these Procedures will be amended from time to time by the parties as additional regulations are adopted and/or regulatory guidance is provided relating to the Fund’s anti-money laundering and identity theft responsibilities.
USBFS agrees to provide to the Fund:
A. | Prompt written notification of any transaction or combination of transactions that USBFS believes, based on the Procedures, evidence money laundering or identity theft activities in connection with the Fund or any Fund shareholder; |
3
B. | Prompt written notification of any customer(s) that USBFS reasonably believes, based upon the Procedures, to be engaged in money laundering or identity theft activities, provided that the Fund agrees not to communicate this information to the customer; |
C. | Any reports received by USBFS from any government agency or applicable industry self-regulatory organization pertaining to USBFS’s Anti-Money Laundering Program or the Red Flag Identity Theft Prevention Program on behalf of the Fund; |
D. | Prompt written notification of any action taken in response to anti-money laundering violations or identity theft activity as described in (A), (B) or (C) immediately above; and |
E. | Certified annual and quarterly reports of its monitoring and customer identification activities pursuant to the Procedures on behalf of the Fund. |
The Fund hereby directs, and USBFS acknowledges, that USBFS shall (i) permit federal regulators access to such information and records maintained by USBFS and relating to USBFS’ implementation of the Procedures, on behalf of the Fund, as they may request, and (ii) permit such federal regulators to inspect USBFS’ implementation of the Procedures on behalf of the Fund.
6. | Compensation |
USBFS shall be compensated for providing the services set forth in this Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit C hereto (as amended from time to time). USBFS shall also be compensated for such out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., telecommunication charges, postage and delivery charges, and reproduction charges) as are reasonably incurred by USBFS in performing its duties hereunder. USBFS shall also be compensated for any increases in costs due to the adoption of any new or amended industry, regulatory or other applicable rules. The Fund shall pay all such fees and reimbursable expenses within 30 calendar days following receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense subject to a good faith dispute. The Fund shall notify USBFS in writing within 30 calendar days following receipt of each invoice if the Fund is disputing any amounts in good faith. The Fund shall pay such disputed amounts within 10 calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount to be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the Fund is disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices shall accrue a finance charge of 1½% per month after the due date. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, amounts owed by the Fund to USBFS shall only be paid out of assets and property of the particular Fund involved.
7. | Representations and Warranties |
A. | The Fund hereby represents and warrants to USBFS, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that: |
(1) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(2) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; |
(3) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement; and |
(4) | A registration statement under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will be made effective prior to the effective date of this Agreement and will remain effective during the term of this Agreement, and appropriate state securities law filings will be made prior to the effective date of this Agreement and will continue to be made during the term of this Agreement as necessary to enable the Fund to make a continuous public offering of its shares. |
4
B. | USBFS hereby represents and warrants to the Fund, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that: |
(1) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(2) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by USBFS in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of USBFS, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; |
(3) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement; and |
(4) | It is a registered transfer agent under the Exchange Act. |
8. | Standard of Care; Indemnification; Limitation of Liability |
A. | USBFS shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. USBFS shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with its duties under this Agreement, including losses resulting from mechanical breakdowns or the failure of communication or power supplies beyond USBFS’ control, except a loss arising out of or relating to USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if USBFS has exercised reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Fund shall indemnify and hold harmless USBFS from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that USBFS may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against USBFS by any person arising out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in performing the services hereunder (i) in accordance with the foregoing standards, or (ii) in reliance upon any written or oral instruction provided to USBFS by any duly authorized officer of the Fund, as approved by the Board of Directors of the Fund (the “Board of Directors”), except for any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities arising out of or relating to USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Fund, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “USBFS” shall include USBFS’ directors, officers and employees. |
USBFS shall indemnify and hold the Fund harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that the Fund may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against the Fund by any person arising out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by USBFS as a result of USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of USBFS, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “Fund” shall include the Fund’s directors, officers and employees.
Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for consequential, special or punitive damages under any provision of this Agreement.
In the event of a mechanical breakdown or failure of communication or power supplies beyond its control, USBFS shall take all reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions for any period that such interruption continues. USBFS will make every reasonable effort to restore any lost or damaged data and correct any errors resulting from such a breakdown at the expense of USBFS. USBFS agrees that it shall, at all times, have reasonable contingency plans with appropriate parties, making reasonable provision for emergency use of electrical data processing equipment to the extent appropriate equipment is available. Representatives of the Fund shall be entitled to inspect USBFS’s premises and operating capabilities at any time during regular business hours of USBFS, upon reasonable notice to USBFS. Moreover, USBFS shall provide the Fund, at such times as the Fund may reasonably require, copies of reports rendered by independent accountants on the internal controls and procedures of USBFS relating to the services provided by USBFS under this Agreement.
5
Notwithstanding the above, USBFS reserves the right to reprocess and correct administrative errors at its own expense.
B. | In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section shall apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification under this Section. The indemnitee shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the indemnitor’s prior written consent. |
C. | The indemnity and defense provisions set forth in this Section 8, and in Exhibit B, if applicable, shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement. |
D. | If USBFS is acting in another capacity for the Fund pursuant to a separate agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve USBFS of any of its obligations in such other capacity. |
9. | Data Necessary to Perform Services |
The Fund or its agent shall furnish to USBFS the data necessary to perform the services described herein at such times and in such form as mutually agreed upon.
10. | Proprietary and Confidential Information |
USBFS agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund, all records and other information relative to the Fund and prior, present, or potential shareholders of the Fund (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i) after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where USBFS may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so requested by the Fund. Records and other information which have become known to the public through no wrongful act of USBFS or any of its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of USBFS prior to receipt thereof from the Fund or its agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph.
Further, USBFS will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the Fund pursuant to Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. In this regard, USBFS shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Fund and its shareholders.
6
11. | Records |
USBFS shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder in the form and manner, and for such period, as it may deem advisable and is agreeable to the Fund, but not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of appropriate government authorities, in particular, Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. USBFS agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by USBFS relating to the services to be performed by USBFS hereunder are the property of the Fund and will be preserved, maintained, and made available in accordance with such applicable sections and rules of the 1940 Act and will be promptly surrendered to the Fund or its designee on and in accordance with its request.
12. | Compliance with Laws |
The Fund has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to the Funds, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the policies and limitations of the Fund relating to its portfolio investments as set forth in its Prospectus and statement of additional information. USBFS’s services hereunder shall not relieve the Fund of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board of Director’s oversight responsibility with respect thereto.
13. | Term of Agreement; Amendment |
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and will continue in effect for a period of three (3) years. Subsequent to the initial three-year term, this Agreement may be terminated by either party upon giving 90 days prior written notice to the other party or such shorter period as is mutually agreed upon by the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by any party upon the breach of the other party of any material term of this Agreement if such breach is not cured within 15 days of notice of such breach to the breaching party. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by written agreement executed by USBFS and the Fund and authorized or approved by the Board of Directors. The provisions of this Section 13 shall also apply to Exhibit B.
14. | Duties in the Event of Termination |
In the event that, in connection with termination, a successor to any of USBFS’ duties or responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Fund by written notice to USBFS, USBFS will promptly, upon such termination and at the expense of the Fund, transfer to such successor all relevant books, records, correspondence, and other data established or maintained by USBFS under this Agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Fund (if such form differs from the form in which USBFS has maintained the same, the Fund shall pay any expenses associated with transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for assistance from USBFS’ personnel in the establishment of books, records, and other data by such successor. If no such successor is designated, then such books, records and other data shall be returned to the Fund.
15. | Early Termination |
In the absence of any material breach of this Agreement, should the Fund elect to terminate this Agreement prior to the end of the term, the Fund agrees to pay the following fees:
a. | all monthly fees through the life of the Agreement, including the rebate of any negotiated discounts; |
b. | all fees associated with converting services to successor service provider; |
c. | all fees associated with any record retention and/or tax reporting obligations that may not be eliminated due to the conversion to a successor service provider; |
d. | all out-of-pocket costs associated with a-c above. |
16. | Assignment |
This Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the written consent of USBFS, or by USBFS without the written consent of the Fund, accompanied by the authorization or approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors.
7
17. | Governing Law |
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Wisconsin, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control, and nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
18. | No Agency Relationship |
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower either party to act as agent for the other party to this Agreement, or to conduct business in the name, or for the account, of the other party to this Agreement.
19. | Services Not Exclusive |
Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict USBFS from providing services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the services provided hereunder.
20. | Invalidity |
Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case, the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent with the original intent of the parties.
21. | Notices |
Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent and confirmed received by facsimile transmission to the other party’s address set forth below:
Notice to USBFS shall be sent to:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
and notice to the Fund shall be sent to:
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
c/o Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC
250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10281-1023
Attn: Brian Hurley
22. | Multiple Originals |
This Agreement may be executed on two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
23. | Entire Agreement |
This Agreement, together with any exhibits, attachments, appendices or schedules expressly referenced herein, sets forth the sole and complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements relating thereto, whether written or oral, between the parties.
SIGNATURES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above written.
U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: President |
9
Exhibit A
to the
Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement
As Of Processing Policy
USBFS will reimburse each Fund for any Net Material Loss that may exist on the Fund’s books and for which USBFS is responsible, at the end of each calendar month. “Net Material Loss” shall be defined as any remaining loss, after netting losses against any gains, which impacts a Fund’s net asset value per share by at least ½ cent. Gains and losses will be reflected on the Fund’s daily share sheet, and the Fund will be reimbursed for any Net Material Loss on a monthly basis. USBFS will reset the as of ledger each calendar month so that any losses which do not exceed the materiality threshold of ½ cent will not be carried forward to the next succeeding month. USBFS will notify the advisor to the Fund on the daily share sheet of any losses for which the advisor may be held accountable.
10
Exhibit B
to the
Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement
INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES
1. | Services Covered |
USBFS shall make the following electronic, interactive and processing services (“Electronic Services”) available to the Fund in accordance with the terms of this Exhibit B:
A. |
Fan Web – Shareholder internet access to account information and transaction capabilities. Internet service is connected
directly to the
Fund’s web site through a transparent hyperlink. Shareholders can access, among other information, account information and portfolio listings within a fund family, view transaction history, and purchase additional or sell shares through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”). |
B. | Vision Mutual Fund Gateway – Permits broker/dealers, financial planners, and registered investment advisors to use a web-based system to perform order and account inquiry, execute trades, print applications, review prospectuses, and establish new accounts. |
2. | Duties and Responsibilities of USBFS |
USBFS shall:
A. | Make Electronic Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, subject to scheduled maintenance and events outside of USBFS’s reasonable control. Unless an emergency is encountered, no routine maintenance will occur during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central Time. |
B. | Provide installation services, which shall include review and approval of the Fund’s network requirements, recommending method of establishing (and, as applicable, cooperate with the Fund to implement and maintain) a hypertext link between the Electronic Services site and the Fund’s web site(s) and testing the network connectivity and performance. |
C. | Maintain and support the Electronic Services, which shall include providing error corrections, minor enhancements and interim upgrades to the Electronic Services that are made generally available to the Electronic Services customers and providing help desk support to provide assistance to the Fund’s employees and agents with their use of the Electronic Services. Maintenance and support, as used herein, shall not include (i) access to or use of any substantial added functionality, new interfaces, new architecture, new platforms, new versions or major development efforts, unless made generally available by USBFS to the Electronic Services customers, as determined solely by USBFS or (ii) maintenance of customized features. |
D. | Establish systems to guide, assist and permit End Users (as defined below) who access the Electronic Services site from the Fund’s web site(s) to electronically perform inquiries and create and transmit transaction requests to USBFS. |
E. | Address and mail, at the Fund’s expense, notification and promotional mailings and other communications provided by the Fund to shareholders regarding the availability of the Electronic Services. |
F. | Issue to each shareholder, financial adviser or other person or entity who desires to make inquiries concerning the Fund or perform transactions in accounts with the Fund using any of the Electronic Services (the “End User”) a unique personal identification number (“PIN”) for authentication purposes, which may be changed upon an End User’s reasonable request in accordance with policies to be determined by USBFS and the Fund. USBFS will require the End User to provide his/her PIN in order to access the Electronic Services. |
11
G. | Prepare and process new account applications received through the Electronic Services from shareholders determined by the Fund to be eligible for such services and in connection with such, the Fund agrees as follows: |
(1) | to permit the establishment of shareholder bank account information over the Internet in order to facilitate purchase activity through ACH; and |
(2) | the Fund shall be responsible for any resulting gain/loss liability associated with the ACH process. |
H. | Provide the End User with a transaction confirmation number for each completed purchase, redemption, or exchange of the Fund’s shares upon completion of the transaction. |
I. | Utilize encryption and secure transport protocols intended to prevent fraud and ensure confidentiality of End User accounts and transactions. In no event shall USBFS use encryption weaker than 128-bit. USBFS will take reasonable actions, including periodic scans of Internet interfaces and the Electronic Services, to protect the Internet web site that provides the Electronic Services and related network, against viruses, worms and other data corruption or disabling devices, and unauthorized, fraudulent or illegal use, by using appropriate anti-virus and intrusion detection software and by adopting such other security procedures as may be necessary. |
J. | Inform the Fund promptly of any malfunctions, problems, errors or service interruptions with respect to the Electronic Services of which USBFS becomes aware. |
K. | Exercise reasonable efforts to maintain all on-screen disclaimers and copyright, trademark and service mark notifications, if any, provided by the Fund to USBFS in writing from time to time, and all “point and click” features of the Electronic Services relating to shareholder acknowledgment and acceptance of such disclaimers and notifications. |
L. | Establish and provide to the Fund written procedures, which may be amended from time to time by USBFS with the written consent of the Fund, regarding End User access to the Electronic Services. Such written procedures shall establish security standards for the Electronic Services, including, without limitation: |
(1) | Encryption/secure transport protocols. |
(2) | End User lockout standards (e.g., lockout after three unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the Electronic Services). |
(3) | PIN issuance and reissuance standards. |
(4) | Access standards, including limits on access to End Users whose accounts are coded for privilege. |
(5) | Automatic logoff standards (e.g., if the session is inactive for longer than 15 minutes). |
M. | Provide the Fund with daily reports of transactions listing all purchases or transfers made by each End User separately. USBFS shall also furnish the Fund with monthly reports summarizing shareholder inquiry and transaction activity without listing all transactions. |
N. | Annually engage a third party to audit its internal controls for the Electronic Services and compliance with all guidelines for the Electronic Services included herein and provide the Fund with a copy of the auditor’s report promptly. |
3. | Duties and Responsibilities of the Fund |
The Fund assumes exclusive responsibility for the consequences of any instructions it may give to USBFS, for the Fund’s or End Users’ failure to properly access the Electronic Services in the manner prescribed by USBFS, and for the Fund’s failure to supply accurate information to USBFS.
Also, the Fund shall:
12
A. | Revise and update the applicable prospectus(es) and other pertinent materials, such as user agreements with End Users, to include the appropriate consents, notices and disclosures for Electronic Services, including disclaimers and information reasonably requested by USBFS. |
B. | Be responsible for designing, developing and maintaining one or more web sites for the Fund through which End Users may access the Electronic Services, including provision of software necessary for access to the Internet, which must be acquired from a third-party vendor. Such web sites shall have the functionality necessary to facilitate, implement and maintain the hypertext links to the Electronic Services and the various inquiry and transaction web pages. The Fund shall provide USBFS with the name of the host of the Fund’s web site server and shall notify USBFS of any change to the Fund’s web site server host. |
C. | Provide USBFS with such information and/or access to the Fund’s web site(s) as is necessary for USBFS to provide the Electronic Services to End Users. |
D. | Promptly notify USBFS of any problems or errors with the applicable Electronic Services of which the Fund becomes aware or any changes in policies or procedures of the Fund requiring changes to the Electronic Services. |
4. | Additional Representation and Warranty |
The parties hereby warrant that neither party shall knowingly insert into any interface, other software, or other program provided by such party to the other hereunder, or accessible on the Electronic Services site or Fund’s web site(s), as the case may be, any “back door,” “time bomb,” “Trojan Horse,” “worm,” “drop dead device,” “virus” or other computer software code or routines or hardware components designed to disable, damage or impair the operation of any system, program or operation hereunder. For failure to comply with this warranty, the non-complying party shall immediately replace all copies of the affected work product, system or software. All costs incurred with replacement including, but not limited to, cost of media, shipping, deliveries and installation, shall be borne by such party.
5. | Proprietary Rights |
A. | Each party acknowledges and agrees that it obtains no rights in or to any of the software, hardware, processes, trade secrets, proprietary information or distribution and communication networks of the other hereunder. Any software, interfaces or other programs a party provides to the other hereunder shall be used by such receiving party only in accordance with the provisions of this Exhibit B. Any interfaces, other software or other programs developed by one party shall not be used directly or indirectly by or for the other party or any of its affiliates to connect such receiving party or any affiliate to any other person, without the first party’s prior written approval, which it may give or withhold in its sole discretion. Except in the normal course of business and in conformity with Federal copyright law or with the other party’s consent, neither party nor any of its affiliates shall disclose, use, copy, decompile or reverse engineer any software or other programs provided to such party by the other in connection herewith. |
B. | The Fund’s web site(s) and the Electronic Services site may contain certain intellectual property, including, but not limited to, rights in copyrighted works, trademarks and trade dress that is the property of the other party. Each party retains all rights in such intellectual property that may reside on the other party’s web site, not including any intellectual property provided by or otherwise obtained from such other party. To the extent the intellectual property of one party is cached to expedite communication, such party grants to the other a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to such intellectual property for a period of time no longer than that reasonably necessary for the communication. To the extent that the intellectual property of one party is duplicated within the other party’s web site to replicate the “look and feel,” “trade dress” or other aspect of the appearance or functionality of the first site, that party grants to the other a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to such intellectual property for the period during which this Exhibit B is in effect. This license is limited to the intellectual property needed to replicate the appearance of the first site and does not extend to any other intellectual property owned by the owner of the first site. Each party warrants that it has sufficient right, title and interest in and to its web site and its intellectual property to enter into these obligations, and that to its knowledge, the license hereby granted to the other party does not and will not infringe on any U.S. patent, copyright or other proprietary right of a third party. |
13
C. | Each party agrees that the nonbreaching party would not have an adequate remedy at law in the event of the other party’s breach or threatened breach of its obligations under this Section of this Exhibit B and that the nonbreaching party would suffer irreparable injury and damage as a result of any such breach. Accordingly, in the event either party breaches or threatens to breach the obligations set forth in this Section of this Exhibit B, in addition to and not in lieu of any legal or other remedies a party may pursue hereunder or under applicable law, each party hereby consents to the granting of equitable relief (including the issuance of a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction) against it by a court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of proving actual damages or posting any bond or other security therefor, prohibiting any such breach or threatened breach. In any proceeding upon a motion for such equitable relief, a party’s ability to answer in damages shall not be interposed as a defense to the granting of such equitable relief. The provisions of this Section relating to equitable relief shall survive termination of the provision of services set forth in this Exhibit B. |
6. | Compensation |
USBFS shall be compensated for providing the Electronic Services in accordance with the fee schedule set forth in C (as amended from time to time).
7. | Additional Indemnification; Limitation of Liability |
A. | Subject to Section 2(A), USBFS CANNOT AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE AVAILABILITY OF THE ELECTRONIC SERVICES. Accordingly, USBFS’ sole liability to the Fund or any third party (including End Users) for any claims, notwithstanding the form of such claims (e.g., contract, negligence, or otherwise), arising out of the delay of or interruption in the Electronic Services to be provided by USBFS hereunder shall be to use its best reasonable efforts to commence or resume the Electronic Services as promptly as is reasonably possible. |
B. | USBFS shall, at its sole cost and expense, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Fund and its directors, officers and employees from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to (a) any infringement, or claim of infringement, of any United States patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or other proprietary rights based on the use or potential use of the Electronic Services and (b) the provision of the Fund Files (as defined below) or Confidential Information (as defined below) to a person other than a person to whom such information may be properly disclosed hereunder. |
C. | If an injunction is issued against the Fund’s use of the Electronic Services by reason of infringement of a patent, copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights of a third party, USBFS shall, at its own option and expense, either (i) procure for the Fund the right to continue to use the Electronic Services on substantially the same terms and conditions as specified hereunder, or (ii) after notification to the Fund, replace or modify the Electronic Services so that they become non-infringing, provided that, in the Fund’s judgment, such replacement or modification does not materially and adversely affect the performance of the Electronic Services or significantly lessen their utility to the Fund. If in the Fund’s judgment, such replacement or modification does materially adversely affect the performance of the Electronic Services or significantly lessen their utility to the Fund, the Fund may terminate all rights and responsibilities under this Exhibit B immediately on written notice to USBFS. |
D. | Because the ability of USBFS to deliver Electronic Services is dependent upon the Internet and equipment, software, systems, data and services provided by various telecommunications carriers, equipment manufacturers, firewall providers and encryption system developers and other vendors and third parties, USBFS shall not be liable for delays or failures to perform its obligations hereunder to the extent that such delays or failures are attributable to circumstances beyond its reasonable control which interfere with the delivery of the Electronic Services by means of the Internet or any of the equipment, software and services which support the Internet provided by such third parties. USBFS shall also not be liable for the actions or omissions of any third party wrongdoers (i.e., hackers not employed by USBFS or its affiliates) or of any third parties involved in the Electronic Services and shall not be liable for the selection of any such third party, unless USBFS selected the third party in bad faith or in a grossly negligent manner. |
14
E. | USBFS shall not be responsible for the accuracy of input material from End Users nor the resultant output derived from inaccurate input. The accuracy of input and output shall be judged as received at USBFS’ data center as determined by the records maintained by USBFS. |
F. | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, USBFS shall not be obligated to ensure or verify the accuracy or actual receipt, or the transmission, of any data or information contained in any transaction via the Electronic Services or the consummation of any inquiry or transaction request not actually reviewed by USBFS. |
8. | File Security and Retention; Confidentiality |
A. | USBFS and its agents will provide reasonable security provisions to ensure that unauthorized third parties do not have access to the Fund’s data bases, files, and other information provided by the Fund to USBFS for use with the Electronic Services, the names of End Users or End User transaction or account data (collectively, “Fund Files”). USBFS’ security provisions with respect to the Electronic Services, the Fund’s web site(s) and the Fund Files will be no less protected than USBFS’ security provisions with respect to its own proprietary information. USBFS agrees that any and all Fund Files maintained by USBFS for the Fund hereunder shall be available for inspection by the Fund’s regulatory authorities during regular business hours, upon reasonable prior written notice to USBFS, and will be maintained and retained in accordance with applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. USBFS will take such actions as are necessary to protect the intellectual property contained within the Fund’s web site(s) or any software, written materials, or pictorial materials describing or creating the Fund’s web site(s), including all interface designs or specifications. USBFS will take such actions as are reasonably necessary to protect all rights to the source code and interface of the Fund’s web site(s). In addition, USBFS will not use, or permit the use of, names of End Users for the purpose of soliciting any business, product, or service whatsoever except where the communication is necessary and appropriate for USBFS’ delivery of the Electronic Services. |
B. | USBFS shall treat as confidential and not disclose or otherwise make available any of the Fund’s lists, information, trade secrets, processes, proprietary data, information or documentation (collectively, the “Confidential Information”), in any form, to any person other than agents, employees or consultants of USBFS. USBFS will instruct its agents, employees and consultants who have access to the Confidential Information to keep such information confidential by using the same care and discretion that USBFS uses with respect to its own confidential property and trade secrets. Upon termination of the rights and responsibilities described in this Exhibit B for any reason and upon the Fund’s request, USBFS shall return to the Fund, or destroy and certify that it has destroyed, any and all copies of the Confidential Information which are in its possession. |
C. | Notwithstanding the above, USBFS will not have an obligation of confidentiality under this Section with regard to information that (1) was known to it prior to disclosure hereunder, (2) is or becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach hereof, (3) is disclosed to it by a third party not subject to a duty of confidentiality, or (4) is required to be disclosed under law or by order of court or governmental agency. |
9. | Warranties |
EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS EXHIBIT, THE ELECTRONIC SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY USBFS “AS IS” ON AN “AS-AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, AND USBFS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE ELECTRONIC SERVICES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE.
10. | Duties in the Event of Termination |
In the event of termination of the services provided pursuant to this Exhibit B, (i) End Users will no longer be able to access the Electronic Services and (ii) the Fund will return all codes, system access mechanisms, programs, manuals, and other written information provided to it by USBFS in connection with the Electronic Services provided hereunder and shall destroy or erase all such information on any diskettes or other storage medium.
15
Exhibit 99.(k)(2)
FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICING AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of this [●] day of [●], 2021, by and between OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), and U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company (“USBFS”).
WHEREAS, the Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end, diversified management investment company; and
WHEREAS, USBFS is, among other things, in the business of providing fund accounting services for the benefit of its customers; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain USBFS to provide accounting services to the Fund.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:
1. | Appointment of USBFS as Accountant |
The Fund hereby appoints USBFS as fund accountant of the Fund on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and USBFS hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement. The services and duties of USBFS shall be confined to those matters expressly set forth herein, and no implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against USBFS hereunder.
2. | Services and Duties of USBFS |
USBFS shall provide the following accounting services to the Fund, including, but not limited to:
A. Portfolio Accounting Services:
(1) | Maintain portfolio records on a trade date+1 basis using security trade information communicated from the Fund’s investment adviser. |
(2) | For each valuation date, obtain prices from a pricing source approved by the board of directors of the Fund (the “Board”) and apply those prices to the portfolio positions. For those securities where market quotations are not readily available, the Board shall approve, in good faith, procedures for determining the fair value for such securities. |
(3) | Identify interest and dividend accrual balances as of each valuation date and calculate gross earnings on investments for each accounting period. |
(4) | Determine gain/loss on security sales and identify them as short-term or long-term; account for periodic distributions of gains or losses to shareholders and maintain undistributed gain or loss balances as of each valuation date. |
(5) | On a daily basis, reconcile cash of the Fund with the Fund’s custodian. |
(6) | Transmit a copy of the portfolio valuation to the Fund’s investment adviser daily. |
(7) | Review the impact of current day’s activity on a per share basis, and review changes in market value. |
B. Expense Accrual and Payment Services:
(1) | For each valuation date, calculate the expense accrual amounts as directed by the Fund as to methodology, rate or dollar amount. |
(2) | Process and record payments for Fund expenses upon receipt of written authorization from the Fund. |
(3) | Account for Fund expenditures and maintain expense accrual balances at the level of accounting detail, as agreed upon by USBFS and the Fund. |
(4) | Provide expense accrual and payment reporting. |
C. Fund Valuation and Financial Reporting Services:
(1) | Account for Fund share purchases, sales, exchanges, transfers, dividend reinvestments, and other Fund share activity as reported by the Fund’s transfer agent on a timely basis. |
(2) | Apply equalization accounting as directed by the Fund. |
(3) | Determine net investment income (earnings) for the Fund as of each valuation date. Account for periodic distributions of earnings to shareholders and maintain undistributed net investment income balances as of each valuation date. |
(4) | Maintain a general ledger and other accounts, books, and financial records for the Fund in the form as agreed upon. |
(5) | Determine the net asset value of the Fund according to the accounting policies and procedures set forth in the Fund's current prospectus. |
(6) | Calculate per share net asset value, per share net earnings, and other per share amounts reflective of Fund operations at such time as required by the nature and characteristics of the Fund. |
(7) | Communicate to the Fund, at an agreed upon time, the per share net asset value for each valuation date. |
(8) | Prepare monthly reports that document the adequacy of accounting detail to support month-end ledger balances. |
(9) | Prepare monthly security transactions listings. |
D. Tax Accounting Services:
(1) | Maintain accounting records for the investment portfolio of the Fund to support the tax reporting required for “regulated investment companies” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). |
(2) | Maintain tax lot detail for the Fund’s investment portfolio. |
(3) | Calculate taxable gain/loss on security sales using the tax lot relief method designated by the Fund. |
(4) | Provide the necessary financial information to calculate the taxable components of income and capital gains distributions to support tax reporting to the shareholders. |
2
E. Compliance Control Services:
(1) | Support reporting to regulatory bodies and support financial statement preparation by making the Fund's accounting records available to the Fund, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and the independent accountants. |
(2) | Maintain accounting records according to the 1940 Act and regulations provided thereunder. |
(3) | Perform its duties hereunder in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and provide any sub-certifications reasonably requested by the Trust in connection with any certification required of the Fund pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “SOX Act”) or any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder, provided the same shall not be deemed to change USBFS’s standard of care as set forth herein. |
(4) | Cooperate with the Fund’s independent accountants and take all reasonable action in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement to ensure that the necessary information is made available to such accountants for the expression of their opinion on the Fund’s financial statements without any qualification as to the scope of their examination. |
3. | License of Data; Warranty; Termination of Rights |
A. | The valuation information and evaluations being provided to the Fund by USBFS pursuant hereto (collectively, the “Data”) are being licensed, not sold, to the Fund. The Fund has a limited license to use the Data only for purposes necessary to valuing the Fund’s assets and reporting to regulatory bodies (the “License”). The Fund does not have any license nor right to use the Data for purposes beyond the intentions of this Agreement including, but not limited to, resale to other users or use to create any type of historical database. The License is non-transferable and not sub-licensable. The Fund’s right to use the Data cannot be passed to or shared with any other entity. |
The Fund acknowledges the proprietary rights that USBFS and its suppliers have in the Data.
B. | THE FUND HEREBY ACCEPTS THE DATA AS IS, WHERE IS, WITH NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER MATTER. |
C. | USBFS may stop supplying some or all Data to the Fund if USBFS’s suppliers terminate any agreement to provide Data to USBFS. Also, USBFS may stop supplying some or all Data to the Fund if USBFS reasonably believes that the Fund is using the Data in violation of the License, or breaching its duties of confidentiality provided for hereunder, or if any of USBFS’s suppliers demand that the Data be withheld from the Fund. USBFS will provide notice to the Fund of any termination of provision of Data as soon as reasonably possible. |
4. | Pricing of Securities |
A. | For each valuation date, USBFS shall obtain prices from a pricing source recommended by USBFS and approved by the Board and apply those prices to the portfolio positions of the Fund. For those securities where market quotations are not readily available, the Board shall approve, in good faith, procedures for determining the fair value for such securities. |
If the Fund desires to provide a price that varies from the price provided by the pricing source, the Fund shall promptly notify and supply USBFS with the price of any such security on each valuation date. All pricing changes made by the Fund will be in writing and must specifically identify the securities to be changed by CUSIP, name of security, new price or rate to be applied, and, if applicable, the time period for which the new price(s) is/are effective.
3
B. | In the event that the Fund at any time receives Data containing evaluations, rather than market quotations, for certain securities or certain other data related to such securities, the following provisions will apply: (i) evaluated securities are typically complicated financial instruments. There are many methodologies (including computer-based analytical modeling and individual security evaluations) available to generate approximations of the market value of such securities, and there is significant professional disagreement about which method is best. No evaluation method, including those used by USBFS and its suppliers, may consistently generate approximations that correspond to actual “traded” prices of the securities; (ii) methodologies used to provide the pricing portion of certain Data may rely on evaluations; however, the Fund acknowledges that there may be errors or defects in the software, databases, or methodologies generating the evaluations that may cause resultant evaluations to be inappropriate for use in certain applications; and (iii) the Fund assumes all responsibility for edit checking, external verification of evaluations, and ultimately the appropriateness of using Data containing evaluations, regardless of any efforts made by USBFS and its suppliers in this respect. |
5. | Changes in Accounting Procedures |
Any resolution passed by the Board that affects accounting practices and procedures under this Agreement shall be effective upon written receipt of notice and acceptance by USBFS.
6. | Changes in Equipment, Systems, Etc. |
USBFS reserves the right to make changes from time to time, as it deems advisable, relating to its systems, programs, rules, operating schedules and equipment, so long as such changes do not adversely affect the services provided to the Fund under this Agreement.
7. | Compensation |
USBFS shall be compensated for providing the services set forth in this Agreement in accordance with the fee schedule set forth on Exhibit A hereto (as amended from time to time). USBFS shall also be compensated for such out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., telecommunication charges, postage and delivery charges, and reproduction charges) as are reasonably incurred by USBFS in performing its duties hereunder. The Fund shall pay all such fees and reimbursable expenses within 30 calendar days following receipt of the billing notice, except for any fee or expense subject to a good faith dispute. The Fund shall notify USBFS in writing within 30 calendar days following receipt of each invoice if the Fund is disputing any amounts in good faith. The Fund shall pay such disputed amounts within 10 calendar days of the day on which the parties agree to the amount to be paid. With the exception of any fee or expense the Fund is disputing in good faith as set forth above, unpaid invoices shall accrue a finance charge of 1½% per month after the due date. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, amounts owed by the Fund to USBFS shall only be paid out of the assets and property of the particular Fund involved.
8. | Representations and Warranties |
A. | The Fund hereby represents and warrants to USBFS, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that: |
(1) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(2) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Fund in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and |
4
(3) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement. |
B. | USBFS hereby represents and warrants to the Fund, which representations and warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of this Agreement, that: |
(1) | It is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted, to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
(2) | This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by USBFS in accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of USBFS, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and |
(3) | It is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution or performance of this Agreement. |
9. | Standard of Care; Indemnification; Limitation of Liability |
A. | USBFS shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. Neither USBFS nor its suppliers shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund or any third party in connection with its duties under this Agreement, including losses resulting from mechanical breakdowns or the failure of communication or power supplies beyond USBFS’s control, except a loss arising out of or relating to USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if USBFS has exercised reasonable care in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Fund shall indemnify and hold harmless USBFS and its suppliers from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that USBFS or its suppliers may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against USBFS or its suppliers by any person arising out of or related to (X) any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in performing the services hereunder (i) in accordance with the foregoing standards, or (ii) in reliance upon any written or oral instruction provided to USBFS by any duly authorized officer of the Fund, as approved by the Board of the Fund, or (Y) the Data, or any information, service, report, analysis or publication derived therefrom, except for any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities arising out of or relating to USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of the Fund, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “USBFS” shall include USBFS’s directors, officers and employees. |
The Fund acknowledges that the Data are intended for use as an aid to institutional investors, registered brokers or professionals of similar sophistication in making informed judgments concerning securities. The Fund accepts responsibility for, and acknowledges it exercises its own independent judgment in, its selection of the Data, its selection of the use or intended use of such, and any results obtained. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a waiver of any rights existing under applicable law for the protection of investors.
5
USBFS shall indemnify and hold the Fund harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable attorneys' fees) that the Fund may sustain or incur or that may be asserted against the Fund by any person arising out of any action taken or omitted to be taken by USBFS as a result of USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement, or from its bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall be a continuing obligation of USBFS, its successors and assigns, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this paragraph, the term “Fund” shall include the Fund’s directors, officers and employees.
In the event of a mechanical breakdown or failure of communication or power supplies beyond its control, USBFS shall take all reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions for any period that such interruption continues. USBFS will make every reasonable effort to restore any lost or damaged data and correct any errors resulting from such a breakdown at the expense of USBFS. USBFS agrees that it shall, at all times, have reasonable contingency plans with appropriate parties, making reasonable provision for emergency use of electrical data processing equipment to the extent appropriate equipment is available. Representatives of the Fund shall be entitled to inspect USBFS’s premises and operating capabilities at any time during regular business hours of USBFS, upon reasonable notice to USBFS. Moreover, USBFS shall provide the Fund, at such times as the Fund may reasonably require, copies of reports rendered by independent accountants on the internal controls and procedures of USBFS relating to the services provided by USBFS under this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the above, USBFS reserves the right to reprocess and correct administrative errors at its own expense.
In no case shall either party be liable to the other for (i) any special, indirect or consequential damages, loss of profits or goodwill (even if advised of the possibility of such); (ii) any delay by reason of circumstances beyond its control, including acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties, fire, mechanical breakdown, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots, or failure beyond its control of transportation or power supply.
B. | In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this section shall apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked to indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be fully and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use all reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim for indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it will so notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek indemnification under this section. The indemnitee shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the indemnitor’s prior written consent. |
C. | The indemnity and defense provisions set forth in this Section 9 shall indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this Agreement. |
D. | If USBFS is acting in another capacity for the Fund pursuant to a separate agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve USBFS of any of its obligations in such other capacity. |
6
10. | Notification of Error |
The Fund will notify USBFS of any discrepancy between USBFS and the Fund, including, but not limited to, failing to account for a security position in the Fund’s portfolio, upon the later to occur of: (i) three business days after receipt of any reports rendered by USBFS to the Fund; (ii) three business days after discovery of any error or omission not covered in the balancing or control procedure; or (iii) three business days after receiving notice from any shareholder regarding any such discrepancy.
11. | Data Necessary to Perform Services |
The Fund or its agent shall furnish to USBFS the data necessary to perform the services described herein at such times and in such form as mutually agreed upon.
12. | Proprietary and Confidential Information |
A. | USBFS agrees on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees to treat confidentially and as proprietary information of the Fund, all records and other information relative to the Fund and prior, present, or potential shareholders of the Fund (and clients of said shareholders), and not to use such records and information for any purpose other than the performance of its responsibilities and duties hereunder, except (i) after prior notification to and approval in writing by the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld and may not be withheld where USBFS may be exposed to civil or criminal contempt proceedings for failure to comply, (ii) when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or (iii) when so requested by the Fund. Records and other information which have become known to the public through no wrongful act of USBFS or any of its employees, agents or representatives, and information that was already in the possession of USBFS prior to receipt thereof from the Fund or its agent, shall not be subject to this paragraph. |
Further, USBFS will adhere to the privacy policies adopted by the Fund pursuant to Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as may be modified from time to time. In this regard, USBFS shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of, records and information relating to the Fund and its shareholders.
B. | The Fund, on behalf of itself and its directors, officers, and employees, will maintain the confidential and proprietary nature of the Data and agrees to protect it using the same efforts, but in no case less than reasonable efforts, that it uses to protect its own proprietary and confidential information. |
13. | Records |
USBFS shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder in the form and manner, and for such period, as it may deem advisable and is agreeable to the Fund, but not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of appropriate government authorities, in particular, Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. USBFS agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by USBFS relating to the services to be performed by USBFS hereunder are the property of the Fund and will be preserved, maintained, and made available in accordance with such applicable sections and rules of the 1940 Act and will be promptly surrendered to the Fund or its designee on and in accordance with its request.
14. | Compliance with Laws |
The Fund has and retains primary responsibility for all compliance matters relating to the Fund, including but not limited to compliance with the 1940 Act, the Code, the SOX Act, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the policies and limitations of the Fund relating to its portfolio investments as set forth in its current prospectus and statement of additional information. USBFS’s services hereunder shall not relieve the Fund of its responsibilities for assuring such compliance or the Board’s oversight responsibility with respect thereto.
7
15. | Term of Agreement; Amendment |
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above and will continue in effect for a period of one year and thereafter will continue indefinitely. Subsequent to the one year period, this Agreement may be terminated by either party upon giving 60 days prior written notice or such shorter period as is mutually agreed upon by the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by any party upon the breach of the other party of any material term of this Agreement if such breach is not cured within 15 days of notice of such breach to the breaching party. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by written agreement executed by USBFS and the Fund, and authorized or approved by the Board.
16. | Duties in the Event of Termination |
In the event that, in connection with termination, a successor to any of USBFS’s duties or responsibilities hereunder is designated by the Fund by written notice to USBFS, USBFS will promptly, upon such termination and, in the absence of material breach by USBFS, at the expense of the Fund, transfer to such successor all relevant books, records, correspondence and other data established or maintained by USBFS under this Agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Fund (if such form differs from the form in which USBFS has maintained the same, the Fund shall pay any expenses associated with transferring the data to such form), and will cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provision for assistance from USBFS’s personnel in the establishment of books, records and other data by such successor. If no such successor is designated, then such books, records and other data shall be returned to the Fund.
17. | Early Termination |
In the absence of any material breach of this Agreement, should the Fund elect to terminate this Agreement prior to the end of the one year term, the Fund agrees to pay the following fees:
a. | all the monthly fees through the life of the Agreement, including the rebate of any negotiated discounts; |
b. | all fees associated with converting services to successor service provider; |
c. | all fees associated with any record retention and/or tax reporting obligations that may not be eliminated due to the conversion to a successor service provider; |
d. | all out-of-pocket costs associated with a-c above. |
18. Assignment
This Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the written consent of USBFS, or by USBFS without the written consent of the Fund accompanied by the authorization or approval of the Fund’s Board.
19. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, without regard to conflicts of law principles. To the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Wisconsin, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control, and nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the 1940 Act or any rule or order of the SEC thereunder.
8
20. No Agency Relationship
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower either party to act as agent for the other party to this Agreement, or to conduct business in the name, or for the account, of the other party to this Agreement.
21. Services Not Exclusive
Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict USBFS from providing services to other parties that are similar or identical to some or all of the services provided hereunder.
22. Invalidity
Any provision of this Agreement which may be determined by competent authority to be prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. In such case, the parties shall in good faith modify or substitute such provision consistent with the original intent of the parties.
23. Notices
Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or on the date sent and confirmed received by facsimile transmission to the other party’s address set forth below:
Notice to USBFS shall be sent to:
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Attn: Michael R. McVoy
Fax: 414-905-7991
and notice to the Fund shall be sent to:
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
c/o Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC
250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10281-1023
Attn: Brian Hurley
24. Multiple Originals
This Agreement may be executed on two counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
SIGNATURES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
9
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by a duly authorized officer on one or more counterparts as of the date first above written.
U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
|
||
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | Brian F. Hurley | |
Title: | President |
10
Exhibit 99.(k)(3)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AGREEMENT
THIS OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is effective as of the [●] day of [●], 2021, by and between Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”), and each of the Fund’s classes of shares (each, a “Class”) listed on Appendix A, and the Fund’s investment adviser, Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Adviser renders advice and services to the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and the Adviser, dated as of the [●] day of [●], 2021 (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the Fund is responsible for, and has assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement that have not been assumed by the Adviser; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to limit the Operating Expenses for each Class (as that term is defined in paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Fund desires to allow the Adviser to implement those limits on behalf of each Class;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:
1. LIMIT ON OPERATING EXPENSES. The Adviser hereby agrees to limit the Operating Expenses for each Class of the Fund to an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of the average annual net assets of each of the Fund’s respective Classes to the amounts listed in Appendix A (the “Annual Limits”). In the event that the current Operating Expenses of a particular Class of the Fund, as accrued each month, exceeds its Annual Limits, the Adviser will pay to the Fund, on behalf of that Class, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within a reasonable time after being notified that an excess expense payment is due.
2. DEFINITION. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to each Class of the Fund, is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of the Fund, including the Adviser’s investment advisory or management fee detailed in the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser’s administration fee detailed in the Administration Agreement, any Rule 12b-1 fees and other expenses described in the Investment Advisory Agreement, but does not include any front-end or contingent deferred loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.
3. REIMBURSEMENT OF FEES AND EXPENSES. The Adviser retains its right to receive reimbursement of any excess expense payments paid by it pursuant to this Agreement made in the prior three fiscal years. The Fund agrees to repay the Adviser, out of assets belonging to the Fund, any Fund Operating Expenses in excess of the Annual Limit paid, reimbursed or otherwise absorbed by the Adviser, during the term of this Agreement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause Fund Operating Expenses (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed both: (1) the Annual Limits in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the Fund’s current Annual Limits.
4. TERM. This Agreement shall become effective on the date specified herein and shall remain in effect indefinitely and for a period of not less than one year, unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement.
5. TERMINATION. The Adviser may by notice in writing to the Fund terminate, in whole or in part, its obligation under Section 1 to reduce its fees and bear expenses with respect to the Fund in any period following the date specified in such notice (or change the percentage specified on Appendix A with respect to any Class of shares of the Fund), provided however that this Agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser, nor may it be amended to increase the Annual Limits set forth in Appendix A, prior to [●]. Thereafter, the Agreement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap as of [●] of each calendar year, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser provide the Board of Directors with written notice of its intention to terminate the Agreement prior to the expiration of its then current term. This Agreement will automatically terminate, with respect to each Class of the Fund, if the Investment Advisory Agreement of the Fund is terminated, with such termination effective upon the effective date of such Investment Advisory Agreement’s termination.
6. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.
7. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
8. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any rules and regulation promulgated thereunder.
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW]
2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first above written.
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC | |
on behalf of the Fund’s Classes listed on Appendix A |
By: | By: |
Name: | Brian F. Hurley | Name: | ||
Title: | President | Title: |
3
APPENDIX A
Fund |
Operating
Expense Limit |
|||
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. | ||||
Class D | 2.10 | % | ||
Class T | 2.85 | % |
4
Exhibit 99.(k)(4)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING FEE EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT
THIS SHAREHOLDER SERVICING FEE EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is effective as of the [●] day of [●], 2021, by and between Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. (the “Fund”), and each of the Fund’s classes of shares (each, a “Class”) listed on Appendix A, and the Fund’s investment adviser, Oaktree Fund Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Adviser renders advice and services to the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and the Adviser, dated as of the [●] day of [●], 2021 (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement between the Fund and the Adviser, dated as of the [●] day of [●], 2021 (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the Fund may charge up to 0.25% for shareholder servicing fees paid to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisers or other financial institutions, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents; and
WHEREAS, the Fund is responsible for, and has assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement that have not been assumed by the Adviser; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser has limited the Operating Expenses for each Class (as that term is defined in paragraph 2 of this Agreement) at no more than 2.10% for Class D Shares and 2.85% for Class T Shares (the “Expense Cap”), pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Expense Limitation Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to limit the Shareholder Servicing Fees for each Class (as that term is defined in paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Fund desires to allow the Adviser to implement those limits on behalf of each Class; and
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:
1. LIMIT ON SHAREHOLDER SERVICING FEES. The Adviser hereby agrees to limit the Shareholder Servicing Fees for each Class of the Fund to an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of the average annual net assets of each of the Fund’s respective Classes to the amounts listed in Appendix A (the “Annual Limits”). In the event the current Shareholder Servicing Fees of a particular Class of the Fund, as accrued each month, exceeds its Annual Limits, the Adviser will pay to the Fund, on behalf of that Class, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within a reasonable time after being notified that an excess expense payment is due. However, in the event the current Operating Expenses of a particular Class of the Fund, as accrued each month, are less than the Expense Cap, this Agreement will continue to limit the Shareholder Servicing Fees for each Class to the extent necessary to maintain the Annual Limits. In the event that the current Shareholder Servicing Fees of a particular Class of the Fund, as accrued each month, exceeds its Annual Limits, the Adviser will pay to the Fund, on behalf of that Class, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within a reasonable time after being notified that an excess expense payment is due.
2. DEFINITION. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to each Class of the Fund, is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of the Fund, including the Adviser’s investment advisory or management fee detailed in the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser’s administration fee detailed in the Administration Agreement, any Rule 12b-1 fees and other expenses described in the Investment Advisory Agreement, but does not include any front-end or contingent deferred loads, brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation; and other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.
3. REIMBURSEMENT OF FEES AND EXPENSES. The Adviser retains its right to receive reimbursement of any excess expense payments paid by it pursuant to this Agreement made in the prior three fiscal years. The Fund agrees to repay the Adviser, out of assets belonging to the Fund, any Shareholder Servicing Fees up to 0.25% of the Annual Limit paid, reimbursed or otherwise absorbed by the Adviser, during the term of this Agreement, provided that the Fund may only make repayments to the Adviser if such repayment does not cause Fund Shareholder Servicing Fees (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed both: (1) the Annual Limits in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the Fund’s current Annual Limits.
4. TERM. This Agreement shall become effective on the date specified herein and shall remain in effect indefinitely and for a period of not less than one year, unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement.
5. TERMINATION. The Adviser may by notice in writing to the Fund terminate, in whole or in part, its obligation under Section 1 to reduce its fees and bear expenses with respect to the Fund in any period following the date specified in such notice (or change the percentage specified on Appendix A with respect to any Class of shares of the Fund), provided however that this Agreement may not be terminated by the Adviser, nor may it be amended to increase the Annual Limits set forth in Appendix A, prior to [●]. Thereafter, the Agreement may only be terminated or amended to increase the expense cap as of [●] of each calendar year, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser provide the Board of Directors with written notice of its intention to terminate the Agreement prior to the expiration of its then current term. This Agreement will automatically terminate, with respect to each Class of the Fund, if the Investment Advisory Agreement of the Fund is terminated, with such termination effective upon the effective date of such Investment Advisory Agreement’s termination.
2
6. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.
7. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
8. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any rules and regulation promulgated thereunder.
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW]
3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first above written.
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | OAKTREE FUND ADVISORS, LLC | |
on behalf of the Fund’s Classes listed on Appendix A |
By: | By: |
Name: | Brian F. Hurley | Name: | ||
Title: | President | Title: |
4
APPENDIX A
Fund |
Shareholder
Servicing Fee Annual Limit |
|||
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. | ||||
Class D | 0.10 | % | ||
Class T | 0.10 | % |
5
Exhibit 99.(l)(1)
CONSENT OF COUNSEL
We consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Legal Matters” to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc. as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about October 22, 2021.
/s/ Paul Hastings LLP |
PAUL HASTINGS LLP
New York, New York
October 22, 2021
Exhibit 99.(l)(2)
[LETTERHEAD OF VENABLE LLP]
October 22, 2021
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281-1023
Re: | Registration Statement on Form N-2: |
1933 Act File No. 333-257789 | |
1940 Act File No. 811-23715 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as Maryland counsel to Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc., a Maryland corporation registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law arising out of the offering and sale of up to (i) 500,000,000 shares (the “Class T Common Shares”) of common stock, $.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company classified and designated as Class T Common Stock and (ii) 500,000,000 shares (the “Class D Common Shares” and, together with the Class T Common Shares, the “Shares”) of Common Stock classified and designated Class D Common Stock, each covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the 1940 Act.
In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):
1. The Registration Statement, substantially in the form filed with the Commission under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act;
2. The charter of the Company, certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);
3. The Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
4. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
October 22, 2021
Page 2
5. Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company relating to the filing of the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
6. A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and
7. Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.
In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:
1. Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or any other person, is legally competent to do so.
2. Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.
3. Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.
4. All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all such Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:
1. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.
Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.
October 22, 2021
Page 3
2. The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when and if issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to compliance with the 1940 Act or other federal securities laws, or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.
This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
Very truly yours, | |
/s/ Venable LLP |
Exhibit 99.(n)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the use, in this Pre-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement No. 333-257789 on Form N-2 of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund, Inc. of our report dated October 8, 2021, relating to the financial statements of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund, Inc. as of and for the period from June 24, 2021 (Date of Formation) through October 4, 2021, appearing in the Statement of Additional Information, which is part of such Registration Statement, and references to us under the headings “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” appearing in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, which are part of such Registration Statement.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Chicago, Illinois
October 22, 2021
Exhibit 99.(p)
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made as of the [●] day of [●], 2021 between Oaktree Diversified Income Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Fund”), and Oaktree Fund GP II, L.P., a limited partnership company of the state of Delaware (the “Subscriber”).
WHEREAS, the Fund wishes to sell to the Subscriber, and the Subscriber wishes to purchase from the Fund, $100,000 of common stock, $.001 par value per share, of the Fund (10,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $10 per share (collectively, the “Shares”)); and
WHEREAS, the Subscriber is purchasing the Shares for the purpose of providing the initial capitalization of the Fund as required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | Simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, the Subscriber is delivering to the Fund the amount of $100,000 in full payment for the Shares. |
2. | The Subscriber agrees that it is purchasing the Shares for investment and has no present intention of reselling the Shares. |
Executed as of the date first set forth above.
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: Brian F. Hurley | ||
Title: President | ||
OAKTREE FUND GP II, L.P. |
||
By: | ||
Name: Ting He | ||
Title: Senior Vice President |
Exhibit 99.(r)(1)
Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC: Code of Ethics Policies and Procedures
(Dated as of February 10, 2020)
Each of the following documents (individually and collectively, as the context requires) shall constitute the Code of Ethics for the Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (“PSG” and the “PSG Code of Ethics”):
1. | Brookfield Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (February 2020), attached as Exhibit A: |
2. | Brookfield Personal Trading Policy (Dated as of February 2020) (“PSG Personal Trading Policy”), including Appendix E to the PSG Personal Trading Policy which covers the Independent Directors/Trustees of each Brookfield Open-End and Closed-End Fund, both attached as Exhibit B; and |
3. | Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officer Code of Ethics (February 2018), attached as Exhibit C. |
Attached hereto as Appendix A is a summary of each policy and details regarding the specific application of each policy to PSG employees and the Independent Directors/Trustees of the Brookfield Funds.
Appendix A
SUMMARY OF PSG CODE OF ETHICS
A primary duty of all employees of Brookfield Public Securities Group (“PSG”) and its affiliated companies, when dealing with its investment advisory clients, is to conduct themselves in conformance with highest ethical standards. Thus, no employee of the PSG will be permitted to engage in any activity that could result in an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest, and must avoid any action that may be perceived as a breach of trust.
PSG has adopted each of the Codes’ of Ethics below to specify and prohibit certain types of personal securities transactions deemed to create a conflict of interest and to establish reporting requirements and preventive procedures pursuant to the provisions of (i) Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”), (ii) Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) and (iii) Section 303-1 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”).
I. | Code of Business Conduct: This Code serves as a guide for how you should conduct yourself while a member of the PSG team. All employees of PSG must follow every aspect of the Code and certify his/her commitment each year and have obligation to report any Code violations of but not limited to: |
● | PSG’s Assets, Resources and Data; |
● | Books and Records and Public Disclosures; |
● | Duties to Stakeholders; |
● | Communications and Media; |
● | Conflicts of Interest and Personal Behavior; |
● | Positive Work Environment; and |
● | Compliance with Laws, Rules, Regulations and Policies. |
II. | Personal Trading Policy: The objective of this Policy is to provide guidance on when it is permissible for employees (“Access Persons”) of PSG, and their family members, (as well as the directors/trustees of the Brookfield Funds) to trade securities for their respective personal accounts (and accounts over which they have trading authority or exercise similar influence), when such actions are prohibited, and the protocol to be followed when personal trading is conducted. Any violations of this Policy can have severe consequences including suspension or termination of employment for, among other things: |
● | Insider Trading |
● | Tipping |
● | Trading Advice |
● | Trading During a Trading Blackout Period |
● | Hedging Transactions |
● | Short-term Trading |
● | Pledging of Securities |
● | Marketable Securities |
● | Deferred Share Units/Restricted Share Units |
ii
III. | SOX Code of Ethics: The main intention of SOX is to prevent any officer or director of an issuer, or any other person acting under the direction thereof, to take any action to fraudulently influence, coerce, manipulate, or mislead any independent public or certified accountant engaged in the performance of an audit of the financial statements of that issuer for the purpose of rendering such financial statements materially misleading. |
Accordingly, PSG employees subject to this Code are encouraged to report violations of this Code to their supervisor. Alternatively, you may contact PSG’s internal legal counsel to report violations. In the event you do not want to report violations to your supervisor or internal legal counsel, you can always report a complaint through PSG’s reporting hotline.
iii
Brookfield
Exhibit A
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
February 2020
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS | Page | |
INTRODUCTION | 2 | |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | 2 | |
SUMMARY OF THE CODE’S RULES | 3 | |
COMMITMENT TO PROPER BUSINESS CONDUCT | ||
Protecting the Company’s Assets and Resources | 4 | |
Accuracy of Books and Records; Public Disclosures | 5 | |
Duties to Stakeholders | 5 | |
COMMITMENT TO PROPER PERSONAL CONDUCT | ||
Email, the Internet, Telephones and Other Forms of Oral and Written Communication | 6 | |
Responding to Media, Public and Other Inquires | 6 | |
Conflicts of Interest, Fiduciary Duties and Personal Behavior | 7 | |
Participating in Outside Interests | 7 | |
COMMITMENT TO A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT | ||
Discrimination and Harassment-Free Environment | 8 | |
Safe Working Conditions | 8 | |
Safeguard Employee Information | 9 | |
COMMITMENT TO LEGAL COMPLIANCE | ||
Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations | 9 | |
COMMITMENT TO APPROPRIATE PERSONAL TRADING | ||
Securities Laws, Insider Trading and Tipping | 9 | |
COMMITMENT TO ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION; ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING | ||
Zero Tolerance Approach to Bribery | 11 | |
Dealing with Public Officials | 11 | |
Third Parties | 12 | |
Gifts and Entertainment | 12 | |
Political Donations and Lobbying | 13 | |
Charitable Donations | 13 | |
Record-Keeping | 14 | |
Zero Tolerance Approach to Money Laundering | 14 | |
COMMITMENT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE | ||
Statement of Compliance | 15 | |
Reports and Complaints | 15 | |
Treatment of Reports and Complaints | 15 | |
Disciplinary Action for Code Violations | 16 | |
Waivers | 16 | |
Amendments | 16 | |
CONTACT INFORMATION | 17 | |
APPENDIX A - Statement of Compliance |
v
INTRODUCTION
The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) applies to all directors, employees, and consultants (collectively, “you”) of Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (“PSG”) and Brookfield Public Securities Group (UK) Ltd. (“PSG UK”)and Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. (“BIM Canada”) (collectively “Brookfield, “we”, “us”, “our”, “Brookfield” or the “company”).1 Before you begin your relationship with the company, you must complete the form attached to the Code as Appendix A, which serves as a formal acknowledgement that you have received, read and understood the Code, and will comply with it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY DO WE HAVE A CODE?
The Code serves as a guide for how you should conduct yourself while a member of the Brookfield team.
WHO MUST FOLLOW THE CODE?
All directors, employees, and consultants of Brookfield must adhere to the Code. Hereinafter, references to employees also include consultants.
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
You have two responsibilities. First, you must follow every aspect of the Code and certify your commitment each quarter. Second, if you suspect someone may be violating the Code you have an obligation to report it. To make a report, follow the section of the Code: “Reports and Complaints”.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM?
The Code attempts to deal with the most common issues that you may encounter, but it cannot address every question that may arise. When you’re not sure what to do, ask yourself the following questions:
● | Is it illegal? |
● | Does it feel like the wrong thing to do? |
● | Would you feel uncomfortable if others knew about it? |
● | Will it have the potential to create a negative perception of you or the company? |
● | Do you have a personal interest that has the potential to conflict with the company’s interest? |
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions your proposed conduct may violate the Code and you should ask for help.
HOW SHOULD I ASK FOR HELP?
If you have questions about the Code or about the best course of action in a particular situation, you should seek guidance from your supervisor, the compliance department or internal legal counsel.
What are the consequences for violating the code?
Violations of the Code can vary in its consequences. If you’re an employee, it could result in a reprimand or other disciplinary action, including the termination of your employment at the company for cause. If you’re a director, a violation may necessitate your resignation. Certain violations of the Code also contravene applicable laws and therefore can have severe consequences outside of Brookfield. Depending on your actions, failing to comply could lead to civil or criminal prosecution, which could result in substantial fines, penalties and/or imprisonment.
1 As the context requires, “Brookfield” shall also be defined to include Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (“BAM”), the parent company, and BAM’s other affiliates.
2
SUMMARY OF THE CODE’S RULES
BUSINESS CONDUCT
1. | Use company assets only for legitimate business purposes. |
2. | Protect all confidential information in the company’s possession. |
3. | All intellectual property that you may have a role in creating belongs to the company. |
4. | The documents of the company are a valuable resource and must be protected. |
5. | Ensure that the books of the company are accurate and all business transactions are authorized. |
6. | Ensure that the company provides fair and accurate disclosure. |
7. | Deal fairly with the company’s stakeholders. |
8. | Exercise extra caution when managing third party capital. |
PERSONAL CONDUCT
9. | Use email, the Internet, telephones and other forms of oral/written communication appropriately. |
10. | Be cautious in your use of social media. |
11. | Only speak on behalf of the company when authorized to do so. |
12. | Avoid situations in which your personal interests conflict with the interests of the company. |
13. | Exhibit personal behavior that is consistent with and reinforces a positive image of the company. |
14. | Remember your duties to Brookfield when participating in outside interests. |
15. | Obtain permission before joining the board of directors or similar body of another entity, or engaging in any outside business activity. |
16. | Do not take corporate opportunities as your own personal opportunities. |
POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT
17. | Help create a tolerant work environment free from discrimination and harassment. |
18. | Report all incidents of discrimination and harassment. |
19. | Help ensure the health and safety of fellow directors and employees. |
20. | Protect one another’s private personal information. |
LEGAL COMPLIANCE
21. | Know and comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to your position. |
PERSONAL TRADING
22. | Do not trade in any publicly-traded securities if you possess material nonpublic information. |
23. | Do not engage in the “tipping” of information. |
24. | Do not trade in Brookfield securities during a blackout period. |
25. | Do not trade in non-Brookfield securities.2 |
26. | You must pre-clear all your securities trades.1 |
ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION; ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
27. | Do not give or receive bribes, including “facilitation payments”. |
28. | Interactions with public officials require enhanced scrutiny and sensitivity. |
29. | Do not let joint venture partners, agents, contractors or suppliers pay bribes on our behalf. |
30. | The giving or receiving of gifts and entertainment should be proportionate and reasonable. |
31. | Do not offer contributions to political parties/candidates that might influence a business decision. |
32. | Do not engage in any lobbying activities on behalf of the company without specific authorization. |
33. | Do not solicit/offer donations that may send the message that compliance is required for business. |
34. | Record all our transactions in a complete, accurate and detailed manner. |
35. | Ensure that our operations are not used for money laundering. |
2 Please refer to the Brookfield Personal Trading Policy.
3
COMMITMENT TO PROPER BUSINESS CONDUCT
PROTECTING THE COMPANY’S ASSETS AND RESOURCES
The company’s assets are to be used only for legitimate business purposes.
The company’s assets are meant for business use, not for personal use. We all have a responsibility to protect and safeguard the company’s assets from loss, damage, theft, misuse and waste. If you become aware of loss, damage, theft, misuse or waste of our assets, or have any questions about your proper use of them, you should speak with your supervisor. The company’s name (including its corporate letterhead and logo), facilities and relationships are valuable assets and must only be used for authorized company business and never for personal activities. If you use the company’s assets for personal benefit, or otherwise are careless or wasteful with the company’s assets, you may be in breach of your duty to the company. You have a responsibility not to abuse company resources for expense reimbursement. Any requests for reimbursement for authorized company expenses must be for legitimate business expenses. If you are unsure whether a certain expense is legitimate, you should speak with your supervisor or refer to the company’s Travel and Entertainment Expense Policy.
Confidential information must be protected at all times.
We must protect confidential information in our possession from disclosure, both information about us and information about other companies and our clients. This includes all confidential memos, notes, lists, records and other documents in your possession. All of these are to be delivered to the company promptly after your employment ceases or at any time upon the company’s request, and your obligation to protect this information continues after you leave the company. You must protect hard copies of confidential information that are removed from the office (e.g., to be worked with at home or at external meetings). It is important to use discretion when discussing company business in public places such as in elevators, restaurants, and public transportation, or when using your phone or email outside of the office. You also should be careful not to leave confidential information in unattended conference rooms or in public places where others can access it. While at Brookfield, if you become aware of confidential information about another entity that you know or suspect has been inadvertently disclosed, seek guidance from the Chief Compliance Officer or internal legal counsel before using or acting upon this information.
Intellectual property belongs to the company.
During the course of your employment, you may be involved in the creation, development or invention of intellectual property such as concepts, methods, processes, inventions, confidential information and trade secrets, works of authorship, trademarks, service marks and designs. All such intellectual property and the rights therein, such as copyrights and patents, will be owned by the company. You are responsible for cooperating with the company and providing all necessary assistance to ensure that all intellectual property and related rights become the exclusive property of the company.
The documents of the company are a valuable resource and must be protected.
It is critical that we preserve the integrity of our business records, follow the guidelines set forth in any Brookfield document retention policies and comply with related legal and regulatory requirements. If you are notified that your documents are relevant to an anticipated or pending litigation, investigation or audit, you must follow the guidance set forth in the notification you receive from the Chief Compliance Officer or legal counsel.
4
ACCURACY OF BOOKS AND RECORDS; PUBLIC DISCLOSURES
Ensure that the books and records of the company are complete and accurate and that all business transactions are properly authorized.
The books and records of the company must reflect all its transactions in order to permit the preparation of accurate financial statements. Employees must never conceal information from (i) an external auditor; (ii) internal audit; or (iii) the audit committee of Brookfield affiliated funds, Brookfield Asset Management or a controlled affiliate. In addition, it is unlawful for any person to fraudulently influence, coerce, manipulate or mislead an external auditor of the company.
The company’s contracts and agreements govern our business relationships. Because the laws governing contracts and agreements are numerous and complicated we have put in place policies and procedures to ensure that any contract entered into by the company has the appropriate level of approval. As a result, employees who enter into contracts or agreements on behalf of the company must have proper authorization and, prior to their execution, these documents must be reviewed by internal legal counsel where required by policy or practice.
Ensure that the company provides fair and accurate public disclosure.
All employees who are responsible for the preparation of the company’s public disclosures, or who provide information as part of this process, must ensure that disclosures of information are made honestly and accurately. Employees must be aware of and report any of the following: (a) fraud or deliberate errors in the preparation, maintenance, evaluation, review or audit of any financial statement or financial record; (b) deficiencies in, or noncompliance with, internal accounting controls; (c) misrepresentation or false statements in any public disclosure document, such as annual and quarterly reports, prospectuses, information/proxy circulars and press releases; or (d) deviations from full and fair reporting of the company’s financial condition.
Additionally, each person who is in a financial reporting oversight role, and their immediate family members, are prohibited from obtaining any tax services from the auditor, irrespective of whether the company or such person pays for the services.
DUTIES TO STAKEHOLDERS
Deal fairly with the company’s stakeholders.
You must deal fairly with the company’s security holders, customers, clients, suppliers and competitors. To preserve our reputation, do not engage in any illegal or unethical conduct when competing.
Exercise extra caution when managing third party capital.
You must be careful to avoid even the appearance of impropriety when dealing with asset management clients or in performing any related activities. In this regard, you must avoid engaging in any activity that could result in an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest, and avoid any action that may be perceived as a breach of trust.
5
COMMITMENT TO PROPER PERSONAL CONDUCT
E-MAIL, THE INTERNET, TELEPHONES AND OTHER FORMS OF ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Use the company’s various forms of communication properly and appropriately.
All business matters that involve electronic, written communication must be conducted by employees on the company’s email system or through other systems provided by the company (such as Lync or Bloomberg). You must at all times use our e-mail, Internet, telephones and other forms of communication appropriately and professionally. While we appreciate the need for limited use of these tools for personal purposes, your use should not be excessive or detract from your work. Employees should not email business information to their personal email accounts or maintain a copy of this information on their personal computers or other non-work electronic devices. When using company-provided technologies such as computers, cell phones and voicemail, you should not expect that the information you send or receive is private. Your activity may be monitored to ensure these resources are used appropriately.
Be cautious in your use of social media.
The company’s social media policy is that, unless you are expressly authorized, you are strictly prohibited from commenting, posting or discussing the company, its customers and clients, and its securities, investments and other business matters on social networks, chat rooms, wikis, virtual worlds and blogs (collectively, “social media”). For further details on the appropriate use of social media, you should refer to the company’s Internet & Social Media Guidelines.
RESPONDING TO MEDIA, PUBLIC AND OTHER INQUIRIES
Do not speak on behalf of the company unless authorized to do so.
It is important to ensure our communications to the investing public are: (a) timely; (b) full, true and plain; and (c) consistent and broadly disseminated in accordance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. You may not make public statements on Brookfield’s behalf unless you have received permission from internal legal counsel. If a shareholder, financial analyst, member of the media, governmental authority or other third-party contacts you to request information, even if the request is informal, do not respond to it unless you are authorized to do so. In this event, refer the request to your supervisor or forward the request to an individual at the company employed in investor relations or communications.
Additionally, either during or following your employment or directorship at Brookfield you may be contacted by authorities (e.g., law enforcement, securities regulators, etc.) who are seeking information from you regarding matters relating to Brookfield. Whether you are able to respond to these questions or not, we strongly recommend that for your own protection you do not speak with authorities without first seeking legal advice on your rights and obligations. If you do not know of a lawyer that can assist you in dealing with law enforcement or other authorities, please contact the company’s internal legal counsel who can help you retain counsel.
6
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, FIDUCIARY DUTIES AND PERSONAL BEHAVIOR
Avoid situations in which your personal interests conflict with the interests of the company.
A “conflict of interest” occurs when a person’s private interest interferes, or even appears to interfere, with the interests of the company. You may have a conflict of interest if you are involved in any activity that prevents you from performing your duties to the company properly, or that may create a situation that could affect your judgment or ability to act in the best interests of the company. You should place the company’s interest in any business matter ahead of any personal interest. The best way to judge whether you may have a conflict of interest is to ask yourself whether a well-informed person would reasonably conclude that your interest could in any way influence your decision or performance in carrying out a duty on behalf of the company. To avoid conflicts of interest, identify potential conflicts when they arise and contact the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel if you are unsure whether a conflict may exist.
Exhibit personal behavior that is consistent with and reinforces a positive image of the company.
Your personal behavior, both inside and outside work, should reinforce a positive image of you and the company. It is essential to use good judgment in all your personal and business dealings. You should refrain from engaging in activities that could hurt the company’s reputation, or yours, and that could undermine the relationship of trust between you and the company. Employees who have acted inappropriately may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination for cause.
PARTICIPATING IN OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Remember your duties to Brookfield when participating in outside interests.
Your participation in any outside interest must not prevent you from adequately discharging your duties to Brookfield. Absent permission, do not identify yourself with the company while pursuing personal, political or not-for-profit activities and ensure that when pursuing these outside interests you are not seen to be speaking on behalf of the company.
Obtain permission before joining the board of directors or similar body of another entity and/or engaging in an outside business activity (“OBA”).
Before accepting an appointment to the board or a committee of any non-Brookfield entity or engaging in any outside business activity, employees must receive approval from the head of their business unit and the company’s Chief Compliance Officer. When in doubt as to whether you need to obtain permission to serve in a particular role, position or capacity for a non-Brookfield company or entity, or to serve on a committee, board or comparable body for a non-Brookfield company or entity, ask your business unit head, the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel before taking any action or agreeing to serve in such capacity.
Do not take corporate opportunities as your own personal opportunities.
You are prohibited from taking personal advantage of a business or investment opportunity that you become aware of through your work at Brookfield. You owe a duty to the company to advance its interests when the opportunity arises and you must not compete with the company in any way.
7
COMMITMENT TO A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT-FREE ENVIRONMENT
Be committed to creating a tolerant work environment free from discrimination and harassment.
The company has zero tolerance for workplace discrimination and harassment. All directors and employees must ensure that the company provides a safe and respectful environment where high value is placed on equity, fairness and dignity.
“Discrimination” is the denial of opportunity through differential treatment of an individual or group. It does not matter whether the discrimination is intentional; it is the effect of the behavior that matters. Discrimination on the basis of age, color, race, religion, gender, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or any other characteristic protected by law is prohibited.
“Harassment” generally means offensive verbal or physical conduct that singles out a person to the detriment or objection of that person. Harassment covers a wide range of conduct, from direct requests of a sexual nature to insults, disparaging remarks, offensive jokes or slurs. Harassment may occur in a variety of ways and may, in some circumstances, be unintentional. Regardless of intent, all harassment negatively affects individual work performance and our workplace as a whole, and is not tolerated.
You have a duty to report discrimination and harassment.
If you experience or become aware of discrimination or harassment, you have a duty to report it. An employee should report discrimination in accordance with the “Reports and Complaints” section of the Code. Complaints of discrimination or harassment will be taken seriously and investigated. Any employee found to be harassing or discriminating against another individual, or any employee who knowingly condones the discrimination or harassment of another individual, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination for cause. The company reserves the right to discipline employees who knowingly make a false accusation about an innocent party; however, you will not face retaliation for making a good faith report, or assisting in the investigation of a complaint.
SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS
Be committed to ensuring the health and safety of fellow directors and employees.
We all have the right to work in an environment that is safe and healthy. In this regard, employees must:
(a) | comply strictly with all occupational, health and safety laws and internal procedures; |
(b) | not engage in illegal or dangerous behaviors, including any acts or threats of violence, even in a seemingly joking manner; |
(c) | not possess, distribute or be under the influence of illicit drugs while on company premises or when conducting company business; and |
(d) | not possess or use weapons or firearms or any type of combustible material in the company’s facilities, or at company-sponsored functions. |
8
The company has zero tolerance towards unsafe behavior of any kind. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm, first call local law enforcement authorities and then report the incident in accordance with the “Reports and Complaints” section of the Code.
SAFEGUARD EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Protect one another’s private personal information.
While at Brookfield, you may provide sensitive personal, medical and financial information to the company. Those with access to this information have an obligation to protect it, whether in paper or electronic format, and use it only to the extent necessary to do their work in accordance with applicable law. Common examples of confidential employee information include: benefits information; compensation information; medical records; and contact information, such as a home address and personal telephone numbers.
Commitment To Legal Compliance
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS
Know and comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to your position.
Many of the company’s activities are governed by laws, rules and regulations that are subject to change. If you have questions about the applicability or interpretation of certain laws, rules or regulations relevant to your duties at Brookfield you should consult the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel. In the event a local law, custom or practice conflicts with the Code you must adhere to whichever is more stringent. If you know of any of our practices that may be illegal, you have a duty to report it. Ignorance of the law is not, in general, a defense to breaking the law. We expect you to make every reasonable effort to become familiar with laws, rules and regulations affecting your activities and to comply with them. If you have any doubts as to the applicability or interpretation of any law, you should obtain advice from the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel.
Commitment To Appropriate Personal Trading
SECURITIES LAWS, INSIDER TRADING AND TIPPING
While at Brookfield, you may have access to or become aware of material nonpublic information, either about Brookfield, Brookfield Asset Management, a controlled affiliate or an unrelated publicly-traded entity. You must not use this information to gain a financial advantage for yourself or others. Doing so is not only a violation of the Code that will result in immediate termination for cause, but is also a serious violation of securities laws and will expose any individuals involved to potential civil and criminal prosecution. If you have questions about securities laws and how they impact you, contact the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel.
Do not trade in the company’s securities and in any other publicly-traded securities if you possess material nonpublic information.
As a rule, if you have material nonpublic information about any publicly-traded entity and you buy or sell its securities before the information is public then you will have violated insider trading laws.
9
“Materiality” – Information is “material” if a reasonable investor would consider the information important when deciding to buy, sell or hold that entity’s securities.
“Nonpublic” – Information is “nonpublic” until it has been disclosed and adequate time has passed for the securities markets to digest the information.
Common examples of material nonpublic information include: (i) unannounced mergers or acquisitions; (ii) pending or threatened litigation; and (iii) nonpublic financial results. If you are not sure whether information is “material” or “nonpublic”, consult with the company’s compliance department or internal legal counsel for guidance before engaging in a transaction.
Do not engage in the “tipping” of information.
“Tipping” arises when you disclose material nonpublic information to another person and that person either (i) trades in a security related to the information that you provided or (ii) provides the information to a third person who then makes a trade in a related security. Tipping is a violation of law, even if you do not personally make a trade or otherwise benefit from disclosing the information. You are prohibited from disclosing material nonpublic information to others outside Brookfield, including relatives and friends. You should also refrain from discussing material nonpublic information with other employees at Brookfield unless they have a business need to know this information.
Do not trade during a blackout period.
Trading blackout periods apply to all directors and employees. Regular blackout periods at both Brookfield Asset Management and its controlled affiliates generally commence at the close of business on the last business day of a calendar quarter and end on the beginning of the first business day following the earnings call discussing the quarterly results. Special blackout periods also may be prescribed from time to time as a result of certain circumstances, such as a significant merger or acquisition. When Brookfield Asset Management or a controlled affiliate imposes internal trading restrictions, no director or employee at Brookfield is permitted to trade in a blacked-out Brookfield security until the restriction has been lifted.
Prohibitions on securities trading.
All Employees and their family members are prohibited from making personal trades in marketable securities. Marketable securities include stocks, warrants, rights, options and corporate bonds and debentures. Marketable securities do not include the securities that are enumerated in Part II Section 1. (c) of the Personal Trading Policy. Such persons must delegate their trades in non-Brookfield securities to a blind trust or a professional financial advisor who has full discretion over investment decisions. For more information refer to the company’s Personal Trading Policy or contact the compliance department.
Personal trades in Brookfield securities require preclearance.
All employees (and their family members) must pre-clear trades in both Brookfield securities and Brookfield affiliated securities and receive prior approval from the Chief Compliance Officer before executing any trade.
10
COMMITMENT TO ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION AND ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH TO BRIBERY
Do not give or receive bribes, including “facilitation payments”.
We value our reputation for conducting business with honesty and integrity. It is vital for us to maintain this reputation as it generates confidence in our business by our customers, clients and other persons, which ultimately means it is good for business. We do not pay bribes in furtherance of our business and you are not permitted to pay bribes on our behalf. We have a zero tolerance approach towards bribery. This commitment comes from the highest levels of management and you must meet this standard.
A “bribe” is anything of value that is offered, promised, given or received to influence a decision or to gain an improper or unfair advantage. Bribery may not always be in the form of cash payments and may take many other forms, including:
• | Non-arm’s length loans or other transactions |
• | Phony jobs or “consulting” relationships |
• | Political contributions |
• | Charitable contributions |
• | Gifts, travel and hospitality |
Facilitation payments are also a form of bribe and are, therefore, not permitted. “Facilitation payments” are small payments made to secure or speed up routine actions or induce public officials or other third parties to perform routine functions they are otherwise obligated to perform, such as issuing permits, approving immigration documents or releasing goods held in customs. This does not include legally required administrative fees or fees to fast-track services.
Refer to the company’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy for further details.
DEALING WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Interactions with public officials require enhanced scrutiny and sensitivity.
A “public official” is any person who is employed by or is acting in an official capacity for a government, a department, agency or instrumentality of a government, or a public international organization. This includes elected or appointed persons who hold legislative, administrative or judicial positions such as politicians, bureaucrats and judges. It also includes persons who perform public functions such as professionals working for public health agencies, water authorities, planning officials and agents of public international organizations such as the UN or World Bank. A “public official” also may include employees of government-owned or controlled businesses, including sovereign wealth funds. For example, if a government has an interest in a bank and exercises control over the activities of that bank, then the banking officials are likely to be considered “public officials”.
There is increased sensitivity and scrutiny of dealings with public officials because this has traditionally been an area where bribery activity is more likely to occur. Be cognizant of these risks in your dealings and interactions with public officials and consider how your actions may be viewed. For example, payments to close relatives of public officials may be treated by enforcement authorities as direct payments to the public officials and, therefore, may constitute violations of law.
11
THIRD-PARTIES
Joint venture partners, agents, contractors and suppliers are not permitted to pay bribes on our behalf.
The company may be prosecuted for failing to prevent bribery by a person associated with it. This includes any person or entity that performs services for or on behalf of the company. Employees should avoid doing business with partners, agents and contractors who do not have a zero tolerance approach to bribery. This means due diligence should be undertaken on contractors, partners and agents to establish their antibribery credentials, where warranted by the assessed level of risk. This could include informing these persons (and associated companies) of the company’s anti-bribery and corruption policy, meeting with them to better assess their business practices, and making commercially reasonable inquiries into their reputation and past conduct. Anti-bribery language should be included in contractor, partner or agency agreements, where appropriate and (to the extent possible), in consultation with internal legal counsel.
GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
The giving or receiving of gifts and entertainment should be proportionate and reasonable for the circumstances.
Gifts (e.g., merchandise) given to or received from persons who have a business relationship with the company are generally acceptable, if the gift is modest in value, appropriate to the business relationship, and does not create an appearance of impropriety. No cash payments should be given or received. Note that many jurisdictions have laws restricting gifts given to public officials or unions or persons associated with public plans. Accordingly, any proposed gift from BIM to a public official or union member or a person associated with a public plan requires preclearance through the compliance department. Please refer to the Gift Policy.
Entertainment (e.g., meals, tickets to sporting events or theatre, rounds of golf) given to or received from persons who have a business relationship with the company are generally acceptable, if the entertainment is reasonable in value, appropriate to the business relationship, does not create an appearance of impropriety and if a representative from the sponsoring organization (the party paying for the entertainment) is present at the event. Note that many jurisdictions have laws restricting entertainment given to public officials or unions. Accordingly, any proposed entertainment from BIM to a public official or union member requires preclearance through the compliance department. Please refer to the Gift Policy.
Gifts and entertainment (including meals) that are repetitive, no matter how small, may be perceived to be an attempt to create an obligation to the giver and should be avoided. Employees should not pay for gifts and entertainment (including meals) personally to avoid having to report or seek approval for it. Employees should not give or receive “big-ticket” items, such as travel, conference fees, costs for road shows, or event sponsorships, without prior written authorization from the compliance department or person(s) designated to provide such authorization.
12
POLITICAL DONATIONS AND LOBBYING
Do not offer contributions to political parties or candidates that might influence, or be perceived as influencing, a business decision.
To ensure that we do not breach the law regarding political donations in any country, all political donations, no matter how small or insignificant, made on behalf of the company (directly or indirectly) must be approved in advance by the person(s) designated to approve such donations. Political donations should not be made on behalf of the company in countries in which we do not have a presence. Political donations made by individuals on their own behalf should comply with local laws and regulations. In the U.S., various federal, state, and municipal laws and regulations impose specific restrictions and rules with respect to political contributions, both those made on behalf of the company or made by individuals on their own behalf, which can carry significant penalties for the company for violations. The Brookfield Political Contributions Policy should be consulted and adhered to before making any political contributions on behalf of the company or by individuals on their own behalf.
Do not engage in any lobbying activities on behalf of the company without specific authorization.
The company encourages employees and directors to engage in public service. However, participation in this regard is to be undertaken as an individual and not as a representative of the company.
You should not engage in lobbying activities on behalf of the company without the prior written approval of the company’s compliance department, internal legal counsel or person(s) designated to approve such activities. Lobbying activities generally include attempts to influence the passage or defeat of legislation and it may trigger registration and reporting requirements. In many jurisdictions, the definition of lobbying activity is extended to cover efforts to induce rule-making by executive branch agencies or other official actions of agencies, including the decision to enter into a contract or other arrangement. Additionally, the Brookfield Political Contributions Policy should be consulted and adhered to before undertaking any lobbying activities in the U.S., personally or on behalf of the company.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS
Do not solicit or offer donations to suppliers, vendors or public officials in a manner which communicates that compliance is a prerequisite for future business.
We encourage our directors and employees to contribute personal time and resources to charities and nonprofit organizations. However, unless the solicitation is supported by the company, you are prohibited from using the company name or company stationery for solicitation of donations. All requests for corporate gifts to charities and other not-for-profit organizations should be approved in advance by the company’s compliance department, internal legal counsel or person(s) designated to approve such donations. Charitable donations made by individuals on their own behalf should comply with local laws and regulations. If you are requested by a public official to make a personal donation to a particular charity, please consult with the compliance department, internal legal counsel or person(s) designated to approve such donations before agreeing to or making the donation.
13
RECORD-KEEPING
Record all our transactions in a complete, accurate and detailed manner so that the purpose and amount of the transaction is clear.
In addition to prohibiting bribery, some anti-bribery legislation, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (U.S.), requires proper record-keeping and the establishment and maintenance of internal controls. The purpose of these provisions is to prevent companies from concealing bribes and to discourage fraudulent accounting practices. All transactions must be recorded completely, accurately and with sufficient detail so that the purpose and amount of any such payment is clear. No undisclosed or unrecorded funds or assets of the company should be established for any purpose. False, misleading or artificial entries should never be made in the books and records of the company for any reason.
ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH TO MONEY LAUNDERING
We must prevent the use of our operations for money laundering or any activity that facilitates money laundering, the financing of terrorism, or other criminal activities.
The company is strongly committed to preventing the use of its operations for money laundering, the financing of terrorism or other criminal activities and will take appropriate actions to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws. Jurisdictions may publish lists of individuals and organizations that the company is prohibited from accepting funds from or distributing funds to under anti-money laundering laws. Employees are expected to use reasonable care to verify that counterparties are not owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf of, sanctioned governments, groups, individuals or others.
14
COMMITMENT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE
STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
Upon joining Brookfield, each director and employee will be provided with a copy of the Code and required to sign an acknowledgement. Each director and employee will also be required to re-certify compliance with the Code on an annual basis. Annual execution of a Statement of Compliance with the Code shall be a condition of your continued directorship or employment with the company.
REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS
You are strongly encouraged to make good faith reports and complaints.
Internal reporting is critical to the company’s success, and it is both expected and valued. You are required to be proactive and promptly report any suspected violations of the Code, or any illegal or unethical behavior that you become aware of. When making a report, please include specific details and back-up documentation where feasible in order to permit adequate investigation of the concern or conduct reported. Vague, nonspecific or unsupported allegations are inherently more difficult to pursue.
There are reporting procedures in place.
Employees should report violations of the Code to their supervisor, since their supervisor is generally in the best position to resolve the issue. However, you may alternatively contact the company’s Chief Compliance Officer or Internal Counsel to report potential Code violations.
You can always report a complaint through the company’s reporting hotline
Our reporting hotline (the “Reporting Hotline”) is managed by an independent third party. The Reporting Hotline allows anyone to report suspected unethical, illegal or unsafe behavior in English and other languages. The Reporting Hotline is available toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Refer to the “Contact Information” section of the Code for the Reporting Hotline phone numbers by jurisdiction.
TREATMENT OF REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS
Complaints will be kept confidential.
Confidentiality of reported violations will be maintained to the fullest extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate review and subject to applicable law. We would prefer that you identify yourself to facilitate our investigation of any report; however, if you do not feel comfortable doing so you can make an anonymous report.
Complaints will be dealt with appropriately.
The party receiving the complaint must make a record of its receipt, document how the situation was dealt with and file a report with the Chief Compliance Officer, which will be retained for the record. The Chief Compliance Officer will report all illegal and unethical conduct in violation of the Code internally and externally in accordance with applicable laws and internal governance practices.
15
You will not experience retribution or retaliation for a complaint made in “good faith”.
No retribution or retaliation will be taken against any person who has filed a report based on the reasonable good faith belief that a violation of the Code has occurred or may in the future occur; however, making a report does not necessarily absolve you (if you are involved) or anyone else of the breach or suspected breach of the Code. The company reserves the right to discipline you if you provide false information or make an accusation you know to be untrue. This does not mean that the information that you provide has to be correct, but it does mean that you must reasonably believe that the information is truthful and demonstrates a possible violation of the Code. If you believe that you have been unfairly or unlawfully retaliated against, you may file a complaint with your supervisor, the Chief Compliance Officer or the company’s internal legal counsel, or call the Reporting Hotline.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR CODE VIOLATIONS
We will impose discipline for each Code violation that fits the nature and particular facts of the violation. If you fail to comply with laws, rules or regulations governing the company’s businesses, the Code or any other company policy or requirement, you may be disciplined up to and including immediate termination for cause and, if warranted, legal proceedings may be brought against you.
WAIVERS
A waiver of the Code will be granted only in very exceptional circumstances. A Code waiver for employees must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer.
AMENDMENTS
Brookfield’s Board of Directors reviews and approves the Code on at least an annual basis and is ultimately responsible for monitoring compliance with the Code.
16
CONTACT INFORMATION
Reporting Hotline | |
North America - 800-665-0831 | |
United Kingdom - 0808-234-2210 | |
Collect – Worldwide - 770-613-6339 | |
INTERNAL CONTACTS – BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP | |
Chief Compliance Officer and Regulatory Counsel | General Counsel |
Brian Hourihan | Brian Hurley |
212 549-8497 | 212 549-8408 |
Brian.Hourihan@brookfield.com | Brian.Hurley@brookfield.com |
Chief Executive Officer | |
David Levi | |
212 549-8465 | |
David.Levi@brookfield.com |
LEGAL NOTICE
The company reserves the right to modify, suspend or revoke the Code and any related policies, procedures, and programs at any time. The company also reserves the right to interpret and amend the Code and these policies in its sole discretion. Any amendments to the Code will be disclosed and reported as required by applicable law.
Neither the Code, nor any of the policies referred to herein, confer any rights, privileges or benefits on any employee, create an entitlement to continued employment at the company, establish conditions of employment for the employee, or create an express or implied contract of any kind between employees and the company. In addition, the Code does not modify the employment relationship between employees and the company.
The Code is posted on the company’s intranet. The version of the Code on our intranet may be more current and up-to-date and supersedes any paper copies, should there be any discrepancy between paper copies and what is posted online.
17
APPENDIX A
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
All directors, employees, and consultants must complete this Statement of Compliance or certify the company’s electronic Statement of Compliance through the company’s web-based compliance program.
I have received, reviewed and understand the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) of Brookfield Public Securities Group, Brookfield Public Securities Group (UK) Ltd., and Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. (the “company”) for directors and employees.
I hereby agree to comply with the Code, including its provisions for nondisclosure of information both during and after appointment or employment.
To the best of my knowledge, I am not involved in any situation that conflicts or might appear to conflict with the Code.
I also agree to notify my supervisor or the Chief Compliance Officer of the company immediately of any change that might adversely affect my compliance with the Code.
Name: | |||
(Please print) | |||
Company: | |||
Position Title: | |||
Branch/Department: | |||
Location: | |||
Date and Signature: | |||
(mm/dd/yy) | (Signature) |
18
Brookfield
Exhibit B
PERSONAL TRADING POLICY
FEBRUARY 2020
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION
This Personal Trading Policy (this “Policy”) applies to all directors, officers, employees, trustees and advisory persons1 (collectively, “Access Persons”) of Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC, Brookfield Public Securities Group (UK) Ltd., and Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. (collectively, “PSG” “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company”).
Note that the activities of your spouse, partner and family members who live in the same dwelling as you (collectively, “Family Members”) are also subject to the restrictions set out in this Policy. You are responsible for ensuring compliance by your Family Members. When in doubt about the potential application of this Code to your Family Members, please contact the compliance department.
The objective of this Policy is to provide guidance on when it is permissible for Access Persons of the Company, and their Family Members, to trade in securities2 for their respective personal accounts (and accounts over which they have trading authority or exercise similar influence), when such actions are prohibited, and the protocol to be followed when personal trading is conducted. In all cases, this Policy is designed with a view to avoid the risk of situations arising whereby you, your Family Members and/or the Company could be harmed through damaged reputation or legal action.
For the purposes of this Policy, your personal trading activities are considered to include your own trading activities and those of your Family Members, as well as activities in any other account(s) over which you and/or your Family Members have trading authority or exercise similar influence other than in the course of employment (e.g. this Policy applies to your activities as the treasurer or investment officer of a charitable organization or foundation or acting as an informal investment advisor for relatives, friends or investment clubs).
This Policy applies both (i) during your tenure with the Company, and (ii) after the completion or termination of such service to the Company to the extent that you possess material non-public information (as defined below) at the time such service is completed.
If you have questions regarding the application of this Policy or about the best course of action in a situation, you should seek guidance from the Company’s internal legal counsel or compliance department (See Appendix A).
CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE
As is the case with policies of this nature, it is important to use common sense. If a securities trade becomes the subject of scrutiny, it will be viewed after the fact with the benefit of hindsight and may expose you to the risk that the trade was improper, either because a real or perceived conflict of interest existed, the trade violated securities laws, or otherwise. Before engaging in any trade, you should carefully consider how the trade may be construed with the benefit of hindsight.
1 Advisory person means any employee of PSG or of any company in a control relationship to PSG, who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by PSG clients or obtains information regarding the portfolio holdings of any reportable fund, or whose functions relate to any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales and any natural person in a control relationship with PSG who obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of securities or information regarding the portfolio holdings of any reportable fund.
2 Securities include, but are not limited to, common shares, preferred shares, notes, bonds, convertible securities, rights, warrants, derivatives, units of partnerships and limited liability companies and other interests that may, from time to time, determined to be securities under the US federal securities laws.
2
Violations of this Policy can have severe consequences. Any violation of this Policy shall be subject to the imposition of such sanctions by the Chief Compliance Officer3 as the Chief Compliance Officer deems appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of this Policy, provided, however, if the sanctions include suspension or termination of employment, such suspension or termination must be approved by the Board of Directors or comparable body/committee of the Company.
If you (or a Family Member) trade contrary to what is permitted in this Policy, or fail to pre-clear a trade when required, you may be asked to cancel or reverse the trade, and/or your trading privileges may be suspended for a specified amount of time or permanently. If required to reverse or cancel a trade, you (or a Family Member), would be responsible for any trading losses, while the Company reserves the right to compel you (or a Family Member) to forfeit any trading gains to the Company. A trading violation could also result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal for cause, depending upon the severity of the violation.
Additionally, the criminal and civil consequences of violating securities laws such as the prohibitions on insider trading and “tipping” (see Part I, Section 1.b below), or a failure to file an insider report on a timely basis, can be severe and may include sanctions, substantial jail terms and penalties of several times the amount of profits gained, or losses avoided. The Company’s policy is that its directors, officers and employees must comply with all securities laws, so in addition to the legal consequences associated with breaching securities laws, the Company reserves the right to take its own actions.
For your protection, the Company strongly encourages you and your Family Members to consider having your personal financial investments managed through blind trusts or by third party professional financial advisors who have full discretion over the investment decisions for the account.
APPLICATION OF THIS POLICY
Access Persons are required to conduct personal trading activities in compliance with securities laws, Brookfield’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and this Policy.
COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING
Upon joining the Company, you will be provided with a copy of this Policy and will be asked to certify compliance with this Policy on an annual basis. You may also have ongoing internal or external reporting obligations, as noted in this Policy.
3 The Chief Compliance Officer is the person designated by the Company’s Board of Directors or comparable body/committee to monitor the overall compliance with this Personal Trading Policy.
3
PART I – GENERAL PROHIBITIONS APPLICABLE TO ACCESS PERSONS
1. | Securities Laws |
a) | Insider Trading |
As a rule, if you have “material” “non-public” information about any entity, and if you directly or indirectly through any person acting on your behalf, buy or sell securities of that entity before the information is public or no longer material, then you will have violated securities laws. Such trades are therefore not permitted under this Policy.
Information about an entity is “material” if a reasonable investor would consider the information important when deciding to buy, sell or hold that entity’s securities.
Information is “non-public” until it has been generally disclosed and adequate time has passed for the securities markets to digest the information.
Common examples of material non-public information include: (i) advance notice of changes in senior management; (ii) unannounced mergers or acquisitions; (iii) significant pending or threatened litigation; and (iv) non-public financial results.
If you are not sure whether information is material or non-public, consult with the Company’s internal legal counsel or compliance department for guidance before engaging in a transaction.
b) | Tipping |
“Tipping” arises when you disclose material non-public information about any publicly-traded entity to another person and that person either: (i) trades in a security related to the information that you provided; or (ii) provides the information to a third person who then makes a trade in a related security. Tipping is a violation of law, even if you do not personally make a trade or otherwise benefit from disclosing the information. You are prohibited from disclosing material non-public information to others outside the Company, including relatives and friends. You should also refrain from discussing material non-public information with others within the Company unless they have a business need to know this information.
c) | Trading Advice |
If you have material non-public information about the Company or an entity with which the Company does business, or may do business with, or the Company has invested in, you are not permitted to give trading advice of any kind to anyone outside the Company, including relatives or friends, while in possession of that information.
d) | Trading During a Trading Blackout Period |
You are not permitted to, directly or indirectly through any person acting on your behalf, buy or sell securities or funds of the Company, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, “Brookfield”), including but not limited to securities of the issuers listed in Appendix B (“Brookfield Securities”), during a trading blackout period. Trading blackout periods apply to all Access Persons and generally occur during periods when financial statements are being prepared but results have not yet been generally disclosed. Also, from time to time, other types of material non-public information regarding Brookfield (such as negotiations of mergers, acquisitions or dispositions) may be pending and not be publicly disclosed. While such information is pending, special blackout periods may also be imposed on Access Persons.
4
The prohibition on trading during a blackout period also applies to any securities issued pursuant to Brookfield’s automatic dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”). An Access Person may not make any election under the DRIP during a blackout period, including an election to enter into the DRIP or exit the DRIP. Individuals seeking to participate in the DRIP must elect to enter into the DRIP during a non-blackout period and may only elect to exit the DRIP during a non-blackout period.
Regular blackout periods generally commence at the close of business on the last business day of a quarter and end on the beginning of the first business day following the earnings call discussing the quarterly results. Blackout periods may also be prescribed from time to time as a result of special circumstances relating to Brookfield. When Brookfield imposes a trading blackout on a security, no Access Person is permitted to trade in the blacked out security until the restriction has been lifted. Consult internal legal counsel or the compliance department for information on whether a blackout is in effect on one of Brookfield’s securities.
Although you are prohibited from exercising stock options for cash during a blackout period, you are not prohibited from exercising stock options during a blackout period if such exercise results in you owning Brookfield securities, since the “strike price” does not vary with the market but is fixed by the terms of the option agreement or the plan. Upon the acquisition of such securities, you are then subject to the applicable blackout period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Reporting Insiders (as defined below in Part II herein) may not exercise options during a blackout period for reputational reasons.
In certain very limited circumstances, you may be permitted to sell Brookfield securities directly to Brookfield (or a Brookfield entity, as applicable) during a blackout period, subject to a limitation that the price is not greater than the average closing price over the preceding 20 trading days, or to otherwise trade in such securities during a blackout period. These transactions will be permitted only in special circumstances and must be approved in advance by the Chief Compliance Officer and either the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) or Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of Brookfield (or, in the case of the securities of a publicly-traded controlled affiliate of Brookfield, the CEO or CFO of such affiliate).
e) | Other Prohibited Transactions |
· | Hedging Transactions – You are prohibited from selling short public securities issued by Brookfield, including but not limited to securities of the issuers listed in Appendix B (“Brookfield Securities”), or buying or selling call or put options or other derivatives in respect of Brookfield Securities. You are also prohibited from entering into other transactions which have the effect of hedging the economic value of any direct or indirect interests in Brookfield’s common equity. This prohibition includes your participation in Brookfield’s long-term stock ownership plans unless such transactions are executed and disclosed in full compliance with all applicable regulations and have been previously approved by the Chief Compliance Officer and either the CEO or CFO of Brookfield (or, in the case of the securities of a publicly-traded controlled affiliate of Brookfield, the CEO or CFO of such affiliate), and if such officers deem appropriate, the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board. |
5
· | Short-term Trading – You may not purchase or sell Brookfield Securities with the intention of reselling or buying them back in a relatively short period of time in the expectation of a rise or fall in the market price of the securities (as opposed to purchasing or selling Brookfield Securities as part of a long-term investment program). Once purchased, a Brookfield Security must be held for at least 90 days from the date of the trade unless acquired pursuant to the exercise of rights under a stock option plan. Similarly, once sold, a Brookfield Security must not be repurchased for at least 90 days from the date of the trade unless acquired pursuant to a grant under an executive compensation plan. |
· | Pledging of Securities – Brookfield Securities must not be pledged as collateral for a loan unless such transactions are executed and disclosed in full compliance with all applicable regulations and have been previously approved by the Chief Compliance Officer and either the CEO or CFO of Brookfield (or, in the case of the securities of a publicly-traded controlled affiliate of Brookfield, the CEO or CFO of such affiliate), and if such officers deem appropriate, the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Brookfield Board. |
· | “Phantom” Stock Options – Brookfield may, from time to time, establish so-called “phantom” option plans, where an individual may be eligible to receive a cash bonus based on the value of a stated number of Brookfield’s securities at any specified period of time. No individual may exercise entitlements under a “phantom” stock option plan during a blackout period. |
· | “Deferred Share Units” / “Restricted Share Units” – Although Deferred Share Units and Restricted Share Units of Brookfield (collectively, “Units”) are not technically securities, for reputational reasons Units are subject to all the same restrictions as Brookfield securities. Therefore, no individual may hedge against their Units or pledge their Units as collateral for a loan without the approval of the PSG Chief Compliance Officer and the CEO or CFO of PSG (or, in the case of the securities of a publicly-traded controlled affiliate of Brookfield, the CEO or CFO of such affiliate). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Units may be issued during blackout periods and Units shall be settled in the ordinary course in accordance with the respective award agreements, whether or not such settlement occurs during a blackout period. |
2) | Prohibited Securities |
Effective November 1, 2015, Access Persons and their Family Members1 are prohibited from conducting personal securities transactions in “Marketable Securities” at any time. Marketable Securities include:
· | Stocks |
· | Warrants |
· | Rights |
· | Options |
· | Corporate Bonds and Debentures |
Marketable Securities do not include the securities that are enumerated in Part II Section 1. C. herein, or Brookfield Securities.
1 A Family Member whose primary occupation is in professional investment management or securities trading is permitted to trade if he or she is conducting such transactions on behalf of non-Family Member third parties (alongside a limited amount of the Family Member’s own funds) in such capacity and is not subject to the preclearance or reporting requirements of this Policy.
6
Access Persons and their Family Members must delegate any such activity in Marketable Securities to: (i) a blind trust; or (ii) a professional third party financial advisor who has full discretion over investment decisions and for which no trading instructions are given other than customary general client investment objectives and similar information.
An Access Person may contact the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee to request an exemption on behalf of his or her Family Member(s) only to permit such Family Member(s) to trade in Marketable Securities, which, if granted, will be noted in the Access Person’s file. The Company reserves the right not to approve an exemption request.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of factors that will be considered in determining whether to grant an exemption:
(a) | A Family Member is employed or otherwise affiliated with an issuer of Marketable Securities (e.g., a Family Member is employed by a bank and seeks to trade in securities issued by the bank or its affiliates); or |
(b) | A Family Member invests his or her funds in Marketable Securities for themselves or on behalf of others, other than the Access Person. |
In receiving an exemption, an Access Person will be required to certify periodically to the Company that the Access Person: (i) has not shared any securities information with the Family Member trading in Marketable Securities; and (ii) has no involvement in the trading of Marketable Securities by the Family Member.
In the event that an exemption is granted under (b) above, an Access Person must pre-clear all personal trades in Marketable Securities made by an exempt Family Member and provide copies of account statements for the accounts in which such trades are made. Approved transactions must be executed by the end of the second business day following the receipt of such approval. Securities in connection with an initial public offering or private placement also require pre-clearance, approval for which will be granted or denied within 24 hours of the request being submitted and may involve an additional request for information from the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee. Failure to abide by the terms of any exemption, including any failure(s) to pre-clear proposed transactions or Reportable Accounts, may result, in the discretion of the PSG Chief Compliance Officer, the revocation of any exemption in whole or in part.
Access Persons and/or their Family Members may have ownership positions in Marketable Securities that predate November 1, 2015, joining the Company, and/or becoming an Access Person. In addition, subsequent to November 1, 2015, Access Persons and/or their Family Members may receive gifts or bequests of Marketable Securities. All such holdings of Marketable Securities must be disclosed to the compliance department as soon as practicable, if they have not been disclosed already, so that they may be recorded as grandfathered Marketable Securities. Should the Access Person or a Family Member want to sell one of these grandfathered Marketable Securities, pre-clearance approval must be sought through the Company’s automated trade approval system. Approved transactions must be executed by the end of the second business day following the receipt of such approval.
7
PART II – ADDITIONAL RULES FOR ACCESS PERSONS
1. | Personal Trading |
The following additional rules govern the personal trading of all Access Persons:
a) | Blind Trusts/Discretionary Accounts |
All Access Persons and their Family Members are permitted to enter into securities trades and are exempt from the pre-clearance obligations of this Policy if they are:
· | done in a blind trust (i.e., a trust in which you (and/or a Family Member) are a beneficiary but for which you do not receive any reporting and have no knowledge regarding investments); or |
· | done in accounts managed on your (and/or a Family Member’s) behalf by a third party financial advisor who has full discretion over investment decisions and for which no trading instructions are given other than customary general client investment objectives and similar information. |
Reporting Insiders may not hold Brookfield Securities in blind trusts or accounts managed on their behalf by a third party financial advisor, due to insider reporting requirements.
b) | Accounts Managed by the Company |
Access Persons and their Family Members are required to pre-clear and obtain approval from the Chief Compliance Officer before establishing an investment management account to be managed by the Company. If approved, the Access Person must follow the reporting requirements set forth in Part II Section 2 herein.
c) | Permitted Securities |
Transactions by Access Persons and their Family Members in the following types of securities (“Permitted Securities”) are exempt from the pre-clearance requirements of this Policy, provided that such securities are not convertible, exchangeable or exercisable for or into Marketable Securities (as defined below):
· | government securities, foreign or domestic; |
· | municipal securities; |
· | short-term instruments, such as certificates of deposit (“CDs”) and guaranteed investment certificates, of financial intermediaries including life insurance companies and banks where these instruments are purchased for holding to maturity; |
· | banker’s acceptances, bank CDs, repurchase agreements or commercial paper of non-financial institutions with a maturity of 180 days or less where these instruments are purchased for holding to maturity; |
· | purchases under DRIPs (discretionary DRIPs or stock purchase programs, however, must be pre-cleared in accordance with this Policy); |
· | open-end mutual funds (or the equivalent, including funds of funds) not managed or sub-advised by BAM or any BAM affiliate, including PSG; |
· | closed-end mutual funds not managed or sub-advised by BAM or any BAM affiliate, including PSG; |
8
· | exchange-traded funds or “ETFs” (e.g., iShares and comparable ETFs); |
· | non-equity options (e.g., index funds); |
· | foreign exchange securities (e.g., currency forwards); |
· | commodity futures (e.g., oil, corn and sugar); and |
· | insurance products in which underlying investment options are open-end mutual funds, ETFS or a Permissible Security enumerated above; and |
· | 529 College Savings Plans in which underlying investment options are open-end mutual funds, ETFs or a Permissible Security enumerated above. |
All securities that are not: (i) enumerated above, or (ii) Brookfield Securities, are by definition Marketable Securities.
d) | Brookfield Securities |
Transactions by Access Persons (and their Family Members) in Brookfield Securities are permitted, provided that all such trades in Brookfield Securities do not occur during any applicable blackout periods and are “pre-cleared”. If an Access Person wishes to execute an order in Brookfield Securities, they must submit a request for pre-clearance through the Company’s automated trade approval system. Approved transactions must be executed by the end of the second business day following the receipt of such approval.
To seek to ensure the independence under the Investment Company Act of 1940 of non-employee directors and/or trustees of the Brookfield Funds (“Independent Directors/Trustees”), Independent Directors/Trustees shall be prohibited from purchasing Brookfield Securities.
Specific approval is also not required for transactions in either Brookfield Securities that are: (i) non-volitional in nature, including mergers, recapitalizations, distributions-in-kind or similar transactions; or (ii) purchases that are part of a DRIP; or (iii) transactions related to the issuance of deferred compensation awards linked to Brookfield Securities or the settlement of such awards, so long as such settlement occurs in accordance with the terms of the underlying award agreement.
2) | Internal Reporting Obligations |
a. | Reportable Accounts |
Access Persons are required to identify all of their Reportable Accounts (as defined in Appendix D) on the Company’s automated trade approval system so that trading activities in those accounts can be monitored and the Company can ensure that an Access Person has made trades in Brookfield Securities in accordance with this Policy, and that no trades have been made in Marketable Securities unless an exemption has been granted.
Access Persons must identify their Reportable Accounts within 10 days of being notified of such designation. Statements for each Reportable Account must be provided to the compliance department initially when an individual becomes an Access Person, and on an ongoing basis within 30 days of the quarter end. Access Persons are required to notify the compliance department when a Reportable Account is opened or closed. Access Persons may be asked to facilitate the provision of statements directly from the financial institution to the compliance department. Investments that are not held through a broker-dealer must be reported to the compliance department prior to any initial investment, or becoming an Access Person, and annually thereafter.
9
For a blind trust/discretionary account reported by an Access Person to the Chief Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer shall obtain substantiating documentation from the broker-dealer or investment adviser managing the discretionary account confirming that the Access Person does not have direct or indirect influence over the account, including the ability to buy or sell securities.
b) | Insider Reporting |
Certain Access Persons may be considered “reporting insiders” under applicable securities laws (“Reporting Insiders”) and are required to file insider reports. In general, Reporting Insiders are persons who hold certain Brookfield positions and those persons who both: (I) receive or have access, in the ordinary course, to material non-public information about Brookfield; and (ii) can exercise, directly or indirectly, significant power or influence over the business, operations, capital or development of Brookfield. This would generally include the boards of directors of our public entities and their CEO, CFO, Chief Operating Officer and others with similar levels of authority. Internal legal counsel maintains a list of all individuals who are considered Reporting Insiders for Brookfield and any publicly-traded controlled affiliates.
If you fall within the definition of a Reporting Insider, you must ensure that you comply with any applicable insider reporting requirements in respect of transactions in Brookfield Securities. A description of the relevant insider reporting guidelines is set out in Appendix C.
c) | Internal Reporting of Violations |
All Access Persons must report matters involving violations of this Policy promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer. You can report a violation on a confidential or anonymous basis. The Company does not permit retaliation against Access Persons for reports submitted in good faith. Reports of violations will be investigated and appropriate actions will be taken by the Chief Compliance Officer.
d) | Certifications |
Access Persons will be required to certify quarterly and annually that they, and their Family Members, have conformed to the requirements of this Policy.
PART III-REVIEW BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At least annually, the Chief Compliance Officer shall report to the Board of Directors or comparable body/committee of the Company regarding:
i. | All existing procedures concerning Access Persons’ personal trading activities and any procedural changes made during the past year; |
ii. | Any recommended changes to this Policy; and |
iii. | A summary of any violations, which occurred during the past year with respect to which significant remedial action was taken. |
10
PART IV – ADDITIONAL RULES APPLICABLE TO DIRECTORS
Transactions by Independent Directors/Trustees and their Family Members in the Brookfield funds2 must comply with the Wrapper to the Personal Trading Policy set forth in Appendix E herein.
PART V-MISCELLANEOUS
1. Access Persons
The Chief Compliance Officer will identify all Access Persons who are under a duty to make reports to the Company and will inform such persons of such duty. Any failure by the Chief Compliance Officer to notify any person of his or her duties under this Policy shall not relieve such person of his or her obligations hereunder.
2. Records
The compliance department shall maintain records in a manner and to the extent set forth below, and shall be available for examination by regulatory agencies:
(a) | a copy of this Policy and any other policy which is, or at any time within the past five years has been, in effect shall be preserved in an easily accessible place; |
(b) | a record of any violation of this Policy and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs; |
(c) | a copy of each report made pursuant to this Policy shall be preserved for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; |
(d) | a list of all persons who are required or within the past five years have been required, to make reports pursuant to this Policy shall be maintained in an easily accessible place; |
(e) | a copy of any written report that describes any material issues arising under this Policy since the last report to the board of directors of an investment company, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of this Policy and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations, which shall be maintained for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; |
(f) | a copy of any certificate stating that the Company has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Policy, which shall be maintained for a period of not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; and |
(g) | a record of any decision and the reasons supporting the decision, as appropriate, to approve the acquisition by Access Persons of securities offered in initial public offerings and limited offerings for not less than five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted. |
2 Brookfield funds shall include the funds listed in the Wrapper to the Personal Trading Policy in Appendix E.
11
3. Confidentiality
All reports of securities transactions and any other information filed pursuant to this Policy shall be treated as confidential, except to the extent required by law.
4. Interpretation of Provisions
The Board of Directors or comparable body/committee of the Company may from time to time adopt such interpretations of this Policy as it deems appropriate.
5. Short-Term Employees
Temporary person, consultants, and interns (collectively, “Short-Term Personnel”) hired for a period of more than three months shall be treated as an Access Person and must abide by the Policy except for the reporting requirements under Part II Section 2a. and Appendix D herein.
6. Review Process
Access Persons may request review by the Chief Compliance Officer of a decision or determination made by the Chief Compliance Officer or Board of Directors or comparable body/committee of the Company pursuant to this Policy. The Chief Compliance Officer or the Board of Directors or comparable body/committee of the Company may elect to consider or reject the request for review. Any review conducted including the results shall be maintained in the Access Person’s file.
12
APPENDIX A
COMPLIANCE & LEGAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Brian Hourihan
Chief Compliance Officer and Regulatory Counsel
Brian.Hourihan@brookfield.com
212-549-8497
Brian Hurley
General Counsel
Brian.Hurley@brookfield.com
212-549-8408
13
Brookfield
APPENDIX B
ASSOCIATED COMPANIES AND ENTITIES
(As of February 2020)
Below is a non-exhaustive list of Company Funds and the issuers of Brookfield Securities which will be updated from time to time and posted for review on an internal, Brookfield public web, sharepoint or comparable secure site or electronic location.
14
Brookfield
APPENDIX C
INSIDER REPORTING GUIDELINES
Reporting Insiders
Under the insider reporting rules, reporting insiders of a reporting issuer (“Reporting Insiders”) must file insider reports upon becoming a Reporting Insider and upon any change in their holdings of securities of the reporting issuer. In general, these reporting requirements are intended to apply to persons who both (i) receive or have access, in the ordinary course, to material undisclosed information about the reporting issuer and (ii) have the ability to exercise, directly or indirectly, significant power or influence over the business, operations, capital or development of the reporting issuer. This would generally include the boards of directors of our public entities and their CEO, CFO, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Managing Partners and others with similar levels of authority. The Company’s internal legal counsel or the internal legal counsel for a publicly-traded controlled affiliate, as applicable, maintains a list of all individuals who are considered Reporting Insiders.
Insider Reporting
A person who becomes a Reporting Insider must file an insider report within 10 calendar days (or shorter period if prescribed by the regulations) of becoming a Reporting Insider. In addition, a Reporting Insider must also file an insider report when there is any change in their holdings of securities of the reporting issuer within five calendar days (or shorter period if prescribed by the regulations) of the change.
In the insider report, a Reporting Insider must report not only their direct holdings of securities of the reporting issuer, but any indirect beneficial ownership of securities, as well as securities of reporting issuer over which they exercise control or direction. Under the insider reporting rules, beneficial ownership passes on the day of the trade, not the day of settlement. An insider report must include not only all publicly-traded securities of the issuer held by the Reporting Insider, whether they be voting or non-voting, debt, equity and trust units, but also related financial instruments which include the grant, exercise or expiry of any options and deferred or restricted share units related to these securities.
Insider reports should be filed electronically through the System for Electronic Disclosure (SEDI). The consequences for failure to file in a timely manner or filing a report that contains information that is materially misleading may include late filing fees; the Reporting Insider being identified as a late filer on a public database of late filers maintained by certain securities regulators; the issuance of a cease trade order that prohibits the Reporting Insider from trading in securities of the applicable reporting issuer or any reporting issuer until a specified period of time has elapsed or enforcement proceedings.
It is the personal responsibility of each Reporting Insider to ensure that the required insider reports are filed in a timely fashion. The Company’s internal legal counsel can assist you with the filing of these reports.
All Senior Managing Partners and directors of Brookfield are required to report to Brookfield’s internal legal counsel any trades of Brookfield Securities within two (2) business days so that appropriate insider reports can be filed.
15
Brookfield
APPENDIX D
REPORTABLE ACCOUNTS
A “Reportable Account” is an account over which the Access Person has investment discretion, influence or control, and in which the Access Person may benefit from profits in the account, other than:
· | Any account in which transactions are effected only pursuant to an automatic investment plan; |
· | Any account which holds only bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, direct obligations of the Government of the United States, money market funds, and open end mutual funds (not managed by the Company or any affiliate of the Company). |
· | Accounts managed by a professional third party financial advisor who has full discretion over investment decisions and for which you do not provide any trading instructions; |
· | A blind trust in which you are a beneficiary but for which you do not receive any reporting and have no knowledge regarding the investments in the account; |
Reportable Accounts, as defined above, may include:
· | Personal brokerage accounts (including, but not limited to: individual and joint accounts, 401(k)s, RSPs, IRAs, UGMAs, RESPs, TFSAs, LIRAs, Keogh Plans, trusts, family limited partnerships, guardianship or conservatorships accounts); |
· | Accounts of Family Members living in the same dwelling as you; |
· | Investment club accounts; |
· | Accounts for business interests outside of the Company; |
· | Accounts for which you are a trustee or for which you have discretionary authority; and |
· | Employer sponsored retirement accounts if they are self-directed or if they hold securities other than open-end mutual funds (i.e., profit sharing and 401(k)s). This includes the Company’s 401(k) plan. |
Reportable Accounts, as defined above, do not include:
· | Accounts in which you are permitted to hold only open-end mutual funds (i.e. accounts held directly with a mutual fund Company)(Mutual Fund Only Accounts); and |
· | Insurance products only if the underlying investment options are solely mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. |
· | Accounts in which you are only permitted to hold units and/or securities of a 529 Plan, the underlying investments of which are not managed and/or advised by BAM or any BAM Affiliate, including PSG. |
Please contact a representative of the PSG Compliance Department with any question(s) related to the legal and/or reporting status of any account directly or indirectly related to you or a family member.
16
Brookfield
APPENDIX E
WRAPPER TO THE PERSONAL TRADING
POLICY
BROOKFIELD GLOBAL LISTED INFRASTRUCTURE INCOME FUND INC. (“INF”)
BROOKFIELD REAL ASSETS INCOME FUND INC. (“RA”)
CENTER COAST BROOKFIELD MLP & ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (“CEN”)
(collectively, “CEF”)
and
BROOKFIELD INVESTMENT FUNDS
and its separate series:
Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Fund
Brookfield Global Listed Real Estate Fund
Brookfield U.S. Listed Real Estate Fund
Brookfield Real Assets Securities Fund
Brookfield Real Assets Debt Fund
Center Coast Brookfield Energy Infrastructure Fund
Center Coast Brookfield Midstream Focus Fund
(collectively, “OEF”, and together with CEF, the “Funds”)
The Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund hereby adopts the Personal Trading Policy (the “Policy”) of Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (the “Adviser”), in addition to the following changes (the “Wrapper”):
I. | Quarterly Reporting Requirements |
(a) | Independent Directors/Trustees are to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report to the Funds’ CCO of any personal transaction in a security that, at the time of the personal transaction, such Independent Director/Trustee in his/her official capacity is aware that the Funds are to purchase or sell, or was aware that the Funds have purchased or sold, the same security within 15 days before and after such Independent Director/Trustee’s personal transaction (the “Covered Transactions”). |
(b) | The Quarterly Transaction Report shall include any transaction effected by the Independent Directors/Trustees’ in their personal brokerage accounts and in brokerage accounts of their immediate family or household. |
(c) | The Quarterly Transaction Report shall not include brokerage or other accounts where the Independent Directors/Trustees have no direct or indirect influence or control. |
(d) | Should the Independent Directors/Trustees have no Covered Transactions to report, s/he shall report such on the Quarterly Transaction Report or other comparable means or medium (including email certification). |
17
Brookfield
(e) | The form Quarterly Transaction Report is hereby attached as Exhibit A. |
(f) | In addition to the Independent Directors/Trustees of the Funds, the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) may from time to time identify other persons who shall have the duty to report their personal transactions pursuant to the Wrapper (e.g. other Access Persons). |
II. | Prohibition on Purchasing Brookfield Securities |
To seek to ensure the independence of Independent Directors/Trustees under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Independent Directors/Trustees shall be prohibited from purchasing Brookfield Securities.
III. | Pre-Clearance Requirements |
(a) | Independent Directors/Trustees must pre-clear with the Funds’ CCO any personal transaction in the Funds prior to acquiring or disposing of beneficial ownership in the Funds by submitting a preclearance request form attached hereto in Exhibit B; |
(b) | Such purchase or sale has been approved by the CCO or his designee; |
(c) | The approved transaction is completed on the same or next business day approval is received; and |
(d) | The CCO or his designee has not rescinded such approval prior to execution of the transaction. |
IV. | Administration of the Policy and Wrapper |
(a) | The Funds shall use reasonable due diligence and shall institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the Policy and the Wrapper. |
(b) | At least annually, the Funds’ CCO shall furnish a report for the Boards of Directors/Trustees’ consideration which: |
- | Describes any issues arising under the Policy, under the Wrapper or under the procedures implemented hereunder, which may include material violations and the relevant sanctions imposed; and |
- | Certifies to the Boards of Directors/Trustees that the Funds have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the Policy and the Wrapper. |
18
Brookfield
V. | Sanctions |
Sanctions, if any, are to be imposed on a Independent Director/Trustee upon a resolution by a majority of the of such Fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees.
VI. | CEF Reporting - Form 3, 4 and 5 |
(a) | A director, trustee or officer (collectively “Insider”) of the closed-end funds (CEFs) managed by the Adviser that is registering a closed-end fund for the first time under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 must file a Form 3 no later than the effective date of the registration statement. If the closed-end fund managed by the Adviser is already registered under Section 12, the Insider must file a Form 3 within ten days of becoming an Insider. |
(b) | If an Insider buys or sells shares of the closed-end funds managed by the Adviser, the change of ownership is reported on Form 4 and must be reported to the SEC within two business days. |
(c) | If an Insider transaction was not reported on Form 4 or an Insider transaction was eligible for deferred reporting, a Form 5 shall be filed. If applicable, the Form 5 must be filed within 45 days after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year. |
(d) | The Chief Compliance Officer or his designee shall complete the Form 3, 4 and 5 filings on behalf of the Insider via the SEC Edgar system unless otherwise instructed by the Insider. |
19
Brookfield
EXHIBIT A
QUARTERLY REPORT OF SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS IN BROOKFIELD FUNDS
For the quarter ended __________
¨ I have securities transactions in Brookfield Funds to report for the quarter and they are listed as follows (to report additional transactions, please attach additional pages, as needed). This report will not be construed as an admission that I have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Covered Securities or in shares of the Fund to which this report relates.
Interest Rate/ | Name of | ||||||
Shares/ | Maturity Date | Broker or | |||||
Date | Amount | Security* | (If Applicable) | Price | Buy | Sell | Bank Used |
*Please list the full name of the security as well as the ticker symbol or CUSIP number.
Notes
Directions:
1. | Include all transactions during the calendar quarter set forth above in “Covered Securities” and in shares of the Fund in which you (or a member of your immediate family/household) have “Beneficial Ownership.”6 |
2. | Report all transactions for all accounts except with respect to accounts over which you have no direct or indirect influence or control. You are also not required to report transactions effected pursuant to an “Automatic Investment Plan” as defined in the Code. |
3. | A report on this form is required within 30 calendar days after the end of each quarter. |
6 Beneficial Ownership shall be interpreted subject to the provisions of Rule 16a-1(a) (exclusive of Section (a)(1) of such Rule) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
20
Brookfield
Signature: |
Name (Please Print): |
Date submitted: |
21
Brookfield
EXHIBIT B
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP LLC
PRECLEARANCE REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION
Preclearance Request (to be completed by Independent Directors/Trustees of each Fund for all trades requiring preclearance -- prior to the personal trade)
Name of Independent Director/Trustee: |
Date for which approval is requested:
Name of the Issuer to be purchased or sold:
Number of shares to be purchased or sold:
Nature of the transaction (i.e., Purchase, Sale):
Do you have any material nonpublic information concerning the issuer? Yes ________ No
To the best of your knowledge and belief, the answers that you have provided above are true and correct.
Signature |
22
Brookfield
BROOKFIELD PUBLIC SECURITIES GROUP LLC
PRECLEARANCE REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION (Page 2)
Approval or Disapproval of Preclearance Request (to be completed by the Compliance Officer):
________ | I confirm that the above-described proposed transaction appears to be consistent with the policies described in the Code and that the conditions necessary for approval of the proposed transaction have been satisfied. |
_____________ | I do not believe the above described proposed transaction is consistent with the policies described in the Code or the conditions necessary for approval of the proposed transaction have been satisfied. |
Dated: |
Signed: |
Title: |
POST EXECUTION:
Total Shares Purchased: |
Total Shares Sold: |
Direct or Indirect Ownership: |
Execution Price: |
Date of Execution: |
23
EXHIBIT C
Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officer Code Of Ethics for the Brookfield
Investment Funds
(Dated as of February 2020)
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
SUMMARY | 1 | |
COVERED OFFICERS/PURPOSE OF THE CODE | 2 | |
COVERED OFFICERS SHOULD HANDLE ETHICALLY ACTUAL AND APPARENT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | 2 | |
DISCLOSURE AND COMPLIANCE | 4 | |
REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY | 4 | |
OTHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES | 5 | |
EXHIBITS | ||
Exhibit A –Covered Officers | 6 |
ii
This Code of Ethics (“Code”) applies to the Brookfield Investment Fund’s (the “Funds”) Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer (the “Covered Officers”) for the purposes of promoting: (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Funds file with or submit to the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; (iii) compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations; (iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and (v) accountability for adherence to the Code.
Each Covered Officer must: (i) not use his personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Funds whereby the Covered Officer would benefit personally to the detriment of the Funds; (ii) not cause the Funds to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than the benefit of the Funds; and (iii) not use material, non-public information or knowledge of portfolio transactions made or contemplated for the Funds to trade personally or cause others to trade personally in contemplation of the market effect of such transactions.
Each Covered Officer: (i) should familiarize himself with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Funds; (ii) should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Funds to others, whether within or outside the Funds; (iii) should consult with other officers and employees of the Funds and the adviser with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate) timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and documents that the Funds file; and (iv) is responsible to promote compliance with the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Each Covered Officer must: (i) upon adoption of the Code, affirm in writing to the Board that he has received, read, and understands the Code; (ii) annually thereafter, affirm to the Board that he has complied with the requirements of the Code; (iii) not retaliate against any other Covered Officer or any employee of the Funds or their affiliated persons for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith; and (iv) notify the Funds’ CCO promptly if he knows of any violation of this Code. Failure to do so is itself a violation of the Code.
1
CODE OF ETHICS FOR PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE AND SENIOR FINANCIAL
OFFICERS OF THE BROOKFIELD INVESTMENT FUNDS
DATED AS OF FEBRUARY 2020
COVERED OFFICERS/PURPOSE OF THE CODE
This code of ethics (the “Code”) applies to Brookfield Investment Funds’ Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer (the “Covered Officers,” each of whom are set forth in Exhibit A) for the purpose of promoting:
· | honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
· | full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Funds file with or submits to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in other public communications made by the Funds; |
· | compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations; |
· | the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and |
· | accountability for adherence to the Code. |
Each Covered Officer should adhere to a high standard of business ethics and should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest.
COVERED OFFICERS SHOULD HANDLE ETHICALLY ACTUAL AND APPARENT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Overview. A “conflict of interest” occurs when a Covered Officer’s private interest interferes with the interests of or his service to a Fund. For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer or a member of his family receives improper personal benefits as a result of his/her position with a Fund.
Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationships between Covered Officers and the Funds and are already subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Investment Advisers Act”). For example, Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the Funds because of their status as “affiliated persons” of the Funds. The Funds’ and the investment adviser’s compliance programs and procedures are designed to prevent or identify and correct violations of these provisions. This Code does not and is not intended to repeat or replace these programs and procedures, and such conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code.
2
Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from or as a result of the contractual relationship between the Funds and the investment adviser of which the Covered Officers are also officers or employees. As a result, this Code recognizes that the Covered Officers will in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for the Funds or for the adviser or for both) be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on the adviser and the Funds. The participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between the Funds and the adviser and is consistent with the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of the Funds. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Funds’ Boards of Directors (“Board”) that the Covered Officers may also be officers or employees of one or more other investment companies covered by this or other codes.
Other conflicts of interest are covered by the Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act. The following list provides examples of conflicts of interest under the Code, but Covered Officers should keep in mind that these examples are not exhaustive. The overarching principle is that the personal interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the interests of the Funds.
Each Covered Officer must:
· | not use his/her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Funds whereby the Covered Officer would benefit personally to the detriment of the Funds; |
· | not cause the Funds to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than the benefit the Funds; and |
· | not use material non-public information or knowledge of portfolio transactions made or contemplated for the Funds to trade personally or cause others to trade personally in contemplation of the market effect of such transactions. |
There are some conflict of interest situations that may be discussed with counsel if material. Examples of these include:
· | service as a director on the board of any public or private company; |
· | the receipt of any non-nominal gifts; |
· | the receipt of any entertainment from any company with which the Funds have current or prospective business dealings unless such entertainment is business-related, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, and not so frequent as to raise any question of impropriety; |
· | any ownership interest in, or any consulting or employment relationship with, any of the Funds’ service providers, other than its investment adviser, principal underwriter, administrator or any affiliated persons thereof; and |
· | a direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges or spreads paid by the Funds for effecting portfolio transactions or for selling or redeeming shares other than an interest arising from the Covered Officer’s employment, such as compensation or equity ownership. |
3
· | Each Covered Officer should familiarize himself/herself with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Funds; |
· | each Covered Officer should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Funds to others, whether within or outside the Funds, including to the Funds’ directors and auditors, governmental regulators, and self-regulatory organizations; |
· | each Covered Officer should, to the extent appropriate within his area of responsibility, consult with other officers and employees of the Funds and the adviser with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and documents the Funds file with or submit to the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; and |
· | it is the responsibility of each Covered Officer to promote compliance with the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws rules and regulations. |
Each Covered Officer must:
· | upon adoption of the Code (or thereafter as applicable, upon becoming a Covered Officer), affirm in writing to the Board that he/she has received, read, and understands the Code; |
· | annually thereafter affirm to the Board that he/she has complied with the requirements of the Code; |
· | not retaliate against any other Covered Officer or any employee of the Funds or their affiliated persons for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith; and |
· | notify the Funds’ CCO promptly if he/she knows of any violation of this Code. Failure to do so is itself a violation of this Code. |
The CCO is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. However, any approvals or waivers sought by the Covered Officer will be considered by the Board.
The Funds will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code:
· | The CCO will take all appropriate action to investigate any potential violations reported to him/her. |
· | If, after such investigation, the CCO believes that no violation has occurred, the CCO is not required to take any further action. |
· | Any matter that the CCO believes is a violation will be reported to the Board. |
· | If the Board concurs that a violation has occurred, it will consider appropriate action, which may include review of and appropriate modifications to applicable policies and procedures; notification to appropriate personnel of the investment adviser or its board; or a recommendation to dismiss the Covered Officer. |
· | The Board will be responsible for granting waivers, as appropriate. |
4
· | Any changes to or waivers of this Code will, to the extent required, be disclosed as provided by SEC rules. |
This Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Funds for purposes of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and forms applicable to registered investment companies thereunder. Insofar as other policies or procedures of the Funds, the Funds’ adviser, principal underwriter, or other service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities of the Covered Officers who are subject to this Code, they are superseded by this Code to the extent that they overlap or conflict with the provisions of this Code. The Funds’ and their investment adviser’s codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and the adviser’s more detailed policies and procedures are separate requirements applying to the Covered Officers and others and are not part of this Code.
AMENDMENTS
Any amendments to this Code, other than amendments to Exhibit A, must be approved or ratified by a majority vote of the Board, including a majority of independent directors.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to this Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly. Except as otherwise required by law or this Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the Board and its counsel.
INTERNAL USE
The Code is intended solely for the internal use by the Funds and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of any company, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion.
5
COVERED OFFICERS
Brian F. Hurley | President |
Casey Tushaus | Treasurer |
6
Exhibit 99.(r)(2)
CODE OF ETHICS |
I. | INTRODUCTION |
This Code of Ethics and the provisions contained herein (this “Code”), to the extent consistent with local laws and regulations, applies to all employees (including interns and temporary employees with assignments of 10 calendar days or more), senior executives, partners, officers and certain other individuals as designated by an Approving Officer (referred to herein collectively as “employees”) of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, but excluding any entity (other than sub-funds and special purpose entities) in which any fund or separate account managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. or its affiliates has made, directly or indirectly, an investment (including any joint ventures) (collectively, “Oaktree”). Certain individuals subject to this Code may be independent contractors to Oaktree or employees of outside service providers; nothing herein is intended to affect the status of such individuals’ relationship with Oaktree. Every employee should consider himself or herself subject to the requirements of the Code unless otherwise specifically exempted pursuant to Article V of this Code by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer.
The following policies are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set out within this Code:
· Personal Investment Transactions Policy;
· Insider Trading Policy;
· Expert Network Policy;
· Gifts, Meals, Entertainment Travel and Lodging Policy;
· Political Activity Policy; and
· Outside Activity Policy.
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Code and to provide to all such persons this Code and any amendments thereto. The Chief Compliance Officer may delegate such responsibilities, as necessary. Receipt of this Code satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all employees of their obligations.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
This Code is based on the principle that Oaktree employees owe a fiduciary duty to the clients of Oaktree. This duty of care, integrity, honesty and good faith for all employees is expressed in the general guiding principles detailed below. As an employee, you should conduct yourself in all circumstances in accordance with such general guiding principles.
· | You must at all times place the interest of our clients before your own interests. |
· | You must pay strict attention to potential conflicts of interest, avoiding them if possible and disclosing them and dealing with them appropriately when the conflict is unavoidable or inherent in our business. |
· | You must adhere to the fundamental standard that Oaktree employees should not take advantage of their positions for their personal benefit. |
Critically, the effectiveness of Oaktree’s policies regarding ethics depends on your judgment and integrity rather than on any set of written rules. Accordingly, you must be sensitive to the general principles involved, alert for potential conflicts that may arise between your own interests and those of Oaktree or its clients, and aware of the purposes of the Code and the specific policies, procedures and examples provided throughout this document.
Sometimes it may be difficult to determine what behavior is necessary or appropriate in order to adhere to these general principles, so this Code contains several guidelines for proper conduct and related examples. Some examples of activities in which you may engage that could potentially pose a conflict include:
· | Contracting on Oaktree’s behalf with a vendor of which the CEO or other senior executive is your family member. |
· | Placing a trade on behalf of an Oaktree client or fund with a securities broker with whom you recently attended a high profile entertainment event. |
· | Acquiring property leased by Oaktree or that an Oaktree strategy is considering for acquisition. |
· | Contributing to the campaign of a political candidate for a position that oversees the selection of investment managers for a public retirement plan that is a client or prospective client of Oaktree. |
· | Serving as a trustee of a foundation or a director of a company that is a prospective client of Oaktree. |
· | Frequently attending entertainment events at the invitation of service providers engaged by or seeking business from Oaktree. |
· | Accepting outside employment that interferes with your responsibilities at Oaktree. |
August 2018 | Page 1 of 5 |
CODE OF ETHICS |
· | Owning an interest in a company or a property with which Oaktree, its funds, accounts or a portfolio company conducts or intends to conduct business. |
· | Soliciting charitable donations from outside service providers to your department or that your department is considering engaging. |
While an activity may pose a conflict, it does not necessarily mean that you will be prohibited from engaging in the activity. The Legal and Compliance departments will evaluate the potential conflict, advise on the appropriate course of action and implement any necessary compliance controls to prevent a violation of applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations and/or Oaktree policies. The examples provided above do not constitute an exhaustive list of potential conflicts that you may encounter since conflicts can arise in a myriad of situations. For this reason, if you are uncertain as to whether a real or apparent conflict exists in any particular situation between your interests or the interests of Oaktree and those of its clients, you should consult with Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer immediately. Honesty at all times and in all things is an essential part of your responsibility to Oaktree. A lack of integrity with Oaktree or with its clients will not be tolerated.
II. | DEFINITIONS |
As referenced throughout this Code, “Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Approving Officer” means an officer of Oaktree named on the separate “List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer”. The List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Confidential Information” means any information concerning the employees, organization, business or finances of Oaktree or any third party (including any client, investor, partner, portfolio company, customer, vendor or other person) with which Oaktree is engaged or conducts business, including business strategies, operating plans, acquisition strategies (including the identities of, and any other information concerning, possible acquisition candidates), financial information, valuations, analyses, investment performance, market analysis, acquisition terms and conditions, personnel, compensation and ownership information, know-how, customer lists and relationships, the identity of any client, investor, partner, portfolio company, customer vendor or any other third party, and supplier lists and relationships, as well as all other secret, confidential or proprietary information belonging to Oaktree. Information generally known to the public, other than as a result of improper disclosure by an Oaktree employee, does not constitute Confidential Information.
“Intellectual Property” means (a) any and all investment or trading records, agreements or data; (b) any and all financial and other analytic models, records, data, methodologies or software; (c) any and all investment advisory contracts, fee schedules and investment performance data; (d) any and all investment agreements, limited partnership agreements, subscription agreements, private placement memorandums and other offering documents and materials; (e) any and all client, investor or vendor lists, records or contact data; (f) any and all other documents, records, materials, data, trade secrets and other incidents of any business carried on by Oaktree or learned, created, developed or carried on by any employee of Oaktree (in whatever form, including print, computer file, diskette or otherwise); and (g) all trade names, services marks and logos under which Oaktree does business, and any combinations or variations thereof and all related logos.
“Related Person” of an Access Person for purposes of this Code includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
· | Any person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; or |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of securities. |
August 2018 | Page 2 of 5 |
CODE OF ETHICS |
III. | GENERAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS |
CONFIDENTIALITY
The provision of services to Oaktree by employees creates a relationship of confidence and trust. Oaktree employees will come into possession of, or otherwise have access to, Confidential Information which has commercial value to Oaktree’s business, including information created, discovered or developed by employees. All such Confidential Information is to be treated as highly confidential and is not to be disclosed or discussed with anyone except as required by law or as required in the performance of an employee’s duties to Oaktree, and is not to be used for the benefit of any employee or to the detriment of Oaktree, in each case unless expressly permitted by Oaktree’s General Counsel. Employees may not take, remove or retain upon ceasing to be an employee for any reason any document, paper, electronic file or other storage medium containing or relating to any Confidential Information, any Intellectual Property or any physical property of Oaktree. All Intellectual Property of Oaktree is the exclusive property of Oaktree and is intended for Oaktree’s sole use.
Employees will generally be subject to one or more agreements addressing the use of confidential Oaktree information and intellectual property in connection with their provision of services to Oaktree. Such agreements may contain more restrictive or detailed obligations than those set forth in this Code. Nothing in this Code is intended to limit any employee’s obligations, or Oaktree’s rights, under any such agreement.
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS
All employees are expected to be familiar and comply with the laws and regulations applicable to their day-to-day responsibilities, including the relevant securities laws and regulations applicable to their activities. In some cases, this may involve the securities laws and regulations of multiple jurisdictions. If you have any questions about any such law or regulation, you should consult Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. If you become aware of any violations of this Code, you should report them, in accordance with local law requirements. See Article V of this Code for further discussion.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONG TO OAKTREE
Employees must not take for their own advantage an opportunity that rightfully belongs to Oaktree or its clients. Whenever Oaktree has been actively soliciting a business opportunity, or the opportunity has been offered to Oaktree or Oaktree-managed funds or accounts, or Oaktree facilities or personnel have been used in pursuing the opportunity, that opportunity rightfully belongs to Oaktree and not to employees who may be in a position to divert the opportunity for their own benefit.
Examples of improperly taking advantage of a corporate opportunity include:
· | Selling information to which an employee has access because of the employee’s position. |
· | Receiving a commission or fee on a transaction which would otherwise accrue to Oaktree or its clients. |
· | Diverting business from Oaktree. |
PERSONAL DEALINGS WITH OAKTREE BUSINESS CONTACTS
Employees are generally prohibited from leveraging relationships with Oaktree clients, vendors and other business contacts (“Oaktree Contacts”) gained during the course of their employment for personal purposes. Personal purposes include, but are not limited to the solicitation of political contributions and charitable donations. You should reference the Political Activity policy and the section of this Code on solicitation of charitable contributions in for specific obligations in these two areas. In certain limited situations, employees may be permitted to conduct such activities with Oaktree Contacts, subject to the prior approval of the employee’s Department Head, the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer and, in certain circumstances, the Chief Executive Officer.
SOLICITING CHARITABLE DONATIONS
While employees are generally prohibited from leveraging relationships with Oaktree Contacts for personal purposes, you may solicit charitable donations from Oaktree Contacts, subject to the following conditions:
· | Before soliciting any donations from Oaktree Contacts, all Oaktree employees must first obtain approval from your Department Head and the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. Pre-approval is required even if a personal relationship exists with an Oaktree Contact. |
· | Soliciting a charitable donation from someone in exchange for business, a favor, preferential treatment and/or similar commitments or guarantees of reciprocity are strictly prohibited. |
August 2018 | Page 3 of 5 |
CODE OF ETHICS |
· | Neither the Oaktree employee soliciting the donation nor the employee’s immediate family members should personally benefit from the resulting donation. |
· | Oaktree employees who are directly or indirectly involved in contract negotiations are prohibited from soliciting charitable donations from Oaktree Contacts actively involved in a current negotiation or RFP process. |
Pre-approval requests to solicit donations from Oaktree Contacts should be initiated by contacting your Department Head and the Compliance department. Each request will be evaluated for potential conflicts, regulatory risk and/or reputational risk that the request may pose to the firm, with full consideration of our fiduciary responsibility to Oaktree’s clients. In certain circumstances, Compliance will seek approval from the Global Head of Marketing (or his or her designee) as well as the Chief Executive Officer. The decision to approve or deny any request for pre-approval to solicit charitable donations will remain in the sole discretion of the relevant Department Head, the Chief Compliance Officer and/or the relevant Approving Officer.
GIVING ADVICE TO CLIENTS
No Oaktree employee may provide legal advice to Oaktree’s clients. You should avoid statements that might be interpreted as legal advice and refer questions in this area to Oaktree’s Legal department. No Oaktree employee may give clients advice on tax matters, the preparation of tax returns or investment decisions, except as may be appropriate in the performance of an official fiduciary or advisory responsibility or as otherwise required in the ordinary course of your duties.
IV. | OTHER EMPLOYEE CONDUCT |
PERSONAL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
It is important that employees properly manage their personal finances. Imprudent personal financial management may affect job performance and lead to more serious consequences for employees in positions of trust. In particular, you are not permitted to borrow from clients, or from providers of goods or services with whom Oaktree deals, except those who engage in lending in the usual course of their business and then only on terms offered to others in similar circumstances, without special treatment.
CORPORATE PROPERTY OR SERVICES
Employees are not permitted to act as principal for either themselves or their immediate families in the supply of goods, properties, or services to Oaktree, its funds or portfolio companies unless approved by Oaktree’s General Counsel or Chief Financial Officer. Purchase or acceptance of corporate property or use of the services of other employees for personal purposes is also prohibited. This includes the use of in-house counsel for personal legal advice absent approval from the Oaktree’s General Counsel or use of outside counsel for personal legal advice at the expense of Oaktree.
REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSED REPRESENTATIVES
If you are a licensed representative of any Oaktree entity/affiliate you may be subject to additional policies and procedures.
USE OF OAKTREE-SPONSORED COMMUNICATION MEDIUMS AND STATIONERY
Employees should use their Oaktree email and other Oaktree-sponsored mediums (e.g., Bloomberg e-mail and instant messaging, SMS texting and Microsoft Lync instant messaging) (collectively, “Oaktree communication resources”) primarily for conducting Oaktree business. While occasional use of Oaktree email for personal communications is permissible, employees must seek pre-approval prior to using Oaktree communication resources to conduct personal outside business activities including those involving political, civic and charitable solicitations as such communications may incorrectly imply Oaktree’s sponsorship or endorsement of such activities. Questions concerning Oaktree communication resources and requests to seek pre-approval should be directed to Compliance at CodeofEthics@oaktreecapital.com. Use of Oaktree communication resources must also comply with Oaktree’s Computer Acceptable Use Policy. All communications made via Oaktree communication resources are the property of Oaktree.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
The purpose of the Oaktree Social Media Policy, which is part of Oaktree’s Computer Acceptable Use Policy, is to establish prudent and acceptable practices regarding the use of social media sites and to educate individuals who use social media sites of the responsibilities associated with such use. Oaktree recognizes that employees may wish to post content on the Internet via various social media sites, blogs and tools such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. (collectively referred to as “social media sites”). However, because Oaktree is subject to the rules and regulations of the securities industry, certain postings may be considered to be “investment advice,” “correspondence” or “advertising.” Additionally, postings may reflect poorly on the employee, and, by implication, may negatively impact Oaktree’s reputation. In order to address the potential risks inherent in using social media sites, Oaktree has established certain social media use requirements to which all employees must adhere.
August 2018 | Page 4 of 5 |
CODE OF ETHICS |
V. | EXEMPTIVE RELIEF |
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer will review and consider any proper request of an Access Person for relief or exemption from any restriction, limitation or procedure contained in this Code which is claimed to cause a hardship for such Access Person or which may involve an unforeseen or involuntary situation where no abuse is involved. Exemptions of any nature may be given on a specific basis or a class basis, as such officers determine. Exemptions from Access Person status may also be granted to any person or class of persons such officers determine do not warrant such status. Any Access Person’s request for relief should be in writing and should state the basis for the request. Any such approval shall be appropriately documented and maintained by Oaktree’s Compliance department.
VI. | ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION AND PERIODIC REPORTING |
PERIODIC COMPLIANCE REPORTING AND TRAINING
As an Access Person, you are required to complete all assigned Compliance certifications, disclosures and mandatory training and to do so in a timely manner. Failure to complete such items by the prescribed deadlines may constitute a violation of the Code, as applicable.
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
Access Persons will be required to certify annually, via My Compliance Center, that (i) they have received, read and understand the terms of this Code and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by being subject to this Code and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Code.
VII. | REPORTING OF VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS |
Any violation of the Code should be promptly reported to Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer, in accordance with local law requirements. Such reports will be promptly investigated. No retaliation will be permitted against any Oaktree employee who makes a report in good faith, regardless of whom the report concerns or the outcome of the resulting investigation or inquiry. An employee who is found to have engaged in retaliation against another employee for making a report will be subject to disciplinary measures that may include termination of employment.
All employees are encouraged to seek advice from Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer with respect to any action or transaction which may violate the Code and should refrain from any action or transaction which might lead to the appearance of a violation.
Upon the reporting or discovery of a violation of this Code, Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer, in consultation with other Oaktree officers as deemed necessary, may impose such sanctions as he or she deems appropriate. Generally, the first violation of the Code will result in a written warning. Additional violations may, if circumstances warrant, result in escalation to the offending employee’s manager and the Chief Compliance Officer, a personal trading suspension, a fine, or additional training regarding the policies and procedures violated. The process of issuing violations and sanctions noted above is a general guideline. In any particular case, a violation may warrant more severe sanctions, including without limitation, a reversal of any improper transaction, more punitive monetary penalties, demotion and suspension or termination of employment and forfeiture of benefits. Any and all sanctions to be imposed will be determined at the sole discretion of Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer.
August 2018 | Page 5 of 5 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
I. | INTRODUCTION |
The Personal Investment Transactions Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) has been adopted pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Policy applies to all Access Persons of Oaktree (as defined below).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its Access Persons and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all Access Persons of their obligations.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
As an Access Person, you should conduct yourself in all circumstances in accordance with the following guiding principles when conducting personal investment transactions:
· | You must at all times place the interest of our clients before your own interests. |
· | You must pay strict attention to potential conflicts of interest, avoiding them if possible and disclosing them and dealing with them appropriately when the conflict is unavoidable or inherent in our business. |
· | All of your personal investment transactions, and those of your Related Persons (as defined in Article II below), must be conducted in a manner consistent with this Policy so as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of your position of trust and responsibility. |
· | You must adhere to the fundamental standard that investment advisory personnel should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions for their personal benefit. |
· | You must not take any action or employ any action to defraud any Oaktree client. |
· | You must not mislead or deceive Oaktree clients. |
· | You must not engage in any manipulative practice with respect to Oaktree clients. |
If you are uncertain as to whether a real or apparent conflict exists in any particular situation between your interests or the interests of Oaktree and those of its clients, you should consult with the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer immediately.
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS
Laws, including the insider trading laws described in Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, and ethical standards impose duties on Oaktree and its Access Persons to avoid conflicts of interest between their personal transactions and the investment transactions Oaktree makes on behalf of clients. This Policy governs your personal investments in Securities, as defined below, as well as those of your Related Persons.
If you (i) act as executor, trustee, guardian, conservator, general partner or other fiduciary, or act in any capacity that has fiduciary or money management responsibilities or obligations which involve selecting, recommending or approving investments in Securities and (ii) have sole or overriding control or authority with respect to such decisions (i.e., you act as the executor of an estate for which you make investment decisions, have trading authority over a family member’s account), then any Securities transactions made in such capacity will be subject to the trading restrictions set forth herein. You should review the restrictions on your ability to act as a fiduciary outside of your employment with Oaktree, which are set forth under “Outside Activities — Fiduciary Appointments” within Oaktree’s Code of Ethics.
Any violation of this Policy should be promptly reported to the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer in accordance with local law requirements. The List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer is maintained on Oaktree Central. Any such reports will be treated confidentially and investigated promptly. Upon the reporting or discovery of a violation of this Policy, Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer, in consultation with other Oaktree officers as deemed necessary, may impose such sanctions as he or she deems appropriate and as outlined within Oaktree’s Code of Ethics.
May 2018 | Page 1 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
II. | DEFINITIONS |
“Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree, and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Basket Instrument” includes exchange traded funds, exchange traded notes, closed end funds, unit investment trusts, futures and options on such instruments, and derivative instruments that track or link to an index or basket of Securities.
“Beneficial Ownership” of a Security, means that an Access Person or any Related Person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a Security, even though title is in another name (i.e., has opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in such Security).
“Contract for Difference” is a tradable instrument common in UK and European markets that mirrors the movements of its underlying asset. It allows for profits or losses to be realized when the underlying asset moves in relation to the position taken, but the underlying asset is never owned.
“Designated Broker” is an Oaktree-approved brokerage firm for brokerage accounts of Access Persons and their Related Persons. The List of Designated Brokers is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Holding Periods” are restrictions on how often you may trade a Security.
“Investment Professionals” are Access Persons who are portfolio managers, investment analysts and securities traders.
“G7 Governments” include the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada.
“Public Oaktree Funds” means publically traded funds for which Oaktree acts as investment manager, adviser or sub-adviser. A list of Public Oaktree Funds is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Related Person” of an Access Person includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
· | Any other person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of the Securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of the Securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of the Securities. |
“Securities” (or each individually a “Security”) includes any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, including stocks, bonds, notes, options, warrants, financial commodities, futures, other derivative products, and interests in private placements, limited partnerships or other entities.
“Spread Betting” is a type of speculative investing that involves gambling on the price movement of a Security, index, currency, or commodity among others. A bid and offer price (also called the spread) is quoted and investors bet whether the price of the reference asset/reference rate will be lower than the bid or higher than the offer. The investor does not own the reference asset/reference rate, they speculate on the price movement.
“Three Prong Test” means (i) Shareholders have the right to redeem on demand; (ii) Net asset value (“NAV”) is calculated on a daily basis in a manner consistent with the principles of section 2(a)(41)of the Investment Company Act of 1940; and (iii) Shares are issued and redeemed at NAV and this NAV is calculated on a forward pricing basis (i.e., based upon the next NAV of the fund, not the previous or current NAV of the fund).
“UCITS” stands for Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities.
May 2018 | Page 2 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
III. | TRADING POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS |
GENERAL PRINCIPLES REGARDING SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
As mentioned in the Introduction section of this Policy, Access Persons and their Related Persons must conduct their personal transactions in a manner so as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility. The below outlined requirements are designed to reduce the possibilities for such conflicts and/or appearances of impropriety, while at the same time preserve reasonable flexibility and privacy. Note that your personal trading activity is shared with your manager or Oaktree management.
All personal transactions in Securities, even Exempt Securities, as defined in Article IV, are subject to Oaktree’s Insider Trading Policy.
DESIGNATED BROKER REQUIREMENT
All Access Persons and their Related Persons must maintain their brokerage accounts with a Designated Broker, unless an exception has been granted by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. All new Access Persons or Related Persons will have specific timeframes during which to close or transfer their brokerage accounts to a Designated Broker. Additionally, if you are a FINRA Registered Representative you are subject to pre-approval requirements in connection with opening new brokerage accounts.
If an exception to the Designated Broker requirements is granted by the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer, Oaktree’s Compliance department is required to receive, on a timely basis, duplicate copies of trade confirmations and, at least quarterly, if compliant with local regulations and laws, broker account statements stating the name in which the account(s) is held and the account number(s).
The Compliance department will request that brokerage firms add Oaktree as an interested party to all accounts such that brokerage account statements (or relevant data) and trade confirmations are sent to Oaktree’s Compliance department.
PRECLEARANCE PROCEDURES
Each Access Person must obtain, for himself or herself and on behalf of his or her Related Persons, preclearance for any personal investment transaction in a Security that requires preclearance if such Access Person or his or her Related Persons has, or as a result of the transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security.
Unless otherwise indicated in this Policy, you must obtain preclearance for all Securities transactions, including the writing of certain options to purchase or sell a Security, by completing and submitting a request for preclearance within Oaktree’s automated personal trading system. You must wait until you receive preclearance through the system or directly from the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer before entering your trade either online or with your broker. You will be required to make certain certifications each time you request pre-approval, including that you have no knowledge which would cause the trade to violate the general trading principles set forth above.
In most instances, your request for preclearance will be processed on the day it is received by the Compliance department. Preclearance for transactions in publicly traded Securities, if granted, will be valid only for the business day on which you receive it, plus the following business day. This means that the approval will be valid for a maximum of two business days. Approval for transactions in private placements, if granted, will be valid until the closing of the transaction. In either case, if the transaction is not completed within the approval window, you must obtain a new preclearance, including one for any portion of the personal investment transaction that is not completed within the approval window.
Post-approval of a transaction requiring preclearance is not permitted under this Policy. Completing a personal trade before receiving approval or after the approval window expires constitutes a violation. See the Introduction section of this Policy and Article VII “Reporting of Violations and Sanctions” in the Code of Ethics for further discussion regarding the types of sanctions that may be imposed as a result of violations of this Policy.
May 2018 | Page 3 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
Oaktree does not make a determination of the suitability of the investment when processing any trade request.
The Compliance department has the right to withdraw previously approved personal investment transaction requests if information is received or events occur subsequent to the approval that would cause the approved transaction to then present a conflict.
TRADING RESTRICTIONS
In addition to the more general principals discussed above, the additional restrictions detailed below must be followed. Violation of these restrictions may require reversal of the transaction and/or any resulting profits being subject to disgorgement at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer.
No Access Person or his or her Related Persons may:
· | Participate in an initial public offering or in a public offering of a new issue brought to the market. Exempt Securities as listed below, are not subject to this restriction. |
· | Trade, directly or indirectly, any Security of an issuer that is on the firm-wide restricted securities list or the subject of an information wall under which such Access Person is restricted, unless such transaction is subject to an exemption and is pre-approved by the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. |
· | Enter into a short sale transaction or any transaction that has the same economic effect (e.g. short common stock, purchase a put option or sell a naked call option) on any Security of an issuer for which a position is held long in an Oaktree client account. |
· | Purchase and sell, or sell and purchase, the same Security within 60 calendar days. The 60 calendar day Holding Period applies to all Security types that are subject to preclearance requirements. Refer to Article IV to determine which Security types are subject to Holding Period requirements. When calculating the Holding Period, the trade date does not count as day one; you must hold your position for a minimum of 60 calendar days without any opposing activity. The Last In, First Out method is used and is applied at the Security level across all accounts. |
(i) | This means, for example, that you may not: i) buy and then sell the same Security within 60 calendar days or sell and then buy the same Security within 60 calendar days; and ii) enter into a short sale transaction and then place a buy-to-cover trade for the same Security within 60 calendar days. |
(ii) | In addition, when opening or building an option position, the expiration date must be greater than 60 calendar days from the date purchased or sold. |
(iii) | Exceptions to this prohibition may be granted on a case-by-case basis in writing or communicated more broadly by the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer in the event of a significant market disruption or downturn. If an exception is granted, at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer, any resulting profits may need to be disgorged. |
(iv) | Note that if you are an Investment Professional that provides investment advice to open-end investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, additional requirements apply (see not profit rule below). |
· | Trade Securities offered in a private placement (other than those offered by Oaktree) except with the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. The pre-approval requirement for private placements includes equity crowdfunding, initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency crowdsales. In considering approval, the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer will take into consideration, among other factors, whether the investment opportunity the Access Person has been offered should be reserved for the benefit of Oaktree’s clients. |
· | Participate in Spread Betting on Securities, indices, interest rates, currencies or commodities. |
· | Transact in Contracts for Differences. |
May 2018 | Page 4 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
No Investment Professional or his or her Related Persons may:
· | Purchase, sell or sell short any Security that is subject to disclosure requirements, other than Basket Instruments, for a period of five (5) business days before or five (5) business days after any related Security (i.e., equity to equity, equity to convertible bond) is traded on behalf of any Oaktree client account for which such Investment Professional’s department is involved in the investment decision-making process. If you wish to trade a Security of an issuer that is followed by your department, other than Basket Instruments, in addition to Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer approval, you must obtain approval from your department head. |
· | Profit from the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same Security within 60 calendar days if the Investment Professional provides investment advice to open-end investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (i.e., open-end mutual funds and exchange traded funds). The Securities subject to this prohibition are those Securities and related Securities owned or that might reasonably be considered as potential or eligible investments by such fund (including underlying equity Securities and Basket Instruments) (i.e., equity to equity, equity to convertible bond, corporate bond to corporate bond). The foregoing also applies to short sale transactions. |
REVIEWING TRANSACTIONS
Oaktree’s Compliance department is charged with the responsibility of reviewing requests for preclearance to trade in Securities and for performing reconciliations between such approvals and the broker confirmations and statements. No Access Person, who is also a member of the Compliance department, shall be responsible for reviewing and reconciling his or her own personal trading activity. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Chief Compliance Officer nor any Approving Officer is authorized to grant preclearance for his or her personal investment transaction requests, including the requests of his or her Related Persons.
IV. | TRADING POLICIES AND REPORTING BASED ON SECURITY TYPE |
NOT SUBJECT TO POLICY REQUIREMENTS
The following Securities and any associated transactions are exempt from the preclearance, Holding Period and disclosure requirements (“Exempt Securities”):
(a) | Direct debt obligations of the U.S. Government (i.e., treasury securities); |
(b) | Bank certificates of deposit; |
(c) | Bankers’ acceptances; |
(d) | Commercial paper; |
(e) | High-quality, short-term debt obligations, including repurchase agreements; |
(f) | Shares issued by money market funds; |
(g) | Shares issued by open-end mutual funds, except Public Oaktree Funds; |
(h) | Shares or units issued by UCITS funds, except i) funds which are Basket Instruments; or ii) funds which are Public Oaktree Funds; |
(i) | Shares issued by open-end investment companies which are not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or designated as UCITS funds and meet the Three Prong Test; |
(j) | Shared issued by unit investment trusts invested exclusively in open-end mutual funds, except Public Oaktree Funds; |
(k) | Interests in Oaktree-sponsored private funds; and |
(l) | Securities transactions done through a managed account or blind trust over which there is no direct or indirect influence or control, as long as an Oaktree managed account agreement is in place. |
May 2018 | Page 5 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
SUBJECT ONLY TO DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
As the likelihood of a conflict of interest with any of Oaktree’s investment activities is considered low, the following Securities, including derivatives thereof, and any associated transactions are exempt from the preclearance and Holding Period, but not the disclosure requirements:
a) | Basket Instruments; |
b) | U.S. municipal bonds, excluding bonds issued by U.S. territories (i.e., Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands); |
c) | U.S. government agency debt obligations; |
d) | Debt obligations (i.e., sovereign state and provincial (municipal) debt) issued by G7 governments, excluding those issued by the U.S. government; |
e) | Non-U.S. government savings bonds; |
f) | Auction-rate money market instruments; |
g) | Shares issued by open-end investment companies which are not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are not designated as a UCITS fund, and do not meet the Three Prong Test; |
h) | Futures, options and other derivative instruments on currency (e.g., foreign exchange (FX) derivatives and bitcoin derivatives). Note: currency is not considered a Security; |
i) | Futures, options and other derivative instruments on non-financial commodities (e.g., pork belly contracts); |
j) | Interest rate swaps; |
k) | Involuntary transactions (i.e., assignment of an option position or exercise of an option at expiration, mandatory tender offers); |
l) | Securities purchased through the reinvestment of dividends in an automatic dividend reinvestment plan (but not the investment of additional amounts under such plans); |
m) | Security purchases effected through automatic investment plans (i.e., direct purchase plans); and |
n) | Security purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by the issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Securities. |
SUBJECT TO PRECLEARANCE, DISCLOSURE AND 6O-DAY HOLDING PERIOD REQUIREMENTS
All other Securities, including derivatives thereof, and any associated transactions not otherwise mentioned above are subject to preclearance, 60 calendar day Holding Period and disclosure requirements. This includes but is not limited to:
a) | Common stock (including Oaktree Capital Group, LLC class A units) and preferred stock; |
b) | Private Placements; |
c) | Debt obligations of non-G7 governments; |
d) | Convertible bonds; |
e) | Corporate bonds; |
f) | Shares issued by Public Oaktree Funds; and |
g) | Shares or units issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in shares of Public Oaktree Funds. |
SECURITY GIFTING REQUIREMENTS
The gifting of a Security by you or your Related Persons (including any donation of a Security to a charitable or non-profit organization) is considered a sale transaction for purposes of this Policy. Depending on the Security type you or your Related Person wishes to gift, the transaction may be subject to pre-clearance, disclosure and/or Holding Period requirements. If you receive approval you may only send the instructions to your broker to gift the Security during the approved trading window period. Once a Security that is subject to disclosure requirements is transferred, you should email Compliance to ensure the gifting transaction is properly recorded.
May 2018 | Page 6 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
You and your Related Persons do not need to pre-clear the receipt of a gifted Security so long as: i) the giver is not a current or prospective client or a provider of goods or services to Oaktree and does not otherwise have dealings with Oaktree and ii) the gifted Security was selected at the full discretion of the giver and not at your request or direction or that of a Related Person. However, if you or your Related Person selects the Security to be received as a gift, the transaction is subject to the standard personal trading requirements for a purchase of the Security type. As soon as possible after you or your Related Person receives a gifted Security subject to the disclosure requirements, you must contact the Compliance department so that the Security may be appropriately recorded.
V. | INITIAL, QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REPORTING |
Every Access Person must complete initial, quarterly and annual disclosures and certifications even if such Access Person and their Related Persons have no reportable accounts, holdings or transactions in Securities during the period covered by the certification. You are charged with the responsibility for making sure your disclosures and certifications are accurate and timely. Any effort by the Compliance department to facilitate this process does not change or alter this responsibility.
It may be possible for Access Persons to exclude accounts held by a Related Person if the Access Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control over the accounts, or if the Access Person does not have any Beneficial Ownership over the Related Persons account, or if the Access Person does not act as executor, trustee, guardian, conservator, general partner or other fiduciary over the Related Persons account. Access Persons must receive approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer to allow for this exclusion.
MANAGED ACCOUNTS
There is no need to include transactions and holdings in an account over which the Access Person or his or her Related Person has no direct or indirect influence or control (e.g., those done through a managed account or blind trust), as long as an Oaktree managed account agreement has been completed and is on file with, and duplicate statements are being received by, the Compliance department.
INVESTMENT SAVINGS PLANS
The types and structures of investment savings plans or schemes (e.g. corporate pension and retirement plans and schemes, educational savings plans, governmental retirement plans) vary by jurisdiction. In order to determine the requirements under this Policy, you must first determine whether you or your Related Persons have control/discretion over the investments held by the plan or scheme. If there is no control/discretion, then the plan or scheme is not subject to disclosure. If there is control/discretion regarding the selection of the investments and the available investment options include Security types other than Exempt Securities then the preclearance, Holding Period and disclosure requirements apply.
INITIAL REPORTS
All Access Persons must complete an Initial Holdings Report within 10 calendar days of the commencement of employment or engagement. The Initial Holdings Report must include details of all Securities positions subject to the disclosure requirements of this Policy held by the Access Person or Related Persons and must be based on information that is current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date such person became an Access Person.
In addition, all Access Persons must complete the Initial List of Personal Brokerage Accounts form. You must ensure that all brokerage accounts for yourself and those of your Related Persons are included on the form, including any managed account or blind trust. After completing the Initial List of Personal Brokerage Accounts form, the submission of subsequent changes to brokerage account information should be conducted via Oaktree’s automated personal trading system.
May 2018 | Page 7 of 8 |
PERSONAL INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS POLICY |
QUARTERLY REPORTS
All Access Persons must complete quarterly Accounts and Transactions Only certifications by the 30th day of January, April, July and October through Oaktree’s automated personal trading system. In each quarterly certification, the Access Person must report all personal investment transactions, including those of their Related Persons. This includes all transactions during the quarter, other than those that are not subject to the disclosure requirements and Securities purchased through automatic dividend reinvestment plans as these transactions and resulting positions are reconciled annually as part of the annual Accounts, Holdings and Transactions certification process. In addition to the personal investment transaction reporting component of the certification, every Access Person must report all personal brokerage accounts, including those of their Related Persons. If the information contained in the form is not accurate, it is the Access Person’s responsibility to notify the Compliance department by adding relevant brokerage account information within the automated personal trading system. If an account has been closed, the Access Person must contact the Compliance department who will, after obtaining appropriate supporting documentation, reflect the account as closed within the automated personal trading system.
ANNUAL REPORTS
All Access Persons must also complete an annual Accounts, Holdings and Transactions certification due by the 30th day of January using Oaktree’s automated personal trading system. In addition to the information included under the quarterly certification, this annual certification must include all Securities positions subject to the disclosure requirements held by you and your Related Persons and such information must be based on such positions no later than 45 days preceding the filing date of the report.
VI. | EXEMPTIVE RELIEF |
In addition to the Exemptive Relief considerations outlined in Article V of the Code of Ethics, under appropriate circumstances, the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officers may authorize a personal transaction involving a Security subject to actual or prospective purchase or sale for Oaktree’s clients, where the personal transaction would be very unlikely to affect the market for such Security, where the Oaktree Access Person is not in possession of MNPI, or for other reasons sufficient to satisfy such officers that the transaction does not represent a conflict of interest, involve the misuse of inside information or convey the appearance of impropriety.
VII. | ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION AND PERIODIC REPORTING |
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, Access Persons will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
PERIODIC REPORTING
Oaktree shall provide a copy of this Policy to the board of directors/trustees of a U.S. registered investment company prior to being hired as an adviser. In addition, Oaktree must submit material changes to this Policy to the board and receive approval for such changes no later than six months after adopting the material change.
At least annually, the Chief Compliance Officer, on behalf of Oaktree, will furnish to the board of directors/trustees or to the chief compliance officer of any U.S. registered investment company to which Oaktree acts as adviser or sub-adviser, a written report that:
(a) | Describes any issues arising under the Policy since the last report to the board, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Policy and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and |
(b) | Certifies that Oaktree has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Policy. |
May 2018 | Page 8 of 8 |
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
I. | INTRODUCTION |
The Insider Trading Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) applies to all employees of Oaktree (as defined in the Code of Ethics).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its Access Persons and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all employees of their obligations.
GENERAL
The prohibition against insider trading in the United States stems from the general antifraud provisions of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 (“ITSFEA”) amended both of those acts by adding specific provisions designed to detect and deter insider trading and to impose stiffer sanctions upon violators and persons who “control” violators, such as their employers. As such, registered investment advisers are required to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent misuse of material non-public information (“MNPI”) by their employees or associated persons. ITSFEA also imposes liability upon “controlling persons” (i.e., employers and individual supervisors) if the controlling person knew of or recklessly disregarded the fact that the “controlled person” (i.e., employee or associated person) was likely to engage in the misuse of MNPI and failed to take appropriate steps to prevent it.
In addition to regulations in the U.S. covering prohibitions against insider trading, there are also regulations in other jurisdictions in which Oaktree conducts business, including, without limit, the United Kingdom’s Market Abuse Regime. Oaktree employees should be familiar with such local regulations and seek information from Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer when any questions related to insider trading arise.
Oaktree employees occasionally come into possession of MNPI that (i) is entrusted to them by a company or by those in a confidential relationship with the company, in either case with the understanding that the information is material, not public and is to be held confidential, (ii) has been “misappropriated” from the company or another source, or (iii) in the case of information about tender offers, the information is material, not public and is given by a person who has taken one or more steps toward commencement of such an offer. Various laws, regulations and court decisions, as well as general ethical and moral standards, impose certain duties with respect to the use of MNPI. The violation of those duties could subject Oaktree and its employees involved to serious civil and criminal penalties and the resulting damage to reputation. For the purpose of this Policy, the reference to “company” includes partnerships, trusts or any entity which issues securities.
Moreover, within an organization or affiliated group of organizations, courts may attribute one employee’s knowledge of MNPI to any other employee or group that later trade in the affected security, even if there had been no communication of actual knowledge. Thus, by buying or selling a particular security in the normal course of business, Oaktree employees who have no actual knowledge of MNPI could inadvertently subject Oaktree to liability.
The civil and criminal liabilities for misuse of MNPI can be substantial and can end your career. These penalties apply both to trading while in possession of such information and to “tipping” others who trade. The risks in this area can be significantly reduced through the conscientious use of a combination of trading restrictions and information barriers designed to confine MNPI to a given investment group or department (so-called “Information Walls”). One purpose of this Policy is to establish a workable procedure for applying these techniques in ways that offer significant protection to Oaktree and its employees, while providing flexibility to carry on investment management activities. Oaktree’s Expert Network Policy, which is incorporated by reference within the Code of Ethics, serves a similar purpose in connection with employees’ use of expert networks.
May 2018 | Page 1 of 3 |
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
II. | DEFINITIONS |
As referenced throughout this Policy, “Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Approving Officer” means an officer of Oaktree named on the separate “List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer”. The List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Related Person” of an Access Person for purposes of this Policy includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
· | Any person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; or |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of securities. |
III. | WHAT IS MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION? |
Information is “material” when a reasonable investor would consider it important in deciding whether to buy, sell, hold or vote a security. Generally, this is information whose disclosure might reasonably be expected to have an impact on the price of a company’s securities. Dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidity problems, and extraordinary management developments are only some examples of information that may be considered material under the circumstances. The prohibition on trading based on MNPI applies not only to the securities of the issuers to which MNPI is directly related but may also apply to other securities (for example, securities of companies in the same industry) that may reasonably be expected to be materially affected by a public disclosure of MNPI.
Information is generally considered “public” within a reasonable time after it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. Tangible evidence of such dissemination is the best indication that the information is public. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC (or some other governmental agency if the fact of such filing is generally disseminated), the Dow Jones “tape” or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation.
IV. | POLICY ON INSIDER TRADING |
No Access Person or Related Person may buy or sell a security (or a related derivative) in a company, either for himself or herself or on behalf of others, while in possession of MNPI about a company, whether or not that company is owned by any funds or accounts managed by Oaktree. In addition, Access Persons may not disclose or otherwise communicate MNPI to others, with the exception of communications to Oaktree employees who have a business need to know the information.
V. | MNPI PROCEDURES |
First Steps. Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including clients of Oaktree, you must determine whether you have access to MNPI. If you believe you have received oral or written MNPI, you should discuss the situation immediately with Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. You should not discuss the information with anyone else within or outside of Oaktree. Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer will, with the assistance of counsel as required, determine whether the information is of a nature requiring restrictions on use and dissemination.
May 2018 | Page 2 of 3 |
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
Handling of MNPI. If a Legal department Approving Officer determines that there is a substantial likelihood that an Oaktree investment group or Oaktree employee has received or may receive MNPI regarding an issuer of publicly traded securities, Oaktree may conclude to either: (i) place the issuer on a firm-wide restricted securities list, which would bar any purchases or sales of the issuer’s securities by any Oaktree investment group or employee (or Related Person of such employee), or (ii) in limited and selective cases, elect to maintain an information wall with regard to
the issuer, which would (a) place the issuer on a “Watch List” for monitoring of trading activity, (b) bar any purchases or sales of the issuer’s securities by any Oaktree investment group or employee (including any Related Person of such employee) that receives the information, but allowing other investment groups not in possession of the information to trade in the issuer’s securities, and (c) bar the dissemination of the information beyond certain identified persons responsible for managing the proposed investment in the issuer and impose appropriate safeguards against such dissemination. Where an employee who does not readily fit within an investment group receives such information, Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer (subject to an analysis of the specific facts) will decide upon the appropriate restriction.
Lifting Restrictions. Once MNPI becomes public, or is judged to be no longer material, Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer may lift the trading and information restrictions.
VI. | PERIODIC REPORTING AND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION |
PERIODIC COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
From time to time employees who are subject to an Information Wall are required to certify that they have read and understand the terms of the Information Wall and that they have complied with the Information Wall.
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, Access Persons will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
May 2018 | Page 3 of 3 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
I. | INTRODUCTION |
This Expert Network Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) applies to all staff subject to the Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct (collectively, the “Code”).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its staff and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all staff of their obligations.
II. | DEFINITIONS |
“Expert Networks” are defined as entities that refer paid industry professionals (“Experts”), such as physicians, academics, industry professionals and scientists who have specialized knowledge of and experience in certain sectors, industries, products and fields, to third parties (such as investment and securities firms) for a fee to provide information, advice, analysis, market expertise or industry experience for use in the diligence process of a potential investment, formulating investment views or ongoing oversight of current investments. Expert Networks maintain a database of or conduct specialized searches for Experts relevant to a specific inquiry submitted by the client and then connect such selected Experts to the client.
For the purposes of this Policy only, “client” refers to Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and its affiliates, individually or collectively “Oaktree” and Oaktree staff.
“Consultation” is defined as any discussion between Oaktree staff and an Expert arranged by an approved Expert Network.
“Public Official”, for purposes of this Policy only, is defined as any person with legislative, regulatory or any other government approval authority, or who participates in any committee or group with approval authority, with respect to any issue discussed during the Consultation (e.g. an FDA official who has approval authority over a drug of interest).
“Employee”, for the purpose of this Policy only, is defined as employee, consultant, advisor, board member or their equivalents.
III. | BACKGROUND |
It is generally permissible to solicit information and analysis from Experts through Expert Networks under specific conditions and parameters. However, there is a risk that an Expert may communicate material, non-public information (“MNPI”), as defined below, or other information they are obliged to keep confidential. This Policy is intended to assist Oaktree and its staff in the permissible use of Expert Networks in order to reduce the likelihood that Oaktree staff may, among other concerns, (i) receive, directly or indirectly, MNPI or other information from someone with a duty to keep such information confidential, (ii) receive MNPI misappropriated by someone in breach of a duty of trust or confidence, or (iii) trade while in possession of MNPI. This Policy supplements the Firm’s Insider Trading Policy which is incorporated within Oaktree’s Code and in Section 6 of Oaktree’s Compliance Manual.
Information is “material” when a reasonable investor would consider it important in deciding whether to buy, sell, hold or vote a security. Generally, this is information whose disclosure might reasonably be expected to have an impact on the price of a company’s securities. Dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidity problems, and extraordinary management developments (e.g., senior executive replacements/departures) are only some examples of information that could be considered material under the circumstances. The prohibition on trading based on MNPI applies not only to the securities of the issuers to which MNPI is directly related but may also apply to other securities (for example, securities of companies in the same industry) that may reasonably be expected to be materially affected by a public disclosure of MNPI. For example, MNPI regarding Microsoft could make it improper to trade in Novell or IBM.
May 2018 | Page 1 of 6 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
Information is generally considered “public” within a reasonable time after it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. Tangible evidence of such dissemination is the best indication that the information is public. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (or some other governmental agency if the fact of such filing is generally disseminated), The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation.
IV. | EXPERT NETWORK CONSULTATIONS |
Oaktree maintains ongoing relationships with pre-approved Expert Networks, a list of which can be found on Oaktree Central. All Consultations between Oaktree staff and an Expert must be conducted through an approved Expert Network. In addition, all requests for Consultations must be submitted through Oaktree’s Expert Network Mart Request Form, which can be found in the Research Center on Oaktree Central. All exceptions to this Policy should be submitted prior to the interaction with an Expert for review and pre-approval by an Approving Officer in the Compliance department.
Consultations are prohibited where there is likelihood that the information sought or likely to be disclosed (i) constitutes MNPI, (ii) would constitute a breach of a duty of confidentiality or (iii) otherwise would be provided improperly (e.g. provided in violation of an employment agreement, fiduciary duty or obligation, code of conduct, or confidentiality rule or agreement; through attendance at a closed Congressional hearing; in return for lavish gifts or entertainment; or through illegal means) (collectively, “Protected Information”).
Free or limited trials with an unapproved Expert Network are strictly prohibited. Requests to engage a new Expert Network should be directed to the Head of Research and Market Data Services, who is responsible for informing the Compliance department.
If an Oaktree staff member believes that an Expert may have disclosed Protected Information during the course of a Consultation, the Oaktree staff member should promptly contact the Legal or Compliance departments and must refrain from sharing the information with anyone, including members within their own group, or trading on such information prior to speaking to an Approving Officer in the Legal or Compliance departments.
The following shall apply to any Consultation with an Expert of an approved Expert Network:
(a) | General Consultation Guidelines and Restrictions: Oaktree staff must adhere to following guidelines and restrictions when engaging, interacting and communicating with an Expert Network and their associated Experts. If Oaktree staff wish to deviate from these requirements they must submit a pre-clearance request to Compliance by emailing ENCompliance@Oaktreecapital.com. Any questions should be directed to the Compliance department. |
i. | Prior to the beginning of discussions with any Expert during a Consultation, Oaktree staff must verbally communicate the following disclosure to the Expert: |
“Before we begin our call, note that I do not want to receive material, non-public or any other confidential information.”
ii. | For phone-based Consultations, Oaktree staff are required to participate using a bridge line (i.e., a conference call number) provided by the relevant Expert Network, to the extent it offers such capabilities. |
iii. | At the discretion of your department head, Consultations may be required to be conducted in a confidential manner, (e.g., Oaktree staff may not advise that Oaktree is the client or provide their first and last name). |
May 2018 | Page 2 of 6 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
iv. | Oaktree staff are prohibited from exchanging their direct telephone numbers and email addresses with an Expert. Further, any documents to be referenced in or associated with the Consultation and requiring exchange between the Expert and an Oaktree staff member must be sent to the Expert Network for forwarding to the intended recipient. |
v. | Oaktree staff are prohibited from contacting any Expert introduced by an Expert Network outside the channels provided by the Expert Network (e.g., a call directly with an Expert that is not arranged through the Expert Network’s system). Oaktree staff may participate in group educational conference calls and meetings hosted by approved Expert Networks, though private Consultations with Experts at such group meetings are prohibited. |
vi. | Oaktree staff are prohibited from offering, providing to, or receiving from any Expert, gifts, meals, entertainment, material items of any value or compensation outside the scope of the terms of the Expert Network engagement. |
vii. | During the course of a Consultation, Oaktree staff are prohibited from soliciting information that would reasonably be viewed to constitute Protected Information. Any solicitation to receive Protected Information or release of confidential information is considered a violation of this Policy and Oaktree’s Code, which may result in disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or termination of employment. Additionally, Oaktree staff are prohibited from providing any specific or confidential information regarding Oaktree’s business, investments or transactions. |
viii. | The use of Expert Networks can increase the risk of inadvertently receiving MNPI. Should Oaktree staff inadvertently receive MNPI, it should be noted that Oaktree could be restricted from trading in an issuer or its affiliates until the restriction can be removed. If you believe that you may have received MNPI during a consultation, you should immediately reach out to an Approving Officer in the Legal or Compliance departments. |
(b) | Restrictions and Prohibitions on Consultations with certain Experts: In order to mitigate the risk of inadvertent receipt of MNPI which would restrict Oaktree’s ability from trading in an issuer or its affiliates, Consultations with Experts who are Current or Recent Employees of Target Companies, Current or Recent Employees of Strategy Holdings or Public Officials are restricted or prohibited. |
i. | Current or Recent Employees of Target Companies: Oaktree staff are prohibited from Consultations with Experts who are current Employees of, or who have been Employees within the last six (6) months of, any target company of the Oaktree investment strategy engaging the Expert, to the extent that the purpose of the Consultation concerns such target company. Oaktree staff may speak to an Expert about (i) the industry in which the company operates generally, or (ii) another unrelated company, provided such topics are not materially related to the Expert’s current or recent employer or an affiliate or subsidiary of the Expert’s current or recent employer. |
ii. | Current or Recent Employees of Strategy Holdings: Oaktree staff are required to seek Compliance preapproval before Consultations with Experts who are current Employees of, or who have been Employees within the last six (6) months of, any current portfolio holding or holding with in the past two (2) months of the Oaktree investment strategy engaging the Expert. Approval must be received before each Consultation. Preapproval requests must be sent to ENCompliance@oaktreecapital.com. |
iii. | Public Officials: Oaktree staff are prohibited from Consultations with an Expert who is a current Public Official or has been a Public Official within the last six (6) months. |
(c) | Prohibition on Engagement with Expert Networks: Oaktree staff members are prohibited from providing consulting services through an Expert Network irrespective of whether they receive a fee for such services. |
May 2018 | Page 3 of 6 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
(d) | Placement of Executives, Consultants, and Industry Professionals: Oaktree staff who would like to utilize Expert Networks to place Experts in short- or long-term assignments with Oaktree should complete the Consultant Engagement form and submit to ConsultantEngagement@oaktreecapital.com. |
(e) | Expert Network Responsibilities: Each approved Expert Network has an obligation to carry out the below activities in connection with Consultations their Experts will conduct with Oaktree staff: |
i. | Prior to any Consultation, the Expert Network should require confirmation of the following notice by the Expert via an electronic attestation or equivalent method: |
“The client and its staff do not want to receive material, non-public information that would restrict the firm’s ability to trade in the securities or obligations of any issuer, including your current or former employer or a competitor, supplier, customer of your employer or any publicly traded company. The client will deem all information provided on this call as information that would not be considered material, non-public information about any issuer, and the client will assume that you are authorized to disclose all information that you will be communicating. By participating on the call with the client’s staff, you acknowledge that the client and its staff have no duty (fiduciary, contractually or otherwise) to you with respect to any information you provide.”
ii. | After any Consultation, the Expert Network should provide the following or similar notice to the Expert and when possible require an attestation: |
“I hereby confirm that during the consultation (i) I did not disclose any confidential, including material nonpublic, information, or any information obtained under a duty of trust, or obtained unlawfully or inappropriately, and (ii) I did not breach any obligation to any third party, including my employer or any former employer, during the course of the communication.”
(f) | Books and records: Any written materials and notes prepared by Oaktree staff during a Consultation shall be labeled with the date of the Consultation, the name of the Expert, Expert Network and other participants. Staff shall maintain such records in accordance with Oaktree’s document retention policies. |
V. EXPERT NETWORK DUE DILIGENCE
Before an Expert Network may be engaged, due diligence surrounding its background, policies and procedures, systems and other relevant areas must be conducted to ensure that it is a reputable firm and Oaktree will be in position to adequately monitor the activities with such Expert Networks and their Experts in order to mitigate the risk of inadvertent receipt of MNPI.
a) | Initial Engagement Review: Requests to engage a new Expert Network should be directed to the Head of Research and Market Data Services, who in turn is responsible for informing the Compliance department so that they can begin the due diligence and pre-approval process. Approving Officers in the Compliance department will review each Expert Network for, among other things, the adequacy of the Expert Network’s internal policies and procedures regarding the onboarding of Experts and prevention of insider trading and initial and ongoing training of their employees and Experts, particularly regarding the handling of MNPI. The Legal and Compliance departments will also review the contract between the Expert Network and Oaktree, as well as between the Expert Network and their Experts, in order to: |
i. | Assess the Expert Network’s adherence to Oaktree’s ethics standards. Such adherence should include onboarding and periodic training of Expert Network firm employees and their Experts regarding insider trading; |
ii. | Evaluate fees to ensure that both Oaktree’s usage and compensation of any one Expert Network is not unreasonably inordinate or excessive; |
May 2018 | Page 4 of 6 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
iii. | Require that the Expert Network appropriately assess each Expert’s background prior to engagement, based on the Expert Network’s business model and the risks that accompany such model. Depending on the business model employed by the Expert Network such an assessment may include each or some combination of the following: a third-party background check, public records search for securities law violations, adverse media search, credential and employment verification and other certain relevant factors. Experts who have been convicted of a violation of a securities statute or regulation, an offense involving fraud or dishonesty or a felony of any kind within the prior five years are ineligible to serve as Experts for Oaktree; |
iv. | Verify that the Expert Network firm conducts internal monitoring of the use of their Experts and also has the ability to provide clients with reports and other information/tools relating to usage of their Experts; |
v. | Verify that each Expert Network firm conducts anti-money laundering check of its Experts prior to recommending them for a consultation with Oaktree staff, such as comparison of Experts’ identities against the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control or Specially Designated Nationals list, as appropriate. Experts who appear on such a list are ineligible to serve as Experts for Oaktree. |
b) | Annual review: In addition, the Compliance department conducts annual reviews of the internal control policies and procedures of Expert Networks to reaffirm that such internal policies and procedures are sufficient to meet Oaktree standards. For example, updates to the compliance training programs administered by approved Expert Networks and updates or revisions to the terms and conditions provided to Experts may be reviewed periodically. |
At their discretion and without advance notice, an Approving Officer in the Legal or Compliance departments may restrict or suspend use of any individual Expert or Expert Network. In such instances, all scheduled meetings with such Experts or Expert Networks should be cancelled and may not proceed. Such restrictions may be imposed across Oaktree (firm-wide), at an investment strategy level or on an individual Oaktree employee level. |
VI. ONGOING MONITORING OF EXPERT NETWORK USAGE
The Compliance department conducts, on at least a quarterly basis, an assessment of the usage of approved Expert Networks. The review may include, but is not limited to:
· | Expert Network usage reports, including a review of Oaktree client account trading and personal trading against the Consultations dates for correlation, if any; |
· | monitoring of select calls on an announced or unannounced basis; |
· | call frequency between Oaktree staff and a particular Expert; and |
· | written notes and materials prepared during a Consultation by Oaktree staff for Protected Information. |
VII. CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code, Access Persons will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
TRAINING
Oaktree will maintain an ongoing mandatory training program for certain staff regarding this Policy. Training regarding this Policy may also be incorporated into general training regarding the handling of MNPI and Insider Trading.
May 2018 | Page 5 of 6 |
EXPERT NETWORK POLICY
VIII. ENTITIES NOT SUBJECT TO THE POLICY
Certain other entities, including research-oriented firms and investor relations departments, for example, may be similar to Expert Networks. Such entities may provide consulting services on issues of public policy or provide publicly available information upon request and do not exist to merely facilitate communication between the client and the Experts. Instead, these firms directly perform and provide the public policy research and analysis requested by the client, enlisting public policy experts as necessary to assist in the firm’s research. If there are discussions between the client and a public policy expert, generally the firm representatives will participate in the discussions. While these entities are not considered Expert Networks, all interactions with such entities remain subject to the Insider Trading Policy. If there is any doubt whether a firm is considered an Expert Network or if any other interaction is subject to this Policy, Oaktree staff should consult the Compliance department prior to engagement of the firm or interaction. The following are examples of entities not subject to the Policy:
· | Public Insights |
· | Investor Relations Departments |
· | Capstone |
· | Height Analytics |
· | Observatory Group |
· | Meridian Research Group |
May 2018 | Page 6 of 6 |
POLITICAL ACTIVITY POLICY
I. INTRODUCTION
The Political Activity Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) applies to all employees of Oaktree (as defined in the Code of Ethics).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its employees and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all employees of their obligations.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
It is Oaktree’s policy to comply fully with campaign finance and other “pay-to-play” laws. Various jurisdictions and government agencies have enacted pay-to-play laws, which are intended to limit financial institutions, including investment advisers, and their employees from making contributions to, or soliciting contributions for, a government official who can influence the governmental entity’s selection of investment advisers. These pay-to-play-laws may prohibit an investment adviser from receiving compensation from a government entity after the investment adviser or certain of its employees engage in Political Activity (as defined below). Some of these restrictions are triggered by political contributions made as long as five years prior to the award of an investment management mandate. In addition, some public pension plans have more restrictive rules regarding Political Activity. Since Oaktree maintains and seeks to develop business relationships with these types of entities, failure to comply with the pay-to-play laws could result in a loss of client investment management mandates and/or possible sanctions and penalties. Employees are not permitted to engage in Political Activity for the purpose of obtaining new business or retaining existing business, including in connection with potential or existing investors or transactions.
Each employee is responsible for monitoring his or her Political Activity (in consultation with the Compliance department) to be certain that it complies with the relevant laws that govern individual contributions.
II. DEFINITIONS
As referenced throughout this Policy, “Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Approving Officer” means an officer of Oaktree named on the separate “List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer”. The List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer is maintained on Oaktree Central.
As referenced throughout this Policy, “Political Activity” includes the following activities:
· | Campaign contributions (e.g. direct monetary donations, indirect monetary donations such as campaign paraphernalia purchases); |
· | Political campaign-related solicitation activity; |
· | Participation as a committee or board member of a politically active non-profit organization (e.g., a 501(c)(4) entity), political action committee (a “PAC”), independent-expenditure committee (e.g. a Super PAC) or any other political committee or organization. Such activity would also constitute an outside business ctivity, subject to the pre-approval requirements outlined in the Outside Activities Policy; and |
· | Monetary or in-kind benefits, to, or for the benefit of, among others, any government official, candidate running for office, political party, legislative leadership, politically active non-profit organizations, ballot measure committees, independent expenditure-only committees or PACs. |
“Related Person” of an Access Person for purposes of this Policy includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
· | Any person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; or |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of securities. |
MAY 2018 | PAGE 1 of 2 |
POLITICAL ACTIVITY POLICY
III. PROHIBITIONS
Engaging in Political Activity directly or indirectly for the benefit of incumbents or candidates running for U.S. state or local office.
IV. PRECLEARANCE PROCEDURES
All employees, Related Persons and any Oaktree entity must obtain pre-approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer prior to engaging in Political Activity.
Pre-approval is not required, however, for campaign volunteering, so long as the activity does not include soliciting or coordinating campaign contributions. Therefore, administrative work for a campaign that does not involve the solicitation or coordination of campaign contributions does not require pre-approval. To obtain pre-approval of proposed Political Activity, you must complete and submit a Request for Prior Approval of Political Activity via My Compliance Center.
Post-approval of Political Activity is not permitted. Participating in Political Activity before receiving approval constitutes a violation of this Policy. See “Reporting of Violations and Sanctions” in Oaktree’s Code of Ethics for further discussion regarding the types of sanctions that may be imposed as a result of violations of this Policy.
V. PERIODIC REPORTING AND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
PERIODIC COMPLIANCE REPORTING
All employees are also required to report Political Activity on a quarterly basis and when requested from time to time. Quarterly disclosure of such items should be made on the Quarterly Report of Political Activity via My Compliance Center. You should also refer to Article III - Service as Director or Officer in the Outside Activity Policy and Article V - Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging for Public Officials in the Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging Policy for a discussion of related Oaktree policies and procedures.
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, Access Persons will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
MAY 2018 | PAGE 2 of 2 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
I. INTRODUCTION
The Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) applies to all employees of Oaktree (as defined in the Code of Ethics).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its employees and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all employees of their obligations.
GENERAL
No Oaktree employee may accept a gift, or be entertained in a manner, that might reasonably be expected to influence his or her behavior or judgment or interfere with his or her responsibilities to Oaktree and its clients. Employees should be mindful of this Policy when hosting or being hosted by clients or other Outside Parties. Items of value received or given should be reasonable in value and customary under the circumstances. In applying the foregoing standards, you should be conservative in your judgments and decline any offer that might reasonably be deemed lavish, excessive in value or frequency, or otherwise inappropriate.
Oaktree employees may not solicit gifts, favors, special accommodations, or other items from an Outside Party. Employees may not accept or participate in any arrangement leading to an inappropriate offer to himself or herself, Related Persons, or any business entity in which a substantial interest is held by such persons. When in doubt about whether an offer of something of value is proper, you should decline and promptly contact an Approving Officer.
Throughout this Policy, monetary limits are noted in $USD, and as such foreign exchange rate conversions should be used to determine the local market equivalent. If local law or regulation prescribe any such monetary limits they will be enforced.
II. DEFINITIONS
“Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Approving Officer” means an officer of Oaktree named on the separate “List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer” which is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Public Official”, for purposes of this Policy and the Anti-Corruption Policy, includes a “Foreign Official” under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and a “Foreign Public Official” under the Bribery Act as well as the following:
· | Full- or part-time government employees, or by regional subdivisions of governments, including states, provinces, districts, counties, cities, towns and villages or by independent agencies, state-owned businesses, state-controlled businesses or public academic institutions. For example, employees of sovereign wealth funds, government-sponsored pension plans (i.e. pension plans for the benefit of government employees), and government sponsored-university endowments. |
· | Political party officials and candidates for political office. |
· | Employees of public international organizations (e.g., the African and Asian Development Banks, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations and the Organization of American States). |
“Outside Party” is a current and prospective client, provider of goods or services (including a broker) or others with whom Oaktree has dealings, including a Private Sector Counterparty Representatives.
“Private Sector Counterparty Representative” is an owner, employee or representative of a private entity, such as a partnership or corporation, with which Oaktree is conducting or seeking to conduct business.
“Related Person” of an Access Person for purposes of this Policy includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 1 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
· | Any person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; or |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of securities. |
III. GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING RECEIVED
Anything you receive during the normal course of business that gives you a personal benefit for which you do not provide monetary or other consideration is subject to the limitations outlined below. However, you may accept and are not required to disclose items of value given on the basis of an existing personal friendship, unless you have a reason to believe that, under the circumstances, it was provided because of your position with Oaktree, and not because of the personal friendship. Employees should be mindful of gifts, favors or anything of value received from an Outside Party and refrain from accepting anything that would result in the appearance of, or constitute, quid pro quo. In the event that you receive anything of value that raises a concern, immediately notify an Approving Officer.
If you are given tickets to an event to do with as you please, you have received a gift in the amount of the face value of the tickets. In contrast, if you attend an event with the Outside Party, you have received entertainment. Items of value provided to an Oaktree employee’s Related Persons are covered by this Policy.
Gifts
You are generally permitted to accept unsolicited gifts from Outside Parties, subject to the following:
· | You may not accept gifts of cash (including gift cards and gift certificates) or securities; and |
· | The aggregate value of gifts received from an Outside Party may not exceed $500 in a single calendar year. |
If the value of a single gift or aggregate value of multiple gifts received during the course of a calendar year from a single Outside Party is greater than $500, generally one of the following actions will be required:
· | Return the gift; |
· | Keep the gift and make a donation to a charity (501(c)(3) or local equivalent) for the difference between the face value of the gift and the $500 annual limit per Outside Party; or |
· | Coordinate with Compliance to donate the gift to charity or include the gift in an Oaktree raffle. |
Meals
You are generally permitted to accept unsolicited business meals from Outside Parties, subject to the following:
· | The value of any single business meal should generally not exceed $250 per person. |
If you think the value of a meal exceeds this guideline, contact an Approving Officer.
Entertainment
You are generally permitted to accept unsolicited invitations to entertainment events from Outside Parties, subject to the following:
· | The total aggregate value of entertainment received from an Outside Party during the course of a calendar year may not exceed $2,500. If the aggregate value is to exceed $2,500, pre-approval from your supervisor and an Approving Officer is required. Pre-approval requests should be submitted via My Compliance Center using the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts and Entertainment Received form. |
· | Traders, including analysts who trade securities, and portfolio managers must obtain approval from their supervisor and an Approving Officer prior to attending any entertainment event, regardless of value or who is hosting the event. Pre-approval requests should be submitted via My Compliance Center using the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts, and Entertainment Received form. |
· | Your Related Person’s attendance at an entertainment event is considered a gift and should not exceed $500 from a particular Outside Party per year. For more information, refer to the previous gifts section. |
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 2 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
High-Profile Events
A high-profile event is one that attracts broad public interest and extensive media attention and publicity. Typically, tickets to such events may be more difficult to obtain or sold at a premium to their face value. Participation in high-profile events offered by Outside Parties have increased potential for conflicts of interest and regulatory scrutiny. As such, pre-approval is required for all high-profile events regardless of value and the standard aggregate gifts and entertainment limits outlined above apply. A separate non-exhaustive list of events is maintained in the “High-Profile Events” document on Oaktree Central. If you are ever in doubt as to whether an event constitutes a high-profile event, you must consult with an Approving Officer prior to participation in the event.
To participate in a high-profile event hosted by an Outside Party:
· | You must obtain pre-approval from your supervisor and an Approving Officer. Pre-approval requests should be submitted via My Compliance Center using the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts and Entertainment Received form. |
· | With your request, you must provide documentation from the host indicating the cost of admission or attendance, as well as an invoice for any costs in excess of the annual aggregate $2,500 entertainment events or $500 gift limits per Outside Party. |
Conferences
Attendance at conferences is held to the same limits and stipulations as those applicable to attendance at entertainment events unless an exception is pre-approved by an Approving Officer. Pre-approval requests should be submitted via My Compliance Center using the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts and Entertainment Received form. In general, conference exceptions will be granted if the event is solely educational in nature.
Travel and Lodging
In general, expenses for travel and lodging of employees should be borne by Oaktree. Travel and lodging expenses borne by an Outside Party are considered part of the gift or entertainment limits. For more information, refer to the previous gifts and entertainment sections.
Reporting Obligations
All employees are required to report, on a quarterly basis, the receipt of all gifts, excluding those of nominal value (e.g., pens, notepads, cups, etc. with company logos) but including those that are shared with and consumed by others in the office (e.g., chocolate, fruit, etc.), attendance at any entertainment event or conference, and travel and lodging expenses borne by Outside Parties. Reporting of such items must be done via My Compliance Center. Unsolicited normal and customary business meals received are not reportable.
IV. GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING GIVEN
You must obtain pre-approval from your supervisor and an Approving Officer if you wish to give a gift, meal, entertainment, travel or lodging to a representative of an Outside Party that could reasonably be considered a decision maker for the relationship with Oaktree. Customary business meals under $250 per person are not subject to pre-approval. Requests should be made via the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging for a Decision Maker form and directed to GiftsandEntertainment@oaktreecapital.com. Providing items of value during business negotiations, requests for proposals, and ongoing bids, are strictly prohibited.
It is acceptable for you to give gifts or favors of nominal value to clients or other Outside Parties, other than decision makers, to the extent they are appropriate and suitable under the circumstances, infrequent, meet the standards of ethical business conduct, and involve no element of concealment. You are prohibited from providing or offering to provide cash gifts, including gift certificates and gift cards, or gifts of securities to a representative of an Outside Party. Providing meals and entertainment that are reasonable and appropriate to such individuals is acceptable. In general, Oaktree does not cover travel and lodging expenses for Outside Parties. Gifts given on the basis of an existing personal friendship to individuals with whom you established a relationship outside the scope of Oaktree business are permissible.
Be aware that many organizations, including government entities and agencies, have their own rules prohibiting or limiting the type and amount of gifts, meals and entertainment that their employees can receive. Oaktree employees are required to adhere to any such restrictions. In addition, you should be sensitive to ERISA rules governing current and prospective corporate pension plan clients and the receipt of gifts and entertainment by employees of such clients.
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 3 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
In the case of a conference, special client review or other special event hosted or sponsored by Oaktree, all proposed gift, meal, entertainment, travel and lodging expenses to be incurred in connection with such event must be reasonable under the circumstances and must otherwise comply with the general requirements set out within this Policy.
If the item of value involves a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative, refer to section V below.
If you are a FINRA Registered Representative, you are subject to $100 gift giving limits. See the OCM Investments, LLC Written Supervisory Procedures for more details.
Donations and Stakeholder/Community Relations Expenses
Generally, charitable donations that are made in an individual capacity do not require pre-approval. However, donations in an individual capacity, on behalf of Oaktree or an Oaktree strategy to an Outside Party require pre-approval from an Approving Officer and the Chief Executive Officer. Similarly, pre-approval is also required to make a donation at the request of an Outside Party (e.g., clients or prospects). This requirement covers charitable or political donations/contributions as well as stakeholder/community relations expenses. Requests should be made via the Request for Prior Approval of Charitable Donations form and directed to DonationRequests@oaktreecapital.com. If the donation involves a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative, refer to section V below. If the donation is political in nature, refer to the Political Activity Policy for more information.
Charitable donations should be given only for legitimate philanthropic reasons such as to serve humanitarian interests and to support cultural or educational institutions. It may be appropriate to make a donation with the goal of generating goodwill toward Oaktree in the community. However, it is never permitted to make a donation to garner favorable treatment of Oaktree by an Outside Party.
Charitable donations will generally not be approved within three months of a commitment to an Oaktree fund or the opening of a separately managed account. Charitable donations to, or on behalf of, ERISA clients or prospective clients, may trigger a reporting requirement to the Department of Labor.
V. GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING GIVEN TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND PRIVATE SECTOR COUNTERPARTY REPRESENTATIVES
Anti-Corruption Policy Overview
As referenced in Section 20 of the Oaktree Compliance Manual (the “Anti-Corruption Policy”), Oaktree employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly offering, promising, paying or providing, or authorizing the promising, paying or providing of any amount of money or anything of value to any Public Official, including a person actually known to be an immediate family member of a Public Official and a former Public Official, in order to improperly influence or reward any official action or decision by such person for Oaktree’s benefit. Neither funds from Oaktree nor funds from any other source may be used to make any such payment or gift on behalf of or for Oaktree’s benefit. Similarly, Oaktree employees are prohibited from offering, promising, paying or providing, or authorizing the promising, paying or providing of any amount of money or anything of value to a Private Sector Counterparty Representative in order to induce or reward that person’s improper performance of their functions or activity.
Failing to abide by the Anti-Corruption Policy and this Policy in connection with the provision of items of value to Public Officials and Private Sector Counterparty Representatives can result in serious financial and criminal penalties for Oaktree and Oaktree employees, including disciplinary action. Violations of applicable anti-bribery laws, the Anti-Corruption Policy, or this Policy must be promptly reported to an Approving Officer.
What payments are permitted and prohibited?
As a general matter, reasonable expenditures directly related to the promotion or explanation of Oaktree’s offerings and/or services are permitted. For example, payments for reasonable meals, travel, and lodging to support a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative’s attendance at a meeting at which Oaktree’s investment services are explained, or at a meeting to discuss the performance of a fund managed by Oaktree in which the public institution that the Public Official represents (or private entity that the Private Sector Counterparty Representative represents) has invested. In addition, other expenditures for Private Sector Counterparty Representatives for legitimate business purposes, including improving Oaktree’s image or establishing or maintaining good business relations are permitted. To qualify, any expense must be reasonable, bona fide, and consistent with Oaktree’s policies and procedures. See below for more detailed guidelines, limitations, pre-approval and reporting requirements. Employees should refer to the Anti-Corruption Policy for further information on permitted and prohibited payments under the relevant anti-bribery and corruption laws to which Oaktree is subject as well as the Interaction and Engagement Red Flag and Escalation Guidance - Public Officials, Private Sector Counterparty Representatives and Third Parties document for red flags to consider so as to ensure improper payments are not taking place, been requested or offered.
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 4 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
Limitations, Guidelines and Preclearance for Items of Value Provided to Public Officials
Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging
Pre-approval requests to provide items of value to Public Officials should be submitted via My Compliance Center using the Request for Prior Approval of Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel, and Lodging for Public Officials form. Requests for travel and lodging expenses should be accompanied by a general itinerary indicating the value of the travel and/or lodging being provided. Further, any requests for sightseeing or entertainment must be submitted using the form mentioned above and include a description of the items involved and the recipients (including any relation to the Public Official if not a Public Official). Payments for any expenses of a person known or believed to be a Related Person or guest of a Public Official are generally prohibited.
The following limitations and guidelines must be adhered to:
· | Gifts, meals and entertainment limited to $250 per occasion and $1,000 total per year – Items of value provided to a Public Official in any one day will generally not be approved if the value is greater than $250. The aggregate value given to such Public Official in a reporting year should not exceed $1,000. Requests to exceed the $1,000 annual aggregate require approval from the Chief Compliance Officer. Gifts, meals and entertainment to an immediate family member of a Public Official count as gifts to such Public Official. |
· | Beverages valued at $10 or less do not require pre-approval or reporting – Non-alcoholic beverages valued at $10 per person given in connection with standard, customary business meetings are deemed to be low-risk and therefore standard pre-approval and reporting requirements do not apply. |
· | Local legal or regulatory prohibitions prevail – If local law or regulation prescribe thresholds or prohibits giving gifts, meals, or entertainment to Public Officials, then this Policy as well as Oaktree’s Anti-Corruption Policy prohibit such conduct in that jurisdiction. Consult with an Approving Officer to determine whether giving gifts, meals, or entertainment to Public Officials is permitted in a particular country or local jurisdiction and the relevant thresholds. |
· | The giving of cash gifts or gifts of securities to a Public Official is absolutely prohibited – No cash gifts, including gift certificates and gift cards, or gifts of securities should be given to a Public Official. |
· | Modest customary gifts only – Gifts should be given to Public Officials only in connection with national, traditional or religious holidays or, where customary, to celebrate significant personal events. |
· | No expectation of favorable treatment – Under no circumstances may anything of value be given to a Public Official in exchange for favorable treatment. If it appears from any facts reasonably known to Oaktree that customary gifts, meals and entertainment are expected to be received in exchange for favorable treatment or are so understood, they should be promptly discontinued and an Approving Officer must be notified. |
· | Promotional gifts are preferred – Nominal gifts branded with an Oaktree logo are preferred but remain subject to applicable local jurisdiction social and regulatory limitations. Consult with an Approving Officer to determine whether giving gifts, meals, or entertainment to Public Officials is permitted in a particular country or local jurisdiction and the relevant thresholds. |
· | Limit multiple gifts and invitations – Multiple gifts or invitations to a Public Official in any reporting year should generally be avoided. For example, no more than one gift should be given by all Oaktree employees to a Public Official in connection with a customary holiday, such as the Chinese New Year. |
· | Give openly – Gifts should be given openly, so that supervisors of a Public Official can see that a gift is being tendered (i.e., it is preferable that gifts be sent to the office and not his or her home, hotel or other addresses). |
· | Incidental to genuine business discussions – A Public Official generally should be invited to meals and entertainment events only when it is incidental to genuine, necessary business discussions between Oaktree and the Public Official. For example, if a Public Official is visiting Oaktree’s offices to discuss a potential investment opportunity, it can be appropriate to take the Public Official to a restaurant for a modest lunch. |
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 5 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
In the case of a conference, special client review or other special event hosted or sponsored by Oaktree, all proposed gift, meal, entertainment, travel and lodging expenses to be incurred in connection with such event for Public Officials must be pre-approved by an Approving Officer. All proposed gifts, meals and entertainment must be reasonable under the circumstances and must otherwise comply with the general requirements set out above. Items of value being provided to limited partners in connection with Investor Committee meetings require Compliance pre-approval and should be directed to GiftsandEntertainment@oaktreecapital. com.
Air travel for Public Officials must be preapproved by the Chief Compliance Officer. Generally, only economy class tickets will be considered. Public Officials should also not be provided with “complimentary” travel on private aircraft owned or chartered by Oaktree. Lodging should be reasonable and in accordance with the standards of the destination. Payments for travel and lodging expenses for Public Officials must be made directly to the provider of the travel or lodging, not to the Public Officials. In addition, payments to cover expenses in excess of modest sightseeing are prohibited. For guidance as to what is considered reasonable, Oaktree employees may refer to the U.S. General Services Administration per diem guidelines.
Political Activity
You should refer to the Political Activity Policy for additional requirements and considerations.
Limitations, Guidelines and Preclearance for Items of Value Provided to Private Sector Counterparty Representatives
Gifts, Meals and Entertainment, Travel and Lodging
Gifts, meals and entertainment must always be reasonable, infrequent, customary under the circumstances, and not intended (nor giving the appearance of intending) to influence the individual to secure an improper advantage for Oaktree. Oaktree employees must follow the guidelines outlined above under section IV of this Policy.
It is permissible to pay travel and lodging expenses for Private Sector Counterparty Representatives where it is required for a legitimate business purpose, such as improving Oaktree’s image, promoting Oaktree’s business, products or services, or establishing or maintaining good business relations. The expenses must be reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, taking into account the purpose of the travel, the standards of the destination and the general anti-bribery principles set out in the Oaktree Anti-Corruption Policy. Such expenses must never be provided for the purpose of seeking an improper advantage for Oaktree. In addition, Private Sector Counterparty Representatives should generally not be provided with “complimentary” travel on private aircraft owned or chartered by Oaktree. Generally, only economy class tickets should be provided.
Donations and Stakeholder/Community Relations Expenses
As mentioned above under section IV of this Policy, charitable or political donations made on behalf of Oaktree or an Oaktree strategy and/or in an individual capacity at the request of an Outside Party, including a Private Sector Counterparty Representative or a Public Official, require pre-approval from an Approving Officer and the Chief Executive Officer. To make this determination, you should consider if a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative or a family member sit on the board of the charity or have a role in its management or if a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative or a family member is associated with the charity.
Expense Reimbursement Requirements
All reimbursement and check requests associated with gifts, meals, entertainment, travel and lodging expenses provided for a Public Official or Private Sector Counterparty Representative should be submitted using Oaktree’s standard expense report and in the case of a Public Official indicate on the expense report that the item is being provided to a Public Official. A copy of the pre-approved Request for Prior Approval of Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel, and Lodging for Public Officials form shall be attached to the expense report. It is vital that the recording of the expenditures associated with such expenses is accurate and clearly reflects the true purpose of the expenditure.
Reporting Obligations
Any gifts, meals, entertainment, travel and lodging provided by an employee to a Public Official must be reported on a quarterly basis through the completion of the Quarterly Report of Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging for Public Officials via My Compliance Center.
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 6 of 7 |
GIFTS, MEALS, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL AND LODGING POLICY
VI. OAKTREE PORTFOLIO COMPANY GIFTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DISCOUNTS
Gifts, Meals, Entertainment, Travel and Lodging
Oaktree recognizes the value of permitting investment teams to sample and familiarize themselves with the services offered and items produced and/or sold by associated portfolio companies. As such, while employees are prohibited from soliciting anything of value from representatives of Oaktree portfolio companies, unsolicited gifts and entertainment may be accepted (excluding a gift of cash or securities), subject to the following:
· | The acceptance of gifts, meals. entertainment, travel or lodging must not be detrimental to the portfolio company’s business. |
· | In order to receive a gift, entertainment, travel or lodging from a portfolio company, the Oaktree employee should typically have a direct and ongoing association with the portfolio company. |
· | Items produced by portfolio companies and given to Oaktree employees to sample/test are not subject to the $500 limit that applies to gifts received from other Outside Parties. However, any items produced and gifted by portfolio companies to Related Persons are subject to the $500 limit. |
· | Unsolicited business meals provided by a portfolio company are permitted and should generally not exceed $250 per person. |
· | Entertainment sponsored or offered by a portfolio company are subject to the standard gifts and entertainment requirements noted above, including any travel and lodging associated with the event (e.g., $2,500 limit per person per portfolio company in a calendar year). |
· | Standard gifts, entertainment, travel and lodging reporting requirements via My Compliance Center apply. |
· | Travel and lodging that you receive in your capacity as a board member and in connection with your attendance at Board meetings are not subject to the above-referenced restrictions and reporting requirements. |
Discounts
Oaktree employees are permitted to accept standard discounts offered by portfolio companies subject to the permission of the portfolio manager of the relevant investment strategy. Available discounts must be applied consistently to all employees or specified groups at the same amount/level and unique or special discounts for a particular employee and their Related Persons, including discounts greater than the standard discounts, are prohibited. Portfolio managers may elect to limit the recipients to only those employees on the investment deal team or to only those employees within their specific investment strategy. Portfolio managers may consider the terms and implications of the discount, including whether the offering of such discounts may detrimentally impact the portfolio company’s business due to factors such as the frequency or time period that the discount is offered. Any questions on portfolio company discounts should be directed to GiftsandEntertainment@oaktreecapital.com.
VII. PERIODIC REPORTING AND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
Periodic Compliance Reporting
As outlined above, employees are required to complete gifts, meals, entertainment, travel and lodging related certifications on a quarterly basis and/or when requested.
Annual Compliance Certification
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, employees will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
JUNE 2019 | PAGE 7 of 7 |
OUTSIDE ACTIVITY POLICY
I. INTRODUCTION
The Outside Activity Policy (referred to herein as the “Policy”) applies to all employees of Oaktree (as defined in the Code of Ethics).
Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer has been designated as the individual with responsibility to explain and implement this Policy for Oaktree and all its Access Persons and to provide to all such persons this Policy and any amendments thereto. Receipt of this Policy satisfies Oaktree’s obligation to notify all employees of their obligations.
II. DEFINITIONS
As referenced throughout this Policy, “Access Persons” include all Oaktree employees, except certain persons specified by Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer who (i) do not devote substantially all working time to the activities of Oaktree and (ii) do not have access to information about the day-to-day investment activities of Oaktree.
“Approving Officer” means an officer of Oaktree named on the separate “List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer”. The List of Approving Officers and Chief Compliance Officer is maintained on Oaktree Central.
“Related Person” of an Access Person for purposes of this Policy includes the following:
· | A husband, wife, domestic partner or minor child of the Access Person; |
· | A relative sharing the same household as the Access Person; |
· | Any person who is significantly dependent on the Access Person for financial support; or |
· | Anyone else if the Access Person: |
(i) | obtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities; |
(ii) | can obtain ownership of securities immediately or within 60 days; or |
(iii) | can vote or dispose of securities. |
III. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
Each Oaktree employee is expected to devote his or her full time and ability to Oaktree’s interests during regular working hours and such additional time as may be properly required. Oaktree discourages employees from holding outside employment, including consulting.
An employee may not engage in outside employment and/or business ownership that: (a) interferes, competes, or conflicts with Oaktree’s interests; (b) encroaches on normal working time or otherwise impairs performance; (c) implies sponsorship or support of an outside organization by Oaktree; or (d) reflects directly or indirectly adversely on Oaktree. This Policy also prohibits outside employment in the securities brokerage industry. Employees must abstain from negotiating, approving or voting on any transaction between Oaktree and any outside organization with which they are affiliated, whether as a representative of Oaktree or the outside organization, except in the ordinary course of their providing services for Oaktree and on a fully disclosed basis.
If you are considering taking outside employment or starting a business, you must obtain preclearance from your supervisor and Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. Employees should submit a Request for Outside Business Activity form via My Compliance Center, and the request will be routed to the appropriate parties for review and approval.
If you have an approved second job, you are not eligible to receive compensation during an absence from work which is the result of an injury on the second job and outside employment will not be considered an excuse for poor job performance, absenteeism, tardiness or refusal to work overtime. Should any of these situations occur, approval may be withdrawn and you may be subject to discipline, including dismissal.
MAY 2018 | PAGE 1 of 3 |
OUTSIDE ACTIVITY POLICY
IV. SERVICE AS DIRECTOR OR OFFICER
Each employee is required to submit a Director and Officer Position disclosure form via My Compliance Center to (a) notify the employee’s supervisor or the relevant portfolio manager and Oaktree’s Compliance department about serving as a director or officer of a portfolio company of funds and accounts managed by Oaktree and (b) obtain approval from the employee’s supervisor and Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer to serve as a director or officer in all other circumstances except as described below. Depending on the circumstances, the form will be routed to the appropriate parties for any necessary approvals and/or notifications.
You do not need approval, nor do you need to notify Oaktree, to serve on the board of your family’s private corporation (or your Related Person’s family’s private corporation) or any charitable, professional civic or non-profit entities (excluding 501(c)(4) organizations that participate in political campaign activity as described in the Political Activity Policy) that are not clients of Oaktree and have no business relations with Oaktree. (You should note, however, that if you are involved with the investment activities of such an entity, that entity may become your Related Person and be subject to the Personal Investment Transactions Policy.) In addition, you do not need to seek approval or report board appointments in the following circumstances: (i) appointments in connection with special purpose vehicles to the extent that the entity is a non-operational holding company that was created to structure an investment opportunity for the accounts and funds managed by Oaktree; (ii) appointments in connection with any entity created by Oaktree to serve, directly or indirectly, as the general partner (or equivalent body) of any accounts and funds managed by Oaktree; and (iii) appointments in connection with any corporate entity formed by Oaktree within its corporate structure.
Upon notification of the appropriate parties and/or receipt of approval to serve in an outside director or officer position, procedures may be implemented to safeguard against potential conflicts of interest, such as placing securities of the company on a restricted list. You may be required to relinquish your position if it is concluded that it is in the interest of Oaktree or its clients. You must also reference the Political Activity Policy, which discusses requirements to obtain pre-approval from an Approving Officer to serve as a committee or board member of a politically active non-profit organization (e.g., a 501(c)(4) entity), PAC, or any other political committee or organization.
If you serve in a director or officer capacity which does not require advance approval or notification, but circumstances later change which would require such approval or notification (e.g., the company enters into business relations with Oaktree or becomes a client), you must then obtain the necessary approvals and/or notify the appropriate parties. Employees should submit a Director and Officer Position disclosure form via My Compliance Center. You should consult with Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer to determine whether your activities will trigger any requirements under the Personal Investment Transactions Policy.
V. FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENTS
No employee may accept appointments as executor, trustee, guardian, conservator, general partner or other fiduciary, or any appointment as a consultant in connection with fiduciary or money management matters which involve selecting, recommending or approving investments in specific securities, without the pre-approval of Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer. Where an Access Person has sole or overriding control or authority in selecting, recommending and approving investments in securities, such transactions are subject to the Personal Investment Transactions Policy.
This Policy does not apply to (i) appointments involving personal or family estate planning or (ii) service on the board of a charitable, civic, or non- profit organization where the Access Person does not act as an investment adviser for the entity’s assets and has no sole or overriding control or authority in selecting, recommending and approving investments in securities. To the extent an Access Person is appointed to serve on the investment committee of a charitable, civic, or non-profit organization that is also a client of Oaktree, such appointments must be disclosed by submitting a Request for Outside Business Activity form via My Compliance Center so that any potential conflicts can be analyzed and monitored to the extent applicable. Note that while an Access Person’s outside business activity of handling personal or family estate planning does not require pre-approval, any securities transactions for which the Access Person has discretionary authority are subject to the Personal Transactions Investment Policy.
MAY 2018 | PAGE 2 of 3 |
OUTSIDE ACTIVITY POLICY
VI. COMPENSATION, CONSULTING FEES AND HONORARIUMS
If you have received proper approval to serve as a director or officer of an outside organization or to engage in outside employment, you may retain all compensation paid for such service unless otherwise provided by the terms of the approval. Generally, you may not retain compensation (whether in the form of cash, stock options, shares of restricted stock or other non-cash compensation) received for services on boards of directors or as officers of corporations where you serve in the course of your employment activities with Oaktree and in such instances, it is your responsibility to inform Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer of your receipt of any such compensation and the terms thereof. In certain limited situations (e.g., the form of compensation cannot be structured for the benefit of a fund), the Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer may grant an exception to this policy. You may retain honorariums received by you for publications, public speaking appearances, instructional courses at educational institutions, and similar activities. You should direct any questions concerning the permissible retention of compensation to Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer.
VII. PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
If voluntary efforts require corporate time, you should obtain pre-approval from your supervisor. Should the voluntary efforts involve fundraising or solicitation activity in connection with a campaign for a government official, you must follow the policies and procedures outlined under the Political Activity Policy and seek pre-approval of such activity. If you wish to accept an appointive office, or run for elective office, you must first obtain approval from your supervisor and then Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer. If approval is given, you must campaign for an office on your own time and may not use Oaktree’s property or services for such purpose without proper reimbursement to Oaktree. In all cases, employees participating in such political activities do so as individuals and not as representatives of Oaktree. To prevent any interpretation of sponsorship or endorsement by Oaktree, you must not use either Oaktree’s name or address in material you mail or funds you collect, nor, except as necessary in biographical information, should Oaktree be identified in any advertisements or literature.
VIII. | SERVING AS TREASURER OF CLUBS, CHURCHES, LODGES, OR SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS |
An employee may act as treasurer of clubs, churches, lodges, or similar organizations. However, you should keep funds belonging to such organizations in separate accounts and not commingle them in any way with your personal funds or Oaktree’s. You should consult with Oaktree’s Chief Compliance Officer or an Approving Officer to determine whether your activities will trigger requirements under the Personal Investment Transactions Policy.
IX. PERIODIC REPORTING AND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
PERIODIC COMPLIANCE REPORTING
All employees are required to report Outside Business Activity on a semi-annual basis, and when otherwise requested from time to time by Oaktree. Employees are also required to report Director and Officer Positions a on a quarterly basis, and when otherwise requested from time to time by Oaktree. Disclosure of such items should be made via My Compliance Center.
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
As part of the annual certification of compliance with Oaktree’s Code of Ethics, Access Persons will be required to certify that (i) they have received, have read and understand the terms of this Policy and any amendments thereto and that they recognize the responsibilities and obligations incurred by their being subject to this Policy, and (ii) they are in compliance with the requirements of this Policy.
MAY 2018 | PAGE 3 of 3 |
Exhibit 99.(s)
OAKTREE DIVERSIFIED INCOME FUND INC.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each of the undersigned directors of Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Maryland (the “Fund”), hereby constitutes and appoints Brian F. Hurley, Thomas D. Peeney, and Casey P. Tushaus with full power to act without the other and with full power of substitution and re-substitution, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to execute in his or her name, place and stead, and on his or her behalf, in the capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form N-2, including any pre-effective amendments and/or any post effective amendments thereto and any other filings in connection therewith, and to file the same under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or otherwise, with respect to the registration of the Fund, the registration or offering of the Fund’s shares of beneficial interest; granting to each such attorney-in-fact and agent full power of substitution and revocation in the premises; and ratifying and confirming any and all that each such attorney-in-fact and agent, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Power of Attorney, effective as of the 30th day of September, 2021.
/s/ Heather Goldman | |
Heather Goldman | |
Director |
/s/ Edward A. Kuczmarski | |
Edward A. Kuczmarski | |
Director |
/s/ David Levi | |
David Levi | |
Director |
/s/ Stuart A. McFarland | |
Stuart A. McFarland | |
Director |
/s/ William H. Wright II | |
William H. Wright II | |
Director |