Principal Risks of Investing in the Trust

As with any fund investment, loss of money is a risk of investing. The risks associated with an investment in the Trust can increase during times of significant market volatility. The principal risks of investing in the Trust are:

The market values of the Trust’s investments, and therefore the value of the Trust’s shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry or section of the economy, or it may affect the market as a whole. The value of the Trust’s investments may go up or down due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to the particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, regional or global instability and uncertainty, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of the Trust’s investments may also go up or down due to factors that affect an individual issuer or a particular industry or sector, such as changes in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition,

economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries. Natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, changes in trade regulation, including tariffs or economic sanctions, economic crisis or other events may have a significant impact on the value of the Trust’s investments, as well as the financial markets and global economy generally. Such circumstances may also impact the ability to effectively implement the Trust’s investment strategy. During a general downturn in the financial markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that specific investments held by the Trust will rise in value.

Increasingly strained relations between the U.S. and foreign countries may adversely affect U.S. issuers, as well as issuers. A decrease in U.S. imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, including the imposition of tariffs or other economic sanctions on traditional allies or adversaries and their responses thereto, inflation, and/or an economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy, global financial markets as a whole and the securities to which the Trust has exposure. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative actions in the U.S. may impact many aspects of financial and other regulations and may have a significant effect, including potentially adversely, on U.S. markets generally and the value of certain securities. The continued maintenance of elevated debt levels by the U.S. government as projected by governmental agencies and organizations, or the imposition of U.S. austerity measures, could potentially constrain future economic growth and the ability to effectively respond to economic downturns. If these trends were to continue, they could adversely impact the U.S. economy, global financial markets as a whole and the securities in which the Trust invests.

The prices of debt securities held by the Trust will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing

 

 

interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration debt securities and higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause the Trust to reinvest the proceeds of debt securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates. Falling interest rates may also reduce the Trust’s distributable income because interest payments on floating rate debt instruments held by the Trust will decline. The Trust could lose money on investments in debt securities if the issuer or borrower fails to meet its obligations to make interest payments and/or to repay principal in a timely manner. If an issuer seeks to restructure the terms of its borrowings or the Trust is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of interest or the repayment of principal, the Trust may incur additional expenses. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security may affect the value of debt securities. The credit analysis applied to the Trust’s debt securities may fail to anticipate such changes, which could result in buying a debt security at an inopportune time or failing to sell a debt security in advance of a price decline or other credit event.

The risk of a municipal obligation generally depends on the financial and credit status of the issuer. Constitutional amendments, legislative enactments, executive orders, administrative regulations, voter initiatives, and the issuer’s regional economic conditions may affect the municipal security’s value, interest payments, repayment of principal and the Trust’s ability to sell the security. Municipal obligations may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. Municipal securities structured as revenue bonds are generally not backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality but rather the revenue from the particular project or entity for which the bonds were issued. If the Internal Revenue Service determines that an issuer of a municipal security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could be treated as taxable, which could result in a decline in the security’s value. In addition, there could be changes in applicable tax laws or tax treatments that reduce or eliminate the current federal income tax exemption on municipal securities or otherwise adversely affect the current federal or state tax status of municipal securities.

The Trust is more susceptible to political, economic, regulatory or other factors affecting issuers of California municipal securities than a trust which does not focus its investments in such issuers. These risks include possible legislative, state constitutional or regulatory amendments that may affect the ability of state and local governments or regional governmental authorities to raise money to pay principal and interest on their municipal securities. Economic, fiscal and budgetary conditions throughout the state may also influence the Trust’s performance. Events in California may affect the Trust’s investments and performance.

Increases in the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates or other changes to monetary policy or regulatory actions may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree, and to

reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities. It is difficult to predict the impact of interest rate changes on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Trust’s investments and share price may decline. Changes in central bank policies and other governmental actions and political events within the U.S. and abroad, the U.S. government’s inability at times to agree on a long-term budget and deficit reduction plan or other legislation aimed at addressing financial or economic conditions, the threat of a federal government shutdown, and threats not to increase or suspend the federal government’s debt limit may also, among other things, affect investor and consumer expectations and confidence in the financial markets, including in the U.S. government’s credit rating and ability to service its debt. Such changes and events may adversely impact the Trust, including its operations, universe of potential investment options, and return potential.

Interest rate risk is the risk that rising interest rates will cause the values of the Trust’s investments to decline. The values of debt securities usually change when prevailing interest rates change. When interest rates rise, the values of outstanding debt securities generally fall, and those securities may sell at a discount from their face amount. When interest rates rise, the decrease in values of outstanding debt securities may not be offset by higher income from new investments. When interest rates fall, the values of already-issued debt securities generally rise. However, when interest rates fall, the Trust’s investments in new securities may be at lower yields and may reduce the Trust’s income. The values of longer-term debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-term debt securities when interest rates change; thus, interest rate risk is usually greater for securities with longer maturities or durations. “Zero-coupon” or “stripped” securities may be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes.

Shares of investment companies like the Trust frequently trade at prices lower than their net asset value. Because the market price of the Trust’s common shares is determined by factors such as relative market supply and demand, general market and economic circumstances, and other factors beyond the control of the Trust, the Trust cannot predict whether its shares of common stock will trade at, below or above net asset value. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Trust’s net asset value could decrease as a result of investment activities. Common shareholders bear a risk of loss to the extent that the price at which they sell their shares is lower than at the time of purchase.

Compared to higher quality debt securities, high yield debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) and other lower-rated securities involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors’ claims. High yield debt securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, are more susceptible to default or

decline in market value and are less liquid than investment grade debt securities. Prices of high yield debt securities tend to be very volatile. The values of high yield debt securities often fluctuate more in response to political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price, thus subjecting the Trust to a substantial risk of loss.

Securities which are in the medium- and lower-grade categories generally offer higher yields than are offered by higher-grade securities of similar maturity, but they also generally involve more volatility and greater risks, such as greater credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk and management risk. Furthermore, many issuers of medium- and lower-grade securities choose not to have a rating assigned to their obligations by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization. As such, the Trust’s portfolio may consist of a higher portion of unrated securities as compared with an investment company that invests solely in higher-grade securities. Unrated securities may not be as attractive to as many buyers as are rated securities, a factor which may make unrated securities less able to be sold at a desirable time or price. These factors may limit the ability of the Trust to sell such securities at their fair value either to raise cash or in response to changes in the economy or the financial markets.

The Adviser may internally assign ratings to securities that are not rated by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, after assessing their credit quality and other factors, in categories similar to those of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. There can be no assurance, nor is it intended, that the Adviser’s credit analysis process is consistent or comparable with the credit analysis process used by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Unrated securities are considered “investment-grade” or “below-investment-grade” if judged by the Adviser to be comparable to rated investment-grade or below-investment-grade securities. The Adviser’s rating does not constitute a guarantee of the credit quality. In addition, some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may trade less actively than rated securities, which means that the Trust might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price.

In evaluating the credit quality of a particular security, whether rated or unrated, the Adviser will normally take into consideration a number of factors such as, if applicable, the financial resources of the issuer, the underlying source of funds for debt service on a security, the issuer’s sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, any operating history of the facility financed by the obligation, the degree of community support for the financed facility, the capabilities of the issuer’s management, and regulatory factors affecting the issuer or the particular facility. A reduction in the rating of a security after the Trust buys it will not require the Trust to dispose of the security. However, the Adviser will evaluate such downgraded securities to determine whether to keep them in the Trust’s portfolio.

Defaulted securities, where the issuer has defaulted on the

 

 

payment of interest and/or principal, are speculative and involve substantial risks. Although defaulted securities can offer significant potential for higher returns or for an exchange offer for other securities that offer this potential, there can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve these returns or that the issuer will make an exchange offer. The Trust will generally not receive interest payments on defaulted securities and may incur costs to protect its investment. In addition, defaulted securities involve the substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. Defaulted securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale.

The issuers of instruments in which the Trust invests may be unable to meet interest and/or principal payments. This risk is increased to the extent the Trust invests in junk bonds, which may cause the Trust to incur higher expenses to protect its interests. The credit risks and market prices of lower-grade securities generally are more sensitive to negative issuer developments, such as reduced revenues or increased expenditures, or adverse economic conditions, such as a recession, than are higher-grade securities. An issuer’s securities may decrease in value if its financial strength weakens, which may reduce its credit rating and possibly its ability to meet its contractual obligations. In the event that an issuer of securities held by the Trust experiences difficulties in the timely payment of principal and interest and such issuer seeks to restructure the terms of its borrowings, the Trust may incur additional expenses and may determine to invest additional assets with respect to such issuer or the project or projects to which the Trust’s securities relate. Further, the Trust may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of interest or the repayment of principal on its portfolio holdings and the Trust may be unable to obtain full recovery on such amounts.

The income you receive from the Trust is based primarily on interest rates, which can vary widely over the short- and long-term. If interest rates drop, your income from the Trust may drop as well. The more the Trust invests in adjustable, variable or floating rate securities or in securities susceptible to prepayment risk, the greater the Trust’s income risk.

If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of securities with high interest rates will prepay or call their securities before their maturity dates. In this event, the proceeds from the called securities would likely be reinvested by the Trust in securities bearing the new, lower interest rates, resulting in a possible decline in the Trust’s income and distributions to shareholders.

The municipal issuers in which the Trust invests may be located in the same geographic area or may pay their interest obligations from revenue of similar projects, such as hospitals, airports, utility systems and housing finance agencies. This may make the Trust’s investments more susceptible to similar social, economic, political or regulatory occurrences, making the Trust more susceptible to experience a drop in its share price than if the Trust had been more diversified across issuers that did not have similar characteristics. From time to time, the Trust’s investments may include securities that alone or together with securities held by other funds or accounts managed by the Adviser, represents a major

portion or all of an issue of municipal securities. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments and, in some cases, there may be contractual restrictions on resales, the Trust may find it more difficult to sell such securities at a desirable time or price.

Financial insurance guarantees that interest payments on a bond will be made on time and that principal will be repaid when the bond matures. Insured municipal obligations would generally be assigned a lower rating if the rating was based primarily on the credit quality of the issuer without regard to the insurance feature. If the claims-paying ability of the insurer were downgraded, the ratings on the municipal obligations it insures may also be downgraded. Insurance does not protect the Trust against losses caused by declines in a bond’s value due to a change in market conditions.

Although the interest received from municipal securities generally is exempt from federal income tax, the Trust may invest all or a portion of its total assets in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, investment in the Trust could cause shareholders to be subject to, or result in an increased liability under, the federal alternative minimum tax.

The Trust’s investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal and California income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued. However, tax opinions are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or any court and after the Trust buys a security, the Internal Revenue Service or a court may determine that a bond issued as should in fact be taxable and the Trust’s dividends with respect to that bond might be subject to federal and California income tax. As a result, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Trust as “exempt-interest dividends” could be adversely affected, subjecting the Trust’s shareholders to increased federal and California income tax liabilities. In addition, income from municipal securities could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or a court, or the conduct of a bond issuer. The value of the Trust’s investments and its net asset value may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies. Because interest income from municipal securities is normally not subject to regular federal income taxation, the attractiveness of municipal securities in relation to other investment alternatives is affected by changes in federal income tax rates or changes in the status of interest income from municipal securities. Any proposed or actual changes in such rates or exempt status, therefore, can significantly affect the demand for and supply, liquidity and marketability of municipal securities. This could in turn affect the Trust’s net asset value and ability to acquire and dispose of municipal securities at desirable yield and price levels.

Inverse floating rate interests (Inverse Floaters) are issued in connection with municipal tender option bond (TOB) financing transactions to generate leverage for the Trust. Such instruments are created by a special purpose trust (a TOB Trust) that holds long-term fixed rate bonds, sold to it by the Trust (the

underlying security), and issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (Floaters), which are sold to other investors, and Inverse Floaters, which are purchased by the Trust. The Floaters have first priority on the cash flow from the underlying security held by the TOB Trust, have a tender option feature that allows holders to tender the Floaters back to the TOB Trust for their par amount and accrued interest at specified intervals and bear interest at prevailing short-term interest rates. Tendered Floaters are remarketed for sale to other investors for their par amount and accrued interest by a remarketing agent to the TOB Trust and are ultimately supported by a liquidity facility provided by a bank, upon which the TOB Trust can draw funds to pay such amount to holders of Tendered Floaters that cannot be remarketed. The Trust, as holder of the Inverse Floaters, is paid the residual cash flow from the underlying security. Accordingly, the Inverse Floaters provide the Trust with leveraged exposure to the underlying security. When short-term interest rates rise or fall, the interest payable on the Floaters issued by a TOB Trust will, respectively, rise or fall, leaving less or more, respectively, residual interest cash flow from the underlying security available for payment on the Inverse Floaters. Thus, as short-term interest rates rise, Inverse Floaters produce less income for the Trust, and as short-term interest rates decline, Inverse Floaters produce more income for the Trust. The price of Inverse Floaters is expected to decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates decline, in either case generally more so than the price of a bond with a similar maturity, because of the effect of leverage. As a result, the price of Inverse Floaters is typically more volatile than the price of bonds with similar maturities, especially if the relevant TOB Trust is structured to provide the holder of the Inverse Floaters relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying security (e.g., if the par amount of the Floaters, as a percentage of the par amount of the underlying security, is relatively greater). Upon the occurrence of certain adverse events (including a credit ratings downgrade of the underlying security or a substantial decrease in the market value of the underlying security), a TOB Trust may be collapsed by the remarketing agent or liquidity provider and the underlying security liquidated, and the Trust could lose the entire amount of its investment in the Inverse Floater and may, in some cases, be contractually required to pay the shortfall, if any, between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the principal amount of the Floaters. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, the Trust’s investments in Inverse Floaters could negatively impact the Trust’s performance and yield, especially when those Inverse Floaters provide the Trust with relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying securities held by the relevant TOB Trusts.

The Trust may be unable to sell illiquid investments at the time or price it desires and, as a result, could lose its entire investment in such investments. An investment may be illiquid due to a lack of trading volume in the investment or if the investment is privately placed and not traded in any public market or is otherwise restricted from trading. Liquid securities can become illiquid during periods of market stress.

Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may

 

 

prevent the Trust from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. In addition, the Trust may get only limited information about the issuer of a restricted security and therefore may be less able to predict a loss.

The Trust may invest in Rule 144A securities and other types of exempt securities, which are not registered for sale pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act” or “Securities Act”). These securities are also known as privately issued securities, and typically may be resold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction, or to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Although such securities may be determined to be liquid, if there are an insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing such securities at a particular time, the Trust may have difficulty selling such securities at a desirable time or price. As a result, the Trust’s investment in such securities may be subject to increased liquidity risk. In addition, the issuers of Rule 144A securities may require their qualified institutional buyers (such as the Trust) to keep certain offering information confidential, which could adversely affect the ability of the Trust to sell such securities.

The Trust may invest in tobacco settlement revenue bonds and tobacco bonds subject to a state’s appropriation pledge (STA Tobacco Bonds).

The Trust also invests in obligations of the governments of U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to the extent such obligations are exempt from regular federal individual and state income taxes. Accordingly, the Trust may be adversely affected by local political, economic, social and environmental conditions and developments, including natural disasters, within these U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions affecting the issuers of such obligations.

Certain of the municipalities in which the Trust invests, including Puerto Rico, currently experience significant financial difficulties, which may include default, insolvency or bankruptcy. As a result, securities issued by certain of these municipalities are currently considered below-investment-grade securities. A credit rating downgrade relating to, default by, or insolvency or bankruptcy of, one or several municipal security issuers of a state, territory, commonwealth or possession in which the Trust invests could affect the payment of principal and interest, the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of such state, territory, commonwealth or possession. For the past several years, Puerto Rico has faced and continues to face significant fiscal challenges, including persistent government deficits, underfunded public pension benefit obligations, underfunded government retirement systems, sizable debt service obligations and a high unemployment rate. The amount of its outstanding public debt will make it very difficult for Puerto Rico to make full repayment. Certain issuers of Puerto Rico municipal securities have filed for bankruptcy and/or failed to make payments on obligations that have come due. As a result of Puerto Rico’s challenging economic and fiscal environment,

certain securities issued by Puerto Rico and its agencies are currently considered below-investment-grade securities. If the economic situation in Puerto Rico persists or worsens, the volatility, liquidity, credit quality and performance of the Trust could be adversely affected. The outcome of the debt restructuring of certain Puerto Rican issuers in which the Trust invests, both within and outside bankruptcy proceedings is uncertain, and could adversely affect the Trust.

Land-secured or dirt bonds are municipal securities for similar types of projects that are issued in connection with special taxing districts that are organized to plan and finance infrastructure development to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bonds financed by these methods, such as tax assessment, special tax or tax increment financing generally are payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities. These projects often are exposed to real estate development-related risks, such as the failure of property development, availability of financing, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values and the demand of properties to tenants, and changes in interest rates. These real estate risks may be heightened in the event that these projects are in foreclosure. Additionally, upon foreclosure the Trust may pay certain maintenance or operating expenses or taxes relating to such projects. These expenses may increase the overall expenses of the Trust and reduce its returns.

In addition, these projects can have more taxpayer concentration risk than general bonds, such as general obligation bonds. Further, the fees, special taxes, or tax allocations and other revenues that are established to secure such financings generally are limited as to the rate or amount that may be levied or assessed and are not subject to increase pursuant to rate covenants or municipal or corporate guarantees. The bonds could default if development failed to progress as anticipated or if larger taxpayers failed to pay the assessments, fees and taxes as provided in the financing plans of the projects.

The primary risk associated with the Trust’s issuance of preferred shares, such as the VMTP Shares, is exposing the net asset value of the common shares and total return to increased volatility if the value of the Trust decreases while the value of the preferred shares remains unchanged. Fluctuations in the dividend rates on the VMTP Shares can also impact the Trust’s yield or its distributions to common shareholders. The Trust is subject to certain restrictions relating to the VMTP Shares, such as maintaining certain asset coverage and leverage ratio requirements. Failure to comply with these restrictions could preclude the Trust from declaring any distributions to common shareholders or purchasing common shares and/or could trigger an increased rate which, if not cured, could cause the mandatory redemption of VMTP Shares at the liquidation preference plus any accumulated but unpaid dividends. For additional information regarding the risks of VMTP Shares, see “Notes to Financial Statements”.

When-issued and

 

 

delayed delivery transactions are subject to market risk as the value or yield of a security at delivery may be more or less than the purchase price or the yield generally available on securities when delivery occurs. In addition, the Trust is subject to counterparty risk because it relies on the buyer or seller, as the case may be, to consummate the transaction, and failure by the counterparty to complete the transaction may result in the Trust missing the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. These transactions have a leveraging effect on the Trust because the Trust commits to purchase securities that it does not have to pay for until a later date. These investments therefore increase the Trust’s overall investment exposure and, as a result, its volatility. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Trust has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made.

Zero coupon and securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods. Prices on instruments may be more sensitive to changes in the issuer’s financial condition, fluctuation in interest rates and market demand/supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative. Investors may purchase zero coupon and securities at a price below the amount payable at maturity. Because such securities do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity, this prevents any reinvestment of interest payments at prevailing interest rates if prevailing interest rates rise. The higher yields and interest rates on securities reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and that such investments may represent a higher credit risk than coupon loans. securities may have a potential variability in valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in certain lower-grade securities, such as zero coupon or securities.

The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of an underlying security, currency, commodity, interest rate, index or other asset (each referred to as an underlying asset). In addition to risks relating to the underlying assets, the use of derivatives may include other, possibly greater, risks, including counterparty, leverage and liquidity risks. Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to the derivative contract will default on its obligation to pay the Trust the amount owed or otherwise perform under the derivative contract. Derivatives create leverage risk because they do not require payment up front equal to the economic exposure created by holding a position in the derivative. As a result, an adverse change in the value of the underlying asset could result in the Trust sustaining a loss that is substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative or the anticipated value of the underlying asset, which may make the Trust’s returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. Derivative instruments may also be less liquid than more traditional investments and the Trust may be unable

to sell or close out its derivative positions at a desirable time or price. This risk may be more acute under adverse market conditions, during which the Trust may be most in need of liquidating its derivative positions. Derivatives may also be harder to value, less tax efficient and subject to changing government regulation that could impact the Trust’s ability to use certain derivatives or their cost. Derivatives strategies may not always be successful. For example, derivatives used for hedging or to gain or limit exposure to a particular market segment may not provide the expected benefits, particularly during adverse market conditions.

There may not be an active secondary market with respect to particular variable and floating rate instruments in which the Trust invests, which could make it difficult to dispose of these instruments during periods that the Trust is not entitled to exercise its demand rights or if the issuer and/or remarketing agent defaulted on its payment obligation. This could cause the Trust to suffer a loss with respect to such instruments.

If the seller of a repurchase agreement defaults or otherwise does not fulfill its obligations, the Trust may incur delays and losses arising from selling the underlying securities, enforcing its rights, or declining collateral value. These risks are magnified to the extent that a repurchase agreement is secured by securities other than cash or U.S. government securities.

The price the Trust could receive upon the sale of a portfolio investment may differ from the Trust’s valuation of the investment, particularly for investments that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology. Financial information related to securities of issuers may be less reliable than information related to securities of U.S. issuers, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for a security held by the Trust. When market quotations are not readily available for Trust investments, those investments are fair valued by the Adviser. There are multiple methods that can be used to fair value a portfolio investment and such methods may involve more subjectivity than the use of market quotations. The value established for an investment through fair valuation may be different from what would be produced if the investment had been valued using market quotations. In addition, there is no assurance that the Trust could sell a portfolio investment at any time for the value ascribed to it for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value, and it is possible that the Trust could incur a loss because an investment is sold at a discount to its ascribed value. The ability to value investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

The Trust is actively managed and depends heavily on the Adviser’s judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Trust’s portfolio. The Trust could experience losses if these judgments prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment techniques or investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investments or investment strategies available to the Adviser in connection with managing the Trust, which may also

adversely affect the ability of the Trust to achieve its investment objective.

Defaulted securities, where the issuer has defaulted on the

 

 

payment of interest and/or principal, are speculative and involve substantial risks. Although defaulted securities can offer significant potential for higher returns or for an exchange offer for other securities that offer this potential, there can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve these returns or that the issuer will make an exchange offer. The Trust will generally not receive interest payments on defaulted securities and may incur costs to protect its investment. In addition, defaulted securities involve the substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. Defaulted securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale.

The municipal issuers in which the Trust invests may be located in the same geographic area or may pay their interest obligations from revenue of similar projects, such as hospitals, airports, utility systems and housing finance agencies. This may make the Trust’s investments more susceptible to similar social, economic, political or regulatory occurrences, making the Trust more susceptible to experience a drop in its share price than if the Trust had been more diversified across issuers that did not have similar characteristics. From time to time, the Trust’s investments may include securities that alone or together with securities held by other funds or accounts managed by the Adviser, represents a major

portion or all of an issue of municipal securities. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments and, in some cases, there may be contractual restrictions on resales, the Trust may find it more difficult to sell such securities at a desirable time or price.

The Trust’s investments in municipal securities rely on the opinion of the issuer’s bond counsel that the interest paid on those securities will not be subject to federal and California income tax. Tax opinions are generally provided at the time the municipal security is initially issued. However, tax opinions are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or any court and after the Trust buys a security, the Internal Revenue Service or a court may determine that a bond issued as should in fact be taxable and the Trust’s dividends with respect to that bond might be subject to federal and California income tax. As a result, the treatment of dividends previously paid or to be paid by the Trust as “exempt-interest dividends” could be adversely affected, subjecting the Trust’s shareholders to increased federal and California income tax liabilities. In addition, income from municipal securities could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or a court, or the conduct of a bond issuer. The value of the Trust’s investments and its net asset value may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies. Because interest income from municipal securities is normally not subject to regular federal income taxation, the attractiveness of municipal securities in relation to other investment alternatives is affected by changes in federal income tax rates or changes in the status of interest income from municipal securities. Any proposed or actual changes in such rates or exempt status, therefore, can significantly affect the demand for and supply, liquidity and marketability of municipal securities. This could in turn affect the Trust’s net asset value and ability to acquire and dispose of municipal securities at desirable yield and price levels.

Although the interest received from municipal securities generally is exempt from federal income tax, the Trust may invest all or a portion of its total assets in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, investment in the Trust could cause shareholders to be subject to, or result in an increased liability under, the federal alternative minimum tax.

Zero coupon and securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods. Prices on instruments may be more sensitive to changes in the issuer’s financial condition, fluctuation in interest rates and market demand/supply imbalances than cash-paying securities with similar credit ratings, and thus may be more speculative. Investors may purchase zero coupon and securities at a price below the amount payable at maturity. Because such securities do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity, this prevents any reinvestment of interest payments at prevailing interest rates if prevailing interest rates rise. The higher yields and interest rates on securities reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and that such investments may represent a higher credit risk than coupon loans. securities may have a potential variability in valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in certain lower-grade securities, such as zero coupon or securities.

The prices of debt securities held by the Trust will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing

 

 

interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration debt securities and higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause the Trust to reinvest the proceeds of debt securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates. Falling interest rates may also reduce the Trust’s distributable income because interest payments on floating rate debt instruments held by the Trust will decline. The Trust could lose money on investments in debt securities if the issuer or borrower fails to meet its obligations to make interest payments and/or to repay principal in a timely manner. If an issuer seeks to restructure the terms of its borrowings or the Trust is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of interest or the repayment of principal, the Trust may incur additional expenses. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security may affect the value of debt securities. The credit analysis applied to the Trust’s debt securities may fail to anticipate such changes, which could result in buying a debt security at an inopportune time or failing to sell a debt security in advance of a price decline or other credit event.

When-issued and

 

 

delayed delivery transactions are subject to market risk as the value or yield of a security at delivery may be more or less than the purchase price or the yield generally available on securities when delivery occurs. In addition, the Trust is subject to counterparty risk because it relies on the buyer or seller, as the case may be, to consummate the transaction, and failure by the counterparty to complete the transaction may result in the Trust missing the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. These transactions have a leveraging effect on the Trust because the Trust commits to purchase securities that it does not have to pay for until a later date. These investments therefore increase the Trust’s overall investment exposure and, as a result, its volatility. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Trust has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made.

The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of an underlying security, currency, commodity, interest rate, index or other asset (each referred to as an underlying asset). In addition to risks relating to the underlying assets, the use of derivatives may include other, possibly greater, risks, including counterparty, leverage and liquidity risks. Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to the derivative contract will default on its obligation to pay the Trust the amount owed or otherwise perform under the derivative contract. Derivatives create leverage risk because they do not require payment up front equal to the economic exposure created by holding a position in the derivative. As a result, an adverse change in the value of the underlying asset could result in the Trust sustaining a loss that is substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative or the anticipated value of the underlying asset, which may make the Trust’s returns more volatile and increase the risk of loss. Derivative instruments may also be less liquid than more traditional investments and the Trust may be unable

to sell or close out its derivative positions at a desirable time or price. This risk may be more acute under adverse market conditions, during which the Trust may be most in need of liquidating its derivative positions. Derivatives may also be harder to value, less tax efficient and subject to changing government regulation that could impact the Trust’s ability to use certain derivatives or their cost. Derivatives strategies may not always be successful. For example, derivatives used for hedging or to gain or limit exposure to a particular market segment may not provide the expected benefits, particularly during adverse market conditions.

The primary risk associated with the Trust’s issuance of preferred shares, such as the VMTP Shares, is exposing the net asset value of the common shares and total return to increased volatility if the value of the Trust decreases while the value of the preferred shares remains unchanged. Fluctuations in the dividend rates on the VMTP Shares can also impact the Trust’s yield or its distributions to common shareholders. The Trust is subject to certain restrictions relating to the VMTP Shares, such as maintaining certain asset coverage and leverage ratio requirements. Failure to comply with these restrictions could preclude the Trust from declaring any distributions to common shareholders or purchasing common shares and/or could trigger an increased rate which, if not cured, could cause the mandatory redemption of VMTP Shares at the liquidation preference plus any accumulated but unpaid dividends. For additional information regarding the risks of VMTP Shares, see “Notes to Financial Statements”.

The issuers of instruments in which the Trust invests may be unable to meet interest and/or principal payments. This risk is increased to the extent the Trust invests in junk bonds, which may cause the Trust to incur higher expenses to protect its interests. The credit risks and market prices of lower-grade securities generally are more sensitive to negative issuer developments, such as reduced revenues or increased expenditures, or adverse economic conditions, such as a recession, than are higher-grade securities. An issuer’s securities may decrease in value if its financial strength weakens, which may reduce its credit rating and possibly its ability to meet its contractual obligations. In the event that an issuer of securities held by the Trust experiences difficulties in the timely payment of principal and interest and such issuer seeks to restructure the terms of its borrowings, the Trust may incur additional expenses and may determine to invest additional assets with respect to such issuer or the project or projects to which the Trust’s securities relate. Further, the Trust may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of interest or the repayment of principal on its portfolio holdings and the Trust may be unable to obtain full recovery on such amounts.

Inverse floating rate interests (Inverse Floaters) are issued in connection with municipal tender option bond (TOB) financing transactions to generate leverage for the Trust. Such instruments are created by a special purpose trust (a TOB Trust) that holds long-term fixed rate bonds, sold to it by the Trust (the

underlying security), and issues two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests (Floaters), which are sold to other investors, and Inverse Floaters, which are purchased by the Trust. The Floaters have first priority on the cash flow from the underlying security held by the TOB Trust, have a tender option feature that allows holders to tender the Floaters back to the TOB Trust for their par amount and accrued interest at specified intervals and bear interest at prevailing short-term interest rates. Tendered Floaters are remarketed for sale to other investors for their par amount and accrued interest by a remarketing agent to the TOB Trust and are ultimately supported by a liquidity facility provided by a bank, upon which the TOB Trust can draw funds to pay such amount to holders of Tendered Floaters that cannot be remarketed. The Trust, as holder of the Inverse Floaters, is paid the residual cash flow from the underlying security. Accordingly, the Inverse Floaters provide the Trust with leveraged exposure to the underlying security. When short-term interest rates rise or fall, the interest payable on the Floaters issued by a TOB Trust will, respectively, rise or fall, leaving less or more, respectively, residual interest cash flow from the underlying security available for payment on the Inverse Floaters. Thus, as short-term interest rates rise, Inverse Floaters produce less income for the Trust, and as short-term interest rates decline, Inverse Floaters produce more income for the Trust. The price of Inverse Floaters is expected to decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates decline, in either case generally more so than the price of a bond with a similar maturity, because of the effect of leverage. As a result, the price of Inverse Floaters is typically more volatile than the price of bonds with similar maturities, especially if the relevant TOB Trust is structured to provide the holder of the Inverse Floaters relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying security (e.g., if the par amount of the Floaters, as a percentage of the par amount of the underlying security, is relatively greater). Upon the occurrence of certain adverse events (including a credit ratings downgrade of the underlying security or a substantial decrease in the market value of the underlying security), a TOB Trust may be collapsed by the remarketing agent or liquidity provider and the underlying security liquidated, and the Trust could lose the entire amount of its investment in the Inverse Floater and may, in some cases, be contractually required to pay the shortfall, if any, between the liquidation value of the underlying security and the principal amount of the Floaters. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, the Trust’s investments in Inverse Floaters could negatively impact the Trust’s performance and yield, especially when those Inverse Floaters provide the Trust with relatively greater leveraged exposure to the underlying securities held by the relevant TOB Trusts.

If the seller of a repurchase agreement defaults or otherwise does not fulfill its obligations, the Trust may incur delays and losses arising from selling the underlying securities, enforcing its rights, or declining collateral value. These risks are magnified to the extent that a repurchase agreement is secured by securities other than cash or U.S. government securities.

Compared to higher quality debt securities, high yield debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) and other lower-rated securities involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors’ claims. High yield debt securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, are more susceptible to default or

decline in market value and are less liquid than investment grade debt securities. Prices of high yield debt securities tend to be very volatile. The values of high yield debt securities often fluctuate more in response to political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price, thus subjecting the Trust to a substantial risk of loss.

The Trust may be unable to sell illiquid investments at the time or price it desires and, as a result, could lose its entire investment in such investments. An investment may be illiquid due to a lack of trading volume in the investment or if the investment is privately placed and not traded in any public market or is otherwise restricted from trading. Liquid securities can become illiquid during periods of market stress.

Securities which are in the medium- and lower-grade categories generally offer higher yields than are offered by higher-grade securities of similar maturity, but they also generally involve more volatility and greater risks, such as greater credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk and management risk. Furthermore, many issuers of medium- and lower-grade securities choose not to have a rating assigned to their obligations by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization. As such, the Trust’s portfolio may consist of a higher portion of unrated securities as compared with an investment company that invests solely in higher-grade securities. Unrated securities may not be as attractive to as many buyers as are rated securities, a factor which may make unrated securities less able to be sold at a desirable time or price. These factors may limit the ability of the Trust to sell such securities at their fair value either to raise cash or in response to changes in the economy or the financial markets.

Land-secured or dirt bonds are municipal securities for similar types of projects that are issued in connection with special taxing districts that are organized to plan and finance infrastructure development to induce residential, commercial and industrial growth and redevelopment. The bonds financed by these methods, such as tax assessment, special tax or tax increment financing generally are payable solely from taxes or other revenues attributable to the specific projects financed by the bonds without recourse to the credit or taxing power of related or overlapping municipalities. These projects often are exposed to real estate development-related risks, such as the failure of property development, availability of financing, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values and the demand of properties to tenants, and changes in interest rates. These real estate risks may be heightened in the event that these projects are in foreclosure. Additionally, upon foreclosure the Trust may pay certain maintenance or operating expenses or taxes relating to such projects. These expenses may increase the overall expenses of the Trust and reduce its returns.

In addition, these projects can have more taxpayer concentration risk than general bonds, such as general obligation bonds. Further, the fees, special taxes, or tax allocations and other revenues that are established to secure such financings generally are limited as to the rate or amount that may be levied or assessed and are not subject to increase pursuant to rate covenants or municipal or corporate guarantees. The bonds could default if development failed to progress as anticipated or if larger taxpayers failed to pay the assessments, fees and taxes as provided in the financing plans of the projects.

The price the Trust could receive upon the sale of a portfolio investment may differ from the Trust’s valuation of the investment, particularly for investments that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology. Financial information related to securities of issuers may be less reliable than information related to securities of U.S. issuers, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for a security held by the Trust. When market quotations are not readily available for Trust investments, those investments are fair valued by the Adviser. There are multiple methods that can be used to fair value a portfolio investment and such methods may involve more subjectivity than the use of market quotations. The value established for an investment through fair valuation may be different from what would be produced if the investment had been valued using market quotations. In addition, there is no assurance that the Trust could sell a portfolio investment at any time for the value ascribed to it for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value, and it is possible that the Trust could incur a loss because an investment is sold at a discount to its ascribed value. The ability to value investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.