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| Share Name | Share Symbol | Market | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | NYSE:ACP | NYSE | Common Stock |
| Price Change | % Change | Share Price | High Price | Low Price | Open Price | Shares Traded | Last Trade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.03 | -0.50% | 6.03 | 6.05 | 6.00 | 6.05 | 319,920 | 20:00:02 |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
| Investment Company Act file number: | 811-22485 |
| Exact name of registrant as specified in charter: | |
| Address of principal executive offices: | 1900 Market Street, Suite 200 |
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 | |
| Name and address of agent for service: | Sharon Ferrari |
| abrdn Inc. | |
| 1900 Market Street Suite 200 | |
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 | |
| Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: | 1-800-522-5465 |
| Date of fiscal year end: | October 31 |
| Date of reporting period: |
Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.
| NAV2,3 | 15.54% |
| Market Price2 | 8.05% |
| ICE BofAML Global High Yield Constrained (Hedged USD)4 | 8.26% |
| NAV | Closing Market Price |
Premium(+)/ Discount(-) |
|
| 10/31/2023 | $ |
$ |
- |
| 10/31/2022 | $ |
$ |
- |
| 1 | Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Net asset value return data includes investment management fees, custodial charges and administrative fees (such as Trustee and legal fees) and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions. |
| 2 | Assuming the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. |
| 3 | The Fund’s total return is based on the reported NAV for each financial reporting period end and may differ from what is reported on the Financial Highlights due to financial statement rounding or adjustments. |
| 4 | The ICE BofAML Global High Yield Constrained (Hedged USD) Index tracks the performance of U.S. dollar-, Canadian dollar-, British pound- and euro-denominated below-investment-grade corporate debt publicly issued in the major domestic or eurobond markets. Indexes are unmanaged and have been provided for comparison purposes only. No fees or expenses are reflected. You cannot invest directly in an index. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 1 |
| 2 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| • | Visit: https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter |
| • | Email: Investor.Relations@abrdn.com; or |
| • | Call: 1-800-522-5465 (toll free in the U.S.). |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 3 |
| 1 | Difference in yield of two fixed income securities with similar maturities but different credit quality. |
| 2 | If the price of a fund moves significantly over a short period of time it is said to be 'volatile' or has 'high volatility'. If the price remains relatively stable it is said to have 'low volatility'. Volatility can be used as a measure of risk. |
| 3 | Capitalization is the value of an asset assessed in relation to its expected future stream of income. |
| 4 | The maximum amount of money that the U.S. government is allowed to borrow to meet its obligations. |
| 5 | S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service are independent, unaffiliated research companies that rate fixed income securities on the basis of risk and the borrower’s ability to make interest payments. S&P and Fitch assign ratings ranging from AAA (reliable and stable) to D (high risk) to communicate the agency’s opinion of relative level of credit risk. Moody’s credit ratings range from AAA to C, with AAA being the highest quality and C the lowest quality. |
| 6 | Monetary policy refers to decisions made by a government, usually through its central bank, regarding the amount of money in circulation in the economy. This includes setting official interest rates. |
| 7 | A chart that the U.S. Federal Reserve uses to display its members' predictions for the future path of the Federal Funds Rate. |
| 8 | An interest rate where the economy is producing its maximum output and inflation is steady. Nominal interest rate is the interest rate including inflation. |
| 9 | Investments that have a significant potential for price variation, either increasing or decreasing significantly. |
| 4 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| 10 | A key measure of the value of a company, fund, or trust is considered the total value of assets less liabilities, divided by the number of shares. |
| 11 | A portfolio holding less of a particular security (or sector or region) than the security’s weight in the benchmark portfolio. |
| 12 | The payment of any income generated by a fund. |
| 13 | Refinancing refers to the process of replacing existing debt with new debt. |
| 14 | The time when an insurance policy, security, etc. matures. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 5 |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Net Asset Value (NAV) | 15.54% | -0.65% | -1.60% | 1.85% |
| Market Price | 8.05% | -1.21% | -2.47% | 1.47% |
| ICE BofAML Global High Yield Constrained (Hedged USD) | 8.26% | 0.52% | 2.70% | 3.84% |
| 6 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Date | AAA/Aaa % | A % | BB/Ba % | B % | B or below % | NR % |
| October 31, 2023 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 18.7 | 53.9 | 23.8 | 2.6 |
| April 30, 2023 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 17.4 | 52.9 | 23.4 | 5.2 |
| October 31, 2022 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 13.4 | 45.6 | 38.2 | 0.0 |
| (1) | For financial reporting purposes, credit quality ratings shown above reflect the lowest rating assigned by either S&P, Moody’s or Fitch if ratings differ. These rating agencies are independent, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations and are widely used. Investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BBB/Baa or higher. Below investment grade ratings are credit ratings of BB/Ba or lower. Investments designated NR are not rated by these rating agencies. Unrated investments do not necessarily indicate low credit quality. Credit quality ratings are subject to change. The Adviser evaluates the credit quality of unrated investments based upon, but not limited to, credit ratings for similar investments. |
| Date | Europe % | United States % | United Kingdom % | Other % |
| October 31, 2023 | 40.7 | 35.2 | 14.2 | 9.9 |
| April 30, 2023 | 36.0 | 40.7 | 12.3 | 11.0 |
| October 31, 2022 | 40.0 | 31.7 | 19.2 | 9.1 |
| Date | 0 to 5 Years % | 5 to 10 Years % | 10 Years & Over % |
| October 31, 2023 | 58.6 | 37.6 | 3.8 |
| April 30, 2023 | 58.9 | 39.0 | 2.1 |
| October 31, 2022 | 65.7 | 32.7 | 1.6 |
| * | Modified duration is a measure of the sensitivity of the price of a bond to the fluctuations in interest rates. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 7 |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| CORPORATE BONDS—132.7% | |||
| AUSTRIA—1.5% | |||
| Benteler International AG | |||
| 9.38%, 05/15/2028(a)(b) | EUR | 2,000,000 | $ 2,132,072 |
| 10.50%, 05/15/2028(a)(b) | $ | 2,919,000 | 2,940,115 |
| Total Austria | 5,072,187 | ||
| BRAZIL—1.1% | |||
| Minerva Luxembourg SA, 8.88%, 09/13/2033(a)(b) | 3,711,000 | 3,642,161 | |
| CANADA—4.7% | |||
| Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. PIK, 12.50%, 12/15/2023(b)(c)(d)(e)(f) | 456,000 | – | |
| Enerflex Ltd., 9.00%, 10/15/2027(a)(b) | 7,301,000 | 6,643,910 | |
| Husky III Holding Ltd. PIK, 13.00%, 02/15/2025(a)(b)(g) | 1,495,000 | 1,438,937 | |
| Rogers Communications, Inc., (fixed rate to 03/15/2027, variable rate thereafter), 5.25%, 03/15/2082(a)(b) | 5,477,000 | 4,818,252 | |
| Titan Acquisition Ltd. / Titan Co-Borrower LLC, 7.75%, 04/15/2026(a)(b) | 3,183,000 | 2,960,548 | |
| Total Canada | 15,861,647 | ||
| CHINA—0.0% | |||
| Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd., 9.38%, 06/30/2024(a)(b)(c) | 3,609,000 | 112,781 | |
| CZECH REPUBLIC—0.9% | |||
| Allwyn Entertainment Financing UK PLC, 7.25%, 04/30/2030(a)(b) | EUR | 2,853,000 | 3,000,648 |
| FRANCE—8.7% | |||
| Altice France SA | |||
| 8.13%, 02/01/2027(a)(b) | $ | 2,659,000 | 2,241,445 |
| 5.13%, 07/15/2029(a)(b) | 866,000 | 592,917 | |
| 5.50%, 10/15/2029(a)(b) | 469,000 | 322,625 | |
| CAB SELAS, 3.38%, 02/01/2028(a)(b) | EUR | 5,400,000 | 4,756,690 |
| Chrome Holdco SASU, 5.00%, 05/31/2029(a)(b) | 10,000,000 | 7,596,948 | |
| Iliad Holding SASU, 7.00%, 10/15/2028(a)(b) | $ | 1,568,000 | 1,418,965 |
| Loxam SAS, 5.75%, 07/15/2027(a)(b) | EUR | 3,500,000 | 3,379,308 |
| Mobilux Finance SAS, 4.25%, 07/15/2028(a)(b) | 1,500,000 | 1,305,209 | |
| Picard Bondco SA, 5.38%, 07/01/2027(a)(b) | 4,000,000 | 3,730,227 | |
| Societe Generale SA VRN, (fixed rate to 11/22/2027, variable rate thereafter), 9.38%, 11/22/2027(a)(h) | $ | 4,420,000 | 4,266,951 |
| Total France | 29,611,285 | ||
| GEORGIA—0.2% | |||
| Bank of Georgia JSC VRN, (fixed rate to 06/28/2024, variable rate thereafter), 11.13%, 06/28/2024(a)(h) | 526,000 | 519,320 | |
| GERMANY—11.7% | |||
| Cerdia Finanz GmbH, 10.50%, 02/15/2027(a)(b) | 1,155,000 | 1,135,446 | |
| CT Investment GmbH, 5.50%, 04/15/2026(a)(b) | EUR | 3,645,000 | 3,612,642 |
| HT Troplast GmbH, 9.38%, 07/15/2028(a)(b) | 7,884,000 | 8,091,333 | |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| IHO Verwaltungs GmbH | |||
| PIK, 8.75%, 05/15/2028(a)(b)(g) | EUR | 3,270,388 | $ 3,560,335 |
| PIK, 8.75%, 05/15/2028(a)(b)(g) | 3,000,000 | 3,265,975 | |
| Kirk Beauty SUN GmbH PIK, 8.25%, 10/01/2026(a)(b)(g) | 4,700,000 | 4,575,226 | |
| PrestigeBidCo GmbH | |||
| FRN, 3 mo. Euribor + 6.000%, 9.97%, 07/15/2027(a)(b)(i) | 2,176,000 | 2,308,182 | |
| FRN, 3 mo. Euribor + 6.000%, 9.97%, 07/15/2027(a)(b)(i) | 4,500,000 | 4,773,355 | |
| Standard Profil Automotive GmbH, 6.25%, 04/30/2026(a)(b) | 3,500,000 | 2,825,657 | |
| TK Elevator Holdco GmbH, 6.63%, 07/15/2028(a)(b) | 6,300,000 | 5,716,122 | |
| Total Germany | 39,864,273 | ||
| IRELAND—2.4% | |||
| AerCap Holdings NV VRN, (fixed rate to 10/10/2024, variable rate thereafter), 5.88%, 10/10/2079(b) | $ | 2,239,000 | 2,101,420 |
| Cimpress PLC, 7.00%, 06/15/2026(b) | 6,417,000 | 5,938,420 | |
| Total Ireland | 8,039,840 | ||
| ISRAEL—1.8% | |||
| Teva Pharmaceutical Finance Netherlands II BV | |||
| 7.38%, 09/15/2029(b) | EUR | 5,000,000 | 5,350,020 |
| 7.88%, 09/15/2031(b) | 601,000 | 651,956 | |
| Total Israel | 6,001,976 | ||
| ITALY—0.5% | |||
| Lottomatica/Roma SpA 3 mo. Euribor + 4.125%, 7.93%, 06/01/2028(a)(b)(i) | 1,551,000 | 1,642,837 | |
| JAMAICA—0.4% | |||
| Digicel International Finance Ltd. / Digicel international Holdings Ltd., 8.00%, 12/31/2026(a)(b)(c) | $ | 120,811 | 2,416 |
| Digicel International Finance Ltd./Digicel international Holdings Ltd., 8.75%, 05/25/2024(a)(b) | 1,482,000 | 1,357,408 | |
| Total Jamaica | 1,359,824 | ||
| LUXEMBOURG—15.9% | |||
| Albion Financing 2 SARL, 8.75%, 04/15/2027(a)(b) | 9,785,000 | 8,938,499 | |
| Altice Financing SA, 5.75%, 08/15/2029(a)(b) | 2,086,000 | 1,613,120 | |
| Altice Finco SA, 4.75%, 01/15/2028(a)(b) | EUR | 5,000,000 | 3,908,157 |
| Altice France Holding SA | |||
| 10.50%, 05/15/2027(a)(b) | $ | 7,282,000 | 3,962,138 |
| 6.00%, 02/15/2028(a)(b) | 10,000,000 | 4,385,557 | |
| ARD Finance SA | |||
| PIK, 5.00%, 06/30/2027(a)(b)(g) | EUR | 6,000,000 | 3,682,189 |
| PIK, 6.50%, 06/30/2027(a)(b)(g) | $ | 610,732 | 355,556 |
| Cidron Aida Finco Sarl | |||
| 5.00%, 04/01/2028(a)(b) | EUR | 1,510,000 | 1,429,970 |
| 6.25%, 04/01/2028(a)(b) | GBP | 5,993,000 | 6,382,769 |
| Cullinan Holdco Scsp, 4.63%, 10/15/2026(a)(b) | EUR | 4,031,000 | 2,980,523 |
| 8 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| CORPORATE BONDS (continued) | |||
| LUXEMBOURG (continued) | |||
| HSE Finance Sarl | |||
| 5.63%, 10/15/2026(a)(b) | EUR | 1,210,000 | $ 630,420 |
| 3 mo. Euribor + 5.750%, 9.53%, 10/15/2026(a)(b)(i) | 1,690,000 | 908,758 | |
| LHMC Finco 2 Sarl PIK, 7.25%, 10/02/2025(a)(b)(g) | 256,281 | 260,565 | |
| Monitchem HoldCo 3 SA, 8.75%, 05/01/2028(a)(b) | 9,260,000 | 9,378,027 | |
| Summer BC Holdco A Sarl, 9.25%, 10/31/2027(a)(b) | 6,397,474 | 5,381,489 | |
| Total Luxembourg | 54,197,737 | ||
| MEXICO—1.9% | |||
| Braskem Idesa SAPI, 6.99%, 02/20/2032(a)(b) | $ | 1,079,000 | 636,855 |
| Cemex SAB de CV, (fixed rate to 03/14/2028, variable rate thereafter), 9.13%, 03/14/2028(a)(h) | 4,448,000 | 4,559,801 | |
| Sixsigma Networks Mexico SA de CV, 7.50%, 05/02/2025(a)(b) | 1,500,000 | 1,348,814 | |
| Unifin Financiera SAB de CV | |||
| (fixed rate to 01/29/2025, variable rate thereafter), 8.88%, 01/29/2025(a)(c)(d)(h) | 2,000,000 | 2,000 | |
| 8.38%, 01/27/2028(a)(b)(c)(d) | 3,000,000 | 60,164 | |
| Total Mexico | 6,607,634 | ||
| NETHERLANDS—8.0% | |||
| LeasePlan Corp. NV, (fixed rate to 05/29/2024, variable rate thereafter), 7.38%, 05/29/2024(a)(h) | EUR | 2,803,000 | 2,959,923 |
| Sigma Holdco BV, 7.88%, 05/15/2026(a)(b) | $ | 4,500,000 | 3,765,285 |
| Stichting AK Rabobank Certificaten, 6.50%, 12/29/2049(a)(h)(j) | EUR | 5,000,000 | 4,761,875 |
| Summer BidCo BV | |||
| PIK, 9.00%, 11/15/2025(a)(b)(g) | 3,205,779 | 3,307,235 | |
| PIK, 9.00%, 11/15/2025(a)(b)(g) | 4,145,482 | 4,263,518 | |
| Versuni Group BV, 3.13%, 06/15/2028(a)(b) | 3,300,000 | 2,684,946 | |
| Ziggo Bond Co. BV, 3.38%, 02/28/2030(a)(b) | 7,000,000 | 5,453,184 | |
| Total Netherlands | 27,195,966 | ||
| NIGERIA—0.7% | |||
| IHS Netherlands Holdco BV, 8.00%, 09/18/2027(a)(b) | $ | 2,860,000 | 2,330,900 |
| SPAIN—1.4% | |||
| Cirsa Finance International Sarl, 10.38%, 11/30/2027(a)(b) | EUR | 4,190,000 | 4,721,614 |
| SWEDEN—2.8% | |||
| DDM Debt AB, 9.00%, 04/19/2026(a)(b) | 3,000,000 | 2,190,267 | |
| Intrum AB, 3.50%, 07/15/2026(a)(b) | 3,200,000 | 2,683,681 | |
| Verisure Midholding AB, 5.25%, 02/15/2029(a)(b) | 5,000,000 | 4,556,688 | |
| Total Sweden | 9,430,636 | ||
| TRINIDAD—1.1% | |||
| WE Soda Investments Holding PLC, 9.50%, 10/06/2028(a)(b) | $ | 3,622,000 | 3,611,858 |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| TURKEY—0.3% | |||
| Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS VRN, (fixed rate to 01/22/2026, variable rate thereafter), 7.88%, 01/22/2031(a)(b) | $ | 983,000 | $ 941,223 |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES—0.0% | |||
| Emirates Reit Sukuk II Ltd., 9.50%, 12/12/2024(a) | 162,000 | 152,078 | |
| UNITED KINGDOM—18.4% | |||
| 888 Acquisitions Ltd., 7.56%, 07/15/2027(a)(b) | EUR | 7,200,000 | 6,818,398 |
| Barclays PLC VRN, (fixed rate to 12/15/2025, variable rate thereafter), 6.13%, 12/15/2025(h) | $ | 1,240,000 | 1,107,593 |
| BCP V Modular Services Finance II PLC, 4.75%, 11/30/2028(a)(b) | EUR | 2,600,000 | 2,276,503 |
| BCP V Modular Services Finance PLC, 6.75%, 11/30/2029(a)(b) | 5,000,000 | 3,676,898 | |
| Bellis Acquisition Co. PLC, 4.50%, 02/16/2026(a)(b) | GBP | 2,800,000 | 3,015,607 |
| Bellis Finco PLC, 4.00%, 02/16/2027(a)(b) | 3,000,000 | 2,697,787 | |
| Connect Finco Sarl / Connect US Finco LLC, 6.75%, 10/01/2026(a)(b) | $ | 2,645,000 | 2,466,558 |
| EnQuest PLC, 11.63%, 11/01/2027(a)(b) | 3,950,000 | 3,713,773 | |
| Galaxy Finco Ltd., 9.25%, 07/31/2027(a)(b) | GBP | 6,300,000 | 6,822,682 |
| INEOS Quattro Finance 1 PLC, 3.75%, 07/15/2026(a)(b) | EUR | 2,600,000 | 2,455,602 |
| Intu Properties PLC, 11.00%, 12/04/2024(d)(e) | GBP | 4,076,968 | 4,825,022 |
| Ithaca Energy North Sea PLC, 9.00%, 07/15/2026(a)(b) | $ | 2,636,000 | 2,530,639 |
| Jerrold Finco PLC, 5.25%, 01/15/2027(a)(b) | GBP | 4,000,000 | 4,230,979 |
| Punch Finance PLC, 6.13%, 06/30/2026(a)(b) | 2,740,000 | 2,855,759 | |
| Sherwood Financing PLC, 6.00%, 11/15/2026(a)(b) | 6,000,000 | 6,052,938 | |
| Virgin Media Vendor Financing Notes III DAC, 4.88%, 07/15/2028(a)(b) | 7,000,000 | 7,113,711 | |
| Total United Kingdom | 62,660,449 | ||
| UNITED STATES—46.5% | |||
| Adams Homes, Inc. | |||
| 7.50%, 02/15/2025(a)(b) | $ | 2,417,000 | 2,365,613 |
| 9.25%, 10/15/2028(a)(b) | 4,161,000 | 4,021,529 | |
| Affinity Interactive, 6.88%, 12/15/2027(a)(b) | 6,881,000 | 5,608,607 | |
| Ardagh Metal Packaging Finance USA LLC / Ardagh Metal Packaging Finance PLC, 3.00%, 09/01/2029(a)(b) | EUR | 5,000,000 | 3,888,624 |
| Ardagh Packaging Finance PLC / Ardagh Holdings USA, Inc., 4.75%, 07/15/2027(a)(b) | GBP | 955,000 | 812,393 |
| Carnival Corp. | |||
| 7.63%, 03/01/2026(a)(b) | $ | 3,514,000 | 3,416,988 |
| 5.75%, 03/01/2027(a)(b) | 1,750,000 | 1,562,508 | |
| 6.00%, 05/01/2029(a)(b) | 445,000 | 375,934 | |
| CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc., 5.25%, 05/15/2030(a)(b) | 4,860,000 | 3,451,349 | |
| Civitas Resources, Inc., 8.63%, 11/01/2030(a)(b) | 2,956,000 | 3,008,693 | |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 9 |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| CORPORATE BONDS (continued) | |||
| UNITED STATES (continued) | |||
| Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. | |||
| 6.00%, 10/15/2026(a)(b) | $ | 1,574,000 | $ 1,457,859 |
| 6.50%, 10/15/2028(a)(b) | 3,281,000 | 2,719,129 | |
| Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc., 6.13%, 01/15/2029(a)(b) | 6,037,000 | 4,413,660 | |
| CSC Holdings LLC | |||
| 7.50%, 04/01/2028(a)(b) | 4,000,000 | 2,563,712 | |
| 11.25%, 05/15/2028(a)(b) | 1,998,000 | 1,905,722 | |
| 5.75%, 01/15/2030(a)(b) | 4,480,000 | 2,343,800 | |
| 4.50%, 11/15/2031(a)(b) | 619,000 | 408,821 | |
| 5.00%, 11/15/2031(a)(b) | 862,000 | 440,775 | |
| DISH Network Corp., 11.75%, 11/15/2027(a)(b) | 6,285,000 | 6,225,670 | |
| Encore Capital Group, Inc., 5.38%, 02/15/2026(a)(b) | GBP | 7,500,000 | 8,304,558 |
| Frontier Communications Holdings LLC | |||
| 5.00%, 05/01/2028(a)(b) | $ | 280,000 | 241,749 |
| 6.75%, 05/01/2029(a)(b) | 830,000 | 656,782 | |
| 5.88%, 11/01/2029(b) | 895,605 | 673,153 | |
| 6.00%, 01/15/2030(a)(b) | 2,676,000 | 2,014,336 | |
| 8.75%, 05/15/2030(a)(b) | 2,464,000 | 2,347,581 | |
| 8.63%, 03/15/2031(a)(b) | 1,944,000 | 1,827,757 | |
| ITT Holdings LLC, 6.50%, 08/01/2029(a)(b) | 2,724,000 | 2,277,945 | |
| Level 3 Financing, Inc., 10.50%, 05/15/2030(a)(b) | 5,713,000 | 5,717,476 | |
| MajorDrive Holdings IV LLC, 6.38%, 06/01/2029(a)(b) | 7,573,000 | 5,869,075 | |
| Mauser Packaging Solutions Holding Co. | |||
| 7.88%, 08/15/2026(a)(b) | 1,965,000 | 1,840,456 | |
| 9.25%, 04/15/2027(a)(b) | 725,000 | 603,787 | |
| Midcap Financial Issuer Trust, 6.50%, 05/01/2028(a)(b) | 1,139,000 | 965,200 | |
| MIWD Holdco II LLC / MIWD Finance Corp., 5.50%, 02/01/2030(a)(b) | 6,041,000 | 4,795,044 | |
| Moss Creek Resources Holdings, Inc. | |||
| 7.50%, 01/15/2026(a)(b) | 3,827,000 | 3,655,573 | |
| 10.50%, 05/15/2027(a)(b) | 548,000 | 541,805 | |
| NCL Corp. Ltd. | |||
| 5.88%, 03/15/2026(a)(b) | 721,000 | 647,098 | |
| 7.75%, 02/15/2029(a)(b) | 5,212,000 | 4,548,980 | |
| NCL Finance Ltd., 6.13%, 03/15/2028(a)(b) | 1,803,000 | 1,507,735 | |
| NCR Atleos Escrow Corp., 9.50%, 04/01/2029(a)(b) | 5,011,000 | 4,911,933 | |
| Neptune Bidco US, Inc., 9.29%, 04/15/2029(a)(b) | 5,112,000 | 4,511,588 | |
| New Cotai LLC, 5.00%, 02/02/2027(d)(e) | 1,115,476 | 2,098,880 | |
| Sabre GLBL, Inc., 11.25%, 12/15/2027(a)(b) | 6,529,000 | 5,813,980 | |
| Sanchez Energy Corp., 7.25%, 07/15/2023(c)(d) | 257,000 | 21,845 | |
| Staples, Inc. | |||
| 7.50%, 04/15/2026(a)(b) | 2,836,000 | 2,313,307 | |
| 10.75%, 04/15/2027(a)(b) | 2,510,000 | 1,382,631 | |
| Star Parent, Inc., 9.00%, 10/01/2030(a)(b) | 3,887,000 | 3,857,397 | |
| Uniti Group LP / Uniti Group Finance Inc / CSL Capital LLC, 10.50%, 02/15/2028(a)(b) | 4,024,000 | 3,874,927 | |
| Univision Communications, Inc., 8.00%, 08/15/2028(a)(b) | 2,768,000 | 2,613,882 | |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| Venture Global LNG, Inc., 9.88%, 02/01/2032(a)(b) | $ | 7,311,000 | $ 7,413,270 |
| Viking Cruises Ltd., 5.88%, 09/15/2027(a)(b) | 2,870,000 | 2,585,583 | |
| Vistra Corp. | |||
| VRN, (fixed rate to 10/15/2026, variable rate thereafter), 8.00%, 10/15/2026(a)(h) | 1,340,000 | 1,273,000 | |
| VRN, (fixed rate to 12/15/2026, variable rate thereafter), 7.00%, 12/15/2026(a)(h) | 3,625,000 | 3,298,750 | |
| Vital Energy, Inc. | |||
| 10.13%, 01/15/2028(b) | 1,161,000 | 1,164,060 | |
| 9.75%, 10/15/2030(b) | 6,238,000 | 6,113,437 | |
| Wolverine World Wide, Inc., 4.00%, 08/15/2029(a)(b) | 6,485,000 | 4,835,197 | |
| Total United States | 158,111,143 | ||
| ZAMBIA—1.8% | |||
| First Quantum Minerals Ltd. | |||
| 6.88%, 10/15/2027(a)(b) | 2,493,000 | 2,123,352 | |
| 8.63%, 06/01/2031(a)(b) | 4,881,000 | 4,120,060 | |
| Total Zambia | 6,243,412 | ||
| Total Corporate Bonds | 450,933,429 | ||
| COMMON STOCKS—1.9% | |||
| AUSTRALIA—0.0% | |||
| BIS Industries Ltd.(d)(e)(k) | 804,308 | – | |
| HONG KONG—0.4% | |||
| Studio City International Holdings Ltd.(d)(k) | 183,525 | 917,626 | |
| Studio City International Holdings Ltd., ADR(d)(k) | 98,050 | 490,250 | |
| Total Hong Kong | 1,407,876 | ||
| UNITED STATES—1.5% | |||
| Foresight Energy LLC(d)(e)(k) | 74,057 | 2,469,817 | |
| Kca Kelly Topco(d)(e) | 11,090 | 604,405 | |
| Larchmont Intermediate Holdco LLC(d)(e) | 1,661 | 25,290 | |
| New Cotai LLC(d)(e)(k) | 971,487 | 728,615 | |
| True Religion Common(d)(e)(k) | 61 | 1,423,540 | |
| Total United States | 5,251,667 | ||
| Total Common Stocks | 6,659,543 | ||
| BANK LOANS—1.0% | |||
| UNITED KINGDOM—0.8% | |||
| Impala Bidco 0 Ltd. GBP Term Loan, 9.94%, 12/01/2028(i) | GBP | 1,000,000 | 1,148,600 |
| Constellation Automotive Ltd. GBP 2nd Lien Term Loan B, 12.68%, 07/27/2029(i) | 2,000,000 | 1,671,850 | |
| Total United Kingdom | 2,820,450 | ||
| UNITED STATES—0.2% | |||
| MLN US Holdco LLC | |||
| 12.20%, 11/01/2027(d)(i) | $ | 1,898,241 | 485,633 |
| 2022 Third Out Term Loan, 14.64%, 10/18/2027(i) | 952,344 | 76,187 | |
| Total United States | 561,820 | ||
| Total Bank Loans | 3,382,270 | ||
| 10 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Shares or Principal Amount | Value | ||
| PREFERRED STOCKS—0.1% | |||
| UNITED STATES—0.1% | |||
| True Religion Preferred(d)(e)(k) | 64 | $ 318,675 | |
| Total Preferred Stocks | 318,675 | ||
| SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT—4.0% | |||
| State Street Institutional U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Premier Class, 5.30%(l) | 13,611,934 | 13,611,934 | |
| Total Short-Term Investment | 13,611,934 | ||
| Total Investments (Cost $539,792,090)(m)—139.7% | 474,905,851 | ||
| Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets—(39.7%) | (135,061,636) | ||
| Net Assets—100.0% | $339,844,215 | ||
| (a) | Denotes a security issued under Regulation S or Rule 144A. |
| (b) | The maturity date presented for these instruments represents the next call/put date. |
| (c) | Security is in default. |
| (d) | Illiquid security. |
| (e) | Level 3 security. See Note 2(a) of the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements. |
| (f) | Sinkable security. |
| (g) | Payment-in-kind security for which part of the income earned may be paid as additional principal. |
| (h) | Perpetual bond. This is a bond that has no maturity date, is redeemable and pays a steady stream of interest indefinitely. The maturity date presented for these instruments represents the next call/put date. |
| (i) | Variable or Floating Rate security. Rate disclosed is as of October 31, 2023. |
| (j) | Step bond. Rate disclosed is as of October 31, 2023. |
| (k) | Non-income producing security. |
| (l) | Registered investment company advised by State Street Global Advisors. The rate shown is the 7 day yield as of October 31, 2023. |
| (m) | See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements for tax unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of securities. |
| ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
| EUR | Euro Currency |
| FRN | Floating Rate Note |
| GBP | British Pound Sterling |
| HKD | Hong Kong Dollar |
| PIK | Payment-In-Kind |
| PLC | Public Limited Company |
| USD | U.S. Dollar |
| VRN | Variable Rate Note |
| At October 31, 2023, the Fund held the following forward foreign currency contracts: |
| Purchase Contracts Settlement Date | Counterparty | Currency Purchased | Amount Purchased | Currency Sold | Amount Sold | Fair Value | Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | |
| British Pound/United States Dollar | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | Citibank N.A. | GBP | 2,678,977 | USD | 3,250,278 | $ 3,256,516 | $ 6,238 | |
| 11/21/2023 | Goldman Sachs & Co. | GBP | 268,722 | USD | 326,527 | 326,654 | 127 | |
| 11/21/2023 | Goldman Sachs & Co. | GBP | 4,324,949 | USD | 5,263,875 | 5,257,329 | (6,546) | |
| Euro/United States Dollar | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | Goldman Sachs & Co. | EUR | 1,460,968 | USD | 1,548,745 | 1,547,022 | (1,723) | |
| 11/21/2023 | Royal Bank of Canada | EUR | 964,215 | USD | 1,018,139 | 1,021,009 | 2,870 | |
| 11/21/2023 | Royal Bank of Canada | EUR | 2,544,199 | USD | 2,694,065 | 2,694,058 | (7) | |
| Hong Kong Dollar/United States Dollar | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | Goldman Sachs & Co. | HKD | 543,635 | USD | 69,532 | 69,501 | (31) | |
| 11/21/2023 | Royal Bank of Canada | HKD | 138,066 | USD | 17,655 | 17,651 | (4) | |
| 11/21/2023 | UBS AG | HKD | 262,425 | USD | 33,558 | 33,550 | (8) | |
| $14,223,290 | $ 916 | |||||||
| Sale Contracts Settlement Date | Counterparty | Currency Purchased | Amount Purchased | Currency Sold | Amount Sold | Fair Value | Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | |
| United States Dollar/British Pound | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | UBS AG | USD | 66,114,598 | GBP | 53,890,550 | $ 65,508,368 | $606,230 | |
| United States Dollar/Euro | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | Morgan Stanley & Co. | USD | 1,798,705 | EUR | 1,697,452 | 1,797,435 | 1,270 | |
| 11/21/2023 | Royal Bank of Canada | USD | 160,974,785 | EUR | 152,027,425 | 160,982,183 | (7,398) | |
| 11/21/2023 | UBS AG | USD | 1,021,305 | EUR | 960,000 | 1,016,546 | 4,759 | |
| 11/21/2023 | UBS AG | USD | 2,414,079 | EUR | 2,283,938 | 2,418,467 | (4,388) | |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 11 |
| Sale Contracts Settlement Date | Counterparty | Currency Purchased | Amount Purchased | Currency Sold | Amount Sold | Fair Value | Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | |
| United States Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar | ||||||||
| 11/21/2023 | HSBC Bank PLC | USD | 536,917 | HKD | 4,196,366 | $ 536,483 | $ 434 | |
| 11/21/2023 | Royal Bank of Canada | USD | 3,682 | HKD | 28,794 | 3,681 | 1 | |
| 11/21/2023 | UBS AG | USD | 46,835 | HKD | 366,188 | 46,816 | 19 | |
| $232,309,979 | $600,927 | |||||||
| Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts | $621,948 | |||||||
| Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts | $ (20,105) | |||||||
| 12 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Assets | |
| Investments, at value (cost $526,180,156) | $ 461,293,917 |
| Short-term investments, at value (cost $13,611,934) | 13,611,934 |
| Foreign currency, at value (cost $11,851) | 11,807 |
| Cash | 9,699 |
| Receivable for investments sold | 19,594 |
| Interest and dividends receivable | 10,359,364 |
| Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 621,948 |
| Prepaid expenses in connection with at-the-market offering (Note 5) | 41,773 |
| Prepaid expenses in connection with the shelf registration (Note 5) | 59,956 |
| Prepaid expenses in connection with bank loan (Note 8) | 3,142 |
| Prepaid expenses | 36,301 |
| Total assets | 486,069,435 |
| Liabilities | |
| Revolving credit facility payable (Note 8) | 105,000,000 |
| Investment advisory fees payable (Note 3) | 420,801 |
| Dividend payable on preferred shares | 175,002 |
| Administration fees payable (Note 3) | 52,021 |
| Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 20,105 |
| Investor relations fees payable (Note 3) | 9,345 |
| Other accrued expenses | 547,946 |
| Total liabilities | 106,225,220 |
| Cumulative Preferred Shares, $0.001 par value | |
| Series A Preferred Shares (5.25%, $25.00 liquidation value per share, 1,600,000 shares outstanding) (Note 7) |
40,000,000 |
| Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders | $ 339,844,215 |
| Composition of Net Assets Attributable to Common Shareholders | |
| Common stock (par value $0.001 per share) (Note 5) | $ 52,110 |
| Paid-in capital in excess of par | 620,035,283 |
| Accumulated loss | (280,243,178) |
| Net Assets | $ 339,844,215 |
| Net asset value per share based on |
$ 6.52 |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 13 |
| Net Investment Income | |
| Investment Income: | |
| Dividends and other income (net of foreign withholding taxes of $27,029) | $ 219,015 |
| Interest income | 37,471,332 |
| Total investment income | 37,690,347 |
| Expenses: | |
| Investment advisory fee (Note 3) | 5,378,613 |
| Administration fee (Note 3) | 537,861 |
| Excise taxes | 474,903 |
| Trustees' fees and expenses | 344,682 |
| Reports to shareholders and proxy solicitation | 121,575 |
| Independent auditors’ fees and expenses | 94,610 |
| Investor relations fees and expenses (Note 3) | 93,289 |
| Legal fees and expenses | 88,214 |
| Custodian’s fees and expenses | 44,661 |
| Transfer agent’s fees and expenses | 31,968 |
| Miscellaneous | 144,609 |
| Total operating expenses, excluding interest expense | 7,354,985 |
| Interest expense and commitment fee on credit facility (Note 8) | 6,767,736 |
| Total operating expenses before reimbursed/waived expenses | 14,122,721 |
| Investment advisor waiver | (702,879) |
| Net expenses | 13,419,842 |
| Net Investment Income | 24,270,505 |
| Net Realized/Unrealized Gain/(Loss) from Investments and Foreign Currency Related Transactions: | |
| Net realized gain/(loss) from: | |
| Investment transactions | (50,604,587) |
| Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | (6,756,200) |
| Foreign currency transactions | 101,767 |
| (57,259,020) | |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on: | |
| Investments | 61,620,682 |
| Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 1,712,743 |
| Foreign currency translation | (74,902) |
| 63,258,523 | |
| Net realized and unrealized gain from investments, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currencies | 5,999,503 |
| Change in Net Assets Resulting from Operations | $ 30,270,008 |
| Total distributions to preferred shareholders | (2,100,000) |
| Net Increase in Net Assets Attributable to Common Shareholders Resulting from Operations | $ 28,170,008 |
| 14 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| For the Year Ended October 31, 2023 |
For the Year Ended October 31, 2022 |
|
| Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets: | ||
| Operations: | ||
| Net investment income | $ 24,270,505 | $ 20,875,496 |
| Net realized gain/(loss) from investments, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency transactions | (57,259,020) | 3,902,028 |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency translation | 63,258,523 | (84,502,480) |
| Net increase/(decrease) in net assets applicable to common shareholders resulting from operations | 30,270,008 | (59,724,956) |
| Distributions to Preferred Shareholders from: | ||
| Distributable earnings | (2,100,000) | (2,070,833) |
| Net decrease in net assets from distributions to preferred shareholders | (2,100,000) | (2,070,833) |
| Net decrease in net assets attributable to common shareholders resulting from operations | 28,170,008 | (61,795,789) |
| Distributions to Common Shareholders from: | ||
| Distributable earnings | (30,876,177) | (28,744,450) |
| Return of capital | (20,763,307) | – |
| Net decrease in net assets applicable to common shareholders from distributions | (51,639,484) | (28,744,450) |
| Proceeds from at-the-market offering resulting in the issuance of 488,323 and 1,523,512 shares of common stock, respectively (Note 5) | 3,983,457 | 13,839,680 |
| Proceeds from shares issued from the reorganization resulting in the addition of 26,763,172 and 0 shares of common stock, respectively (Note 12) | 192,397,770 | – |
| Expenses in connection with the at-the-market stock offering (Note 5) | (2,888) | (6,284) |
| Expenses in connection with the shelf offering (Note 5) | – | (5,301) |
| Reinvestment of dividends resulting in the issuance of 41,073 and 32,025 shares of common stock, respectively | 285,066 | 285,045 |
| Change in net assets from capital transactions | 196,663,405 | 14,113,140 |
| Change in net assets applicable to common shareholders | 173,193,929 | (76,427,099) |
| Net Assets: | ||
| Beginning of year | 166,650,286 | 243,077,385 |
| End of year | $339,844,215 | $166,650,286 |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 15 |
| Cash flows from operating activities: | |
| Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | $ 30,270,008 |
| Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by operating activities: |
|
| Investments purchased | (427,408,973) |
| Investments sold and principal repayments | 413,398,539 |
| Increase in short-term investments, excluding foreign government | (395,640) |
| Net amortization/accretion of premium (discount) | (4,290,390) |
| Decrease in interest, dividends and other receivables | 179,474 |
| Net change unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts | (1,712,743) |
| Increase in prepaid expenses | (28,522) |
| Increase in accrued investment management fees payable | 112,340 |
| Decrease in other accrued expenses | (37,911) |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation of investments | (61,620,682) |
| Net change in unrealized depreciation on foreign currency translations | 74,902 |
| Net realized loss on investments transactions | 50,604,587 |
| Net cash used in operating activities | (855,011) |
| Cash flows from financing activities: | |
| Borrowings on line of credit | 87,000,000 |
| Repayment of revolving credit facility | (70,000,000) |
| Distributions paid to shareholders | (53,739,484) |
| Proceeds from at-the-market stock offering | 3,983,457 |
| Proceeds from reinvestment of dividends | 285,066 |
| Expenses in connection with the at-the-market and shelf offering | (2,888) |
| Net cash used in financing activities | (32,473,849) |
| Effect of exchange rate on cash | (3,058) |
| Net increase in cash from Reorganization | 32,193,004 |
| Net change in cash | (1,138,914) |
| Unrestricted and restricted cash and foreign currency, beginning of year | 1,160,420 |
| Unrestricted and restricted cash and foreign currency, end of year | $ 21,506 |
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | |
| Cash paid for interest and fees on borrowing | $ 6,767,736 |
| Net Assets acquired from Reorganization, excluding cash | $ 160,204,766 |
| 16 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| For the Fiscal Years Ended October 31, | |||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE(a): | |||||
| Net asset value per common share, beginning of year | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| Net investment income | 0.57 | 0.87 | 0.98 | 0.87 | 1.05 |
| Net realized and unrealized gains/(losses) on investments, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency transactions | 0.47 | (3.35) | 1.11 | (1.07) | (1.23) |
| Total from investment operations applicable to common shareholders | 1.04 | (2.48) | 2.09 | (0.20) | (0.18) |
| Distributions to preferred shareholders from: | |||||
| Net investment income | (0.05) | (0.09) | (0.05) | – | – |
| Net increase/(decrease) in net assets attributable to common shareholders resulting from operations | 0.99 | (2.57) | 2.04 | – | – |
| Distributions to common shareholders from: | |||||
| Net investment income | (0.72) | (1.20) | (1.13) | (0.77) | (1.41) |
| Return of capital | (0.48) | – | (0.07) | (0.63) | (0.03) |
| Total distributions | ( |
( |
( |
( |
( |
| Capital Share Transactions: | |||||
| Offering costs for preferred shares charged to paid-in-capital | – | – | (0.11) | – | – |
| Impact of shelf offering | 0.01 | 0.04 | – | – | – |
| Dilutive effect of rights offer (Note 5) | – | – | (0.43) | (0.71) | – |
| Total capital share transactions | 0.01 | 0.04 | (0.54) | – | – |
| Net asset value per common share, end of year | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| Market price, end of year | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| Total Investment Return Based on(b): | |||||
| Market price | 8.05% | (34.92%) | 37.13% | (6.16%) | (2.48%) |
| Net asset value | 15.54%(c) | (25.76%)(c) | 14.69% | (5.65%) | (0.29%) |
| Ratio to Average Net Assets Applicable to Common Shareholders/Supplementary Data: | |||||
| Net assets including liquidation value of preferred shares, end of year(000 omitted) | $379,844 | $206,650 | $283,077 | $– | $– |
| Net assets applicable to common shareholders, end of year (000 omitted) | $339,844 | $166,650 | $243,077 | $176,871 | $162,939 |
| Average net assets applicable to common shareholders (000 omitted) | $294,262 | $206,720 | $218,990 | $181,152 | $167,302 |
| Net operating expenses, net of fee waivers/recoupments | 4.56% | 3.70% | 2.86% | 3.06% | 3.89% |
| Net operating expenses, excluding fee waivers/recoupments | 4.80% | 3.95% | 3.01% | 3.24% | 4.05% |
| Net operating expenses, net of fee waivers/recoupment, excluding interest expense, commitment fee and loan servicing fees |
2.26% | 2.48% | 2.24% | 2.15% | 2.27% |
| Net Investment income | 8.25% | 10.10% | 8.75% | 8.26% | 8.19% |
| Portfolio turnover | 83% | 66% | 63% | 97% | 93% |
| Senior securities (loan facility) outstanding (000 omitted) | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| Asset coverage ratio on senior securities year end(d) | 462% | 335% | 340% | 318% | 326% |
| Asset coverage per $1000 on senior securities year end | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$3,263 See Notes to Financial Statements.
|
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 17 |
| For the Fiscal Years Ended October 31, | |||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Asset coverage ratio on total leverage at year end(e) | 334% | 230% | 254% | 318% | 326% |
| Asset coverage per $1,000 on total leverage at year end | $3,344 | $2,302 | $2,538 | $3,178 | $3,263 |
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Total investment return based on market value is calculated assuming that shares of the Fund’s common stock were purchased at the closing market price as of the beginning of the period, dividends, capital gains and other distributions were reinvested as provided for in the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan and then sold at the closing market price per share on the last day of the period. The computation does not reflect any sales commission investors may incur in purchasing or selling shares of the Fund. The total investment return based on the net asset value is similarly computed except that the Fund’s net asset value is substituted for the closing market value. |
| (c) | The total return shown above includes the impact of financial statement rounding of the NAV per share and/or financial statement adjustments. |
| (d) | Asset coverage ratio is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings, including Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares, for investment purposes by the amount of any senior securities, which includes the revolving credit facility. |
| (e) | Asset coverage ratio is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes by the amount of any borrowings. |
| 18 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Acquired Fund | ACP NAV per Share ($) March 10, 2023 | Conversion Ratio | Shares Issued |
| Delaware Ivy High Income Opportunities Fund ("IVH") | 7.1889 | 1.615135 | 26,763,172 |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 19 |
| 20 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Security Type | Standard Inputs |
| Debt and other fixed-income securities | Reported trade data, broker-dealer price quotations, benchmark yields, issuer spreads on comparable securities, credit quality, yield, and maturity. |
| Forward foreign currency contracts | Forward exchange rate quotations. |
| Investments, at Value | Level 1 – Quoted Prices | Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs | Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs | Total |
| Assets | ||||
| Investments in Securities | ||||
| Bank Loans | $ – | $ 3,382,270 | $ – | $ 3,382,270 |
| Common Stocks | – | 1,407,876 | 5,251,667 | 6,659,543 |
| Corporate Bonds | – | 444,009,527 | 6,923,902 | 450,933,429 |
| Preferred Stocks | – | – | 318,675 | 318,675 |
| Short-Term Investment | 13,611,934 | – | – | 13,611,934 |
| Total Investments | $13,611,934 | $448,799,673 | $12,494,244 | $474,905,851 |
| Other Financial Instruments | ||||
| Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | $ – | $ 621,948 | $ – | $ 621,948 |
| Total Investment Assets | $13,611,934 | $449,421,621 | $12,494,244 | $475,527,799 |
| Liabilities | ||||
| Other Financial Instruments | ||||
| Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | $ – | $ (20,105) | $ – | $ (20,105) |
| Total Investment Liabilities | $ – | $ (20,105) | $ – | $ (20,105) |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 21 |
| Rollforward of Level 3 Fair Value Measurements For the Year Ended October 31, 2023 | ||||||||||
| Investments in Securities | Balance as of October 31, 2022 | Accrued Discounts (Premiums) | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | Net Purchases | Net Sales | Net Transfers in to Level 3 | Net Transfers out of Level 3 | Balance as of October 31, 2023 | Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) from Investments Held at October 31, 2023 |
| Corporate Bonds | ||||||||||
| Canada | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- | $- |
| United Kingdom | 3,926,678 | - | - | 242,936 | 655,408 | - | - | - | 4,825,022 | 242,936 |
| United States* | - | 6,269 | - | (1,059,553) | 3,158,433 | - | - | - | 2,098,880 | (1,059,553) |
| Common Stocks | ||||||||||
| Australia* | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| United States* | - | - | - | 964,407 | 4,287,260 | - | - | - | 5,251,667 | 964,407 |
| Preferred Stocks | ||||||||||
| United States* | - | - | - | - | 318,675 | - | - | - | 318,675 | - |
| Total | $3,926,678 | $6,269 | $- | $147,790 | $8,419,776 | $- | $- | $- | $12,494,244 | $147,790 |
| * | Securities acquired as part of the Reorganization. |
| Description | Fair Value at 10/31/23** | Valuation Technique (s) | Unobservable Inputs | Range | Weighted Average |
| Common Stocks | $3,893,357 | Market Approach | EBITDA/Revenue multiple | 2.61x - 6.75x/0.44x - 0.79x | 4.12x/0.66x |
| $604,405 | Market Approach | Broker Quote | N/A | N/A | |
| $25,290 | Market Approach | Financial Statements | N/A | N/A | |
| $728,615 | Market Approach | Financial Statements | N/A | N/A | |
| Corporate Bonds | $4,825,022 | Income Method | Credit Spread | 8.75 | 8.75 |
| $2,098,880 | Market Approach | Financial Statements | N/A | N/A | |
| Preferred Stocks | $318,675 | Market Approach | EBITDA/Revenue multiple | 6.75x/0.44x | 6.75x/0.44x |
| ** | Certain Level 3 assets have been fair valued at $0. |
| 22 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 23 |
| Risk Exposure Category | |||||||
| Interest Rate Contracts | Foreign Currency Contracts | Credit Contracts | Equity Contracts | Commodity Contracts | Other | Total | |
| Assets: | |||||||
| Unrealized appreciation on: | |||||||
| Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | $– | $ 621,948 | $– | $– | $– | $– | $ 621,948 |
| Total | $– | $621,948 | $– | $– | $– | $– | $621,948 |
| Liabilities: | |||||||
| Unrealized depreciation on: | |||||||
| Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | $– | $ 20,105 | $– | $– | $– | $– | $ 20,105 |
| Total | $– | $ 20,105 | $– | $– | $– | $– | $ 20,105 |
| Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities | |||||||
| Gross Amounts of Assets Presented in Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Financial Instruments | Collateral Received | Net Amount | Gross Amounts of Liabilities Presented in Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Financial Instruments | Collateral Pledged | Net Amount | |
| Description | Assets | Liabilities | ||||||
| Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | ||||||||
| Citibank N.A. | $6,238 | $– | $– | $6,238 | $– | $– | $– | $– |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. | 127 | (127) | – | – | 8,300 | (127) | – | 8,173 |
| HSBC Bank PLC | 434 | – | – | 434 | – | – | – | – |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. | 1,270 | – | – | 1,270 | – | – | – | – |
| Royal Bank of Canada | 2,871 | (2,871) | – | – | 7,409 | (2,871) | – | 4,538 |
| UBS AG | 611,008 | (4,396) | – | 606,612 | 4,396 | (4,396) | – | – |
| 24 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Risk Exposure Category | ||||||
| Interest Rate Contracts | Foreign Currency Contracts | Credit Contracts | Equity Contracts | Commodity Contracts | Total | |
| Realized Gain/(Loss) on Derivatives Recognized as a Result of Operations: | ||||||
| Net realized gain/(loss) on: | ||||||
| Forward Currency Contracts | $– | $ (6,756,200) | $– | $– | $– | $ (6,756,200) |
| Total | $– | $(6,756,200) | $– | $– | $– | $(6,756,200) |
| Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) on Derivatives Recognized as a Result of Operations: | ||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of: | ||||||
| Forward Currency Contracts | $– | $ 1,712,743 | $– | $– | $– | $ 1,712,743 |
| Total | $– | $ 1,712,743 | $– | $– | $– | $ 1,712,743 |
| Derivative | Average Notional Value |
| Foreign Currency Contracts Purchased | $ 7,055,393 |
| Foreign Currency Contracts Sold | $204,531,912 |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 25 |
| 26 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Amount Fiscal Year 2021 (Expires 10/31/24) | $ 332,380 | |
| Amount Fiscal Year 2022 (Expires 10/31/25) | $ 519,698 | |
| Amount Fiscal Year 2023 (Expires 10/31/26) | $ 702,879 | |
| Total* | $1,554,957 |
| * | Amounts reported are due to expire throughout the respective 3-year expiration period presented above. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 27 |
| 28 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 29 |
| 30 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Tax Cost of Securities | Unrealized Appreciation | Unrealized Depreciation | Net Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) |
| $548,765,282 | $7,927,651 | $(81,787,082) | $(73,859,431) |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 31 |
| October 31, 2023 | October 31, 2022 | |||
| Common | Preferred | Common | Preferred | |
| Distributions paid from: | ||||
| Ordinary Income | $ 30,876,177 | $ 2,100,000 | $ 28,744,450 | $ 2,070,833 |
| Net long-term capital gains | — | — | — | — |
| Tax return of capital | 20,763,307 | — | — | — |
| Total tax character of distributions | $51,639,484 | $2,100,000 | $28,744,450 | $2,070,833 |
| Undistributed Ordinary Income | $ - |
| Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains | - |
| Total undistributed earnings | $ - |
| Capital loss carryforward | $(204,669,360)* |
| Other currency gains | - |
| Other Temporary Differences | (1,714,387) |
| Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) | (73,859,431)** |
| Total accumulated earnings/(losses) – net | $(280,243,178) |
| * | On October 31, 2023, the Fund had a net capital loss carryforward of $(204,669,360) which will be available to offset like amounts of any future taxable gains. The Fund is permitted to carry forward capital losses for an unlimited period, and capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses. The breakdown of capital loss carryforwards are as follows: |
| Amounts | Expires |
| $ 45,066,152 | Unlimited (Short—Term) |
| 159,603,208 | Unlimited (Long—Term) |
| Paid-in Capital | Distributable Earnings/ (Accumulated Loss) |
| $81,762,906 | $(81,762,906) |
| 32 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Net investment income | $29,241,425 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain from investments | 8,791,886 |
| Net increase in net assets from operations | 38,033,311 |
| Shares Outstanding | Net Assets | Net Asset Value Per Share | Net Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | Accumulated Net Realized Gain/(Loss) | |
| Before Reorganization | |||||
| Delaware Ivy High Income Opportunities Fund | 16,570,235 | $ 192,397,770 | $11.61 | $ (39,706,519) | $ (83,124,103) |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 25,312,394 | 181,969,426 | 7.19 | (40,108,769) | (90,577,032) |
| Total | $374,367,196 | $(79,815,288) | $(173,701,135) |
| Shares Outstanding | Net Assets | Net Asset Value Per Share | Net Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | Accumulated Net Realized Gain/(Loss) | |
| After Reorganization | |||||
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 52,075,566 | $374,367,196 | $7.19 | $(79,815,288) | $(173,701,135) |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 33 |
| 34 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 35 |
| 36 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Votes For | Votes Against | Votes Abstained |
| 11,420,419 | 1,829,195 | 775,377 |
| Votes For | Votes Withheld | |
| P. Gerald Malone | 39,197,933 | 4,670,785 |
| Votes For | Votes Against/ Withheld | |
| Randolph Takian | 928,143 | 110,589 |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 37 |
| 38 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| • | the nature, quality, cost and extent of administrative services and investor relations services provided by AI, an affiliate of the Adviser, under separate agreements covering administrative services and investor relations services. |
| • | whether the Fund has operated in accordance with its investment objective and the Fund’s record of compliance with its investment restrictions, and the compliance programs of the Advisers. The Trustees also considered the compliance-related resources the Advisers and their affiliates were providing to the Fund. |
| • | the effect of any market and economic volatility on the performance, asset levels and expense ratios of the Fund. |
| • | so-called “fallout benefits” to the Advisers and their affiliates, including indirect benefits. The Trustees considered any possible conflicts of interest associated with these fallout and other benefits, and the reporting, disclosure and other processes in place to disclose and monitor such possible conflicts of interest. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 39 |
| 40 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 41 |
| 42 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 43 |
| 44 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 45 |
| 46 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 47 |
| 48 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 49 |
| 50 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 51 |
| 52 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 53 |
| 54 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 55 |
| 56 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 57 |
| 58 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 59 |
| 60 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 61 |
| 62 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 63 |
| 64 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 65 |
| 1. | Issue senior securities or borrow money, except the Fund may issue senior securities and/or borrow money (including through reverse repurchase agreements) to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and as modified or supplemented from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time and (ii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time. The Fund does not have an investment policy limiting the amount of leverage that may be obtained through the use of covered reverse repurchase agreements. |
| 2. | Act as an underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of loans or portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under applicable securities laws. |
| 3. | Invest in any security if as a result, 25% or more of the value of the Fund's total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, are in the securities of issuers in any particular industry except (a) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities or securities of state and municipal governments or their political |
| 66 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| subdivisions (however, not including private purpose industrial development bonds issued on behalf of non-government issuers), or (b) as otherwise provided by the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and as modified or supplemented from time to time by (i) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time, and (ii) any exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended from time to time. For purposes of this restriction, (i) an investment in a loan participation will be considered to be an investment in the securities or obligations of the issuer of the loan to which the participation relates and (ii) an investment in a repurchase agreement, reverse repurchase agreement, CLO, CBO, CDO or a swap or other derivative will be considered to be an investment in the industry (if any) of the underlying or reference security, instrument or asset. The Fund defines an industry by reference to Bloomberg BICS codes for industry classifications. |
| 4. | Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may: (a) acquire or lease office space for its own use, (b) invest in securities and/or other instruments of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein or that are engaged in or operate in the real estate industry, (c) invest in securities and/or other instruments that are secured by real estate or interests therein, (d) purchase and sell mortgage-related securities and/or other instruments, and (e) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities and/or other instruments. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts and related options thereon, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and any other financial or derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities. |
| 6. | Make loans of money or property to any person, except (a) to the extent that securities, instruments, credit obligations or interests (including Senior Loans) in which the Fund may invest, or which the Fund may originate, are considered to be loans, (b) through the loan of portfolio securities or (c) by engaging in repurchase agreements. |
| 7. | May not purchase securities of any one issuer, other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, if, immediately after such purchase, more than 5% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in such issuer or the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, except that 25% or less of the Fund's total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations. There is no limit to the percentage of assets |
| that may be invested in U.S. Treasury bills, notes, or other obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. |
| 1. | Issue senior securities or borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Currently, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder generally limit the extent to which the Fund may utilize borrowings, together with any other senior securities representing indebtedness, to 33 and 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets at the time utilized (less the Fund’s liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities). In addition, the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may issue preferred shares plus senior securities representing indebtedness to 50% of the Fund’s total assets (less the Fund’s liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities). Indebtedness associated with reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions may be aggregated with any other senior securities representing indebtedness for this purpose or be treated as derivatives transactions under the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, depending on the Fund’s election under applicable SEC requirements. |
| 2. | Invest in any security if, as a result 25% or more of the value of the Fund's total assets, taken at market value at the time of each investment, are in the securities of issuers in any particular industry except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities or securities of state and municipal governments or their political subdivisions (however, not including private purpose industrial development bonds issued on behalf of non-government issuers). |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 67 |
| Assumed annual returns on the Fund's portfolio (net of expenses) |
(10%) | (5%) | 0% | 5% | 10% |
| Corresponding return of shareholder |
( |
( |
( |
| 68 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 69 |
| 70 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years | Number of Registered Investment Companies ("Registrants") consisting of Investment Portfolios ("Portfolios") in Fund Complex* Overseen by Board Members | Other Directorships Held by Board Member** |
| Interested Board Members | |||||
| Stephen Bird† co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1967 | Class II Trustee | Term as Trustee expires 2025; Trustee since 2021 | Mr. Bird joined the Board of abrdn plc in July 2020 as Chief Executive-Designate, and was formally appointed Chief Executive Officer in September 2020. Previously, Mr. Bird served as chief executive officer of global consumer banking at Citigroup from 2015, retiring from the role in November 2019. His responsibilities encompassed all consumer and commercial banking businesses in 19 countries, including retail banking and wealth management, credit cards, mortgages, and operations and technology supporting these businesses. Prior to this, Mr. Bird was chief executive for all of Citigroup’s Asia Pacific business lines across 17 markets in the region, including India and China. Mr. Bird joined Citigroup in 1998, and during his 21 years with the company he held a number of leadership roles in banking, operations and technology across its Asian and Latin American businesses. Before this, he held management positions in the UK at GE Capital – where he was director of UK operations from 1996 to 1998 – and at British Steel. | 15 Registrants consisting of 33 Portfolios | None. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 71 |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years | Number of Registered Investment Companies ("Registrants") consisting of Investment Portfolios ("Portfolios") in Fund Complex* Overseen by Board Members | Other Directorships Held by Board Member** |
| Independent Board Members | |||||
| P. Gerald Malone co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1950 | Chair of the Board; Class III Trustee | Term expires 2026; Trustee since 2017 | Mr. Malone is, by profession, a lawyer of over 40 years. Currently, he is a non-executive director of a number of U.S. companies, including Medality Medical (medical technology company) since 2018. He is also Chairman of many of the open and closed end funds in the Fund Complex. He previously served as a non-executive director of U.S. healthcare company Bionik Laboratories Corp. (2018 - July 2022), as Independent Chairman of UK companies Crescent OTC Ltd (pharmaceutical services) until February 2018; and fluidOil Ltd. (oil services) until June 2018; U.S. company Rejuvenan llc (wellbeing services) until September 2017 and as chairman of UK company Ultrasis plc (healthcare software services company) until October 2014. Mr. Malone was previously a Member of Parliament in the U.K. from 1983 to 1997 and served as Minister of State for Health in the U.K. government from 1994 to 1997. | 9 Registrants consisting of 27 Portfolios | None. |
| John Sievwright co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1955 | Class I Trustee | Term expires 2024; Trustee since 2017 | Mr. Sievwright is a Non-Executive Director of Burford Capital Ltd (since May 2020) (provider of legal, finance, complex strategies, post-settlement finance and asset management services and products) and Revolut Limited, a UK-based digital banking firm (since August 2021); and Chair of the Board of LoopFX (fin-tech start-up operating in large foreign currency institutional transactions) (since Sept. 2022). | 6 Registrants consisting of 8 Portfolios | Non-Executive Director of Burford Capital Ltd (provider of legal finance, complex strategies, post-settlement finance and asset management services and products) since May 2020. |
| 72 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years | Number of Registered Investment Companies ("Registrants") consisting of Investment Portfolios ("Portfolios") in Fund Complex* Overseen by Board Members | Other Directorships Held by Board Member** |
| Randolph Takian co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1974 | Class III Trustee and Preferred Shares Trustee | Term as Trustee expires 2026; Trustee since 2010 | Managing Director and Head of Bank and Lending of Global Wealth and Investment Management at Bank of America (since 2019); Vice President of Boulevard Acquisition Corp. II, a blank check company and an affiliate of Avenue Capital Group (from 2015 to 2019); President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Avenue Mutual Funds Trust (from 2012 to 2019); Senior Managing Director and Head of Traditional Asset Management of Avenue Capital Group (from 2010 to 2019). Board Member and member of Executive Committee of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a non-profit. | 1 Registrants consisting of 1 Portfolios | None. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 73 |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years | Number of Registered Investment Companies ("Registrants") consisting of Investment Portfolios ("Portfolios") in Fund Complex* Overseen by Board Members | Other Directorships Held by Board Member** |
| Nancy Yao co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1972 | Class II Trustee and Preferred Shares Trustee | Term expires 2025; Trustee since 2019 | Ms. Yao is a lecturer on accounting and governance at Yale University. She is also a strategic consultant. Ms. Yao was the President of the Museum of Chinese in America from 2015 until 2023. Prior to that, she served as the executive director of the Yale-China Association and managing director of the corporate program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to her work in non-profit, Ms. Yao launched the Asia coverage at the Center for Financial Research and Analysis (currently known as RiskMetrics), served as the inaugural director of policy research of Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Institute, and was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. Ms. Yao is a board member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. | 8 Registrants consisting of 8 Portfolios | None. |
| * | As of the most recent fiscal year end, the Fund Complex has a total of 18 Registrants with each Board member serving on the Boards of the number of Registrants listed. Each Registrant in the Fund Complex has one Portfolio except for two Registrants that are open-end funds, abrdn Funds and abrdn ETFs, which each have multiple Portfolios. The Registrants in the Fund Complex are as follows: abrdn Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc., abrdn Global Income Fund, Inc., abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc., abrdn Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc., The India Fund, Inc., abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc., abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund, abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund, abrdn Global Premier Properties Fund, abrdn Total Dynamic Dividend Fund, abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund, abrdn National Municipal Income Fund, abrdn Healthcare Investors, abrdn Life Sciences Investors, abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund, abrdn World Healthcare Fund, abrdn Funds (19 Portfolios), and abrdn ETFs (3 Portfolios). |
| ** | Current directorships (excluding Fund Complex) as of the most recent fiscal year end held in (1) any other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, (2) any company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) or (3) any company subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. |
| † | Mr. Bird is considered to be an “interested person” of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act because of his affiliation with abrdn. |
| 74 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office* and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years |
| Joseph Andolina** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1978 | Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President – Compliance | Since 2017 | Currently, Chief Risk Officer – Americas for abrdn Inc. and serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for abrdn Inc. Prior to joining the Risk and Compliance Department, he was a member of abrdn Inc.'s Legal Department, where he served as US Counsel since 2012. |
| Katherine Corey** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1985 | Vice President | Since 2023 | Currently, Senior Legal Counsel, Product Governance US for abrdn Inc. Ms. Corey joined abrdn Inc. as U.S. Counsel in 2013. |
| Sharon Ferrari** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1977 | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Since 2023; Fund Officer Since 2017 | Currently, Director, Product Management for abrdn Inc. Ms. Ferrari joined abrdn Inc. as a Senior Fund Administrator in 2008. |
| Katie Gebauer** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1986 | Vice President | Since 2023 | Currently, Chief Compliance Officer—ETFs and serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC. Ms. Gebauer joined abrdn Inc. in 2014. |
| Alan Goodson** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1974 | Vice President | Since 2017 | Currently, Executive Director, Product & Client Solutions – Americas for abrdn Inc., overseeing Product Management & Governance , Product Development and Client Solutions for registered and unregistered investment companies in the U.S., Brazil and Canada. Mr. Goodson is Director and Vice President of abrdn Inc. and joined abrdn Inc. in 2000. |
| Heather Hasson** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1982 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Senior Product Solutions and Implementation Manager, Product Governance US for abrdn Inc. Ms. Hasson joined the company in 2006. |
| Robert Hepp** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1986 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Senior Product Governance Manager – US for abrdn Inc. Mr. Hepp joined abrdn Inc. as a Senior Paralegal in 2016. |
| Matt Kence** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1974 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Investment Director for abrdn Inc. |
| Megan Kennedy** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1974 | Vice President and Secretary | Since 2017 | Currently, Senior Director, Product Governance for abrdn Inc. Ms. Kennedy joined abrdn Inc. in 2005. |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 75 |
| Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Fund | Term of Office* and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During at Least the Past Five Years |
| Andrew Kim** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1983 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Senior Product Governance Manager – US for abrdn Inc. Mr. Kim joined abrdn Inc. as a Product Manager in 2013. |
| Brian Kordeck** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1978 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Senior Product Manager – US for abrdn Inc. Mr. Kordeck joined abrdn Inc. as a Senior Fund Administrator in 2013. |
| Michael Marsico** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1980 | Vice President | Since 2022 | Currently, Senior Product Manager – US for abrdn Inc. Mr. Marsico joined abrdn Inc. as a Fund Administrator in 2014. |
| Ben Pakenham** c/o abrdn Investments Limited 280 Bishopsgate London, EC2M 4AG Year of Birth: 1973 | Vice President | Since 2017 | Currently, Head of European High Yield and Global Loans. Mr. Pakenham joined abrdn in 2011. |
| Christian Pittard** c/o abrdn Investments Limited 280 Bishopsgate London, EC2M 4AG Year of Birth: 1973 | President | Since 2017 | Currently, Head of Closed End Funds & Managing Director - Corporate Finance. Mr. Pittard joined abrdn from KPMG in 1999. |
| Lucia Sitar** co abrdn Inc. 1900 Market Street Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Year of Birth: 1971 | Vice President | Since 2017 | Currently, Vice President and Head of Product Management and Governance for abrdn Inc. since 2020. Previously, Ms. Sitar was Managing U.S. Counsel for abrdn Inc. She joined abrdn Inc. as U.S. Counsel in 2007. |
| * | Officers hold their positions with the Fund until a successor has been duly elected and qualifies. Officers are appointed annually at a meeting of the Fund Board. |
| ** | Each officer may hold officer position(s) in one or more other funds which are part of the Fund Complex. |
| 76 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Common Shareholder transaction expenses | |
| Sales load ( |
|
| Offering expenses ( |
|
| Dividend reinvestment and optional cash purchase plan fees (per share for open-market purchases of common shares)(3) |
|
| Fee for Open Market Purchases of Common Shares | $ |
| Fee for Optional Shares Purchases | $ |
| Sales of Shares Held in a Dividend Reinvestment Account | $ and $ |
| Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares) |
|
| Advisory fee(4) | |
| Interest expenses on bank borrowings(5) | |
| Dividends on Preferred Shares(6) | |
| Other expenses | |
| Total annual expenses | |
| Less: expense reimbursement(7) | |
| Total annual expenses after expense reimbursement |
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 77 |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
| Fiscal Period Ended) |
Title of Security | Total Principal Amount Outstanding |
Aggregate Liquidation Preference |
Liquidation Preference Per Share |
Asset Coverage Per $1,000 of Principal Amount |
| October 31, 2023 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2023 | $ |
$40,000,000 | $ |
$ |
|
| October 31, 2022 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2022 | $ |
$40,000,000 | $ |
$ |
|
| October 31, 2021 | $ |
-- | $ |
| 78 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
| Fiscal Period Ended) |
Title of Security | Total Principal Amount Outstanding |
Aggregate Liquidation Preference |
Liquidation Preference Per Share |
Asset Coverage Per $1,000 of Principal Amount |
| October 31, 2021 | $ |
$40,000,000 | $ |
$ |
|
| October 31, 2020 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2019 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2018 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2017 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2016 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2015 | $ |
-- | $ |
||
| October 31, 2014 | $ |
-- | $ |
| NYSE Market Price(1) | NAV at NYSE Market Price(1) |
Market Premium/(Discount) to NAV on Date of NYSE Market Price(1) |
||||
| Quarter Ended (2) | High | Low | High | Low | High | Low |
| October 31, 2023 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| July 31, 2023 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
- |
| April 30, 2023 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| January 31, 2023 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| October 31, 2022 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| July 31, 2022 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||
| April 30, 2022 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||
| January 31, 2022 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| October 31, 2021 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 79 |
| NYSE Market Price(1) | NAV at NYSE Market Price(1) |
Market Premium/(Discount) to NAV on Date of NYSE Market Price(1) |
||||
| Quarter Ended (2) | High | Low | High | Low | High | Low |
| July 31, 2021 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| April 30, 2021 | $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
- |
|
| 80 | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund |
Item 2. Code of Ethics.
| (a) | As of October 31, 2023, abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund (the “Fund” or the “Registrant”) had adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party (the “Code of Ethics”). |
| (b) | Definitional. |
| (c) | There have been no amendments, during the period covered by this report, to a provision of the Code of Ethics. |
| (d) | During the period covered by this report, there were no waivers to the provisions of the Code of Ethics. |
| (e) | Not applicable |
| (f) | A copy of the Code of Ethics has been filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. |
Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.
The Registrant's Board of Trustees has determined that John Sievwright, a member of the Board of Trustees’ Audit Committee, possesses the attributes, and has acquired such attributes through means, identified in instruction 2 of Item 3 to Form N-CSR to qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” and has designated Mr. Sievwright as the Audit Committee’s financial expert. Mr. Sievwright is considered to be an “independent” trustee, as such term is defined in paragraph (a)(2) of Item 3 to Form N-CSR.
Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
(a) – (d) Below is a table reflecting the fee information requested in Items 4(a) through (d):
| Fiscal Year Ended | (a) Audit Fees1 | (b) Audit-Related Fees2 | (c) Tax Fees3 | (d) All Other Fees4 | ||||||||||||
| October 31, 2023 | $ | 129,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
| Percentage approved pursuant to pre-approval exception5 | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
| October 31, 2022 | $ | 94,740 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
| Percentage approved pursuant to pre-approval exception5 | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
1 “Audit Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for the audit of the Fund’s annual financial statements and services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
2 “Audit Related Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements that are not reported under “Audit Fees”. These fees include offerings related to the Fund’s common shares.
3 “Tax Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for professional services for tax advice, tax compliance, and tax planning. These fees include: federal and state income tax returns, review of excise tax distribution calculations and federal excise tax return.
4 “All Other Fees” are the aggregate fees billed for products and services other than “Audit Fees”, “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax Fees”.
5 Pre-approval exception under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. The pre-approval exception for services provided directly to the Fund waives the pre-approval requirement for services other than audit, review or attest services if: (A) the aggregate amount of all such services provided constitutes no more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid by the Fund to its accountant during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (B) the Fund did not recognize the services as non-audit services at the time of the engagement; and (C) the services are promptly brought to the Audit Committee’s attention, and the Committee (or its delegate) approves the services before the audit is completed.
| (e)(1) | The Registrant’s Audit Committee (the “Committee”) has adopted a Charter that provides that the Committee shall annually select, retain or terminate, and recommend to the Independent Trustees for their ratification, the selection, retention or termination, the Registrant’s independent auditor and, in connection therewith, to evaluate the terms of the engagement (including compensation of the independent auditor) and the qualifications and independence of the independent auditor, including whether the independent auditor provides any consulting, auditing or tax services to the Registrant’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”) or any sub-adviser, and to receive the independent auditor’s specific representations as to their independence, delineating all relationships that may affect the independent auditor’s independence, including the disclosures required by PCAOB Rule 3526 or any other applicable auditing standard. PCAOB Rule 3526 requires that, at least annually, the auditor: (1) disclose to the Committee in writing all relationships between the auditor and its related entities and the Registrant and its related entities that in the auditor’s professional judgment may reasonably be thought to bear on independence; (2) confirm in the letter that, in its professional judgment, it is independent of the Registrant within the meaning of the Securities Acts administered by the SEC; and (3) discuss the auditor’s independence with the audit committee. The Committee is responsible for actively engaging in a dialogue with the independent auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the independent auditor and for taking, or recommending that the full Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the independent auditor. The Committee Charter also provides that the Committee shall review in advance, and consider approval of, any and all proposals by Management or the Adviser that the Registrant, the Adviser or their affiliated persons, employ the independent auditor to render “permissible non-audit services” to the Registrant and to consider whether such services are consistent with the independent auditor’s independence. “Permissible non-audit services” include any professional services, including tax services, provided to the Registrant by the independent auditor, other than those provided to the Registrant in connection with an audit or a review of the financial statements of the Registrant. Permissible non-audit services may not include: (i) bookkeeping or other services related to the accounting records or financial statements of the Registrant; (ii) financial information systems design and implementation; (iii) appraisal or valuation services, fairness opinions or contribution-in-kind reports; (iv) actuarial services; (v) internal audit outsourcing services; (vi) management functions or human resources; (vii) broker or dealer, investment adviser or investment banking services; (viii) legal services and expert services unrelated to the audit; and (ix) any other service the PCAOB determines, by regulation, is impermissible. Pre-approval by the Committee of any permissible non-audit services is not required so long as: (i) the aggregate amount of all such permissible non-audit services provided to the Registrant constitutes not more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid by the Registrant to its auditor during the fiscal year in which the permissible non-audit services are provided; (ii) the permissible non-audit services were not recognized by the Registrant at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (iii) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Committee and approved by the Committee or its Delegate(s) prior to the completion of the audit. The Committee may delegate to one or more of its members (“Delegates”) authority to pre-approve permissible non-audit services to be provided to the Registrant. Any pre-approval determination of a Delegate shall be presented to the full Committee at its next meeting. Any pre-approval determination of a Delegate shall be presented to the full Committee at its next meeting. Pursuant to this authority, the Registrant’s Committee delegates to the Committee Chair, subject to subsequent ratification by the full Committee, up to a maximum amount of $25,000, which includes any professional services, including tax services, provided to the Registrant by its independent registered public accounting firm other than those provided to the Registrant in connection with an audit or a review of the financial statements of the Registrant. The Committee shall communicate any pre-approval made by it or a Delegate to the Adviser, who will ensure that the appropriate disclosure is made in the Registrant’s periodic reports required by Section 30 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and other documents as required under the federal securities laws. |
| (e)(2) | None of the services described in each of paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item involved a waiver of the pre-approval requirement by the Audit Committee pursuant to Rule 2-01 (c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X. |
| (f) | Not applicable. |
| (g) | Non-Audit Fees |
The following table shows the amount of fees that KPMG LLP billed during the Fund’s last two fiscal years for non-audit services to the Registrant, and to the Adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser that provides ongoing services to the Fund (“Affiliated Fund Service Provider”):
| Fiscal Year Ended | Total Non-Audit Fees Billed to Fund | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (engagements related directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund) | Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (all other engagements) | Total | |||||||||||||
| October 31, 2023 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,171,994 | $ | 1,171,994 | |||||||||
| October 31, 2022 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,108,929 | $ | 1,108,929 | |||||||||
“Non-Audit Fees billed to Fund” for both fiscal years represent “Tax Fees” and “All Other Fees” billed to Fund in their respective amounts from the previous table.
| (h) | Not applicable. |
| (i) | Not applicable. |
| (j) | Not applicable. |
Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.
| (a) | The Registrant has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)). |
As of the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, the Audit Committee members were:
Nancy Yao Maasbach
P. Gerald Malone
John Sievwright
Randolph Takian
| (b) | Not applicable. |
Item 6. Schedule of Investments.
(a) Included as part of the Report to Shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.
(b) Not applicable.
Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Pursuant to the Registrant's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures, the Registrant has delegated responsibility for its proxy voting to its Adviser, provided that the Registrant's Board of Trustees has the opportunity to periodically review the Adviser's proxy voting policies and material amendments thereto.
The proxy voting policies of the Registrant are included herewith as Exhibit (c) and policies of the Adviser are included as Exhibit (d).
Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
(a)(1) PORTFOLIO MANAGER BIOGRAPHIES
The Fund is managed by abrdn’s US and European High Yield teams. The US and European High Yield teams work in a truly collaborative fashion; all team members have both portfolio management and research responsibilities. The teams are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The following individuals have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
| Individual & Position |
Past Business Experience |
| Ben Pakenham Head of European High Yield and Global Loans |
Ben Pakenham is Head of European High Yield and Global Loans. He joined abrdn in 2011 from Henderson Global Investors (from 2008-2011), where he was the lead fund manager on the Extra Monthly Income Bond Fund and a named manager on various other credit portfolios including the High Yield Monthly Income Bond Fund. Prior to Henderson Global Investors, he was an Assistant Fund Manager on the High Yield Funds at New Star Asset Management (2005-2008). |
| Matthew Kence Investment Director – US High Yield and Global High Yield |
Matthew Kence is an Investment Director and is a Portfolio Manager on the abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund and the Global High Yield strategies at abrdn. He is also responsible for covering US high yield energy companies. Matt joined the company in 2010 from Gannet Welsh & Kotler where he was a Vice President, Credit. Previously, Matt also worked for MFS Investment Management as a high yield analyst. Matt graduated with a BS Mechanical Engineering from Ohio University and received his MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. |
| Adam Tabor Investment Director – European High Yield and Leveraged Loans |
Adam Tabor is an Investment Director on the Global High Yield team at abrdn. Adam joined the company in 2010 on the graduate rotation scheme having previously interned with the company in 2009. Adam graduated with an MA in Financial Economics from the University of St Andrews. He is a CFA Charterholder. |
| George Westervelt Head of Global High Yield and Head of US High Yield Research |
George Westervelt is Head of Global High Yield and Head of US High Yield Research. He is one of the Portfolio Managers on the team that manages the Global High Yield strategies and is also a member of the North American Fixed Income Leadership team. George joined abrdn in 2009 as a Credit Analyst and joined the portfolio management group in 2011. Prior to joining abrdn, George worked at MFS Investment Management in Boston and Citigroup in New York. He earned a BA in English from the University of Vermont and is a CFA Charterholder. |
(a)(2) OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS.
The following chart summarizes information regarding other accounts for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into the following three categories: (1) registered investment companies; (2) other pooled investment vehicles; and (3) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (“performance-based fees”), information on those accounts is provided separately. The figures in the chart below for the category of “registered investment companies” include the Fund. The “Other Accounts Managed” represents the accounts managed by the teams of which the portfolio manager is a member. The information in the table below is as of October 31, 2023.
| Name of Portfolio Manager | Type of Accounts | Other Accounts Managed | Total Assets ($M) | Number of Accounts Managed for Which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance | Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance ($M) | ||||||||
| Adam Tabor1 | Registered Investment Companies | 1 | $ | 476.40 | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
| Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | $ | 718.15 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Other Accounts | 2 | $ | 141.75 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Ben Pakenham1 | Registered Investment Companies | 1 | $ | 476.40 | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
| Pooled Investment Vehicles | 4 | $ | 718.15 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Other Accounts | 2 | $ | 141.75 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Matthew Kence2 | Registered Investment Companies | 2 | $ | 559.12 | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
| Pooled Investment Vehicles | 5 | $ | 1,370.80 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Other Accounts | 3 | $ | 472.07 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| George Westervelt2 | Registered Investment Companies | 2 | $ | 559.12 | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||
| Pooled Investment Vehicles | 5 | $ | 1,370.80 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
| Other Accounts | 3 | $ | 472.07 | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||
1 Includes accounts managed by the Euro High Yield and Global Leverage Loans teams, of which the portfolio manager is a member.
2 Includes accounts managed by the US High Yield, Global High Yield, US Global Credit, Euro High Yield and Global Leverage Loans teams, of which the portfolio manager is a member.
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The Adviser and its affiliates (collectively referred to herein as “abrdn”) serve as investment advisers for multiple clients, including the Registrant and other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act and private funds (such clients are also referred to below as “accounts”). The portfolio managers’ management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Registrant’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Registrant. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. However, the Adviser believes that these risks are mitigated by the fact that: (i) accounts with like investment strategies managed by a particular portfolio manager are generally managed in a similar fashion, subject to exceptions to account for particular investment restrictions or policies applicable only to certain accounts, differences in cash flows and account sizes, and similar factors; and (ii) portfolio manager personal trading is monitored to avoid potential conflicts. In addition, the Adviser has adopted trade allocation procedures that require equitable allocation of trade orders for a particular security among participating accounts.
In some cases, another account managed by the same portfolio manager may compensate Aberdeen based on the performance-based fees with qualified clients. The existence of such a performance-based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities.
Another potential conflict could include instances in which securities considered as investments for the Registrant also may be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities for the Registrant and one or more of the other accounts simultaneously, the Adviser may aggregate the purchases and sales of the securities and will allocate the securities transactions in a manner that it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of the allocations, there may be instances where the Registrant will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Registrant from time to time, it is the opinion of the Adviser that the benefits from the policies outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions. The Registrant has adopted policies that are designed to eliminate or minimize conflicts of interest, although there is no guarantee that procedures adopted under such policies will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
With respect to non-discretionary model delivery accounts (including UMA accounts) and discretionary SMA accounts, abrdn Inc. will utilize a third party service provider to deliver model portfolio recommendations and model changes to the Sponsors. abrdn Inc. seeks to treat clients fairly and equitably over time, by delivering model changes to our service provider and investment instructions for our other discretionary accounts to our trading desk, simultaneously or approximately at the same time. The service provider will then deliver the model changes to each Sponsor on a when-traded, randomized full rotation schedule. All Sponsors will be included in the rotation schedule, including SMA and UMA.
UMA Sponsors will be responsible for determining how and whether to implement the model portfolio or model changes and implementation of any client specific investment restrictions. The Sponsors are solely responsible for determining the suitability of the model portfolio for each model delivery client, executing trades and seeking best execution for such clients.
As it relates to SMA accounts, abrdn Inc. will be responsible for managing the account on the basis of each client’s financial situation and objectives, the day to day investment decisions, best execution, accepting or rejecting client specific investment restrictions and performance. The SMA Sponsors will collect suitability information and will provide a summary questionnaire for our review and approval or rejection. For dual contract SMAs, abrdn Inc. will collect a suitability assessment from the client, along with the Sponsor suitability assessment. Our third party service provider will monitor client specific investment restrictions on a day to day basis. For SMA accounts, model trades will be traded by the Sponsor or may be executed through a “step-out transaction,”- or traded away- from the client’s Sponsor if doing so is consistent with abrdn’s obligation to obtain best execution. When placing trades through Sponsor Firms (instead of stepping them out), we will generally aggregate orders where it is possible and in the client’s best interests. In the event we are not comfortable that a Sponsor can obtain best execution for a specific security and trading away is infeasible, we may exclude the security from the model.
Trading costs are not covered by the Wrap Program fee and may result in additional costs to the client. In some instances, step-out trades are executed without any additional commission, mark-up, or mark-down, but in many instances, the executing broker-dealer may impose a commission or a mark-up or mark-down on the trade. Typically, the executing broker will embed the added costs into the price of the trade execution, making it difficult to determine and disclose the exact added cost to clients. In this instance, these additional trading costs will be reflected in the price received for the security, not as a separate commission, on trade confirmations or on account statements. In determining best execution for SMA accounts, abrdn Inc. takes into consideration that the client will not pay additional trading costs or commission if executing with the Sponsor.
While UMA accounts are invested in the same strategies as and may perform similarly to SMA accounts, there are expected to be performance differences between them. There will be performance dispersions between UMAs and other types of accounts because abrdn does not have discretion over trading and there may be client specific restrictions for SMA accounts.
abrdn may have already commenced trading for its discretionary client accounts before the model delivery accounts have executed abrdn's recommendations. In this event, trades placed by the model delivery clients may be subject to price movements, particularly with large orders or where securities are thinly traded, that may result in model delivery clients receiving less favorable prices than our discretionary clients. abrdn has no discretion over transactions executed by model delivery clients and is unable to control the market impact of those transactions.
Timing delays or other operational factors associated with the implementation of trades may result in non-discretionary and model delivery clients receiving materially different prices relative to other client accounts. In addition, the constitution and weights of stocks within model portfolios may not always be exactly aligned with similar discretionary accounts. This may create performance dispersions within accounts with the same or similar investment mandate.
(a)(3)
DESCRIPTION OF COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
abrdn’s remuneration policies are designed to support its business strategy as a leading international asset manager. The objective is to attract, retain and reward talented individuals for the delivery of sustained, superior returns for abrdn’s clients and shareholders. abrdn operates in a highly competitive international employment market, and aims to maintain its strong track record of success in developing and retaining talent.
abrdn’s policy is to recognize corporate and individual achievements each year through an appropriate annual bonus scheme. The bonus is a single, fully discretionary variable pay award. The aggregate value of awards in any year is dependent on the group’s overall performance and profitability. Consideration is also given to the levels of bonuses paid in the market. Individual awards, which are payable to all members of staff, are determined by a rigorous assessment of achievement against defined objectives.
The variable pay award is composed of a mixture of cash and a deferred award, the portion of which varies based on the size of the award. Deferred awards are by default abrdn plc shares, with an option to put up to 50% of the deferred award into funds managed by abrdn. Overall compensation packages are designed to be competitive relative to the investment management industry.
Base Salary
abrdn’s policy is to pay a fair salary commensurate with the individual’s role, responsibilities and experience, and having regard to the market rates being offered for similar roles in the asset management sector and other comparable companies. Any increase is generally to reflect inflation and is applied in a manner consistent with other abrdn employees; any other increases must be justified by reference to promotion or changes in responsibilities.
Annual Bonus
The Remuneration Committee determines the key performance indicators that will be applied in considering the overall size of the bonus pool. In line with practices amongst other asset management companies, individual bonuses are not subject to an absolute cap. However, the aggregate size of the bonus pool is dependent on the group’s overall performance and profitability. Consideration is also given to the levels of bonuses paid in the market. Individual awards are determined by a rigorous assessment of achievement against defined objectives, and are reviewed and approved by the Remuneration Committee.
abrdn has a deferral policy which is intended to assist in the retention of talent and to create additional alignment of executives’ interests with abrdn’s sustained performance and, in respect of the deferral into funds managed by abrdn, to align the interest of portfolio managers with our clients.
Staff performance is reviewed formally at least once a year. The review process evaluates the various aspects that the individual has contributed to abrdn, and specifically, in the case of portfolio managers, to the relevant investment team. Discretionary bonuses are based on client service, asset growth and the performance of the respective portfolio manager. Overall participation in team meetings, generation of original research ideas and contribution to presenting the team externally are also evaluated.
In the calculation of a portfolio management team’s bonus, abrdn takes into consideration investment matters (which include the performance of funds, adherence to the company investment process, and quality of company meetings) as well as more subjective issues such as team participation and effectiveness at client presentations through key performance indicator scorecards. To the extent performance is factored in, such performance is not judged against any specific benchmark and is evaluated over the period of a year - January to December. The pre- or after-tax performance of an individual account is not considered in the determination of a portfolio manager’s discretionary bonus; rather the review process evaluates the overall performance of the team for all of the accounts the team manages.
Portfolio manager performance on investment matters is judged over all of the accounts the portfolio manager contributes to and is documented in the appraisal process. A combination of the team’s and individual’s performance is considered and evaluated.
Although performance is not a substantial portion of a portfolio manager’s compensation, abrdn also recognizes that fund performance can often be driven by factors outside one’s control, such as (irrational) markets, and as such pays attention to the effort by portfolio managers to ensure integrity of our core process by sticking to disciplines and processes set, regardless of momentum and ‘hot’ themes. Short-terming is thus discouraged and trading-oriented managers will thus find it difficult to thrive in the abrdn environment. Additionally, if any of the aforementioned undue risks were to be taken by a portfolio manager, such trend would be identified via abrdn’s dynamic compliance monitoring system.
In rendering investment management services, the Adviser may use the resources of additional investment adviser subsidiaries of abrdn plc. These affiliates have entered into a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) pursuant to which investment professionals from each affiliate may render portfolio management, research or trading services to abrdn clients. Each investment professional who renders portfolio management, research or trading services under a MOU or personnel sharing arrangement (“Participating Affiliate”) must comply with the provisions of the Advisers Act, the 1940 Act, the Securities Act of 1933, the Exchange Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the laws of states or countries in which the Adviser does business or has clients. No remuneration is paid by the Fund with respect to the MOU/personnel sharing arrangements.
(a)(4)
| Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Registrant Beneficially Owned by the Portfolio Manager as of October 31, 2023 | ||||
| Adam Tabor | None | |||
| Ben Pakenham | None | |||
| Matthew Kence | None | |||
| George Westervelt | None |
(b) Not applicable.
Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
No such purchases were made by or on behalf of the Registrant during the period covered by the report.
Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
During the period ended October 31, 2023, there were no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees.
Item 11. Controls and Procedures.
| (a) | The Registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c)) are effective, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a3(b)) and Rule 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d15(b)). |
| (b) | There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d))) that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies
Not applicable
Item 13. Exhibits.
| (a)(1) | Code of Ethics of the Registrant for the period covered by this report as required pursuant to Item 2 of this Form N-CSR. |
| (a)(2) | The certifications of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act are exhibits to this Form N-CSR. |
| (a)(3) | Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.23c-1) sent or given during the period covered by the report by or on behalf of the registrant to 10 or more persons. Not applicable. |
| (a)(4) | Change in Registrant’s independent public accountant. Not applicable. |
| (b) | The certifications of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act are exhibits to this Form N-CSR. |
| (c) | Proxy Voting Policy of Registrant |
| (d) | Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of Adviser. |
| (e) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund
| By: | /s/ Christian Pittard | |
| Christian Pittard, | ||
| Principal Executive Officer of | ||
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | ||
| Date: January 8, 2024 | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| By: | /s/ Christian Pittard | |
| Christian Pittard, | ||
| Principal Executive Officer of | ||
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | ||
| Date: January 8, 2024 | ||
| By: | /s/ Sharon Ferrari | |
| Sharon Ferrari, | ||
| Principal Financial Officer of | ||
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | ||
| Date: January 8, 2024 | ||
Exhibit 99.CODEETH
CODE OF ETHICS (SOX)
(Principal Executive Officer/President and Principal Financial Officer/Treasurer)
| I. | Purpose of the Code/Covered Officers |
Pursuant to Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has adopted rules requiring annual disclosure of an investment company’s code of ethics applicable to its principal executive, principal financial and principal accounting officers. The Funds have adopted this Code of Ethics (the “Code”) pursuant to these rules. The Code applies to the series (each a “Fund”). The Code specifically applies to each Fund’s President/Principal Executive Officer and Treasurer/Principal Financial Officer (“Covered Officers”) 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 are filed with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; |
| · | compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations; |
| · | an environment that encourages disclosure of ethical and compliance related concerns; |
| · | the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code without fear of reprisal; and |
| · | accountability for adherence to the Code. |
The Covered Officers are integral to the Funds’ goal of creating a culture of high ethical standards and commitment to compliance. In their roles, the Covered Officers will refrain from engaging in any activity that may compromise their professional ethics or otherwise prejudice their ability to carry out their duties to the Funds.’ They will act in good faith, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing their independent judgment to be subordinated.
| II. | 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 service to, the Funds. For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of his or her family, receives improper benefits as a result of his or her position with the Funds.
Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationship between Covered Officers and each Fund and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “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. Each Fund’s Adviser and Sub-adviser (the “adviser(s)”) have adopted and implemented respective compliance programs and procedures that 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. Each Covered Officer should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest and should encourage his or her colleagues who provide service to the Funds, whether directly or indirectly, to do the same.
Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationship between each Fund and the investment adviser (and distributor to the Aberdeen open-end funds) 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 Fund or the investment adviser or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on the investment adviser, distributor 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 each Fund. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Funds’ Board that the Covered Officers may also be officers or employees of the Funds.
Other conflicts of interest are covered by this Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to provisions in the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act. The overarching principle is that the personal interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the interest of the Funds. A defining question is, “What is the long term interest of current shareholders?” The following list provides examples of conflicts of interest under this Code, but Covered Officers should keep in mind that these examples are not exhaustive.
Each Covered Officer must:
| · | not use his or her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Funds whereby the Covered Officer would directly or indirectly 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 of the Funds; |
| · | not use material non-public knowledge of Fund 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; |
| · | report at least annually affiliations or other relationships related to conflicts of interest covered by the Funds’ Directors and Officers Questionnaire. |
Any activity or relationship that would present a conflict for a Covered Officer would likely also present a conflict for the Covered Officer if a member of the Covered Officer’s family engages in such activity or has such a relationship. There are some conflict of interest situations that should always be discussed with the Compliance Officer prior to their occurrence, or if foreseen, as soon as reasonably possible after discovery. Examples of these include:
| · | service on the board of any public company; |
| · | any outside business activity that detracts from the ability of a Covered Officer to devote appropriate time and attention to his or her responsibilities as a Covered Officer of the Funds; |
| · | the receipt of any non-nominal gifts in excess of $100.00; |
| · | the receipt of any entertainment from any company with which the Funds has 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, investment sub-adviser, principal underwriter, administrator or any affiliated person thereof; |
| · | a direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges or spreads paid by the Funds for effecting Fund transactions or for selling or redeeming shares other than an interest arising from the Covered Officer’s employment, such as compensation or equity ownership. |
| III. | Definitions |
(A) “Covered Officer” with respect to a Fund means the principal executive officer of the Fund and senior financial officers of the Fund, including the principal financial officer, controller or principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these persons are employed by the Fund or a third party.
(B) “Executive Officer” of a Fund has the same meaning as set forth in Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Subject to any changes in that rule, the term “executive officer,” when used in the Code, means the president, any vice president, any officer who performs a policy making function, or any other person who performs similar policy making functions for a Fund.
(C) “Waiver” means the approval by a Fund’s CCO of a material departure from a provision of the Code. “Waiver” includes an “Implicit Waiver,” which is a Fund’s failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of this Code that has been made known to an Executive Officer of the Fund.
| IV. | Disclosure and Compliance |
Each Covered Officer:
| · | should familiarize himself with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Funds; |
| · | should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Funds to others, whether within or outside the Funds, including the Funds’ Board and auditors, and to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations; |
| · | should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other officers and employees of the Funds and the Advisers with the goal of promoting comprehensive, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents the Funds file with, or submit to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds; |
| · | should cooperate with the each Fund’s independent accountants, regulatory agencies, and internal auditors in their review of the Funds and its operations; |
| · | should ensure the establishment of appropriate policies and procedures for the protection and retention of accounting records and information as required by applicable law, regulation, or regulatory guidelines and establish and administer financial controls that are appropriate to ensure the integrity of the financial reporting process and the availability of timely, relevant information for the Funds’ safe and sound operation; and |
| · | has the responsibility to promote compliance with the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws, rules and regulations. |
| V. | Reporting and Accountability |
Each Covered Officer must:
| · | upon adoption of this Code (or thereafter as applicable, upon becoming a Covered Officer), affirm in writing that he has received, read, and understands this Code; |
| · | annually thereafter affirm that he has complied with the requirements of this Code; |
| · | not retaliate against any other Covered Officer or any employee of the Adviser, or their affiliated persons, or any other employee of a private contractor that provides service to the Funds, for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith; and |
| · | notify the Funds’ CCO promptly if he or she knows or suspects that a violation of applicable laws, regulations, or of this Code has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur. Failure to do so is itself a violation of this Code. |
See Exhibit A for the form of PEO/PFO certification.
The Funds’ 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 President will be considered by the Funds’ Audit Committee.
The Funds will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code.
| · | The Funds’ Compliance Officer will take all appropriate action to investigate any potential violations reported to him/her. |
| · | If, after such investigation, the Compliance Officer believes that no violation has occurred, he or she is not required to take any further action. The Compliance Officer is authorized to consult, as appropriate, with the chair of the Audit Committee and Counsel to the Independent Board, and is encouraged to do so after consultation with each Fund’s President when, in the Compliance Officer’s opinion such consultation will not increase the risk to shareholders. |
| · | Any matter that the Compliance Officer believes is a violation will be reported to the Audit Committee (the “Committee”). |
| · | If the Committee concurs that a violation has occurred, it will inform and make a recommendation to the full Board, which will consider appropriate action, which may include review of and appropriate modifications to, applicable policies and procedures; notification to appropriate personnel of the Adviser or its Board; or a recommendation to dismiss the Covered Officer. |
| · | Each Fund’s Board will be responsible for granting Waivers, as appropriate. |
| · | Any changes to or Waivers of this Code will, to the extent required, be disclosed as provided by the SEC rules. |
| VI. | Sanctions |
The matters covered in the Code are of the utmost importance to the Funds and their stockholders and are essential to each Fund’s ability to conduct its business in accordance with its stated values. Each Covered Officer and each Executive Officer is expected to adhere to these rules (to the extent applicable) in carrying out his or her duties for the Funds. The conduct of each Covered Officer and each Executive Officer can reinforce an ethical atmosphere and positively influence the conduct of all officers, employees and agents of the Funds. A Fund will, if appropriate, take action against any Covered Officer whose actions are found to violate the Code. Appropriate sanctions for violations of the Code will depend on the materiality of the violation to the Fund.
Sanctions may include, among other things, a requirement that the violator undergo training related to the violation, a letter or sanction or written censure by the Board, the imposition of a monetary penalty, suspension of the violator as an officer of a Fund or termination of the employment of the violator. If a Fund has suffered a loss because of violations of the Code, the Fund may pursue remedies against the individuals or entities responsible.
| VII. | Other Policies and Procedures |
This Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Funds for the 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 Adviser, principal underwriter, or other service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities if 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 Adviser’s code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are not part of this Code.
| VIII. | Amendments |
Any amendments to this Code must be approved or ratified by a majority vote of the each Fund’s Board, including a majority of Independent Board members.
| IX. | 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 appropriate Board and its Counsel.
| X. | Internal Use |
This Code is intended solely for internal use by the Funds and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of the Funds, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion. This Code is a statement of certain fundamental principles, policies, and procedures that govern the Covered Officers in the conduct of each Fund’s business. It is not intended and does not create any rights in any employee, investor, supplier, creditor, shareholder or any other person.
Exhibit A
CODE OF ETHICS
PURSUANT TO THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
Initial and Annual Certification of Compliance
| Name (please print) | |
This is to certify that I have received a copy of the Code of Ethics Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Code”) for the following Funds:
List of Funds
I have read and understand the Code. Moreover, I agree to promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer any violation or possible violation of this Code of which I become aware. I understand that violation of the Code will be grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.
Check one:
Initial
¨ I further certify that I am subject to the Code and will comply with each of the Code’s provisions to which I am subject.
Annual
¨ I further certify that I have complied with and will continue to comply with each of the provisions of the Code to which I am subject.
| Signature | Date |
| Received by (name and title): | Date |
Exhibit 99.CERT
Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
I, Sharon Ferrari, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: |
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| (b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| (c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and |
| (d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and |
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: January 8, 2024
| /s/ Sharon Ferrari | |
| Sharon Ferrari | |
| Principal Financial Officer |
Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
I, Christian Pittard, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: |
| (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| (b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| (c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and |
| (d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and |
| (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: January 8, 2024
| /s/ Christian Pittard | |
| Christian Pittard | |
| Principal Executive Officer |
Exhibit 99.906CERT
Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Christian Pittard, Principal Executive Officer, and Sharon Ferrari, Principal Financial Officer, of abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund (the “Registrant”), each certify that:
| 1. | The Registrant’s periodic report on Form N-CSR for the period ended October 31, 2023 (the “Form N-CSR”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as applicable; and |
| 2. | The information contained in the Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant. |
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund
| /s/ Christian Pittard | |
| Christian Pittard |
Date: January 8, 2024
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund
| /s/ Sharon Ferrari | |
| Sharon Ferrari |
Date: January 8, 2024
This certification is being furnished solely pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and is not being filed as part of Form N-CSR or as a separate disclosure document. A signed original of this written statement, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to the Registrant and will be retained by the Registrant and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.
Exhibit 99.13c
PROXY VOTING POLICY
I. Generally
Rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) require the Funds to disclose publicly its proxy voting policies and procedures, as well as its actual proxy votes. The SEC rules also permit the Funds to delegate its proxy voting responsibilities to the Funds’ Investment Manager, Investment Adviser, and Sub-advisers (collectively “the Advisers”). In connection with this ability to delegate proxy voting responsibilities, the SEC has adopted rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, that require the Advisers to adopt and implement written proxy voting policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that it votes proxies on behalf of its clients, when given such authority, in the best interests of those clients.
Consistent with the SEC’s requirements, the Funds have delegated responsibility for voting its proxy to the Funds’ Investment Manager, Investment Adviser and Sub-advisers. The Advisers have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures to ensure the proper, and timely, voting of the proxies on behalf of the Funds. Moreover, the Advisers will assist the Funds in the preparation of each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ended June 30, by no later than August 31 of each year.
II. Procedures
Each Fund shall ensure that its investment manager, investment adviser and sub-advisers are compliant with applicable rules and regulations. These rules and regulations require, in part, that each Fund disclose how it votes each proxy. The rules and regulations also require that the Advisers disclose that they have (1) adopted and implemented proxy voting policies; and (2) adopted procedures regarding how each portfolio security is voted in relation to each Fund. The Adviser must disclose that the procedures are the following:
| 1. | are written; |
| 2. | are reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of the adviser’s clients; |
| 3. | describe the adviser’s proxy voting procedures to the adviser’s clients and provides copies of the adviser’s proxy voting procedures on request; |
| 4. | set forth the process by which the adviser evaluates the issues presented by a proxy and records the adviser’s decision about how the proxy will be voted; |
| 5. | establish procedures for the identification and handling of proxies that involve material conflicts of interest with the adviser’s clients; and |
| 6. | disclose to the adviser’s clients how the clients may obtain information on how the adviser voted the clients’ proxies. |
The Funds also shall disclose to shareholders the policies and procedures that are used to determine how to vote proxies. The Funds include in the Funds’ statement of additional information appropriate summary disclosure regarding the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Funds’ adviser and sub-advisers, and any third party retained by the Funds’ investment adviser or sub-adviser to determine how to vote proxies. In addition, as required by the financial statements’ requirements of Form N-1A and N-2, the Funds’ financial statements must include a statement that a description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, without charge: (i) upon request, by calling a specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number; or (ii) on the Funds’ website; and (iii) on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
The Funds also shall file with the SEC, on an annual basis, the complete proxy voting record of each Fund on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ending June 30th, by no later than August 31st of each year, which Report on Form N-PX shall be executed by the principal executive officer of the each Fund. Each Fund’s proxy voting record on the Form N-PX Report shall be made available by each Fund, without charge, upon request, by calling specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number (but is not available on the Funds’ website). If a Fund receives a telephonic request for a proxy voting record, the Fund shall send the requested information disclosed in the Fund’s most-recently filed Report on Form N-PX within three (3) business days of the receipt of the request for this information, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
Sub-advisers to the Funds must have procedures and internal controls to ensure compliance with proxy voting regulations. Specifically, the sub-advisers must have procedures for the reporting of proxy voting, and communicating changes in proxy voting policies to the Funds. Prior to Board approval of new advisers, the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) reviews the proxy voting policies and procedures of the sub-adviser. The CCO ensures that any inadequate procedures or controls of a sub-adviser are reported to the Board and must be corrected in a timely manner.
Exhibit 99.13d
U.S. Registered Advisers
Summary of Proxy Voting Guidelines
as of October 26, 2022
Where clients appoint abrdn Inc. to vote proxies on their behalf, policies have been established to vote these proxies in the best interests of our clients.
We employ ISS as a service provider to facilitate electronic voting. We require ISS to provide recommendations based on our own set of parameters tailored to abrdn’s assessment and approach, but remain conscious that all voting decisions are our own on behalf of our clients. We consider ISS’s recommendations and those based on our custom parameters as input to our voting decisions. We make use of the ISS standard research and recommendations and those based on our own custom policy as input to our voting decisions. Where our analysts make a voting decision that is different from the recommendations based on our custom policy they will provide a rationale for such a decisions which will be made publicly available in our voting disclosures.
In order to make proxy voting decisions, an abrdn analyst assesses the resolutions at general meetings in our active investment portfolios. This analysis will be based on our knowledge of the company, but will also make use of the custom and standard recommendations provided by ISS as described above. The product of this analysis will be a final voting decision instructed through ISS and applied to all funds for which abrdn have been appointed to vote. For funds managed by a sub-adviser, we may delegate to the sub-adviser the authority to vote proxies; however, the sub-adviser will be required to either follow our policies and procedures or to demonstrate that their policies and procedures are consistent with ours, or otherwise implemented in the best interest of clients.
There may be certain circumstances where abrdn Inc. may take a more limited role in voting proxies. We will not vote proxies for client accounts in which the client contract specifies that abrdn Inc. will not vote. We may abstain from voting a client proxy if the voting is uneconomic or otherwise not in clients’ best interests. For companies held only in passively managed portfolios, abrdn Inc. custom recommendations provided by ISS will be used to automatically apply our voting approach; we have scope to intervene to test that this delivers appropriate results, and will on occasions intrude to apply a vote more fully in clients’ best interests. If voting securities are part of a securities lending program, we may be unable to vote while the securities are on loan. However, we have the ability to recall shares on loan or to restrict lending when required, in order to ensure all shares have voted. In addition, certain jurisdictions may impose share-blocking restrictions at various times which may prevent abrdn Inc. from exercising our voting authority.
We recognize that there may be situations in which we vote at a company meeting where we encounter a conflict of interest. Such situations include:
| · | Where a portfolio manager owns the holding in a personal account. |
| · | An investee company that is also a segregated client. |
| · | An investee company where an Executive Director or Officer of our company or that of abrdn plc or another affiliate is also a Director of that company. |
| · | An investee company where an employee of abrdn plc or an affiliate or subsidiary is a Director of that company. |
| · | A significant distributor of our products. |
| · | Any other companies which may be relevant from time to time. |
We have adopted procedures within our proxy voting process to identify where a conflict exists. These procedures are designed to ensure that our voting decisions are based on our client’s best interests and are not impacted by any conflict.
The implementation of this policy, along with conflicts of interest, will be reviewed periodically by the Active Ownership team. abrdn’s Global ESG Principles & Voting Policies are published on our website.
Clients may obtain a free copy of abrdn Inc.’s proxy voting policies and procedures and/or proxy voting records for their account by contacting us at (215) 405-5700. abrdn publishes ESG Principles & Voting Policies, which describe our approach to investment analysis, shareholder engagement and proxy voting across companies worldwide. There are published on our website.
Clients that have not granted abrdn Inc. voting authority over securities held in their accounts will receive their proxies in accordance with the arrangements they have made with their service providers.
Listed Company ESG Principles & Voting Policies
February 2023
Introduction
Active Ownership and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) considerations are a driver of our investment process, our investment activity, our client journey and our corporate influence.
Through engagement with the companies in which we invest, and by exercising votes on behalf of our clients, we seek to improve the financial resilience and performance of our clients’ investments. Where we believe change is needed, we endeavour to catalyse this through our stewardship capabilities.
Our expectations
As global investors, we are particularly aware that ESG structures and frameworks vary across regions. Furthermore, what we expect of the companies in which we invest varies between different stages of business development and the underlying history and nature of the company in question. We seek to understand each company’s individual circumstances and so evaluate how it can best be governed and overseen. As such, we strive to apply the principles and policies set out on these pages in response to the needs of that individual company at that particular time. Our heritage as a predominantly active fund manager helps drive this bespoke approach to understanding good governance and risk management.
We have a clear perception of what we consider to be best practice globally – as set out in this document. However we will reflect the nature of the business, our close understanding of individual companies and regional considerations, where appropriate, in our approach to applying these policies, which are not exhaustive.
This document has received approval from the Head of Public Markets and the Investment Vector’s Chief Sustainability Officer following consultation with various internal stakeholders.
Our approach to stewardship
We seek to integrate and appraise environmental, social and governance factors in our investment process. Our aim is to generate the best long-term outcomes for our clients and we will actively take steps as stewards and owners to protect and enhance the value of our clients’ assets.
Stewardship is a reflection of this bespoke approach to good governance and risk management. We seek to understand each company’s specific approach to governance, how value is created through business success and how investors’ interests are protected through the management of risks that materially impact business success. This requires us to play our part in the governance process by being active stewards of companies, involved in dialogue with management and non-executive directors where appropriate, understanding the material risks and opportunities – including those relating to environmental and social factors and helping to shape the future success of the business.
We will:
| · | Take into consideration, in our investment process, the policies and practices on environmental, social and governance matters of the companies in which we invest. |
| · | Seek to enhance long-term shareholder value through constructive engagement with the companies in which we invest. |
| · | Actively engage with the companies and assets in which we invest where we believe we can influence or gain insight. |
| · | Seek to exercise voting rights, where held, in a manner consistent with our clients’ long-term best interests. |
| · | Seek to influence the development of high standards of corporate governance and corporate responsibility in relation to environmental and social factors for the benefit of our clients. |
| · | Communicate our Listed Company ESG Principles and Voting Policies to clients, companies and other interested parties. |
| · | Be accountable to clients within the constraints of professional confidentiality and legislative and regulatory requirements. |
| · | Be transparent in reporting our engagement and voting activities. |
abrdn is committed to exercising responsible ownership with a conviction that companies adopting improving practices in corporate governance and risk management will be more successful in their core activities and deliver enhanced returns to shareholders. As owners of companies, the process of stewardship is a natural part of our investment approach as we seek to benefit from their long-term success on our clients’ behalf.
Engagement
It is a central tenet of our active investment approach that we strive to meet with the management and directors of our investee companies on a regular basis. The discussions we have cover a wide range of topics, including: strategic, operational, and ESG issues and consider the long-term drivers of value. Engagement with companies on ESG risks and opportunities is a fundamental part of our investment process. It is a process by which we can discuss how a company identifies, prioritises and mitigates its key risks and optimises its most significant opportunities. As such, we regard engagement as:
| · | Important to understanding investee companies as a whole. |
| · | Helpful when conducting proper ESG analysis. |
| · | Useful to maintaining open dialogue and solid relationships with companies. |
| · | An opportunity to inflect positive change on a company’s holistic risk management programme – be active with our holdings rather than activist. |
Proxy Voting
Proxy voting is an integral part of our active stewardship approach and we seek to exercise voting rights in a manner in line with our clients’ best interests. We seek to ensure that voting reflects our understanding of the companies in which we invest on behalf of our clients. We believe that voting is a vital mechanism for holding boards and management teams to account, and is an important tool for escalation and shareholder action.
This document includes our process and overarching policy guidelines which we apply when voting at general meetings. These policies are not exhaustive and we evaluate our voting on a case by case basis. As a global investment firm we recognise the importance of adopting a regional approach, taking into account differing and developing market practices. Where a policy is specific to one region this is denoted.
We endeavour to engage with companies regarding our voting decisions to maintain a dialogue on matters of concern.
Voting Process
In line with our active ownership approach, we review the majority of general meeting agendas convened by companies which are held in our active equity portfolios. Analysis is undertaken by a member of our regional investment teams or our Active Ownership team and votes instructed following consideration of our policies, our views of the company and our investment insights. To enhance our analysis we may engage with a company prior to voting to understand additional context and explanations, particularly where there is deviation from what we believe to be best practice.
To supplement our own analysis we make use of the benchmark research and recommendations provided by ISS, a provider of proxy voting services. In the UK we also make use of the Investment Association’s (IA) Institutional Voting Information Service. We have implemented regional voting policy guidelines with ISS which ISS applies to all meetings in order to produce customised vote recommendations. These custom recommendations help identify resolutions which deviate from our expectations. They are also used to determine votes where a company is held only in passive funds. Within our custom policies, however, we do specify numerous resolutions which should be referred to us for active review. For example we will analyse all proposals marked by ISS as environmental or social proposals.
While it is most common for us to vote in line with a board’s voting recommendation we will vote our clients’ shares against resolutions which are not consistent with their best interests. We may also vote against resolutions which conflict with local governance guidelines, such as the IA in the UK. Although we seek to vote either in favour or against a resolution we do make use of an abstain vote where this is considered appropriate. For example we may use an abstention to acknowledge some improvement, but as a means to reserve our position in expectation that further improvement is needed before we can vote in favour. Where we vote against a resolution we endeavour to inform companies of our rationale.
In exceptional circumstances we may attend and speak at a shareholder meeting to reinforce our views to the company’s board.
We endeavour to vote all shares for which we have voting authority. We may not vote when there are obstacles to do so, for example those impacting liquidity, such as share- blocking, or where there is a significant conflict of interest. We use the voting platform of ISS to instruct our votes. Where we lend stock on behalf of clients, and subject to the terms of client agreements, we hold the right to recall shares where it is in clients’ interests and we take the view that it will impact the final vote to maintain full voting weight on a particular meeting or resolution.
Our votes are disclosed publicly on our website one day after a general meeting has taken place.
Strategy
We invest in companies to create the best outcome for our clients. Companies must be clear about the drivers of their business success and their strategy for maintaining and enhancing it. Investment is a forward-looking process; we seek to understand the opportunity for a business and its scope for future value-creation over the long term. In order to do this, we need clarity on past business delivery and its drivers, and on the effective track record of management; we require honest and open reporting to build confidence in that track record. We seek confidence that companies and their management can maintain their competitive positioning and operational performance and subsequently enhance returns for investors. A clear strategy and clarity about the drivers of operational success provides the lens through which we will consider most corporate issues, not least assessing performance and risk management.
| · | We will consider voting against executive or non-executive directors if we have serious concerns regarding the oversight or implementation of strategy. |
Board of Directors
We believe effective board governance promotes the long-term success and value creation of the company. The board should be responsible for establishing the company’s purpose and strategy, overseeing management in their implementation of strategy and performance against objectives. The board should ensure a strong framework of control and risk oversight, including material ESG risks. The board should assess and monitor culture and be engaged with the workforce, shareholders and wider society.
Board Composition
Effective decision making requires a mix of skills around the table and constructive debate between diverse and different-minded individuals. A range of skills, experience and perspectives should be drawn together on the board. These include industry knowledge, experience from other sectors and relevant geographical knowledge. Independence of thought plays a crucial role in the ability of a board to generate the debate and discussion that will challenge management, help enhance business performance and improve decision-making. Board assessments will help the board ensure it has the necessary mix of skills, diversity and quality of individuals to address the current risks and opportunities the company faces. Unitary boards should comprise an appropriate combination of executive and non- executive directors such that no group of individuals dominates decision-making. We expect the size of the board to reflect the size, nature and complexity of the business. We also expect regular internal and external board evaluations which include an assessment of board composition and effectiveness.
Leadership
Running businesses effectively for the long term requires effective collaboration and cooperation, with no individual or small group having unfettered powers. Nor should they have dominant influence over the way a business is run or over major decisions about its operations or future. There should be a division of responsibility between board leadership and executive leadership of the business. We believe that there should be a division of roles at the top of the organisation, typically between a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and an independent Chair.
| · | We will consider supporting the re-election of an existing Chair & CEO role combination, recognising that this remains common in certain geographies. In reviewing on a case by case basis we will take account of the particular circumstances of the company and consider what checks and balances are in place, such as the presence of a strong Senior Independent Director with a clear scope of responsibility. |
| · | We will generally oppose any re-combination of the roles of CEO and Chair, unless the move is on a temporary basis due to exceptional circumstances or other mitigating factors. |
| · | We will generally oppose any move of a retiring CEO to the role of Chair. |
Independence
Companies should be led and overseen by genuinely independent boards. When looking at board composition we generally expect to see a majority of independent directors, with boards identifying their independence classifications in the Annual Report. It is preferable to see an identified Senior Independent Director (SID) on the board, who will lead the appraisal of and succession planning for the Chair. We expect SIDs to meet with investors and be a point of contact for escalating concerns if required.
In assessing a director’s independence we will have due regard for whether a director:
| (I) | Has been an employee of the company within the last five years. |
| (II) | Has had within the last three years a material business relationship with the company. |
| (III) | Has received remuneration in addition to director fees or participates in the company’s option or variable incentive schemes, or is a member of the company’s pension scheme. |
| (IV) | Has close family ties with any of the company’s advisers, directors or senior employees. |
| (V) | Holds cross-directorships or has significant links with other directors through involvement in other companies or bodies. |
| (VI) | Represents a significant shareholder. |
| (VII) | Has served on the board for more than 12 years (or 9 for UK companies). |
| · | We will consider voting against the re-election of non-independent directors if the board is not majority independent (excluding employee representatives). In doing so we will have regard for whether a company is controlled and the nature of the non-independence – for example, we are unlikely to vote against shareholder representatives unless their representation is disproportionate to their shareholding. |
Succession Planning & Refreshment
Regular refreshment of the non-executive portion of a board helps draw in fresh perspectives, not least in the context of changes to business and emerging opportunities and risks. It also helps limit the danger of group-think. Thoughtful and proactive succession planning is therefore needed for board continuity, to ensure that a board is populated by individuals with an appropriate mix of skills, experience and perspective. We expect the board to implement a formal process for the recruitment and appointment of new directors, and to provide transparency of this in the Annual Report.
| · | We will vote against non-executive directors where there are concerns regarding board refreshment or excessive tenure. Where there are directors who have served for over 12 years on a board which has seen no refreshment in 3 years (2 in UK), we will generally vote against their re-election. If a director has served for over 15 years we will generally vote against their re-election. We will, however, consider the impact on board continuity and the company’s succession planning efforts prior to doing so. We may not apply the tenure limit to directors who are founders or shareholder representatives. |
Diversity
We believe that companies that make progress in diversity and inclusion (D&I) are better positioned for long-term sustainability and outperformance. Diversity of thought, paired with a culture of inclusion, can help companies to tackle increasingly complex challenges and markets. We expect boards to report on how they promote D&I throughout the business and believe that setting targets is important to addressing imbalances. We recognise the importance of adopting a regional approach to diversity and inclusion, allowing us to press for progress with appropriate consideration for the starting point. We have for several years, actively encouraged progress in gender diversity at all levels, and have expanded our scope in relation to diversity and inclusion across geographies. In respect of ethnic diversity, this is coming increasingly into focus as we encourage boards to progress in ensuring that their composition reflects their employee and customer bases.
Our regional specific policies are below. In determining our votes we will take account of mitigating factors, such as the sudden departure of a female board member. We will also consider any clear progress being made by the company on diversity and any assurance that diversity shortfalls will soon be addressed.
Gender Diversity
| · | UK: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of FTSE 350 companies if the board is not comprised of at least one third female directors. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the board does not include at least one female director. |
| · | Europe: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of LargeCap companies if the supervisory board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors, or is not in line with the local standard if higher. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the supervisory board does not include at least one female director. |
| · | Australia: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of ASX300 companies if the board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors. |
| · | North America: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of LargeCap companies if the board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the board does not include at least one female director |
Ethnic Diversity
| · | UK: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair at the boards of FTSE 100 companies, if the board does not include at least one member from an ethnic minority background. This is in line with targets set up by the Parker Review. |
| · | US: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair at the boards of S&P 1500 & Russell 3000 companies if the board does not include at least one member from a racial or ethnic minority background. |
Directors’ Time Commitment
Individual directors need sufficient time to carry out their role effectively and therefore we seek to ensure that all directors maintain an appropriate level of overall commitments such that allows them to be properly diligent.
| · | We will consider opposing the election or re-election of any director where there is a concern regarding their ability to dedicate sufficient time to the role. In making this assessment we will have regard for the ISS classification of ‘overboarding’. |
| · | We will generally oppose the re-election of any director who has attended fewer than 75% of board meetings in two consecutive years. |
Board Committees
Boards should establish committees, populated by independent and appropriately skilled non-executive directors, to oversee (as a minimum) the nomination, audit and remuneration processes. It may also be appropriate for additional committees to be established, such as a risk or sustainability committee. These committees should report openly on an annual basis about their activities and key decisions taken.
| · | We will consider voting against committee members if we have concerns regarding the composition of a committee. |
Nomination Committee
This committee has responsibility for leading the process for orderly non-executive and senior management succession planning and recruitment, and for overseeing the composition of the board including skillset, experience and diversity. We expect the committee to be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair.
| · | We will consider voting against the re-election of the Nomination Committee Chair if we have concerns regarding the composition of the board or concerns regarding poor succession planning. |
Audit Committee
This committee has responsibility for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements, reviewing the company’s internal financial controls and risk management systems, reviewing the effectiveness of the company’s internal audit function and appointing auditors. While we prefer the committee to be wholly independent, at minimum we expect the committee to be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair and at least one member having recent and relevant financial experience.
| · | We will generally vote against the re-election of the Audit Committee Chair if at least one member of the Committee does not have recent and relevant financial experience. |
Remuneration Committee
This committee is responsible for determining the policy and setting remuneration for executive and non-executive directors. The committee should ensure that remuneration is aligned with strategy and company performance and should clearly demonstrate regard for the company’s employees, for wider society and be cognisant of the company’s licence to operate when considering policy and the overall level of remuneration. We expect remuneration committees to be robust in their approach to developing and implementing remuneration policies, with formal and transparent procedures for developing policies and for determining remuneration packages. Remuneration committees should be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair and we expect members to have appropriate experience and knowledge of the business. No executive should be involved in setting their own remuneration.
| · | Where we have significant concerns regarding the company’s remuneration policy or reward outcomes we may escalate these concerns through a vote against the Chair or members of the Remuneration Committee. |
Director Accountability
We expect to be able to hold boards to account through engagement and regular director re-elections and directors should feel that they are accountable to investors. We encourage individual, rather than bundled, director elections. While our preference is for directors to be subject to re-election annually, we expect re-elections to take place at least every three years. Lengthier board mandates, while not uncommon in some markets, risk divorcing directors from an appropriate sense of accountability. Directors and management should make themselves available for discussions with major shareholders as we expect to have open dialogue to share our perspectives and gain confidence that the individuals are carrying out their roles with appropriate vigour and diligence. A further important element of director accountability to shareholders is that investors should have the right, both formal and informal, to propose and promote individual directors to be considered for election to the board by all shareholders.
| · | We will generally oppose the re-election of non- independent NEDs who are proposed for a term exceeding three years. We may not apply this to directors who are shareholder representatives. |
| · | Where we have significant concerns regarding a board member’s performance, actions or inaction to address issues raised we may vote against their re-election. |
| · | We may vote against directors who decline appropriate requests for meeting without a clear justification. |
| · | Where a director has held a position of responsibility at a company which has suffered a material governance failure, we will consider whether we are comfortable to support their re-election at other listed companies. |
| · | We will generally support resolutions to discharge the supervisory board or management board members unless we have serious concerns regarding actions taken during the year under review. Where there is insufficient information regarding allegations of misconduct, we may prefer to abstain. In exceptional circumstances we may vote against the discharge resolution to reflect serious ESG concerns if there is not another appropriate resolution. |
| · | We will not support the election of directors who are not personally identified but are proposed as corporations. |
Reporting
A company’s board should present a fair, balanced and understandable assessment of the company’s position and prospects – financial and non-financial – and of how it has fulfilled its responsibilities. We support the principle of full disclosure of relevant and useful information, subject to issues of commercial confidentiality and prejudice. Boilerplate disclosure should be avoided. We encourage companies to consider using the appropriate globally developed standards and would particularly encourage the use of those created by the Taskforce for Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Audited reporting and financial numbers should be published ahead of any relevant shareholder meetings. We continue to monitor the evolving reporting landscape and consider new reporting developments as they emerge, either voluntary or regulatory.
| · | We may consider voting against a company’s Annual Report & Accounts if we have concerns regarding timely provision or disclosure. |
Political Donations & Lobbying
Companies should be consistent in their public statements and not undermine these in private commentary to market participants or to politicians and regulators. We welcome transparency from companies about their lobbying activities and believe that good companies have nothing to hide in this respect. Similarly we encourage transparency of any political donations that companies deem appropriate – and we expect a clear explanation of why such donations are an appropriate use of corporate funds.
Risk & Audit
The board is responsible for determining the company’s risk appetite, establishing procedures to manage risk and for monitoring the company’s internal controls. We expect boards to conduct robust assessments of the company’s material risks and report to shareholders on risks, controls and effectiveness. The introduction of global accounting standards has led to much greater investor confidence in the accounts produced by companies around the world. It has also assisted in creating consistency of reporting across companies, enabling fairer comparisons between different operating businesses. We therefore encourage companies seeking international investment to report under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or US GAAP. As a firm abrdn supports the continued development of high quality global accounting standards.
An independent audit, delivered by a respected audit firm, is a required element for investor confidence in reporting by companies. We strongly favour meaningful, transparent and informative auditor reports, giving us additional insights into the audit process and accounting outcomes. Audit fees must be sufficient to pay for an appropriately in-depth assurance process. We would be concerned if a company sought to make savings in this respect as the cost in terms of damage to audit effectiveness and confidence in the company’s accounts would be much more substantial.
The independence of the auditor and the standard of their work, particularly in challenging management, should be subject to regular assessment that is appropriately disclosed. Even when individuals carrying out the audit are refreshed, we believe that the independence of the audit firm erodes over time and we will encourage a tender process and change of audit firm where an engagement has lasted for an extended period. In order to demonstrate the level of independence, companies should not have the same audit firm in place for more than 20 years.
The relationship with the auditor should be mediated through the audit committee. Where we are significant shareholders, we expect to be consulted on plans to tender and replace auditors.
| · | We will generally vote against the re-election of an auditor which has a tenure of 20 years or over, if there are no plans for rotation in the near term. |
| · | We will consider voting against the auditors if we have concerns regarding the accounts presented or the audit procedures used. |
| · | We will vote against the approval of auditor fees if we have concerns regarding the level of fees or the balance of non-audit and audit fees. |
Remuneration
Remuneration policies and the overall levels of pay should be aligned with strategy, attracting and retaining talent and incentivising the decisions and behaviours needed to create long-term value. The component parts of remuneration should be structured so as to link rewards to corporate and individual performance and they should be considered in the context of the remuneration policies when taken as a whole. We recognise the benefits of simplicity in forming the policy, which should clearly link outcomes and expectations for those receiving the remuneration, as well as external stakeholders. The structure should be transparent and understandable.
A company’s annual report should contain an informative statement of remuneration policy which communicates clearly to stakeholders how it has developed and evolved. This should include details of any stress testing that may have been undertaken to understand the policy outcomes for different business scenarios. The remuneration committee should provide a clear description of the application of policy and the outcomes achieved.
Base salary should be set at a level appropriate for the role and responsibility of the executive. We discourage increases which are driven by peer benchmarking, and expect increases to be aligned with the wider workforce. Consideration should also be given to the knock on impact to variable remuneration potential. Pension arrangements and benefits should be clearly disclosed. We generally expect pension structures to be aligned with the wider workforce.
A company should structure variable, performance- related pay to incentivise and reward management in a manner that is aligned with the company’s sustainable performance and risk appetite over the long term. We expect all variable pay to be capped, preferably as a proportion of base salary. In the UK we expect variable pay to be capped as a proportion of salary. In other markets, if variable pay is capped at a number of shares, we expect the value of grants to be kept under review annually to ensure the value remains appropriate and is not excessive.
Performance metrics used to determine variable pay should be clearly disclosed and aligned with the company’s strategy. A significant portion of performance metrics should seek to measure significant improvements in the underlying financial performance of the company. We also encourage the inclusion of non-financial metrics linked to targets which are aligned with the company’s progress on its ESG strategy. Where possible we expect these targets to be quantifiable and disclosed.
Variable pay arrangements should incentivise participants to achieve above-average performance through the use of challenging targets. We encourage sliding-scale performance measures and expect performance target ranges to be disclosed to enable shareholders to assess the level of challenge and pay for performance alignment. We expect annual bonus targets to be disclosed retrospectively and encourage the disclosure of long term incentive (LTI) targets at the beginning of the performance period, but at minimum we expect retrospective disclosure. Where bonus or LTI targets are not disclosed due to commercial sensitivity we expect an explanation of why the targets continue to be considered sensitive retrospectively and expect some detail regarding the level of achievement vs target. Where a share price metric is being used, we expect this to be underpinned by a challenging measure of underlying performance.
We encourage settlement of a portion of the annual bonus in shares which are deferred for at least one year.
We expect settlement of long term incentives to be in shares, with rationale provided for any awards settled in cash. Long term incentives should have a performance period of no less than three years. In the UK we expect a further holding period of two years to be applied, and we encourage this in other markets.
We do not generally support restricted share schemes or value creation plans. We will consider supporting the use of restricted share plans which have been structured consistent with the guidelines of the Investment Association.
We expect appropriate malus and clawback provisions to be applied to variable remuneration plans.
We expect shareholding guidelines to be adopted for executive directors and encourage the adoption of post-departure shareholding guidelines.
We expect details of any use of discretion to be disclosed and its use should be justifiable, appropriate and clearly explained. We would expect policies to be sufficiently robust so that discretion is only necessary in exceptional circumstances. We do not generally support exceptional awards, and are particularly sensitive to such awards being granted to reward a corporate transaction.
We expect executive service contracts to provide for a maximum notice period of 12 months. We will consider local best practice provisions related to severance arrangements when voting.
Non-executive fees should reflect the role’s level of responsibility and time commitment. We do not support NED’s participation in option or performance-related arrangements. However we do support the payment of fees in shares, particularly where conservation of cash is an issue.
In the UK our expectations of companies are aligned with the Investment Association’s Principles of Remuneration.
Where significant changes to remuneration arrangements are being considered, we would expect remuneration committees to consult with their largest shareholders prior to finalising any changes. Where any increase to variable remuneration is proposed, we would expect this to be accompanied by a demonstrable increase in the stretch of the targets. Furthermore we expect any increases to remuneration to be subject to shareholder approval.
In response to the issues arising from the cost of living crisis being experienced by many people in the UK, we expect companies to focus any additional help towards those members of the workforce who need it most. We expect Remuneration Committees to take into account factors arising from the cost of living crisis when deliberating over executive pay outcomes. We would be concerned by reputational issues arising from decisions made in these unusual circumstances and may make this a factor in our voting decisions at relevant AGMs.
In line with the expectations set out above we will generally vote against the appropriate resolution(s) where:
| · | We consider the overall reward potential or outcome to be excessive. |
| · | A significant increase to salary has been granted which is not aligned with the workforce or is not sufficiently justified. |
| · | A significant increase to performance-related pay has been granted which is not sufficiently justified, is not accompanied by an increase in the level of stretch required for achievement or results in the potential for excessive reward. |
| · | There is no appropriate cap on variable incentive schemes. |
| · | Performance targets for annual bonus awards are not disclosed retrospectively and the absence of disclosure is not explained. |
| · | Performance targets for long term incentive awards are not disclosed up front and there is no compelling explanation regarding the absence of disclosure or a commitment to disclose retrospectively. |
| · | Performance targets are not considered sufficiently challenging, either at threshold, target or maximum. |
| · | Relative performance targets allow vesting of awards for below median performance. |
| · | Retesting provisions apply. |
| · | Incentives that have been conditionally awarded have been repriced or performance conditions changed part way through a performance period. |
| · | We have concerns regarding the use of discretion or the grant of exceptional awards. |
| · | Pension arrangements are excessive. |
| · | Pension arrangements are not aligned with the wider workforce (UK). |
Investor Rights
The interests of minority shareholders must be protected and any major, or majority, investor should not enjoy preferential treatment. The structure of ownership or control should minimise the potential for abuse of public shareholders.
Corporate Transactions
Companies should not make significant changes to their structure or nature without being fully transparent to their investors. Shareholders should have the opportunity to vote on significant corporate activity, such as mergers and acquisitions. Where a transaction is with a related party, only independent shareholders should have a vote. Even in markets where no vote is given to shareholders in these circumstances, investors need transparent disclosure of the reasons for any such major change. Companies should expect that shareholders may want to discuss and debate proposed developments
Diversification beyond the core skills of the business needs to be justified as it is more often than not a distraction from operational performance. All major deals need to be clearly explained and justified in the context of the pre- existing strategy and be subject to shareholder approval.
We will vote on corporate transactions on a case by case basis.
Dividends
We will generally support the payment of dividends but will scrutinise the proposed level where it appears excessive given the company’s financial position.
Share Capital
The board carries responsibility for prudent capital management and allocation.
Share Issuance
We will consider capital raises which are proposed for a specific purpose on a case by case basis but recognise that it can be beneficial for companies to have some general flexibility to issue shares to raise capital. However we expect issuances to be limited to the needs of the business and companies should not issue significant portions of shares unless offering these on a pro-rata basis to existing shareholders to protect against inappropriate dilution of investments.
| · | Where a company seeks a general authority to issue shares we generally expect this to be limited to 25% of the company’s share capital for pre- emptive issuances. In the UK we are aligned with the guidance of the Investment Association Share Capital Management Guidelines. |
| · | Where a company seeks a general authority to issue shares we generally expect this to be limited to 10% of the company’s share capital for non-pre-emptive issuances. In the UK we are aligned with the guidance of the Investment Association Share Capital Management Guidelines and those of the Pre-Emption Group. |
| · | We will not generally support share issuances at investment trusts unless there is a commitment that shares would only be issued at a price at or above net asset value. |
When considering our votes we will, however, take account of the company’s circumstances and any further detail regarding proposed capital issuance authorities prior to voting.
Following changes to the UK’s Pre-Emption Group Guidelines in November 2022, which reflect an increase on previous limits, we will hold the Chair of the company accountable for any perceived misuse of the increased flexibility through a vote against their re-election.
Buyback
We recognise that share buybacks can be a flexible means of returning cash to shareholders.
| · | We will generally support buyback authorities of up to 10% of the issued share capital. |
Related Party Transactions
The nature of relations – particularly any related party transactions (RPTs) – with parent or related companies, or other major investors, must be disclosed fully. Related party transactions must be agreed on arm’s length terms and be made fully transparent. Where they are material, they should be subject to the approval of independent shareholders.
| · | We will vote against RPTs where there is insufficient transparency of the nature of the transaction, the rationale, the terms or the views and assessment of directors and advisors. |
Article/Bylaw amendments
While it is standard to see proposals from companies to amend their articles of association or bylaws, we will review these on a case by case basis. When doing so we expect full transparency of the proposed changes to be disclosed.
| · | We will vote against amendments which will reduce shareholder rights. |
Anti-Takeover Defences
There should be no artificial structures put in place to entrench management and protect companies from takeover. The best defence from hostile takeover is strong operational delivery.
| · | We will generally vote against anti-takeover/‘poison pill’ proposals. |
Voting Rights
We are strong supporters of the principle of ‘one share, one vote’ and therefore favour equal voting rights for all shareholders.
| · | We will generally vote against proposals which seek to introduce or continue capital structures with multiple voting rights. |
| · | We will consider voting against proposals to raise new capital at companies with multiple share classes and voting rights. |
General Meetings
Shareholder meetings provide an important opportunity to hold boards to account not only through voting on the proposed resolutions but also by enabling investors the opportunity to raise questions, express views and emphasise concerns to the entire board. We may make a statement at a company’s AGM as a means of escalation to reinforce our views to a company’s board.
We welcome the opportunity to attend meetings virtually, being of the view that this can increase participation given obstacles such as location or meeting concentration. However we are not supportive of companies adopting virtual-only meetings as we believe this format reduces accountability. Our preference is for a hybrid meeting format to balance the flexibility of remote attendance with the accountability of an in-person meeting.
| · | We will generally support resolutions seeking approval to shorten the EGM notice period to minimum 14 days, unless we have concerns regarding previous inappropriate use of this flexibility. |
| · | We will generally support proposals to enable virtual meetings to take place as long as there is confirmation that the format will be hybrid, with physical meetings continuing to take place (unless prohibited by law). We expect virtual attendees to have the same rights to speak and raise questions as those attending in-person. |
As part of strategic planning, boards need to have oversight of, and clearly articulate, the key opportunities and risks affecting the sustainability of the business model. This includes having a process for, and transparent disclosure of, potential and emerging opportunities and risks and the actions being taken to address them.
The effective management of risks extends to long-term issues that are hard to measure and whose timeframe is uncertain and will include the management of environmental and social issues. We use the UN Global Compact’s four areas of focus in assessing how companies are performing in this area.
Specifically we expect companies to be able to demonstrate how they manage their exposures under the following headings.
The Environment
It is generally accepted that companies are responsible for the effects of their operations and products on the environment. The steps they take to assess and reduce those impacts can lead to cost savings and reduce potential reputational damage. Companies are responsible for their impact on the climate and they face increased regulation from world governments on activities that contribute to climate change.
We expect that companies will
| · | Identify, manage and reduce their environmental impacts. |
| · | Understand the impact of climate change along the company value chain. |
| · | Develop group-level climate policies and, where relevant, set targets to manage the impact, report on policies, practices and actions taken to reduce carbon and other environmental risks within their operations. |
| · | Comply with all environmental laws and regulations, or recognised international best practice as a minimum. |
Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to the environment we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.
We will use the indicators within the Carbon Disclosure Project to identify companies which are not fulfilling their climate commitments. Where appropriate we will take voting action to encourage better practice among companies which we deem to be laggards.
Labour and employment
Companies that respect internationally recognised labour rights and provide safe and healthy working environments for employees are likely to reap the benefits. This approach is likely to foster a more committed and productive workforce, and help reduce damage to reputation and a company’s license to operate. We expect companies to comply with all employment laws and regulations and adopt practices in line with the International Labour Organization’s core labour standards. a minimum.
In particular, companies will:
| · | Take affirmative steps to ensure that they uphold decent labour standards. |
| · | Adopt strong health and safety policies and programmes to implement such policies. |
| · | Adopt equal employment opportunity and diversity policies and a programme for ensuring compliance with such policies. |
| · | Adopt policies and programmes for investing in employee training and development. |
| · | Adopt initiatives to attract and retain talented employees, foster higher productivity and quality, and encourage in their workforce a commitment to achieving the company’s purpose. |
| · | Ensure policies are in place for a company’s suppliers that promote decent labour standards, and programmes are in place to ensure high standards of labour along supply chains. |
| · | Report regularly on its policy and implementation of managing human capital. |
Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to labour and employment we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.
Human rights
We recognise the impact that human-rights issues can have on our investments and the role we can play in stimulating progress. We draw upon a number of international, legal and voluntary agreements for guidance on human-rights responsibilities and compliance. Our primary sources are the International Bill of Rights and the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which form the list of internationally agreed human rights, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which clarifies the roles of states and businesses. We encourage companies to use the UNGPs Reporting Framework and encourage disclosure in line with this guidance.
We expect companies to:
| · | Continually work to understand their actual and potential impacts on human rights. |
| · | Establish systems that actively ensure respect for human rights. |
| · | Take appropriate action to remedy any infringements on human rights. |
Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to human rights we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.
Business ethics
As institutions of wealth and influence, companies have a significant impact on the prosperity of their local communities and the wider world. Having a robust code of ethics and ensuring professional conduct mean companies operate more effectively, particularly when it comes to ethical principles governing decision- making. A company’s failure to conform to internationally recognised standards of business ethics on matters such as bribery and corruption, can increase its risk of facing investigation, litigation and fines. This could undermine its license to operate, and affect its reputation and image.
We expect companies to have policies in place to support the following:
| · | Ethics at the heart of the organisation’s governance. |
| · | A zero-tolerance policy on bribery and corruption.. How people are rewarded, as pay can influence behaviour. |
| · | Respect for human rights. |
| · | Tax transparency. |
| · | Ethical training for employees. |
Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, related to business ethics we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.
We will review any resolution at company meetings which ISS has identified as covering environmental and social factors.
The following will detail our overarching approach and expectations.
Our approach to vote analysis is consistent across active and quantitative investment strategies
Review the resolution, proponent and board statements, existing disclosures, and external research.
Engage with the company, proponents, and other stakeholders as required.
Involve thematic experts, regional specialists, and investment analysts in decision-making to harness a wide range of expertise and include all material factors in our analysis.
Ensure consistency by using our own in-house guidance to frame case-by-case analysis.
Monitor the outcomes of votes.
Follow-up with on-going engagement as required.
Given the nature of the topics covered by these resolutions we do not apply binary voting policies. We adopt a nuanced approach to our voting research and outcomes and will consider the specific circumstances of the company concerned. Our objective is not to vote in favour of all shareholder resolutions but to determine the best outcome for the company in the context of the best outcome for our clients. There are instances where we are supportive of the spirit of a resolution however there may be a reason which prevents our support for the proposal. For example, where the purpose of the resolution is unclear, where the wording is overly prescriptive, when suggested implementation is overly burdensome or where the proposal strays too closely to the board’s responsibility for setting the company’s strategy.
Management Proposals
We are supportive of the steps being taken by companies to provide transparent, detailed reporting of their ESG strategies and targets. While shareholder proposals on environmental and social topics have been common on AGM agenda for several years, an increasing number of companies are presenting management proposals, such as so called ‘say on climate’ votes, for shareholder approval. While we welcome the intention of accountability behind these votes, we have reservations about the potential for them to limit the scope for subsequent investor challenge and diminish the direct responsibility and accountability of the board and individual directors. We believe it is the role of the board and the executive to develop and apply strategy, including ESG strategies, and we will continue to use existing voting items to hold boards to account on the implementation of these strategies. As active investors we also regularly engage with investee companies on ESG topics and find this dialogue to be the best opportunity to provide feedback.
We will review the appropriateness of ‘say on climate’ votes and consider if other voting mechanisms should be applied to ensure both Boards and Executives apply the appropriate rigour to initiate and deliver strategies to support the climate transition.
Shareholder Proposals
The number of resolutions focused on environmental and social (E&S) issues filed by shareholders continues to grow rapidly. The following provides an overview of some of the factors we consider when assessing the most prevalent themes for shareholder proposals.
Climate Change
We are members of the Net Zero Asset Manager Initiatives and this is reflected in our Active Ownership approach. We encourage the companies in which we invest to demonstrate a robust methodology underpinning Paris aligned goals and targets and are supportive of resolutions that will help companies to achieve this. Once a credible climate strategy is in place, we prioritise evidence of implementation over requests to re-draft strategies and targets after only a year or two.
A growing number of resolutions call on companies to increase the transparency of their reporting on climate- related lobbying. These proposals typically encompass direct lobbying undertaken by the company and indirect lobbying undertaken by trade associations and other organisations of which it is a member or supporter. Lobbying contrary to the objectives of the Paris Agreement is effective in creating climate policy inertia and impeding the transition to net zero economies.
We do not evaluate resolutions in isolation. Our approach recognises the links between corporate governance, strategy and climate approach. Where a company’s operational response to climate change is inadequate, the effectiveness of board oversight and corporate governance may also be called into question.
We expect and encourage companies to:
| · | Demonstrate that a robust methodology underpins Paris aligned, net zero goals and targets. |
| · | Set targets for absolute emission reduction, not just carbon intensity, to show a clear pathway to net zero. |
| · | Report in alignment with the TCFD framework. |
| · | Link targets to remuneration and ensure they are reflected in capital expenditure and R&D plans. |
| · | Carefully manage climate-related lobbying by ensuring appropriate oversight, transparent disclosure of activities, and alignment of activities with the company’s strategy and publicly stated positions. |
Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is an important and growing theme for shareholder resolutions. In recent years resolutions have focussed on racial equity audits, pay gap reporting, transparent disclosure of D&I metrics and assessments of the efficacy of D&I programmes.
A racial equity audit is an independent analysis of a company’s business practices designed to identify practices that may have a discriminatory effect. We are supportive of racial equity audits in relation to internal and external D&I programmes. It is appropriate that these programmes should have KPIs and audit mechanisms in place to measure and evaluate outcomes. Some proposals request racial equity audits of provision of services. We are aware that measuring provision of service is challenging and gathering racial data on customers can be difficult and inappropriate. There are also multiple different factors that can influence service provision and which could be misconstrued as being racially motivated. We will however, support resolutions which are not unduly prescriptive and allow companies to carry out audits within a reasonable timeframe, at a reasonable cost, and excluding confidential or proprietary information.
We consider standardised gender pay gap disclosure to be an important tool for assessing how companies are addressing gender inequality. Reporting on gender pay gaps across global operations can help companies to remain ahead of the regulatory curve. It also enables them to offer better opportunities and remuneration for women around the world. We are therefore supportive of resolutions which are likely to deliver these benefits. Proposals must be carefully drafted to achieve these outcomes. For instance, in the past we have been unable to support resolutions which called for global median gender and racial pay gap reporting as it was unclear how this would reveal potential pay disparities at a local level and how it could be implemented by companies with operations in jurisdictions where collection of racial identity data is illegal.
In the US market we support public disclosure of EEO-1 forms by companies. The EEO-1 form details a comprehensive breakdown of workforce by race and gender according to ten employment categories. The form is submitted privately to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on an annual basis. When publicly disclosed, it offers investors and other stakeholders data in a standardised and comparable form. We have used our engagement programme to ask the companies in which we invest to disclose this form for their US operations while making it central to our D&I voting approach and supporting resolutions that request it.
Human rights
As a supporter of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), we expect companies to demonstrate how human rights due diligence is conducted across operations, services, product use and the supply chain. Companies can have a significant impact on human rights directly through operations and provision of services, and indirectly through product use and the supply chain. In recent years the sale and end-use of controversial technologies, such as facial recognition software, has emerged as a prominent theme.
We expect and encourage companies to:
| · | Have robust due diligence processes to assess the actual and potential human rights impacts of their operations, services, product use and supply chain. |
| · | Conduct customer and supplier vetting processes commensurate with the risk of human rights abuse. |
| · | Publicly disclose information about the operation of these processes and utilise the UNGPs’ Reporting Framework. This will improve the standard and consistency of human rights reporting and enable more informed investment decision making. |
Corporate Lobbying & Political Contributions
Corporate lobbying and political contributions are a recurrent theme of shareholder resolutions, particularly in the US. These proposals typically encompass direct lobbying undertaken by the company and indirect lobbying undertaken by trade associations and other organisations of which it is a member or supporter. Proposals may also request the disclosure of more information regarding the process and rationale for political contributions. We expect companies to make transparent, consolidated disclosures of direct and indirect lobbying and political expenditure. This disclosure should be underpinned by a coherent policy that: explains public policy priorities and the rationale for associated expenditure, identifies the management positions responsible for public policy engagement, and provides appropriate mechanisms for board oversight. These measures should mitigate the risks associated with corporate lobbying and political contributions, protecting the interest of shareholders and other stakeholders.
Nuclear Energy
In the Japanese market nuclear energy is a recurrent theme of shareholder resolutions. The Japanese government is seeking to reduce the nation’s reliance on coal and its energy strategy presents safe nuclear power generation as an important source of base-load power. In this context, resolutions which seek to limit or cease the nuclear operations of an individual company do not appear to be in the best interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. The health & safety risks associated with nuclear energy are high, must be managed carefully across the industry, and are an important consideration in our voting.
Important Information
This document is strictly for information purposes only and should not be considered as an offer, investment recommendation, or solicitation, to deal in any of the investments or funds mentioned herein and does not constitute investment research. abrdn does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the information and materials contained in this document and expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in such information and materials.
Any research or analysis used in the preparation of this document has been procured by abrdn for its own use and may have been acted on for its own purpose. The results thus obtained are made available only coincidentally and the information is not guaranteed as to its accuracy. Some of the information in this document may contain projections or other forward looking statements regarding future events or future financial performance of countries, markets or companies. These statements are only predictions and actual events or results may differ materially. The reader must make their own assessment of the relevance, accuracy and adequacy of the information contained in this document and make such independent investigations, as they may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment. This material serves to provide general information and is not meant to be investment, legal or tax advice for any particular investor. No warranty whatsoever is given and no liability whatsoever is accepted for any loss arising whether directly or indirectly as a result of the reader, any person or group of persons acting on any information, opinion or estimate contained in this document. abrdn reserves the right to make changes and corrections to any information in this document at any time, without notice. This material is not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of abrdn.
Applying ESG and sustainability criteria in the investment process may result in the exclusion of securities within the universe of potential investments. The interpretation of ESG and sustainability criteria is subjective meaning that products may invest in companies which similar products do not (and thus perform differently) and which do not align with the personal views of any individual investor. Furthermore, the lack of common or harmonized definitions and labels regarding ESG and sustainability criteria may result in different approaches by managers when integrating ESG and sustainability criteria into investment decisions. This means that it may be difficult to compare strategies within ostensibly similar objectives and that these strategies will employ different security selection and exclusion criteria. Consequently, the performance profile of otherwise similar vehicles may deviate more substantially than might otherwise be expected. Additionally, in the absence of common or harmonized definitions and labels, a degree of subjectivity is required and this will mean that a product may invest in a security that another manager or an investor would not.
abrdn plc is registered in Scotland (SC286832) at 1 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LL.
Exhibit 99.13(e)
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| KPMG LLP 1601 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-2499 |
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement (No. 333-253698) on Form N-2 of our report dated December 28, 2023, with respect to the financial statements and financial highlights of abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund.
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
January 8, 2024
| KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. |
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| Cover [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001503290 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amendment Flag | false | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Document Type | N-CSR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Registrant Name | abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Document Period End Date | Oct. 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee Table [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholder Transaction Expenses [Table Text Block] |
(1) If Common Shares or Preferred Shares are sold to or through underwriters, a prospectus or prospectus supplement will set forth any applicable sales load and the estimated offering expenses borne by the Fund.
(2) Offering expenses payable by the Fund will be deducted from the proceeds, before expenses, to the Fund.
(3) Shareholders who participate in the Fund's Dividend Reinvestment and Optional Cash Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) may be subject to fees on certain transactions. The Plan Agent's (as defined under "Dividend Reinvestment and Optional Cash Purchase Plan" in the Fund’s Prospectus) fees for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends will be paid by the Fund; however, participating shareholders will pay a $0.02 per share fee incurred in connection with open-market purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends, capital gains distributions and voluntary cash payments made by the participant, which will be deducted from the value of the dividend. For optional share purchases, shareholders will also be charged a $2.50 fee for automatic debits from a checking/savings account, a $5.00 one-time fee for online bank debit and/or $5.00 for check. Shareholders will be subject to $0.12 per share fee and either a $10.00 fee (for batch orders) or $25.00 fee (for market orders) for sales of shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. Per share fees include any applicable brokerage commissions the Plan agent is required to pay. For more details about the Plan, see "Dividend Reinvestment and Optional Cash Purchase Plan" in the Fund’s Prospectus.
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| Sales Load [Percent] | [1] | 1.00% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Underwriters Compensation [Percent] | [2] | 0.19% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Transaction Expenses [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Expenses [Table Text Block] |
(4) The Adviser receives a monthly fee at an annual rate of 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets. The advisory fee percentage calculation assumes the use of leverage by the Fund as discussed in note (5) and (6). To derive the annual advisory fee as a percentage of the Fund’s net assets (which are the Fund’s total assets less all of the Fund’s liabilities including the liquidation preference on the Preferred Shares), the Fund’s average Managed Assets for the current fiscal year ended October 31, 2023 were multiplied by the annual advisory fee rate and then divided by the Fund’s average net assets for the same period.
(5) The percentage in the table is based on total borrowings of $105,000,000 (the balance outstanding under the Fund’s Credit Facility as of October 31, 2023, representing approximately 21.7% of the Fund’s Managed Assets) and an average interest rate during the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2023 of 6.26%. There can be no assurances that the Fund will be able to obtain such level of borrowing (or to maintain its current level of borrowing), that the terms under which the Fund borrows will not change, or that the Fund’s use of leverage will be profitable. The Fund currently intends during the next twelve months to maintain a similar proportionate amount of borrowings but may increase such amount to 33 1/3% of the average daily value of the Fund’s total assets.
(6) Based on 1,600,000 shares of Preferred Shares outstanding as of October 31, 2023 with an aggregate liquidation preference of $40 million and an annual dividend rate equal to 5.250% of such liquidation preference. The costs associated with the Preferred Shares are borne entirely by Common Shareholders.
(7) Effective March 10, 2023, the Adviser contractually agreed to limit total "Other Expenses" of the Fund (excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage fees, short sale dividend and interest expenses and non-routine expenses) as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares of the Fund to 0.25% per annum of the Fund's average daily net assets until March 7, 2024 and then 0.35% per annum of the Fund's average daily net assets until October 31, 2024. The Fund may repay any such reimbursement from the Adviser, within three years of the reimbursement, provided that the following requirements are met: the reimbursements do not cause the Fund to exceed the lesser of the applicable expense limitation in the contract at the time the fees were limited or expenses are paid or the applicable expense limitation in effect at the time the expenses are being recouped by the Adviser. Because interest expenses and investment related expenses are not subject to the reimbursement agreement, interest expenses and investment related expenses are included in the “Total annual expenses after expense reimbursement” line item.
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| Management Fees [Percent] | [3] | 1.83% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest Expenses on Borrowings [Percent] | [4] | 2.23% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividend Expenses on Preferred Shares [Percent] | [5] | 0.71% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Annual Expenses [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Annual Expenses [Percent] | 0.51% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Annual Expenses [Percent] | 5.29% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Waivers and Reimbursements of Fees [Percent] | [6] | 0.24% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Expense over Assets [Percent] | 5.05% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example [Table Text Block] |
Example
The following examples illustrate the expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment in common shares assuming that (i) all dividends and other distributions are reinvested at NAV (ii) the percentage amounts listed under “Total annual expenses” above remain the same in the years shown and (iii) a 5% annual portfolio total return.(1)
The following example does not include the sales load:
The following example assumes a transaction fee of 1.19%, as a percentage of the offering price, as if it were borne solely by you, as purchaser(2):
(1) The examples above should not be considered representations of future expenses. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those shown. The examples assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value. The Fund’s actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return shown in the examples. For more complete descriptions of certain of the Fund’s costs and expenses, see “Management of the Fund — Advisory Agreements” in the Fund’s Prospectus.
(2) Notwithstanding this assumption, in actuality, these fees will be indirectly borne by all holders of Common Shares.
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| Expense Example, Year 01 | [7] | $ 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 3 | [7] | 156 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 5 | [7] | 261 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 10 | [7] | $ 520 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purpose of Fee Table , Note [Text Block] |
The purpose of the following table and the example below is to help you understand the fees and expenses that holders of Common Shares (“Common Shareholders”) would bear directly or indirectly. The expenses shown in the table under “Other expenses,” “Interest expenses on bank borrowings,” “Dividends on Preferred Shares,” “Total annual expenses” and “Total annual expenses after expense reimbursement” are based on the Fund’s capital structure as of October 31, 2023. As of October 31, 2023, the Fund had $145,000,000 of leverage outstanding through bank borrowings and Preferred Shares which represented 29.9% of the Managed Assets as of October 31, 2023. The table reflects Fund expenses as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares. The following table should not be considered a representation of the Fund’s future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown below.
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| Basis of Transaction Fees, Note [Text Block] | as a percentage of offering price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Highlights [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities [Table Text Block] |
(1) The asset coverage ratio for the Revolving Credit Facility is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings, including Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares, for investment purposes by the amount of any senior securities, which includes the Revolving Credit Facility, and then multiplying by $1,000.
(2) The asset coverage ratio for the Fund's total leverage is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes by the amount of any borrowings, and then multiplying by $1,000.
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| Senior Securities Amount | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 118,000,000 | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 118,000,000 | $ 81,200,000 | $ 72,000,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities Coverage per Unit | $ 4,618 | $ 3,348 | $ 4,618 | $ 3,348 | $ 3,399 | $ 4,618 | $ 3,348 | $ 3,399 | $ 3,178 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities, Note [Text Block] |
Senior Securities
The following table sets forth information about the Fund’s outstanding senior securities as of the end of each of the Fund’s last ten fiscal years. The Fund’s senior securities during this time period are comprised of borrowings which constitutes a “senior security” as defined in the 1940 Act. The information in this table for the fiscal years ended 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 has been audited by KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. The Fund’s audited financial statements, including the report of KPMG LLP thereon, and accompanying notes thereto, are included in this Annual Report.
(1) The asset coverage ratio for the Revolving Credit Facility is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings, including Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares, for investment purposes by the amount of any senior securities, which includes the Revolving Credit Facility, and then multiplying by $1,000.
(2) The asset coverage ratio for the Fund's total leverage is calculated by dividing net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes by the amount of any borrowings, and then multiplying by $1,000.
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| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Investment Objectives and Practices [Text Block] |
Investment Objectives and Policies
Investment Objectives
The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company whose primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation.
Principal Investment Strategy; Leverage
Depending on current market conditions and the Fund’s outlook over time, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by opportunistically investing primarily in loan and debt instruments (and loan-related or debt-related instruments, including repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and derivative instruments) of issuers that operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions. The Fund expects to emphasize high current income, with a secondary emphasis on capital appreciation, by investing generally in senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans and in second lien or other subordinated loans or debt instruments, including non-stressed and stressed credit obligations, and related derivatives. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its “Managed Assets” in any combination of the following credit obligations and related instruments: (i) senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans (“Senior Loans”) (including those that, at the time of investment, are rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (a “NRSRO”) or are unrated but deemed by the Advisers to be of comparable quality; these types of below investment grade instruments are commonly known as “junk” securities and are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal); (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt (including those that, at the time of investment, could be considered “junk” securities as described above); (iii) other debt obligations, including high-yield, high-risk obligations (i.e., instruments that are commonly known as “junk” securities as described above) and “covenant lite” loans; (iv) structured products, including collateralized debt and loan obligations (collectively,
“structured products”) that provide long or short exposure to other credit obligations; (v) swaps and other derivative instruments (including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swaps, options, forward contracts, futures contracts and options on futures contracts) that provide long or short exposure to other credit obligations; and (vi) short-term debt securities such as U.S. government securities, commercial paper and other money market instruments and cash equivalents (including shares of money market funds). Certain types of structured products, swaps and other derivative instruments provide short exposure to other credit obligations because the value of such instruments is inversely related to the value of one or more other credit obligations. “Managed Assets” are the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to money borrowed for investment purposes, including proceeds from (and assets subject to) reverse repurchase agreements, any credit facility and any issuance of preferred shares or notes) minus the sum of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than Fund liabilities incurred for the purpose of leverage).
The Fund has no liquidity limitation or restriction, thus some or all its investments may be illiquid securities.
The Advisers have expertise in Senior Loans and subordinated debt instruments, including those of stressed and distressed issuers, and are responsible for the overall management of the Fund.
The Advisers seek to maximize risk adjusted returns, including by seeking to manage risk through shorting and other hedging strategies when deemed advisable by the Advisers. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging strategies will succeed. The Advisers seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objectives while carefully evaluating risk/return within the capital structure of a company, as well as the industry and asset class. The Advisers look to maintain trading flexibility and to preserve capital. They conduct thorough in-depth research and employ a disciplined investment philosophy and a consistent investment approach in their focus on credit opportunities. The Advisers’ investment teams use a robust credit process that includes research and analysis using a top-down/bottom-up approach to find mispriced or undervalued opportunities: from the top down, they consider macroeconomic themes of the overall credit market and industries, and from the bottom up, they conduct detailed fundamental analysis related to credit obligations of specific issuers, including examining issuers’ financials and operations, including sales, earnings, growth potential, assets, debt, management and competition. The Advisers also seek to understand historic and prospective industry trends affecting an investment opportunity.
The Fund can invest in both fixed-rate and floating-rate credit obligations.
When investing in credit obligations, the Fund may invest in the same securities or other credit obligations in which other accounts
managed by the Advisers also invest. To the extent that the Advisers serve as an investment manager to other accounts in the future that have the same investment strategy as the Fund, investment opportunities within such strategy will, to the extent practicable, be allocated among the Fund and such other accounts on a pro rata basis or on such other basis as the Advisers determine to be fair and equitable to the Fund and such other accounts.
Investors should note that the investment advisory fee structure for other accounts managed by the Advisers may be different than the investment advisory fee structure for the Fund. The Fund offers an opportunity for its investors to have access to an investment strategy implemented by the Advisers, which normally is not directly available to retail investors, albeit only at the lower risk and return segment of the market.
Leverage – The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including reverse repurchase agreements, credit facilities such as bank loans or commercial paper, and the issuance of preferred shares or notes. The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including reverse repurchase agreements, credit facilities such as bank loans or commercial paper, and the issuance of preferred shares or notes.
The Fund is permitted to have financial leverage representing up to the maximum extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from engaging in most forms of leverage representing indebtedness other than preferred shares unless immediately after such incurrence 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 aggregate senior securities representing indebtedness (i.e., the use of leverage through senior securities representing indebtedness may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total net assets (including the proceeds from leverage)). Additionally, under the 1940 Act, the Fund generally may not declare any dividend or other distribution upon any class of its capital shares, or purchase any such capital shares, unless at the time of such declaration or purchase, this asset coverage test is satisfied. In addition, the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may issue preferred shares plus senior securities representing indebtedness to 50% of the Fund’s total assets (less the Fund’s liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities). Indebtedness associated with reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions may be aggregated with any other senior securities representing indebtedness for this purpose or be treated as derivatives transactions under the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, depending on the Fund’s election under applicable SEC requirements.
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| Risk Factors [Table Text Block] |
Risk Factors
Market Risk. Market risk is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the Fund will decline. The values of fixed income securities tend to fall as interest rates rise, and such declines tend to be greater among fixed income securities with longer remaining maturities. Market risk is often greater among certain types of fixed income securities, such as zero coupon bonds which do not make regular interest payments but are instead bought at a discount to their face values and paid in full upon maturity. As interest rates change, these securities often fluctuate more in price than securities that make regular interest payments and therefore subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that does not own these types of securities. The values of adjustable, variable or floating rate income securities tend to have less fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates, but will have some fluctuation particularly when the next interest rate adjustment on such security is further away in time or adjustments are limited in number or degree over time. The Fund has no policy limiting the maturity of credit obligations it purchases. Such obligations often have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions and because of prepayments, the actual remaining maturity of loans and debts may be considerably less than their stated maturity. Obligations with longer remaining maturities or durations generally expose the Fund to more market risk. When-issued and delayed delivery transactions are subject to changes in market conditions from the time of the commitment until settlement. This may adversely affect the prices or yields of the securities being purchased. The greater the Fund’s outstanding commitments for these securities, the greater the Fund’s exposure to market price fluctuations. Interest rate risk can be considered a type of market risk.
Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will be unable to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its debt. Because the Fund may invest, without limitation, in securities that are below investment grade, the Fund is subject to a greater degree of credit risk than a fund investing primarily in investment grade securities. Below investment grade securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moody’s or BB or lower by S&P) are commonly referred to as “junk” securities. Generally, lower-grade securities provide a higher yield than higher-grade securities of similar maturity but are subject to greater risks, such as greater credit risk, greater market risk and volatility, greater liquidity concerns and potentially greater manager risk. Such securities are generally regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers’ capacities to pay interest or repay principal in accordance with their terms. Lower-grade securities are more susceptible to non-payment of interest and principal and default than
higher-grade securities and are more sensitive to specific issuer developments or real or perceived general adverse economic changes than higher-grade securities. The market for lower-grade securities may also have less information available than the market for other securities, further complicating evaluations and valuations of such securities and placing more emphasis on the experience, judgment and analysis of the Advisers.
Credit obligations of stressed and distressed issuers (including those that are in covenant or payment default) are subject to a multitude of legal, industry, market, economic and governmental forces each of which make analysis of these companies inherently difficult. The Advisers rely on company management, outside experts, market research and personal experience to analyze potential investments. There can be no assurance that any of these sources will provide credible information, or that the Advisers’ analysis will produce conclusions that lead to profitable investments. Obligations of stressed and distressed issuers generally trade significantly below par and are considered speculative. The repayment of defaulted obligations is subject to significant uncertainties. Defaulted obligations might be repaid only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings or result in only partial recovery of cash payments or an exchange of the defaulted obligation for other debt or equity securities of the issuer or its affiliates, which may in turn be illiquid or speculative. There are a number of significant risks inherent in the bankruptcy process. Many events in a bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy court may approve actions that would be contrary to the interests of the Fund. A bankruptcy filing by an issuer may cause such issuer to lose its market position and key employees and otherwise become incapable of restoring itself as a viable entity, and its liquidation value may be less than its value was believed to be at the time of investment. In addition, the duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict and, as such, a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays while the plan of reorganization is being negotiated, approved by the creditors and confirmed by the bankruptcy court and until it ultimately becomes effective. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Further, in the early stages of the bankruptcy process it is often difficult to estimate the extent of any contingent claims that might be made and, as such, there is a risk that the Fund’s influence with respect to the class of obligations it owns could be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in that class or by different classification and treatment. A creditor, such as the Fund, can also lose its ranking and priority if it is determined that such creditor exercised “domination and control” over a debtor and other creditors can demonstrate that they have been harmed by such actions. In addition, certain claims
have priority by law, such as claims for taxes, which may be substantial and could affect the ability of the Fund to be repaid.
In any investment involving stressed or distressed obligations, there is a risk that the transaction involving such debt obligations will be unsuccessful, take considerable time or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security or obligation in exchange for the stressed or distressed obligations, the value of which may be less than the Fund’s purchase price of such obligations. Furthermore, if an anticipated transaction does not occur, the Fund may be required to sell its investment at a loss. However, investments in equity securities obtained through debt restructurings or bankruptcy proceedings may be illiquid and thus difficult or impossible to sell.
Interest Rate and Income Risk. The income you receive from the Fund is based in large part on interest rates, which can vary widely over the short and long term. If interest rates drop, your income from the Fund may drop as well. The more the Fund invests in adjustable, variable or floating rate securities or in securities susceptible to prepayment risk, the greater the Fund’s income risk. Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled.
Prepayment or Call Risk. If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of fixed income securities with high interest rates will prepay or “call” their securities before their maturity dates. In this event, the proceeds from the prepaid or called securities would likely be reinvested by the Fund in securities bearing the new, lower interest rates, resulting in a possible decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to shareholders.
Below Investment Grade (High-Yield or Junk Bond) Securities Risk. Fixed income securities rated below investment grade generally offer a higher current yield than that available from higher grade issues, but typically involve greater risk. These securities are especially sensitive to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, issuers of below investment grade instruments may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal and interest and increase the possibility of default, and such negative impact can be sudden and significant. The secondary market for high-yield securities may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. There are fewer dealers in the market for high-yield securities than for investment grade obligations. The prices quoted by different dealers may vary significantly, and the
spread between the bid and asked price is generally much larger for high-yield securities than for higher quality instruments. Under continuing adverse market or economic conditions, the secondary market for high-yield securities could contract further, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer, and these securities may become illiquid or less valuable even before a default occurs. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of below investment grade securities, especially in a market characterized by a low volume of trading. Unrated instruments involve the risk that the Advisers may not accurately evaluate the instrument’s comparative credit rating. As a result, the Fund’s investments in unrated instruments depend more heavily on the Advisers’ credit analysis than if the Fund invested in comparable rated instruments. Some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may be difficult to value, and the Fund might have difficulty selling them at an acceptable price.
Risks of Senior Loans. There is less readily available and reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of instruments, including listed securities. Senior Loans are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and as such, many Senior Loans are illiquid, meaning that the Fund may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market is more volatile than for liquid, listed securities and may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The market for Senior Loans could be disrupted in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase or decrease in interest rates, resulting in fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s common shares (“Common Shares”) and difficulty in valuing the Fund’s portfolio of Senior Loans. Although the Advisers believe that the Fund’s investments in adjustable rate Senior Loans could limit fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares as a result of changes in interest rates, extraordinary and sudden changes in interest rates could nevertheless disrupt the market for such Senior Loans and result in fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares and difficulty in valuing the Fund’s portfolio of Senior Loans. Senior Loans, like most other debt obligations, are subject to the risk of default. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares. The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates. The Advisers rely primarily on their own evaluation of borrower credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Advisers.
The Fund may acquire or hold Senior Loans of borrowers that are experiencing, or are more likely to experience, financial difficulty, including Senior Loans issued to highly leveraged borrowers or borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Borrowers may have outstanding debt obligations, including Senior Loans that are rated below investment grade. The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in Senior Loans that are rated below investment grade or that are unrated at the time of purchase but are deemed by the Advisers to be of comparable quality. If a Senior Loan is rated at the time of purchase, the Fund may consider the rating when evaluating the Senior Loan but, in any event, does not view ratings as a determinative factor in investment decisions. As a result, the Fund is dependent on the credit analytical abilities of the Advisers. Because of the protective terms of Senior Loans, the Advisers believe that the Fund is more likely to recover more of its investment in a defaulted Senior Loan than would be the case for most other types of defaulted credit obligations. The values of Senior Loans of borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection or that are experiencing payment difficulty could be affected by, among other things, the assessment of the likelihood that the lenders ultimately will receive repayment of the principal amount of such Senior Loans, the likely duration, if any, of a lapse in the scheduled payment of interest and repayment of principal and prevailing interest rates. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to recover any amount on Senior Loans of such borrowers or that sale of the collateral granted in connection with Senior Loans would raise enough cash to satisfy the borrower’s payment obligation or that the collateral can or will be liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation may not occur and the bankruptcy court may not give lenders the full benefit of their senior position in the capital structure of the borrower.
The Fund may act as an original lender under Senior Loans or may acquire Senior Loans through assignments or participations. The Fund may make Senior Loans to, or acquire Senior Loans of, borrowers that, at the time of the making or acquisition of the loan by the Fund, are experiencing, or are likely to experience, financial difficulty (including highly leveraged borrowers) and such loans may constitute a material amount of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund will not make Senior Loans to, or acquire Senior Loans of, borrowers that, at the time of the making or acquisition of the loan by the Fund, are in bankruptcy.
If the Fund acquires a Senior Loan through an assignment agreement, it will typically succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation purchased; however, its rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies of the lenders under the loan agreement and with regard to any associated collateral. If the Fund acquires an interest in a Senior Loan through a participation agreement, the Fund will enter into a
contractual relationship with the institution selling the participation, not with the borrower. In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement or any rights of setoff against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. When purchasing a participation, the Advisers will analyze the credit risk posed by the institution selling the participation. The Advisers rely primarily on their own evaluation of the credit quality of such selling institutions rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Advisers. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability and other claims. In addition, the Securities Act deems certain persons to be “underwriters” if they purchase a security from an issuer and later sell it to the public. Although it is not believed that the application of this Securities Act provision would cause the Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, a person who purchases an instrument from the Fund that was acquired by the Fund from the issuer of such instrument could allege otherwise. Under the Securities Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an issuer’s registration statement or prospectus.
In certain circumstances, Senior Loans may not be deemed to be securities, and in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a borrower, lenders and purchasers of interests in loans, such as the Fund, will not have the protection of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, as would be the case for bonds or stocks. Instead, in such cases, lenders generally rely on the contractual provisions in the loan agreement itself, and common law fraud protections under applicable state law.
Leverage risks. The Fund’s leveraged capital structure creates special risks not associated with unleveraged funds having similar investment objectives and policies. The funds borrowed pursuant to the loan facility may constitute a substantial lien and burden by reason of their prior claim against the income of the Fund and against the net assets of the Fund in liquidation. The Fund is limited in its ability to declare dividends or other distributions in the event of default under the loan facility. In the event of default under the loan facility, the lender has the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell portfolio securities and other assets of the Fund) and, if any such default is not cured, the lender may be able to control the liquidation as well. The loan facility has a term of 364 days and is not a perpetual form of leverage; there can be no assurance that the loan facility will be available for renewal on acceptable terms, if at all.
The credit agreement governing the loan facility includes usual and customary covenants for this type of transaction. These covenants
impose on the Fund asset coverage requirements, Fund composition requirements and limits on certain investments which are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. The covenants or guidelines could impede the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser from fully managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Furthermore, non-compliance with such covenants or the occurrence of other events could lead to the cancellation of the loan facility.
Covenant Lite Loans Risk. Covenant lite loans contain fewer maintenance covenants than traditional loans, or no maintenance covenants at all, and may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the financial performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. This may hinder the Fund’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with the borrower and reduce the Fund’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses on such investments may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle.
Market events risk. The market values of securities or other assets will fluctuate, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, due to changes in general market conditions, overall economic trends or events, governmental actions or intervention, actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks, market disruptions caused by trade disputes or other factors, political developments, investor sentiment and other factors that may or may not be related to the issuer of the security or other asset. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are increasingly interconnected. Economic, financial or political events, trading and tariff arrangements, terrorism, natural disasters and other circumstances in one country or region could have profound impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected. In addition, any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the world economy, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s investments.
Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund will invest in credit obligations, including loans, of issuers that are organized or located in countries other than the United States, including non-US dollar denominated securities. Investing in non-US issuers involves risks, including that non-US issuers may be subject to less rigorous accounting and reporting requirements than US issuers, less rigorous regulatory requirements, different legal systems and laws relating to creditors’ rights, the potential inability to enforce legal judgments, the potential for political, social and economic adversity and currency risk. These
risks are heightened under adverse economic, market, geopolitical and other conditions.
Currency risk is the risk that fluctuations in the exchange rates between the US dollar and non-US currencies may negatively affect an investment. The value of investments denominated in non-US currencies may fluctuate based on changes in the value of those currencies relative to the US dollar, and a decline in such relative value could reduce the value of such investments held by the Fund.
Emerging Markets. The foreign securities in which the Fund may invest may be issued by companies or governments located in emerging market countries. Investing in the securities of issuers operating in emerging markets involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the securities of other foreign or US issuers. Compared to the United States and other developed countries, emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, economies which may be more likely to take extra-legal action with respect to companies, industries, assets, or foreign ownership than those in more developed markets and therefore issuers of such emerging markets may be more affected by the performance of such industries or sectors. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and securities markets that trade a small number of securities. Securities issued by companies or governments located in emerging market countries tend to be especially volatile (particularly during market closures due to local market holidays or other reasons) and may be less liquid than securities traded in developed countries. Securities in these countries have been characterized by greater potential loss than securities of companies and governments located in developed countries. Investments in the securities of issuers located in emerging markets could be affected by risks associated with expropriation and/or nationalization, political or social instability, pervasiveness of corruption and crime, armed conflict, the impact on the economy of civil war, religious or ethnic unrest and the withdrawal or non-renewal of any license enabling the Fund to trade in securities of a particular country, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on transfers of assets, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, diplomatic development which could affect US investments in those countries, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. International trade barriers or economic sanctions against foreign countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals in response to geopolitical tensions or conflicts may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s foreign holdings. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures are difficult to measure or predict. Emerging market countries generally have less developed legal, accounting and financial reporting systems than those in more developed markets, which may reduce the scope or quality of financial information available to investors. Moreover, it can be more
difficult for investors to bring litigation or enforce judgments against issuers in emerging markets or for US regulators to bring enforcement actions against such issuers.
Foreign Currency Risk. Since the Fund may invest in credit obligations of foreign issuers denominated in the local currency, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of credit obligations in the Fund’s portfolio and the unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments. In addition to changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio investments resulting from currency fluctuations, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund may also invest directly in currencies for hedging purposes. The Fund is subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the US dollar. The values of the currencies of the emerging market countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies of the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or due to other national or global political or economic developments. Foreign exchange dealers realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer normally will offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire immediately to resell that currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward, futures or options contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. Therefore, the Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies may result in reduced returns to the Fund. The Fund may, from time to time, seek to protect the value of some portion or all of its portfolio holdings against currency risks by engaging in currency hedging transactions. Such transactions may include entering into forward currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts and options on such futures contracts as well as purchasing put or call options on currencies, in US or foreign markets. Currency hedging involves risks, including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of hedging could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, in certain countries in which the Fund may invest, currency hedging opportunities may not be available. The use of currency transactions can result in the Fund incurring losses because of the imposition of exchange controls, suspension of settlements or the inability of the Fund to deliver or receive a specified currency.
Investing in Euro-denominated (or other European currency-denominated) securities entails risk of being exposed to a currency that may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the disparate European economies. In addition, it is possible that the Euro
could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use. The effects of such an abandonment on the applicable country and the rest of the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) are uncertain but could be negative and severe. Many European countries rely heavily upon export-dependent businesses and any change in the exchange rate between the Euro and the US dollar can have either a positive or a negative effect upon corporate profits and the performance of investments in the European Union. The effects of the collapse of the Euro, or of the exit of one or more countries from the EMU, on the United States and global economy and securities markets are impossible to predict and any such events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund computes and expects to continue to distribute its income in US dollars, and the computation of income is made on the date that the income is earned by the Fund at the foreign exchange rate in effect on that date. If the value of the foreign currencies in which the Fund receives its income falls relative to the US dollar between the date of earning of the income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currencies to US dollars, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions if the Fund has insufficient cash in US dollars to meet distribution requirements. The liquidation of investments, if required, may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.
Risks of Second Lien or Other Subordinated or Unsecured Loans or Debt. Second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in Senior Loans. In addition, because second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt are subordinated in payment and/or lower in lien priority to Senior Loans, they are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Second lien or subordinated loans or debt, both secured and unsecured, are expected to have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and may be less liquid. There is also a possibility that originators will not be able to sell participations in second lien loans and subordinated loans or debt, both secured and unsecured, which would create greater credit risk exposure. Second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt of below investment grade quality share risks similar to those associated with investments in other below investment grade securities and obligations.
Risks of Structured Products. The Fund may invest in structured products, including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan
obligations (“CLOs”), structured notes, credit-linked notes and other types of structured products. Holders of structured products bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive payments to which it is entitled only from the issuer of the structured product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer of, or the entity that sold, assets underlying the structured product. While certain structured products enable the investor to acquire interests in a pool of securities without the brokerage and other expenses associated with directly holding such securities, investors in structured products generally pay their share of the structured product’s administrative and other expenses. When investing in structured products, it is impossible to predict whether the underlying indices or prices of the underlying assets will rise or fall, but prices of the underlying indices and assets (and, therefore, the prices of structured products) will be influenced by the same types of political and economic events that affect particular issuers of securities and capital markets generally. Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of increasing the Fund’s illiquidity 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.
CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are typically privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to be considered liquid in some circumstances. In addition to the general risks associated with fixed income securities discussed herein, CDOs 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 the collateral may go into default; (iii) the possibility that the CDOs are subordinate to other classes of obligations issued by the same issuer; 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.
Investments in structured notes involve risks including income risk, credit risk and market risk. Recent market conditions have magnified the risks related to an investment in structured products, including greater volatility, increased lack of liquidity and significant losses in value. Where the return on a structured note held by the Fund is based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, referenced bonds and stock indices, depending on the factor used and the use of multipliers or deflators, changes in interest rates and movement of the factor may cause significant fluctuations in the price of the structured note. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may
cause the interest rate on the structured note to be reduced to zero and any further changes in the reference instrument may then reduce the principal amount payable on maturity. Structured notes may be less liquid than other types of securities and more volatile than the reference instrument or security underlying the note.
Asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments risk. To the extent the Fund invests in asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) securities or other instruments, its exposure to prepayment and extension risks may be greater than other investments in fixed income instruments. Asset-backed securities are in particular subject to interest rate risk. Generally, asset-backed securities increase in value to a lesser extent when interest rates decline and generally decline in value to a similar or greater extent when interest rates rise. Asset-backed securities are also subject to liquidity, valuation and credit risk.
The value of, and income generated by, investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risks of asset-backed securities in general and the real estate markets. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. In addition, mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments are subject to prepayment risk—the risk that borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected, particularly when interest rates decline. This can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates. Economic downturns, rises in unemployment and other developments that limit or reduce the activities of and demand for real estate spaces or heightened credit and default risks associated with underlying mortgages may adversely impact the value of, and income generated by, such securities. The Fund’s investments in other asset-backed instruments, such as securities backed by car loans, are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) securities.
Privately issued asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) 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 (or mortgage-related) instruments issued or guaranteed by the US government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or a government-sponsored enterprise (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae), asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) 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. Although instruments issued by a government-sponsored enterprise are sometimes considered to carry an implicit guarantee from the US government, there can be no
assurance that the US government would in fact guarantee such instruments.
Risks of Swaps. The Fund may enter into swap transactions, including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swap agreements, as well as options thereon, and may purchase or sell interest rate caps, floors and collars. Such transactions are subject to market risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction (i.e., counterparty risk), risk of imperfect correlation and manager risk and may involve commissions or other costs. Swaps generally do not involve delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make, or in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. If the Advisers are incorrect in their forecast of market values, interest rates or currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.
Counterparty Risk. Changes in the credit quality of the dealers that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives, swaps or other transactions will affect the value of those instruments. In the event of a default by, or the insolvency of, a counterparty, the Fund may sustain losses or be unable to liquidate a derivative or swap position. Such risk is heightened in a market environment where interest rates are either high or rising. The Fund and the Advisers seek to deal only with counterparties of high creditworthiness. All of the Fund’s bank or dealer counterparties (including bank or dealer derivative counterparties) will be subject to approval by the Advisers’ risk and compliance groups. The Advisers evaluate and monitor the creditworthiness of the Fund’s counterparties. Specifically, the Advisers’ risk and compliance personnel implement processes with respect to pre-approval, ongoing monitoring and parameters with respect to the Fund’s counterparty risk exposure. The parameters and limitations that may be imposed depend on the creditworthiness of the Fund's counterparties and the nature of the transactions in which the Fund engages. The counterparty risk for cleared derivatives is generally lower than for uncleared over-the-counter derivative transactions since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties’ performance under the contract as each party to a trade generally looks to the clearing organization for performance of financial obligations under the derivative contract. However, there can be no assurance that a clearing organization, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. Counterparty risk also encompasses the risk of having concentrated exposure to one or more counterparties.
Financial Leverage Risk. The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments,
including reverse repurchase agreements, credit facilities such as bank loans or commercial paper, and the issuance of preferred shares or notes. The Fund intends to use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Fund’s assessment of market conditions and the investment environment.
There can be no assurance that a financial leveraging strategy will continue to be utilized by the Fund or that, if utilized, it will be successful during any period in which it is employed. Leverage creates risks for Common Shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV of the Common Shares and market price of, and distributions on, the Common Shares and the risk that fluctuations in the costs to borrow, or in the distribution or interest rates on any preferred shares or notes, may affect the return to Common Shareholders. To the extent the income derived from investments purchased with proceeds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s distributions will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income from the investments purchased with such proceeds is not sufficient to cover the cost of the financial leverage, the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders will be less than if leverage had not been used. In the latter case, the Fund may nevertheless maintain its leveraged position if such action is deemed to be appropriate based on market conditions. The Fund has issued preferred shares. Holders of preferred shares will have rights to elect a minimum of two Trustees. This voting power may negatively affect Common Shareholders (or the interests of holders of preferred shares may differ from the interests of Common Shareholders). The use of leverage by the Fund may magnify the Fund’s losses when there is a decrease in the value of a Fund investment and even totally eliminate the Fund’s equity in its portfolio or a Common Shareholder’s equity in the Fund.
The costs of a financial leverage program (including the costs of offering preferred shares and notes) will be borne by Common Shareholders and consequently will result in a reduction of the NAV of the Common Shares. During periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fees paid by the Fund for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the investment advisory fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Fund’s Managed Assets, which includes proceeds from (and assets subject to) reverse repurchase agreements, any credit facility and any issuance of preferred shares or notes, so that the investment advisory fees payable to the Adviser will be higher when leverage is utilized. This will create a conflict of interest between the Advisers, on the one hand, and Common Shareholders, on the other hand. Fees and expenses in respect of financial leverage, as well as the investment advisory fee and all other expenses of the Fund, will be borne entirely
by the Common Shareholders, and not by preferred shareholders, noteholders or any other leverage providers.
Any lender in connection with a credit facility may impose specific restrictions as a condition to borrowing. The credit facility fees may include, among other things, up front structuring fees and ongoing commitment fees (including fees on amounts undrawn on the facility) in addition to the traditional interest expense on amounts borrowed. The credit facility may involve a lien on the Fund’s assets. The Fund is currently a party to a credit facility. Similarly, to the extent the Fund issues additional preferred shares or notes, the Fund currently intends to seek a credit rating from one or more NRSROs on any preferred shares or notes it issues and the Fund may be subject to fees, covenants and investment restrictions required by the NRSRO as a result. Such covenants and restrictions imposed by a NRSRO or lender may include asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or restrictions will significantly impede the Advisers in managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Nonetheless, if these covenants or guidelines are more restrictive than those imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may not be able to utilize as much leverage as it otherwise could have, which could reduce the Fund’s investment returns.
The Fund may enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage including, among others, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions. Under current regulations, to the extent that the Fund covers its obligations under such other transactions, such transactions should not be treated as borrowings for purposes of the 1940 Act. However, these transactions, even if covered, may represent a form of economic leverage and will create risks. The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein.
Sovereign debt securities risk. Investments in government debt securities involve special risks. Certain countries have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, high rates of inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate fluctuations, large amounts of external debt, balance of payments and trade difficulties and extreme poverty and unemployment. The issuer or governmental authority that controls the repayment of a country’s debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation and, in the case of a government debtor, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the
government debtor’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject.
Government debtors may default on their debt and may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a debtor’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the government debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts on a timely basis. Holders of government debt, potentially including the Fund, may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to government debtors.
As a result of the foregoing, a government obligor may default on its obligations. If such an event occurs, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. Remedies must, in some cases, be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of foreign government debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country.
Risks of Other Derivative Instruments. The Fund may utilize options, forward contracts, futures contracts and options on futures contracts. These instruments involve risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, the possible default by the counterparty to the transaction (i.e., counterparty risk), illiquidity of the derivative instrument and, to the extent the prediction as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such instruments could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, transactions in such instruments may involve commissions and other costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses and reduce its return. Amounts paid as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to such instruments are not otherwise available to the Fund for investment purposes.
Further, the use of such instruments by the Fund could create the possibility that losses on the instrument would be greater than gains in the value of the Fund’s position. In addition, futures and options markets could be illiquid in some circumstances, and certain over-the-counter options could have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a position without incurring substantial losses. To the extent that the Fund utilizes forward contracts, futures contracts or options transactions
for hedging, such transactions should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position and, at the same time, limit any potential gain to the Fund that might result from an increase in value of the position. In addition, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of call options, in which case the market exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium and transaction costs. Losses resulting from the use of hedging will reduce the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares, and possibly income, and the losses can be greater than if hedging had not been used. Forward contracts may limit gains on portfolio securities that could otherwise be realized had they not been utilized and could result in losses. The contracts may also increase the Fund’s volatility and may involve a significant amount of risk relative to the investment of cash. The use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices other than at current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to any transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts or options on futures contracts. 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 bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.
When conducted outside the United States, transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts or options on futures contracts may not be regulated as rigorously as in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by: (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors; (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions; (iii) delays in the Fund’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States; (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States; and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act governing 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 and would not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. Under the rule, when the Fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the Fund’s asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. In addition, under the rule, the Fund is permitted to invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that, (i) the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the “Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision”). The Fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the Fund treats any such transaction as a “derivatives transaction” for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, the Fund is permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the Fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the Fund to use derivatives, and reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Lender Liability Risk. A number of US judicial decisions have upheld judgments for borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder (a) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, (b) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other
creditors, (c) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (d) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called “equitable subordination.”
Because affiliates of, or persons related to, the Advisers may hold equity or other interests in obligors of the Fund, the Fund could be exposed to claims for equitable subordination or lender liability or both based on such equity or other holdings.
NAV Discount Risk. Frequently, shares of closed-end investment companies, such as the Fund, trade at a price below their NAV, commonly referred to as a “discount.” Historically, shares of closed-end funds have traded at a discount to their NAV, and the Fund can provide no assurance that its Common Shares will trade at or above their NAV. The Fund’s Common Shares frequently trade at a discount to NAV.
Manager Risk. As with any managed fund, the Advisers may not be successful in selecting the best-performing investments or investment techniques in managing the Fund’s portfolio, and the Fund’s performance may lag behind that of similar funds.
Conflicts of Interest Risk. The portfolio managers' management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of a Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. However, the Adviser (or Subadviser) believes that these risks are mitigated by the fact that: (i) accounts with like investment strategies managed by a particular portfolio manager are generally managed in a similar fashion, subject to exceptions to account for particular investment restrictions or policies applicable only to certain accounts, differences in cash flows and account sizes, and similar factors; and (ii) portfolio manager personal trading is monitored to avoid potential conflicts. In addition, the Adviser (or Subadviser) has adopted trade allocation procedures that require equitable allocation of trade orders for a particular security among participating accounts. In some cases, another account managed by the same portfolio manager may compensate abrdn based on the performance of the portfolio held by that account. The existence of such a performance-based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities.
Another potential conflict could include instances in which securities considered as investments for the Fund also may be appropriate for
other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Fund and one or more of the other accounts simultaneously, the Adviser (or Subadviser) may aggregate the purchases and sales of the securities and will allocate the securities transactions in a manner that it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of the allocations, there may be instances where the Fund will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the Adviser (or Subadviser) that the benefits from the policies outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions. The Trust has adopted policies that are designed to eliminate or minimize conflicts of interest, although there is no guarantee that procedures adopted under such policies will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
From time to time, the Adviser or the Subadviser may seed proprietary accounts for the purpose of evaluating a new investment strategy that eventually may be available to clients through one or more product structures. Such accounts also may serve the purpose of establishing a performance record for the strategy. The management by the Adviser and the Subadviser of accounts with proprietary interests and nonproprietary client accounts may create an incentive to favor the proprietary accounts in the allocation of investment opportunities, and the timing and aggregation of investments. The Adviser's and Subadviser's proprietary seed accounts may include long-short strategies, and certain client strategies may permit short sales. A conflict of interest arises if a security is sold short at the same time as a long position, and continuous short selling in a security may adversely affect the stock price of the same security held long in client accounts. The Adviser and Subadviser have adopted various policies to mitigate these conflicts.
In addition, the 1940 Act limits the Fund's ability to enter into certain transactions with certain affiliates of the Advisers. As a result of these restrictions, the Fund may be prohibited from buying or selling any security directly from or to any portfolio company of a fund managed by the Advisers or one of their affiliates. Nonetheless, the Fund may under certain circumstances purchase any such portfolio company's loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Advisers between the interests of the Fund and the portfolio company, in that the ability of the Advisers to recommend actions in the best interest of the Fund might be impaired. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Fund's affiliates (which could include other abrdn-managed Funds), which could be deemed to include certain types of investments, or restructuring of investments, in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times). These limitations may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be
available to the Fund. The Board has approved policies and procedures reasonably designed to monitor potential conflicts of interest. The Board will review these procedures and any conflicts that may arise.
The Adviser (or Subadviser) or their respective members, officers, directors, employees, principals or affiliates may come into possession of material, non-public information. The possession of such information may limit the ability of the Fund to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity. Situations may occur where the Fund could be disadvantaged because of the investment activities conducted by the Adviser (or Subadveriser) for other clients, and the Adviser (or Subadviser) will not employ information barriers with regard to its operations on behalf of its registered and private funds, or other accounts. In certain circumstances, employees of the Adviser (or Subadviser) may serve as board members or in other capacities for portfolio or potential portfolio companies, which could restrict the Fund's ability to trade in the securities of such companies.
Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements. In its purchase of repurchase agreements, the Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period, and expenses of enforcing its rights. A repurchase agreement effectively represents a loan from the Fund to the seller under the agreement.
The Fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements involves many of the same risks involved in the Fund’s use of financial leverage, as the proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements generally will be invested in additional securities. There is a risk that the market value of the securities acquired in the reverse repurchase agreement may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but remains obligated to repurchase. In addition, there is a risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement were to file for bankruptcy or experience insolvency, the Fund may be adversely affected. Also, in entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the underlying securities. In addition, due to the interest costs associated with reverse repurchase agreements, the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares will decline, and, in some cases, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if the Fund had not used such instruments. A reverse repurchase agreement
effectively represents a loan from the buyer to the Fund under the agreement.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser and/or its service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality.
Other Risks
Investment risk. You may lose money by investing in the Fund, including the possibility that you may lose all of your investment. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
The Fund is intended to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not designed to provide investors with a means of speculating on short-term stock market movements. Investors should not consider the Fund a complete investment program.
Risks of investing in other investment companies. The Fund may acquire shares in other investment companies, including foreign investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The market value of the shares of other investment companies may differ from the NAV of the particular fund. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment advisory fees and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its Common Shareholders, in effect, will be absorbing two levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
Zero coupon securities risk. Certain debt obligations purchased by the Fund may take the form of zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that does not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. When held to its maturity, its return comes from the difference between the purchase price and its maturity value. A zero coupon bond is normally issued and traded at a deep discount from face value. Zero coupon bonds allow an issuer to avoid or delay the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments and, as a result, may involve greater credit risk than bonds that pay interest currently or in cash. The Fund would be required to distribute the income on any of these instruments as it accrues, even though the Fund will not receive all of the income on a current basis or in cash. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments, including when it
may not be advisable to do so, to make income distributions to its shareholders.
Distributions attributable to the Fund’s “original issue discount” income accruing on zero coupon bonds, and of all other ordinary income, will generally be taxable to the Common Shareholders as ordinary income. As a consequence of selling investments in order to make distributions of “original issue discount” income and other income in respect of which the Fund has not received a corresponding amount of cash, the Fund may realize additional income that gives rise to additional distribution requirements; distributions of such additional income may be taxable to the Common Shareholders as ordinary income or as long-term capital gain depending on which investments are sold.
Inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. To the extent that inflation occurs, it will reduce the real value of dividends paid by the Fund and the Fund’s Common Shares. Most emerging market countries, in particular, have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high and volatile, rates of inflation. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have very negative effects on the economies and securities markets globally. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have been imposed at times in certain countries.
When-issued and delayed delivery securities risk. The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a “when-issued” or “delayed delivery” basis whereby the Fund buys or sells a security with payment and delivery taking place in the future. These 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 Fund 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 other party to complete the transaction may result in the Fund missing the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. When the Fund is the buyer in such a transaction, however, it will segregate cash and/or liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the amount of such purchase commitments until payment is made. An increase in the percentage of the Fund’s assets committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may increase the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares.
Illiquid investments risk. The Fund’s investments in relatively illiquid investments and loans may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for fair value, as well as its ability to fairly value such investments and take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly
acute in situations in which the Fund’s operations require cash, such as when the Fund pays dividends or distributions, and could result in the Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments.
Short sales risk. The Fund may engage in short sales. Short sales involve certain risks and special considerations. If the Fund incorrectly predicts that the price of the borrowed security will decline, the Fund will have to replace the securities with securities with a greater value than the amount received from the sale. As a result, losses from short sales differ from losses that could be incurred from a purchase of a security, because losses from short sales may be unlimited, whereas losses from purchases can equal only the total amount invested.
Equity securities risk. The value of equity securities, including common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, will fluctuate in response to factors affecting the particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of an issuer’s equity securities held by the Fund. The prices of equity securities fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, equity security prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Moreover, in the event of a company’s bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders, will have priority over claims of common stock holders and are likely to have varying types of priority over holders of preferred and convertible stock.
Warrants risk. The Fund may invest in warrants. The risk of investing in a warrant is that the warrant may expire prior to the market value of the common stock exceeding the price fixed by the warrant. Warrants have a subordinate claim on a borrower’s assets compared with Senior Loans. As a result, the values of warrants generally are dependent on the financial condition of the borrower and less dependent on fluctuations in interest rates than are the values of many debt securities. The values of warrants may be more volatile than those of Senior Loans and this may increase the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares.
Temporary investments risk. During periods in which the Advisers believe that changes in economic, financial or political conditions make it advisable to do so, the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, reduce its primary investment holdings and invest in certain short-term and medium-term debt securities or hold cash. The Fund intends to invest for temporary defensive purposes only in short-term and medium-term debt securities believed to be of high quality, which are expected to be subject to relatively low risk of loss of interest or principal. In taking such defensive position, the Fund
temporarily would not be pursuing and may not achieve its investment objectives.
Tax risk. The Fund has elected to be treated as, and intends to continue to qualify each year as, a “regulated investment company” under the Code. Assuming the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company, it generally will not be subject to US federal income tax on its “investment company taxable income” as that term is defined in the Code (which includes, among other items, dividends, taxable interest, original issue discount, market discount and the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, as reduced by certain deductible expenses), and net capital gain, that it distributes (including amounts that are treated as distributed and reinvested pursuant to the Plan, as described below) to shareholders, provided that, for each taxable year, the Fund distributes (or is treated as distributing) to its shareholders an amount at least equal to 90% of its investment company taxable income. The Fund intends to continue to distribute annually all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain. In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, the Fund must also meet certain asset diversification tests and at least 90% of its gross income for such year must be comprised of certain types of qualifying income. If, for any taxable year, the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it will be treated as a corporation subject to US federal income tax on its net income and capital gains at the regular corporate tax rates (without a deduction for distributions to shareholders). In addition, shareholders will be subject to tax on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Accordingly, in such event, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives would be adversely affected, and Common Shareholders would be subject to the risk of diminished investment returns.
Valuation risk. Unlike publicly traded common stock which trades on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans or fixed-income instruments to trade. Loans and fixed-income instruments generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market which may be anywhere in the world where the buyer and seller can settle on a price. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, the valuation of loans or fixed-income instruments may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial market, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. In addition, other market participants may value securities differently than the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that when a loan or fixed-income instrument is sold in the market, the amount received by the Fund is less than the value of such loans or fixed-income instruments carried on the Fund’s books.
US government debt securities risk. US government debt securities have historically not involved the credit risks associated with investments in other types of debt securities, although, as a result, the yields available from US government debt securities are generally lower than the yields available from other securities. Like other debt securities, however, the values of US government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income on existing portfolio securities but will be reflected in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares. Since the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater at times when the Fund’s average maturity is longer, under certain market conditions the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, accept lower current income from short-term investments rather than investing in higher yielding long-term securities.
Operational Risk. Your ability to transact with the Fund or the valuation of your investment may be negatively impacted because of the operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Government intervention in the financial markets risk. In the past decade financial markets throughout the world have experienced increased volatility, depressed valuations, decreased liquidity and heightened uncertainty. Governmental and non-governmental issuers have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts. Federal Reserve or other US or non-US governmental or central bank actions, including interest rate increases or contrary actions by different governments, could negatively affect financial markets generally, increase market volatility and reduce the value and liquidity of securities in which the fund invests.
Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take additional actions that affect the regulation of the securities or structured products in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities or structured products, in ways that are unforeseeable. Borrowers under Senior Loans held by the Fund may seek protection under bankruptcy laws. 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 objectives. The Advisers monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund’s portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
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| Effects of Leverage [Text Block] |
Effects of Leverage
The following table is furnished in response to requirements of the SEC. It is designed to, among other things, illustrate the effects of leverage through the use of senior securities, as that term is defined under Section 18 of the 1940 Act, on Common Share total return, assuming investment portfolio total returns (consisting of income and changes in the value of investments held in a Fund's portfolio) of -10%, -5%, 0%, 5% and 10%. The table below reflects the Fund's continued use of the revolving credit facility, and Preferred Shares as of October 31, 2023 as a percentage of total managed assets (including assets attributable to such leverage), the estimated annual effective Preferred Share dividend rate and interest expense rate payable by the Fund on such instruments (based on market conditions as of October 31, 2023), and the annual return that the Fund's portfolio must experience (net of expenses) in order to cover such costs. The information below does not reflect the Fund's use of certain other forms of economic leverage achieved through the use of other instruments or transactions not considered to be senior securities under the 1940 Act, such as covered credit default swaps or other derivative instruments, if any.
The assumed investment portfolio returns in the table below are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns experienced or expected to be experienced by the Fund. Your actual returns may be greater or less than those appearing below. In addition, actual borrowing expenses associated with reverse repurchase agreements (or dollar rolls or borrowings, if any) used by the Fund may vary frequently and may be significantly higher or lower than the rate used for the example below.
Based on estimated indebtedness of $145,000,000 (representing approximately 29.91% of the Fund's Managed Assets as of October 31, 2023), and a weighted average annual interest rate of 6.84% (effective weighted interest rate on the revolving credit facility and preferred shares as of October 31, 2023), the Fund's investment portfolio at fair value would have to produce an annual return of approximately 2.05% to cover annual interest payments on the estimated debt.
Share total return is composed of two elements—the distributions paid by a Fund to holders of Shares (the amount of which is largely determined by the net investment income of the Fund after paying dividend payments on any preferred shares issued by the Fund and expenses on any forms of leverage outstanding) and gains or losses on the value of the securities and other instruments the Fund owns. As required by SEC rules, the table assumes that a Fund is more likely to suffer capital losses than to enjoy capital appreciation. For example, to assume a total return of 0%, a Fund must assume that the income it receives on its investments is entirely offset by losses in the value of those investments. This table reflects hypothetical performance of a Fund's portfolio and not the actual performance of the Fund's Shares, the value of which is determined by market forces and other factors.
Should the Fund elect to add additional leverage to its portfolio, any benefits of such additional leverage cannot be fully achieved until the proceeds resulting from the use of such leverage have been received by the Fund and invested in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and policies. As noted above, the Fund's willingness to use additional leverage, and the extent to which leverage is used at any time, will depend on many factors, including, among other things, the Adviser's assessment of the yield curve environment, interest rate trends, market conditions and other factors.
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| Annual Dividend Payment | [8] | $ (1.2) | (1.2) | (1.2) | (1.4) | $ (1.44) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Effects of Leverage [Table Text Block] |
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| Return at Minus Ten [Percent] | (17.20%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return at Minus Five [Percent] | (10.10%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return at Zero [Percent] | (2.90%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return at Plus Five [Percent] | 4.20% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return at Plus Ten [Percent] | 11.30% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Effects of Leverage, Purpose [Text Block] | The assumed investment portfolio returns in the table below are hypothetical figures and are not necessarily indicative of the investment portfolio returns experienced or expected to be experienced by the Fund. Your actual returns may be greater or less than those appearing below. In addition, actual borrowing expenses associated with reverse repurchase agreements (or dollar rolls or borrowings, if any) used by the Fund may vary frequently and may be significantly higher or lower than the rate used for the example below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share Price [Table Text Block] |
Net Asset Value and Market Price Information
Net Asset Value
The Fund’s currently outstanding Common Shares are listed on the NYSE. The Common Shares commenced trading on the NYSE on January 27, 2011.
The Common Shares have traded both at a premium and at a discount to the Fund’s NAV per Common Share. Although the Common Shares recently have traded at a premium to NAV, there can be no assurance that this will continue after an offering of Common Shares or that the Common Shares will not trade at a discount in the future. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to NAV. The Fund’s NAV will be reduced immediately following an offering of Common Shares due to the costs of such offering, which will be borne entirely by the Fund. The sale of Common Shares by the Fund (or the perception that such sales may occur) may have an adverse effect on prices of Common Shares in the secondary market. An increase in the number of Common Shares available may result in downward pressure on the market price for Common Shares.
The Fund cannot predict whether its Common Shares will trade in the future at a premium to or discount from NAV, or the level of any premium or discount.
Market Price Information
The Fund’s Common Shares are publicly held and are listed and traded on the NYSE (trading symbol “ACP”). The following table sets forth for the fiscal quarters indicated the highest and lowest daily prices during the applicable quarter at the close of market on the NYSE per Common Share along with (i) the highest and lowest closing NAV and (ii) the highest and lowest premium or discount from NAV represented by such prices at the close of the market on the NYSE.
(1) Source: Bloomberg L.P.
(2) Data presented are with respect to a short period of time and are not indicative of future performance.
On December 26, 2023, the Fund’s NAV was $7.10 and the last reported sale price of a Common Share on the NYSE was $6.89, representing a discount to NAV of 2.96%.
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| Lowest Price or Bid | 5.62 | [9],[10] | $ 6.46 | $ 6.45 | $ 6.32 | 6.16 | [9],[10] | $ 7.57 | $ 9.34 | $ 9.62 | 10.94 | [9],[10] | $ 10.76 | $ 10.91 | $ 5.62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Price or Bid | 7.15 | [9],[10] | 6.98 | 8.5 | 8.21 | 8.72 | [9],[10] | 9.33 | 10.51 | 11.45 | 11.69 | [9],[10] | 12.59 | 12.56 | 8.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Price or Bid, NAV | 6.47 | [9],[10] | 6.8 | 6.89 | 6.65 | 6.54 | [9],[10] | 7.11 | 8.8 | 9.94 | 10.45 | [9],[10] | 10.87 | 11.32 | 6.47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Price or Bid, NAV | $ 6.96 | [9],[10] | $ 7.06 | $ 7.38 | $ 7.34 | $ 7.8 | [9],[10] | $ 8.74 | $ 10.01 | $ 10.53 | $ 11.02 | [9],[10] | $ 11.71 | $ 11.7 | $ 7.38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Price or Bid, Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent] | 2.73% | [9],[10] | (0.43%) | 16.28% | 12.16% | 12.81% | [9],[10] | 6.75% | 7.68% | 8.94% | 6.66% | [9],[10] | 8.35% | 7.63% | 16.28% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Price or Bid, Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent] | (13.14%) | [9],[10] | (5.00%) | (6.66%) | (4.96%) | (5.81%) | [9],[10] | 3.13% | 2.64% | (4.47%) | 1.11% | [9],[10] | (6.19%) | (3.62%) | (13.14%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share Price | $ 6.89 | 5.78 | [8] | 6.37 | [8] | $ 5.78 | [8] | $ 6.37 | [8] | $ 11.3 | [8] | $ 5.78 | [8] | 6.37 | [8] | 11.3 | [8] | 9.18 | [8] | 11.33 | [8] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NAV Per Share | $ 7.1 | $ 6.52 | [8] | $ 6.72 | [8] | $ 6.52 | [8] | $ 6.72 | [8] | $ 10.45 | [8] | $ 6.52 | [8] | $ 6.72 | [8] | $ 10.45 | [8] | $ 10.15 | [8] | $ 12.46 | [8] | $ 14.08 | [8] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latest Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent] | 2.96% | (11.35%) | (5.21%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Market Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Market Risk. Market risk is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the Fund will decline. The values of fixed income securities tend to fall as interest rates rise, and such declines tend to be greater among fixed income securities with longer remaining maturities. Market risk is often greater among certain types of fixed income securities, such as zero coupon bonds which do not make regular interest payments but are instead bought at a discount to their face values and paid in full upon maturity. As interest rates change, these securities often fluctuate more in price than securities that make regular interest payments and therefore subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that does not own these types of securities. The values of adjustable, variable or floating rate income securities tend to have less fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates, but will have some fluctuation particularly when the next interest rate adjustment on such security is further away in time or adjustments are limited in number or degree over time. The Fund has no policy limiting the maturity of credit obligations it purchases. Such obligations often have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions and because of prepayments, the actual remaining maturity of loans and debts may be considerably less than their stated maturity. Obligations with longer remaining maturities or durations generally expose the Fund to more market risk. When-issued and delayed delivery transactions are subject to changes in market conditions from the time of the commitment until settlement. This may adversely affect the prices or yields of the securities being purchased. The greater the Fund’s outstanding commitments for these securities, the greater the Fund’s exposure to market price fluctuations. Interest rate risk can be considered a type of market risk.
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| Credit Risks [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Credit Risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will be unable to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its debt. Because the Fund may invest, without limitation, in securities that are below investment grade, the Fund is subject to a greater degree of credit risk than a fund investing primarily in investment grade securities. Below investment grade securities (that is, securities rated Ba or lower by Moody’s or BB or lower by S&P) are commonly referred to as “junk” securities. Generally, lower-grade securities provide a higher yield than higher-grade securities of similar maturity but are subject to greater risks, such as greater credit risk, greater market risk and volatility, greater liquidity concerns and potentially greater manager risk. Such securities are generally regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers’ capacities to pay interest or repay principal in accordance with their terms. Lower-grade securities are more susceptible to non-payment of interest and principal and default than
higher-grade securities and are more sensitive to specific issuer developments or real or perceived general adverse economic changes than higher-grade securities. The market for lower-grade securities may also have less information available than the market for other securities, further complicating evaluations and valuations of such securities and placing more emphasis on the experience, judgment and analysis of the Advisers.
Credit obligations of stressed and distressed issuers (including those that are in covenant or payment default) are subject to a multitude of legal, industry, market, economic and governmental forces each of which make analysis of these companies inherently difficult. The Advisers rely on company management, outside experts, market research and personal experience to analyze potential investments. There can be no assurance that any of these sources will provide credible information, or that the Advisers’ analysis will produce conclusions that lead to profitable investments. Obligations of stressed and distressed issuers generally trade significantly below par and are considered speculative. The repayment of defaulted obligations is subject to significant uncertainties. Defaulted obligations might be repaid only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings or result in only partial recovery of cash payments or an exchange of the defaulted obligation for other debt or equity securities of the issuer or its affiliates, which may in turn be illiquid or speculative. There are a number of significant risks inherent in the bankruptcy process. Many events in a bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy court may approve actions that would be contrary to the interests of the Fund. A bankruptcy filing by an issuer may cause such issuer to lose its market position and key employees and otherwise become incapable of restoring itself as a viable entity, and its liquidation value may be less than its value was believed to be at the time of investment. In addition, the duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict and, as such, a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays while the plan of reorganization is being negotiated, approved by the creditors and confirmed by the bankruptcy court and until it ultimately becomes effective. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Further, in the early stages of the bankruptcy process it is often difficult to estimate the extent of any contingent claims that might be made and, as such, there is a risk that the Fund’s influence with respect to the class of obligations it owns could be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in that class or by different classification and treatment. A creditor, such as the Fund, can also lose its ranking and priority if it is determined that such creditor exercised “domination and control” over a debtor and other creditors can demonstrate that they have been harmed by such actions. In addition, certain claims
have priority by law, such as claims for taxes, which may be substantial and could affect the ability of the Fund to be repaid.
In any investment involving stressed or distressed obligations, there is a risk that the transaction involving such debt obligations will be unsuccessful, take considerable time or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security or obligation in exchange for the stressed or distressed obligations, the value of which may be less than the Fund’s purchase price of such obligations. Furthermore, if an anticipated transaction does not occur, the Fund may be required to sell its investment at a loss. However, investments in equity securities obtained through debt restructurings or bankruptcy proceedings may be illiquid and thus difficult or impossible to sell.
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| Interest Rate And Income Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Interest Rate and Income Risk. The income you receive from the Fund is based in large part on interest rates, which can vary widely over the short and long term. If interest rates drop, your income from the Fund may drop as well. The more the Fund invests in adjustable, variable or floating rate securities or in securities susceptible to prepayment risk, the greater the Fund’s income risk. Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled.
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| Prepayment Or Call Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Prepayment or Call Risk. If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of fixed income securities with high interest rates will prepay or “call” their securities before their maturity dates. In this event, the proceeds from the prepaid or called securities would likely be reinvested by the Fund in securities bearing the new, lower interest rates, resulting in a possible decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to shareholders.
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| Below Investment Grade (High Yield Or Junk Bond) Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Below Investment Grade (High-Yield or Junk Bond) Securities Risk. Fixed income securities rated below investment grade generally offer a higher current yield than that available from higher grade issues, but typically involve greater risk. These securities are especially sensitive to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuation in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, issuers of below investment grade instruments may experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal and interest and increase the possibility of default, and such negative impact can be sudden and significant. The secondary market for high-yield securities may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. There are fewer dealers in the market for high-yield securities than for investment grade obligations. The prices quoted by different dealers may vary significantly, and the
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| Risks Of Senior Loans [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of Senior Loans. There is less readily available and reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of instruments, including listed securities. Senior Loans are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and as such, many Senior Loans are illiquid, meaning that the Fund may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market is more volatile than for liquid, listed securities and may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The market for Senior Loans could be disrupted in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase or decrease in interest rates, resulting in fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s common shares (“Common Shares”) and difficulty in valuing the Fund’s portfolio of Senior Loans. Although the Advisers believe that the Fund’s investments in adjustable rate Senior Loans could limit fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares as a result of changes in interest rates, extraordinary and sudden changes in interest rates could nevertheless disrupt the market for such Senior Loans and result in fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares and difficulty in valuing the Fund’s portfolio of Senior Loans. Senior Loans, like most other debt obligations, are subject to the risk of default. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares. The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates. The Advisers rely primarily on their own evaluation of borrower credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Advisers.
The Fund may acquire or hold Senior Loans of borrowers that are experiencing, or are more likely to experience, financial difficulty, including Senior Loans issued to highly leveraged borrowers or borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Borrowers may have outstanding debt obligations, including Senior Loans that are rated below investment grade. The Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in Senior Loans that are rated below investment grade or that are unrated at the time of purchase but are deemed by the Advisers to be of comparable quality. If a Senior Loan is rated at the time of purchase, the Fund may consider the rating when evaluating the Senior Loan but, in any event, does not view ratings as a determinative factor in investment decisions. As a result, the Fund is dependent on the credit analytical abilities of the Advisers. Because of the protective terms of Senior Loans, the Advisers believe that the Fund is more likely to recover more of its investment in a defaulted Senior Loan than would be the case for most other types of defaulted credit obligations. The values of Senior Loans of borrowers that have filed for bankruptcy protection or that are experiencing payment difficulty could be affected by, among other things, the assessment of the likelihood that the lenders ultimately will receive repayment of the principal amount of such Senior Loans, the likely duration, if any, of a lapse in the scheduled payment of interest and repayment of principal and prevailing interest rates. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to recover any amount on Senior Loans of such borrowers or that sale of the collateral granted in connection with Senior Loans would raise enough cash to satisfy the borrower’s payment obligation or that the collateral can or will be liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation may not occur and the bankruptcy court may not give lenders the full benefit of their senior position in the capital structure of the borrower.
The Fund may act as an original lender under Senior Loans or may acquire Senior Loans through assignments or participations. The Fund may make Senior Loans to, or acquire Senior Loans of, borrowers that, at the time of the making or acquisition of the loan by the Fund, are experiencing, or are likely to experience, financial difficulty (including highly leveraged borrowers) and such loans may constitute a material amount of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund will not make Senior Loans to, or acquire Senior Loans of, borrowers that, at the time of the making or acquisition of the loan by the Fund, are in bankruptcy.
If the Fund acquires a Senior Loan through an assignment agreement, it will typically succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation purchased; however, its rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and, in any event, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies of the lenders under the loan agreement and with regard to any associated collateral. If the Fund acquires an interest in a Senior Loan through a participation agreement, the Fund will enter into a
contractual relationship with the institution selling the participation, not with the borrower. In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement or any rights of setoff against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. When purchasing a participation, the Advisers will analyze the credit risk posed by the institution selling the participation. The Advisers rely primarily on their own evaluation of the credit quality of such selling institutions rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of the Advisers. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability and other claims. In addition, the Securities Act deems certain persons to be “underwriters” if they purchase a security from an issuer and later sell it to the public. Although it is not believed that the application of this Securities Act provision would cause the Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, a person who purchases an instrument from the Fund that was acquired by the Fund from the issuer of such instrument could allege otherwise. Under the Securities Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an issuer’s registration statement or prospectus.
In certain circumstances, Senior Loans may not be deemed to be securities, and in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a borrower, lenders and purchasers of interests in loans, such as the Fund, will not have the protection of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, as would be the case for bonds or stocks. Instead, in such cases, lenders generally rely on the contractual provisions in the loan agreement itself, and common law fraud protections under applicable state law.
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| Leverage Risks [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Leverage risks. The Fund’s leveraged capital structure creates special risks not associated with unleveraged funds having similar investment objectives and policies. The funds borrowed pursuant to the loan facility may constitute a substantial lien and burden by reason of their prior claim against the income of the Fund and against the net assets of the Fund in liquidation. The Fund is limited in its ability to declare dividends or other distributions in the event of default under the loan facility. In the event of default under the loan facility, the lender has the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell portfolio securities and other assets of the Fund) and, if any such default is not cured, the lender may be able to control the liquidation as well. The loan facility has a term of 364 days and is not a perpetual form of leverage; there can be no assurance that the loan facility will be available for renewal on acceptable terms, if at all.
The credit agreement governing the loan facility includes usual and customary covenants for this type of transaction. These covenants
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| Covenant Lite Loans Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Covenant Lite Loans Risk. Covenant lite loans contain fewer maintenance covenants than traditional loans, or no maintenance covenants at all, and may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the financial performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. This may hinder the Fund’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with the borrower and reduce the Fund’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses on such investments may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle.
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| Market Events Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Market events risk. The market values of securities or other assets will fluctuate, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, due to changes in general market conditions, overall economic trends or events, governmental actions or intervention, actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks, market disruptions caused by trade disputes or other factors, political developments, investor sentiment and other factors that may or may not be related to the issuer of the security or other asset. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are increasingly interconnected. Economic, financial or political events, trading and tariff arrangements, terrorism, natural disasters and other circumstances in one country or region could have profound impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries directly affected, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected. In addition, any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the world economy, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s investments.
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| Foreign Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund will invest in credit obligations, including loans, of issuers that are organized or located in countries other than the United States, including non-US dollar denominated securities. Investing in non-US issuers involves risks, including that non-US issuers may be subject to less rigorous accounting and reporting requirements than US issuers, less rigorous regulatory requirements, different legal systems and laws relating to creditors’ rights, the potential inability to enforce legal judgments, the potential for political, social and economic adversity and currency risk. These
risks are heightened under adverse economic, market, geopolitical and other conditions.
Currency risk is the risk that fluctuations in the exchange rates between the US dollar and non-US currencies may negatively affect an investment. The value of investments denominated in non-US currencies may fluctuate based on changes in the value of those currencies relative to the US dollar, and a decline in such relative value could reduce the value of such investments held by the Fund.
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| Emerging Markets [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Emerging Markets. The foreign securities in which the Fund may invest may be issued by companies or governments located in emerging market countries. Investing in the securities of issuers operating in emerging markets involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the securities of other foreign or US issuers. Compared to the United States and other developed countries, emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, economies which may be more likely to take extra-legal action with respect to companies, industries, assets, or foreign ownership than those in more developed markets and therefore issuers of such emerging markets may be more affected by the performance of such industries or sectors. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and securities markets that trade a small number of securities. Securities issued by companies or governments located in emerging market countries tend to be especially volatile (particularly during market closures due to local market holidays or other reasons) and may be less liquid than securities traded in developed countries. Securities in these countries have been characterized by greater potential loss than securities of companies and governments located in developed countries. Investments in the securities of issuers located in emerging markets could be affected by risks associated with expropriation and/or nationalization, political or social instability, pervasiveness of corruption and crime, armed conflict, the impact on the economy of civil war, religious or ethnic unrest and the withdrawal or non-renewal of any license enabling the Fund to trade in securities of a particular country, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on transfers of assets, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, diplomatic development which could affect US investments in those countries, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. International trade barriers or economic sanctions against foreign countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals in response to geopolitical tensions or conflicts may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s foreign holdings. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures are difficult to measure or predict. Emerging market countries generally have less developed legal, accounting and financial reporting systems than those in more developed markets, which may reduce the scope or quality of financial information available to investors. Moreover, it can be more
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| Foreign Currency Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Foreign Currency Risk. Since the Fund may invest in credit obligations of foreign issuers denominated in the local currency, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of credit obligations in the Fund’s portfolio and the unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments. In addition to changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio investments resulting from currency fluctuations, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund may also invest directly in currencies for hedging purposes. The Fund is subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the US dollar. The values of the currencies of the emerging market countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies of the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or due to other national or global political or economic developments. Foreign exchange dealers realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer normally will offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire immediately to resell that currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward, futures or options contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. Therefore, the Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies may result in reduced returns to the Fund. The Fund may, from time to time, seek to protect the value of some portion or all of its portfolio holdings against currency risks by engaging in currency hedging transactions. Such transactions may include entering into forward currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts and options on such futures contracts as well as purchasing put or call options on currencies, in US or foreign markets. Currency hedging involves risks, including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of hedging could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, in certain countries in which the Fund may invest, currency hedging opportunities may not be available. The use of currency transactions can result in the Fund incurring losses because of the imposition of exchange controls, suspension of settlements or the inability of the Fund to deliver or receive a specified currency.
Investing in Euro-denominated (or other European currency-denominated) securities entails risk of being exposed to a currency that may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the disparate European economies. In addition, it is possible that the Euro
could be abandoned in the future by countries that have already adopted its use. The effects of such an abandonment on the applicable country and the rest of the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) are uncertain but could be negative and severe. Many European countries rely heavily upon export-dependent businesses and any change in the exchange rate between the Euro and the US dollar can have either a positive or a negative effect upon corporate profits and the performance of investments in the European Union. The effects of the collapse of the Euro, or of the exit of one or more countries from the EMU, on the United States and global economy and securities markets are impossible to predict and any such events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund computes and expects to continue to distribute its income in US dollars, and the computation of income is made on the date that the income is earned by the Fund at the foreign exchange rate in effect on that date. If the value of the foreign currencies in which the Fund receives its income falls relative to the US dollar between the date of earning of the income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currencies to US dollars, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions if the Fund has insufficient cash in US dollars to meet distribution requirements. The liquidation of investments, if required, may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.
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| Risks Of Second Lien Or Other Subordinated Or Unsecured Loans Or Debt [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of Second Lien or Other Subordinated or Unsecured Loans or Debt. Second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in Senior Loans. In addition, because second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt are subordinated in payment and/or lower in lien priority to Senior Loans, they are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Second lien or subordinated loans or debt, both secured and unsecured, are expected to have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and may be less liquid. There is also a possibility that originators will not be able to sell participations in second lien loans and subordinated loans or debt, both secured and unsecured, which would create greater credit risk exposure. Second lien or other subordinated or unsecured loans or debt of below investment grade quality share risks similar to those associated with investments in other below investment grade securities and obligations.
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| Risks Of Structured Products [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of Structured Products. The Fund may invest in structured products, including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan
obligations (“CLOs”), structured notes, credit-linked notes and other types of structured products. Holders of structured products bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive payments to which it is entitled only from the issuer of the structured product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer of, or the entity that sold, assets underlying the structured product. While certain structured products enable the investor to acquire interests in a pool of securities without the brokerage and other expenses associated with directly holding such securities, investors in structured products generally pay their share of the structured product’s administrative and other expenses. When investing in structured products, it is impossible to predict whether the underlying indices or prices of the underlying assets will rise or fall, but prices of the underlying indices and assets (and, therefore, the prices of structured products) will be influenced by the same types of political and economic events that affect particular issuers of securities and capital markets generally. Certain structured products may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of increasing the Fund’s illiquidity 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.
CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are typically privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to be considered liquid in some circumstances. In addition to the general risks associated with fixed income securities discussed herein, CDOs 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 the collateral may go into default; (iii) the possibility that the CDOs are subordinate to other classes of obligations issued by the same issuer; 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.
Investments in structured notes involve risks including income risk, credit risk and market risk. Recent market conditions have magnified the risks related to an investment in structured products, including greater volatility, increased lack of liquidity and significant losses in value. Where the return on a structured note held by the Fund is based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, referenced bonds and stock indices, depending on the factor used and the use of multipliers or deflators, changes in interest rates and movement of the factor may cause significant fluctuations in the price of the structured note. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may
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| Asset Backed And Mortgage Backed (Or Mortgage Related) Instruments Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments risk. To the extent the Fund invests in asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) securities or other instruments, its exposure to prepayment and extension risks may be greater than other investments in fixed income instruments. Asset-backed securities are in particular subject to interest rate risk. Generally, asset-backed securities increase in value to a lesser extent when interest rates decline and generally decline in value to a similar or greater extent when interest rates rise. Asset-backed securities are also subject to liquidity, valuation and credit risk.
The value of, and income generated by, investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risks of asset-backed securities in general and the real estate markets. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. In addition, mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) instruments are subject to prepayment risk—the risk that borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected, particularly when interest rates decline. This can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates. Economic downturns, rises in unemployment and other developments that limit or reduce the activities of and demand for real estate spaces or heightened credit and default risks associated with underlying mortgages may adversely impact the value of, and income generated by, such securities. The Fund’s investments in other asset-backed instruments, such as securities backed by car loans, are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) securities.
Privately issued asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) 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 (or mortgage-related) instruments issued or guaranteed by the US government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or a government-sponsored enterprise (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae), asset-backed and mortgage-backed (or mortgage-related) 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. Although instruments issued by a government-sponsored enterprise are sometimes considered to carry an implicit guarantee from the US government, there can be no
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| Risks Of Swaps [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of Swaps. The Fund may enter into swap transactions, including credit default, total return, index and interest rate swap agreements, as well as options thereon, and may purchase or sell interest rate caps, floors and collars. Such transactions are subject to market risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction (i.e., counterparty risk), risk of imperfect correlation and manager risk and may involve commissions or other costs. Swaps generally do not involve delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make, or in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. If the Advisers are incorrect in their forecast of market values, interest rates or currency exchange rates, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.
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| Counterparty Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Counterparty Risk. Changes in the credit quality of the dealers that serve as the Fund’s counterparties with respect to derivatives, swaps or other transactions will affect the value of those instruments. In the event of a default by, or the insolvency of, a counterparty, the Fund may sustain losses or be unable to liquidate a derivative or swap position. Such risk is heightened in a market environment where interest rates are either high or rising. The Fund and the Advisers seek to deal only with counterparties of high creditworthiness. All of the Fund’s bank or dealer counterparties (including bank or dealer derivative counterparties) will be subject to approval by the Advisers’ risk and compliance groups. The Advisers evaluate and monitor the creditworthiness of the Fund’s counterparties. Specifically, the Advisers’ risk and compliance personnel implement processes with respect to pre-approval, ongoing monitoring and parameters with respect to the Fund’s counterparty risk exposure. The parameters and limitations that may be imposed depend on the creditworthiness of the Fund's counterparties and the nature of the transactions in which the Fund engages. The counterparty risk for cleared derivatives is generally lower than for uncleared over-the-counter derivative transactions since generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties’ performance under the contract as each party to a trade generally looks to the clearing organization for performance of financial obligations under the derivative contract. However, there can be no assurance that a clearing organization, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. Counterparty risk also encompasses the risk of having concentrated exposure to one or more counterparties.
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| Financial Leverage Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Financial Leverage Risk. The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments,
including reverse repurchase agreements, credit facilities such as bank loans or commercial paper, and the issuance of preferred shares or notes. The Fund intends to use leverage opportunistically and may choose to increase or decrease its leverage, or use different types or combinations of leveraging instruments, at any time based on the Fund’s assessment of market conditions and the investment environment.
There can be no assurance that a financial leveraging strategy will continue to be utilized by the Fund or that, if utilized, it will be successful during any period in which it is employed. Leverage creates risks for Common Shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV of the Common Shares and market price of, and distributions on, the Common Shares and the risk that fluctuations in the costs to borrow, or in the distribution or interest rates on any preferred shares or notes, may affect the return to Common Shareholders. To the extent the income derived from investments purchased with proceeds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s distributions will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income from the investments purchased with such proceeds is not sufficient to cover the cost of the financial leverage, the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders will be less than if leverage had not been used. In the latter case, the Fund may nevertheless maintain its leveraged position if such action is deemed to be appropriate based on market conditions. The Fund has issued preferred shares. Holders of preferred shares will have rights to elect a minimum of two Trustees. This voting power may negatively affect Common Shareholders (or the interests of holders of preferred shares may differ from the interests of Common Shareholders). The use of leverage by the Fund may magnify the Fund’s losses when there is a decrease in the value of a Fund investment and even totally eliminate the Fund’s equity in its portfolio or a Common Shareholder’s equity in the Fund.
The costs of a financial leverage program (including the costs of offering preferred shares and notes) will be borne by Common Shareholders and consequently will result in a reduction of the NAV of the Common Shares. During periods in which the Fund is using leverage, the fees paid by the Fund for investment advisory services will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the investment advisory fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the Fund’s Managed Assets, which includes proceeds from (and assets subject to) reverse repurchase agreements, any credit facility and any issuance of preferred shares or notes, so that the investment advisory fees payable to the Adviser will be higher when leverage is utilized. This will create a conflict of interest between the Advisers, on the one hand, and Common Shareholders, on the other hand. Fees and expenses in respect of financial leverage, as well as the investment advisory fee and all other expenses of the Fund, will be borne entirely
by the Common Shareholders, and not by preferred shareholders, noteholders or any other leverage providers.
Any lender in connection with a credit facility may impose specific restrictions as a condition to borrowing. The credit facility fees may include, among other things, up front structuring fees and ongoing commitment fees (including fees on amounts undrawn on the facility) in addition to the traditional interest expense on amounts borrowed. The credit facility may involve a lien on the Fund’s assets. The Fund is currently a party to a credit facility. Similarly, to the extent the Fund issues additional preferred shares or notes, the Fund currently intends to seek a credit rating from one or more NRSROs on any preferred shares or notes it issues and the Fund may be subject to fees, covenants and investment restrictions required by the NRSRO as a result. Such covenants and restrictions imposed by a NRSRO or lender may include asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act. It is not anticipated that these covenants or restrictions will significantly impede the Advisers in managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Nonetheless, if these covenants or guidelines are more restrictive than those imposed by the 1940 Act, the Fund may not be able to utilize as much leverage as it otherwise could have, which could reduce the Fund’s investment returns.
The Fund may enter into other transactions that may give rise to a form of leverage including, among others, swaps, futures and forward contracts, options and other derivative transactions. Under current regulations, to the extent that the Fund covers its obligations under such other transactions, such transactions should not be treated as borrowings for purposes of the 1940 Act. However, these transactions, even if covered, may represent a form of economic leverage and will create risks. The potential loss on derivative instruments may be substantial relative to the initial investment therein.
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| Sovereign Debt Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Sovereign debt securities risk. Investments in government debt securities involve special risks. Certain countries have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, high rates of inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate fluctuations, large amounts of external debt, balance of payments and trade difficulties and extreme poverty and unemployment. The issuer or governmental authority that controls the repayment of a country’s debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation and, in the case of a government debtor, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the
government debtor’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject.
Government debtors may default on their debt and may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a debtor’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the government debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts on a timely basis. Holders of government debt, potentially including the Fund, may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to government debtors.
As a result of the foregoing, a government obligor may default on its obligations. If such an event occurs, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. Remedies must, in some cases, be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of foreign government debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country.
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| Risks Of Other Derivative Instruments [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of Other Derivative Instruments. The Fund may utilize options, forward contracts, futures contracts and options on futures contracts. These instruments involve risks, including the imperfect correlation between the value of such instruments and the underlying assets, the possible default by the counterparty to the transaction (i.e., counterparty risk), illiquidity of the derivative instrument and, to the extent the prediction as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such instruments could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, transactions in such instruments may involve commissions and other costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses and reduce its return. Amounts paid as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to such instruments are not otherwise available to the Fund for investment purposes.
Further, the use of such instruments by the Fund could create the possibility that losses on the instrument would be greater than gains in the value of the Fund’s position. In addition, futures and options markets could be illiquid in some circumstances, and certain over-the-counter options could have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a position without incurring substantial losses. To the extent that the Fund utilizes forward contracts, futures contracts or options transactions
for hedging, such transactions should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position and, at the same time, limit any potential gain to the Fund that might result from an increase in value of the position. In addition, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of call options, in which case the market exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium and transaction costs. Losses resulting from the use of hedging will reduce the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares, and possibly income, and the losses can be greater than if hedging had not been used. Forward contracts may limit gains on portfolio securities that could otherwise be realized had they not been utilized and could result in losses. The contracts may also increase the Fund’s volatility and may involve a significant amount of risk relative to the investment of cash. The use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices other than at current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to any transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts or options on futures contracts. 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 bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances.
When conducted outside the United States, transactions in options, forward contracts, futures contracts or options on futures contracts may not be regulated as rigorously as in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by: (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors; (ii) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions; (iii) delays in the Fund’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States; (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States; and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act governing 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
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| Lender Liability Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Lender Liability Risk. A number of US judicial decisions have upheld judgments for borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. Because of the nature of its investments, the Fund may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder (a) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, (b) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other
creditors, (c) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (d) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called “equitable subordination.”
Because affiliates of, or persons related to, the Advisers may hold equity or other interests in obligors of the Fund, the Fund could be exposed to claims for equitable subordination or lender liability or both based on such equity or other holdings.
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| Nav Discount Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
NAV Discount Risk. Frequently, shares of closed-end investment companies, such as the Fund, trade at a price below their NAV, commonly referred to as a “discount.” Historically, shares of closed-end funds have traded at a discount to their NAV, and the Fund can provide no assurance that its Common Shares will trade at or above their NAV. The Fund’s Common Shares frequently trade at a discount to NAV.
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| Manager Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Manager Risk. As with any managed fund, the Advisers may not be successful in selecting the best-performing investments or investment techniques in managing the Fund’s portfolio, and the Fund’s performance may lag behind that of similar funds.
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| Conflicts Of Interest Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Conflicts of Interest Risk. The portfolio managers' management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of a Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. However, the Adviser (or Subadviser) believes that these risks are mitigated by the fact that: (i) accounts with like investment strategies managed by a particular portfolio manager are generally managed in a similar fashion, subject to exceptions to account for particular investment restrictions or policies applicable only to certain accounts, differences in cash flows and account sizes, and similar factors; and (ii) portfolio manager personal trading is monitored to avoid potential conflicts. In addition, the Adviser (or Subadviser) has adopted trade allocation procedures that require equitable allocation of trade orders for a particular security among participating accounts. In some cases, another account managed by the same portfolio manager may compensate abrdn based on the performance of the portfolio held by that account. The existence of such a performance-based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities.
Another potential conflict could include instances in which securities considered as investments for the Fund also may be appropriate for
other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Fund and one or more of the other accounts simultaneously, the Adviser (or Subadviser) may aggregate the purchases and sales of the securities and will allocate the securities transactions in a manner that it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of the allocations, there may be instances where the Fund will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the Adviser (or Subadviser) that the benefits from the policies outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions. The Trust has adopted policies that are designed to eliminate or minimize conflicts of interest, although there is no guarantee that procedures adopted under such policies will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
From time to time, the Adviser or the Subadviser may seed proprietary accounts for the purpose of evaluating a new investment strategy that eventually may be available to clients through one or more product structures. Such accounts also may serve the purpose of establishing a performance record for the strategy. The management by the Adviser and the Subadviser of accounts with proprietary interests and nonproprietary client accounts may create an incentive to favor the proprietary accounts in the allocation of investment opportunities, and the timing and aggregation of investments. The Adviser's and Subadviser's proprietary seed accounts may include long-short strategies, and certain client strategies may permit short sales. A conflict of interest arises if a security is sold short at the same time as a long position, and continuous short selling in a security may adversely affect the stock price of the same security held long in client accounts. The Adviser and Subadviser have adopted various policies to mitigate these conflicts.
In addition, the 1940 Act limits the Fund's ability to enter into certain transactions with certain affiliates of the Advisers. As a result of these restrictions, the Fund may be prohibited from buying or selling any security directly from or to any portfolio company of a fund managed by the Advisers or one of their affiliates. Nonetheless, the Fund may under certain circumstances purchase any such portfolio company's loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Advisers between the interests of the Fund and the portfolio company, in that the ability of the Advisers to recommend actions in the best interest of the Fund might be impaired. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Fund's affiliates (which could include other abrdn-managed Funds), which could be deemed to include certain types of investments, or restructuring of investments, in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times). These limitations may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be
available to the Fund. The Board has approved policies and procedures reasonably designed to monitor potential conflicts of interest. The Board will review these procedures and any conflicts that may arise.
The Adviser (or Subadviser) or their respective members, officers, directors, employees, principals or affiliates may come into possession of material, non-public information. The possession of such information may limit the ability of the Fund to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity. Situations may occur where the Fund could be disadvantaged because of the investment activities conducted by the Adviser (or Subadveriser) for other clients, and the Adviser (or Subadviser) will not employ information barriers with regard to its operations on behalf of its registered and private funds, or other accounts. In certain circumstances, employees of the Adviser (or Subadviser) may serve as board members or in other capacities for portfolio or potential portfolio companies, which could restrict the Fund's ability to trade in the securities of such companies.
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| Repurchase Agreements And Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements. In its purchase of repurchase agreements, the Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period, and expenses of enforcing its rights. A repurchase agreement effectively represents a loan from the Fund to the seller under the agreement.
The Fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements involves many of the same risks involved in the Fund’s use of financial leverage, as the proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements generally will be invested in additional securities. There is a risk that the market value of the securities acquired in the reverse repurchase agreement may decline below the price of the securities that the Fund has sold but remains obligated to repurchase. In addition, there is a risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement were to file for bankruptcy or experience insolvency, the Fund may be adversely affected. Also, in entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the underlying securities. In addition, due to the interest costs associated with reverse repurchase agreements, the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares will decline, and, in some cases, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if the Fund had not used such instruments. A reverse repurchase agreement
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| Cybersecurity Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Adviser and/or its service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality.
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| Investment Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Investment risk. You may lose money by investing in the Fund, including the possibility that you may lose all of your investment. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
The Fund is intended to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not designed to provide investors with a means of speculating on short-term stock market movements. Investors should not consider the Fund a complete investment program.
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| Risks Of Investing In Other Investment Companies [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Risks of investing in other investment companies. The Fund may acquire shares in other investment companies, including foreign investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The market value of the shares of other investment companies may differ from the NAV of the particular fund. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment advisory fees and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its Common Shareholders, in effect, will be absorbing two levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
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| Zero Coupon Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Zero coupon securities risk. Certain debt obligations purchased by the Fund may take the form of zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that does not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligation or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. When held to its maturity, its return comes from the difference between the purchase price and its maturity value. A zero coupon bond is normally issued and traded at a deep discount from face value. Zero coupon bonds allow an issuer to avoid or delay the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments and, as a result, may involve greater credit risk than bonds that pay interest currently or in cash. The Fund would be required to distribute the income on any of these instruments as it accrues, even though the Fund will not receive all of the income on a current basis or in cash. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments, including when it
may not be advisable to do so, to make income distributions to its shareholders.
Distributions attributable to the Fund’s “original issue discount” income accruing on zero coupon bonds, and of all other ordinary income, will generally be taxable to the Common Shareholders as ordinary income. As a consequence of selling investments in order to make distributions of “original issue discount” income and other income in respect of which the Fund has not received a corresponding amount of cash, the Fund may realize additional income that gives rise to additional distribution requirements; distributions of such additional income may be taxable to the Common Shareholders as ordinary income or as long-term capital gain depending on which investments are sold.
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| Inflation Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. To the extent that inflation occurs, it will reduce the real value of dividends paid by the Fund and the Fund’s Common Shares. Most emerging market countries, in particular, have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high and volatile, rates of inflation. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have very negative effects on the economies and securities markets globally. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have been imposed at times in certain countries.
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| When Issued And Delayed Delivery Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
When-issued and delayed delivery securities risk. The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a “when-issued” or “delayed delivery” basis whereby the Fund buys or sells a security with payment and delivery taking place in the future. These 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 Fund 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 other party to complete the transaction may result in the Fund missing the opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous. When the Fund is the buyer in such a transaction, however, it will segregate cash and/or liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the amount of such purchase commitments until payment is made. An increase in the percentage of the Fund’s assets committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may increase the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares.
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| Illiquid Investments Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Illiquid investments risk. The Fund’s investments in relatively illiquid investments and loans may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for fair value, as well as its ability to fairly value such investments and take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly
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| Short Sales Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Short sales risk. The Fund may engage in short sales. Short sales involve certain risks and special considerations. If the Fund incorrectly predicts that the price of the borrowed security will decline, the Fund will have to replace the securities with securities with a greater value than the amount received from the sale. As a result, losses from short sales differ from losses that could be incurred from a purchase of a security, because losses from short sales may be unlimited, whereas losses from purchases can equal only the total amount invested.
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| Equity Securities Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Equity securities risk. The value of equity securities, including common stock, preferred stock and convertible stock, will fluctuate in response to factors affecting the particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of an issuer’s equity securities held by the Fund. The prices of equity securities fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, equity security prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Moreover, in the event of a company’s bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders, will have priority over claims of common stock holders and are likely to have varying types of priority over holders of preferred and convertible stock.
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| Warrants Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Warrants risk. The Fund may invest in warrants. The risk of investing in a warrant is that the warrant may expire prior to the market value of the common stock exceeding the price fixed by the warrant. Warrants have a subordinate claim on a borrower’s assets compared with Senior Loans. As a result, the values of warrants generally are dependent on the financial condition of the borrower and less dependent on fluctuations in interest rates than are the values of many debt securities. The values of warrants may be more volatile than those of Senior Loans and this may increase the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s Common Shares.
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| Temporary Investments Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Temporary investments risk. During periods in which the Advisers believe that changes in economic, financial or political conditions make it advisable to do so, the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, reduce its primary investment holdings and invest in certain short-term and medium-term debt securities or hold cash. The Fund intends to invest for temporary defensive purposes only in short-term and medium-term debt securities believed to be of high quality, which are expected to be subject to relatively low risk of loss of interest or principal. In taking such defensive position, the Fund
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| Tax Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Tax risk. The Fund has elected to be treated as, and intends to continue to qualify each year as, a “regulated investment company” under the Code. Assuming the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company, it generally will not be subject to US federal income tax on its “investment company taxable income” as that term is defined in the Code (which includes, among other items, dividends, taxable interest, original issue discount, market discount and the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, as reduced by certain deductible expenses), and net capital gain, that it distributes (including amounts that are treated as distributed and reinvested pursuant to the Plan, as described below) to shareholders, provided that, for each taxable year, the Fund distributes (or is treated as distributing) to its shareholders an amount at least equal to 90% of its investment company taxable income. The Fund intends to continue to distribute annually all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain. In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company in any taxable year, the Fund must also meet certain asset diversification tests and at least 90% of its gross income for such year must be comprised of certain types of qualifying income. If, for any taxable year, the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it will be treated as a corporation subject to US federal income tax on its net income and capital gains at the regular corporate tax rates (without a deduction for distributions to shareholders). In addition, shareholders will be subject to tax on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Accordingly, in such event, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives would be adversely affected, and Common Shareholders would be subject to the risk of diminished investment returns.
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| Valuation Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Valuation risk. Unlike publicly traded common stock which trades on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans or fixed-income instruments to trade. Loans and fixed-income instruments generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market which may be anywhere in the world where the buyer and seller can settle on a price. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, the valuation of loans or fixed-income instruments may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial market, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. In addition, other market participants may value securities differently than the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that when a loan or fixed-income instrument is sold in the market, the amount received by the Fund is less than the value of such loans or fixed-income instruments carried on the Fund’s books.
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| Operational Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Operational Risk. Your ability to transact with the Fund or the valuation of your investment may be negatively impacted because of the operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
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| Government Intervention In Financial Markets Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Government intervention in the financial markets risk. In the past decade financial markets throughout the world have experienced increased volatility, depressed valuations, decreased liquidity and heightened uncertainty. Governmental and non-governmental issuers have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts. Federal Reserve or other US or non-US governmental or central bank actions, including interest rate increases or contrary actions by different governments, could negatively affect financial markets generally, increase market volatility and reduce the value and liquidity of securities in which the fund invests.
Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations may take additional actions that affect the regulation of the securities or structured products in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such securities or structured products, in ways that are unforeseeable. Borrowers under Senior Loans held by the Fund may seek protection under bankruptcy laws. 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 objectives. The Advisers monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund’s portfolio in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
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| Anti Takeover Provisions [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] |
Anti-takeover provisions. The Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status and delay or limit the ability of other persons to acquire control of the Fund. These provisions could deprive the Common Shareholders of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then-current market price of the Common Shares or at NAV. The Fund’s Board has determined that these provisions are in the best interests of shareholders generally.
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| Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Highlights [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities Amount | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 118,000,000 | $ 105,000,000 | $ 88,000,000 | $ 118,000,000 | $ 81,200,000 | $ 72,000,000 | $ 83,000,000 | $ 83,000,000 | $ 83,000,000 | $ 90,000,000 | $ 100,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities Coverage per Unit | $ 4,618 | [11] | $ 3,348 | [11] | $ 4,618 | [11] | $ 3,348 | [11] | $ 3,399 | [11] | $ 4,618 | [11] | $ 3,348 | [11] | $ 3,399 | [11] | $ 3,178 | $ 3,263 | $ 3,217 | $ 3,402 | $ 3,305 | $ 3,166 | $ 3,358 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred Stock Liquidating Preference | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Security Title [Text Block] | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Five Point Two Five Zero Percent Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Highlights [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities Amount | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | $ 40,000,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior Securities Coverage per Unit | [12] | $ 3,344 | $ 2,302 | $ 3,344 | $ 2,302 | $ 2,538 | $ 3,344 | $ 2,302 | $ 2,538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred Stock Liquidating Preference | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | $ 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Security Title [Text Block] | 5.250% Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares | 5.250% Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares | 5.250% Series A Perpetual Preferred Shares | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Share [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding Security, Title [Text Block] | common shares | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outstanding Security, Held [Shares] | 52,109,950 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee For Open Market Purchases Of Common Shares [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee Table [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Fees | [13] | $ 0.02 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee For Optional Shares Purchases [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee Table [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Fees | [13] | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales Of Shares Held In Dividend Reinvestment Account [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fee Table [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Fees | [13] | 0.12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Annual Expenses [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Transaction Fees Basis, Maximum | [13] | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transaction Fee Of One One Nine Percent Of Offering Price [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Annual Expenses [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Year 01 | [14] | 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 3 | [14] | 166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 5 | [14] | 270 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expense Example, Years 1 to 10 | [14] | $ 526 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Year abrdn Income Credit Stra... Chart |
1 Month abrdn Income Credit Stra... Chart |
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