Risks affecting specific issuers. The value of an equity security or debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the security or obligation, even if the overall industry or economy is unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position.
Risks affecting specific countries or regions. If a significant portion of the Trust’s assets is invested in issuers that are economically exposed to one country or region, the Trust’s share value may be more susceptible to the conditions and developments in that country or region, and potentially more volatile than the share value of a more geographically diversified fund. The nature and degree of the risks affecting a given country or region, and the extent of the Trust’s exposure to any such country or region, is expected to vary over time.
Market disruption and geopolitical risks. The Trust (as well as its service providers) may be adversely affected by uncertainties and events around the world, such as epidemics and pandemics, including the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters, terrorism and other conflicts, social unrest, political developments, and changes in government policies, taxation, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of the countries in which they are invested. These types of events can be expected to cause severe decreases in core business activities such as manufacturing, purchasing, tourism, business conferences and workplace participation, among others. The Trust cannot predict the effects or likelihood of such events on the U.S. and world economies, the value of the Common Shares or the NAV of the Trust. The issuers of securities, including those held in the Trust’s portfolio, could be materially impacted by such events which may, in turn, negatively affect the value of such securities or such issuers’ ability to make interest payments or distributions to the Trust.
In early 2020, an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged globally. The outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants resulted in closing international borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general public concern and uncertainty. This outbreak negatively affected the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial health of individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization declared the end of the global emergency status for COVID-19. The United States subsequently ended the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration effective May 11, 2023. Although vaccines for COVID-19 are widely available, it is unknown how long certain circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Trust performance.
The Adviser has in place business continuity plans reasonably designed to ensure that it maintains normal business operations, and it periodically tests those plans. However, in the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or the Trust’s service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. The full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time.
In February 2022, Russia commenced a military attack on Ukraine. Russia’s military interventions in Ukraine have led to, and may lead to additional sanctions being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia. Russia’s military incursion and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect global energy and financial markets and thus could affect the value of the Trust’s investments, even beyond any direct exposure the Trust may have to Russian issuers or the adjoining geographic regions. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or resulting sanctions may magnify the impact of other risks described in this report.
As a result of these recent market circumstances, the markets for various instruments are currently experiencing deteriorating conditions that could cause periods of extreme illiquidity and volatility. These conditions may exist for a prolonged period of time and could recur from time to time in the future. Such periods may be subject to market uncertainty and consequent repricing risk that could lead to market imbalances of sellers and buyers, which in turn could result in significant valuation uncertainties and also result in sudden and significant valuation declines in the Trust’s holdings. Illiquidity and volatility in such markets may directly and adversely affect the setting of dividend rates on the Trust’s Common Shares.
Global economies and financial markets are also becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region.
Cyber security risk. A cybersecurity breach may disrupt the business operations of the Trust or its service providers. A breach may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Trust assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Trust and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.
REGULATORY RISKS:
Tax risks. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, among other things, the Trust must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources and satisfy a diversification test on a quarterly
