ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default (close-out netting), including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. Generally, collateral is exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty and the amount of collateral due from the Fund or to a counterparty has to exceed a minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer has to be made. To the extent amounts due to the Fund from its counterparties are not fully collateralized, contractually or otherwise, the Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty nonperformance. When a Fund is required to post collateral under the terms of a derivatives transaction and master netting agreement, the Fund’s custodian holds the collateral in a segregated account, subject to the terms of a tri-party agreement among the Fund, the custodian and the counterparty. The master netting agreement and tri-party agreement provide, in relevant part, that the counterparty may have rights to the amounts in the segregated account in the event that the Fund defaults in its obligation with respect to the derivative instrument that is subject to the collateral requirement. When a counterparty is required to post collateral under the terms of a derivatives transaction and master netting agreement, the counterparty delivers such amount to the Fund’s custodian. The master netting agreement provides, in relevant part, that the Fund may have rights to such collateral in the event that the counterparty defaults in its obligation with respect to the derivative instrument that is subject to the collateral requirement. Generally before a default, neither the Fund nor the counterparty may resell, rehypothecate, or repledge any collateral that it receives.
For financial reporting purposes, the Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The net unrealized gain, if any, represents the credit risk to the Fund on a forward foreign currency contract. The contracts are valued daily at forward foreign exchange rates. The Fund realizes a gain or loss when a position is closed or upon settlement of the contracts. There were no open forward foreign currency contracts at April 30, 2022.
Equity Risk. The Fund may engage in option transactions and in doing so achieves similar objectives to what it would achieve through the sale or purchase of individual securities. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security, index or other instrument at the exercise price. A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the seller the obligation to buy, the underlying security, index, or other instrument at the exercise price.
To seek to offset some of the risk of a potential decline in value of certain long positions, the Fund may also purchase put options on individual securities, broad-based securities indexes or certain exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may also seek to generate income from option premiums by writing (selling) options on a portion of the equity securities (including securities that are convertible into equity securities) in the Fund’s portfolio, on broad-based securities indexes, or certain ETFs.
When a Fund purchases an option, it pays a premium and an amount equal to that premium is recorded as an asset. When a Fund writes an option, it receives a premium and an amount equal to that premium is recorded as a liability. The asset or liability is adjusted daily to reflect the current market value of the option. If an option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain or loss to the extent of the premium received or paid. If an option is exercised, the premium received or paid is recorded as an adjustment to the proceeds from the sale or the cost basis of the purchase. The difference between the premium and the amount received or paid on a closing purchase or sale transaction is also treated as a realized gain or loss. The cost of securities acquired through the exercise of call options is increased by premiums paid. The proceeds from securities sold through the exercise of put options are decreased by the premiums paid. Gain or loss on written options and purchased options is presented separately on the Statement of Operations as net realized gain or loss on written options and net realized gain or loss on purchased options, respectively.
Options written by the Fund do not typically give rise to counterparty credit risk since options written obligate the Fund and not the counterparty to perform. Exchange traded purchased options have minimal counterparty credit risk to the Fund since the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default.
As of April 30, 2022, the Fund had outstanding purchased options and/or written options as listed on the Schedule of Investments.
Interest Rate Risk. The Fund may engage in interest rate swaps primarily to hedge the interest rate risk on the Fund’s borrowings (see Note 6 - Notes Payable). An interest rate swap is a contract that involves the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate. If interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value; if interest rates fall, the Fund would likely lose money on the swap transaction. Unrealized gains are reported as an asset, and unrealized losses are reported as a liability on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The change in value of swaps, including accruals of periodic amounts of interest to be paid or received on swaps, is reported as change in net unrealized appreciation/depreciation on interest rate swaps in the Statement of Operations. A realized