Western Asset Emerging Markets Floating Rate Fund Inc. Announces Changes to Non-Fundamental Investment Policies
17 8월 2007 - 5:15AM
Business Wire
Western Asset Emerging Markets Floating Rate Fund Inc. (NYSE: EFL)
today announced the elimination of non-fundamental investment
policies imposing limits on the credit ratings of the securities in
which the Fund may invest and the amendment of non-fundamental
investment policies relating to the types of securities in which
the Fund may invest. These changes will be effective September 17,
2007. Under the Fund�s amended non-fundamental investment policies
recommended by Fund management and approved by the Board of
Directors, the Fund is no longer subject to restrictions on the
credit ratings of the securities in which it may invest. The Fund
was previously limited to investing in debt securities rated at the
time of investment in the categories Ba or B by Moody�s Investors
Service, or BB or B by Standard & Poor�s Corporation or, if not
rated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund�s investment
manager. In addition, under amended policies approved by the Board
of Directors, the Fund now has the ability to invest up to 20% of
its total assets in a broad range of U.S. and non-U.S. fixed income
securities, including, but not limited to: corporate bonds, loans,
mortgage- and asset-backed securities, preferred stock and
sovereign debt, derivative instruments of the foregoing securities
and dollar rolls. Such securities may be rated high yield (i.e.,
rated below investment grade by any nationally recognized
statistical rating organization or, if unrated, of equivalent
quality as determined by the manager). Under normal circumstances,
the Fund will invest in securities of issuers located in at least
four countries. Previously, the Fund was not permitted to invest in
dollar rolls, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities
or securities of U.S. issuers with investment grade ratings. These
changes to the Fund�s non-fundamental investment policies are
intended to broaden the investment opportunities of the Fund and to
allow the Fund to invest a greater percentage of its assets in
securities, particularly emerging market debt securities, that are
rated investment grade. As the emerging market sector has evolved
and developed since the Fund�s inception in March of 1994, more
fixed income securities issued by governments and corporations in
emerging market countries (�emerging market debt�) have earned
investment grade ratings. These increases in the ratings of
emerging market debt have resulted from issuers benefiting from
substantial increases in commodity prices and increased fiscal
responsibility on the part of the governments of emerging market
countries. Currently, approximately 39% of the JP Morgan Emerging
Markets Bond Index Global, the unmanaged benchmark against which
the Fund measures its performance, is composed of emerging market
debt that is rated investment grade. It is important to note that
the proposed changes are expected to provide the portfolio managers
with additional flexibility to meet the Fund�s investment
objectives and address developments in the market, but there is no
expectation that dramatic changes in the Fund�s portfolio
composition or investment approach will result. Additional
Information About Securities Rated Below Investment Grade, Dollar
Rolls, Mortgage-Backed Securities and Asset-Backed Securities Under
the Fund�s amended non-fundamental investment policies, the Fund
may invest a greater percentage of its managed assets in securities
rated below investment grade. High yield, lower quality securities,
or �junk bonds,� are securities that are rated by a nationally
recognized statistical rating organization below its top four
long-term rating categories or unrated securities determined by the
Fund�s investment manager to be of equivalent quality. The issuers
of lower quality securities may be highly leveraged and have
difficulty servicing their debt, especially during prolonged
economic recessions or periods of rising interest rates. The prices
of lower quality securities are volatile and may go down due to
market perceptions of deteriorating issuer creditworthiness or
economic conditions. Lower quality securities may become illiquid
and hard to value in down markets. Securities rated below
investment grade are considered speculative and, compared to
investment grade securities, tend to have more volatile prices and
increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to
adverse economic and business developments, greater risk of loss
due to default or declining credit quality, greater likelihood that
adverse economic or company specific events will make the issuer
unable to make interest and/or principal payments and greater
susceptibility to negative market sentiments leading to depressed
prices and decrease in liquidity. Under the amended policies, the
Fund will also be able to invest in dollar rolls, mortgage-backed
securities and asset-backed securities as part of its investment
strategies. Under a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells
securities for delivery in the current month, or sells securities
it has purchased on a �to-be-announced� basis, and simultaneously
contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and
coupon) securities on a specified future date. During the roll
period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the
purchased securities. Dollar rolls are speculative techniques
involving leverage, and are considered borrowings by the Fund if
the Fund does not establish and maintain a segregated account. In
addition, dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of
the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline
below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities
under a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the
Fund's use of proceeds may be restricted pending a determination by
the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the
Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities. Successful use of
dollar rolls may depend upon the ability of the Fund�s investment
manager to correctly predict interest rates and prepayments. There
is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
Mortgage-backed securities may be issued by private companies or by
agencies of the U.S. Government and represent direct or indirect
participations in, or are collateralized by and payable from,
mortgage loans secured by real property. Asset-backed securities
represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from,
assets such as installment sales or loan contracts, leases, credit
card receivables and other categories of receivables. Certain debt
instruments may only pay principal at maturity or may only
represent the right to receive payments of principal or payments of
interest on underlying pools of mortgages, assets or government
securities, but not both. The value of these types of instruments
may change more drastically than debt securities that pay both
principal and interest during periods of changing interest rates.
The Fund may obtain a below market yield or incur a loss on such
instruments during periods of declining interest rates. Principal
only and interest only instruments are subject to extension risk.
For mortgage derivatives and structured securities that have
imbedded leverage features, small changes in interest or prepayment
rates may cause large and sudden price movements. Mortgage
derivatives may be illiquid and hard to value in declining markets.
Western Asset Emerging Markets Floating Rate Fund Inc., a
non-diversified, closed-end management investment company, is
managed by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc., and is sub-advised by Western Asset
Management Company, an affiliate of the investment manager. For
more information on the Fund, please contact our Investor Relations
Group at 1-888-777-0102 or consult the Fund�s website at
www.leggmason.com.
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