UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(RULE 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12 |
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Templeton Global Income Fund |
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Templeton
Global Income Fund
September 26, 2023
Dear Shareholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the Special
Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of Templeton Global Income Fund (the “Fund”) to be held on October 25, 2023 at 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time. You will be able to participate in the Special Meeting and vote by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GIM2023SM.
At the Special Meeting, shareholders of the
Fund (“Shareholders”) will vote on a proposal to approve a new investment management agreement between the Fund and Saba Capital
Management, L.P. (“Saba” and such new investment management agreement, the “New Management Agreement”). If approved,
the New Management Agreement will replace the current amended and restated investment management agreement, dated June 1, 2014, as amended
on May 13, 2020, between the Fund and Franklin Advisers, Inc. (“Franklin”), the Fund’s current investment adviser, (the
“Existing Management Agreement”).
In light of the Fund’s
underperformance, the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) established a special committee, consisting solely of
independent trustees who have no affiliation with Franklin or Saba (the “Special Committee”), to, among other things,
evaluate and explore potential avenues, options or alternatives to improve the Fund’s performance. The Special Committee
ultimately decided to commence a search for and select a new investment adviser for the Fund. The Board, with the trustees of the
Board affiliated with Saba having recused themselves (the “Unaffiliated Board”), recommended the selection of Saba as
the Fund’s investment manager as a result of a request for proposal (“RFP”) process.
At a meeting of the Board held on August 14,
2023, the Unaffiliated Board, including all of the trustees of the Board who are not “interested persons” of the Fund as such
term is defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act” and such trustees, the “Non-interested
Trustees”), after careful consideration and upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, determined to select Saba to serve
as the investment manager of the Fund and to assume responsibility for providing the investment management services that are currently
provided to the Fund by Franklin (the “Adviser Transition”), and to approve the New Management Agreement in connection with
such Adviser Transition. The New Management Agreement must also be approved by Shareholders to become effective.
As described in the accompanying Proxy Statement,
while certain terms of the New Management Agreement differ from the terms of the Existing Management Agreement in certain respects, there
will be no change in investment management fees payable by the Fund under the New Management Agreement. Upon the effective date of the
New Management Agreement, all investment management and administrative services will no longer be provided by Franklin or Franklin Templeton
Services, LLC, the Fund’s current administrator. The Fund expects, at its expense, to retain a third-party independent administrator
to provide administrative services to the Fund.
The Unaffiliated Board, including all of
the Non-interested Trustees, has approved the New Management Agreement and believes it to be in the best interests of the Fund and its
Shareholders. Subject to obtaining approval by Shareholders of the New Management Agreement, and to the satisfaction of various other
conditions that are described in the enclosed Proxy Statement, it is expected that the Adviser Transition will be effected on the date
the New Management Agreement becomes effective.
Proposed Changes
| · | There is no proposed change to the Fund’s investment objective of seeking high current income and
capital appreciation. |
| · | Shareholders are being asked to make the Fund’s investment objective
“non-fundamental” in order to provide the Fund with greater investment flexibility subsequent to the Adviser Transition, such
that in the event a change in the objective is sought in the future, which is not currently expected, the Board
can effectuate that change without shareholder approval. |
| · | If Shareholders approve the New Management Agreement, upon the Adviser Transition, the Fund would also
expand its principal investment strategy to invest globally in debt and equity securities of public and private companies, which includes,
among other things, investments in closed-end funds, special purpose acquisition companies, and public and private debt instruments. The
expanded strategy would also allow the Fund to utilize derivatives, including total return swaps, credit default swaps, options and futures,
in seeking to enhance returns and/or to reduce portfolio risk. In addition, on an opportunistic basis, the Fund may also invest up to
15% of its total assets in private funds that focus on debt, equity or other investments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. |
| · | In light of the aforementioned expanded strategy, shareholders are also being asked to remove the Fund’s
current fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in
various types of debt instruments. |
| · | Following the completion of the Adviser Transition, the Fund’s name will change to “Saba Capital
Income & Opportunities Fund II”. The common shares of the Fund will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, although
the ticker symbol will change upon the change in the name of the Fund to “SABA”. |
These proposed changes may result in corresponding
changes to the Fund’s risk profile. For the risks associated with the proposed changes in the investment strategy upon the Adviser
Transition, please refer to our response to Q8 in the Q&A section of the Proxy Statement.
Further details regarding the business to be
conducted at the Special Meeting are more fully described in the accompanying Notice of Special Meeting and Proxy Statement.
It is important that your shares be represented
at the Special Meeting. If you are unable to attend the Special Meeting virtually, I urge you to complete, date and sign the enclosed
proxy card and promptly return it in the envelope provided, vote your shares by telephone, or vote via the Internet. Your vote is important.
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Sincerely yours, |
Garry Khasidy |
Chairperson of the Special Committee and Trustee on the Board |
Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Special Meeting of
Shareholders
to Be Held on OCTOBER 25, 2023.
This Proxy Statement and Notice of the Special
Meeting of Shareholders are
available at: www.proxyvote.com
The following information applicable to the
Special Meeting may be found in the Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card:
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The date, time and location of the Special Meeting; |
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A list of the matters intended to be acted on and our recommendations regarding those matters; |
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Any control/identification numbers that you need to access your proxy card; and |
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Information about attending the Special Meeting and voting. |
Templeton
Global Income Fund
September 26, 2023
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 25, 2023
To the Shareholders of Templeton Global Income
Fund:
The Special Meeting of Shareholders (the “Special
Meeting”) of Templeton Global Income Fund (the “Fund”) will be held on October 25, 2023 at 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time for
the following purposes:
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To approve the New Management Agreement (as defined below) between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P.; |
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To
make the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental; and |
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To remove the Fund’s fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments. |
You will be able to participate in the Special
Meeting and vote by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GIM2023SM. Prior to the Special Meeting you will be able
to vote electronically at www.proxyvote.com.
THE UNAFFILIATED BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
YOU VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE PROPOSALS.
Each proposal is discussed in greater detail
in the enclosed Proxy Statement. You have the right to receive notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting if you were a shareholder
of the Fund (“Shareholder”) of record at the close of business on September 15, 2023. Whether or not you expect to attend
the Special Meeting virtually, please sign the enclosed proxy and return it promptly in the self-addressed envelope provided, submit
your vote by calling toll free at the telephone number indicated on the enclosed proxy card, or submit your vote through the Internet
website as indicated on the proxy card. Instructions are shown on the proxy card. In the event there are not sufficient votes for a quorum
or to approve any of the foregoing proposals at the time of the Special Meeting, the Special Meeting may be adjourned in order to permit
further solicitation of proxies by the Fund.
You may change your mind after you send in your proxy card or authorize
your shares by telephone, through the Internet or at the Special Meeting. Please refer to our response to Q18 in the Q&A section below
for details on how to revoke your proxy.
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By Order of the Board of Trustees, |
Garry Khasidy |
Chairperson of the Special
Committee
and Trustee on the Board |
September 26, 2023
This is an important meeting. To ensure
proper representation at the Special Meeting, please complete, sign, date and return the proxy card in the enclosed, self-addressed envelope,
vote your shares by telephone, or vote via the Internet. Even if you vote your shares prior to the Special Meeting, you still may attend
the meeting virtually and change your vote.
If you have any questions about the Special
Meeting or any of the proposals after reading the accompanying Proxy Statement, please contact our proxy solicitor, Campaign Management,
LLC:
Strategic Shareholder Advisor and Proxy Solicitation
Agent
15 West 38th Street, Suite #747, New York, New York
10018
North American Toll-Free Phone:
1-855-422-1042
Email: info@campaign-mgmt.com
Call Collect Outside North America: +1 (212) 632-8422
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIAL MEETING AND VOTING
Q1: Why did you send me this Proxy
Statement?
A: |
The Fund sent you this Proxy Statement and the enclosed
proxy card because the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”), excluding the trustees affiliated with Saba (the “Unaffiliated
Board”), is soliciting your proxy to vote at the Special Meeting. The Special Meeting will be held on October 25, 2023 at 12 p.m., Eastern Time. You will be able to participate in the Special Meeting and vote by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GIM2023SM.
This Proxy Statement summarizes the information regarding
the matters to be voted upon at the Special Meeting. However, you do not need to attend the Special Meeting to vote your shares. You may
simply complete, sign, and return the enclosed proxy card, submit your vote by calling toll free at the telephone number indicated on
the enclosed proxy card, or vote your shares through the Internet, as indicated on the proxy card.
As of September 15, 2023, the date for determining
Shareholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting (the “Record Date”), there were 102,746,371 of the Fund’s common
shares of beneficial interest. If you owned shares on the Record Date, you are entitled to one vote for each whole share you owned as
of that date, and any fractional share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. The Fund began mailing this Proxy Statement
on or about September 26, 2023 to all Shareholders entitled to vote their shares at the Special Meeting. |
Q2: What am I being asked to vote
on?
A: |
At the Special Meeting, Shareholders are being asked to vote for the following proposals: |
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To approve the New Management Agreement between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P.; |
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To
make the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental; and |
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To remove the Fund’s fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments. |
Q3: What is the quorum requirement
for the Special Meeting?
A: |
A quorum of Shareholders must be present at the Special
Meeting for any business to be conducted. The presence at the Special Meeting, virtually or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of
the shares outstanding and entitled to vote on the Record Date will constitute a quorum. Abstentions will be treated as shares present
for quorum purposes. However, abstentions will be disregarded in determining the “votes cast” on a proposal and will thus
have the same effect as a vote “against” the proposal.
The Special Meeting may be adjourned for any reason
by vote of the holders of shares entitled to vote holding not less than a majority of the shares present virtually or by proxy at the
Special Meeting, or by the chairperson of the Board in consultation with the chairperson of the Special Committee. The persons named as
proxies will vote those proxies for such adjournment, unless marked to be voted against any proposal for which an adjournment is sought,
to permit the further solicitation of proxies. On the Record Date, there were 102,746,371 of the Fund’s shares outstanding and entitled
to vote. Thus, 51,373,186 shares must be represented by Shareholders present at the Special Meeting or by proxy to have a quorum. |
Q4: What is the Adviser Transition?
A: |
On August 3, 2023, a special committee (the “Special
Committee”), consisting solely of independent trustees who have no affiliation with Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund’s current
investment adviser (“Franklin”) or Saba Capital Management, L.P. (“Saba”), met and unanimously voted to recommend
that the Board approve, both the selection of Saba as the new investment adviser for the Fund (the “New Investment Adviser”)
and a new investment management agreement between the Fund and Saba (the “New Management Agreement”). At a meeting of the
Board held on August 14, 2023, the Unaffiliated Board,
including all of the trustees of the Board who are not “interested persons” of the Fund as such term is defined under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act” and such trustees, the “Non-interested Trustees”),
determined, after careful consideration and upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, subject to approval of the New Management
Agreement by the Shareholders, to select Saba to serve as the New Investment Adviser and to assume responsibility for providing investment
management services that are now provided to the Fund by Franklin (the “Adviser Transition”), and approve the New Management
Agreement in connection with such Adviser Transition. The New Management Agreement must be approved by Shareholders to become effective.
Effective upon the Adviser Transition, neither Franklin nor its affiliates will provide services to the Fund.
The material terms of the New Management Agreement
differ from the material terms of the current investment management agreement between the Fund and Franklin (the “Existing Management
Agreement”) in certain respects, including to reflect the fact that the Fund expects to retain SS&C’s ALPS Fund Services,
Inc., a third-party administrator, to provide administrative services to the Fund (at the Fund’s expense) as part of the Adviser
Transition. Upon the effective date of the New Management Agreement, all investment management and administrative services will no longer
be provided by Franklin or Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (“FT Services”), the Fund’s current administrator. |
Q5: Why am I being asked to vote
on the New Management Agreement?
A: |
The 1940 Act requires that a new investment management agreement be approved by both a majority of the Non-interested Trustees and “a majority of the outstanding voting securities,” as defined under the 1940 Act. Therefore, Shareholders are being asked to approve the New Management Agreement with Saba. The Non-interested Trustees believe that the approval of the New Management Agreement will provide the benefits to the Fund discussed below. The Unaffiliated Board, including all of the Non-interested Trustees, has approved the New Management Agreement and believe it to be in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders. |
Q6: What are the benefits of the
Adviser Transition to the Fund and its Shareholders?
A: |
After discussing and considering the Special Committee’s
recommendations, the Unaffiliated Board has concluded that the retention of Saba, in light of its investment capabilities and track record
(see “Board Consideration of the Approval of the New Management Agreement” under Proposal I below), better positions the Fund
to achieve improved risk-adjusted returns and achieve its investment objectives. Saba is a global alternative asset management firm that
seeks to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for a diverse group of clients. Founded in 2009 by Boaz Weinstein, the Firm is a pioneer
of credit relative value strategies and capital structure arbitrage.
The Unaffiliated Board, as well as the Special Committee,
considered that the Fund will gain access to the senior management team of Saba. Under the Adviser Transition, Boaz Weinstein is expected
to replace Michael Hasenstab Ph.D. as President of the Fund and Pierre Weinstein (no relation to Boaz Weinstein) is expected to replace
Matthew T. Hinkle as Chief Executive Officer. Boaz Weinstein, Pierre Weinstein, Paul Kazarian, Xavier Riera, Vish Shah and Alexander Brown
will serve as portfolio managers of the Fund.
In evaluating potential benefits to the Fund
and its Shareholders, the Special Committee also considered Saba’s organization, philosophy of management, historical performance
and methods of operations, including the following specific considerations, among others:
·
Saba’s experience and record in managing and operating various funds, including Saba’s
experience in managing Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund, a publicly-traded registered closed-end fund managed by Saba (“BRW”)
that has a principal investment strategy that is substantially similar to that which Saba has proposed for the Fund.
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Access to Saba’s sophisticated investment advisory platform and resources, including Saba’s
credit investment experience and resources as well as its capabilities in identifying and making alternative opportunistic investments
that are intended to generate additional attractive risk-adjusted returns.
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Information showing that Saba is able to attract and retain personnel necessary to provide quality
investment advisory services to the Fund.
In addition, the Unaffiliated Board, as well as the
Special Committee, considered that the proposed fees under the New Management Agreement are lower than the management fees payable by
BRW.
For discussion about new investment strategy, investment type and related
risks, please refer to our response to “Q8: How will the Adviser Transition affect the Fund’s investment objective and strategy?”. |
Q7: What are the conditions of the Adviser
Transition?
A: |
The consummation of the Adviser Transition is subject to approval of the New Management Agreement by the Shareholders. It is expected the Adviser Transition will be effected following such approval, on or about January 1, 2024. Upon the effective date of the New Management Agreement, all investment management services will no longer be provided by Franklin. Franklin will continue to be paid until the Existing Management Agreement is terminated pursuant to its terms. |
Q8: How will the Adviser Transition
affect the Fund’s investment objective and strategy?
A: |
There is no proposed
change to the Fund’s investment objective of seeking high current income and, secondarily, capital appreciation; except that in
connection with the Adviser Transition, and as described in the enclosed Proxy Statement, Shareholders are being asked to approve making
the investment objective “non-fundamental”, i.e., such that in the event a change in the objective is sought in the future,
which is not currently expected, shareholder approval would not be required. Furthermore, Saba has indicated that, upon the Adviser Transition,
its principal investment strategy for the Fund would align more closely with that of BRW such that in
pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective (to provide investors with a high level of current income, with a secondary goal of capital
appreciation), the Fund will invest globally in debt and equity securities of public and private companies, which includes, among other
things, investments in closed-end funds, special purpose acquisition companies, and public and private debt instruments. The Fund
also may utilize derivatives, including total return swaps, credit default swaps, options and futures, in seeking to enhance returns and/or
to reduce portfolio risk. In addition, on an opportunistic basis, the Fund may also invest up to 15% of its total assets in private funds
that focus on debt, equity or other investments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. Under this modified strategy, the
Fund’s portfolio is expected to be invested materially in credit investments. However, the modified strategy would also position
the portfolio to potentially have greater exposure to other types of investments and strategies intended to achieve the Fund’s investment
objective. In connection with this, shareholders are also being asked to remove the Fund’s current fundamental policy mandating
that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments.
As a result of the proposed modified strategy, the
Fund would be subject to additional principal risks associated with the following investments, among others, to which the Fund is not
materially subject at this time:
· Equity
Securities. Equity securities are subject to equity market risk, i.e., the general
risk that the market value of equity securities may fall or rise with the broader equity markets. Equity securities are also subject to
issuer risk, i.e., that the value of the issuer’s securities will fall due to the issuer performing poorly or below expectations.
· Closed-End
Funds. Securities issued by closed-end funds (the “CEFs”) are subject
to the risks associated with the CEF’s underlying investments.
· Private
Securities, including Private Funds. Private investments are generally illiquid or are materially less marketable
than publicly-traded securities. Realization of value from such investments may be difficult in the short-term, or may have to be made
at a substantial discount compared to other freely tradable investments. Private issuers are also generally subject to less disclosure
requirements than public reporting companies and thus there may be less information about the issuer available prior to the investment,
which could increase issuer risk.
· Distressed
Securities. Certain debt instruments purchased may be non-performing and possibly in default. In any reorganization or liquidation
proceeding, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Fund's
original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time.
· Short
Selling. A short sale involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited loss, in that the price of the underlying security could theoretically
increase without limit, thus increasing the cost to the Fund of buying those securities to cover the short position or resulting in the
inability of the Fund to cover the short position.
· Index
Options. An index option fluctuates with changes in the market values of the securities included in the index.
In addition, because the value of an index or index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of
a particular asset, whether the Fund will realize gains or losses from the purchase or writing of options on indices depends upon movements
in the level of instrument prices in the assets generally or, in the case of certain indices, in an industry or market segment, rather
than movements in the price of particular assets. |
Q9: Will the Fund continue to be
publicly traded after the Adviser Transition?
A: |
Yes. The shares of the Fund will continue to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “SABA”. |
Q10: Will the Fund’s name change?
A: |
The Board has approved the change in the Fund’s name to “Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund II” subject to and effective upon the completion of the Adviser Transition. |
Q11: Will the investment management fees
payable to Saba under the New Management Agreement increase as a result of the Adviser Transition?
A: |
No, The investment management fees payable to Saba under the New Management Agreement will not increase as a result of the Adviser Transition. The investment management fee payable under the New Management Agreement will continue to be calculated daily and paid monthly based on the average daily net assets of the Fund at the same rates as those under the Existing Management Agreement, as folows:
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Annualized Fee Rate |
Net Assets |
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0.700% |
Up to and including $200 million |
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0.635% |
Over $200 million, up to and including $700 million |
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0.600% |
Over $700 million, up to and including $1 billion |
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0.580% |
Over $1 billion, up to and including $5 billion |
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0.560% |
Over $5 billion, up to and including $10 billion |
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0.540% |
Over $10 billion, up to and including $15 billion |
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0.520% |
Over $15 billion, up to and including $20 billion |
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0.500% |
In excess of $20 billion |
Q12: Will the Fund have any third-party
administrative expenses that the Fund is not currently paying as a result of the Adviser Transition?
A: |
Yes. As a
result of the Adviser Transition, Saba expects to recommend that the Fund retain SS&C’s ALPS Fund Services, Inc. to
provide independent administrative services to the Fund. Under the anticipated arrangement, the Fund would pay SS&C’s ALPS
Fund Services, Inc. a monthly administration fee at an annual rate of approximately 0.05% of the Fund’s net assets plus a
monthly $7,000 fixed fee. These fees will be incremental to the management fees borne by the Fund and thus will cause the
Fund’s net expense ratio to be slightly higher after the Adviser Transition. Currently, FT Services provides various
administrative services to the Fund at no additional cost to the Fund. |
Q13: How do the Unaffiliated Board
recommend that I vote with respect to the proposal to approve the New Management Agreement?
A: |
In evaluating the New Management Agreement, both the Special Committee and the Unaffiliated Board, including all of the Non-interested Trustees, reviewed materials furnished by Saba and after careful consideration based on the recommendation of the Special Committee, the Unaffiliated Board unanimously recommend that you vote “FOR” the proposal to approve the New Management Agreement. |
Q14: Do any of the Fund’s trustees
or officers have an interest in the approval of the New Management Agreement that is different from that of the Fund’s Shareholders
generally?
A: |
As described in this Proxy Statement under “Conflicts of Interests of Our Trustees and Officers in the Adviser Transition”, three of the members of the Board are employed by Saba. One of them is chairman of the Board of the Fund. These trustees have conflicts of interests in connection with the vote on the New Management Agreement. Accordingly, they did not serve on the Special Committee. They also recused themselves from the deliberations and determinations of the Board with regard to the engagement of Saba and the New Management Agreement. Two other trustees serve as independent board members of BRW and are not affiliated with Saba. These two trustees did not serve on the Special Committee, but are Non-interested Trustees of the Fund and participated in the Board deliberations and determinations with regards to the engagement of Saba and the New Management Agreement. Three other trustees were nominated by Saba in proxy contests conducted by Saba at the 2021 and 2022 annual meetings of the Fund. These trustees are not affiliated with Saba, and they are Non-interested Trustees of the Fund. They served on the Special Committee and participated in the Board deliberations and determinations with regards to the engagement of Saba and the New Management Agreement. |
Q15: Will the Fund bear the costs
associated with the Adviser Transition and the Special Meeting?
A: |
No. The New Investment Adviser will bear all costs associated with the Shareholder approval process, including the costs and expenses incurred in connection with preparing and mailing the Proxy Statement and soliciting the Shareholder votes in connection with the Special Meeting. |
Q16: How do I vote by proxy and how
many votes do I have?
A: |
If you properly sign and date the accompanying proxy
card, and the Fund receives it in time for the Special Meeting, the persons named as proxies on the proxy card will vote the shares in
the manner that you specified. If you sign the proxy card, but do not make specific choices, the shares represented by such proxy will
be voted as recommended by the Board. You may also vote your shares by calling toll free or through the Internet by following the instructions
set forth on the enclosed proxy card.
If your shares are registered in the name of
a bank or brokerage firm, you will receive a copy of the Proxy Statement, either by paper or electronically, and you may be eligible to
vote your shares electronically via the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions set forth on your voting instruction form.
If you require assistance with voting your
proxy or have any questions about the Special Meeting, please contact our proxy solicitor, Campaign Management, LLC, North American toll-free
at 1-855-422-1042 or outside North America at +1 (212) 632-8422.
If any other matter is presented, the shares
represented by such proxy will be voted in accordance with the best judgment of the person or persons exercising authority conferred by
the proxy at the Special Meeting. You have one vote for each share that you own on the Record Date, and any fractional share shall be
entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. The proxy card indicates the number of shares that you owned on the Record Date. |
Q17: What does it mean if I receive more
than one proxy card?
A: |
If you receive more than one proxy card, your shares are registered in more than one name or are registered in different accounts. Please complete, sign and return each proxy card to ensure that all of your shares are voted. |
Q18: May I revoke my proxy?
A: |
Yes. You may change your mind after you send in your proxy card or authorize your shares by telephone, through the Internet or at the Special Meeting by following these procedures. To revoke your proxy: |
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deliver a written revocation notice prior to 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 24, 2023 to our proxy tabulator at Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717; |
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indicate your revocation prior to 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 24, 2023 by calling toll free at 1-800-690-6903 or through the Internet website www.proxyvote.com; |
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|
• |
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deliver a later-dated proxy by following the instructions on your proxy card; or |
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|
• |
|
vote virtually at the Special Meeting on October 25, 2023. If you hold common shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions you receive from your broker, bank or other nominee in order to revoke your voting instructions. |
Q19: What is the difference between
holding shares as a Shareholder of record and as a beneficial owner?
A: |
Shareholders of Record. You are a Shareholder
of record if at the close of business on the Record Date your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, American
Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC.
Beneficial Owner. You are a beneficial
owner if at the close of business on the Record Date your shares were held by a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee and not in your
name. Being a beneficial owner means that your shares are held in “street name.” As the beneficial owner, you have the right
to direct your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee how to vote your shares by following the voting instructions your bank, brokerage
firm or other nominee provides. If you do not provide your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee with instructions on how to vote your
shares, your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee will not be able to vote your shares with respect to any of the proposals. Please see
“What if I do not specify how my shares are to be voted?” for additional information. Alternatively, you can access the virtual meeting and vote your shares
yourself using the unique 16 digit control number printed on the enclosed proxy card. If you have lost or misplaced the unique control
number, you can requested it directly from your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee. |
Q20: What will happen if I do
not vote my shares?
A: |
Shareholders of Record. If you are the Shareholder
of record of your shares and you do not vote by proxy card, via telephone or the Internet virtually at the Special Meeting, your shares
will not be voted at the Special Meeting.
Beneficial Owners. If you are the
beneficial owner of your shares, your broker or nominee may vote your shares only on those proposals on which it has discretion to vote.
“Broker non-votes” represent votes that could have been cast on a particular matter by a brokerage firm, as a Shareholder
of record, but that were not cast because the brokerage firm lacked discretionary voting authority on the matter and did not receive voting
instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares. Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), your brokerage
firm or other nominee does not have discretion to vote your shares on non-routine matters such as the proposals contained herein. Accordingly,
there will be no broker non-votes with respect to all proposals contained herein. |
Q21: What is the vote required for each
proposal?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proposal* |
|
Vote Required** |
|
Broker
Discretionary
Voting
Allowed? |
|
Effect of
Abstentions |
Proposal 1 — To approve the New Management Agreement between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P.; |
|
Affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. |
|
No |
|
Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. |
|
|
|
|
Proposal
2 — To make the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental; and |
|
Affirmative
vote of a majority of the outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. |
|
No |
|
Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. |
Proposal 3 — To
remove the Fund’s fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three
countries and in various types of debt instruments.
|
|
Affirmative
vote of a majority of the outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. |
|
No |
|
Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
The approval of each of the proposals is independent of approval of any other proposal.
|
|
** |
For purposes of this proposal, consistent with the 1940 Act, “a majority of the outstanding common shares” is the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of our common shares present at the Special Meeting if the holders of more than 50% of our outstanding common shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of our outstanding common shares. |
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Since banks, brokerage firms or other
nominees do not have discretion to vote on the proposals contained herein, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage
firm or other nominee, your shares will not be voted at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares
will not be counted as present for purposes of meeting the quorum requirement. Abstentions will be counted for purposes of determining
whether a quorum is present.
Saba-managed funds own, in the aggregate, approximately 30.68% of the outstanding
shares of the Fund, of which Saba has discretionary voting authority over 27.26% and will vote these shares pursuant to its proxy voting
policies. The remaining 3.42%, also pursuant to its proxy voting policies, will be echo voted (i.e. meaning they will be voted in the
same proportion as the votes of all other shareholders).
Q22: What if I do not specify how my shares
are to be voted?
A: |
Shareholders of Record. If you are a Shareholder of record and you submit a proxy, but you do not provide voting instructions, your shares will be voted as follows: |
|
• |
|
Proposal 1 — FOR the approval of the new Investment Management Agreement between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P.; |
|
• |
|
Proposal 2 — FOR making the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental;
|
|
• |
|
Proposal 3 — FOR removing the Fund’s fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments; and |
|
• |
|
In the discretion of the named proxies regarding any other matters properly presented for a vote at the Special Meeting. |
Beneficial Owners. If you
are a beneficial owner and you do not provide the bank, brokerage firm or other nominee that holds your shares with voting instructions,
your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee will not vote your shares on the proposals contained herein.
Q23: What are abstentions and broker
non-votes?
A: |
An abstention represents action by a Shareholder to refrain from voting “for” or “against” a proposal. “Broker non-votes” represent votes that could have been cast on a particular matter by a brokerage firm, as a Shareholder of record, but that were not cast because the brokerage firm (i) lacked discretionary voting authority on the matter and did not receive voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares, or (ii) had discretionary voting authority but nevertheless refrained from voting on the matter. Since brokerage firms do not have discretion to vote on non-routine matters such as the proposals contained herein (and consequently there will be no broker non-votes with respect to the proposals contained herein), if you do not provide voting instructions to your brokerage firm for any proposal, your shares will not be voted at the Special Meeting. Abstentions will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present. |
Q24: What will happen if Proposal
1 is not approved?
A: |
If the New Management Agreement is not approved by Shareholders, the Board will consider such other actions, including the approval of an investment management agreement with a firm other than Saba, as it determines to be in the best interests of the Fund and Shareholders. The Board may also determine to approve an interim investment management agreement to enable Saba to serve as investment adviser of the Fund. However, such interim agreement may remain in effect for a period of not more than 150 days, and a new investment management agreement must be approved by the Board and by Shareholders for Saba to continue to serve as adviser to the Fund after expiration of the term of such interim agreement. |
Q25: What will happen if Proposals 2 and
3 are not approved?
A: |
If Proposal 2 is not approved, the Fund’s investment objective will remain fundamental. If Proposal 3 is not approved, the 65% credit strategy will remain unchanged and fundamental, and the Fund would have less flexibility to make non-debt investments. |
Q26: How do I find out the results
of the voting at the Special Meeting?
A: |
Preliminary voting results will be announced at the Special Meeting. The Fund expects to disclose final voting results in a future filing with the SEC after the results have been finalized. |
Q27: Who should I call if I have
any questions?
A: |
If you have any questions about the Special Meeting, voting or your ownership of the Fund’s common shares, please contact Campaign Management, LLC: |
Strategic Shareholder Advisor and Proxy Solicitation
Agent
15 West 38th Street, Suite #747, New York, New York
10018
North American Toll-Free Phone:
1-855-422-1042
Email: info@campaign-mgmt.com
Call Collect Outside North America: +1 (212) 632-8422
TEMPLETON GLOBAL INCOME FUND
September 26, 2023
PROXY STATEMENT
Special Meeting of Shareholders
This Proxy Statement is furnished in
connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Templeton Global Income Fund (the
“Fund,” “we,” “us” or “our”) for use at the Fund’s Special Meeting of
Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) to be held on October 25, 2023 at 12 p.m., Eastern Time. You will be able to
participate in the Special Meeting and vote by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GIM2023SM. It is important
to note that shareholders of the Fund (“Shareholders”) have substantially the same rights and opportunities by
participating in a virtual meeting as they would if attending an in-person meeting. This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy
card are first being sent to Shareholders on or about September 26, 2023. This Proxy Statement is also available on the proxy
tabulator’s website at www.proxyvote.com.
We encourage you to vote your shares, either
by voting virtually at the Special Meeting or by granting a proxy (i.e., authorizing someone to vote your shares). If you properly
sign and date the accompanying proxy card, or otherwise provide voting instructions, either via the Internet or by telephone, and the
Fund receives it in time for the Special Meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote the shares registered directly in your name in
the manner that you specified. If you give no instructions on the proxy card, the shares covered by the proxy card will be voted FOR
the matters listed in the accompanying Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders.
If your shares are registered in the name of
a bank or brokerage firm, you will receive a copy of the Proxy Statement, either by paper or electronically, and you may be eligible to
vote your shares electronically via the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions set forth on your voting instruction form.
Purpose of Meeting
At the Special Meeting, you will be asked to
vote on the following proposals:
|
1. |
To approve the New Management Agreement (as defined below) between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P. (Proposal 1); |
|
2. |
To
make the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental (Proposal 2); and |
|
3. |
To remove the Fund’s fundamental policy mandating that at least 65% of the Fund’s total assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments (Proposal 3). |
*The approval of each of the proposals is independent
of approval of any other proposal.
Record Date and Voting Securities
You may vote your shares, virtually or by proxy,
at the Special Meeting only if you were a Shareholder of record at the close of business on September 15, 2023 (the “Record Date”).
On the Record Date, there were 102,746,371 of the Fund’s common shares of beneficial interest. Each share of record is entitled to
one vote (and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share) on each matter presented at the Special Meeting.
Quorum Required
A quorum must be present at the Special Meeting
for any business to be conducted. The presence at the Special Meeting, virtually or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares
outstanding and entitled to vote on the Record Date will constitute a quorum. Abstentions will be treated as shares present for quorum
purposes. Since banks, brokerage firms or other nominees do not have discretion to vote on non-routine matters such as the proposals contained
herein, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, your shares will not be voted at the
Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares will not be counted as present for purposes of meeting
the quorum requirement. As of the Record Date, there were 102,746,371 shares of the Fund’s shares outstanding and entitled to vote
thereon. Thus, 51,373,186 shares must be represented by Shareholders present at the Special Meeting or by proxy to have quorum.
Submitting Voting Instructions for Shares
Held Through a Bank, Brokerage Firm or Other Nominee
If you hold your shares through a bank, brokerage
firm or other nominee, you must follow the voting instructions you receive from your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee. If you hold
shares through a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee and you want to vote virtually at the Special Meeting, you will be required to
provide the unique 16 digit control number printed on the enclosed proxy card to access the virtual meeting and vote your shares. If you
do not vote virtually at the Special Meeting or submit voting instructions to your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, your shares
will not be voted at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares will not be counted as present
for purposes of meeting the quorum requirement. Abstentions, however, will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is
present.
If your shares are registered in the name of
a bank or brokerage firm, you will receive a copy of the Proxy Statement, either by paper or electronically, and you may be eligible to
vote your shares electronically via the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions set forth on your voting instruction form.
Authorizing a Proxy for Shares Held in Your
Name
If you are a record holder of common shares,
you may authorize a proxy to vote on your behalf, as described on the enclosed proxy card. Authorizing your proxy will not limit your
right to vote virtually at the Special Meeting. A properly completed and submitted proxy will be voted in accordance with your instructions,
unless you subsequently revoke your instructions. If you authorize a proxy without indicating your voting instructions, the proxy holder
will vote your shares according to the Board’s recommendations. You may return the enclosed proxy card by mail in the enclosed,
self-addressed envelope, or you may vote your shares by calling toll free or voting through the Internet by following the instructions
set forth on the enclosed proxy card.
Revoking Your Proxy
|
• |
|
If you are a Shareholder of record, you can revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by: |
|
• |
|
delivering
a written revocation notice prior to 12 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 24, 2023 to our proxy tabulator at Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51
Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.; |
|
• |
|
indicating your revocation prior to 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 24, 2023 by calling toll free at 1-800-690-6903 or through the Internet website at www.proxyvote.com; |
|
• |
|
delivering a later-dated proxy by following the instructions set forth on the enclosed proxy card; or |
|
• |
|
voting virtually at the Special Meeting on October 25, 2023. |
Attending the Special Meeting does not revoke
your proxy unless you also vote virtually at the Special Meeting.
If you require assistance with voting your
proxy or have any questions about the Special Meeting, please contact our proxy solicitor, Campaign Management, LLC, North American toll-free
at 1-855-422-1042 or outside North America at +1 (212) 632-8422.
If you hold common shares through a broker,
bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions you receive from your broker, bank or other nominee in order to revoke your voting
instructions.
Vote Required for Each Proposal
Approval of the new investment management agreement
between the Fund and Saba Capital Management, L.P. (“Saba” and such new investment management agreement, the “New Management
Agreement”), as well as approval for each of Proposals 2 and 3, requires the affirmative vote of “a majority of outstanding
voting securities” entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”). Since the Fund’s only voting securities are common shares, consistent with the 1940 Act, the affirmative
vote of a majority of the outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is required to approve Proposals 1, 2 and
3. For these purposes, “a majority of outstanding common shares” is the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the common shares present
at the Special Meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding common shares are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more
than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding common shares as of the Record Date. Abstentions for any of the proposals will have the effect
of a vote against such proposal. Since banks, brokerage firms or other nominees do not have discretion to vote on non-routine matters
such as the proposals contained herein, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, your
shares will not be voted at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares will not be counted as
present for purposes of meeting the quorum requirement.
Additional Solicitation. If there are
not enough votes to approve the New Management Agreement or to approve Proposals 2 or 3, the holders of shares entitled to vote holding
not less than a majority of the shares present virtually or by proxy at the Special Meeting, or the chairperson of the Board in consultation
with the chairperson of the Special Committee may adjourn the Special Meeting to permit the further solicitation of proxies. The persons
named as proxies will vote those proxies for such adjournment, unless marked to be voted against the proposal for which an adjournment
is sought, to permit the further solicitation of proxies.
Also, a Shareholder vote may be taken to approve
the New Management Agreement prior to any such adjournment if there are sufficient votes for approval of the New Management Agreement.
Information Regarding This Solicitation
Saba will bear the costs associated with the
Shareholder approval process, including the costs and expenses incurred in connection with preparing and mailing the Proxy Statement and
soliciting the Shareholder votes in connection with the Special Meeting.
In addition to
the solicitation of proxies by the use of the mail, proxies may be solicited in person and/or by telephone or facsimile transmission by
trustees, officers or employees of the Fund and/or officers or employees of Saba. Saba is located at 405 Lexington Ave., 58th
Floor, New York, NY 10174. No additional compensation will be paid to trustees, officers or regular employees
of the Fund or Saba for such services. The Fund has also retained Campaign Management LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies for
a fee of approximately $16,500 plus reimbursement of certain out of pocket expenses, which Saba agreed to pay on behalf of the Fund.
Preliminary voting results will be announced
at the Special Meeting. The Fund expects to disclose final voting results in a future filing with the SEC after the results have been
finalized.
Appraisal Rights
Shareholders do not have any appraisal rights
in connection with the proposals.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial
Owners and Management
The following table sets forth, as of the Record
Date, the beneficial ownership of each current trustee, the Fund’s executive officers, each person known to us to beneficially own
5% or more of our outstanding common shares, and our executive officers and trustees as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance
with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and includes voting or investment power with respect to the
securities. Ownership information for those persons who beneficially own 5% or more of our common shares is based upon Schedule 13G, 13D
and/or 13F filings by such persons with the SEC and other information obtained from such persons, if available.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Fund believes
that each beneficial owner set forth in the table has sole voting and investment power and has the same address as the Fund. The Fund’s
current address is 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301-1923.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
|
Number of
Shares Owned
Beneficially(1) |
|
Percentage of
Class(2) |
|
Non-interested Trustees (not affiliated with Saba) |
|
|
|
|
|
Garry Khasidy |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Anatoly Nakum |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Frederic P. Gabriel |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Mark Hammitt |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Karen Caldwell(3) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Ketu Desai(3) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trustees Affiliated with Saba |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aditya Bindal |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Paul C. Kazarian |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Pierre Weinstein |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
|
Number of
Shares Owned
Beneficially(1) |
|
Percentage of
Class(2) |
|
Current Executive Officers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Alison E. Baur |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Ted P. Becker |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Steven J. Gray |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Michael J. Hasenstab Ph.D. |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Matthew T. Hinkle |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Marc De Oliveira(4) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Susan Kerr |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Christopher Kings |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Navid J. Tofigh |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Christine Zhu |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Current Executive officers and trustees as a group |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Incoming Executive Officers(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boaz Weinstein (President)(6) |
|
31,712,061 |
|
|
30.86 |
% |
Pierre Weinstein (CEO) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Michael D’Angelo (Secretary) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Troy Statczar (PFO, Treasurer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nitin Sapru (VP) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
Patrick Keniston (CCO) |
|
– |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Five Percent Owner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saba Capital Management, L.P.(7) |
|
31,525,790 |
|
|
30.68 |
% |
Franklin Resources, Inc.(8) |
|
10,147,515 |
|
|
9.88 |
% |
First Trust Portfolios L.P.(9) |
|
6,249,770 |
|
|
6.08 |
% |
* Represents less than one percent.
(1) |
Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Assumes no other purchases or sales of our common shares since the information most recently available to us. This assumption has been made under the rules and regulations of the SEC and does not reflect any knowledge that we have with regard to the present intent of the beneficial owners of our common shares listed in this table. |
(2) |
Based on a total of 102,746,371 shares of the
Fund’s common shares issued and outstanding as of the Record Date. |
(3) |
This Trustee also serves as a non-interested trustee of another publicly traded closed-end fund managed by Saba. The Trustee is a “Non-interested Person” of Saba, as such term is defined by the 1940 Act. |
(4) |
Marc De Oliveira replaced George Hoyt as the Vice President and Secretary of the Fund, effective as of September 6, 2023. |
(5) |
The individuals identified below would be expected to assume the officer positions noted if the New Management Agreement is approved and upon the effective date of the Adviser Transition. |
(6) |
Mr. Weinstein may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of the Fund held by certain investment funds and accounts managed by Saba by virtue of his management and control of Saba. In addition, Mr. Weinstein beneficially owns 186,271 shares that he directly holds. |
(7) |
The nature of beneficial ownership is shared voting and dispositive power and the amount is as reported on Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on September 6, 2023. The address for Saba Capital Management, L.P. is 405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, NY 10174. |
(8) |
The nature of beneficial ownership is sole voting and dispositive power as reported on Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on November 10, 2022. Amount as disclosed in a Form 4 filed on November 10, 2022. The address for Franklin Resources, Inc. is One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403. |
(9) |
The nature of beneficial ownership is shared dispositive power and the amount is as reported on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on January 10, 2023. The address for First Trust Portfolios L.P. is 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, IL 60187. |
Set forth below is the dollar range of equity
securities of the Fund beneficially owned by each of our trustees as of the Record Date.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Trustees |
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
Beneficially Owned(1)(2) |
|
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Franklin Fund Family |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-interested Trustees (not affiliated with Saba) |
|
|
|
|
|
Garry Khasidy |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Anatoly Nakum |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Frederic P. Gabriel |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Mark Hammitt |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Karen Caldwell(3) |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Ketu Desai(3) |
|
None |
|
|
None |
|
|
None |
|
|
None |
Trustees Affiliated with Saba |
|
|
|
|
|
Aditya Bindal |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Paul C. Kazarian |
|
None |
|
|
None |
Pierre Weinstein |
|
None |
|
|
None |
(1) |
The dollar ranges are: None, $1 – $10,000, $10,001 – $50,000, $50,001 – $100,000, or Over $100,000. |
(2) |
The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in the Fund is based on the closing price for our common shares of $3.98 on the Record Date on the New York Stock Exchange. Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act. |
|
|
(3) |
This Trustee also serves as a non-interested trustee of another publicly traded closed-end fund managed by Saba. The Trustee is also a “Non-interested Person” of Saba, as such term is defined by the 1940 Act. |
Information about the Fund’s Existing Service
Providers
Franklin Advisers, Inc. (“Franklin”)
serves as the Fund’s current investment adviser and is located at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403-1906. Franklin
Templeton Services, LLC (“FT Services”) serves as the Fund’s current administrator (the “Administrator”)
and is located at 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301-1923.
The foregoing existing service providers will
be replaced effective upon completion of the Adviser Transition.
PROPOSAL I
TO APPROVE THE NEW MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE
FUND AND SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P.
Background
Franklin currently provides investment advisory
services to the Fund pursuant to the current amended and restated investment management agreement, dated June 1, 2014, as amended on May 13,
2020, between the Fund and Franklin (the “Existing Management Agreement”). The Existing Management Agreement was last approved
by the Board, including a majority of trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, as such term is defined under
the 1940 Act (the “Non-interested Trustees”), on April 11, 2023, and was last approved by a vote of the Shareholders on February
27, 2004.
At the Special Meeting, the Shareholders will
vote on a proposal to approve the New Management Agreement. If approved, the New Management Agreement will replace the Existing Management
Agreement. The Board, with the trustees affiliated with Saba having recused themselves (the “Unaffiliated Board”), recommended
the selection of Saba as the Fund’s new investment manager as a result of a request for proposal (“RFP”) process undertaken
by a special committee, consisting solely of independent trustees who have no affiliation with Franklin or Saba (the “Special Committee”),
established by the Board.
Thus, at a meeting of the Board held on August
14, 2023, the Unaffiliated Board, including all of the Non-interested Trustees, after careful consideration and upon the recommendation
of the Special Committee, determined to select Saba to serve as investment manager of the Fund and to assume responsibility for providing
the investment management services that are now provided to the Fund by Franklin (the “Adviser Transition”) and to approve
the New Management Agreement in connection with such Adviser Transition. The New Management Agreement must also be approved by Shareholders
to become effective. Effective upon the Adviser Transition, neither Franklin nor its affiliates will provide services to the Fund.
The Unaffiliated Board, including all of
the Non-interested Trustees, has approved the New Management Agreement and believes it to be in the best interests of the Fund and its
Shareholders. Shareholders are being asked to approve the New Management Agreement between the Fund and Saba. As discussed below,
the material terms and conditions of the New Management Agreement will be substantially similar to all material terms and conditions of
the Existing Management Agreement except for certain revisions which primarily reflect the fact that Saba will not be responsible for
the provision of specific administrative services and, as a result, the Fund would be required to retain a third-party independent administrator
to provide administrative services to the Fund going forward.
In connection with the Adviser Transition, and
as described in Proposals 2 and 3, Shareholders are also being asked to make the Fund’s investment objective non-fundamental and
to remove one fundamental policy of the Fund in order to provide the Fund with greater investment flexibility.
Following the Adviser Transition, the Fund’s
name will change to “Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund II”. However, you will still own the same amount and type
of shares in the same Fund. The shares of the Fund will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, although the ticker symbol
will change upon the change in the name of the Fund to “SABA”.
There will be no changes to the Fund’s
distribution policy in connection with the Adviser Transition. To the extent that the Fund has income available, it intends to continue
to distribute monthly dividends to its Shareholders. The amount of the Fund’s
distributions, if any, will be determined by the Board. Any distributions to the Fund’s Shareholders will be declared out of assets
legally available for distribution.
If Proposal 1 is not approved by the Fund’s
Shareholders, the Board will consider such other actions, including the approval of an investment management agreement with a firm other
than Saba, as it determines to be in the best interests of the Fund and Shareholders. The Board may determine to approve an interim investment
management agreement to enable Saba to serve as investment adviser of the Fund. However, such interim agreement may only remain in effect
for a period of not more than 150 days, and a new investment management agreement must be approved by the Board and by Shareholders for
Saba to continue to serve as adviser to the Fund after expiration of the term of such interim agreement. Implementation of Proposal 1
is not contingent upon approval of Proposal 2 or 3.
Benefits of the Adviser Transition
The Unaffiliated Board, including the Special
Committee, believes the retention of Saba, in light of its investment capabilities and track record, better positions the Fund to achieve
improved risk-adjusted returns and achieve its investment objectives. Saba is a global alternative asset management firm that seeks to
deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for a diverse group of clients. Founded in 2009 by Boaz Weinstein, the Firm is a pioneer of credit
relative value strategies and capital structure arbitrage.
The Unaffiliated Board, as well as the Special
Committee, considered that the Fund will gain access to the senior management team of Saba. Under the Adviser Transition, Boaz Weinstein
is expected to replace Michael Hasenstab Ph.D. as President of the Fund and Pierre Weinstein is expected to replace Matthew T. Hinkle
as Chief Executive Officer. Boaz Weinstein, Pierre Weinstein, Paul Kazarian, Xavier Riera, Vish Shah and Alexander Brown will serve as
portfolio managers of the Fund.
In evaluating potential benefits to the Fund
and its Shareholders, the Special Committee also considered Saba’s organization, philosophy of management, historical performance
and methods of operations, including the following specific considerations, among others:
| · | Saba’s experience and record in managing and operating various funds,
including Saba’s experience in managing Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund, another registered closed-end fund managed
by Saba (“BRW”) that has a principal investment strategy that is substantially similar to that which Saba has proposed for
the Fund. |
| · | Access to Saba’s sophisticated investment advisory platform and resources,
including Saba’s credit investment experience and resources as well as its capabilities in identifying and making alternative opportunistic
investments that are intended to generate additional attractive risk-adjusted returns. |
| · | Information showing that Saba is able to attract and retain personnel necessary to provide quality investment
advisory services to the Fund. |
Summary of the Existing Management Agreement and
New Management Agreement
The following description of the terms of the
New Management Agreement is only a summary of its material terms and highlights material differences between the New Management Agreement
and the Existing Management Agreement. A copy of the New Management Agreement is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A.
Following approval by the Shareholders in the
manner required by the 1940 Act, the New Management Agreement will be entered into on or about January 1, 2024 concurrent with the completion
of the Adviser Transition. The New Management Agreement
will remain in effect for a period of two (2) years from the date it is effective, unless sooner terminated. After the initial two-year
period, continuation of the New Management Agreement from year-to-year is subject to annual approval by the Board, including at least
a majority of the Non-interested Trustees.
Advisory and Other Services. Under
the terms of the New Management Agreement, Saba will manage the day-to-day operations of the Fund, provides investment advisory services
to the Fund, manages investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, will
be responsible for selecting brokers for execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions and negotiating commissions therewith, each
in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions and, in general, will superintend and manage the
investment of the Fund, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction of the Board and in accordance with the investment objectives,
policies and restrictions of the Fund. These services are currently provided by Franklin under the Existing Management Agreement.
The Existing Management Agreement also provides
for Franklin to administer the affairs of the Fund. Saba is likewise required to administer the affairs of the Fund under the New Management
Agreement. However, under the Existing Management Agreement, Franklin is required to provide, or procure at its own expense, specific
administrative services for the Fund; whereas, under the New Management Agreement Saba is not required to provide specific administrative
services. Rather, such specific administrative services will be provided by an independent third-party, which is contemplated to be SS&C’s
ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”), under a separate administrative services agreement with the Fund, the fees for which would
be borne by the Fund. Saba estimates that such administrative fees to be paid monthly to AFS will be at an annual rate of approximately
0.05% of the Fund’s net assets plus a monthly $7,000 fixed fee. Please see below under Fees and Expenses for a comparison of current
total annual operating expenses of the Fund with the estimated pro-forma annual expenses of the Fund assuming completion of the Adviser
Transition.
Investment Management Fee. In
consideration of the services provided by Franklin to the Fund under the Existing Management Agreement, the Fund pays Franklin an investment
management fee, calculated daily and paid monthly based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:
Annualized Fee Rate |
Net Assets |
0.700% |
Up to and including $200 million |
0.635% |
Over $200 million, up to and including $700 million |
0.600% |
Over $700 million, up to and including $1 billion |
0.580% |
Over $1 billion, up to and including $5 billion |
0.560% |
Over $5 billion, up to and including $10 billion |
0.540% |
Over $10 billion, up to and including $15 billion |
0.520% |
Over $15 billion, up to and including $20 billion |
0.500% |
In excess of $20 billion |
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the gross
effective investment management fee rate was 0.661% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. In addition, on March 21, 2022, Franklin
and the Fund agreed to implement a fee waiver to reduce the Fund’s investment management fee by 10 basis points, which expired on
April 1, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Fund paid to Franklin approximately $3,321,887 in investment management fees
(which includes the effect of the fee waiver). Under the New Management Agreement, the Fund will be subject to the same gross fee rates
as those set forth above under the Existing Management Agreement.
Expenses. Under the Existing
Management Agreement, Franklin pays its expenses arising from the performance of its management and administrative obligations under the
Existing Management Agreement, including executive salaries and expenses of the trustees and officers of the Fund who are employees of
Franklin or its affiliates. The Fund pays for its operating expenses, such as legal, audit, transfer agency and custodian out-of-pocket
fees, proxy solicitation costs, and the compensation of trustees who are not affiliated with Franklin. Pursuant to the New Management
Agreement, Saba will pay the following expenses: (i) the compensation of any sub-adviser retained pursuant to New Management Agreement,
and (ii) the compensation of any investment advisory personnel that provide services to the Fund on behalf of Saba pursuant to the
New Management Agreement, along with the allocable portion of the following “overhead expenses” (office space, rent and utilities,
furniture and fixtures, computer equipment, stationery, secretarial/managerial services, salaries, entertainment expenses, employee insurance
and payroll taxes) attributable to such investment advisory personnel. Under the New Management Agreement, the Fund will be responsible
for all of the expenses of its operations, including, without limitation:
|
• |
|
The Fund’s investment-related expenses whether relating to investments that are consummated or unconsummated (e.g., brokerage commissions, due diligence costs, expenses relating to short sales, investment banking fees, sourcing or finder’s fees (which may include a base fee component and/or a performance compensation component), borrowing charges on securities sold short, custodial fees and expenses and nominee fees); |
|
• |
|
Bank service fees, clearing and settlement charges and interest expense; |
|
• |
|
Investment management fees; |
|
• |
|
Fees and expenses incidental to the purchase and sale of interests in, and the fees and expenses of, portfolio companies in which the Fund invests; |
|
• |
|
Interest payable on debt, if any, to finance the Fund’s investments; |
|
• |
|
Expenses relating to software tools, programs or other technology utilized in managing the Fund (including, without limitation, third-party software licensing, implementation, data management and recovery services and custom development costs); |
|
• |
|
Exchange listing fees, expenses relating to proxy contests, voting, tender offers and solicitation fees and expenses; |
|
• |
|
Trading platform and seat fees; |
|
• |
|
Research-related expenses, including, without limitation, news and quotation equipment and services; |
|
• |
|
Fees and expenses associated with independent audits; |
|
• |
|
Fees for data and software providers; |
|
• |
|
Other expenses related to the purchase, sale or transmittal of investments; |
|
• |
|
Website creation and maintenance, fees for risk management systems and service providers; |
|
• |
|
Other professional fees (including, without limitation, expenses of consultants and experts); |
|
• |
|
Transfer agent and custodial fees; |
|
• |
|
The costs of organizing and maintaining any subsidiaries; |
|
• |
|
Costs relating to swaps (and similar agreements); |
|
• |
|
Tax preparation expenses; |
|
• |
|
Fees and expenses associated with marketing and investor relations efforts including proxy solicitations and Shareholder meetings; |
|
• |
|
Costs of printing and mailing proxies (other than this Proxy Statement), reports and/or notices; |
|
• |
|
Administration expenses (including fees for the provision of middle-office and back-office services); |
|
• |
|
Directors’ and officers’ fees; |
|
• |
|
Fund-related insurance expenses (including, without limitation, premium payments for fidelity bonds and Directors’ and Officers’ and Errors and Omissions insurance); |
|
• |
|
Compensation and expenses of the independent members of the Board; |
|
• |
|
Organizational and offering-related expenses, including the preparation and filing of related registration statements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
|
• |
|
Filing and registration fees, corporate licensing fees, federal, state and local taxes and other governmental fees and expenses; |
|
• |
|
All regulatory expenses (including, without limitation, fees and expenses incurred in connection with ongoing compliance obligations and the preparation and filing of regulatory filings, including those required under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws); |
|
• |
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Litigation-related and indemnification expenses; |
|
• |
|
Withholding and transfer fees; |
|
• |
|
Other expenses related to the purchase, monitoring, sale, allocation, settlement, custody, valuation, appraisal or transmittal of assets; |
|
• |
|
Extraordinary expenses, including the costs of any third party pricing or valuation services; |
|
• |
|
All costs and expenses incurred in connection with the engagement of any third party service providers to provide administrative, compliance, accounting, tax or operation services to the Fund (including, but not limited to, their provision of the principal financial officer and chief compliance officer of the Fund); or |
|
• |
|
Any other expenses and/or costs approved by the Board. |
Although the Existing Management Agreement does
not set forth specific operating expenses borne by the Fund, the Fund is required to bear its operating expenses not assumed by Franklin
under the Existing Management Agreement and which have generally included all of foregoing except: various administrative costs, including
costs for the provision of accounting, compliance and operations services (including, without limitation, costs for the provision of the
Fund’s principal financial officer and Chief Compliance Officer), expenses for certain software tools and research used in managing
the Fund, certain data provider costs, Fund website costs and investor relations costs.
Fees and Expenses.
The purpose of the tables below is to assist
you in understanding the various costs and expenses that an investor in the Fund will bear directly or indirectly under the New Management
Agreement in comparison to the Existing Management Agreement.
Annual Expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to common shares) |
Current Expenses(1) |
Pro Forma Expenses(1) |
Management Fees |
0.66%(2) |
0.66%(3) |
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds(4) |
0% |
0% |
Other Expenses |
0.45%(5) |
0.54%(6) |
Total Annual Expenses |
1.11% |
1.20% |
(1) |
Current
Expenses and Pro Forma Expenses are based on net assets of the Fund as of December 31, 2022. Any changes in net assets, including as
a result of the Tender Offer (as defined below) could result in different operating expense ratios. |
|
|
(2) |
Pursuant
to the Existing Management Agreement, Franklin is paid an investment management fee as described above. This excludes the effect
of any voluntary waivers. |
|
|
(3) |
Pursuant to the New Management Agreement, Saba would be paid an investment management fee as described
above. |
|
|
(4) |
Based
on actual interest expenses incurred during the last completed fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. |
|
|
(5) |
Other
Expenses are estimated based on actual expenses incurred during the last completed fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. |
|
|
(6) |
Other
Expenses are estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. |
Example 1 (Based on Current Expenses)
The following Example shows the amount of the
expenses that an investor in the Fund would bear on a $1,000 investment that is held for the different time periods in the table
based on the Fund’s current expenses shown above. The Example assumes that all dividends and other distributions are
reinvested at Net Asset Value (“NAV”) and that the percentage amounts listed under Total Annual Expenses in the table above remain the
same in the years shown. The table and the assumption in the Example of a 5% annual return are required by regulations of the SEC
applicable to all investment companies. The assumed 5% annual return is not a prediction of, and does not represent, the projected
or actual performance of the Fund’s common shares.
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 year |
|
3 years |
|
5 years |
|
10 years |
|
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 common share investment, assuming a 5% annual return |
|
$ |
11 |
|
$ |
36 |
|
$ |
62 |
|
$ |
142 |
|
Example 2 (Based on Pro Forma Expenses)
The following Example shows the amount of the expenses
that an investor in the Fund would bear on a $1,000 investment that is held for the different time periods in the table based on the Fund’s
pro forma expenses shown above. The Example assumes that all dividends and other distributions are reinvested at NAV and that the percentage
amounts listed under Total Annual Expenses in the table above remain the same in the years shown. The table and the assumption in the
Example of a 5% annual return are required by regulations of the SEC applicable to all investment companies. The assumed 5% annual return
is not a prediction of, and does not represent, the projected or actual performance of the Fund’s common shares.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 year |
|
3 years |
|
5 years |
|
10 years |
|
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 common share investment, assuming a 5% annual return |
|
$ |
12 |
|
$ |
38 |
|
$ |
66 |
|
$ |
145 |
|
The foregoing Examples should not be considered
a representation of future expenses and actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown.
Term, Continuance and Termination. The
continuance and termination provisions under the New Management Agreement are substantially the same as the continuance and termination
provisions under the Existing Management Agreement except that the New Management Agreement has a two year initial term. Consistent with
the Existing Management Agreement, unless terminated as provided therein, the New Management Agreement will continue from year to year
after its initial term so long as such continuation is approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the Non-interested Trustees
of the Fund who have no affiliation with Saba and either: (i) the vote of Board as a whole or (ii) by the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The New Management Agreement, as with the Existing Management Agreement, may also be terminated
by the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the Fund’s Board (including a majority of
the Non-interested Trustees) or by a vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, on 60 days’ written notice
to Saba, or by Saba at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund. As with the Existing
Management Agreement, the New Management Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of any transfer or assignment thereof, as
defined in the 1940 Act.
Indemnification. The Existing
Management Agreement provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the
duties thereunder on the part of Franklin, Franklin shall not be subject to liability for any error of judgement, mistake of law, or
any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering advisory services under
the Existing Management Agreement. Franklin is similarly not subject to liability under the Existing Management Agreement for any loss
or damage resulting from the imposition by any government of exchange control restrictions which might affect the liquidity of the Company’s
assets, or from acts or omissions of custodians or securities depositories, or from any war or political act of any foreign government
to which such assets might be exposed. The New Management Agreement similarly provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of Saba, Saba (and its officers, managers,
agents, employees, partners, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Saba) shall not be subject
to liability to the Fund, the members of the Board or to any Shareholder, for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with,
rendering advisory services to the Fund and for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by
the Fund (including, but not limited to, from any error of judgment, mistake of law, or any loss arising out of any investment or other
act or omission in the performance by Saba of its duties under the Agreement).
Unlike the Existing Management Agreement, the
New Management Agreement also provides that the Fund shall indemnify Saba (and its officers, managers, agents, employees, partners, controlling
persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with Saba) (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) to the fullest
extent permitted by law and the Fund’s organizational documents and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities,
costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified
Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or
suit by or in the right of the Fund or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of Saba’s
duties or obligations under the agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Fund. Nothing contained in such indemnification
provision shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties
to indemnification in respect of any liability to the Fund or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of Saba’s duties or by reason of the
reckless disregard of Saba’s duties and obligations under the New Management Agreement.
Use of Name of Adviser. Similar
to the existing restriction on the Fund’s use of the name “Templeton” or any related name in the event of the termination
of the Existing Management Agreement, the New Management Agreement restricts the use of the name “Saba” and related marks
and logos in the event the New Management Agreement is terminated without replacement by a subsequent agreement with Saba.
Voting of Proxies. Under the Existing
Management Agreement, Franklin determines the manner in which any voting rights, rights to consent to corporate action and any other rights
pertaining to the Fund’s investment securities shall be exercised, subject to guidelines adopted by the Board. Under the New Management
Agreement, Saba will likewise be responsible for voting any proxies solicited by an issuer of securities held by the Fund, but such proxies
will be voted in accordance with Saba’s proxy voting policies and procedures. Saba shall be responsible for reporting the Fund’s
proxy voting activities, as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the New Management Agreement.
Board Consideration of the Approval of
the New Management Agreement
In light of the Fund’s
underperformance compared to its peers over various periods, the Board established the Special Committee to, among other things,
evaluate and explore potential avenues, options or alternatives to improve the Fund’s performance and the Special Committee
ultimately decided to commence a search for and select a new investment adviser for the Fund. The Special Committee conducted a
request for proposal process involving several investment advisers. After careful evaluation, the Special Committee recommended Saba
based on Saba’s investment capabilities and track record, including its management of BRW.
Outlined below
are the key events leading up to the Unaffiliated Board unanimously voting to approve both the selection of Saba as the Fund’s
new investment adviser and the New Management Agreement.
On March 15, 2023, the Board established the
Special Committee to oversee the annual 15(c) process with respect to the Existing Management Agreement in light of the Fund’s continued
underperformance.
On April 3, 2023, given the Board’s ongoing
concerns regarding the performance of the Fund, the Board determined to revise the scope of the mandate of the Special Committee (the
“Mandate”) from overseeing the annual 15(c) process to include evaluation and exploration of potential avenues, options or
alternatives for improving the Fund’s performance (which the Special Committee believes requires considering overall risk-adjusted
performance of the Fund, including, but not limited to, the discount of the market price to the net asset value and distributions to shareholders).
The Special Committee was also authorized to undertake any related action that it deemed appropriate or necessary, including conducting
a search for a new investment manager to potentially replace Franklin as the Fund’s investment adviser. Also, on April 3, 2023,
the Special Committee engaged independent counsel (“Independent Counsel”) to advise with respect to the Mandate.
On April 11, 2023, the Board extended the Existing
Management Agreement as part of the annual 15(c) process (which prevented the expiration of advisory services being provided to the Fund).
On June 2, 2023, with the assistance of
Independent Counsel, the Special Committee commenced a process in which it solicited requests for proposals (the “RFP”)
from six investment managers (including Saba) to provide investment advisory and related services to the Fund. Franklin was afforded
the opportunity to update the information and plans for the Fund previously provided to the Board in connection with the 2023
renewal of its management contract. The potential respondents were selected based on, among other things, their management of
closed-end funds that the Special Committee considered as peers of the Fund.
Multiple investment managers, including Saba,
responded to the Special Committee either in response to the RFP or, in the case of Franklin, to provide updated information and plans
for managing the Fund (together, the “Respondents”). From June 20, 2023 to August 3, 2023, the Special Committee met multiple
times and reviewed the written information provided by the Respondents. In addition, the Special Committee met on multiple occasions to
interview each of the Respondents to discuss their performance history, plans for the Fund and, where applicable, their proposed changes
to the Fund’s investment strategy.
On July 11, 2023, Independent Counsel, on behalf
of the Special Committee, retained a third-party fund industry consultant to assist the Special Committee with assessing the process
and procedures associated with reviewing and analyzing materials from the Respondents. In retaining the third-party consultant, the Special
Committee considered the consultant’s extensive experience advising fund independent trustees and directors in their review of management
agreements. The consultant reviewed detailed documentation relating to the Special Committee’s process and had various discussions
with Independent Counsel. The consultant rendered a report to the Independent Counsel on August 2, 2023. Based on its work and taking
account of its professional and industry knowledge and expertise, the consultant concluded, among other things, that the information that
the Special Committee received and the review process that the Special Committee conducted provide a reasonable basis for the Special
Committee to make a determination regarding the investment advisory services for the Fund and to provide a recommendation to the full
Board regarding such services.
On August 3, 2023, after the conclusion of
the review process, the Special Committee met with Independent Counsel, and, after further deliberations, unanimously voted to recommend
that the Board approve the selection of Saba to be the investment
adviser to the Fund and to approve the New Management Agreement, subject to approval by Shareholders.
On August 14, 2023, at the request of the Special
Committee, a special meeting of the Unaffiliated Board was convened. The Unaffiliated Board was advised by independent counsel, separate
from the Independent Counsel to the Special Committee.
At the Board meeting on August 14, 2023, the
Special Committee reported on its processes, considerations and conclusions, including its recommendation that the Board approve Saba
and the New Management Agreement. The Unaffiliated Board reviewed and considered the report of the Special Committee, the proposed form
of the New Management Agreement, written materials prepared by Saba and the third-party consultant’s report, all of which were distributed
in advance of the meeting. In addition, Saba representatives attended the meeting and answered questions from the Non-interested Trustees
at the meeting regarding Saba’s capabilities and its plans for management of the Fund.
After discussion and considering the Special Committee’s
recommendations, the Unaffiliated Board unanimously voted to approve both the selection of Saba as the Fund’s new investment adviser
and the New Management Agreement, and recommended that Shareholders approve the New Management Agreement.
For purposes of the considerations below,
references to “the Board” shall mean the Non-interested Trustees,
with the trustees affiliated with Saba having recused themselves.
Matters considered by the Special Committee,
on whose recommendation the Board based its approval of the New Management Agreement, included, among others, the following:
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services.
The Special Committee and the Board each considered the nature, extent and quality of services proposed to be provided to the Fund under
the New Management Agreement. The Special Committee and the Board each discussed the prior experience of Saba with respect to managing
a registered closed-end fund, certain private investment funds and separately managed accounts and, with respect to an ETF, serving as
the sub-adviser, each such investment product with investment strategies similar to the strategy proposed by Saba for the Fund. The Special
Committee and the Board each discussed the written information provided by Saba and the information presented orally at each of the Special
Committee and Board meetings held where Saba was present, including information with respect to its anticipated profitability, compliance
program, insurance arrangements, personnel and portfolio management, risk management policies, brokerage allocation and soft dollar practices.
The administrative oversight proposed to be provided by Saba was also considered, including its anticipated retention of a third party
(AFS) to perform various administrative services for the Fund (currently being provided by Franklin Templeton Services, LLC). Thus, the
total package of proposed advisory and administrative services was considered and, in this regard, the Board considered that such package
was already being provided to BRW
since June 2021. The Special Committee and the Board each concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality
of services expected to be provided to the Fund by Saba under the proposed New Management Agreement.
Performance. In considering whether
to approve the New Management Agreement, the Special Committee and the Board each reviewed the investment performance of BRW, which has
a similar investment strategy as the strategy proposed by Saba for the Fund. It was observed that BRW substantially outperformed the
Fund for the period since Saba assumed portfolio management responsibility over BRW (June 2021) through June 30, 2023.1 The Special Committee and the Board each took into account that Saba oversees all investment advisory and portfolio
management services for BRW and assists in managing and supervising all aspects of the general day-to-day business activities and operations
of BRW, including custodial, transfer agency, dividend disbursing, accounting, auditing, compliance and related services.
_____________________
1 From June 30, 2021 to June 30,
2023, BRW’s total return was 7.07% on NAV basis or 3.77% based on price, while the Fund’s total return was -8.44%
on NAV basis or -12.35% based on price. Source: Bloomberg Terminal.
The Special Committee and the Board each considered
that the investment performance of BRW was substantially better than that of other funds in BRW’s peer group (the “Peer Group”),
as identified by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., an independent third-party data provider, in a report provided to the Special Committee
and the Board. The Special Committee also reviewed with the Board, in detail, the performance record of the Respondents, in each case
compared to Saba (particularly, Saba’s record achieved for BRW). Performance metrics included total returns on an unlevered and
levered basis, dividend income produced and volatility measures. The Special Committee and the Board noted Saba’s favorable performance
record compared to the Respondents as well as to the broader Peer Group. The Special Committee and the Board each expressed their belief
that given Saba’s historical returns and risk ratios for other investment funds that Saba manages, they anticipate that Saba should
be able to provide the Fund and its Shareholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns. The Special Committee and the Board each also
noted the experience of the principals of Saba in managing securities portfolios, as well as their longstanding experience in seeking
out opportunities in the market that have attractive risk reward characteristics.
Fees and Expenses. In reviewing the
anticipated fees and expenses for the Fund, the Special Committee and the Board each noted that the proposed investment management
fee would remain the same under the New Management Agreement as the current fee payable under the Existing Management Agreement. The
Special Committee and the Board each considered that the proposed investment management fee was comparable to fees paid by other
funds in the Peer Group and that it would be among the lowest total fees that Saba receives across its platform for providing
similar investment management services. It was also observed that the proposed fees under the New Management Agreement are lower
than the management fees payable by BRW. The Special Committee and the Board also considered the anticipated expenses of engaging a
third-party independent administrator and other administrative expenses that the Fund would incur with Saba as the Fund’s
investment manager, but the Special Committee and the Board concluded that the fees and expenses associated with engaging Saba as
the new manager in the aggregate are reasonable in light of the nature, extent and quality of the services that Saba is expected to
provide to the Fund. The Board observed that one of the Respondents had proposed a fee structure that could, depending on various
factors, result in a marginally lower or higher fee payable by the Fund, but expressed the view that the uncertain prospect of what
would only be a marginally lower difference in fees payable by the Fund did not outweigh the performance considerations outlined
above.
Profitability. Saba provided the Special
Committee and the Board with a summary and analysis of Saba’s anticipated costs and pre-tax profitability with respect to the management
of the Fund for the first twelve-month and first twenty-four month periods. The Special Committee and the Board each were satisfied with
Saba’s estimates regarding the level of profitability that it was seeking from managing the Fund and that the projections were sufficient
and appropriate to provide the necessary advisory and management services to the Fund. The Special Committee and the Board each concluded
that Saba’s projected profitability from its relationship with the Fund, after taking into account a reasonable allocation of costs,
was not excessive.
Economies of Scale. The Special Committee
and the Board each considered whether Saba would realize economies of scale with respect to the management services provided to the Fund.
The Special Committee and the Board each noted that the Fund, as a closed-end fund, generally does not issue new shares and is less likely
to realize economies of scale from issuing additional shares. The Special Committee and the Board each considered that Saba believed that
there could be economies of scale realized if the Fund did grow in size and there was an opportunity for Saba to push certain third-party
service provider fees down and negotiate for certain break fees in the service contracts with these third parties, including the Administrator.
Other Benefits. The Special
Committee and the Board each considered the character and amount of other direct and incidental benefits to be received by Saba and
its affiliates from their association with the Fund. The Special Committee and the Board each considered that Saba anticipated no
other sources of income or benefit in connection with managing the Fund
and did not expect to market the Fund to its existing private clients or use soft dollars to any notable extent. The Special Committee
and the Board each considered that Saba does expect to benefit from managing the Fund by further expanding its brand into the registered
fund space and potentially realizing economies of scale with its own expenses.
Conclusion. The Special Committee, having
been advised by Independent Counsel, requested and received such information from Saba as it believed reasonably necessary to evaluate
the terms of the New Management Agreement, to consider and weigh all relevant factors, and to recommend to the Board that the New Management
Agreement was in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders. The Board, having been advised by independent counsel (which was
separate from the Special Committee’s Independent Counsel), considered
the Special Committee’s recommendation to approve the New Management Agreement and determined that approval of the New Management
Agreement was in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders. In considering the approval of the New Management Agreement, the
Board and the Special Committee considered a variety of factors, including those discussed above, as well as conditions and trends prevailing
generally in the economy, the securities markets and the closed-end fund industry. Neither the Board nor the Special Committee identified
any one factor as determinative, and different members of the Board or Special Committee may have given different weight to different
individual factors and related conclusions.
After these deliberations, on August 14, 2023,
the Board approved the New Management Agreement between Saba and the Fund as in the best interests of the Fund and its Shareholders. The
Board then directed that the New Management Agreement be submitted to the Fund’s Shareholders for approval with the Board’s
recommendation that Shareholders vote to approve the New Management Agreement.
Information Regarding Saba
Saba is a global alternative asset management
firm that seeks to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for a diverse group of clients. Founded in 2009 by Boaz Weinstein, the Firm
is a pioneer of credit relative value strategies and capital structure arbitrage. Additional information about Saba is set forth in Saba’s
Form ADV.
The following chart sets forth the name, address
and principal occupation of the senior professionals of Saba:
|
|
|
Name* |
|
Principal Occupation |
Boaz Weinstein |
|
Founder and Chief Investment Officer |
Pierre Weinstein |
|
Partner and Portfolio Manager |
Paul Kazarian |
|
Partner and Portfolio Manager |
Xavier Riera |
|
Partner and Portfolio Manager |
Vish Shah |
|
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager |
Alexander Brown |
|
Portfolio Manager |
Aditya Bindal |
|
Managing Director & Chief Risk Officer |
Michael D’Angelo |
|
Partner, General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer |
Andrew Kellerman |
|
Partner, President and Head of BD and IR |
Nitin Sapru |
|
Partner and Chief Financial Officer |
Kyle Cecchini |
|
Director of Operations |
Michael LaCorte |
|
Treasurer |
Kevin Henderson |
|
Chief Technology Officer |
*The address of each
individual listed is 405 Lexington Ave., 58th Floor, New York,
NY 10174.
Following the Adviser Transition, Boaz Weinstein,
Pierre Weinstein, Paul Kazarian, Xavier Riera, Vish Shah and Alexander Brown will serve as the Fund’s portfolio managers and will
have sole investment and dispositive control over all of portfolio Fund investments held by the Fund as of the Adviser Transition and
over all other new investments.
Boaz Weinstein is the founder
and Chief Investment Officer of Saba. Mr. Weinstein founded Saba in 2009 as a lift-out of the Deutsche Bank proprietary credit trading
group he started in 1998. At Saba, Mr. Weinstein leads a team of approximately 45 professionals. In 2021, Risk.net named Saba Hedge Fund
of the Year. Previously, Mr. Weinstein worked at Deutsche Bank for eleven years, the last eight years as Managing Director (a title he
achieved at age 27). Throughout his career at Deutsche Bank, Mr. Weinstein had dual responsibility for proprietary trading and market
making. In 2008, Mr. Weinstein was promoted to Co-Head of Global Credit Trading, overseeing a group of 650 investment professionals. He
was also a member of the Global Markets Executive Committee. Mr. Weinstein graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with
a BA in Philosophy. He achieved the title of National Master in chess at age 16.
Pierre Weinstein joined Saba
at launch in April 2009. Prior to Saba, Mr. Weinstein was a Portfolio Manager at Saba Principal Strategies, the proprietary credit trading
group at Deutsche Bank, since January 2005, where he managed the equity derivatives, international convertible bond and SPAC arbitrage
strategies. Mr. Weinstein started his investment career at Société Générale in Paris in 1998 as an equity
derivatives market maker and had various roles until 2004, including a position as a convertible bond proprietary trader in New York.
Mr. Weinstein holds a MS in Engineering from École Centrale Lyon and an MS in Finance from École HEC in Paris.
Paul Kazarian joined Saba in
March 2013 and is responsible for Exchange Traded products, including ETF arbitrage and Closed-End Funds. In addition to managing the
Closed-End Fund strategy, Mr. Kazarian serves as a portfolio manager for Saba Capital Income and Opportunities Fund (ticker: BRW) and
Saba Closed-End Funds ETF (ticker: CEFS). With his experience trading and analyzing closed-end funds, Mr. Kazarian serves as a Trustee
for the Fund and the Miller Howard High Dividend Fund. Prior to Saba, Mr. Kazarian was a Director at RBC Capital Markets in the Global
Arbitrage and Trading Group from 2007-2013. While there, Mr. Kazarian was responsible for the development and management of the Fixed
Income ETF Group and also responsible for overseeing other ETF and index strategies. Prior to RBC, Mr. Kazarian worked as a technology
analyst at Merrill Lynch from 2006-2007. Mr. Kazarian holds a BA in Political Science from Bates College.
Xavier Riera joined Saba in September
2012 and is a portfolio manager who focuses on the Capital Structure Arbitrage strategy as well as the Tail Hedge strategy. Prior to Saba,
Mr. Riera was a Portfolio Manager at Bluefin Trading (“Bluefin”), where he managed their cross-asset arbitrage strategy. Prior
to Bluefin, Mr. Riera was a Portfolio Manager at Kellogg Capital, where he focused on opportunities across the capital structure of North
American companies. Prior to this, Mr. Riera was a Vice President at Credit Suisse and a senior analyst on its proprietary capital structure
arbitrage trading desk. Mr. Riera started his career on the event driven proprietary trading desk of IXIS Capital Markets in New York.
Mr. Riera holds a Masters in Finance from Ecole HEC in Paris.
Vish Shah joined Saba in September
2010 and contributes to the idea generation and trading of the Credit Relative Value, Tail Hedge, Capital Structure Arb and Long/Short
Credit strategies. Prior to Saba, Mr. Shah was a Vice President and Research Analyst at the Fortress Investment Group within the Fortress
Liquid Markets Fund (“Fortress”). While at Fortress, Mr. Shah was responsible for quantitative research leading to trade idea
generation in long/short credit and capital structure arbitrage. He collaborated with macro and distressed funds to systematically trade
European and U.S. credit indices and developed a portfolio construction and optimization framework. Prior to joining Fortress, Mr. Shah
was an Associate at Saba Principal Strategies, the proprietary
credit trading group at Deutsche Bank. In that role, Mr. Shah developed cross-asset relative value trading models. Mr. Shah received an
MBA from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, an MS in Computer Science from University of Southern California, and
B.Engg. in Computer Engineering from Gujarat University, India.
Alexander Brown joined Saba
in April 2023. Mr. Brown focuses on distressed credit and special situations at Saba. Prior to Saba, Mr. Brown was the Head of Research
and Trading at A6 Capital focused on distressed credit and special situations investments from 2020 through 2023. Mr. Brown previously
worked at Libremax Capital, where he was last Head of Corporate Credit, focused on distressed credit, credit vs. equity and special situations.
Prior to that, Mr. Brown was an Investment Associate at Credit Suisse from 2014 to 2017, initially on the Distressed Credit and Special
Situations Desk, later moving to the Credit Investment Group within Credit Suisse Asset Management. This followed experiences as a Leveraged
Finance and Restructuring Investment Banker at Canaccord Genuity and as a Direct Lending Investment Analyst at ICON Capital. Mr. Brown
graduated with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Business Studies from New York University.
Similar Funds Advised by Saba
As previously mentioned, Saba acts as investment
adviser for BRW, a registered investment company which has a principal investment strategy that is substantially similar to that which
Saba has proposed for the Fund. Please see the following information about BRW:
Name of the Fund |
Size of Fund (Net Assets Under Management) as of July 31, 2023 |
Saba’s Management Fee Rate (1) |
Saba Capital Income and Opportunities Fund (“BRW”) |
$369,205,063.44 |
1.05% |
Despite substantially similar strategies, the
Fund and BRW (following the Adviser Transition, if approved) are not expected to have materially identical returns going forward given
that: among other things, the portfolios are currently expected to have differences primarily due to the differences in the inception
dates of the strategy for the respective funds; the Fund, unlike BRW, is not presently expected to utilize a leverage facility; and potentially
different dividend and cash management considerations.
(1) Saba’s management fee from BRW
is a flat rate computed daily and payable monthly, as a percentage of the Fund’s “managed assets” which is defined as:
BRW’s average daily gross asset value, minus the sum of the its accrued and unpaid dividends on any outstanding preferred shares
and accrued liabilities (other than liabilities for the principal amount of any borrowings incurred, commercial paper or notes issued
by BRW and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares).
Principal Executive Offices
The principal executive office of Saba is 405
Lexington Ave, 58th Floor, New York, NY 10174. Upon the consummation of the Adviser Transition, the principal executive office of each
of the Fund and Saba will also be 405 Lexington Ave, 58th Floor, New York, NY 10174.
Required Vote
Approval of this proposal requires the affirmative
vote of “a majority of outstanding voting securities” entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, as defined under the 1940 Act.
Since the Fund’s only voting securities are common shares, consistent with the 1940 Act, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is required to approve the New Management Agreement. For purposes of
approval of the New Management Agreement, “a majority of outstanding common shares” is the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the
common shares present at the Special Meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding common shares are present or represented
by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding common shares as of the Record Date. Abstentions will be counted
for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present and will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. Since banks, brokerage
firms or other nominees do not have discretion to vote on this proposal, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage
firm or other nominee, your shares will not be voted at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares
will not be counted as present for purposes of meeting the quorum requirement.
Conflicts of Interests of Our Trustees and
Officers in the Adviser Transition
Three members of the Board, Pierre Weinstein,
Aditya Bindal and Paul Kazarian, are employed by Saba and have conflicts of interests in connection with the vote on the New Management
Agreement. As a result, they were not part of the Special Committee. In addition, they recused themselves from the Board deliberation
and subsequent meeting to vote on the selection of Saba as the new investment adviser and the approval of the New Management Agreement.
Karen Caldwell and Ketu Desai were nominated
for election by Saba in its proxy contest at the Fund’s 2022 annual meeting, and are Saba-nominated trustees of BRW. They are non-interested
persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of each of BRW, the Fund and Saba. They did not serve on the Special Committee, although,
as Non-interested Trustees, they participated in the deliberations and determinations of the Board regarding the engagement of Saba as
the new investment manager and approval of the New Management Agreement.
Frederic Gabriel was nominated for election
by Saba in its proxy contest at the Fund’s 2021 annual meeting, and Antoly Nakum and Mark Hammit were nominated for election by
Saba in its proxy contest at the Fund’s 2022 annual meeting. They are non-interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940
Act) of each Saba and the Fund. They serve on the Special Committee and participated in the deliberations and determinations of the Board
regarding the engagement of Saba as the new investment manager and approval of the New Management Agreement.
Each of Ms. Caldwell and Messrs. Desai, Gabriel,
Nakum and Hammit was nominated to the Board as an independent trustee by Saba. Mr. Khasidy was appointed to the Board on March 15, 2023
to serve as an independent trustee of the Board. Each of these members of the Unaffiliated Board (as this term is used throughout this
Proxy Statement) is neither an “interested person” of the Fund nor of Saba as such term is defined under Section 2(a)(19)
of the 1940 Act. None of these individuals is or was employed by Saba, receives any compensation from Saba, or is otherwise affiliated
with Saba.
Saba-managed funds own, in the aggregate, approximately
30.68% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, of which Saba has discretionary voting authority over 27.26% and will vote these shares
pursuant to its proxy voting policies. The remaining 3.42%, also pursuant to its proxy voting policies, will be echo voted (i.e. meaning
they will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of all other shareholders). Please refer to “Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” above for information on Fund ownership of the members of the Board and of
incoming executive officers.
The Special Committee has recommended that
the Fund conduct a self-tender offer for a significant number of the Fund’s outstanding shares prior to the effective date of the
Adviser Transition (the “Tender Offer”). Saba has informed the Fund that all investment funds it manages are likely to subscribe
to such offer. While the investment funds managed by Saba will benefit from the Tender Offer, their right to participate will be the
same as every other Shareholder, i.e., in strict proportion to their ownership interest in the Fund. The Fund believes that all Shareholders
will benefit from the Tender Offer, and does not believe that the Tender Offer results in a conflict of interest.
THE UNAFFILIATED BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS
THAT YOU VOTE “FOR”
THE NEW MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FUND AND
SABA
PROPOSAL II
TO APPROVE A CHANGE TO MAKE THE FUND’S
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE NON-FUNDAMENTAL
The current investment objective of the Fund
is that it seeks to provide investors with high, current income, with a secondary goal of capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment
objective is fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.
The Fund is
proposing that the Fund’s investment objective be amended to change its investment objective to a non-fundamental policy that may
be changed by the Board without Shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to Shareholders.
A vote in favor of Proposal 2 constitutes a vote in
favor of making the Fund’s investment objective a non-fundamental policy of the Fund. As a non-fundamental policy of the Fund, any
future changes to the investment objective may be made by the Board without Shareholder approval upon prior notice to Shareholders. The
Fund’s current investment objective is a fundamental policy of the Fund, which means that any changes to the Fund’s current
investment objective are subject to Shareholder approval. Changing the Fund’s investment objective to a non-fundamental policy of
the Fund would give the Board more flexibility to make appropriate changes to the Fund’s investment objective in a timely manner
without having to incur the cost of soliciting and obtaining Shareholder approval. No changes, however, to the Fund’s investment
objectives are presently contemplated.
Required Vote
Approval of Proposal 2 requires the affirmative
vote of “a majority of outstanding voting securities” entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, as defined under the 1940 Act.
Since the Fund’s only voting securities are common shares, consistent with the 1940 Act, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is required to approve this proposal. For purposes of approval, “a
majority of outstanding common shares” is the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the common shares present at the Special Meeting if
the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding common shares are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s
outstanding common shares as of the Record Date. Abstentions will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present and
will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. Since banks, brokerage firms or other nominees do not have discretion to vote on
this proposal, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, your shares will not be voted
at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares will not be counted as present for purposes of
meeting the quorum requirement. Implementation of this Proposal 2 is not contingent upon Shareholder approval of Proposal 1.
THE UNAFFILIATED BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR”
MAKING THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE NON-FUNDAMENTAL
PROPOSAL III
TO REMOVE THE FUND’S FUNDAMENTAL POLICY MANDATING
THAT at least 65% of its TOTAL assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments
The Fund has adopted the following fundamental policy
as part of its principal investment strategy, which can only be changed by approval of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting
securities:
As a fundamental policy, the Fund will normally
invest at least 65% of its total assets in at least three countries (one of which may be the United States) in one or more of the following
investments: (i) debt securities that are issued or guaranteed as to interest and principal by the U.S. government, its agencies, authorities
or instrumentalities (“U.S. Government Securities”); (ii) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government
or one of its agencies or political subdivisions; (iii) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by supra-national organizations, which are
chartered to promote economic development and are supported by various governments and governmental entities; (iv) U.S. and foreign corporate
debt securities and preferred equity securities, including those debt securities which may have equity features, such as conversion or
exchange rights, or which carry warrants to purchase common stock or other equity interests; and (v) debt obligations of U.S. or foreign
banks, savings and loan associations and bank holding companies.
The Unaffiliated Board unanimously recommends
that the Shareholders approve removing the above fundamental policy to increase the Fund’s flexibility and better position the
portfolio to potentially have exposure to other types of investments and strategies to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.
In connection with this, upon the Adviser
Transition, Saba has proposed that the Fund adopt a broader principal investment strategy (which would be more aligned with that of BRW).
Please see a side-by-side comparison of the current and proposed investment strategy.
|
Current
Investment Strategy2 |
Proposed Investment Strategy |
Fundamental |
As a fundamental policy, the Fund will normally invest at least 65% of its total assets in at least three countries (one of which may be the United States) in one or more of the following investments: (i) debt securities that are issued or guaranteed as to interest and principal by the U.S. government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities (“U.S. Government Securities”); (ii) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government or one of its agencies or political subdivisions; (iii) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by supra-national organizations, which are chartered to promote economic development and are supported by various governments and governmental entities; (iv) U.S. and foreign corporate debt securities and preferred equity securities, including those debt securities which may have equity features, such as conversion or exchange rights, or which carry warrants to purchase common stock or other equity interests; and (v) debt obligations of U.S. or foreign banks, savings and loan associations and bank holding companies. |
None. |
_______________________
2 For a detailed discussion of
the Fund’s current investment strategy, please refer to the “Principal Investment Strategy” section of the
Fund’s annual report for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023.
Non-fundamental |
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at
least 80% of its net assets in income-producing securities, including debt securities of U.S. and foreign issuers, including emerging
markets.
With respect to up to 35% of its total assets, the
Fund may invest in dividend-paying common stock of U.S. and foreign corporations. The Fund may also loan its portfolio securities.
The Fund may invest in any of the following:
- Corporate fixed-income
securities of both domestic and foreign issuers.
- Any debt security
not in default rated and securities which are unrated by any rating agency.
- Obligations
of domestic and foreign banks, savings and loan associations, and bank holding companies which, at the date of investment, have total
assets in excess of $1 billion.
- Up to 100% of
its total assets in money market securities.
- Derivative financial
instruments.
- Future contracts,
only as hedge and not for speculation. In addition, the aggregate market value of the future contracts held by the Fund will not exceed
35% of the market value of the total assets of the Fund.
- May write options
in connection with buy-and-write transactions.
- Forward contracts.
- Foreign currency
exchange transactions.
- The Board authorized
the Fund to use inflation index swaps in an amount up to 5% of the Fund’s net assets.
- Credit default
swaps.
- Up to 10% of
assets in municipal securities. |
In
pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective (to provide investors with a high level of current income, with a secondary goal of
capital appreciation), the Fund will invest globally in debt and equity securities of public and private companies, which includes,
among other things, investments in closed-end funds, special purpose acquisition companies, and public and private debt instruments.
The Fund also may utilize derivatives, including total return swaps, credit default swaps, options (including index options) and
futures, in seeking to enhance returns and/or to reduce portfolio risk. In addition, on an opportunistic basis, the Fund
may also invest up to 15% of its total assets in private funds that focus on debt, equity or other investments consistent with the
Fund’s investment objective. |
Despite substantially similar strategies,
the Fund and BRW (following the Adviser Transition, if approved) are not expected to have materially identical returns going forward
given that: among other things, the portfolios are currently expected to have differences primarily due to the differences in the inception
dates of the strategy for the respective funds; the Fund, unlike BRW, is not presently expected to utilize a leverage facility; and potentially
different dividend and cash management considerations.
Required Vote
Approval of Proposal 3 requires the affirmative
vote of “a majority of outstanding voting securities” entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, as defined under the 1940 Act.
Since the Fund’s only voting securities are common shares, consistent with the 1940 Act, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is required to approve this proposal. For purposes of approval, “a
majority of outstanding common shares” is the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the common shares present at the Special Meeting if
the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding common shares are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s
outstanding common shares as of the Record Date. Abstentions will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present and
will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. Since banks, brokerage firms or other nominees do not have discretion to vote on
this proposal, if you do not provide voting instructions to your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, your shares will not be voted
at the Special Meeting and if no instruction is provided for any proposal, your shares will not be counted as present for purposes of
meeting the quorum requirement. Implementation of this Proposal 3 is not contingent upon Shareholder approval of Proposal 1.
THE UNAFFILIATED BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS
THAT YOU VOTE “FOR”
REMOVING THE FUND’S FUNDAMENTAL POLICY MANDATING
THAT at least 65% of its TOTAL assets be invested in at least three countries and in various types of debt instruments
OTHER BUSINESS
Other than the proposals set forth in this proxy
statement, the Board knows of no other business to be presented for action at the Special Meeting. If any matters do come before the Special
Meeting on which action can properly be taken, it is intended that the proxies shall vote in accordance with the judgment of the person
or persons exercising the authority conferred by the proxy at the Special Meeting. The submission of a proposal does not guarantee its
inclusion in the Fund’s proxy statement or presentation at the Special Meeting unless certain securities law requirements are met.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Fund will furnish, without charge, a copy
of its most recent annual report and the most recent semi-annual report succeeding the annual report, if any, to any Shareholder upon
request. Requests should be directed to:
Strategic Shareholder Advisor and Proxy Solicitation
Agent
15 West 38th Street, Suite #747, New York, New York
10018
North American Toll-Free Phone:
1-855-422-1042
Email: info@campaign-mgmt.com
Call Collect Outside North America: +1 (212) 632-8422
We are required to file with or submit to the
SEC annual and semi-annual reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Exchange Act.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information filed electronically
by us with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of these reports, proxy and information
statements and other information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address:
publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549. This information will also be available
free of charge by contacting us at 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301-1923 or by telephone at 1 (954) 527-7500 or on
our website at https://www.franklintempleton.com/investments/options/closed-end funds/products/146/SINGLCLASS/templeton-global-income-fund-inc/GIM.
SUBMISSION OF SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
The Fund anticipates that its 2024 Annual Meeting
of Shareholders will be held in June 2024, but the exact date, time, and location of such meeting have yet to be determined. A Shareholder
who wishes to submit a proposal for consideration for inclusion in the Fund’s proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
pursuant to the SEC’s Rule 14a-8 must send such written proposal to the Fund at its business address, and the Fund must receive
such written proposal no later than February 2, 2024. Shareholder proposals or director nominations to be presented at the 2024 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders, other than shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to the SEC’s Rule 14a-8, must be made in writing and
received by the secretary of the Fund not more than 150 days and not less than 120 days in advance of the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
If a Shareholder fails to give notice within
this timeframe, then the matter shall not be eligible for consideration at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. A Shareholder proposal
may be presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders only if such proposal concerns a matter that may be properly brought before
the meeting under applicable federal proxy rules and state law. In addition to the requirements set forth above, a Shareholder must comply
with the following:
| 1. | A Shareholder intending to present a proposal must (i) be entitled to vote
at the meeting; (ii) comply with the notice procedures set forth in this proxy statement and in the Fund’s Amended and Restated
By-Laws; and (iii) have been a Shareholder of record at the time the Shareholder’s notice was received by the Secretary of the Fund. |
| 2. | A notice regarding a nomination for the election of a Trustee to the Board
shall set forth in writing (i) the name, age, business address and, if known, residence address of each nominee proposed in such notice;
(ii) the principal occupation or employment of each such nominee; (iii) the number of outstanding shares of the Fund which are beneficially
owned by each such nominee; and (iv) all such other information regarding each such nominee as would have been required to be included
in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC had each such nominee been nominated by the Board. In addition, the
Shareholder making such nomination shall promptly provide any other information reasonably requested by the Fund. |
| 3. | A notice regarding a business proposal shall set forth in writing as to
each matter: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business
at the meeting; (ii) the name and address, as they appear on the Fund’s books, of the Shareholder proposing such business; (iii)
the number of shares of the Fund which are beneficially owned by the Shareholder; (iv) any material interest of the Shareholder in such
business; and (v) all such other information regarding each such matter that would have been required to be included in a proxy statement
filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC had each such matter been proposed by the Board. |
Submission of a proposal by a Shareholder does
not guarantee that the proposal will be included in the Fund’s proxy statement or presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS
Only one copy of this Proxy Statement may be
mailed to each household, even if more than one person in the household is a Fund shareholder of record, unless the Fund has received
contrary instructions from one or more of the household’s Shareholders. If a Shareholder needs an additional copy of this Proxy
Statement, please contact Broadridge at 1-800-579-1639. If in the future, any Shareholder does not wish to combine or wishes to recombine
the mailing of a proxy statement with household members, please inform the Fund in writing at 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
33301-1923 or by telephone at 1 (954) 527-7500.
You are cordially invited to participate
in the Special Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Special Meeting virtually, you are requested to complete, date, sign and
promptly return the accompanying proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid, self-addressed envelope, or to vote by telephone or through
the Internet.
|
By: Order of the Board of Trustees |
Garry Khasidy |
Chairperson of the Special
Committee
and Trustee on the Board |
September 26, 2023
PRIVACY NOTICE
The Fund has adopted a policy concerning
investor privacy. To review the privacy policy, contact a Shareholder Services Representative at (800) 632-2301, obtain a policy over
the Internet at https://www.franklintempleton.com/help/privacy-policy.
APPENDIX A
FORM OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of [
_ ], 2023, between Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund II, a Delaware Statutory Trust (the “Fund”), and SABA CAPITAL
MANAGEMENT, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Manager”).
WHEREAS, the Fund is a
closed-end management investment company, registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);
WHEREAS, the Manager is
registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and is engaged in the business of supplying investment
advice and investment management and certain other services, as an independent contractor; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires
to retain the Manager to render advice and services pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Manager is willing
to furnish said advice and services.
In consideration of the
mutual agreements herein made, the Fund and the Manager understand and agree as follows:
(1) The
Manager agrees, during the life of this Agreement, to manage the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets, to administer
its affairs, and to provide or procure, as applicable, the administrative and other services described in Section (3) of this Agreement,
as may be supplemented from time to time, consistent with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund and the investment policies
adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. In pursuance of the foregoing, the Manager shall make all determinations with respect to
the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets and the purchase and sale of its investment securities, and shall take all
such steps as may be necessary to implement those determinations. Such determinations and services shall include determining the manner
in which any voting rights, rights to consent to corporate action and any other rights pertaining to the Fund’s investment securities
shall be exercised, subject to guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees, provided that, per Section 16 below, the Manager shall vote
proxies solicited by an issuer of securities held by the Fund in accordance with the Manager’s proxy voting policies and procedures.
(2) The
Manager shall be responsible for selecting members of securities exchanges, brokers and dealers (such members, brokers and dealers being
hereinafter referred to as “brokers”) for the execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions consistent with the Fund’s
brokerage policies and, when applicable, the negotiation of commissions in connection therewith.
All decisions and placements
shall be made in accordance with the following principles:
| A. | Purchase and sale orders will usually be placed with brokers able to achieve “best execution”
of such orders. “Best execution” shall mean prompt and reliable execution at the most favorable securities price. The determination
of what may constitute best execution and price in the execution of a securities transaction by a broker involves a number of considerations,
including, without limitation, the overall direct net economic result to the Fund (involving both price paid or received and any commissions
and other costs paid), the efficiency with which the transaction is effected, the ability to effect the transaction at all where a large
block is involved, availability of the broker to stand ready to execute possibly difficult transactions in the future, the provision of
research (in accordance with Section 2(c) below) and the financial
strength and stability of the broker. Such considerations are judgmental and are weighed by the Manager in determining the overall reasonableness
of brokerage commissions. |
| B. | In selecting brokers for portfolio transactions the Manager shall take into account its past experience
as to brokers qualified to achieve “best execution.” including brokers who specialize in any foreign securities held by the
Fund. |
| C. | The Manager is authorized to allocate brokerage and principal business to brokers who have provided brokerage
and research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”),
for the Fund and/or other accounts, if any, for which the Manager exercises investment discretion (as defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the
1934 Act) and, as to transactions in which fixed minimum commission rates are not applicable, to cause the Fund to pay a commission for
effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Manager
determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the Manager’s overall responsibilities with respect
to the Fund and the other accounts, if any, as to which it exercises investment discretion. In reaching such determination, the Manager
will not be required to place or attempt to place a specific dollar value on the research or execution services of a broker or on the
portion of any commission reflecting either of said services. In demonstrating that such determinations were made in good faith, the Manager
shall be prepared to show that all commissions were allocated and paid for purposes contemplated by the Fund’s brokerage policy;
that the research services provide lawful and appropriate assistance to the Manager in the performance of its investment decision-making
responsibilities; and that the commissions paid were within a reasonable range. Whether commissions were within a reasonable range shall
be based on any available information as to the level of commission known to be charged by other brokers on comparable transactions, but
there shall be taken into account the Fund’s policies that (i) obtaining a low commission is deemed secondary to obtaining a favorable
securities price, since it is recognized that usually it is more beneficial to the Fund to obtain a favorable price than to pay the lowest
commission; and (ii) the quality, comprehensiveness and frequency of research studies that are provided for the Manager are useful to
the Manager in performing its advisory activities under this Agreement. Research services provided by brokers to the Manager are considered
to be in addition to, and not in lieu of, services required to be performed by the Manager under this Agreement. |
(3) Expenses:
| A. | In consideration for the Management Fee, the Manager will provide the Fund with certain operational and
managerial services. The Manager shall be responsible for (i) the compensation of any sub-adviser retained pursuant to Section 5
of this Agreement, and (ii) the compensation of any investment advisory personnel that provide services to the Fund on behalf of
the Manager pursuant to this Agreement, along with the allocable portion of the following “overhead expenses” (office space,
rent and utilities, furniture and fixtures, computer equipment, stationery, secretarial/managerial
services, salaries, entertainment expenses, employee insurance and payroll taxes) attributable to such investment advisory personnel. |
| B. | Other than the expenses expressly borne by the Manager pursuant to Section 3(a) above, the Fund shall
be responsible for all of the expenses of its operations, including, without limitation, the Fund’s investment-related expenses
whether relating to investments that are consummated or unconsummated (e.g., brokerage commissions, due diligence costs,
expenses relating to short sales, investment banking fees, sourcing or finder’s fees (which may include a base fee component and/or
a performance compensation component), borrowing charges on securities sold short, custodial fees and expenses and nominee fees); bank
service fees, clearing and settlement charges and interest expense; Management Fees; fees and expenses incidental to the purchase and
sale of interests in, and the fees and expenses of, portfolio companies in which the Fund invests; interest payable on debt, if any, to
finance the Fund’s investments; expenses relating to software tools, programs or other technology utilized in managing the Fund
(including, without limitation, third-party software licensing, implementation, data management and recovery services and custom development
costs); exchange listing fees, expenses relating to proxy contests, voting, tender offers and solicitation fees and expenses; trading
platform and seat fees; research-related expenses, including, without limitation, news and quotation equipment and services; fees and
expenses associated with independent audits; fees for data and software providers; other expenses related to the purchase, sale or transmittal
of investments; website creation and maintenance, fees for risk management systems and service providers; legal expenses; other professional
fees (including, without limitation, expenses of consultants and experts); transfer agent and custodial fees; the costs of organizing
and maintaining any subsidiaries; costs relating to swaps (and similar agreements); tax preparation expenses; accounting expenses; fees
and expenses associated with marketing and investor relations efforts including proxy solicitations and shareholder meetings; costs of
printing and mailing proxies, reports and/or notices; market data costs; administration expenses (including fees for the provision of
middle-office and back-office services); directors’ and officers’ fees); Fund-related insurance expenses (including, without
limitation, premium payments for fidelity bonds and Directors’ and Officers’ and Errors and Omissions insurance); compensation
and expenses of the independent members of the Board of Trustees of the Fund; organizational and offering-related expenses, including
the preparation and filing of related registration statements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; filing and registration fees;
corporate licensing fees, federal, state and local taxes and other governmental fees and expenses; all regulatory expenses (including,
without limitation, fees and expenses incurred in connection with ongoing compliance obligations and the preparation and filing of regulatory
filings, including those required under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws); litigation-related and indemnification
expenses; withholding and transfer fees; trademarks; other expenses related to the purchase, monitoring, sale, allocation, settlement,
custody, valuation, appraisal or transmittal of assets; extraordinary expenses, including the costs of any third party pricing or valuation
services; all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the engagement of any third party service providers to provide administrative,
compliance, accounting, tax or operation services to the Fund (including, but not limited to, their provision of the principal financial
officer and chief compliance officer of the Fund); or any other expenses and/or costs approved by the Board of Trustees. |
| C. | To the extent the Manager incurs or bears any costs or expenses expressly borne by the Fund pursuant to
Section 3(b) above, the Fund shall promptly reimburse the Manager for such costs and expenses on no less frequently than a quarterly
basis. |
| D. | Nothing in this Agreement shall obligate the Fund to pay any compensation to the officers of the Fund
who are officers, directors, stockholders or employees of the Manager or its affiliates. Nothing in this Agreement shall obligate the
Manager to pay for the services of third parties, including attorneys, auditors, printers, pricing services or others, engaged directly
by the Fund to perform services on behalf of the Fund. |
(4) The
Fund agrees to pay to the Manager a monthly fee in dollars, at the annual rate of the Fund’s daily net assets, as listed below,
payable promptly following the end of each calendar month (the “Management Fee”):
0.700% up to and including $200 million;
0.635% over $200 million, up to and including $700 million;
0.600% over $700 million, up to and including $1 billion;
0.580% over $1 billion, up to and including $5 billion;
0.560% over $5 billion, up to and including $10 billion;
0.540% over $10 billion, up to and including $15 billion;
0.520% over $15 billion, up to and including $20 billion;
and
0.500% in excess of $20 billion.
(5) To
the extent permitted by applicable law, the Manager may, and, subject to Section 3, at its expense, delegate to one or more entities (whether
affiliated or unaffiliated) some or all of the services for the Fund for which the Manager is responsible under this Agreement. The Manager
will be responsible for the compensation, if any, of any such entities for such services to the Fund, unless otherwise dictated by Section
3 or is otherwise agreed to by the parties. Notwithstanding any delegation pursuant to this paragraph, the Manager will continue to have
responsibility and liability for all such services provided to the Fund under this Agreement to the extent the Manager would have such
responsibility or liability hereunder if such service were provided directly by the Manager and will monitor each delegate in its performance
of its duties for the Fund with a view to preventing violations of the federal securities laws.
(6) In
performing the services set forth in this Agreement, the Manager:
| A. | shall conform with the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations thereunder, with all other applicable
federal, state and foreign laws and regulations, with any applicable procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, and
with the provisions of the Fund’s Registration
Statement filed on Form N-2 as supplemented or amended from time to time; |
| B. | will make available to the Fund, promptly upon request, any of the Fund’s books and records as are
maintained under this Agreement, and will furnish to regulatory authorities having the requisite authority any such books and records
and any information or reports in connection with the Manager’s services under this Agreement that may be requested in order to
ascertain whether the operations of the Fund are being conducted in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations. |
(7) This
Agreement shall be effective as of the date first written above for a two year period and then may be continued in effect for successive
periods of 12 months each thereafter, provided that each such continuance shall be specifically approved annually by the vote of
a majority of the Fund’s Board of Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined
in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval and either the vote
of (a) a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, or (b) a majority of the Fund’s
Board of Trustees as a whole.
(8) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by either party at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on sixty (60) days’
written notice to the other party, provided that termination by the Fund is approved by vote of a majority of the Fund’s Board of
Trustees in office at the time or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
This Agreement will terminate
automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
(9) It
is understood that the name “Saba Capital Management, L.P.” or any trademark, trade name, service mark, or logo, or any variation
of such trademark, service mark, or logo of the Manager or its affiliates, including but not limited to the mark “Saba®”
(collectively, the “Saba Marks”) is the valuable property of the Manager and its affiliates, and that the Fund has the right
to use such Saba Marks only so long as this Agreement or any subsequent agreement with the Manager in replacement of this Agreement shall
continue with respect to such Fund. Upon termination of this Agreement without its replacement by a subsequent agreement, the Fund shall,
as soon as is reasonably possible, discontinue all use of the Saba Marks and shall promptly amend its Declaration of Trust to change its
name (if such Saba Marks are included therein).
(10) Limitation
of Liability of the Manager; Indemnification.
| A. | In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of obligations
or duties hereunder on the part of the Manager, the Manager (and its officers, directors, managers, agents, employees, partners, controlling
persons, members, agents and any other person or entity affiliated with the Manager) shall not be subject to liability to the Fund, the
members of the Board of Trustees or to any shareholder of the Fund, for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering
services to the Fund and for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security by the Fund (including,
but not limited to, from any error of judgment, mistake of law, or any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in
the performance by the Manager of its duties under the Agreement). |
| B. | No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to protect any director or officer of the Fund, or of
the Manager, from liability in violation of Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act. |
| C. | Subject to any limitations in this Section 10, the Fund shall indemnify the Manager (and its officers,
directors, managers, agents, employees, partners, controlling persons, members, agents and any other person or entity affiliated with
the Manager) (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Fund’s organizational
documents and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’
fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed
action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Fund or its security holders) arising
out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Manager’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as
an investment adviser of the Fund. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Section 10 to the contrary, nothing contained
herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties
to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Fund or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Manager’s duties or by reason
of the reckless disregard of the Manager’s duties and obligations under this Agreement. |
(11) It
is understood that the services of the Manager are not deemed to be exclusive, and nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Manager,
or any affiliate thereof, from providing similar services to other investment companies and other clients, including clients which may
invest in the same types of securities as the Fund, or, in providing such services, from using information furnished by others. When the
Manager determines to buy or sell the same security for the Fund that the Manager or one or more of its affiliates has selected for clients
of the Manager or its affiliates, the orders for all such securities transactions shall be placed for execution by methods determined
by the Manager to be fair and equitable.
(12) This
Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts formed and to be performed entirely within the
State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof, to the extent such principles would require or permit the
application of the laws of another jurisdiction; provided, that nothing herein shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with
the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as amended, or any rules, regulations or orders of the SEC thereunder.
(13) If
any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement
shall not be affected thereby and, to this extent, the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be severable.
(14) Nothing
herein shall be construed as constituting the Manager an agent of the Fund.
(15) Each
party acknowledges and agrees that all obligations of the Fund under this Agreement are binding only with respect to the assets of the
Fund; that any liability of the Fund under this Agreement with respect to the Fund, or in connection with the matters contemplated herein
with respect to the Fund, shall be discharged only out of the assets of the Fund; and the Manager shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation or liability
from the shareholders of the Fund, or the trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Fund. For avoidance of doubt, no person other
than the Fund and the Manager shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under this Agreement and there are no third-party beneficiaries
of this Agreement.
(16) The
Manager shall be responsible for voting any proxies solicited by an issuer of securities held by the Fund in the best interest of the
Fund and in accordance with the Manager’s proxy voting policies and procedures, as any such proxy voting policies and procedures
may be amended from time to time. The Manager’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and any material amendment thereto will be
subject to the Board of Trustees’ approval. The Fund has been provided with a copy of the Manager’s proxy voting policies
and procedures and has been informed as to how it can obtain further information from the Manager regarding proxy voting activities undertaken
on behalf of the Fund. In accordance with its provisions of managerial services to the Fund hereunder, the Manager shall be responsible
for reporting the Fund’s proxy voting activities, as required, through periodic filings on Form N-PX or any successor form
thereto.
(17) Where
the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act reflected in any provision of the Agreement is revised by rule, interpretation or order of
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, interpretation or
order.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their duly authorized officers.
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SABA CAPITAL INCOME & OPPORTUNITIES FUND II |
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SABA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. |
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Grafico Azioni Templeton Global Income (NYSE:GIM)
Storico
Da Dic 2024 a Gen 2025
Grafico Azioni Templeton Global Income (NYSE:GIM)
Storico
Da Gen 2024 a Gen 2025