UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR/A
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number 811-21982
Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
227 West Monroe Street, Chicago, 60606
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
Amy J. Lee
227 West Monroe Street, Chicago, 60606
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (312) 827-0100
Date of fiscal year end: May 31
Date of reporting period: June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2018
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Registrant is filing this amendment (the “Amendment”) to its Form N-CSR for the year ended May 31, 2018, originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2018 (Accession Number 0000891804-18-000393) (the “Report”), to update the portfolio manager information required under Item 8. Items 1 through 7 and Items 9 through 13 of the Amendment are incorporated herein by reference to the Report.
Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
(a)(1) GPIM serves as sub-adviser for the registrant and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the registrant’s portfolio. GPIM uses a team approach to manage client portfolios. Day to day management of a client portfolio is conducted under the auspices of GPIM’s Portfolio Construction Group (“PCG”). PCG’s members include the Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”) and other key investment personnel. The PCG, in consultation with the CIO, provides direction for overall investment strategy. The PCG performs several duties as it relates to client portfolios including: determining both tactical and strategic asset allocations; monitoring portfolio adherence to asset allocation targets; providing sector specialists with direction for overall investment strategy, which may include portfolio design and the rebalancing of portfolios; performing risk management oversight; assisting sector managers and research staff in determining the relative valuation of market sectors; and providing a forum for the regular discussion of the economy and the financial markets to enhance the robustness of GPIM’s strategic and tactical policy directives.
The following individuals at GPIM share primary responsibility for the management of the registrant’s portfolio and is provided as of May 31, 2018:
Name
|
Since
|
Professional Experience During the Last Five Years
|
Scott Minerd – Global CIO
|
2013
|
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC: Global CIO – 2005 to Present; Guggenheim Partners, LLC: Managing Partner – Insurance Advisory – 1998 to Present.
|
Anne B. Walsh, CFA, FLMI – Senior Managing Director and Assistant CIO
|
2013
|
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC: Senior Managing Director and Assistant CIO – 2007 to Present.
|
Steven Brown – Managing Director
|
2012
|
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC: Managing Director – 2016 to Present; Director – 2014 to 2016; Vice President – 2013 to 2014; Senior Associate – 2012 to 2013.
|
Adam Bloch – Director
|
2017
|
Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC: Director – 2016 to Present; Vice President – 2014 to 2016; Senior Associate – 2013 to 2014; Associate – 2012 to 2013.
|
(a)(2)(i-iii) Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
The following tables summarize information regarding each of the other accounts managed by the Guggenheim portfolio managers as of May 31, 2018:
Scott Minerd:
Type of Account
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets in the Accounts
|
Number of Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Total Assets in the Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Registered investments companies
|
17
|
$22,090,688,411
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investment vehicles
|
75
|
$20,389,485,274
|
39
|
$10,901,878,600
|
Other accounts
|
133
|
$142,488,354,024
|
6
|
$1,082,516,020
|
Anne B. Walsh:
Type of Account
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets in the Accounts
|
Number of Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Total Assets in the Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Registered investments companies
|
18
|
$25,959,315,182
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investment vehicles
|
5
|
$3,239,498,566
|
2
|
$2,346,060,270
|
Other accounts
|
38
|
$97,046,450,096
|
4
|
$700,893,342
|
Steven Brown:
Type of Account
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets in the Accounts
|
Number of Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Total Assets in the Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Registered investments companies
|
14
|
$21,856,553,050
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investment vehicles
|
5
|
$3,239,498,566
|
2
|
$2,346,060,270
|
Other accounts
|
20
|
$10,883,181,997
|
4
|
$700,893,342
|
Adam Bloch:
Type of Account
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets in the Accounts
|
Number of Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Total Assets in the Accounts In Which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
|
Registered investments companies
|
14
|
$21,856,553,050
|
0
|
$0
|
Other pooled investment vehicles
|
5
|
$3,239,498,566
|
2
|
$2,346,060,270
|
Other accounts
|
23
|
$10,917,742,427
|
4
|
$700,893,342
|
(a)(2)(iv) Potential Conflicts of Interest
Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple funds and/or other accounts may be presented with one or more of the following potential conflicts.
The management of multiple funds and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each fund and/or other account. GPIM seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of a portfolio manager by
having the portfolio manager focus on a particular investment discipline. Specifically, the ultimate decision maker for security selection for each client portfolio is the Sector Specialist Portfolio Manager. They are responsible for analyzing and selecting specific securities that they believe best reflect the risk and return level as provided in each client’s investment guidelines.
GPIM may have clients with similar investment strategies. As a result, if an investment opportunity would be appropriate for more than one client, GPIM may be required to choose among those clients in allocating such opportunity, or to allocate less of such opportunity to a client than it would ideally allocate if it did not have to allocate to multiple clients. In addition, GPIM may determine that an investment opportunity is appropriate for a particular account, but not for another.
Allocation decisions are made in accordance with the investment objectives, guidelines, and restrictions governing the respective clients and in a manner that will not unfairly favor one client over another. GPIM’s allocation policy provides that investment decisions must never be based upon account performance or fee structure. Accordingly, GPIM’s allocation procedures are designed to ensure that investment opportunities are allocated equitably among different client accounts over time. The procedures also seek to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and to provide portfolio managers with flexibility to use allocation methodologies appropriate to GPIM’s investment disciplines and the specific goals and objectives of each client account.
In order to minimize execution costs and obtain best execution for clients, trades in the same security transacted on behalf of more than one client may be aggregated. In the event trades are aggregated, GPIM’s policy and procedures provide as follows: (i) treat all participating client accounts fairly; (ii) continue to seek best execution; (iii) ensure that clients who participate in an aggregated order will participate at the average share price with all transaction costs shared on a pro-rata basis based on each client’s participation in the transaction; (iv) disclose its aggregation policy to clients.
GPIM, as a fiduciary to its clients, considers numerous factors in arranging for the purchase and sale of clients’ portfolio securities in order to achieve best execution for its clients. When selecting a broker, individuals making trades on behalf of GPIM clients consider the full range and quality of a broker’s services, including execution capability, commission rate, price, financial stability and reliability. GPIM is not obliged to merely get the lowest price or commission but also must determine whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution for the account.
In the event that multiple broker/dealers make a market in a particular security, GPIM’s Portfolio Managers are responsible for selecting the broker-dealer to use with respect to executing the transaction. The broker-dealer will be selected on the basis of how the transaction can be executed to achieve the most favorable execution for the client under the circumstances. In many instances, there may only be one counter-party active in a particular security at a given time. In such situations the Employee executing the trade will use his/her best effort to obtain the best execution from the counter-party.
GPIM and the registrant have adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
(a)(3) Portfolio Manager Compensation
GPIM compensates the portfolio managers for their management of the registrant’s portfolio. Compensation is evaluated based on their contribution to investment performance relative to pertinent benchmarks and qualitatively based on factors such as teamwork and client service efforts. GPIM’s staff incentives may include: a competitive base salary, bonus determined by individual and firm wide performance, equity participation, and participation opportunities in various GPIM investments. All GPIM employees are also eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan to which GPIM may make a discretionary match after the completion of each plan year.
(a)(4) Portfolio Manager Securities Ownership
The following table discloses the dollar range of equity securities of the registrant beneficially owned by each GPIM portfolio manager as of May 31, 2018:
Name of Portfolio Manager
|
Dollar Amount of Equity Securities in Fund
|
Scott Minerd
|
$500,000 - $1,000,000
|
Anne B. Walsh
|
$100,001-$500,000
|
Steven Brown
|
None
|
Adam Bloch
|
$1-$10,000
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
(Registrant) Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund
By: /s/ Brian E. Binder
Name: Brian E. Binder
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Date: August 24, 2018
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By: /s/ Brian E. Binder
Name: Brian E. Binder
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Date: August 24, 2018
By: /s/ John L. Sullivan
Name: John L. Sullivan
Title: Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer
Date: August 24, 2018