Filed pursuant to Rule 497(c)
under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, File No. 333-183599
KAYNE ANDERSON MLP INVESTMENT COMPANY
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kayne Anderson MLP Investment Company (referred to herein as “we,” “our,” “us,” or “the Company”), a Maryland corporation, is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company. KA Fund Advisors, LLC (referred to herein as “KAFA” or the “Adviser”) is our investment adviser, responsible for implementing and administering our investment strategy. KAFA is a subsidiary of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P. (“KACALP” and together with KAFA, “Kayne Anderson”).
This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) relates to the offering, from time to time, of our securities. This SAI does not constitute a prospectus, but should be read in conjunction with our prospectus relating thereto dated March 4, 2013 and any related prospectus supplement. This SAI does not include all information that a prospective investor should consider before purchasing any of our securities. Investors should obtain and read our prospectus and any related prospectus supplement prior to purchasing any of our securities. A copy of our prospectus and any related prospectus supplement may be obtained from us without charge by calling (877) 657-3863 or on the SEC’s web site (http://www.sec.gov). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this SAI have the meanings ascribed to them in the prospectus and any related prospectus supplement.
This SAI is dated March 4, 2013.
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| LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS |
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| FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM |
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Our investment objective is to obtain a high after-tax total return by investing at least 85% of our total assets in public and private investments in energy-related partnerships, limited liability companies and their affiliates (collectively, “master limited partnerships” or “MLPs”), and in other companies that, as their principal business, operate assets used in the gathering, transporting, processing, storing, refining, distributing, mining or marketing natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal (collectively with MLPs, “Midstream Energy Companies”). There can be no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective. “Midstream energy assets” refers to assets used in the gathering, transporting, processing, storing, refining, distributing, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal.
Our investment objective is considered fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of our voting securities. When used with respect to our particular voting securities, a “majority of the outstanding” voting securities means (i) 67% or more of the outstanding voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less.
Except as described below, we, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities:
(1) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided, however, that this restriction does not prevent us from investing in issuers which invest, deal, or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein.
(2) Purchase or sell commodities as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided, however, that this restriction does not prevent us from engaging in transactions involving futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities that are secured by physical commodities.
(3) Borrow money or issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC. See “Use of Financial Leverage” and “Risk Factors — Leverage Risk” in the prospectus.
(4) Make loans to other persons except (a) through the lending of our portfolio securities, (b) through the purchase of debt obligations, loan participations and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with our investment objectives and policies, and (c) to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan. We may also make loans to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any exemptions therefrom which may be granted by the SEC.
(5) Act as an underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, we may be deemed to be an underwriter under applicable securities laws.
(6) Concentrate our investments in a particular “industry,” as that term is used in the 1940 Act and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; provided, however, that this concentration limitation does not apply to (a) our investments in MLPs and other Midstream Energy Companies, which will be concentrated in the midstream energy industry in particular, and the energy industry in general, and (b) our investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.
The remainder of our investment policies, including our investment strategy, are considered non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Directors without the approval of the holders of a majority of our voting securities, provided that our securities holders receive at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change. We have adopted the following non-fundamental investment policies:
(1) For as long as the word “MLP” is in our name, it shall be our policy, under normal market conditions, to invest at least 80% of our total assets in MLPs.
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(2) We intend to invest at least 50% of our total assets in publicly traded securities of MLPs and other Midstream Energy Companies.
(3) We may invest up to 50% of our total assets in unregistered or otherwise restricted securities of MLPs and other Midstream Energy Companies. The types of unregistered or otherwise restricted securities that we may purchase include common units, subordinated units, preferred units, and convertible units of, and general partner interests in, MLPs, and securities of other public and private Midstream Energy Companies.
(4) We may invest up to 15% of our total assets in any single issuer.
(5) We may invest up to 20% of our total assets in debt securities of MLPs and other Midstream Energy Companies, including below investment grade debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds” or “high yield bonds”) rated, at the time of investment, at least B3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., B- by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch Ratings, comparably rated by another rating agency or, if unrated, determined by Kayne Anderson to be of comparable quality. In addition, up to one-quarter of our permitted investments in debt securities (or up to 5% of our total assets) may be invested in unrated debt securities or debt securities that are rated less than B3/B- of public or private companies.
(6) Under normal market conditions, our policy is to utilize our Borrowings and our preferred stock (each a “Leverage Instrument” and collectively “Leverage Instrument”) in an amount that represents approximately 30% of our total assets, including proceeds from such Leverage Instruments (which equates to approximately 55.0% of our net asset value as of December 31, 2012). However, we reserve the right at any time, if we believe that market conditions are appropriate, to use Leverage Instruments to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
(7) We may, but are not required to, use derivative investments and engage in short sales to hedge against interest rate, market and issuer risks.
Unless otherwise stated, all investment restrictions apply at the time of purchase and we will not be required to reduce a position due solely to market value fluctuations.
For purposes of the temporary investment positions that we take (see “Investment Objective and Policies — Our Portfolio — Temporary Defensive Position” in our prospectus), and in general (unless otherwise noted), cash and cash equivalents are defined to include, without limitation, the following:
(1) U.S. Government securities, which are obligations of, or securities guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
(2) Certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. The issuer of a certificate of deposit agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $100,000, therefore, certificates of deposit we purchased may not be fully insured.
(3) Repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities. At the time we purchase securities pursuant to a repurchase agreement, we simultaneously agree to resell and redeliver such securities to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the securities at a fixed price and time. This assures us a predetermined yield during the holding period, since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for us to invest temporarily available cash.
(4) Commercial paper, which consists of short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between us and a corporation. There is no secondary market for such notes. However, they are redeemable by us at any time. The Adviser will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity measures) and will continuously monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all its financial obligations, because our liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. To be characterized by us as “cash or cash equivalents,” investments in commercial paper will be limited to commercial paper rated in the highest categories by a rating agency and which mature within one year of the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest.
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(5) Bankers’ acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.
(6) Bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.
(7) Shares of money market funds in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act.
Description of MLPs
Master limited partnerships are entities that are publicly traded and are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. Master limited partnerships are typically structured as limited partnerships or as limited liability companies treated as partnerships. The units for these entities are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange. To qualify as a master limited partnership, the entity must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Code. These qualifying sources include natural resource-based activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, gathering, processing, refining, transportation, storage, distribution and marketing of mineral or natural resources. Limited partnerships have two classes of interests: general partner interests and limited partner interests. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the partnership through an equity interest in the partnership (typically up to 2% of total equity). Limited partners own the remainder of the partnership and have a limited role in the partnership’s operations and management.
Master limited partnerships organized as limited partnerships typically have two classes of limited partner interests—common units and subordinated units. The general partner interest may be held by either a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. In many cases, the general partner owns common units, subordinated units and incentive distribution rights (“IDRs”) in addition to its general partner interest in the master limited partnership.
Master limited partnerships that have two classes of limited partnership interests (common units and subordinated units) are structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (“minimum quarterly distributions” or “MQD”). Common units also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common units have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. Whenever a distribution is paid to either common unitholders or subordinated unitholders, the general partner is paid a proportional distribution. The holders of IDRs (usually the general partner) are eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per unit surpassing specified target levels. As cash distributions to the limited partners increase, the IDRs receive an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the IDRs can reach a tier where the holder receives 48% of every incremental dollar paid to partners. These IDRs encourage the general partner to streamline costs, make investments and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership’s cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of such master limited partnership.
In addition to the common unit and subordinated unit structure for MLPs, certain recently formed MLPs have adopted variable distribution policies. Typically, an MLP with a variable distribution will only have one class of limited partnership interests, common units, and will distribute 100% of its distributable cash flow on a quarterly basis. Such MLPs will not have an MQD and will not have subordinated units and/or IDRs. This type of distribution policy is utilized by MLPs with more exposure to commodity prices and, as a result, more variability in such MLP’s distributable cash flow.
The MLPs in which we invest are currently classified by us as midstream MLPs, propane MLPs, coal MLPs, shipping MLPs, upstream MLPs and other MLPs:
| • | Midstream MLPs own and operate the logistical assets used in the energy sector and are engaged in (a) the treating, gathering, compression, processing, transmission and storage of natural gas and the transportation, fractionation and storage of natural gas liquids (primarily propane, ethane, butane and natural gasoline); (b) the gathering, transportation and storage of crude oil; and (c) the transportation and storage of refined petroleum products (primarily gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel) and other hydrocarbon by-products. MLPs may also operate ancillary businesses including the marketing of commodities and logistical services. |
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| • | Propane MLPs are engaged in the distribution of propane to homeowners for space and water heating and to commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. Propane serves approximately 6% of the household energy needs in the United States, largely for homes beyond the geographic reach of natural gas distribution pipelines. Volumes are weather dependent and a majority of annual cash flow is earned during the winter heating season (October through March). |
| • | Coal MLPs are engaged in the owning, leasing, managing and production and sale of various grades of steam and metallurgical grades of coal. The primary use of steam coal is for electric generation (steam coal is used as a fuel for steam-powered generators by electrical utilities). The primary use of metallurgical coal is in the production of steel (metallurgical coal is used to make coke, which, in turn, is used as a raw material in the steel manufacturing process). |
| • | Shipping MLPs provide transportation and distribution services for energy-related products through the ownership and operation of several types of vessels, such as crude oil tankers, refined petroleum product tankers, liquefied natural gas tankers, tank barges and tugboats. Shipping plays an important role in domestic and international trade of crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas and is expected to benefit from future global economic growth and development. |
| • | Upstream MLPs are businesses engaged in the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. An Upstream MLP’s cash flow and distributions are driven by the amount of oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil produced and the demand for and price of such commodities. As the underlying reserves of an Upstream MLP are produced, its reserve base is depleted. Most Upstream MLPs seek to maintain or expand their reserves and production through the acquisition of reserves from other companies, and the exploration and development of existing resources. Certain Upstream MLPs are structured more like royalty trusts with a defined quantity of reserves and prospective acreage at formation, which will deplete over time as the MLP’s reserves are produced. |
| • | Other MLPs are engaged in owning energy assets or providing energy-related services which do not fit in the five categories listed above. Examples of business activities conducted by other MLPs include refining, retail gasoline distribution, propane dehydrogenation (processing propane into propylene), production of sand used as a proppant in the production of crude oil and natural gas and production of coke used as a raw material in the steelmaking process. Each of these MLPs generates qualified income and qualifies for federal tax treatment as a partnership. |
For purposes of our investment objective, the term “MLPs” includes affiliates of MLPs that own general partner interests or, in some cases, subordinated units, registered or unregistered common units, or other limited partner units in an MLP.
Our Portfolio
At any given time, we expect that our portfolio will have some or all of the types of investments described below. A description of our investment policies and restrictions and more information about our portfolio investments are contained in this SAI and the prospectus.
Equity Securities of MLPs. The following summarizes in further detail certain features of equity securities of master limited partnerships. Also summarized below are certain features of I-Shares, which represent an ownership interest issued by an affiliated party of a master limited partnership.
Common Units. Common units represent a master limited partnership interest and may be listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges or over-the-counter, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the master limited partnership. Directly or through our wholly owned subsidiaries, we intend to purchase common units in market transactions as well as in primary issuances directly from the master limited partnership or other parties in private placements. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and, in most instances, have no ability to annually elect directors. The master limited partnerships we invest in will generally distribute all available cash flow (cash flow from operations less maintenance capital expenditures) in the form of quarterly distributions. In the more typical structure where the MLP has common units and subordinated units, the common units have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to the MQD and have arrearage rights. Further, in the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the master limited partnership. For MLPs that have adopted variable distribution policies, such MLPs typically do not have subordinated units. As a result, the common units of these MLPs are their only class of limited partnership interests.
Subordinated Units. Subordinated units are typically issued by master limited partnerships to their original sponsors, such as their management teams, corporate general partners, entities that sell assets to the master limited partnership, and outside investors such as us. We may purchase subordinated units from these persons as well as newly issued subordinated units from the master limited partnerships. Subordinated units have similar limited voting rights as common units and are generally not publicly traded. Once the MQD on the common units, including any arrearages, has been paid, subordinated units receive cash distributions up to the MQD. Unlike common units, subordinated units do not have arrearage rights. In the event of liquidation, common units and general partner
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interests have priority over subordinated units. Subordinated units are typically converted into common units on a one-to-one basis after certain time periods and/or performance targets have been satisfied.
Subordinated units in which we may invest generally convert to common units at a one-to-one ratio. The purchase or sale price of subordinated units is generally tied to the common unit price less a discount. The size of the discount varies depending on the likelihood of conversion, the length of time remaining to conversion, the size of the block purchased relative to trading volumes, and other factors, including master limited partnerships with smaller capitalization or potentially having limited product lines, markets or financial resources, lacking management depth or experience, and being more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic development than larger more established companies.
General Partner Interests. General partner interests of master limited partnerships are typically retained by their respective original sponsors, such as its management teams, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the master limited partnership, and investors such as us. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder’s investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the master limited partnership. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the master limited partnership’s aggregate cash distributions. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the master limited partnership if the unitholders of the master limited partnership choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
Incentive Distribution Rights (“IDRs”). Holders of IDRs are entitled to a larger share of the cash distributions after the distributions to common unitholders meet certain prescribed levels. IDRs are generally attributable to the holder’s other equity interest in the master limited partnership and permit the holder to receive a disproportionate share of the cash distributions above stated levels.
I-Shares. We
will directly invest in I-Shares or other securities issued by master limited partnership affiliates (“MLP affiliate”).
I-Shares represent an ownership interest issued by an affiliated party of a master limited partnership. The MLP
affiliate uses the proceeds from the sale of I-Shares to purchase limited partnership interests in the master limited partnership in the form of i-units.
I-units have similar features as master limited partnership common units in terms of voting
rights, liquidation preference and distributions. However, rather than receiving cash, the MLP affiliate receives additional i-units in an amount equal to the cash distributions received by the holders of the master limited partnership common units.
Similarly, holders of I-Shares will receive additional I-Shares, in the same proportion as the MLP affiliates receipt of i-units, rather than cash distributions. I-Shares themselves have limited voting rights which are similar to those applicable to
master limited partnership common units.
The MLP affiliate issuing the I-Shares is structured as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. The two existing I-Shares are traded on the NYSE.
Equity Securities of Publicly Traded Midstream Energy Companies. Equity securities of publicly traded Midstream Energy Companies consist of common equity, preferred equity and other securities convertible into equity securities of such companies. Holders of common stock are typically entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Holders of preferred equity can be entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights, depending on the structure of each separate security. Securities convertible into equity securities of Midstream Energy Companies generally convert according to set ratios into common stock and are, like preferred equity, entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights. These securities are typically listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges or over-the-counter. We intend to invest in equity securities of publicly traded Midstream Energy Companies primarily through market transactions as well as primary issuances directly from such companies or other parties in private placements.
Securities of Private Companies. Our investments in the debt or equity securities of private companies operating midstream energy assets will typically be made with the expectation that such assets will be contributed to a newly-formed MLP or sold to or merged with, an existing MLP within approximately one to two years.
Debt Securities. The debt securities in which we invest provide for fixed or variable principal payments and various types of interest rate and reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind and auction rate features. Certain debt securities are “perpetual” in that they have no maturity date. Certain debt securities are zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that does not pay interest either for the entire life of the obligations or for an initial period after the issuance of the obligation. To the extent that we invest in below investment grade or unrated debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds” or “high yield bonds”), such securities will be rated, at the time of investment, at least B- by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch, B3 by Moody’s, a comparable rating by at least one other
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rating agency or, if unrated, determined by Kayne Anderson to be of comparable quality. If a security satisfies our minimum rating criteria at the time of purchase and is subsequently downgraded below such rating, we will not be required to dispose of such security.
Because the risk of default is higher for below investment grade and unrated debt securities than for investment grade securities, our Adviser’s research and credit analysis is a particularly important part of making investment decisions on securities of this type.
Our Adviser will attempt to identify those issuers of below investment grade and unrated debt securities whose financial condition the Adviser believes is sufficient to meet future obligations or has improved or is expected to improve in the future. The Adviser’s analysis focuses on relative values based on such factors as interest coverage, fixed charges coverage, asset coverage, operating history, financial resources, earnings prospects and the experience and managerial strength of the issuer.
Temporary Defensive Position. During periods in which the Adviser determines that it is temporarily unable to follow our investment strategy or that it is impractical to do so, we may deviate from our investment strategy and invest all or any portion of our net assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Adviser’s determination that it is temporarily unable to follow our investment strategy or that it is impractical to do so will generally occur only in situations in which a market disruption event has occurred and where trading in the securities selected through application of our investment strategy is extremely limited or absent. In such a case, our shares may be adversely affected and we may not pursue or achieve our investment objective.
Our Use of Derivatives, Options and Hedging Transactions
Covered Calls. We currently expect to write call options with the purpose of generating realized gains or reducing our ownership of certain securities. We will only write call options on securities that we hold in our portfolio (i.e., covered calls). A call option on a security is a contract that gives the holder of such call option the right to buy the security underlying the call option from the writer of such call option at a specified price at any time during the term of the option. At the time the call option is sold, the writer of a call option receives a premium (or call premium) from the buyer of such call option. If we write a call option on a security, we have the obligation upon exercise of such call option to deliver the underlying security upon payment of the exercise price. When we write a call option, an amount equal to the premium received by us will be recorded as a liability and will be subsequently adjusted to the current fair value of the option written. Premiums received from writing options that expire unexercised are treated by us as realized gains from investments on the expiration date. If we repurchase a written call option prior to its exercise, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to repurchase the option is treated as a realized gain or realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security in determining whether we have realized a gain or loss. We, as the writer of the option, bear the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security underlying the written option.
Interest Rate Swaps. We currently expect to utilize hedging techniques such as interest rate swaps to mitigate potential interest rate risk on a portion of our Leverage Instruments. Such interest rate swaps would principally be used to protect us against higher costs on our Leverage Instruments resulting from increases in short-term interest rates. We anticipate that the majority of our interest rate hedges will be interest rate swap contracts with financial institutions.
Use of Arbitrage and Other Derivative-Based Strategies. We may use short sales, arbitrage and other strategies to try to generate additional return. As part of such strategies, we may (i) engage in paired long-short trades to arbitrage pricing disparities in securities held in our portfolio; (ii) purchase call options or put options; (iii) enter into total return swap contracts; or (iv) sell securities short. Paired trading consists of taking a long position in one security and concurrently taking a short position in another security within the same or an affiliated issuer. With a long position, we purchase a stock outright; whereas with a short position, we would sell a security that we do not own and must borrow to meet our settlement obligations. We will realize a profit or incur a loss from a short position depending on whether the value of the underlying stock decreases or increases, respectively, between the time the stock is sold and when we replace the borrowed security. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Investments and Investment Techniques—Short Sales Risk.” A total return swap is a contract between two parties designed to replicate the economics of directly owning a security. We may enter into total return swaps with financial institutions related to equity investments in certain master limited partnerships.
Value of Derivative Instruments. For purposes of determining compliance with the requirement that we invest 80% of our total assets in MLPs, we value derivative instruments based on their respective current fair market values.
Other Risk Management Strategies. To a lesser extent, we may use various hedging and other risk management strategies to seek to manage market risks. Such hedging strategies would be utilized to seek to protect against possible adverse changes in the market value of securities held in our portfolio, or to otherwise protect the value of our portfolio. We may execute our hedging and risk management strategy by engaging in a variety of transactions, including buying or selling options or futures contracts on indexes. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Investments and Investment Techniques — Derivatives Risk” in our prospectus.
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Portfolio Turnover. We anticipate that our annual portfolio turnover rate will range between 15% and 25%, but the rate may vary greatly from year to year. Portfolio turnover rate is not considered a limiting factor in the Adviser’s execution of investment decisions. The types of MLPs in which we intend to invest historically have made cash distributions to limited partners that would not be taxed as income to us in that tax year but rather would be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of our basis. As a result, the tax related to such distribution would be deferred until subsequent sale of our MLP units, at which time we would pay any required tax on capital gain. Therefore, the sooner we sell such MLP units, the sooner we would be required to pay tax on resulting capital gains, and the cash available to us to pay distributions to our common stockholders in the year of such tax payment would be less than if such taxes were deferred until a later year. In addition, the greater the number of such MLP units that we sell in any year, i.e., the higher our turnover rate, the greater our potential tax liability for that year. These taxable gains may increase our current and accumulated earnings and profits, resulting in a greater portion of our common stock distributions being treated as dividend income to our common stockholders. In addition, a higher portfolio turnover rate results in correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by us. See “Tax Matters” in our prospectus.
Additional Risks and Special Considerations Concerning Derivatives. In addition to the risks described above and in our prospectus, the use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below.
Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose us to losses. Market risk is the primary risk associated with derivative transactions. Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, fluctuations in the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly changes in the relationships of such hedge instruments to our portfolio holdings, and there can be no assurance the Adviser’s judgment in this respect will be accurate. Consequently, the use of derivatives for hedging purposes might result in a poorer overall performance for us, whether or not adjusted for risk, than if we had not hedged our portfolio holdings.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that a loss is sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for privately-negotiated or over-the-counter derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For privately-negotiated instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee. In all transactions, we will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to us. We will enter into transactions in derivative instruments only with counterparties that the Adviser reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.
Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. In addition, our success in using hedging instruments is subject to the Adviser’s ability to correctly predict changes in relationships of such hedge instruments to our portfolio holdings, and there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s judgment in this respect will be accurate. An imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge or expose us to a risk of loss.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out, or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. Over-the-counter transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. We might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts and/or make margin payments when we take positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If we are unable to close out our positions in such instruments, we might be required to continue to maintain such accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures, or is closed out. These requirements might impair our ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that we sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. Our ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and
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willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Due to liquidity risk, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to us.
Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a party’s obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.
Systemic or “Interconnection” Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the over-the-counter derivatives market takes place among the over-the-counter dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.
Legislation and Regulatory Risk
At any time after the date of the prospectus and this SAI, legislation may be enacted that could negatively affect our assets or the issuers of such assets. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on entities in which we invest. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on us or will not impair the ability of the issuers of the assets we hold to achieve their business goals, and hence, for us to achieve our investment objective.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions
We may buy and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, making payment or taking delivery at a later date, normally within 15 to 45 days of the trade date. On such transactions, the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. Beginning on the date we enter into a commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, we are required under rules of the SEC to maintain in a separate account liquid assets, consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a market value at all times of at least equal to the amount of the commitment. Income generated by any such assets which provide taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes is includable in our taxable income. We may enter into contracts to purchase securities on a forward basis (i.e., where settlement will occur more than 60 days from the date of the transaction) only to the extent that we specifically collateralize such obligations with a security that is expected to be called or mature within sixty days before or after the settlement date of the forward transaction. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward basis may involve an element of risk because at the time of delivery the market value may be less than cost.
Repurchase Agreements
As temporary investments, we may invest in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed-upon repurchase price determines the yield during our holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans collateralized by the underlying security that is the subject of the repurchase contract. Income generated from transactions in repurchase agreements will be taxable. We will only enter into repurchase agreements with registered securities dealers or domestic banks that, in the opinion of the Adviser, present minimal credit risk. Our risk is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold, but we may incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and may incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by us may be delayed or limited. The Adviser will monitor the value of the collateral at the time the transaction is entered into and at all times subsequent during the term of the repurchase agreement in an effort to determine that such value always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price. In the event the value of the collateral declines below the repurchase price, we will demand additional collateral from the issuer to increase the value of the collateral to at least that of the repurchase price, including interest.
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Lending of Portfolio Securities
We may lend our portfolio securities to broker-dealers and banks. Any such loan must be continuously secured by collateral in cash or cash equivalents maintained on a current basis in an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned by us. We would continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities loaned, and would also receive an additional return that may be in the form of a fixed fee or a percentage of the collateral. We may pay reasonable fees for services in arranging these loans. We would have the right to call the loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice of not more than five business days. We would not have the right to vote the securities during the existence of the loan but would call the loan to permit voting of the securities, if, in the Adviser’s judgment, a material event requiring a stockholder vote would otherwise occur before the loan was repaid. In the event of bankruptcy or other default of the borrower, we could experience both delays in liquidating the loan collateral or recovering the loaned securities and losses, including (a) possible decline in the value of the collateral or in the value of the securities loaned during the period while we seek to enforce its rights thereto, (b) possible subnormal levels of income and lack of access to income during this period, and (c) expenses of enforcing its rights.
Directors and Officers
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors, including the duties performed for us under the Investment Management Agreement. The directors set broad policies for us and choose our officers. The members of our Board of Directors are as follows: Anne K. Costin, Steven C. Good, Gerald I. Isenberg, Kevin S. McCarthy and William H. Shea, Jr. The directors who are not “interested persons” of our Adviser or our underwriters as defined in the 1940 Act are referred to herein as “Independent Directors.”
Under our Charter, our directors are divided into three classes. Each class of Directors hold office for a three year term. At each annual meeting of our stockholders, the successors to the class of Directors whose terms expire at such meeting will be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director will hold office for the term to which he or she is elected and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.
None of our Independent Directors (other than Mr. Isenberg) nor any of their immediate family members, has ever been a director, officer or employee of our Adviser or its affiliates. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Isenberg was a board member of the Kayne Anderson Rudnick Mutual Funds, whose investment adviser, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC, formerly may have been deemed an affiliate of Kayne Anderson. We have no employees. Our officers are compensated by our Adviser. Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. The term of the first class expires in 2015, terms of the second and third classes expire in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Upon expiration of their current terms, directors of each class will be elected to serve for three-year terms and until their successors are duly elected and qualify and each year one class of directors will be elected by our stockholders.
The following table includes information regarding our directors and officers, and their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years. The addresses for all directors are 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Second Floor Los Angeles, CA 90067 and 717 Texas Avenue, Suite 3100, Houston, Texas 77002. All of our directors currently serve on the Board of Directors of Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc. (“KYE”), and Mr. McCarthy also serves on the Board of Directors of Kayne Anderson Energy Development Company (“KED”) and Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund, Inc. (“KMF”), each a closed-end investment company registered under the 1940 Act that is advised by our Adviser.
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Independent Directors
| Name (Year Born) |
Position(s) Held with Registrant |
Term of Office/ Time of Service |
Principal Occupations During Past Five Years |
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex(1) Overseen by Director |
Other Directorships Held by Director During Past Five Years | |||||
| Anne K. Costin (born 1950) |
Director | 3-year term (until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders)/served since inception | Professor at the Amsterdam Institute of Finance since 2007. Adjunct Professor in the Finance and Economics Department of Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York from 2004 through 2007. As of March 1, 2005, Ms. Costin retired after a 28-year career at Citigroup. During the five years prior to her retirement, Ms. Costin was Managing Director and Global Deputy Head of the Project & Structured Trade Finance product group within Citigroup’s Investment Banking Division. | 2 | Current:
• KYE | |||||
| Steven C. Good (born 1942) |
Director | 3-year term (until the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders)/served since inception | Independent consultant since February 2010, when he retired from CohnReznick LLP, where he had been an active partner since 1976. CohnReznick LLP offers accounting, tax and business advisory services to middle market private and publicly-traded companies, their owners and their management. Founded Block, Good and Gagerman in 1976, which later evolved in stages into CohnReznick LLP. | 2 | Current:
• KYE
• OSI Systems, Inc. (specialized electronic products)
Prior:
• California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (restaurant chain)
• Arden Realty, Inc. (real estate investment trust) | |||||
| Gerald I. Isenberg (born 1940) |
Director | 3-year term (until the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders)/served since 2005 | Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television since 2007. Chief Financial Officer of Teeccino Caffe Inc., a privately owned beverage manufacturer and distributor. | 2 | Current:
• KYE
• Teeccino Caffe Inc. (beverage manufacturer and distributor)
• Caucus for Television Producers, Writers & Directors Foundation (not-for-profit organization)
Prior:
• Kayne Anderson Rudnick Mutual Funds (2) from 1998 to 2002 | |||||
| Name (Year Born) |
Position(s) Held with Registrant |
Term of Office/ Time of Service |
Principal Occupations During Past Five Years |
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex(1) Overseen by Director |
Other Directorships Held by Director During Past Five Years | |||||
| William H. Shea, Jr. (born 1954) |
Director | 3-year term (until the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders)/served since 2008 | Chief Executive Officer of the general partner of PVR Partners, L.P. (PVR) since March 2010. Chief Executive Officer and President of the general partner of Penn Virginia GP Holdings L.P. (PVG), from March 2010 to March 2011. Private investor from June 2007 to March 2010. From September 2000 to June 2007, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Chairman from May 2004 to June 2007) of Buckeye Partners, L.P. (BPL). From May 2004 to June 2007, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Buckeye GP Holdings, L.P. (BGH) and its predecessors. | 2 | Current:
• KYE
• PVR (coal and midstream MLP)
• Niska Gas Storage Partners LLC (natural gas storage MLP)
• USA Compression Partners, LP (other MLP)
Prior:
• BGH (general partner of BPL)
• BPL (pipeline MLP)
• Gibson Energy ULC (midstream energy)
• PVG (owned general partner of PVR)
• Penn Virginia Corporation (oil and gas exploration, development and production company) | |||||
Interested Director
| Name (Year Born) |
Position(s) Held with Registrant |
Term of Office/ Time of Service |
Principal Occupations During Past Five Years |
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Director |
Other Directorships Held by Director | |||||
| Kevin S. McCarthy(3) (born 1959) |
Chairman of the Board of Directors; President and Chief Executive Officer | 3-year term as a director (until the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders), elected annually as an officer/served since inception | Senior Managing Director of KACALP since June 2004 and of KAFA since 2006. President and Chief Executive Officer of KYE, KED and KMF since inception (KYE inception in 2005; KED inception in 2006; and KMF inception in 2010). Global Head of Energy at UBS Securities LLC from November 2000 to May 2004. | 4 | Current:
• KYE
• KED
• KMF
• Range Resources Corporation (oil and natural gas company)
• Direct Fuels Partners, L.P. (transmix refining and fuels distribution)
• ProPetro Services, Inc. (oil field services)
Prior:
• Clearwater Natural Resources, L.P. (coal mining MLP)
• International Resource Partners LP (coal mining)
• K-Sea Transportation Partners LP (shipping MLP) | |||||
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| (1) | The 1940 Act requires the term “Fund Complex” to be defined to include registered Investment Companies advised by our Adviser, and, as a result as of February 28, 2010, the Fund Complex included KYE, KED and KMF. |
| (2) | The investment adviser to the Kayne Anderson Rudnick Mutual Funds, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC, formerly was as affiliate of KACALP. |
| (3) | Mr. McCarthy is an “interested person” of Kayne Anderson MLP Investment Company by virtue of his employment relationship with KAFA, our investment adviser. |
Officers
| Name (Year Born) |
Position(s) Held with Registrant |
Term of Office/ Time of Service |
Principal Occupations During Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held by Officer | ||||||||||||
| James C. Baker (born 1972) |
Executive Vice President | Elected annually/served as Vice President from June 2005 to June 2008; served as Executive Vice President since 2008 | Senior Managing Director of KACALP and KAFA since February 2008, Managing Director of KACALP and KAFA since December 2004 and 2006, respectively. Vice President of KYE from 2005 to 2008 and of KED from 2006 to 2008. Executive Vice President of KYE and KED since June 2008 and of KMF since August 2010. |
Current:
• ProPetro Services, Inc. (oilfield services)
Prior:
• K-Sea Transportation Partners LP (shipping MLP)
• Petris Technology, Inc. (data management for energy companies) | ||||||||||||
| J.C. Frey (born 1968) |
Executive Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Secretary | Elected annually/served as Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Secretary since inception; served as Executive Vice President since 2008 | Senior Managing Director of KACALP since 2004 and of KAFA since 2006, and Managing Director of KACALP since 2000. Portfolio Manager of KACALP since 2000, Portfolio Manager, Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer of KYE since 2005 and of KED since 2006. Executive Vice President of KYE and KED since June 2008 and of KMF since August 2010. | None | ||||||||||||
| Terry A. Hart (born 1969) |
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | Elected annually/served since 2005 | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of KYE since December 2005, of KED since September 2006 and of KMF since August 2010. Dector of Structured Finance, Assistant Treasurer, Senior Vice President and Controller of Dynegy, Inc. from 2000 to 2005. | Current:
• The Source for Women (not-for-profit | ||||||||||||
| Ron M. Logan, Jr. (born 1960) |
Senior Vice President | Elected annually/served since September 2012 | Managing director of KACALP and KAFA since September 2006. Senior Vice President of KED since September 2006, Senior Vice President of KMF since June 2012, Senior Vice President of KYE since September 2012. Independent consultant to several leading energy firms. Senior Vice President of Ferrellgas Inc. from 2003 to 2005. Vice President of Dynegy Midstream Services from 1997 to 2002. |
Current:
• VantaCore Partners LP | ||||||||||||
| Jody Meraz (born 1978) |
Vice President | Elected annually/served since 2011 | Senior Vice President of KACALP and KAFA since 2011. Vice President of KACALP from 2007 to 2011. Associate of KACALP and KAFA since 2005 and 2006. Vice President of KYE, KED and KMF since 2011. | None | ||||||||||||
| David J. Shladovsky (born 1960) | Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer | Elected annually/served since inception | Managing Director and General Counsel of KACALP since 1997 and of KAFA since 2006. Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of KYE since 2005, of KED since 2006 and of KMF since August 2010. | None | ||||||||||||
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has three standing committees: the Nominating Committee, the Valuation Committee and the Audit Committee.
The Nominating Committee is responsible for appointing and nominating independent persons to our Board of Directors. Ms. Costin and Messrs. Good, Isenberg and Shea are members of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee met three times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012. If there is no vacancy on the Board, the Board of Directors will not actively seek recommendations from other parties, including stockholders. When a vacancy on the Board of Directors occurs and nominations are sought to fill such vacancy, the Nominating Committee may seek nominations from those sources it deems appropriate in its
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discretion, including our stockholders. To submit a recommendation for nomination as a candidate for a position on the Board, stockholders shall mail such recommendation to David Shladovsky, Secretary, at our address: 717 Texas Avenue, Suite 3100 Houston, TX 77002. Such recommendation shall include the following information: (a) evidence of stock ownership of the person or entity recommending the candidate (if submitted by one of our stockholders), (b) a full description of the proposed candidate’s background, including their education, experience, current employment, and date of birth, (c) names and addresses of at least three professional references for the candidate, (d) information as to whether the candidate is an “interested person” in relation to us, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act and such other information that may be considered to impair the candidate’s independence and (e) any other information that may be helpful to the Nominating Committee in evaluating the candidate. If a recommendation is received with satisfactorily completed information regarding a candidate during a time when a vacancy exists on the Board of Directors or during such other time as the Nominating Committee is accepting recommendations, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Chair of the Nominating Committee and counsel to the Independent Directors. Recommendations received at any other time will be kept on file until such time as the Nominating Committee is accepting recommendations, at which point they may be considered for nomination.
The Valuation Committee is responsible for the oversight of our pricing procedures and the valuation of our securities in accordance with such procedures. Ms. Costin and Messrs. Isenberg and McCarthy are members of the Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.
The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing our accounting and financial reporting process, our system of internal controls, audit process and evaluating and appointing our independent auditors (subject also to Board of Director approval). Messrs. Good, Isenberg and Shea serve on the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee met three times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.
Director Compensation
Our directors and officers who are “interested persons” by virtue of their employment by Kayne Anderson serve without any compensation from us. Each of our Independent Directors receives a $90,000 annual retainer for serving as a director on our board and on the board of KYE. As of November 30, 2012, 77% and 23% of the retainer would have been allocated to us and KYE, respectively. The chairperson of the Audit Committee will receive additional compensation of $7,500 annually. In addition, our Independent Directors receive fees for each meeting attended, as follows: $2,500 per Board meeting attended in person and $2,000 per Board meeting attended via telephone; $1,500 per Audit Committee meeting; and $500 for other committee meetings. Committee meeting fees are not paid unless the meeting is held on a day when there is not a Board meeting and the meeting is more than 15 minutes in length. The Independent Directors are reimbursed for expenses incurred as a result of attendance at meetings of the Board and its committees.
The following table sets forth compensation by us for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 to the Independent Directors. We have no retirement or pension plans.
| Name of Director | Aggregate Compensation from Us |
Total Compensation from Us and Fund Complex(1) |
||||
| Anne K. Costin |
$86,178 | $ 125,000 | ||||
| Steven C. Good |
$89,428 | $ 133,500 | ||||
| Gerald I. Isenberg |
$84,178 | $ 123,000 | ||||
| William H. Shea |
$83,678 | $ 120,000 | ||||
| (1) | The directors also oversee Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc., an investment company managed by our Adviser. |
Security Ownership of Management
As of November 30, 2012, certain officers of our Adviser, including all of our officers, own, in the aggregate, approximately $9 million of our common stock.
The following table sets forth the dollar range of our equity securities beneficially owned by our directors as of November 30, 2012:
| Name of Director |
Dollar Range(1) of Our Equity Securities Owned by Director(2) |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director in Fund Complex(3) | ||
| Independent Directors |
||||
| Anne K. Costin |
$50,001 – $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
| Steven C. Good |
$50,001 – $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
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| Name of Director |
Dollar Range(1) of Our Equity Securities Owned by Director(2) |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director in Fund Complex(3) | ||
| Gerald I. Isenberg |
$50,001 – $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
| William H. Shea |
$50,001 – $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
| Interested Director |
||||
| Kevin S. McCarthy |
Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | ||
| (1) | Dollar ranges are as follows: none; $1-$10,000; $10,001-$50,000; $50,001-$100,000; over $100,000. (2) As of November 30, 2012, our officers and directors, as a group, owned less than 1% of any class of our outstanding equity securities. (3) The directors also oversee Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc., an investment company managed by our Adviser. Mr. McCarthy also oversees Kayne Anderson Energy Development Company and Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund, both investment companies managed by our Adviser. |
Except as described in the table below, as of the date of this SAI, our Independent Directors (and their immediate family members) do not beneficially own securities in entities directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, our Adviser. The information in the table is as of November 30, 2012.
| Director |
Name of Owners and Relationships to Director |
Company/Partnership |
Title of Class |
Value of Securities |
Percent of Class |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Anne K. Costin | Self | Kayne Anderson Real Estate Partners II, |
Partnership units | $ 29,207 | 0.35% | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gerald I. Isenberg | Self | Kayne Anderson Capital Income Partners |
Partnership units | $1,454,116 | 0.4% | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1) | The parent company of our Adviser may be deemed to “control” this fund by virtue of its role as the fund’s general partner. |
Information about Each Director’s Qualifications, Experience, Attributes or Skills
The Board of Directors believes that each director has the qualifications, experience, attributes and skills (“Director Attributes”) appropriate to their continued service as our directors in light of our business and structure. Each of the directors has a demonstrated record of business and/or professional accomplishment that indicates that they have the ability to critically review, evaluate and access information provided to them. Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail in the charts above. In addition, all of our directors have served as a member of the board of one other fund in our Fund Complex, public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations other than us, and each of the directors has served on our Board for a number of years. They therefore have substantial boardroom experience and, in their service to us, have gained substantial insight as to our operations and have demonstrated a commitment to discharging oversight duties as directors in the interests of stockholders.
In addition to the information provided in the charts above, certain additional information regarding the directors and their Director Attributes is provided below. The information provided below, and in the charts above, is not all-inclusive. Many Director Attributes involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, integrity and work ethic, along with the ability to work together, to communicate effectively, to exercise judgment and ask incisive questions, and commitment to stockholder interests. The Board annually conducts a self-assessment wherein the effectiveness of the Board and individual directors is reviewed. In conducting its annual self-assessment, the Board has determined that the directors have the appropriate attributes and experience to continue to serve effectively as our directors.
Kevin S. McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy is our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. In this position, Mr. McCarthy has extensive knowledge of us, our operations, personnel and financial resources. Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2004, Mr. McCarthy was most recently global head of energy at UBS Securities LLC. In this role, he had senior responsibility for all of UBS’ energy investment banking activities, including direct responsibilities for securities underwriting and mergers and acquisitions in the MLP industry. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. McCarthy led the energy investment banking activities of Dean Witter Reynolds and then PaineWebber Incorporated. He began his investment banking career in 1984. In addition to his directorships at KYE, KED and KMF, he is also on the board of directors of Range Resources Corporation, Pro Petro Services, Inc., and Direct Fuel Partners, L.P. Mr. McCarthy earned a B.A. in Economics and Geology from Amherst College in 1981 and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton
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School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1984. Mr. McCarthy’s position of influence and responsibility at the Company and the Adviser, combined with his experience advising energy companies as an investment banker, make him a valued member of the Board.
Anne K. Costin. Ms. Costin has been a professor at the Amsterdam Institute of Finance since 2007. She served as an adjunct professor in the finance and economics department of Columbia University Graduate School of Business from 2004 to 2007. As of March 1, 2005, Ms Costin retired after a 28-year career at Citigroup, and during the last five years of her banking career she held the position of Managing Director and Global Deputy Head of the Project & Structured Trade Finance product group within Citigroup’s Investment Banking Division. Ms. Costin’s product group provided integrated advice and non-recourse capital raising in both the bond and bank markets to top tier Citigroup corporate clients in both the developed and emerging markets. Her product group was the acknowledged market leader globally in all relevant league tables. Ms. Costin received a Director’s Certificate from the Director’s Institute at UCLA Anderson School of Management, a PMD degree from Harvard Business School, and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Costin serves as a director of KYN and KYE. In addition to her managerial and banking experience, Ms. Costin’s academic professional experience related to financial matters equip her to offer further insights to the Board.
Steven C. Good. Mr. Good has worked as an independent consultant since his retirement, effective February 1, 2010, from the accounting firm of CohnReznick LLP, where he had been an active partner since 1976;. He founded Block, Good and Gagerman in 1976, which later evolved in stages into CohnReznick LLP, and has been active in consulting and advisory services for businesses in various sectors, including the manufacturing, garment, medical services and real estate development industries. Mr. Good also has many years of experience as the chairman of the audit committees of several public companies. Mr. Good founded California United Bancorp and served as its Chairman through 1993. In addition to his KYN and KYE directorships, Mr. Good currently serves as a director of OSI Systems, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of specialized electronic products. Mr. Good also formerly served as a director of California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. and Arden Realty Group, Inc. from 1997 to 2006. Mr. Good holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UCLA and attended its Graduate School of Business. Mr. Good has extensive experience with corporate governance, financial and accounting matters, evaluating financial results and overseeing the financial reporting process of a large corporation. In addition, Mr. Good brings to the Board many years of experience as the chairman of the audit committees of several public companies.
Gerald I. Isenberg. Mr. Isenberg has served as a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television since 2007. He also serves as Chief Financial Officer of Teeccino Caffe Inc., a privately-owned beverage manufacturer and distributor. From 1989 to 1995, he was Chief Executive Officer of Hearst Entertainment Productions, a producer of television movies and programming for major broadcast and cable networks, as well as President and Chief Operating Officer of Hearst Entertainment, the domestic and international television production and distribution division of The Hearst Corporation. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Isenberg taught as an adjunct professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Film and Television. In addition to his KYN and KYE directorships, Mr. Isenberg also serves as a director of Teeccino Caffe Inc. and as the Chairman of the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers, and Directors, a not-for-profit organization that supplies grants to minority film students to complete their thesis films. Mr. Isenberg received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar. Mr. Isenberg’s academic and professional career with prominent institutions and companies, much of which is related to financial and strategic planning, is relevant to our oversight. Mr. Isenberg also brings to the Board an understanding of asset management and mutual fund operations and strategy as a result of his service on the Board of Kayne Anderson Rudnick Mutual Funds, formerly an affiliate of KACALP.
William H. Shea, Jr. Mr. Shea has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the general partner of PVR Partners, L.P. (PVR), a coal and midstream MLP since March 2010. Mr. Shea also serves as a director of PVR. From March 2010 to March 2011, Mr. Shea also served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Penn Virginia GP Holdings L.P. (PVG), which then owned the general partner of PVR. Mr. Shea was previously with the general partner of Buckeye Partners, L.P. (BPL), a petroleum products MLP, serving as Chairman from May 2004 to July 2007, Chief Executive Officer and President from September 2000 to July 2007 and President and Chief Operating Officer from July 1998 to September 2000. He was also Chairman of the general partner of Buckeye GP Holdings, L.P. (BGH), the owner of the general partner of BPL, from August 2006 to July 2007 and Chief Executive Officer and President from May 2004 to July 2007. Mr. Shea held various managerial and executive positions during his tenure with Buckeye, which he joined in 1996. Prior to Buckeye, Mr. Shea worked for Union Pacific Corporation, UGI Development Company and Laidlaw Environmental Services. In addition to his KYN and KYE directorships, Mr. Shea also serves as director for Niska Gas Storage Partners LLC, a natural gas storage partnership, and as director for USA Compression Partners, LP, another MLP. Mr. Shea served as a director of PVG from March 2010 to March 2011 and of Penn Virginia Corporation, a company engaged in oil and gas exploration, development and production, from July 2007 to June 2010. Mr. Shea’s extensive executive experience in the MLP sector and the energy industry, as well as his board experience as a director of several energy-related companies allows him to provide the Board with insight into the specific industries in which we invest.
SAI-15
Board Leadership Structure
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors, including the duties performed for us pursuant to our investment management agreement. Among other things, the directors set broad policies for the Company, approve the appointment of the Company’s investment adviser, administrator and officers, and approves the engagement, and reviews the performance of, the Company’s independent registered accounting firm. The role of the Board and of any individual director is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Company.
The Board of Directors currently consists of five directors, four of whom are not “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act. We refer to these individuals as our “Independent Directors.”
As part of each regular Board meeting, the Independent Directors meet separately from our Adviser and, as part of at least one Board meeting each year, with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Board reviews its leadership structure periodically as part of its annual self-assessment process and believes that its structure is appropriate to enable the Board to exercise its oversight of the Company.
Under the Company’s Bylaws, the Board of Directors may designate a Chairman to preside over meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of stockholders, and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board. The Company does not have an established policy as to whether the Chairman of the Board shall be an Independent Director and believes that its flexibility to determine its Chairman and reorganize its leadership structure from time to time is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Presently, Mr. McCarthy serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. McCarthy is an “interested person” of the Company, as defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his employment relationship with our Adviser. The Company believes that Mr. McCarthy’s history with the Company, familiarity with the Kayne Anderson investment platform and extensive experience in the field of energy-related investments qualifies him to serve as the Chairman of the Board. The Board has determined that the composition of the Audit and Nominating Committees are appropriate means to address any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the Chairman’s status as an interested person of the Company. The Board of Directors believes that this Board leadership structure-a combined Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and committees led by Independent Directors-is the optimal structure for the Company at this time. Since the Chief Executive Officer has the most extensive knowledge of the various aspects of the Company’s business and is directly involved in managing both the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy of the Company, the Board has determined that Mr. McCarthy is the most qualified individual to lead the Board and serve in the key position as Chairman. The Board has also concluded that this structure allows for efficient and effective communication with the Board.
The Company’s Board of Directors does not currently have a designated lead independent director. Instead, all of the Independent Directors play an active role on the Board of Directors. The Independent Directors compose a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors, and are closely involved in all material deliberations related to the Company. The Board of Directors believes that, with these practices, each Independent Director has an equal stake in the Board’s actions and oversight role and equal accountability to the Company and its stockholders.
Board Role in Risk Oversight
The Board oversees the services provided by our Adviser, including certain risk management functions. Risk management is a broad concept comprised of many disparate elements (such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counterparty risk, compliance risk, operational risk and business continuity risk). Consequently, Board oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways, and the Board implements its risk oversight function both as a whole and through Board committees. In the course of providing oversight, the Board and its committees receive reports on the Company’s activities, including regarding the Company’s investment portfolio and its financial accounting and reporting. The Board also meets at least quarterly with the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer, who reports on the compliance of the Company with the federal securities laws and the Company’s internal compliance policies and procedures. The Audit Committee’s meetings with the Company’s independent public accounting firm also contribute to its oversight of certain internal control risks. In addition, the Board meets periodically with representatives of the Company and our Adviser to receive reports regarding the management of the Company, including certain investment and operational risks, and the Independent Directors are encouraged to communicate directly with senior management.
The Company believes that Board roles in risk oversight must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that its existing role in risk oversight is appropriate. Management believes that the Company has robust internal processes in place and a strong internal control
SAI-16
environment to identify and manage risks. However, not all risks that may affect the Company can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are beyond any control of the Company or Kayne Anderson, its affiliates or other service providers.
As of December 31, 2012, there were no persons who owned more than 25% of our outstanding voting securities, and we believe no person should be deemed to control us, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act.
As of December 31, 2012, there were no persons who directly or indirectly own, control or hold with the power to vote, 5% or more of our outstanding common stock.
As of December 31, 2012, the following persons owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of our Series A MRP Shares:
| Name and Address |
Shares Held | Percentage
of Outstanding Shares(1) | ||||||||
| Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Affiliates 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036 |
1,280,000 | 30.8 | % | |||||||
| Babson Capital Management LLC and Affiliates 1500 Main St, Suite 2200 P.O. Box 15189 Springfield, MA 01115-5189 |
1,040,000 | 25.0 | ||||||||
| Delaware Investment Advisers and Affiliates 2005 Market St, 41-104 Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
600,000 | 14.4 | ||||||||
| Sun Capital Advisers LLC and Affiliates One Sun Life Executive Park Wellesley Hills, MA 02481-5699 |
600,000 | 14.4 | ||||||||
| (1) | Based on 4,160,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012. |
As of December 31, 2012, the following persons owned of recorder beneficially 5% or more of our Series B MRP Shares:
| Name and Address |
Shares Held | Percentage of Outstanding Shares | ||||||||
| Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company Mutual of Omaha Plaza Omaha, NE 68175-1011 |
320,000 | 100 | % | |||||||
SAI-17
As of December 31, 2012, the following persons owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of our Series C MRP Shares:
| Name and Address |
Shares Held | Percentage
of Outstanding Shares(1) | ||||||||
| Babson Capital Management LLC and Affiliates |
600,000 | 35.7 | % | |||||||
| 1500 Main St, Suite 2200 |
||||||||||
| P.O. Box 15189 |
||||||||||
| Springfield, MA 01115-5189 |
||||||||||
| Sun Capital Advisers LLC and Affiliates |
440,000 | 26.2 | ||||||||
| One Sun Life Executive Park |
||||||||||
| Wellesley Hills, MA |
||||||||||
| 02481-5699 |
||||||||||
| Provident Investment Management, LLC |
320,000 | 19.1 | ||||||||
| One Fountain Square |
||||||||||
| Chattanooga, TN 37402 |
||||||||||
| Delaware Investment Advisers and Affiliates |
160,000 | 9.5 | ||||||||
| 2005 Market St, 41-104 |
||||||||||
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
||||||||||
| Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company |
160,000 | 9.5 | ||||||||
| Mutual of Omaha Plaza |
||||||||||
| Omaha, NE 68175-1011 |
||||||||||
| (1) | Based on 1,680,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012. |
As of December 31, 2012, the following persons owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of our Series D MRP Shares:
| Name and Address |
Shares Held | Percentage
of Outstanding Shares(1) | ||||||||
| Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Toronto) |
440,000 | 11.0 | % | |||||||
| 150 King Street West, 3rd Floor |
||||||||||
| Toronto M5H1J9 |
||||||||||
| Canada |
||||||||||
| Karpus Investment Management |
211,600 | 5.3 | % | |||||||
| 183 Sully’s Trail |
||||||||||
| Pittsford, NY 14534-4559 |
||||||||||
| (1) | Based on 4,000,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012. |
As of December 31, 2012, the following persons owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of our Series E MRP Shares:
| Name and Address |
Shares Held | Percentage
of Outstanding Shares(1) | ||||||||
| BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. |
311,870 | 6.5 | % | |||||||
| 400 Howard Street |
||||||||||
| San Francisco, CA 94105-2618 |
||||||||||
| (1) | Based on 4,800,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2012. |
Our Adviser is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Our Adviser provides us with professional investment supervision and management and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as our directors or officers if elected to such positions. Our Adviser is located at 717 Texas Avenue, Suite 3100, Houston, Texas 77002.
Our Adviser provides services pursuant to an investment management agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”). We pay our Adviser a management fee, computed and paid quarterly at an annual rate of 1.375% of our average total assets. For purposes of calculating the management fee, the “average total assets” shall be determined on the basis of the average of our total assets for each quarter in such period. Total assets for each quarterly period are determined by averaging the total assets at the last day of that quarter with the total assets at the last day of the prior quarter. Our total assets shall be equal to our average quarterly gross asset value (which includes assets attributable to or proceeds from our use of Leverage Instruments and excludes any deferred tax assets), minus the sum of our accrued and unpaid distribution on any outstanding common stock and accrued and unpaid dividends on any outstanding preferred stock and accrued liabilities (other than liabilities associated with Leverage Instruments issued by us and any accrued taxes). Liabilities associated with Leverage Instruments include the principal amount of any Borrowings that we issue, the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock, and other liabilities from other forms of borrowing or leverage such as short positions and put or call options held or written by us. Investment management fees for the fiscal years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were $57.2 million, $46.5 million and $30.1 million, respectively. During the fiscal years ending November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, our management fee was approximately 2.4%, 2.4% and 2.1%, respectively, of our average net assets.
The Investment Management Agreement will continue in effect from year to year after its current one-year term commencing on December 11, 2012 so long as its continuation is approved at least annually by our directors including a majority of Independent Directors or the vote of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty upon 60 days’ written notice by either party, or by action of the Board of Directors or by a majority vote of our outstanding voting securities (accompanied by appropriate notice), and will terminate automatically upon assignment. The Investment Management Agreement may also be terminated, at any time, without payment of any penalty, by the Board of Directors or by vote of
SAI-18
a majority of our outstanding voting securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), in the event that it shall have been established by a court of competent jurisdiction that the Adviser or any officer or director of the Adviser has taken any action which results in a breach of the covenants of the Adviser set forth in the Investment Management Agreement. The Investment Management Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be liable for any loss sustained by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security, whether or not such purchase, sale or retention shall have been based upon the investigation and research made by any other individual, firm or corporation, if such recommendation shall have been selected with due care and in good faith, except loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Investment Management Agreement. As compensation for the Adviser’s services, we pay the Adviser a fee as described in our prospectus. See “Management — Investment Management Agreement” in our prospectus.
In addition to our Adviser’s fee, we pay all other costs and expenses of our operations, such as compensation of our directors (other than those affiliated with Kayne Anderson), custodian, transfer agency, administrative, accounting and distribution disbursing expenses, legal fees, leverage expenses, expenses of independent auditors, expenses of personnel (including those who are affiliates of our Adviser) reasonably incurred in connection with arranging or structuring portfolio transactions for us, expenses of repurchasing our securities, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing stockholder reports, notices, proxy statements and reports to governmental agencies, and taxes, if any. All fees and expenses are accrued and deducted before payment of distributions to investors.
On September 14, 2006, at an in-person meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board considered the approval of an Investment Management Agreement with KACALP. Following the recommendation of the Board, at a special meeting of stockholders held on December 12, 2006, stockholders approved the Investment Management Agreement with KAFA described above. Effective December 31, 2006, KACALP assigned the Investment Management Agreement to KAFA. That assignment occurred only for internal organizational purposes and did not result in any change of management, control or portfolio management personnel and did not cause a termination of the Investment Management Agreement.
Because our Adviser’s fee is based upon a percentage of our total assets, our Adviser’s fee will be higher to the extent we employ financial leverage. As noted, we have issued Leverage Instruments in a combined amount equal to approximately 30.1% of our total assets as of December 31, 2012.
The most recent discussion regarding the basis for approval by the Board of Directors of our Investment Management Agreement with our Adviser is available in our Annual Report to Stockholders on Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.
We and our Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics, as required by federal securities laws. Under both codes of ethics, employees who are designated as access persons may engage in personal securities transactions, including transactions involving securities that are currently held by us or, in limited circumstances, that are being considered for purchase or sale by us, subject to certain general restrictions and procedures set forth in our code of ethics. The personal securities transactions of our access persons and those of our Adviser will be governed by the applicable code of ethics.
Our Adviser and its affiliates manage other investment companies and accounts. Our Adviser may give advice and take action with respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may differ from action taken by our Adviser on our behalf. Similarly, with respect to our portfolio, our Adviser is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that our Adviser and access persons, as defined by applicable federal securities laws, may buy or sell for its or their own account or for the accounts of any other fund. The Adviser is not obligated to refrain from investing in securities held by us or other funds it manages.
We and our Adviser have text-only versions of the codes of ethics that will be available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet web site at http://www.sec.gov. Those documents can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC in Washington, D.C. Information about the operation of the public reference facilities may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. Copies of such material may also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. In addition, copies of the codes of ethics may be obtained from us free of charge at (877) 657-3863. You may also e-mail requests for these documents to publicinfo@sec.gov or make a request in writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549.
SAI-19
SEC-registered advisers that have the authority to vote (client) proxies (which authority may be implied from a general grant of investment discretion) are required to adopt policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interests of its clients. Registered advisers also must maintain certain records on proxy voting. In many cases, we will invest in securities that do not generally entitle us to voting rights in our portfolio companies. When we do have voting rights, we will delegate the exercise of such rights to our Adviser, to whom our Board has delegated the authority to develop policies and procedures relating to proxy voting. Our Adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures are summarized below.
In determining how to vote, officers of our Adviser will consult with each other and our other investment professionals, taking into account the interests of us and our investors as well as any potential conflicts of interest. When our Adviser’s investment professionals identify a potentially material conflict of interest regarding a vote, the vote and the potential conflict will be presented to our Adviser’s Proxy Voting Committee for a final decision. If our Adviser determines that such conflict prevents our Adviser from determining how to vote on the proxy proposal in the best interest of the Company, our Adviser shall either (1) vote in accordance with a predetermined specific policy to the extent that our Adviser’s policies and procedures include a pre-determined voting policy for such proposal or (2) disclose the conflict to our Board and obtain the Board’s consent prior to voting on such proposal.
An officer of our Adviser will keep a written record of how all such proxies are voted. Our Adviser will retain records of (1) its proxy voting policies and procedures, (2) all proxy statements received regarding investor’s securities (or it may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC’s EDGAR system in lieu thereof), (3) all votes cast on behalf of investors, (4) investor written requests for information regarding how our Adviser voted proxies of that investor and any written response to any (written or oral) investor requests for such information, and (5) any documents prepared by our Adviser that are material to making a decision on a proxy vote or that memorialized such decision. The aforementioned proxy voting records will be maintained, preserved and easily accessible for a period of not less than five years. The Adviser may rely on one or more third parties to make and retain the records of proxy statements and votes cast.
Information regarding how proxies relating to our portfolio securities are voted during the 12-month period ended June 30th of any year will be made available on or around August 30th of that year, (i) without charge, upon request, by calling (877) 657-3863/MLP-FUND (toll-free/collect); and (ii) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Our Adviser has adopted proxy voting guidelines that provide general direction regarding how it will vote on a number of significant and recurring ballot proposals. These guidelines are not mandatory voting policies, but rather are an indication of general voting preferences. The following are a few examples of these guidelines:
| • | The Adviser generally votes against proposals to classify the board and for proposals to repeal classified boards and to elect directors annually. |
| • | The Adviser generally votes against proposals to ratify a poison pill and for proposals that ask a company to submit its poison pill for shareholder ratification. |
| • | The Adviser generally votes against proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote to approve charter and bylaw amendments and for proposals to lower such supermajority shareholder vote requirements. |
| • | The Adviser generally votes for management proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issue provided management demonstrated a satisfactory reason for the potential issuance of the additionally authorized shares. |
| • | The Adviser generally votes for proposals to increase common share authorization for a stock split provided management demonstrates a reasonable basis for the split and for proposals to implement a reverse stock split provided management demonstrates a reasonable basis for the reverse split. |
| • | Absent special circumstances (e.g., actions taken in the context of a hostile takeover attempt) indicating an abusive purpose, the Adviser, on a case-by-case basis, votes proposals that would authorize the creation of new classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend and distribution, and other rights. |
| • | Proposals to change a company’s state of incorporation area examined on a case-by-case basis. |
SAI-20
| • | The Adviser, on a case-by-case basis, votes on mergers and acquisitions taking into account at least the following: |
| • | anticipated financial and operating benefits; |
| • | offer price (cost vs. premium); |
| • | prospects of the combined companies, |
| • | how the deal was negotiated; and |
| • | changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights. |
| • | The Adviser generally supports shareholder social and environmental proposals, and votes such matters, on a case-by-case basis, where the proposal enhances the long-term value of the shareholder and does not diminish the return on investment. |
The following section discusses the accounts managed by our portfolio managers, the structure and method of our portfolio managers’ compensation, and their ownership of our securities. This information is current as of November 30, 2012. We and Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc., Kayne Anderson Energy Development Company and Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund, Inc. are the registered investment companies managed by our portfolio managers, Kevin McCarthy and J.C. Frey. We pay our Adviser a management fee at an annual rate of 1.375% of our average total assets.
Messrs. McCarthy and Frey are compensated by the Adviser through distributions based on the amount of assets they manage and receive a portion of the advisory fees applicable to those accounts, which, with respect to certain accounts, are based in part, on the performance of those accounts. Some of the other accounts managed by Mr. Frey may have investment strategies that are similar to ours. However, our Adviser manages potential conflicts of interest by allocating investment opportunities in accordance with its allocation policies and procedures.
Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers
The following table reflects information regarding accounts for which the portfolio managers have day-to-day management responsibilities (other than us). Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) registered investment companies, (ii) other pooled investment accounts, and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance, this information will be reflected in a separate table below. Information is shown as of November 30, 2012. Asset amounts are approximate and have been rounded.
| Registered Investment Companies (Excluding us) |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ($ in millions) | ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kevin McCarthy |
3 | $ | 2,592 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| J.C. Frey |
3 | $ | 2,592 | 0 | N/A | 10 | $ | 882 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
SAI-21
Other Accounts That Pay Performance-Based Advisory Fees Managed by Portfolio Managers
The following table reflects information regarding accounts for which the portfolio managers have day-to-day management responsibilities (other than us) and with respect to which the advisory fee is based on account performance. Information is shown as of November 30, 2012. Asset amounts are approximate and have been rounded.
| Registered Investment Companies (Excluding us) |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets
in the Accounts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ($ in millions) | ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kevin McCarthy |
0 | N/A | 2 | $ | 1,007 | 1 | $ | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| J.C. Frey |
0 | N/A | 13 | $ | 3,482 | 3 | $ | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Messrs. McCarthy and Frey are compensated by the Adviser through partnership distributions from KACALP based on the amount of assets they manage and they receive a portion of the advisory fees applicable to those accounts, which, with respect to certain amounts, as noted above, are based in part on the performance of those accounts. Some of the other accounts managed by Messrs. McCarthy and Frey, have investment strategies that are similar to ours. However, our Adviser manages potential conflicts of interest by allocating investment opportunities in accordance with its allocation policies and procedures. At November 30, 2012, Mr. McCarthy owned over $1,000,000 of our equity and Mr. Frey owned between $500,001 and $1,000,000 of our equity, and through their limited partnership interests in the parent company of the Adviser, which owns 4,000 shares of our common stock (with a value of approximately $0.1 million), Messrs. McCarthy and Frey could be deemed to also indirectly own a portion of our securities.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors, our Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for us and for the placement of our securities business, the negotiation of the commissions to be paid on brokered transactions, the prices for principal trades in securities, and the allocation of portfolio brokerage and principal business. It is the policy of our Adviser to seek the best execution at the best security price available with respect to each transaction, and with respect to brokered transactions in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided to our Adviser and its advisees. The best price to us means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any. Purchases may be made from underwriters, dealers, and, on occasion, the issuers. Commissions will be paid on our futures and options transactions, if any. The purchase price of portfolio securities purchased from an underwriter or dealer may include underwriting commissions and dealer spreads. We may pay mark-ups on principal transactions. In selecting broker/dealers and in negotiating commissions, our Adviser considers, among other things, the firm’s reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis and its financial condition. The selection of a broker-dealer may take into account the sale of products sponsored or advised by our Adviser and/or its affiliates. If approved by our Board, our Adviser may select an affiliated broker-dealer to effect transactions in our fund, so long as such transactions are consistent with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Section 28(e)”), permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer who supplies brokerage and research services a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction. Brokerage and research services include (a) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (b) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (c) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody).
In light of the above, in selecting brokers, our Adviser may consider investment and market information and other research, such as economic, securities and performance measurement research, provided by such brokers, and the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, performance, and financial responsibility. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if our Adviser determines in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the research information and brokerage services provided by such broker to our Adviser or to us. The Adviser believes that the research information received in this manner provides us with benefits by supplementing the research otherwise available to us. The investment advisory fees paid by us to our Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement are not reduced as a result of receipt by our Adviser of research services.
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The Adviser may place portfolio transactions for other advisory accounts that it advises, and research services furnished by firms through which we effect our securities transactions may be used by our Adviser in servicing some or all of its accounts; not all of such services may be used by our Adviser in connection with us. Because the volume and nature of the trading activities of the accounts are not uniform, the amount of commissions in excess of those charged by another broker paid by each account for brokerage and research services will vary. However, our Adviser believes such costs to us will not be disproportionate to the benefits received by us on a continuing basis. The Adviser seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by us and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to us. In making such allocations between the us and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by our Adviser are the investment objective, the relative size of portfolio holding of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment and the size of investment commitments generally held, and the opinions of the persons responsible for recommending investments to us and such other accounts and funds.
For the fiscal years ended November 30, 2010, November 30, 2011 and November 30, 2012, we did not pay any brokerage commissions.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our Charter contains such a provision which eliminates our directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Our Charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to obligate us to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and, at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding.
Our Bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and, at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in any such capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our Charter and Bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served any predecessor of us in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of ours or our predecessor, if any.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provide otherwise, which is not the case for our Charter) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
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In accordance with the 1940 Act, we will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The following discussion of federal income tax matters is based on the advice of Paul Hastings LLP, our counsel.
Matters Addressed
This section and the discussion in our prospectus (see “Tax Matters”) provide a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences to the persons who purchase, own and dispose of our securities. It does not address all federal income tax consequences that may apply to an investment in our securities or to particular categories of investors, some of which may be subject to special rules. Unless otherwise indicated, this discussion is limited to taxpayers who are U.S. persons, as defined herein. The discussion that follows is based on the provisions of the Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder as in effect on the date hereof and on existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof. These authorities are subject to change and to differing interpretations, which could apply retroactively. Potential investors should consult their own tax advisors in determining the federal, state, local, foreign and any other tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities. This discussion does not address all tax consequences that may be applicable to a U.S. person that is a beneficial owner of our securities, nor does it address, unless specifically indicated, the tax consequences to, among others, (i) persons that may be subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law, including, but not limited to, banks, insurance companies, thrift institutions, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt organizations and dealers in securities or currencies, (ii) persons that will hold our securities as part of a position in a “straddle” or as part of a “hedging,” “conversion” or other integrated investment transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (iii) persons whose functional currency is not the United States dollar or (iv) persons that do not hold our securities as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code.
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. person” is (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation or partnership organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia (other than a partnership that is not treated as a United States person under any applicable Treasury regulations), (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all the substantial decisions of such trust. Notwithstanding clause (iv) above, to the extent provided in regulations, certain trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, and treated as U.S. persons prior to such date that elect to continue to be so treated also shall be considered U.S. persons.
Tax Characterization for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes
We are treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, we are subject to U.S. corporate income tax on our net taxable income. Such taxable income would generally include all of our net income from our limited partner investments in MLPs. The current U.S. federal maximum graduated income tax rate for corporations is 35%. In addition, the United States also imposes a 20% alternative minimum tax on the recalculated alternative minimum taxable income of an entity treated as a corporation. Any such U.S. corporate income tax or alternative minimum tax could materially reduce cash available to make distributions or interest payments on our securities. We are also obligated to pay state income tax on our taxable income.
The MLPs in which we invest are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a partner in such MLPs, we will be required to report our allocable share of partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and expense, whether or not any cash is distributed from the MLPs.
The MLPs in which we invest are in the energy sector, primarily operating midstream energy assets; therefore, we anticipate that the majority of our items of income, gain, loss, deductions and expenses are related to energy ventures. However, some items are likely to relate to the temporary investment of our capital, which may be unrelated to energy ventures.
In general, energy ventures have historically generated taxable income less than the amount of cash distributions that they produced, at least for periods of the investment’s life cycle. We anticipate that we will not incur U.S. federal income tax on a significant portion of our cash flow received, particularly after taking into account our current operating expenses. However, our
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particular investments may not perform consistently with historical patterns in the industry, and as a result, tax may be incurred by us with respect to certain investments.
Although we hold our interests in MLPs for investment purposes, we are likely to sell interests in a particular MLP from time to time. On any such sale, we will recognize gain or loss based upon the difference between the consideration received for tax purposes on the sale and our adjusted tax basis in the interest sold. The consideration received is generally the amount paid by the purchaser plus any debt of the MLP allocated to us that will shift to the purchaser on the sale. Our initial tax basis in an MLP is generally the amount paid for the interest, but is decreased for any distributions of cash received by us in excess of our allocable share of taxable income and decreased by our allocable share of net losses. Thus, although cash in excess of taxable income and net tax losses may create a temporary economic benefit to us, they will increase the amount of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) on the sale of an interest in an MLP. Favorable federal income tax rates do not apply to our long-term capital gains because we are a corporation. Thus, we are subject to federal income tax on our long-term capital gains at ordinary corporate income tax rates of up to 35%.
In calculating our alternative minimum taxable income, certain percentage depletion deductions and intangible drilling costs may be treated as items of tax preference. Items of tax preference increase alternative minimum taxable income and increase the likelihood that we may be subject to the alternative minimum tax.
We have not elected, and we do not expect to elect, to be treated as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, the income, assets and distributions of the company must meet certain minimum threshold tests. Because we invest principally in MLPs, we would not be able to meet such tests. In contrast to the tax rules that will apply to us, a regulated investment company generally does not pay corporate income tax, taking into consideration a deduction for dividends paid to its stockholders. At the present time, the regulated investment company taxation rules have no application to us, including the current limitation on investment in MLPs by regulated investment companies.
Tax Consequences to Investors
The federal income tax consequences to the owners of our securities will be determined by their income, gain or loss on their investment in our securities rather than in the underlying MLPs. Gain or loss on an investment in our securities generally will be determined based on the difference between the proceeds received by the shareholder on a taxable disposition of our securities compared to such shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in our securities. The initial tax basis in our securities will be the amount paid for such securities plus certain transaction costs. Distributions that we pay on our securities will constitute taxable income to a shareholder to the extent of our current and accummulated earnings and profits. We will inform securities holders of the taxable amount of our distributions and the amount constituting qualified dividend income eligible for federal taxation at long-term capital gain rates. Distributions paid with respect to our securities that exceed our current and accummulated earnings and profits will be treated by holders as a return of capital to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis and, thereafter, as capital gain. The owners of our common and preferred stock will receive a Form 1099 from us based upon the distributions made (or deemed to have been made) rather than based upon the income, gain, loss or deductions of the MLPs.
PERFORMANCE RELATED AND COMPARATIVE INFORMATION
We may quote certain performance-related information and may compare certain aspects of our portfolio and structure to other substantially similar closed-end funds. In reports or other communications to our stockholders or in advertising materials, we may compare our performance with that of (i) other investment companies listed in the rankings prepared by Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), Morningstar Inc. or other independent services; publications such as Barrons, Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, Morningstar Mutual Fund Values, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today; or other industry or financial publications or (ii) the Standard and Poor’s Index of 500 Stocks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite Index and other relevant indices and industry publications. Comparison of ourselves to an alternative investment should be made with consideration of differences in features and expected performance. We may obtain data from sources or reporting services, such as Bloomberg Financial and Lipper, that we believe to be generally accurate.
Our performance will vary depending upon market conditions, the composition of our portfolio and our operating expenses. Consequently any given performance quotation should not be considered representative of our performance in the future. In addition, because performance will fluctuate, it may not provide a basis for comparing an investment in our portfolio with certain bank deposits or other investments that pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time. Investors comparing our performance with that of other investment companies should give consideration to the quality and type of the respective investment companies’ portfolio securities.
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Past performance is not indicative of future results. At the time owners of our securities sell our securities, they may be worth more or less than the original investment.
Our financial statements included in our Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, incorporated by reference into this SAI, have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon incorporated by reference herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides auditing services to us. The principal business address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is 350 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90071.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., located at 14201 North Dallas Parkway, Second Floor, Dallas, Texas 75254, acts as our custodian. Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 4524665, provides certain administrative services for us and also acts as our fund accountant providing accounting services.
A Registration Statement on Form N-2, including amendments thereto, relating to our securities offered hereby, has been filed by us with the SEC, Washington, D.C. Our prospectus, prospectus supplements and this SAI do not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement, including any exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to us and our securities offered hereby, reference is made to our Registration Statement. Statements contained in our prospectus, prospectus supplements and this SAI as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. Copies of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the SEC’s principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained from the SEC upon the payment of certain fees prescribed by the SEC.
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