N-Q 1 high-inc_nq.htm QUARTERLY NOTICE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


 
FORM N-Q
 
 
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT COMPANY
 


Investment Company Act file number 811-05133


High Income Securities Fund
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 
615 East Michigan Street
 
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)


Andrew Dakos
Bulldog Investors, LLC
Park 80 West
250 Pehle Avenue, Suite 708
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
(Name and address of agent for service)

Copy to:
Thomas R. Westle, Esp.
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

1-888-898-4107
Registrant's telephone number, including area code


Date of fiscal year end: August 31, 2019


Date of reporting period:  May 31, 2019

Item 1. Schedule of Investments.

High Income Securities Fund
           
Portfolio of Investments
           
May 31, 2019 (Unaudited)
           
 
           
INVESTMENT COMPANIES - 31.18%
 
Shares
   
Value
 
Closed-End Funds - 25.64%
           
Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund
   
52,942
   
$
665,481
 
First Trust High Income Long/Short Fund
   
77,813
     
1,111,948
 
First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022 Target Term Fund
   
53,792
     
477,135
 
Invesco Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund
   
226,646
     
2,456,843
 
Invesco High Income Trust II
   
40,843
     
581,604
 
Invesco Senior Income Trust
   
590,964
     
2,458,410
 
Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund, Inc.
   
56,631
     
645,593
 
PGIM Global High Yield Fund, Inc.
   
102,712
     
1,408,182
 
Western Asset Corporate Loan Fund, Inc.
   
138,607
     
1,330,627
 
Western Asset Global High Income Fund, Inc.
   
46,882
     
449,598
 
Western Asset High Income Fund II, Inc.
   
80,468
     
521,433
 
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund, Inc.
   
273,365
     
1,331,288
 
 
           
13,438,142
 
Business Development Companies - 5.54%
               
Apollo Investment Corp.
   
51,300
     
796,689
 
Barings BDC, Inc.
   
57,668
     
570,913
 
FS KKR Capital Corp.
   
243,009
     
1,450,764
 
Portman Ridge Finance Corp.
   
31,377
     
84,718
 
 
           
2,903,084
 
Total Investment Companies (Cost $16,712,523)
           
16,341,226
 
 
               
CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCKS 0.06%
               
Basic Materials - 0.00%
               
Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. Escrow, 0% (c)
   
65,720
     
657
 
Energy - 0.06%
               
Nine Point Energy, 6.75%  (c)
   
24
     
28,233
 
Total Convertible Preferred Stocks (Cost $24,000)
           
28,890
 
 
               
OTHER COMMON STOCKS - 0.04%
               
Energy - 0.04%
               
MWO Holdings, LLC (Units) (c)
   
39
     
3,159
 
Nine Point Energy (c)
   
1,190
     
17,184
 
Total Other Common Stocks (Cost $40,372)
           
20,343
 
 
               
 
 
Shares/Units
         
SPECIAL PURPOSE ACQUISITION VEHICLES - 12.66% (a)
               
Agba Acquisition Ltd. Units (g)
   
36,750
     
368,970
 
Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.
   
200,000
     
2,062,400
 
Forum Merger II Corp.
   
55,000
     
550,000
 
Gordon Pointe Acquisition Corp
   
89,411
     
919,145
 
Landcadia Holdings II, Inc. Units
   
69,000
     
691,380
 
Leisure Acquisition Corp.
   
14,563
     
147,398
 
RMG Acquisition Corp. Units
   
100,000
     
1,003,000
 
Sentinel Energy Services, Inc.
   
20,000
     
202,800
 
Wealthbridge Acquisition Corp. (g)
   
70,000
     
691,600
 
Total Special Purpose Acquisiton Vehicles (Cost $6,612,198)
           
6,636,693
 
 
               
 
 
Principal
         
 
 
Amount
         
CONVERTIBLE  NOTES - 0.00%
               
Communication Services - 0.00%
               
Powerwave Technologies, Inc. Unsecured
               
3.875%, 10/01/2027 (b)(c)(d)
 
$
1,160,000
   
$
116
 
Total Convertible Notes (Cost $1,033,950)
           
116
 

CORPORATE  NOTES - 0.10%
               
Communication Services - 0.10%
               
Windstream Services, LLC Company Guaranty Senior Unsecured
               
9.000%, 06/30/2025 (b)(d)(f)
   
80,000
     
53,000
 
Total Corporate Notes (Cost $93,877)
           
53,000
 
 
               
SENIOR SECURED  NOTES - 0.00%
               
Communication Equipment - 0.00%
               
Avaya, Inc. Escrow
               
7.000%, 04/01/2019 (b)(c)(d)
   
300,000
     
0
 
Total Senior Secured Notes (Cost $0)
           
0
 
 
               
 
 
Shares
         
MONEY MARKET FUNDS - 57.64%
               
Fidelity Institutional Government Portfolio - Institutional Class, 2.27% (e)
   
15,106,992
   
$
15,106,992
 
STIT-Treasury Portfolio - Institutional Class, 2.29% (e)
   
15,106,992
     
15,106,992
 
Total Money Market Funds (Cost $30,213,984)
           
30,213,984
 
 
               
Total Investments (Cost $54,730,904) - 101.68%
           
53,294,252
 
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (1.68)%
           
(878,173
)
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00%
         
$
52,416,079
 

Percentages are stated as a percent of net assets.
 
 
 
(a)
 
Non-income producing security.
 
 
 
(b)
 
The coupon rate shown represents the rate at May 31, 2019.
 
 
 
(c)
 
Fair valued securities. The total market value of these securities was $49,349, representing 0.09% of net assets. Value determined using significant unobservable inputs.
(d)
 
Default or other conditions exist and security is not presently accruing income.
 
 
 
(e)
 
The rate shown represents the 7-day yield at May 31, 2019.
 
 
 
(f)
 
Restricted security as to resale. As of report date, the Fund held a restricted security with a current value of $53,000, acquired January 8, 2013, which was 0.10% of its net assets.
(g)
 
Foreign-issued security.
 
 
 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these schedule of investments.
 
 
 

Security valuation - Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Valuation Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations (including short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the Fund will fair value certain foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. The foreign equity securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the Fund to a significant extent. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security, the security will be valued at fair value in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the Fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

The Fund has adopted fair valuation accounting standards that establish an authoritative definition of fair value and set out a hierarchy for measuring fair value. These standards require additional disclosures about the various input and valuation techniques used in measuring fair value. Fair value inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
 
Level 1—Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access.
 
Level 2—Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.
 
Level 3—Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available.
 
The following is a summary of the fair valuations according to the inputs used as of May 31, 2019 in valuing the Fund's investments:
       
                         
   
Quoted Prices in Active
   
Significant Other
             
   
Markets for Identical
   
Observable Inputs
   
Unobservable Inputs
       
   
Investments (Level 1)
   
(Level 2)
   
(Level 3)
   
Total
 
Investment Companies
                       
Closed-End Funds
 
$
13,438,142
   
$
-
   
$
-
   
$
13,438,142
 
Business Development Companies
   
2,903,084
     
-
     
-
     
2,903,084
 
Convertible Preferred Stocks
                               
Basic Materials
   
-
     
-
     
657
     
657
 
Energy
   
-
     
-
     
28,233
     
28,233
 
Other Common Stocks
                               
Energy
   
-
     
-
     
20,343
     
20,343
 
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicles
   
4,392,093
     
2,244,600
     
-
     
6,636,693
 
Convertible Notes
   
-
     
-
     
116
     
116
 
Corporate Notes
   
-
     
53,000
     
-
     
53,000
 
Senior Secured Notes
   
-
     
-
     
0
     
0
 
Money Market Funds
   
30,213,984
     
-
     
-
     
30,213,984
 
Total
 
$
50,947,303
   
$
2,297,600
   
$
49,349
   
$
53,294,252
 

At the start and close of the reporting period, Level 3 investments in securities represented less than 1% of the fund’s net assets and were not considered a significant portion of the fund’s portfolio.
 
Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
 
The Fund did not hold derivative instruments during the period ended May 31, 2019.

Item 2. Controls and Procedures.
 
(a)
The Registrant’s President and Treasurer have concluded that the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”)) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b)) and Rule 13a-15(b) or Rule 15d‑15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(d)).

(b)
There were no changes in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the Registrant's last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
 
Item 3. Exhibits.
 
Separate certifications for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)).  Filed herewith.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


(Registrant)          High Income Securities Fund                                                         


By (Signature and Title) /s/ Andrew Dakos                                                                                    
   Andrew Dakos, President

Date      7/18/2019                                                                      


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By (Signature and Title) /s/ Andrew Dakos                                                                                   
   Andrew Dakos, President

Date      7/18/2019                                              


By (Signature and Title) /s/ Thomas Antonucci                                                                                                     
Thomas Antonucci, Treasurer

Date      7/18/2019