Claymore Securities, Inc.
Search by spacer
 

 
Claymore Securities, Inc.

Exchange-Traded Funds Unit Investment Trusts
Closed-End Funds
Indices
MZF
MBIA Capital/Claymore Managed Duration Investment Grade Municipal Fund

COMMON SHARES

DAILY DATA   as of 3/17/10
Closing Share Price  $13.59 
Closing NAV  $14.06 
Premium/(Discount)  (3.34%) 
52-Week Average Premium/Discount  (7.63%) 
Current Distribution Rate8  7.28% 
Taxable Equivalent Distribution Rate1  11.21% 
Daily Volume  50,927 
Monthly Dividend Per Share2  $0.08250 
Ex-Dividend Date  3/11/10 
Payable Date  3/31/10 
52 Week High/Low Share Price3  $13.59/$9.77 
52 Week High/Low NAV3  $14.38/$11.46 
Intraday Trading Information  NYSE 

Data subject to change on a daily basis.

 

WEEKLY DATA   as of 3/12/10
Closing Share Price  $13.55 
Closing NAV  $14.01 
Closing Volume  29,934 
Premium/(Discount)  (3.28%) 
Distribution Rate  7.31% 
Total Managed Assets  $180,627,630 
Common Shares Outstanding  7,935,591 
Percent Leveraged From Preferred Shares  38.45% 

Data subject to change on a daily basis.

 

SEMI-ANNUAL DATA   as of 7/31/09
Fiscal Year-End  07/31 
Expense Ratio (Common Shares)4  1.54% 
Expense Ratio (Total Fund)4  0.89% 
Portfolio Turnover Rate6  21% 
Portfolio Manager  Cutwater Asset Management Corp. 
Shareholder Servicing Agent  Claymore Securities 

Data subject to change on a daily basis.

INCEPTION INFORMATION

Common Shares5
Inception Date August 26, 2003
NYSE Symbol MZF
NAV Symbol XMZFX
The Wall Street Journal  Listing MBIA CapClymrFd
CUSIP 55266X100
Inception Share Price $15.00
Inception NAV $14.33

Auction Market Preferred Shares
Total Preferred Assets $69,450,000
Share Price $25,000
1940 Act Asset Coverage Ratio7 260%

QUARTERLY TOTAL RETURNS
as of 12/31/09

MARKET PRICE
NAV
2009 YTD 66.45 % 41.74 %
1 Year 66.45 % 41.74 %
3 Year 6.93 % 3.14 %
5 Year 6.16 % 4.00 %
Since Inception 3.60 % 4.44 %

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. Since Inception returns assume a purchase of common shares at the initial offering price of $15.00 per share for market price returns or initial net asset value (NAV) of $14.33 per share for NAV returns. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized. All distributions are assumed to be reinvested either in accordance with the dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) for market price returns or NAV for NAV returns. Until the DRIP price is available from the Plan Agent, the market price returns reflect the reinvestment at the closing market price on the last business day of the month. Once the DRIP is available around mid-month, the market price returns are updated to reflect reinvestment at the DRIP price.


1 The taxable equivalent distribution rate is calculated by taking the current distribution rate and dividing it by one minus the highest federal marginal tax bracket. Our example uses the federal marginal tax rate of 35%.

2 Dividend per share is subject to change on the ex-dividend date. The distribution amount may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The distribution amount alone is not indicative of Fund performance.

3 Figures are based on market close.

4 Expense ratio is annualized; Common Share Expense Ratio includes fee waiver of 0.37%, Total Fund Expense Ratio includes fee waiver of 0.21%.

5 Based on the prospectus information.

6 Not annualized

7 The Fund is required to maintain, with respect to the AMPS, as of the last business day of each month in which any AMPS are outstanding, asset coverage of at least 200% with respect to senior securities which are beneficial interests in the Fund.

8 Latest declared monthly dividend per share annualized and divided by the current share price. To the extent any portion of the current distribution is estimated to be sourced from something other than income, such as return of capital, the source would be disclosed on a Section 19a-1 letter located under the “Fund News” section of the “News & Literature” section of the Fund’s website. The distribution rate may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The distribution rate alone is not indicative of Fund performance.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide its common shares with high current income exempt from regular Federal income tax while seeking to protect the value of the Fund's assets during periods of interest-rate volatility. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be realized.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in municipal bonds of investment grade quality [those rated Baa or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or BBB or higher by either Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P"), or Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch"), or unrated municipal securities considered by the Fund's investment adviser to be of comparable quality] and will normally invest substantially all of its total assets in securities of investment grade quality.

For periodic shareholder reports and recent fund-specific filings, please visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) website via the following link, click here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is the Fund conducting a tender offer and what are the details of the Fund’s initial tender offer?

What are the details of the Fund’s three additional conditional tender offers? What if more than 1,190,339 Common Shares are tendered? How do I obtain more information regarding the Offer? What are municipal bonds? What is duration? Why is Cutwater Asset Management managing the duration of this Fund? Does the protective hedge guarantee safety? When does the protective hedge come into effect? What does the "Ex-Div" or the "Ex-Dividend" date refer to? Describe the differences between closed-end and open-end funds? What is the DRIP and how does it work?

MZF FUND MANAGER

The Cutwater team of fixed-income professionals uses a combination of surveillance, risk management, fundamental, quantitative and technical analysis to continuously assess interest-rate, security and liquidity risks to their investment-grade bond holdings. Cutwater Asset Management Corp. intends to seek consistently attractive risk-adjusted returns in the Fund through careful selection of the bond portfolio, ongoing management of the duration and the employment of an actively-managed hedging strategy. The Fund is in no way insured or guaranteed by MBIA Inc. or any subsidiary thereof.

INVESTMENT TEAM

Portfolio Management

Clifford D. Corso | Portfolio Manager

Clifford D. Corso is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Cutwater Asset Management Corp (“Cutwater”), Chief Investment Officer of MBIA Insurance Corp. and Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer of MBIA Inc. His responsibilities include oversight and direction of the investments of MBIA Inc. and its subsidiaries. He manages Cutwater’s fixed income asset management platform, directs the investment of all fixed income assets under management, and oversees the portfolios of MBIA Insurance Corp. and its affiliates. In addition, Mr. Corso’s responsibilities include the direction of investments for outside clients such as pension funds, sovereign governments, state and local governments, and institutional investors. Mr. Corso is also an active member of the Board of Directors for the MBIA Foundation, Inc. Before joining MBIA in 1994, he was the co-head of fixed income at a subsidiary of Alliance Capital Management. Throughout his 25-year career, Mr. Corso has managed a wide array of fixed income products, including corporate, asset-backed, government, mortgage and derivative products. Mr. Corso has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a master’s degree from Columbia University. He holds Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

E. Gerard Berrigan | Portfolio Manager

Mr. Berrigan, who joined the firm in 1994, is a Managing Director and head of portfolio management Cutwater Asset Management Corp (“Cutwater”). A member of the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee, he manages Cutwater’s asset/ liability management products and is responsible for structured investments across all managed portfolios. He is also a member of Cutwater’s Investment Review and Market Risk Committees. Mr. Berrigan has more than 15 years of experience in securities trading and portfolio management, including positions at the Federal National Mortgage Association and CS First Boston. He has a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and a master’s degree from Columbia University. He holds Series 7 and 63 registrations from FINRA.

Jeffrey S. MacDonald, CFA | Portfolio Manager

Mr. MacDonald, who joined MBIA in 2007, is a Director of Cutwater and has extensive experience in the fixed-income markets across a variety of sectors with particular emphasis on core and core plus strategies. He was previously a vice president and portfolio manager at Hartford Investment Management Company (HIMCO), where he managed core, core plus, intermediate core, and other broad-based fixed-income styles. He was also instrumental in designing some of HIMCO’s fixed-income-based products, including a number of “alternative” strategies. Prior to joining HIMCO, Mr. MacDonald was a fixed-income portfolio analyst specializing in taxable/insurance portfolios at Wellington Management Company. He began his career with Fidelity Investments as a fixed income trader and lead systems analyst. Mr. MacDonald earned his bachelor's degree from Trinity College in Connecticut and his master’s degree from Boston University. He holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) through the CFA Institute and is a member of the Hartford Security Analysts Society.

 

MZF Investment Adviser
Cutwater Asset Management Corp.
113 King Street
Armonk NY, 10504

If you would like to view the Investment Manager's website, you may click on the link below. It is important to note that by clicking on the link, you will be leaving this website and any information viewed there is not the property of Claymore Securities, Inc.

www.cutwater.com

RISKS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The value of the Fund will fluctuate with the value of the underlying securities. Historically, closed-end funds often trade at a discount to their net asset value. Risk is inherent in all investing, including the loss of your entire principal. Therefore, before investing you should consider the following risks carefully.

Market Risk and Selection Risk. Market risk is the risk that the bond market will go down in value, including the possibility that the market will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities that MBIA-CMC selects will underperform the bond market, the relevant market indices, or other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.

Municipal Bond Market Risk. The amount of public information available about the Municipal Bonds in the Fund’s portfolio is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the investment performance of the Fund may therefore be more dependent on the analytical abilities of MBIA-CMC than that of an equity fund or taxable bond fund. The secondary market for Municipal Bonds also tends to be less well-developed, or liquid, than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds at attractive prices or at prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. The ability of municipal issuers to make timely payments of interest and principal may be diminished during general economic downturns and as governmental cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local governments. In addition, laws enacted in the future by Congress or state legislatures or referenda could extend the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or impose other constraints on enforcement of such obligations, or on the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. In the event of bankruptcy of an issuer, the Fund could experience delays in collecting principal and interest and the Fund may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled.

Interest Rate and Credit Risk. The Fund invests in Municipal Bonds which are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of Municipal Bonds generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when interest rates increase. Prices of longer term securities generally change more in response to interest rate changes than prices of shorter term securities. The common share net asset value and market price per share of the bonds in which the Fund will invest will fluctuate more in response to changes in market interest rates than if the Fund invested primarily in shorter-term bonds. The Fund’s use of leverage by the issuance of preferred shares and its investment in inverse floating obligations, as discussed below, may increase interest rate risk. Market interest rates for investment grade Municipal Bonds in which the Fund will primarily invest have recently declined significantly below the historical average rates for such bonds and market interest rates are near historical lows. These levels increase the risk that these rates will rise in the future (which would cause the value of the Fund’s net assets to decline). Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will be unable to pay the interest or principal when due. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation. The Fund intends to invest in Municipal Bonds that are rated investment grade by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. It may also invest in unrated Municipal Bonds that MBIA-CMC believes are of comparable quality. Obligations rated in the lowest investment grade category may have certain speculative characteristics.

Call and Redemption Risk. A Municipal Bond’s issuer may call the bond for redemption before it matures. If this happens to a Municipal Bond held by the Fund, the Fund may lose income and may have to invest the proceeds in Municipal Bonds with lower yields.

Private Activity Bonds. The Fund may invest in certain tax exempt securities classified as ‘‘private activity bonds.’’ These bonds may subject certain investors in the Fund to the AMT. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in Municipal Bonds subject to the AMT. The Fund is not restricted with respect to investing in private activity bonds that are not subject to the AMT.

Risks of Tobacco-Related Municipal Bonds. The Fund may invest in Municipal Bonds that are collateralized by the proceeds from litigation against the tobacco industry. Payment by the tobacco industry participants of such proceeds is spread over a number of years and the collection and distribution of such proceeds to issuers of Municipal Bonds is dependent on the financial health of such tobacco industry participants, which cannot be assured. Additional litigation, government regulation or prohibition of the sale of tobacco products, or the seeking of protection under bankruptcy laws, could adversely affect the tobacco industry which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on tobacco-related Municipal Bonds.

Leverage. Leverage creates certain risks for common shareholders, including higher volatility of both the net asset value and the market value of the common shares, because common shareholders bear the effects of changes in the value of the Fund’s investments. Leverage also creates the risk that the investment return on the Fund’s common shares will be reduced to the extent the dividends paid on preferred shares and other expenses of the preferred shares exceed the income earned by the Fund on its investments. If the Fund is liquidated, preferred shareholders will be entitled to receive liquidating distributions before any distribution is made to common shareholders. When the Fund uses leverage, the fees paid to MBIA-CMC and the Servicing Agent will be higher than if leverage was not used.

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from an investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the common shares and distributions can decline. In addition, during periods of rising inflation, preferred share dividend rates would likely increase, which would tend to further reduce returns to common shareholders.

Portfolio Strategies. The Fund may engage in various portfolio strategies both to seek to hedge its portfolio against adverse effects from movements in interest rates and in the securities markets generally and to seek to increase the return of the Fund. These strategies include the use of derivatives such as exchange traded financial futures and option contracts, options on futures contracts, or over-the-counter dealer transactions in caps, swap agreements or swaptions, the risks of which are summarized below. Such strategies subject the Fund to the risk that, if MBIA-CMC incorrectly forecasts market values, interest rates or other applicable factors, the Fund’s performance could suffer. Certain of these strategies may provide investment leverage to the Fund’s portfolio and result in many of the same risks of leverage to the holders of the Fund’s common shares as discussed above under ‘‘—Leverage.’’ The Fund is not required to use derivatives or other portfolio strategies and may not do so. Distributions by the Fund of any income or gain realized on the Fund’s hedging transactions generally will not be exempt from regular Federal income tax. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s portfolio strategies will be effective.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, or the relationship between two indices. The Fund may invest in a variety of derivative instruments for hedging purposes, such as exchange-traded financial futures and option contracts, options on futures contracts, or over-the-counter dealer transactions in caps, swap agreements or swaptions. The Fund may use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in an underlying security or other asset and/or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate risk. The Fund also may use derivatives to add leverage to the portfolio. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, such as liquidity risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, leveraging risk, the risk of ambiguous documentation and selection risk. They also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Under the terms of certain derivative instruments, the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested. The use of derivatives also may increase the amount of taxes payable by common shareholders. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial.

Affiliated Insurers. Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the ‘‘1940 Act’’), may prohibit the Fund from purchasing Municipal Bonds for which MBIA Insurance Corporation and other affiliates of MBIA-CMC (collectively, ‘‘MBIA Insurers’’) provide financial insurance. The Fund intends to apply to the SEC for exemptive relief under the 1940 Act (the ‘‘Exemptive Relief’’) that would permit the Fund, subject to certain conditions and limitations, to purchase Municipal Bonds insured by MBIA Insurers in the secondary market. The application for the Exemptive Relief would also permit the Fund to accept certain payments that might arise from claims made upon MBIA Insurers under such insurance policies and, in connection with the Fund’s acceptance of any such payments, to assign to an MBIA Insurer the Fund’s rights of recovery therefor. The 1940 Act may also prohibit the Fund from purchasing Secondary Market Insurance or Portfolio Insurance (as defined below under ‘‘The Fund’s Investments—Insured Municipal Bonds’’) directly or indirectly from an MBIA Insurer. The application for the Exemptive Relief would not permit the Fund to engage in such purchases of Secondary Market Insurance or Portfolio Insurance, and in no event will the Fund purchase Secondary Market Insurance or Portfolio Insurance directly or indirectly from an MBIA Insurer. There can be no assurance that the SEC will grant the Exemptive Relief to the Fund, and until the Exemptive Relief is granted, the Fund will not purchase Municipal Bonds insured by MBIA Insurers. Because MBIA Insurers provide a substantial portion of all Original Issue, Secondary Market and Portfolio Insurance for Municipal Bonds, the Fund’s inability, absent the SEC’s granting of the Exemptive Relief, to purchase Municipal Bonds insured by MBIA Insurers may place it at a disadvantage relative to other similar funds that may purchase such Municipal Bonds. Any such disadvantage could increase in the event that one or more of the other providers of financial insurance for Municipal Bonds experiences problems meeting its insurance obligations. However, based upon current market conditions and on the anticipated size of the Fund’s offering of common shares and subsequent issuance of preferred shares, MBIA-CMC believes that such inability will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Anti-takeover Provisions. The Fund’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of July 21, 2003 (the ‘‘Declaration’’) and By-laws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board of Trustees. Such provisions could limit the ability of common shareholders to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund.

Market Disruption. The war with Iraq, its aftermath and the continuing occupation of Iraq are likely to have a substantial impact on the U.S. and world economies and securities markets. The nature, scope and duration of the war and occupation cannot be predicted with any certainty. Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 closed some of the U.S. securities markets for a four-day period, and similar events cannot be ruled out. The war and occupation, terrorism and related geopolitical risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Those events could also have an acute effect on individual issuers or related groups of issuers. These risks could also adversely affect individual issuers and securities markets, interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to the common shares.

Risks of Investing in AMPS. There also risks associated with investing in Auction Market Preferred Shares or AMPS. The AMPS are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the option of the Fund on any dividend payment date for the AMPS, and will be subject to mandatory redemption in certain circumstances. The AMPS will not be listed on an exchange. You may only buy or sell AMPS through an order placed at an auction with or through a broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the auction agent and the Fund or in a secondary market maintained by certain broker-dealers. These broker-dealers are not required to maintain this market, and it may not provide you with liquidity. Visit Preferred Share Daily Rates more Fund information and additional risk on investing in AMPS.

The AMPS market continues to remain illiquid as auctions for nearly all AMPS continue to fail. A failed auction is not a default, nor does it require the redemption of a fund’s auction-rate preferred shares. Provisions in the Fund’s offering documents provide a mechanism to set a maximum rate in the event of a failed auction, and, thus, investors will continue to be entitled to receive payment for holding these AMPS.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and ongoing expenses of any investment product before investing. For more information, please contact a securities representative or Claymore Securities, Inc., 2455 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, Illinois 60532, 800-345-7999.

NOT FDIC-INSURED | NOT BANK-GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE

The information on this website is intended for U.S. residents only. The information provided does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy, or an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is not lawful to make such an offer. All rights reserved. Market information used on this website is obtained from non-proprietary market sources. While we believe this information to be accurate, Claymore Securities, Inc. and its affiliates cannot attest to the validity of information culled from other sources. The Claymore logos and "Claymore Securities, Inc." are protected under various U.S. Trademark Registrations.

© 2010 Claymore Securities, Inc.