Special Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Portfolio of Investments
|
|||||||||
September 30, 2015 (Unaudited)
|
|||||||||
INVESTMENT COMPANIES - 53.29%
|
Shares
|
Fair Value
|
|||||||
Closed-End Funds - 45.03%
|
|||||||||
Adams Diversified Equity Fund
|
163,607 | $ | 2,085,989 | ||||||
Advent/Claymore Enhanced Growth & Income Fund
|
403,545 | 3,309,069 | |||||||
Bancroft Fund, Ltd.
|
69,976 | 1,308,551 | |||||||
Blackrock Latin American Investment Trust PLC (h)
|
80,000 | 327,963 | |||||||
Boulder Growth & Income Fund, Inc.
|
968,232 | 7,213,328 | |||||||
Candover Investments Fund PLC (a)(h)
|
40,468 | 126,721 | |||||||
Central Securities Corp.
|
136,479 | 2,696,825 | |||||||
Clough Global Equity Fund
|
282,754 | 3,579,666 | |||||||
Cushing MLP Total Return Fund
|
16,803 | 197,603 | |||||||
Deutsche Global High Income Fund
|
187,349 | 1,416,171 | |||||||
Deutsche High Income Opportunities Fund, Inc.
|
353,984 | 4,654,890 | |||||||
Diversified Real Asset Income Fund
|
349,485 | 5,619,719 | |||||||
Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd.
|
40,078 | 313,474 | |||||||
Federated Enhanced Treasury Income Fund
|
15,396 | 208,154 | |||||||
First Trust Dividend and Income Fund
|
136,166 | 1,064,818 | |||||||
Fort Dearborn Income Securities, Inc.
|
774 | 10,914 | |||||||
The GDL Fund
|
15,000 | 147,001 | |||||||
General American Investors Co., Inc.
|
320,799 | 9,938,353 | |||||||
Global High Income Fund, Inc.
|
483,942 | 3,736,032 | |||||||
JP Morgan Asian Investment Trust PLC (h)
|
15,214 | 46,692 | |||||||
Juridica Investments Ltd. (h)
|
495,258 | 509,530 | |||||||
Liberty All Star Equity Fund
|
1,043,489 | 5,300,924 | |||||||
LMP Real Estate Income Fund, Inc.
|
342,704 | 4,208,405 | |||||||
Managed High Yield Plus Fund, Inc.
|
329,267 | 529,791 | |||||||
Marwyn Value Investors Ltd. (h)
|
155,571 | 518,921 | |||||||
Millennium Investment & Acquisition Co., Inc. (a)
|
112,276 | 57,272 | |||||||
Morgan Stanley East Europe Fund Escrow (a)
|
97,901 | 0 | |||||||
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund, Inc.
|
577,795 | 2,663,635 | |||||||
Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund
|
71,976 | 733,436 | |||||||
Pacholder High Yield Fund, Inc.
|
50,976 | 322,168 | |||||||
The Prospect Japan Fund Ltd. (a)(h)
|
240,144 | 231,739 | |||||||
Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.
|
280,925 | 3,050,846 | |||||||
Templeton Russia and East European Fund, Inc.
|
35,812 | 348,451 | |||||||
Terra Catalyst Fund (h)
|
20,319 | 32,504 | |||||||
Transamerica Income Shares, Inc.
|
9,773 | 211,683 | |||||||
Tri-Continental Corp.
|
387,319 | 7,552,721 | |||||||
74,273,959 | |||||||||
Commodity Partnerships - 3.45%
|
|||||||||
Nuveen Diversified Commodity Fund
|
155,890 | 1,607,475 | |||||||
Nuveen Long/Short Commodity Total Return Fund
|
255,478 | 4,087,648 | |||||||
5,695,123 | |||||||||
Auction Rate Preferred Securities - 0.21% (c)(f)
|
|||||||||
Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust - Series C
|
6 | 225,000 | |||||||
Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust - Series C
|
6 | 123,000 | |||||||
348,000 |
Business Development Company - 4.60%
|
|||||||||
BDCA Venture, Inc.
|
292,681 | 1,372,703 | |||||||
Equus Total Return, Inc. (a)
|
106,919 | 187,108 | |||||||
Firsthand Technology Value Fund, Inc.
|
145,940 | 1,241,949 | |||||||
Full Circle Capital Corp.
|
477,419 | 1,465,677 | |||||||
MVC Capital, Inc.
|
403,584 | 3,313,425 | |||||||
7,580,862 | |||||||||
Total Investment Companies (Cost $91,953,035)
|
87,897,944 | ||||||||
PREFERRED STOCKS - 3.65%
|
|||||||||
Health Care Providers & Services - 0.09%
|
|||||||||
AdCare Health Systems, Inc.
|
6,773 | 143,046 | |||||||
Real Estate Investment Trusts - 3.56%
|
|||||||||
Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. (c)(f)
|
6,083 | 5,870,034 | |||||||
Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $5,831,534)
|
6,013,080 | ||||||||
COMMON STOCKS - 29.34%
|
|||||||||
Consumer Finance - 3.41%
|
|||||||||
Emergent Capital, Inc. (a)
|
1,032,379 | 5,626,463 | |||||||
Food Products - 0.09%
|
|||||||||
Boulder Brands, Inc. (a)
|
17,184 | 140,737 | |||||||
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure - 0.05%
|
|||||||||
Caesars Acquisition Co. (a)
|
12,400 | 88,040 | |||||||
Insurance - 8.69%
|
|||||||||
Stewart Information Services Corp.
|
350,544 | 14,340,755 | |||||||
IT Services - 0.06%
|
|||||||||
JetPay Corp. (a)
|
35,055 | 97,102 | |||||||
Marine - 0.02%
|
|||||||||
Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. (a)(h)
|
10,857 | 33,657 | |||||||
Professional Services - 1.98%
|
|||||||||
Hill International, Inc. (a)
|
997,639 | 3,272,256 | |||||||
Real Estate Investment Trusts - 9.15%
|
|||||||||
Gyrodyne LLC
|
8,075 | 226,504 | |||||||
Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
|
142,062 | 1,024,264 | |||||||
New York REIT, Inc.
|
280,451 | 2,821,337 | |||||||
Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp.
|
5,384 | 86,198 | |||||||
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
|
1,119,587 | 2,127,215 | |||||||
Winthrop Realty Trust
|
613,741 | 8,813,321 | |||||||
15,098,839 | |||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle - 5.89% (a)
|
|||||||||
1347 Capital Corp.
|
76,600 | 782,086 | |||||||
Arowana, Inc. (h)
|
122,028 | 1,232,483 | |||||||
Barington/Hilco Acquisition Corp.
|
15,611 | 158,452 | |||||||
DT Asia Investments, Ltd. (h)
|
115,645 | 1,150,668 | |||||||
E-Compass Acquisition Corp. (h)
|
27,523 | 277,432 | |||||||
Electrum Special Acquisition Corp. (h)
|
46,800 | 462,384 | |||||||
FinTech Acquisition Corp.
|
48,085 | 483,735 | |||||||
FlatWorld Acquisition Corporation (h)
|
105,702 | 5,285 | |||||||
Garnero Group Acquisition Co. (h)
|
153,199 | 1,510,542 | |||||||
Global Defense & National Security Systems, Inc.
|
90,807 | 955,290 | |||||||
Gores Holdings, Inc.
|
41,285 | 416,566 | |||||||
Harmony Merger Corp.
|
62,937 | 623,076 |
Quinpario Acquisition Corp. 2
|
15,611 | 160,481 | |||||||
ROI Acquisition Corp. II
|
55,036 | 550,360 | |||||||
Sino Mercury Acquisition Corp.
|
33,634 | 326,586 | |||||||
Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corp.
|
62,138 | 613,923 | |||||||
9,709,349 | |||||||||
Total Common Stocks (Cost $45,939,050)
|
48,407,198 | ||||||||
LIQUIDATION CLAIMS - 1.70% (a)(c)(f)
|
|||||||||
The Home Insurance Company in Liquidation
|
1 | 1,228,502 | |||||||
The Home Insurance Company in Liquidation II
|
1 | 1,574,994 | |||||||
Total Liquidation Claims (Cost $2,569,880)
|
2,803,496 | ||||||||
Principal
|
|||||||||
Amount
|
|||||||||
CONVERTIBLE BONDS - 1.90% (b)
|
|||||||||
Emergent Capital, Inc.
|
|||||||||
8.500%, 02/15/2019
|
$ | 2,941,000 | 3,139,517 | ||||||
Total Convertible Bonds (Cost $2,941,000)
|
3,139,517 | ||||||||
CORPORATE BONDS - 0.01% (b)(c)(d)(f)
|
|||||||||
Washington Mutual Inc.
|
|||||||||
0.000%, 09/17/2012
|
3,000,000 | 22,500 | |||||||
Total Corporate Bonds (Cost $0)
|
22,500 | ||||||||
CORPORATE NOTES - 1.91% (b)
|
|||||||||
MVC Capital, Inc.
|
133,383 | 3,146,505 | |||||||
7.250%, 01/15/2023
|
|||||||||
Total Corporate Notes (Cost $3,349,349)
|
3,146,505 | ||||||||
PROMISSORY NOTES - 0.85% (b)(c)(f)(g)
|
|||||||||
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Convertible
|
|||||||||
9.000%, 12/15/2018 (Acquired 12/16/2013, Cost $600,000)
|
600,000 | 600,000 | |||||||
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Non-convertible
|
|||||||||
9.000%, 12/15/2015 (Acquired 12/16/2013, Cost $800,000)
|
800,000 | 800,000 | |||||||
Total Promissory Notes (Cost $1,400,000)
|
1,400,000 | ||||||||
Shares
|
|||||||||
WARRANTS - 0.26% (a)
|
|||||||||
AR Capital Acquisition Corp.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: October 2019
|
49,997 | 11,999 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50
|
|||||||||
Arabella Exploration, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: December 2016
|
25,448 | 384 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $5.00 (h)
|
|||||||||
CB Pharma Acquisition Corp.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: December 2021
|
23,814 | 5,001 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $5.75 (h)
|
|||||||||
Delta Technology Holdings, Ltd.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: December 2017
|
43,666 | 2,266 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $10.00 (h)
|
|||||||||
DT Asia Investments, Ltd.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: October 2019
|
79,818 | 7,184 |
Exercise Price: $12.00 (h)
|
|||||||||
Garnero Group Acquisition Co.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: June 2019
|
153,199 | 19,916 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50 (h)
|
|||||||||
Harmony Merger Corp.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: January 2021
|
62,937 | 18,881 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50
|
|||||||||
Hemisphere Media Group, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: April 2018
|
39,430 | 53,231 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $12.00
|
|||||||||
Imperial Holdings, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: October 2019
|
8 | 0 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $10.75 (c)(f)
|
|||||||||
Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: March 2017
|
6,083 | 61 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $9.00 (c)(f)
|
|||||||||
ROI Acquisition Corp. II
|
|||||||||
Expiration: September 2018
|
16,676 | 6,003 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50
|
|||||||||
Tecnoglass, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: December 2016
|
45,477 | 263,767 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $8.00 (h)
|
|||||||||
Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: July 2020
|
60,197 | 19,263 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50
|
|||||||||
Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corp.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: June 2019
|
62,138 | 24,265 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $11.50
|
|||||||||
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
|
|||||||||
Expiration: December 2018
|
84,211 | 0 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $4.75 (Acquired 1/24/2014, Cost $0) (c)(f)(g)
|
|||||||||
Expiration: April 2019
|
7,523 | 376 | |||||||
Exercise Price: $5.50
|
|||||||||
Total Warrants (Cost $195,275)
|
432,597 | ||||||||
RIGHTS - 0.04% (a)
|
|||||||||
CB Pharma Acquisition Corp. (h)
|
23,814 | 7,144 | |||||||
DT Asia Investments, Ltd. (h)
|
79,818 | 11,175 | |||||||
Garnero Group Acquisition Co. (h)
|
139,951 | 30,789 | |||||||
Sino Mercury Acquisition Corp.
|
33,634 | 17,153 | |||||||
Total Rights (Cost $92,428)
|
66,261 | ||||||||
MONEY MARKET FUNDS - 6.98%
|
|||||||||
Fidelity Institutional Government Portfolio - Class I, 0.010% (e)
|
5,752,932 | 5,752,932 | |||||||
Fidelity Institutional Tax-Exempt Portfolio - Class I, 0.010% (e)
|
5,752,931 | 5,752,931 | |||||||
Total Money Market Funds (Cost $11,505,863)
|
11,505,863 | ||||||||
Total Investments (Cost $165,777,414) - 99.93%
|
164,834,961 | ||||||||
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities - 0.07%
|
122,084 | ||||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00%
|
$ | 164,957,045 | |||||||
Percentages are stated as a percent of net assets.
|
|||||||||
(a)
|
Non-income producing security.
|
||||||||
(b)
|
The coupon rates shown represent the rates at September 30, 2015.
|
||||||||
(c)
|
Fair valued securities. The total market value of these securities was $10,444,091,
|
||||||||
representing 6.33% of net assets.
|
|||||||||
(d)
|
Default or other conditions exist and the security is not presently accruing income.
|
||||||||
(e)
|
The rate shown represents the 7-day yield at September 30, 2015.
|
||||||||
(f)
|
Illiquid securities. The total market value of these securities was $10,444,091,
|
||||||||
representing 6.33% of net assets.
|
|||||||||
(g)
|
Restricted security.
|
||||||||
(h)
|
Foreign-issued security.
|
The following is a summary of the fair valuations according to the inputs used as of September 30, 2015 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
|
$ | 87,460,168 | $ | 89,776 | $ | 348,000 | $ | 87,897,944 | ||||||||
Preferred Stocks
|
||||||||||||||||
Real Estate Investment Trusts
|
143,046 | - | 5,870,034 | 6,013,080 | ||||||||||||
Common Stocks
|
||||||||||||||||
Consumer Finance
|
5,626,463 | - | - | 5,626,463 | ||||||||||||
Food Products
|
140,737 | - | - | 140,737 | ||||||||||||
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure
|
88,040 | - | - | 88,040 | ||||||||||||
Insurance
|
14,340,755 | - | - | 14,340,755 | ||||||||||||
IT Services
|
97,102 | - | - | 97,102 | ||||||||||||
Marine
|
33,657 | - | - | 33,657 | ||||||||||||
Professional Services
|
3,272,256 | - | - | 3,272,256 | ||||||||||||
Real Estate Investments Trusts
|
15,098,839 | - | - | 15,098,839 | ||||||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle
|
3,436,436 | 6,272,913 | - | 9,709,349 | ||||||||||||
Liquidation Claims
|
- | - | 2,803,496 | 2,803,496 | ||||||||||||
Convertible Bonds
|
- | 3,139,517 | - | 3,139,517 | ||||||||||||
Corporate Bonds
|
- | 22,500 | - | 22,500 | ||||||||||||
Corporate Notes
|
3,146,505 | - | - | 3,146,505 | ||||||||||||
Promissory Notes
|
- | - | 1,400,000 | 1,400,000 | ||||||||||||
Warrants
|
290,070 | 142,466 | 61 | 432,597 | ||||||||||||
Rights
|
47,942 | 18,319 | - | 66,261 | ||||||||||||
Money Market Funds
|
11,505,863 | - | - | 11,505,863 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 144,727,879 | $ | 9,685,491 | $ | 10,421,591 | $ | 164,834,961 | ||||||||
* Transfers between Levels are recognized at the end of the reporting period.
|
||||||||||||||||
**The Fund measures Level 3 activity as of the beginning and end of each financial reporting period.
|
||||||||||||||||
Transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 securities as of September 30, 2015 resulted from securities priced previously with an official close price (Level 1 securities) or on days where there
|
||||||||||||||||
is not an official close price the bid price is used (Level 2 securities). Transfers as of September 30, 2015 are summarized in the table below:
|
||||||||||||||||
Transfers into Level 1
|
||||||||||||||||
Common Stock
|
||||||||||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle
|
$ | 955,290 | ||||||||||||||
Warrants
|
384 | |||||||||||||||
Transfers out of Level 1
|
||||||||||||||||
Investment Companies
|
(89,776 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Common Stock
|
||||||||||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle
|
(1,510,542 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Net transfers in and/or out of Level 1
|
$ | (644,644 | ) | |||||||||||||
Transfers into Level 2
|
||||||||||||||||
Investment Companies
|
89,776 | |||||||||||||||
Common Stock
|
||||||||||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle
|
$ | 1,510,542 | ||||||||||||||
Transfers out of Level 2
|
||||||||||||||||
Common Stock
|
||||||||||||||||
Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle
|
(955,290 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Warrants
|
(384 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Net transfers in and/or out of Level 2
|
$ | 644,644 | ||||||||||||||
Special Opportunities Fund
|
||||||
The fair value of derivative instruments as reported within the Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 2015:
|
||||||
Derivatives not accounted
for as hedging instruments
|
Statement of Assets &
Liabilities Location
|
Value
|
||||
Equity Contracts - Warrants
|
Investments, at value
|
$ | 432,597 | |||
The effect of derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations for the period ended September 30, 2015:
|
||||||
Amount of Realized Loss on Derivatives Recognized in Income
|
||||||
Derivatives not accounted for
as hedging instruments
|
Statement of Operations
Location
|
Value
|
||||
Equity Contracts - Warrants
|
Net Realized Loss
|
$ | (177,830 | ) | ||
on Investments
|
||||||
Change in Unrealized Appreciation on Derivatives Recognized in Income | ||||||
Derivatives not accounted for
as hedging instruments
|
Statement of Operations
Location
|
Total
|
||||
Equity Contracts - Warrants
|
Net change in unrealized
|
$ | 358,817 | |||
appreciation of investments
|
||||||
Level 3 Reconciliation Disclosure
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Category
|
Balance
as of
12/31/2014
|
Acquisitions
|
Dispositions
|
Realized
Gain
(Loss)
|
Change
in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)
|
Transfers
into / (out of)
Level 3
|
Balance
as of
9/30/2015
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Closed End Funds
|
$ | 163,146 | $ | - | $ | (191,893 | ) | $ | 191,893 | $ | (163,146 | ) | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
Auction Rate Preferred
Securities
|
6,381,563 | - | (6,700,000 | ) | 720,750 | (54,313 | ) | - | 348,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
Preferred Stocks
|
5,806,162 | - | - | - | 63,872 | - | 5,870,034 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks
|
228,146 | 4,175 | - | - | 118,856 | (351,177 | ) | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
Liquidation Claims
|
2,842,434 | - | - | - | (38,938 | ) | - | 2,803,496 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Promissory Notes
|
2,000,000 | - | (600,000 | ) | - | - | - | 1,400,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Warrants
|
69 | - | - | - | (8 | ) | - | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||
$ | 17,421,520 | $ | 4,175 | $ | (7,491,893 | ) | $ | 912,643 | $ | (73,677 | ) | $ | (351,177 | ) | $ | 10,421,591 | ||||||||||||
The following table presents additional information about valuation methodologies and inputs used for investments that are measured at fair value and
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
categorized within Level 3 as of September 30, 2015:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fair Value
September 30,
2015
|
|
Valuation
Methodologies
|
Unobservable
Input(1)
|
Impact
to Valuation
from an
increase in
Input(2)
|
||||
Auction Rate Preferred
Securities
|
$ 348,000
|
Market
Comparables/
Cost
|
Comparability
Adjustments/ Broker
Indications/ Company
Announcements
|
Increase
|
||||
Preferred Stocks
|
$ 5,870,034
|
Cost
|
Market Assessments/
Financial
Assessements
|
Increase
|
||||
Liquidation Claims
|
$ 2,803,496
|
Market
Transactions
Approach
|
Broker Bids
|
Increase
|
||||
Promissory Notes
|
$ 1,400,000
|
Cost
|
Terms of the Note/
Financial
Assessements/
Company
Announcements
|
Increase
|
||||
Warrants
|
$ 61
|
Market
Transactions
Approach
|
Discount to Market
Price for Share
Restrictions
|
Decrease
|
||||
(1)
|
In determining certain of these inputs, management evaluates a variety of factors including economic conditions, foreign exchange rates, industry and market developments, market valuations of comparable companies and company specific developments including exit strategies and realization opportunities. Management has determined that market participants would take these inputs into account when valuing the investments.
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(2)
|
This column represents the directional change in the fair value of the Level 3 investments that would result from an increase to the corresponding unobservable input. A decrease to the unobservable input would have the opposite effect.
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Cost of investments
|
$ | 165,777,414 | ||
Gross unrealized appreciation on
investments
|
12,568,251 | |||
Gross unrealized depreciation on
investments
|
(13,510,704 | ) | ||
Net unrealized depreciation
|
$ | (942,453 | ) |
(a)
|
The Registrant’s President and Chief Financial Officer 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.
|