See Sector Classification in Other Information section.

 

Advent Claymore Convertible Securities & Income Fund
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited)	July 31, 2018

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Note 1 — Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Organization

Advent Claymore Convertible Securities and Income Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 19, 2003. The Fund is registered as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

For information on the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of investments and other significant accounting policies, please refer to the Fund’s most recent semi-annual or annual shareholder report.

Significant Accounting Policies

The Fund operates as an investment company and accordingly, follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies. 

 

The following significant accounting policies are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") and are consistently followed by the Fund. This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. All time references are based on Eastern Time.

Equity securities listed on an exchange are valued at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange on which they are traded. Equity securities traded on an exchange or on the other over-the-counter market and for which there are no transactions on a given day are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask prices. Securities traded on NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Equity securities not listed on a securities exchange or NASDAQ are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask prices. Debt securities are valued by independent pricing services or dealers using the mean of the closing bid and ask prices for such securities or, if such prices are not available, at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality and type. If sufficient market activity is limited or does not exist, the pricing providers or broker-dealers may utilize proprietary valuation models which consider market characteristics such as benchmark yield curves, option-adjusted spreads, credit spreads, estimated default rates, coupon rates, anticipated timing of principal repayments, underlying collateral, or other unique security features in order to estimate relevant cash flows, which are then discounted to calculate a security’s fair value. Exchange-traded funds and listed closed-end funds are valued at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange where the security is principally traded. The value of over-the-counter (“OTC”) swap agreements entered into by the Fund is accounted for using the unrealized gain or loss on the agreements that is determined by marking the agreements to the last quoted value provided by an independent pricing service. Futures contracts are valued using the settlement price established each day on the exchange on which they are traded. Exchange-traded options are valued at the closing price, if traded that day. If not traded, they are valued at the mean of the bid and ask prices on the primary exchange on which they are traded. Swaps are valued daily by independent pricing services or dealers using the mid-price. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued at market price, or if a market price is not available, at amortized cost, provided such amount approximates market value. The Fund values money market funds at net asset value.

For those securities where quotations or prices are not available, the valuations are determined in accordance with procedures established in good faith by management and approved by the Board of Trustees. A valuation committee consisting of representatives from investment management, fund administration, legal and compliance is responsible for the oversight of the valuation process of the Fund and convenes monthly, or more frequently as needed. The valuation committee reviews monthly Level 3 fair valued securities methodology, price overrides, broker quoted securities, price source changes, illiquid securities, unchanged priced securities, halted securities, price challenges, fair valued securities sold and back testing trade prices in relation to prior day closing prices. On a quarterly basis, the valuations and methodologies of all Level 3 fair valued securities are presented to the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Valuations in accordance with these procedures are intended to reflect each security’s (or asset’s) fair value. Such fair value is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security (or asset) upon its current sale. Each such determination is based on a consideration of all relevant factors, which are likely to vary from one security to another. Examples of such factors may include, but are not limited to: market prices; sale prices; broker quotes; and models which derive prices based on inputs such as prices of securities with comparable maturities and characteristics, or based on inputs such as anticipated cash flows or collateral, spread over Treasuries, and other information analysis. In connection with futures contracts and other derivative investments, such factors may include obtaining information as to how (a) these contracts and other derivative investments trade in the futures or other derivative markets, respectively, and (b) the securities underlying

NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited)

 

these contracts and other derivative investments trade in the cash market. There were no securities fair valued in accordance with such procedures established by the Board of Trustees as of July 31, 2018.

  

Senior loans in which the Fund invests generally pay interest rates which are periodically adjusted by reference to a base short-term floating rate, plus a premium. These base lending rates are generally (i) the lending rate offered by one or more major European banks, such as the one-month or three-month London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), (ii) the prime rate offered by one or more major United States banks, or (iii) the bank’s certificate of deposit rate. Senior floating rate interests often require prepayments from excess cash flows or permit the borrower to repay at its election. The rate at which the borrower repays cannot be predicted with accuracy. As a result, the actual remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturities shown. The interest rate indicated is the rate in effect at July 31, 2018.

  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued daily based on the applicable exchange rate of the underlying currency. The change in value of the contract is recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation until the contract is closed. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value at the time the contract was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

  

Note 2 — Financial Instruments and Derivatives

As part of its investment strategy, the Fund may utilize a variety of derivative instruments. These investments involve, to varying degrees, elements of market risk. Valuation and accounting treatment of these instruments can be found under Significant Accounting Policies in Note 1 of these Notes to Schedule of Investments.

 

Derivatives

Derivatives are instruments whose values depend on, or are derived from, in whole or in part, the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, currencies, commodities or indices. Derivative instruments may be used to increase investment flexibility (including to maintain cash reserves while maintaining exposure to certain other assets), for risk management (hedging) purposes, to facilitate trading, to reduce transaction costs and to pursue higher investment returns. Derivative instruments may also be used to mitigate certain investment risks, such as foreign currency exchange rate risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. U.S. GAAP requires disclosures to enable investors to better understand how and why a Fund uses derivative instruments, how these derivative instruments are accounted for and their effects on the Fund’s financial position and results of operations.

The Fund may utilize derivatives for the following purposes:

  

Hedge: an investment made in order to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in a security, by taking an offsetting position to protect against broad market moves.

Higher Investment Returns: the use of an instrument to seek to obtain increased investment returns.

Income: the use of any instrument that distributes cash flows typically based upon some rate of interest.

 

Speculation: the use of an instrument to express macro-economic and other investment views.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

A forward foreign currency exchange contract is an agreement between two parties to exchange two designated currencies at a specific time in the future. Certain types of contracts may be cash settled, in an amount equal to the change in exchange rates during the term of the contract. The contracts can be used to hedge or manage exposure to foreign currency risks with portfolio investments or to gain exposure to foreign currencies.

 

The market value of a forward foreign currency exchange contract changes with fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Furthermore, the Fund may be exposed to risk if the counterparties cannot meet the contract terms or if the currency value changes unfavorably as compared to the U.S. dollar.

  

In conjunction with the use of derivative instruments, the Fund is required to maintain collateral in various forms. The Fund uses, where appropriate, depending on the financial instrument utilized and the broker involved, margin deposits at the broker, cash and/or securities segregated at the custodian bank, discount notes or the repurchase agreements allocated to the Fund.

 

There are several risks associated with exposure to foreign currencies, foreign issuers and emerging markets. A Fund’s indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the

NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited)

 

U.S. dollar, or in the case of short positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad. In addition, the Fund may incur transaction costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund may, but is not obligated to, engage in currency hedging transactions, which generally involve buying currency forward, options or futures contracts. However, not all currency risks may be effectively hedged, and in some cases the costs of hedging techniques may outweigh expected benefits. In such instances, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar.

The Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies directly, or in financial instruments, such as ADRs and exchange-trade fund which are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments and can perform differently from the U.S. market. Investing in securities of foreign companies directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers, may involve risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends or interest from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets may fluctuate more than those of securities traded on U.S. markets. Many foreign countries lack accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer’s financial condition and operations. Transaction costs and costs associated with custody services are generally higher for foreign securities than they are for U.S. securities. Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries portions of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received by the Fund.

The Fund has established counterparty credit guidelines and enters into transactions only with financial institutions of investment grade or better. The Fund monitors the counterparty credit risk.

 

Note 3 — Fair Value Measurement  

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an investment or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction with an independent buyer in the principal market, or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the investment or liability. U.S. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy based on the types of inputs used to value assets and liabilities and requires corresponding disclosure. The hierarchy and the corresponding inputs are summarized below:

 

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2 — significant other observable inputs (for example quoted prices for securities that are similar based on characteristics such as interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).

 

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs based on the best information available under the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, which may include assumptions.

Observable inputs are those based upon market data obtained from independent sources, and unobservable inputs reflect the Fund’s own assumptions based on the best information available. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input both individually and in aggregate that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following are certain inputs and techniques that are generally utilized to evaluate how to classify each major type of investment in accordance with U.S. GAAP.