Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Declares Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.12 per Share
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RYE, N.Y., Nov. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. (NYSE:GCV) (the “Fund”) declared a $0.12 per share cash distribution payable on December 22, 2023 to common stock shareholders of record on December 15, 2023. With this fourth quarter distribution, the total distributions from the Fund for 2023 would equate to $0.48 per share.
The Fund intends to pay a minimum annual distribution of 8% of the average net asset value of the Fund within a calendar year or an amount sufficient to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies. Each quarter, the Board of Directors reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available.
We note that 8% of the average net asset value of the Fund would be $0.33 based on the ending net asset values per share as of December 31, 2022, March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, and September 30, 2023 of $4.18, $4.22, $4.17, and $3.85, respectively. In declaring a distribution of $0.12 per share, the Board of Directors has chosen to distribute $0.15 greater than that called for by the distribution policy. The net asset value per share fluctuates daily.
The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Directors at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their "net investment income", which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.
If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.