Company Description
The Taiwan Fund, Inc. (NYSE: TWN) is a diversified closed-end investment company that focuses on the Taiwan equity market. According to company disclosures, the Fund’s stated investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation primarily through investments in equity securities listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Shares of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TWN.
The Fund is structured as a closed-end management investment company. Its portfolio is invested predominantly in equity securities listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, and its objective is to achieve capital growth over the long term rather than to target a specific income level. The Fund’s materials describe it as a diversified investment company, indicating that it invests across multiple issuers within its focus market.
In selecting companies for investment, the Fund’s portfolio managers consider a range of factors. As described in available information, these include overall growth prospects, competitive position in the relevant industry, technology, research and development, productivity, profit margins, return on investment, capital resources, government regulation, management and other considerations. These criteria reflect an emphasis on both fundamental characteristics of individual companies and the broader environment in which they operate.
The Taiwan Fund, Inc. measures its performance against the TAIEX Total Return Index, which is cited in its public reports as the Fund’s benchmark. Company communications compare the Fund’s net asset value total return to the TAIEX Total Return Index over various periods. This benchmark relationship is also used in connection with certain shareholder policies adopted by the Board of Directors.
One such policy is a conditional tender offer policy. The Board has adopted a policy under which the Fund would conduct a tender offer to purchase up to a specified portion of its outstanding shares at a stated percentage of net asset value if the Fund’s net asset value performance over a defined multi-year period exceeds the performance of the TAIEX Total Return Index over the same period. The Board has stated that this policy is intended to provide potential benefits to stockholders through either benchmark outperformance or the availability of a tender offer for liquidity.
The Fund also maintains a Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan that is open to all stockholders. Under this plan, if the Fund’s shares trade at a premium to net asset value, plan participants receive shares valued at the greater of net asset value or a stated percentage of market price. If the Fund’s shares trade at a discount to net asset value, participants receive shares valued at the market price per share. Stockholders may elect to participate in or withdraw from the plan subject to the terms described in the plan documentation.
As a closed-end fund, The Taiwan Fund, Inc. reports a net asset value (NAV) per share based on the value of its portfolio holdings and related assets and liabilities. The Fund also reports the market price of its shares as traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and it discloses whether the shares trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Company announcements regularly provide NAV, market price, and the relationship between the two, along with total return figures based on changes in NAV and distributions.
The Fund publishes periodic information on its investment performance, including total return for specified periods and comparisons to the TAIEX Total Return Index in U.S. dollar terms. These reports also summarize realized gains or losses on investments and foreign currency transactions, changes in unrealized appreciation or depreciation, and net investment income or loss, defined as dividend and interest income (or dividend and securities lending income) less operating expenses.
In addition to financial reporting, The Taiwan Fund, Inc. holds an Annual Stockholders Meeting at which stockholders vote on matters such as the election of directors. Company announcements describe the results of these meetings, including the number of votes cast for and against or withheld for each director nominee. The Board of Directors may also adjust the size of the Board, as reflected in public communications regarding changes in the number of directors.
The Fund has also described operational considerations related to its focus market. For example, during periods when the Taiwan Stock Exchange is closed for holidays, such as the Lunar New Year, the Fund may calculate its net asset value based on portfolio holdings and prices as of the last trading date before the closure, adjusted for changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Taiwan dollar. This approach is disclosed in advance to explain how NAV will be determined during such periods.
Overall, The Taiwan Fund, Inc. offers investors exposure to equity securities listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange through a closed-end fund structure listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its disclosures emphasize long-term capital appreciation, diversification within its investment universe, and the use of a clearly defined benchmark index for performance comparison, along with shareholder-focused policies such as a conditional tender offer framework and a dividend reinvestment and cash purchase plan.