Western Asset Premier Bond SEC Filings

Western Asset Premier Bond Fund (WEA) reported its annual shareholder report for the year ended December 31, 2025. The Fund returned 10.89% based on NAV ($11.49) and 10.52% based on market price ($11.03) for the twelve months. The Fund paid distributions totaling $0.84 per share, of which $0.08 is reported as a return of capital.

The portfolio remained focused on fixed income with an average effective duration target of 3.5 to 7 years, tactical higher duration positioning, and active allocations toward energy and select high‑yield subsectors. Leverage was managed downward to about 32% of total assets and a loan outstanding of $59,000,000; total net assets were $136.3M as of December 31, 2025. The report also discloses a named portfolio management team change effective August 19, 2025.

First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P., and The Charger Corporation filed an amended Schedule 13G reporting beneficial ownership of 507,542 shares of Western Asset Premier Bond Fund (WEA), equal to 4.28% of the class as of 09/30/2025.

The filers report no voting power over these shares and shared dispositive power over 507,542 shares. The filing states the securities were acquired and are held in the ordinary course and not to change or influence control. Shares are held primarily in unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust; the trustee votes those shares, and no individual UIT holds more than 3% of any registered investment company issuer’s shares.

Western Asset Premier Bond Fund director of the investment manager, Jeffrey Masom, filed an initial insider ownership report on Form 3. The filing states that no securities of Western Asset Premier Bond Fund are beneficially owned, and both the non-derivative and derivative ownership tables show no holdings. The report is filed as a single reporting person and characterizes his relationship to the issuer as "Director - Inv. Mgr."

Morgan Stanley and subsidiary Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC have filed Amendment No. 5 to Schedule 13G on Western Asset Premier Bond Fund (NYSE: WEA). The event date is 30 June 2025 with the filing signed 7 Aug 2025.

• Beneficial ownership: 1,855,693 common shares, representing 15.6 % of WEA’s outstanding shares.
• Voting power: Sole voting power 0, shared voting power 2.
• Dispositive power: Sole 0, shared 1,855,693.
• Filers: Morgan Stanley (classified HC, CO) and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (BD, IA, CO); both organized in Delaware and headquartered at 1585 Broadway, New York.
• Filing basis: Rule 13d-1(b) indicates passive, non-control intent.

The filing shows that Morgan Stanley’s brokerage/investment-advisory unit continues to aggregate >5 % of WEA on behalf of clients while largely disaggregating voting authority. No transaction details, purchase prices, or change-of-control intentions are disclosed.

Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC filed Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13G for Western Asset Premier Bond Fund (WEA). As of 30 June 2025, the firm beneficially owns 524,049 shares (Mutual Fund Shares Beneficial Interest), representing 4.4 % of the outstanding class. It reports sole voting power over 287,071 shares and sole dispositive power over the full 524,049 shares; no shared voting or dispositive power is indicated. The filing states that the securities are held in the ordinary course for advisory clients of Allspring’s subsidiaries (Exhibit A) and that the filer does not seek to change or influence control of the issuer. Because ownership is now below the 5 % threshold, the document is classified as “Ownership of 5 Percent or Less of a Class.” No financial results, strategic actions, or control transactions are disclosed.