If You Invested in Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (GOF)

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE: GOF) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company whose stated investment objective is to maximize total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The fund’s shares of beneficial interest, with a par value of $0.01 per share, are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOF.

According to its public description, Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund seeks to combine a credit-managed fixed-income portfolio with access to a diversified pool of alternative investments and equity strategies. This structure is intended to give the fund exposure to different types of securities and investment approaches within a single closed-end vehicle.

Closed-end fund structure

As a closed-end management investment company, Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund issues a fixed number of common shares that trade on an exchange. The fund’s investment objective and approach are governed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and related regulations. Its common shares represent beneficial interests in the fund’s underlying portfolio.

The fund’s credit-managed fixed-income allocation and its use of alternative investments and equity strategies are described as key components of its approach to pursuing total return. The specific composition of the portfolio, and the way these components are combined, are detailed in the fund’s registration statements and related offering documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Capital-raising and sales arrangements

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund has entered into a Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement relating to its common shares of beneficial interest. Under this agreement, the fund may offer and sell common shares from time to time through Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. acting as agent for the fund. The sales agreement, as amended, allows the fund to conduct an offering of its common shares up to an aggregate initial offering price specified in the relevant prospectus supplement and registration statement on Form N-2 filed with the SEC.

The offering of additional common shares pursuant to the Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement is made under an effective shelf registration statement on Form N-2. The fund’s prospectus and prospectus supplements associated with this registration statement describe the terms of the offering, the use of proceeds, and the associated risks, and are incorporated by reference in related SEC filings.

Fund administration, accounting, and custody

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund has entered into a Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement with The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY). Under this agreement, BNY performs administrative functions and bookkeeping, accounting, and pricing functions for the fund. For these services, BNY receives a fee that is accrued daily and paid monthly based on the fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and the fund reimburses BNY for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

The fund has also entered into a Custody Agreement and a Foreign Custody Manager Agreement with BNY. Under the custody arrangement, BNY serves as custodian and holds securities and cash on behalf of the fund in accordance with the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the foreign custody manager agreement, BNY provides foreign custody services in connection with its role as custodian. For these services, BNY receives a monthly fee based in part on the fund’s average daily net assets, along with certain charges related to securities transactions.

In connection with entering into these agreements, the fund terminated prior administration, accounting, custody, and foreign custody arrangements, as described in its Form 8-K filings. The fund’s SEC reports state that no termination or other fees were payable by the fund in connection with these terminations beyond ordinary course payments through the effective dates of termination.

Regulatory framework and disclosures

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund is subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. It files periodic and current reports with the SEC, including Forms N-2 and 8-K, which provide information on material agreements, offerings of common shares, and changes to its service providers.

The fund’s SEC filings describe the terms of its sales agreements, administration and accounting arrangements, and custody relationships, and incorporate by reference the full text of these agreements as exhibits. Investors and analysts can review these filings to understand the fund’s structure, its external service providers, and the mechanisms through which it issues additional common shares.

Investment objective and strategy

The fund’s stated investment objective is to maximize total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. To pursue this objective, the fund seeks to combine a credit-managed fixed-income portfolio with access to alternative investments and equity strategies. The emphasis on both income and capital appreciation reflects a total-return orientation, while the use of multiple strategy types reflects an approach that is not limited to a single asset class.

Details about the types of fixed-income securities, alternative investments, and equity strategies that may be used, as well as associated risks, are set out in the fund’s registration statement and related offering documents. These documents also describe any limitations, policies, or guidelines that apply to the fund’s investments under the 1940 Act and other applicable regulations.

Exchange listing and share characteristics

The fund’s common shares of beneficial interest are registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol GOF. The shares have a stated par value of $0.01 per share. As a listed closed-end fund, the market price of the shares is determined by trading on the exchange, and the fund’s SEC filings identify the exchange listing and class of securities.

Because Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund is a closed-end management investment company, its shares can trade at a premium or discount to the fund’s net asset value. The fund’s administration, accounting, and custody arrangements, as well as its equity offering program, are disclosed through its SEC reports and related exhibits.