Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (JFR)

JFR's floating-rate loan portfolio faces income pressure if the Fed cuts rates, making dividend sustainability uncertain. Recent portfolio shifts to more defensive sectors reduce risk, but NAV per share continues to decline, raising valuation concerns. Current share price offers little discount to NAV, and the management fee above 1% further limits upside potential.

Key Points Although the US stock market is the largest in the world, with a market capitalization of roughly $49 trillion, the US bond market is larger, clocking in at $51 trillion. With US economic growth exploding, the Federal Reserve’s current overnight interest rates are out of step with those of other Central Banks around the globe, and will inevitably get reduced. Investors who are uneasy about the stock market and prefer debt markets have opportunities to lock in higher, double-digit APYs with certain debt oriented Closed End Funds in advance of an interest rate cut. Are you ahead or behind on retirement? Are you intimidated about discussing your portfolio in a financial advisor’s office? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute – get started by clicking here.(Sponsor) One of the most controversial financial policies in the news is the refusal of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower the US overnight fed funds rate, which currently stands at 4.33%. This is grossly out of step with the rest of the industrialized world and smacks of politics, as the European Central Bank’s equivalent is at 2.0%, the Bank of England is at 4.0%, and the Bank of Japan is at 0.5%. As Powell’s term ends in May, 2026, President Trump’s prospective replacement candidates are already being reviewed. Whoever it will be, there is little doubt that US interest rates will be cut in the future to get more in-line with the rest of the world, especially since inflation has been successfully squashed and US economic growth is exploding. Locking In High Interest Income Opportunity Window Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell obstinately refuses to cut interest rates for parity with Europe and Japan, and will likely be replaced in May or sooner by President Trump. Although making money in the stock market is the goal of millions of US investors, the US bond and debt market actually is larger by $2 trillion: $51 trillion over $49 trillion for equities. There are millions of investors who are more interested in the income from bonds and the debt markets and prefer to avoid the gyrations of the stock market. The current higher US interest rates will inevitably fall when the Federal Reserve announces the interest rate cut that is already considered a foregone conclusion. That said, there is a window of opportunity to lock in higher payout rates and potential asset upside value before interest rates fall and bond prices go up. Individual investors seeking diversification and high income might wish to consider certain debt oriented closed end funds that presently are yielding over 11%. A $10,000 investment in each of the following four examples could generate over $5,000 annually, based on currently quoted market rates at the time of this writing. XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Inc. deals heavily in the floating-rate bond arena, and its parent has over a quarter century of successful experience in the field. XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (NYSE: XFLT) Yield: 15.44% Annual Income Amount: $1,544.00 Floating rate bonds make coupon payments which, instead of a fixed amount, have a basis point spread against a variable rate pegged to a particular interest rate benchmark, like, for example, LIBOR or the 10-year US Treasury Bond. Mechanically, this is akin to a floating rate mortgage. Chicago, IL headquartered XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Inc. manages a $729 million AUM portfolio of debt instruments majority weighted towards floating rate bonds or other debt structures. This means that their coupon payments have a basis point spread against a variable rate pegged to a particular interest rate benchmark, such as LIBOR or the 10-year US Treasury Bond. Mechanically, this is akin to a floating rate mortgage. During periods of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, as we have experienced in recent years, these payments have ballooned commensurately. The parent company, Octagon, has an over 25-year track record of institutional financial management, with a total $32.6 billion AUM under their auspices. The average bond purchase price is 86% of par, and the average maturity is roughly 8 years. As the bonds pay off at par when they mature, XAI Octagon realizes the 14% difference as additional upside for the portfolio. XAI Octagon’s portfolio is allocated as follows: Senior Secured First Lien: 45.85% Collateralized Loan Obligation Equity: 37.69% Collateralized Loan Obligation Debt: 12.32% High Yield: 0.91% Secured Second Lien: 0.52% Common Stock: 0.06% Cash & Equivalents: 2.64% Ratings-wise, XFLT’s bonds break down accordingly: B: 54.68% BB: 24.49% Unrated: 7.22% BBB: 5.09% Below B: 4.47% A: 2.12% Invesco Senior Income Trust The Invesco Senior Income Trust uses the Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index as its benchmark. Invesco Senior Income Trust (NYSE: VVR) Yield: 12.46% Annual Income Amount: $1,246.00 Fixed-income mutual funds often use benchmarks against which they will gauge the fund’s performance. In the case of Invesco Senior Income Trust, the benchmark in question is the Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index. With nearly the entirety of its $674 million assets under management devoted to investing in the high-yield bond markets, the Atlanta, GA based fund has not missed any monthly dividend payments since its inception, over 27 years ago. The fund was formerly known as Invesco Van Kampen Senior Income Trust and Van Kampen Senior Income Trust. Invesco Senior Income Trust was formed on June 23, 1998 and is domiciled in the United States. As of July, roughly 88.65% of the fund was invested in the bond market, with 4.72% in US stocks and 0.12% in foreign stocks. Within the bond portfolio, there were 383 different fixed income securities. Of these, 95.8% were corporates, of which 40.38% were rated B, 38.47% were unrated, 14.53% were between B- and C-, and 6.62% were BB. Dividends pay out monthly. Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund The Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end fund deploying $1.42 billion AUM almost entirely in bonds and other debt instruments. Stock: Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (NYSE: JFR) Yield: 11.94% Annual Income Amount: $1,194.00 Asset manager Nuveen Investments is a wholly owned private subsidiary of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA). However, it has spun off a number of funds that manage independent portfolios, many of which have become both lucrative and large. Nuveen has a significant footprint in the fixed income arena, which is unsurprising, given that annuities are a key mandate of its parent. Operating from its offices in Chicago, IL. The Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed end bond fund which is focused on the US high yield debt market. It has $1.42 billion AUM that is deployed accordingly: Senior loans: 85.3% Corporate Bonds: 10.5% Cash and Equivalents: 3.1% Net Other Assets: 1.6% Ratings-wise, the JFR portfolio bonds are 53.98% rated B, 28.5% BB, 8.39% BBB, 5.68% B- or below, and 3.24% unrated. JFR pays out dividends monthly. PIMCO Access Income Fund The PIMCO Access Income Fund holds both US and foreign corporate debt issues in its $1.15 billion portfolio. Stock: PIMCO Access Income Fund (NYSE: PAXS) Yield: 11.44% Annual Income Amount: $1,144.00 The PIMCO Access Income Fund is a closed end bond fund that leverages the resources of Newport Beach, CA headquartered Pacific Investment Management Co.’s fixed-income analysts to evaluate bond issues in a wide range of categories from around the globe. Corporate bonds, government and sovereign nation debt, asset-backed and mortgage-backed bonds, floating rate bonds, and even municipal bonds are all fair game if they are available at an attractive price and can deliver on the fund’s income requirements. Dividends are paid out monthly. With $1.15 billion total AUM, the PIMCO Access Income Fund’s portfolio is allocated thus: Industrial Sectors (top 5): Technology: 5.74% Healthcare: 4.80% Consumer Products: 4.31% Wirelines: 3.28% Media Cable: 3.21% Bond Sector Exposure (top5): Non-Agency Mortgage: 27.29% High-Yield Credit: 21.16% Non-US Developed: 14.67% Collateralized Mortgage Backed Sec.: 13.65% Emerging Markets: 10.31% Based on market price at the time of this writing, $10,000 invested in each of these four (4) debt CEFs would lock in yield that delivers $5,128 annually on a cumulative $40,000 portfolio investment. $1,544 + $1,246 + $1,194 + $1,144 = $5,128.00 per year, $427.33 per month. The DRIP Compounding Option A Dividend Reinvestment Plan is an excellent way to compound dividends and build wealth more quickly without expending additional savings. As all four CEFs listed pay dividends on a monthly basis, investors seeking to utilize dividend compounding for boosting portfolio growth rather than requiring the income for expenses, may wish to consider a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) agreement. This would allow them to dollar cost average and compound every month for greater growth acceleration and share accumulation on a limited to zero-fee, autopilot basis. The post Need $5,000 in Passive Income and Spooked By Stocks? Invest $10,000 in these 4 Funds appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Although double-digit yields were normal during the 1980s, lower interest rates and a robust stock market have rendered yields of 10% or higher obscure.

JFR offers a high 12.2% yield, benefiting from the current elevated interest rate environment, making it attractive for income-focused investors. The fund is diversified across 384 positions, primarily in senior loans, but carries significant credit risk due to heavy exposure to below-investment-grade borrowers. JFR trades at a 5% discount-to-NAV, and while price appreciation is possible if rates fall, distributions may decrease in a lower-rate scenario.

We've got a rare “delayed reaction” income play on our hands right now. Thanks to the April stock-market plunge, we can now pick up 12%+ dividends at attractive discounts.

The Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is currently oversold due to market reactions, presenting a tactical 'Buy' opportunity with a potential +5% bounce. JFR's valuation has been impacted by tariff concerns, despite strong economic fundamentals and a stable NAV, leading to a -12% discount to NAV. The fund's yield is projected to adjust to around 10% due to anticipated Fed rate cuts, but defaults remain low and the economy robust.

U.S. senior floating rate loans offer unique protection against interest rate volatility along with high yield, making them a valuable diversifier in income-focused portfolios. Explore the benefits of senior loans and Nuveen's strategy and outlook with Nuveen Head of Senior Loans Scott Caraher. Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions including the Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund.

We review the CEF market valuation and performance through the third week of January and highlight recent market action. CEFs had a strong week, driven by rallies in stocks and Treasuries, with higher-beta MLP and REIT sectors leading. Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund's rights offering is discussed, emphasizing the importance of either selling or exercising the rights.

JFR announced a transferable rights offering, allowing existing shareholders to purchase new shares at a discount. This move will increase the fund's assets under management (AUM) and liquidity but may cause short-term price weakness. The fund remains heavily weighted towards leveraged loans (84% of holdings) with a low duration of 0.44 years and high leverage (38%).

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (NYSE: JFR) today announced that its Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has approved the terms of the issuance of transferable rights (“Rights”) to the holders of the Fund's common shares (par value $.01 per share) (“Common Shares”) as of January 21, 2025 (the “Record Date”). Holders of Rights will be entitled to subscribe for additional Common Shares (the “Offer”) at a discount to the market price of the Common Shares. After considering.

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The Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund offers an attractive 11.50% yield, but is unlikely to maintain this due to expected Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The fund's reliance on floating-rate senior loans means its income will decrease as interest rates decline, making its current distribution unsustainable. The fund failed to cover its distribution fully out of NII in the most recent year.

Floating rate funds like JFR offer decent distribution yields and should continue to do so despite expected rate cuts, as rates aren't expected to go back to zero. JFR remains relatively attractive compared to peers in the closed-end fund senior loan space, though bargain valuations are tougher to come by in this space. With a high amount of leverage, there is relatively more risk to be cognizant of here, but that can come with greater reward as well.

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund focuses on high-yielding fixed income securities, which enables the Fund to offer ~11% yield. A major driver for the double-digit yield is a significant concentration in below investment grade securities. Plus, most of JFR's investments are in floating rate instruments and the FOMC dot plot indicates a potential risk of yield compression.

The Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund offers a significantly higher yield than most fixed-rate bond funds, currently at 11.68%. The fund primarily invests in floating-rate securities that deliver a higher level of income when short-term rates rise, while maintaining a relatively stable price. The fund's high yield may not be enough to keep up with inflation after paying taxes on distributions, so holding it in a tax-advantaged account is recommended.

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund invests in leveraged loans. We rated JFR as "Buy" previously. JFR has delivered a total return of over 19% since its merger with other Nuveen leveraged loan CEFs. The fund is overweight in single-B credits and has a low allocation to riskier CCC-s.