Best Closedendfunds Podcasts (2025)

1
VettaFi's Islam: Now 15, the 'S&P 500 of closed-end funds' has a big impact 10:25

11h ago10:25

10:25

Roxanna Islam, Head of Sector and Industry Research at VettaFi, discusses PCEF — the Invesco Closed-End Fund Income Composite ETF — which she considers the bellwether measure of the closed-end fund industry, a parallel to the Standard & Poor's 500 but for a closed-end space that is rapidly changing. Islam talks about how the ETF — which recently ce…

1
XA's Flynn: Healthy borrowers should keep CLO space humming 13:33

5d ago13:33

13:33

Kimberly Flynn, President of XA Investments — which runs the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust — discusses the development, growth and heightened demand in alternative investments, as well as how current market conditions around rates, tariffs and uncertainty are hitting the loan markets. She notes that the current picture for le…

1
John Cole Scott on BDCs, how they stack up to closed-end funds and more 12:01

13d ago12:01

12:01

John Cole Scott, Chief Investment Officer at Closed-End Fund Advisors — the Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance — returns to The NAVigator in an ongoing project to answer audience questions, this week diving into the world of business-development companies. He sorts out the differences between BDCs and closed-end funds, explaining wh…

1
How activism in Britain holds lessons for American closed-end investors 12:48

24d ago12:48

12:48

Richard Stone, Chief Executive Officer for The Association of Investment Companies — the British equivalent to the Active Investment Company Alliance — discusses the similarities and differences in the closed-end fund industry between the two countries, and how activist investors, most notably U.S. based closed-end powerhouse Saba Capital, have str…

1
Kayne Anderson's Baker on the big potential of energy infrastructure 12:03

1M ago12:03

12:03

Jim Baker, Co-Head of Energy Infrastructure Strategies for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors — President of the Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund — discusses generating "excess free cash flow" that helped the midstream index generate gains of over 50 percent for fiscal 2024, an impressive gain that still actually lagged the total return of hi…

1
Liberty Street's Munafo on hunting for unicorns in AI 12:50

1M ago12:50

12:50

Christian Munafo, chief investment officer at Liberty Street Advisors — the manager of the Private Shares Fund — discusses how there are plenty of opportunities among late-stage venture companies working to make a splash in the artificial intelligence field, but how hard it is to find the transformational companies positioned to succeed. He discuss…

1
CEF Advisors' Scott on discounts, wildfires, benchmarks and more 11:44

2M ago11:44

11:44

John Cole Scott, chief investment officer at Closed-End Fund Advisors — the chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance — brings his data and portfolio-management methods back to The NAVigator to answer questions from listeners, covering concerns for California municipal bond funds in the wake of recent wildfires, how a steepening yield curv…

1
abrdn's Laranjeiro: Tax-exempt yields are an attractive option now 12:26

2M ago12:26

12:26

Miguel Laranjeiro, investment director for municipal debt at Abrdn, says the appetite for muni-bond assets has been growing at a point when "tax-exempt yields look really attractive," with tax-equivalent yields running up to 6 percent for investment-grade bonds, an attractive option compared to corporate and other bond types. Laranjeiro notes that …

1
First Eagle's Holzenthaler says credit picture will get brighter with rate cuts 14:43

2M ago14:43

14:43

Larry Holzenthaler, Portfolio Manager for First Eagle Alternative Credit — part of the team running First Eagle Credit Opportunities fund — gives his outlook for credit markets in 2025, noting that after avoiding default troubles when rates were rising, it should be stronger now, with paper being particularly strong in private credit. Holzenthaler …

1
CION's Gatto on infrastructure investing and why his firm has a new fund for it 12:08

2M ago12:08

12:08

Mark Gatto, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer at CION Investment Group, says that the landscape for global infrastructure spending could be as high as $3 trillion annually worldwide, which is going to create an investment asset class that is consistent, that can overcome political challenges, and that has public and private investment oppor…

1
2024 in Review: John Cole Scott on how his forecasts turned out 13:18

2M ago13:18

13:18

John Cole Scott — president of Closed-End Fund Advisors and the chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance — revisits the forecasts he made for the closed-end fund business a year ago and to grade himself as a soothsayer. Having made his 2025 calls for closed-end funds a week ago, he puts some weight behind his prognostications by showing t…

1
2025 outlook: John Cole Scott on the year ahead for closed-end funds 18:23

3M ago18:23

18:23

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors, doesn't have a crystal ball, but he does have a mountain of data, and he digs through it to look at the stories he anticipates to be central to the closed-end fund landscape in the new year. Beyond looking at the big stories, John identifies five investments poised for breakout performances in…

1
Attorney Burdon on how Trump 2.0 may impact closed-end funds 11:39

3M ago11:39

11:39

Ken Burdon, a partner in the registered funds practice at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett, discusses how the return of President Donald Trump might benefit closed-end funds. One key development he will be looking for is for the approval of new investment vehicles that give retail investors more access to private credit markets and other alternative as…

1
Nuveen's Chintapalli sees big opportunities in global high yield 11:52

3M ago11:52

11:52

Ravi Chintapalli, Client Portfolio Manager on the Global Fixed Income team at Nuveen, says that the bond market has seen a structural change in the market for below-investment grade or junk bonds. Chintapalli says investors think of junk bonds as it was in times like 2007, when nearly one-third of the paper was teetering on the edge of default; tod…

1
NAVigator bonus: High yield trending up, tech down and cash is an alternative 16:08

3M ago16:08

16:08

Michael Lowenberg of White Mountain Capital — Portfolio Manager for the Modern Capital Tactical Income fund (ticker MCTOX) discusses the factors he considers when picking closed-end funds for the portfolio. Lowenberg — whose fund buys both stocks and closed-end funds — likes the funds for their downside protection, and explains that he values the a…

1
Hennion & Walsh's Mahn says rate cuts will push investors toward BDCs 14:23

3M ago14:23

14:23

Kevin Mahn, President and Chief Investment Officer at Hennion & Walsh Asset Management — which runs the Smart Trust Unit Investment Trusts — says that he expects the Federal Reserve to cut rates over the next two years, which will drive investors to turn for income alternatives "since they can't find the 5 percent in the short-term CDs any more." T…

1
Black Friday discount shopping with John Cole Scott 12:02

4M ago12:02

12:02

The day after Thanksgiving is all about shopping at the biggest possible discounts, and John Cole Scott of Closed-End Fund Advisors puts a closed-end fund spin on it for the third straight year, culling through funds the way bargain shoppers look for the best deals. Scott — Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance — identifies three diffe…

1
Double feature: Jim Cohen and Axel Merk from AICA's 2024 Roundtable 27:29

4M ago27:29

27:29

The NAVigator this week offers a taste of the action from the Active Investment Company Alliance's 2024 Fall Roundtable, which was held on November 13 in New York City. Individual investor Jim Cohen discusses how consumers in closed-end funds are caught between activist "whales" and fund sponsors, wanting to hold funds to account to narrow discount…

1
Abrdn's Duitz, from AICA Roundtable, on infrastructure plays post-election 12:17

4M ago12:17

12:17

Josh Duitz, Portfolio Manager for the Aberdeen Global Infrastructure Fund, took a break from the program at the Active Investment Company's Fall Roundtable in New York this week to discuss the state of infrastructure investing now that the presidential election has been decided and the policies of the second Trump Administration are becoming more c…

1
XA's Hagen on the interval fund boom 12:37

4M ago12:37

12:37

Jared Hagen, Vice President at XA Investments, discusses this year's unprecedented growth in interval and tender-offer funds and how the number of funds in registration guarantees the trend will continue through 2025. Hagen talks about why the investment community has taken a shine to interval funds and covers how the expansion into the space has i…

1
AICA's Scott reviews 3Q's stellar results for closed-end funds 12:04

5M ago12:04

12:04

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, digs into his firm's data to break down a great three-month stretch for closed-end funds and business development companies. He says it was a period in which discounts narrowed dramatically and changed the opportunity set without it becomi…

1
RiverNorth's Browne: Muni bond funds look cheap and promising now 12:25

5M ago12:25

12:25

Jonathan Browne, Senior Investment Analyst at RiverNorth Capital Management — and Portfolio Manager on five of the firm's municipal bond closed-end fund-of-funds — says that the headwinds that made for big struggles in the muni bond space have shifted to become tailwinds, creating opportunity despite the strong recent rebound among muni bond funds.…

1
Arrowmark's Staggs on an income-generating alternative play on banks 11:54

5M ago11:54

11:54

Dana Staggs, President of Arrowmark Financial Corp., talks about how regulatory capital relief securities — bank-generated floating-rate notes that are currently producing yields of up to 15 percent — can function as an alternative investment. He notes that due to their emergence during the financial crisis of 2008, regulatory capital relief securi…

1
Digging into lesser-known interval fund picks with John Cole Scott 14:23

5M ago14:23

14:23

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and the Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, discusses interval funds and digs into the data on four funds that use the structure to create promising investment opportunities for investors. Plus, learn about the NAVigator Podcast's first-ever contest, in celebration of its fifth …

1
Barings' Feeley: Rate-cut cycle will make high-yield bonds more attractive 11:28

5M ago11:28

11:28

Sean Feeley, part of the U.S. High Yield Investment Group at Barings, says he believes that with the bulk of interest rate adjustments happening at the short end of the yield curve, a wave of refinancing of shorter-term debt is coming, and that this typically makes high-yield investments look more attractive. Feeley expects the economy to avoid a r…

1
John Cole Scott on four funds to consider in the fourth quarter 12:03

6M ago12:03

12:03

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, looks ahead to the fourth quarter on today's podcast. He discusses two equity and two fixed-income funds that hit his trifecta — an analytical mix of discount, dividend, and net asset value — and that he says look particularly promising fo…

1
abrdn's Laranjiero: Rate cuts should boost muni bond funds 10:10

6M ago10:10

10:10

Miguel Laranjeiro, Investment Director at abrdn, says we are seeing "the beginning of a robust in-flow cycle into the muni space," noting that credit spreads and all-in yields are attractive and that the value of the tax exemption will particularly pay off now. He says he expects the Federal Reserve's long-awaited rate cuts will end the longest yie…

1
Oppenheimer's Penn on how BDCs might fare when the rate cuts start 11:07

6M ago11:07

11:07

Mitchel Penn, Managing Director of Equity Research at Oppenheimer and Co., says that while business development companies (BDCs) have struggled this year, they are positioned well to ride out the changing interest rate cycle. He says that when the Federal Reserve starts cutting interest rates, he expects BDCs to see higher fee income, though some o…

1
John Cole Scott on the potential benefits of sector swapping 12:13

6M ago12:13

12:13

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, discusses how investors in funds trading at premiums can use sector swapping to turbocharge their gains. He describes a process where an investor sells out of funds trading at premiums and purchases similar funds trading at discounts, lock…

1
John Cole Scott on how funds perform after tenders, closings, and dividend changes 13:15

7M ago13:15

13:15

John Cole Scott, president of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, explains how closed-end funds have responded historically to corporate actions like tender offers, liquidations, transitions to open-end funds, rights offerings, and big changes in dividend policy. He notes that understanding how those eve…

1
NAVigator bonus: RVP's Fertig on what's attractive as rate-cut cycle starts 18:54

7M ago18:54

18:54

Maury Fertig, Chief Investment Officer at Relative Value Partners, discusses how the changing interest rate picture is impacting considerations on the closed-end funds he is considering for client portfolios — and which areas of the closed-end fund universe look particularly attractive now. He also talks about how a number of BlackRock funds are pe…

1
Saratoga's Oberbeck on the state of private credit ahead of interest rate cuts 12:36

7M ago12:36

12:36

Chris Oberbeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Saratoga Investment Corp., says that private credit — which has been on the rise for several years — is being challenged by a cooling market for mergers and acquisition activity. That has put pricing pressure on managers, which should ease a bit as rates come down and mergers and financing dea…

1
CAIA's Filbeck on interval funds and media criticism of the structure 13:10

7M ago13:10

13:10

Aaron Filbeck, Managing Director of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA), discusses interval funds, their evolution, fee structures, and potential. He also responds to recent media coverage that has been critical of them as investment vehicles, including a recent Wall Street Journal article on how interval fund fees "will…

1
XAI's Flynn on growth and expansion in interval funds 13:56

7M ago13:56

13:56

Kimberly Flynn, Managing Director of Alternative Investments at XA Investments, discusses the state of interval funds, which have been growing rapidly and expanding their asset reach. It's not just the 50-plus funds on file and the entry of big players and new investment ideas, but also the recent rise in media interest. In the interview, Flynn res…

1
BlueBay's Farley: 'We're looking at a multi-year high in default rates' 13:17

8M ago13:17

13:17

Duncan Farley, Portfolio Manager on the Developed Markets Special Situations team at RBC BlueBay Asset Management — manager of the BlueBay Destra International Event-Driven Credit Fund — says corporations that have been "dining out on cheap finance" now have indigestion because their debt levels, leverage, and costs have gone up, so "the math doesn…

1
John Cole Scott on where closed-end funds stand at mid-year 13:43

8M ago13:43

13:43

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, provides an update on what's been happening with closed-end funds throughout the first half of 2024. He notes that discounts narrowed almost across the board, but yields increased, resulting in positive returns for most asset classes.…

1
abrdn’s Akus sees opportunity as healthcare plays ‘catch up’ with the market 12:08

8M ago12:08

12:08

Jason Akus, Senior Investment Director and Head of Healthcare Investing at abrdn and manager of the firm’s four closed-end funds covering biotech and healthcare, says that the stock market appears to be broadening out and that healthcare and biotech are both likely to be beneficiaries. Healthcare stocks have generally lagged the stock market since …

1
CION's Gatto: Money rushing into BDCs creates middle-market opportunities 13:22

8M ago13:22

13:22

Mark Gatto, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of CION Investment Group — which manages the business development company CION Investment Corp. — discusses the heavy interest and cash flow into BDCs and how that is changing the space and making it important for investors and advisers to "pull back the layers to understand what they are invest…

1
Picking between funds is about much more than big yields 12:41

9M ago12:41

12:41

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, compares two high-yielding offerings from Ares, breaking down the Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation (ARDC) fund and the CION Ares Diversified Credit I (CADUX) fund. He shows that while both could be viable and attractive options for investors…

1
John Cole Scott on BDCs vs. private credit funds, AI impacting money management, and more 11:50

9M ago11:50

11:50

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, shares takeaways from a recent industry conference focused on business development companies (BDCs). He talks about how BDCs compare to private credit funds, how the market is changing, and how some money managers are using artificial inte…

1
VettaFi's Islam on the highs and lows of applying rules to CEF investing 9:24

9M ago9:24

9:24

Roxanna Islam, Head of Sector and Industry Research at VettaFi, discusses the benefits and flaws of applying rules-based investing to closed-end funds. She notes that changes in the industry have forced changes on a rules-guided index of closed-end funds created by VettaFi, and how that is impacting the holdings and asset allocation of the fund-of-…

1
When the industry tries to narrow discounts, 'that's good for all of us' 11:41

9M ago11:41

11:41

Rob Shaker, Portfolio Manager at Shaker Financial Services, says that economic conditions — the debt-ceiling debate, troubled banks, higher interest rates and persistent inflation — have created a situation where the market isn’t climbing the proverbial wall of worry, but rather a ‘Wall of Meh.’ However, he adds that there is opportunity in the uni…

1
Nuveen's Dave Lamb on how fund firms are reacting to increased activism 13:23

9M ago13:23

13:23

Dave Lamb, Head of Closed-End Funds at Nuveen, says there is a "much more aggressive form of activism today than what we saw years ago," and notes that it's driven entirely by discount-arbitrage opportunities rather than whether a fund is underperforming due to management decision-making. With discounts at wide levels — particularly for fixed-incom…

1
John Cole Scott on new trends reshaping closed-end funds 13:31

10M ago13:31

13:31

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, talks about the good and bad in recent industry developments. For example, Scott discusses how fund sponsors are taking steps to keep a lid on discounts, potentially reducing a fund's attractiveness to activist investors. He also highlight…

1
BlackRock's Minar on how the firm is changing discount plays 12:52

10M ago12:52

12:52

Stephen Minar, Managing Director and Head of Closed-End Funds at BlackRock, discusses a contemporary conundrum in the closed-end fund industry: How discounts drive money flows into closed-end funds but also attract activist investors whose actions may be harmful to long-term individual investors. To address this, Minar notes that BlackRock has laun…

1
Sizemore: "The Fed's actions have changed, but the discounts remain" 13:12

10M ago13:12

13:12

Charles Lewis Sizemore, chief investment officer at Sizemore Capital Management, says that while short-term rates are as high as they are likely to be, the "massive discount" created in closed-end funds while rates were on the rise have not dissipated. That means closed-end funds remain a compelling value now, and Sizemore said he is finding partic…

1
Angel Oak's Triick says mortgages are in a fixed-income sweet spot now 13:00

10M ago13:00

13:00

Clayton Triick, Head of Portfolio Management, Public Strategies at Angel Oak Capital Advisors — part of the team running the Angel Oak Strategic Credit Fund — says that fundamentals and valuations seldom get aligned the way they have right now for the U.S. housing market and American homeowners. He notes that valuations are "cheaper than they shoul…

1
Liberty Street's Munafo on opportunities in late-stage private venture 14:03

11M ago14:03

14:03

Christian Munafo, Chief Investment Officer at Liberty Street Advisors, which runs the Private Shares Fund, discusses how late-stage private venture companies are generating a huge chunk of economic power off most investors' radar. He says now is the time for many investors to pursue the opportunity, coming off of two years in which private shares s…

1
Abrdn's Mondillo: Record discounts plus solid yields should pay off for muni investors 10:59

11M ago10:59

10:59

Jonathan Mondillo, head of North American fixed income for abrdn says that record discount levels for municipal bond closed-end funds, coupled with attractive yields on those funds, are creating real opportunities for investors, though he warns about the middle of the yield curve, noting that the most compelling values are at the two ends of the ba…

1
John Cole Scott gives his first take on 2024 12:32

11M ago12:32

12:32

John Cole Scott, President of Closed-End Fund Advisors and Chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance, drills into the first-quarter data for closed-end funds. He notes that while municipal-bond funds still couldn't break out of their long-running slump, the first three months were a strong time for most closed-end funds (more than 90 perce…

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