XA Investments to Advise Madison Covered Call Fund

TL;DR

XAI taking over MCN advisory, Madison stays as PM. Shareholder vote needed.

AI Summary

XA Investments (XAI) announced on July 16, 2024, that it will become the investment adviser to the Madison Covered Call & Equity Strategy Fund (NYSE: MCN), a $146 million closed-end fund. Madison Investments will continue to serve as the portfolio manager as a sub-adviser. Both changes are subject to approval by MCN shareholders.

Why It Matters

This transaction signifies a shift in advisory roles for the $146 million Madison Covered Call & Equity Strategy Fund, potentially impacting its investment strategy and management.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level: medium — The transaction is subject to shareholder approval, introducing uncertainty regarding its completion and potential impact on the fund.

Key Numbers

• $146 million — Fund Size (Represents the total assets under management of the Madison Covered Call & Equity Strategy Fund.)

Key Players & Entities

• XA Investments (company) — Acquiring investment adviser
• Madison Covered Call & Equity Strategy Fund (company) — Target fund
• MCN (company) — Ticker symbol for target fund
• Madison Investments (company) — Retained portfolio manager
• $146 million (dollar_amount) — Size of the target fund
• July 16, 2024 (date) — Announcement date

FAQ

Key Financial Figures

• $146 million — Call Equity Strategy Fund (NYSE MCN), a $146 million listed closed-end fund. The agreement b
• $26 billion — was founded in 1974, has approximately $26 billion in assets under management as of March

Filing Documents

• xai-mcnannouncement07172024.htm (DEFA14A) — 10KB
• 0001289868-24-000008.txt ( ) — 11KB

From the Filing

Document XA Investments to Become Investment Adviser to Madison Investments Closed-End Fund and Will Retain Madison Investments as Portfolio Manager Reflects Increasing Investor Demand for Equity Income Funds Chicago, Illinois, July 16, 2024 – XA Investments (XAI), an alternative investment management and consulting firm, announced the pending transaction, by which XAI will become investment adviser to the Madison Covered Call Equity Strategy Fund (NYSE MCN), a $146 million listed closed-end fund. The agreement between XAI and MCN is subject to approval by MCN shareholders. Notably, Madison Investments will maintain portfolio management responsibilities as sub-adviser to MCN, also subject to approval by MCN shareholders. XAI is committed to providing investors with access to institutional-caliber investments. The acquisition would expand the number of closed-end funds currently on the XAI platform to three - XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Trust (NYSE XFLT), Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund (OCTIX) and Madison Covered Call and Equity Strategy Fund. XAI continues to seek additional opportunities consistent with its mission of providing better products with better portfolio outcomes for investors. Portfolio manager, Ray Di Bernardo, who has managed MCN for 20 years, said "We are excited to continue to deliver lower volatility and strong cash flows to our shareholders. Partnering with XAI will allow us to focus on investment management, ensuring that the best interests of MCN's shareholders are upheld. It will enable Madison Investments to pursue its strategic growth priorities, including an investment lineup of separately managed accounts, open-end mutual funds, and active ETFs." "I am pleased to welcome Madison Investments to the XAI closed-end fund platform," said Kimberly Flynn, President of XAI. I believe that XAI can deliver three primary benefits to the shareholders of the Madison Covered Call Equity Strategy Fund (1) superior growth in assets under management and scale efficiencies (2) continuity of the existing portfolio management team and (3) enhanced investor relations." As noted above, XAI's appointment as investment adviser to MCN is subject to shareholder approval and is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2024. About XA Investments XA Investments LLC ("XAI") is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for both a listed closed-end fund and an interval closed-end fund, respectively the XAI Octagon Floating Rate Alternative Income Trust (NYSE XFLT) and the Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund (OCTIX). In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including product development and market research, sales, marketing and fund management. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com . About Madison Investments Madison Investments is an independent investment management firm based in Madison, WI. The firm was founded in 1974, has approximately $26 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2024, and is recognized as one of the nation's top investment firms. Madison Investments offers domestic fixed income, U.S. and international equity, covered call, multi-asset, insurance, and credit union investment management strategies. "Madison" andor "Madison Investments" is the unifying tradename of Madison Investment Holdings, Inc., Madison Asset Management, LLC, and Madison Investment Advisors, LLC. Madison Funds are distributed by MFD Distributor, LLC. Madison is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. MFD Distributor, LLC is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (www.finra.org). Important Additional Information and Where to Find It MCN has filed a preliminary proxy statement and intends to file the definitive proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the proposed acquisition and solicitation of proxies at a forthcoming special meeting of shareholders of MCN in the fourth quarter of 2024 (the "2024 Special Meeting"). Prior to the 2024 Special Meeting, MCN will file with the SEC and subsequently distribute to MCN shareholders of record as of July 22, 2024, the Proxy Statement together with a proxy card. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THA

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