GOF Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund

Item 1.  Reports to Stockholders.

The registrant's annual report transmitted to shareholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), is as follows:

 

GUGGENHEIMINVESTMENTS.COM/GOF

... YOUR WINDOW TO THE LATEST, MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND

The shareholder report you are reading right now is just the beginning of the story.

Online at guggenheiminvestments.com/gof, you will find:

•	Daily, weekly and monthly data on share prices, net asset values, distributions and more

•	Portfolio overviews and performance analyses

•	Announcements, press releases and special notices

•	Fund and adviser contact information

Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC and Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC are continually updating and expanding shareholder information services on the Fund’s website in an ongoing effort to provide you with the most current information about how your Fund’s assets are managed and the results of our efforts. It is just one more small way we are working to keep you better informed about your investment in the Fund.

 

 

DEAR SHAREHOLDER

We thank you for your investment in the Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”). This report covers the Fund’s performance for the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020. The period was marked by the emergence and spread of a novel and highly contagious form of coronavirus, producing a pandemic that caused a steeper plunge in output and employment in two months than during the first two years of the Great Depression.

A recovery began in May 2020 as states began to reopen, but the subsequent rise in infections showed the difficulty in managing an economic recovery amid a pandemic. We expect the recovery could continue at an uneven pace as households, businesses, and governments gradually learn how to adapt. However, we do not expect a full recovery will be possible until a vaccine has been developed, tested, approved, produced, and administered across the globe. This process may take until mid-2021, or possibly longer. Even after a vaccine is deployed, the recovery could be sluggish due to the long-term damage being done to the economy. The surge in joblessness is damaging household balance sheets, and precautionary saving will further hold back the recovery in consumption.

The impact of these events affected performance of the Fund for the period. To learn more about the Fund’s performance and investment strategy, we encourage you to read the Economic and Market Overview and the Questions & Answers sections of this report, which begin on page 5. You’ll find information on Guggenheim’s investment philosophy, views on the economy and market environment, and detailed information about the factors that impacted the Fund’s performance.

The Fund’s investment objective is to maximize total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund pursues a relative value-based investment philosophy. The Fund’s sub-adviser seeks to combine a credit-managed fixed-income portfolio with access to a diversified pool of alternative investments and equity strategies.

All Fund returns cited—whether based on net asset value (“NAV”) or market price—assume the reinvestment of all distributions. For the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020, the Fund provided a total return based on market price of -7.96% and a total return based on NAV of -2.79%. As of May 31, 2020, the Fund’s market price of $16.20 per share represented a premium of 5.95% to its NAV of $15.29 per share.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All NAV returns include the deduction of management fees, operating expenses, and all other Fund expenses. The market price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates from time to time, and it may be higher or lower than the Fund’s NAV.

From June 2019 through May 2020, the Fund paid a monthly distribution of $0.1821 per share. The latest distribution represents an annualized distribution rate of 13.49% based on the Fund’s closing market price of $16.20 per share on May 31, 2020. The Fund’s distribution rate is not constant and the amount of distributions, when declared by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, is subject to change based on the performance of the Fund. Please see the Distributions to Shareholders & Annualized Distribution Rate on page 24, and Note 2(f) on page 69 for more information on distributions for the period.

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Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC (“GPIM” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser and is responsible for the management of the Fund’s portfolio of investments. Each of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser is an affiliate of Guggenheim Partners, LLC (“Guggenheim”), a global diversified financial services firm.

We encourage shareholders to consider the opportunity to reinvest their distributions from the Fund through the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”), which is described in detail on page 107 of this report. When shares trade at a discount to NAV, the DRIP takes advantage of the discount by reinvesting the monthly dividend distribution in common shares of the Fund purchased in the market at a price less than NAV. Conversely, when the market price of the Fund’s common shares is at a premium above NAV, the DRIP reinvests participants’ dividends in newly-issued common shares at the greater of NAV per share or 95% of the market price per share. The DRIP provides a cost-effective means to accumulate additional shares and enjoy the benefits of compounding returns over time. Since the Fund endeavors to maintain a stable monthly distribution, the DRIP effectively provides an income averaging technique which causes shareholders to accumulate a larger number of Fund shares when the market price is depressed than when the price is higher.

We appreciate your investment and look forward to serving your investment needs in the future. For the most up-to-date information on your investment, please visit the Fund’s website at guggenheiminvestments.com/gof.

Sincerely,


Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC
Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund


June 30, 2020

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Our recession forecasting tools pointed to a downturn beginning between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, with a midpoint of February 2020. While we did not see a pandemic coming, it turns out that February was indeed the peak in the business cycle. What has unfolded since has been an economic shock of unprecedented scale and scope. COVID-19, one of the deadliest pandemics in a century, caused a steeper plunge in output and employment in two months than occurred during the first two years of the Great Depression. As COVID-19 spiraled into a global pandemic, risk assets traded down and corporate spreads widened to levels not seen since the financial crisis. During the first quarter of 2020, the S&P 500 Index and benchmark high yield, bank loan, and investment-grade indices declined by 19.60%, 12.68%, 13.19%, and 3.63%, respectively.

In response to the crisis, the Federal Open Market Committee cut interest rates by 125 basis points in March and passed a series of stimulus programs. Among them were the Primary and Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facilities, which are lending programs primarily targeting investment-grade corporate bond issuers, implemented in concert with the U.S. Treasury. It was only after the announcement of this program that corporate credit found some relief from the selloff, and subsequent market performance, especially for stocks, has defied weak economic signals in the belief that policymakers will not allow companies to collapse under the weight of their substantial debt. For the 12 months ended May 31, 2020, the S&P 500 Index returned 12.84%, and the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index returned 9.42%. As a result of the supportive policy response, the U.S. budget deficit is headed to its highest as a share of GDP since World War II, and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (the “Fed”) balance sheet could exceed $9 trillion by the end of the year. But even this policy response cannot force consumers to spend or businesses to invest amid staggering uncertainty, and future rounds of fiscal stimulus will likely be needed.

Many countries and all U.S. states are taking tentative steps to reopen their economies, which is supporting an uptick in economic activity. However, we do not expect a genuine recovery will be possible until a vaccine has been developed, tested, approved, produced, and administered across the globe. This process is likely to take 12–18 months, but possibly longer. In the meantime, keeping the infection rate in check will require social distancing measures that stymie economic activity. Given millions of identified cases today and limited testing capabilities, a premature reopening could mean another spike in infections.

Joblessness has surged, with the fall in U.S. employment in April alone representing a 40 standard deviation shock, erasing all the job gains of the preceding 21 years. As personal, small business, and corporate bankruptcies mount, permanent damage is being done to the productive capacity of the economy, which will stunt the recovery in output and corporate profits. The road to recovery may have begun in May, but we would remind investors that it took nearly 10 years for the unemployment rate to return to the cycle low seen in 2007, and the current shock appears to be several times more severe than the last financial crisis.

We would also note that cracks were forming long before the current crisis. On July 31, 2019, the Fed announced its first rate cut since 2008 amid growing downside risks to policymakers’ baseline growth and inflation forecasts. Key among these were slowing global growth, the threat of additional U.S.-China tariffs, and concerns over Brexit. The Fed went on to cut rates in September and December of 2019 as it sought to sustain the expansion.

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Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (“Fund”) is managed by a team of seasoned professionals at Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC (“GPIM”). This team includes B. Scott Minerd, Chairman of Guggenheim Investments and Global Chief Investment Officer; Anne B. Walsh, CFA, JD, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income; Steven H. Brown, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager; and Adam Bloch, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager. In the following interview, the investment team discusses the market environment and the Fund’s performance for the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020.

What is the Fund’s investment objective and how is it pursued?

The Fund seeks to maximize total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund pursues a relative value-based investment philosophy, which utilizes quantitative and qualitative analysis.

The Fund seeks to combine a credit-managed fixed-income portfolio with access to a diversified pool of alternative investments and equity strategies. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a wide range of fixed-income and other debt and senior-equity securities (“Income Securities”) selected from a variety of credit qualities and sectors, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, loans and loan participations, structured finance investments, U.S. government and agency securities, mezzanine and preferred securities and convertible securities, and in common stocks, limited liability company interests, trust certificates, and other equity investments (“Common Equity Securities”), exposure to which is obtained primarily by investing in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that Guggenheim believes offer attractive yield and/or capital appreciation potential, including employing a strategy of writing (selling) covered call and put options on such equities. Guggenheim believes the volatility of the Fund can be reduced by diversifying across a large number of sectors and securities, some of which historically have not been highly correlated to one another.

Under normal market conditions:

•	The Fund may invest without limitation in fixed-income securities rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”); the Fund may invest in below-investment grade income securities of any rating;

•	The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated fixed-income securities of corporate and governmental issuers located outside the U.S., including up to 10% of total assets in fixed-income securities of issuers located in emerging markets;

•	The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in common equity securities, and the Fund may invest in ETFs or other investment funds that track equity market indices and/or through derivative instruments that replicate the economic characteristics of exposure to Common Equity Securities; and

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The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in investment funds that primarily hold (directly or indirectly) investments in which the Fund may invest directly, of which amount up to 30% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in investment funds that are registered as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) to the extent permitted by applicable law and related interpretations of the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Guggenheim’s process for determining whether to buy a security is a collaborative effort between various groups including: (i) economic research, which focus on key economic themes and trends, regional and country-specific analysis, and assessments of event-risk and policy impacts on asset prices, (ii) the Portfolio Construction Group, which utilize proprietary portfolio construction and risk modeling tools to determine allocation of assets among a variety of sectors, (iii) its Sector Specialists, who are responsible for identifying investment opportunities in particular securities within these sectors, including the structuring of certain securities directly with the issuers or with investment banks and dealers involved in the origination of such securities, and (iv) portfolio managers, who determine which securities best fit the Fund based on the Fund’s investment objective and top-down sector allocations. In managing the Fund, Guggenheim uses a process for selecting securities for purchase and sale that is based on intensive credit research and involves extensive due diligence on each issuer, region and sector. Guggenheim also considers macroeconomic outlook and geopolitical issues.

The Fund may use financial leverage to finance the purchase of additional securities. Although financial leverage may create an opportunity for increased return for shareholders, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. There is no assurance that the strategy will be successful. If income and gains earned on securities purchased with the financial leverage proceeds are greater than the cost of the financial leverage, common shareholders’ return will be greater than if financial leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or gains from the securities purchased with the proceeds of financial leverage are less than the cost of the financial leverage, common shareholders’ return will be less than if financial leverage had not been used.

How did the Fund perform for the 12 months ended May 31, 2020?

All Fund returns cited—whether based on net asset value (“NAV”) or market price—assume the reinvestment of all distributions. For the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020, the Fund provided a total return based on market price of -7.96% and a total return based on NAV of -2.79%. As of May 31, 2020, the Fund’s market price of $16.20 per share represented a premium of 5.95% to its NAV of $15.29 per share. As of May 31, 2019, the Fund’s market price of $19.96 per share represented a premium of 11.45% to its NAV of $17.91 per share.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All NAV returns include the deduction of management fees, operating expenses, and all other Fund expenses. The market value of the Fund’s shares fluctuates from time to time and maybe higher or lower than the Fund’s NAV.

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What were the Fund’s distributions?

From June 2019 through May 2020, the Fund paid a monthly distribution of $0.1821 per share. The latest distribution represents an annualized distribution rate of 13.49% based on the Fund’s closing market price of $16.20 per share on May 31, 2020. The Fund’s distribution rate is not constant and the amount of distributions, when declared by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, is subject to change based on a variety of factors. Please see the Distributions to Shareholders & Annualized Distribution Rate on page 24, and Note 2(f) on page 69 for more information on distributions for the period.

For the year ended May 31, 2020, 60.6% of the distributions were characterized as return of capital and 39.4% of the distributions were characterized as ordinary income. The final determination of the tax character of the distributions paid by the Fund in 2020 will be reported to shareholders in January 2021.

How did other markets perform in this environment for the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020?

 

Discuss performance over the period.

During the period, the Fund returned -2.79% based on NAV performance as spread widening outpaced the Fund’s carry and the positive impact from duration. Carry refers to the income received from portfolio investments over a defined period.

As COVID-19 spiraled into a global pandemic, risk assets sold off sharply in the first quarter of 2020. U.S. unemployment claims surged to more than 40 million over a 10-week period, highlighting the tremendous and sudden disruption in the U.S. economy. The negative performance for the Fund was due to price declines seen across risk asset classes. Spreads on all credit assets, including those that we view as broadly credit loss remote, widened to levels not seen since the financial crisis. Default risk within the portfolio remains relatively low given the rigor of our underwriting and decision to allocate senior in the capital structure. Defensive positioning and the decision to de-lever the Fund in 2019 helped limit the drawdown and afforded an opportunity to add credit exposure at historically wide levels.

As spreads swung from cycle tights to near historical wide levels, the Fund unwound its credit protection on the Investment Grade Credit Default Swap (CDX) index, which had added to performance for the period. The Fund subsequently took advantage of the dislocations across

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corporate credit markets to add both high yield and investment grade corporate exposure, and has continued to source opportunities at elevated spread levels.

High yield corporate bonds added to performance as the Fund nearly doubled its allocation to 17.4% at period’s end to take advantage of market dislocations. High yield corporate index spreads widened more than 200 basis points over the period to end at 637 basis points on May 31, 2020. After beginning the year near cycle tights, high yield spreads spiked to a peak of 1,100 basis points on March 23, 2020, before retracing after the Fed announced that it would purchase an unlimited amount of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, and expand its facilities to include certain types of corporate and municipal debt in order to support the financial markets. Subsequent spread tightening reflected optimism that the aggressive monetary efforts by the Fed, coupled with $3.0 trillion fiscal spending approved by Congress, should help blunt the economic blow from COVID-19.

Investment grade corporate bonds also added to performance as the Fund increased its allocation by 8 percentage points to 11.8% at period’s end to take advantage of historically wide spread levels. Since the start of the period, investment grade corporate spreads widened by 245 basis points to a peak of 373 basis points on March 23, 2020, before retracing to a level inside 175 basis points at period end.

Bank loans, which constituted 38.0% of the Fund at period’s end, detracted from performance with the broader loan index average price falling to the mid-$70s context before recovering to the mid-$80s, down from high-$90s earlier in the year. The Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index returned -3.35% over the period. The Fed and U.S. Treasury’s expanded support for corporate borrowers removed some of the hazards that lead to default, such as being shut out of the market when in need of money. The Main Street Loan Facilities program was designed to support loans to some U.S. businesses, but leverage caps limit accessibility for many issuers in the broadly syndicated loan market. However, use of this program may free up bank capacity to make credit more available to other borrowers most at risk of default.

Asset Backed Securities (“ABS”) (not including CLOs), which constituted 8.6% of the Fund at period’s end, generated a marginally positive total return as income earned and duration impact outweighed spread widening over the period.

Collateralized Loan Obligations (“CLOs”), which constituted 10.9% of the Fund at period’s end, detracted from performance as spread widening in CLOs outpaced income earned. The Fund’s CLO holdings are mostly senior in the capital structure and should remain substantially loss remote even in a severe economic downturn. That did not mean the holdings were immune from broader spread widening, however. Over the period, we saw spreads widen and prices fall mainly as a function of liquidity, as investors looked to convert shorter duration/higher credit quality securities to cash.

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Non-Agency Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (“non-Agency RMBS”), which constituted 8.0% of the Fund at period’s end, also detracted from performance as current macroeconomic headwinds resulted in spread widening. Mortgage credit performance was under pressure as unemployment continued to rise. Weakness in the broader economy will likely overwhelm the positive housing fundamentals that existed prior to the onset of the pandemic. Despite recent widening of spreads between senior and subordinated classes, differences in their credit profiles suggest better value in more senior securities.

Over the period, the Fund added select credit closed-end funds to take advantage of attractive yields and discounted share prices relative to their NAVs.

Interest rates across the U.S. Treasury curve fell between 120 and 225 basis points over the period, which aided in the Fund’s performance.

What was the impact of derivatives on Fund performance?

The Fund uses derivatives for its equity covered call strategy and for various hedging purposes, such as currency forward contracts to fully hedge exchange rate risk in the purchase of government securities of foreign countries. It also uses various derivatives to obtain exposure to indexes that track various equity market sectors.

Returns from the covered call allocation detracted from performance over the period. The allocation had been reduced in May 2019 in line with our broader plan to help protect the portfolio and shareholders from future drawdowns.

The Fund held a credit hedge via credit default swaps to reduce portfolio spread duration and help protect shareholders from a drawdown. As spreads swung from cycle tights to near historical wide levels, the Fund unwound its credit protection on the Markit North American Investment Grade CDX Index which had added to performance for the period.

As part of the re-risking strategy, the Fund utilized credit default swaps on the Markit North American High Yield CDX Index to gain high yield market exposure, which was additive to performance over the period.

Discuss the Fund’s approach to duration.

The Fund has no set policy regarding portfolio duration or maturity; interest rate duration at period’s end was 3.6 years.

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Discuss the Fund’s use of leverage.

The Fund employed no leverage going into the COVID-19 crisis. After spreads widened materially, the Fund began adding leverage and ended the period with leverage of approximately 8.69% of managed assets (including the proceeds of leverage) at May 31, 2020.

The purpose of leverage (borrowings and reverse repurchase agreements) is to fund the purchase of additional securities that may provide increased income and potentially greater appreciation to common shareholders than could be achieved from an unlevered portfolio. Leverage results in greater NAV volatility and entails more downside risk than an unleveraged portfolio.

Index Definitions

Indices are unmanaged and reflect no expenses. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including U.S. Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities or “MBS” (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage, or “ARM”, pass-throughs), ABS, and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) (agency and non-agency).

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond 1-3 Year Index measures the performance of publicly issued investment grade corporate, U.S. Treasury and government agency securities with remaining maturities of one to three years.

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Index measures the U.S. dollar-denominated, high yield, fixed-rate corporate bond market. Securities are classified as high yield if the middle rating of Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P is Ba1/BB +/BB + or below.

The Credit Suisse Leveraged Loan Index is an index designed to mirror the investable universe of the U.S.-dollar-denominated leveraged loan market.

The ICE Bank of America Merrill Lynch Asset Backed Security Master BBB-AA Index is a subset of the ICE BofA/ML U.S. Fixed Rate Asset Backed Securities Index including all securities rated AA1 through BBB3, inclusive.

The Markit North American High Yield CDX Index is composed of 100 liquid North American entities with high yield credit ratings that trade in the credit default swap market.

The Markit North American Investment Grade CDX Index is composed of 125 of the most liquid North American entities with investment grade credit ratings that trade in the credit default swap market.

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The Standard & Poor’s 500 (“S&P 500”) Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure the performance of the broad economy, representing all major industries and is considered a representation of the U.S. stock market.

Risks and Other Considerations

The global ongoing crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 is causing materially reduced consumer demand and economic output, disrupting supply chains, resulting in market closures, travel restrictions and quarantines, and adversely impacting local and global economies. Investors should be aware that in light of the current uncertainty, volatility and distress in economies, financial markets, and labor and health conditions all over the world, the Fund’s investments and a shareholder’s investment in the Fund are subject to sudden and substantial losses, increased volatility and other adverse events. Firms through which investors invest with the Fund, the Fund, its service providers, the markets in which it invests and market intermediaries are also impacted by quarantines and similar measures intended to contain the ongoing pandemic, which can obstruct their functioning and subject them to heightened operational risks.

The views expressed in this report reflect those of the portfolio managers only through the report period as stated on the cover. These views are subject to change at any time, based on market and other conditions and should not be construed as a recommendation of any kind. The material may also include forward looking statements that involve risk and uncertainty, and there is no guarantee that any predictions will come to pass.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The value of the Fund will fluctuate with the value of the underlying securities. Risk is inherent in all investing, including the loss of your entire principal. Therefore, before investing you should consider the risks carefully.

The Fund is subject to various risk factors. Certain of these risk factors are described below. Please see the Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and guggenheiminvestments.com/gof for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund. Shareholders may access the Fund’s Prospectus and SAI on the EDGAR Database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.

Investors should be aware that in light of the current uncertainty, volatility and distress in economies, financial markets, and labor and health conditions around the world, the risks below are heightened significantly compared to normal conditions and therefore subject the Fund’s investments and a shareholder’s investment in the Fund to sudden and substantial losses. The fact that a particular risk below is not specifically identified as being heightened under current conditions does not mean that the risk is not greater than under normal conditions.

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Below Investment Grade Securities Risk. High yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt securities (which also may be known as “junk bonds”) may present additional risks because these securities may be less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time, and present more credit risk than investment grade bonds. The price of high yield securities tends to be subject to greater volatility due to issuer-specific operating results and outlook and to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions. This exposure may be obtained through investments in other investment companies. Generally, the risks associated with high yield securities are heightened during times of weakening economic conditions or rising interest rates and are therefore especially heightened under current conditions.

Covered Call Option Strategy Risk. The ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective is partially dependent on the successful implementation of its covered call option strategy. The Fund may write call options on individual securities. The buyer of an option acquires the right to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) a certain quantity of a security (the underlying security) or instrument, at a certain price up to a specified point in time or on expiration, depending on the terms. The seller or writer of an option is obligated to sell (a call option) or buy (a put option) the underlying instrument. A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amount are segregated by the Fund’s custodian). As a seller of covered call options, the Fund faces the risk that it will forgo the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option during an option’s life. As the Fund writes covered calls over more of its portfolio, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited.

Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income instrument or a counterparty to a derivatives transaction or other transaction is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or defaults. The issuer, guarantor or counterparty could also suffer a rapid decrease in credit quality rating, which would adversely affect the volatility of the value and liquidity of the instrument. The risk of the occurrence of these types of events is especially heightened under current conditions. Credit ratings may not be an accurate assessment of liquidity or credit risk.

Current Fixed-Income and Debt Market Conditions. Fixed-income and debt market conditions are highly unpredictable and some parts of the market are subject to dislocations. In response to the crisis initially caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, as with other serious economic disruptions, governmental authorities and regulators are enacting significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including providing direct capital infusions into companies, creating new monetary programs and lowering interest rates considerably. These actions present heightened risks to fixed-income and debt

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instruments, and such risks could be even further heightened if these actions are unexpectedly or suddenly reversed or are ineffective in achieving their desired outcomes. In light of these actions and current conditions, interest rates and bond yields in the United States and many other countries are at or near historic lows, and in some cases, such rates and yields are negative. The current very low or negative interest rates are magnifying the Fund’s susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminishing yield and performance. In addition, the current environment is exposing fixed-income and debt markets to significant volatility and reduced liquidity for Fund investments.

Derivatives Transactions Risk. The Fund may utilize derivatives, including futures contracts and other strategic transactions, to seek to earn income, facilitate portfolio management and mitigate risks. Participation in derivatives markets transactions involves investment risks and transaction costs to which the Fund would not be subject absent the use of these strategies (other than its covered call writing strategy and put option writing strategy). If the Sub-Adviser (Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, or GPIM) is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities include common stocks and other equity and equity-related securities (and securities convertible into stocks) such as limited liability company interests and trust certificates. The prices of equity securities generally fluctuate in value more than fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing company’s financial condition and changes in the overall market or economy. Equity securities are currently experiencing heightened volatility and therefore, the Fund’s investments in equity securities are subject to heightened risks related to volatility. A decline in the value of equity securities held by the Fund will adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.

Interest Rate Risk. Fixed-income and other debt instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could change. Changes in interest rates may adversely affect the Fund’s investments in these instruments, such as the value or liquidity of, and income generated by, the investments. Interest rates may change as a result of a variety of factors, and the change may be sudden and significant, with unpredictable impacts on the financial markets and the Fund’s investments. Generally, when interest rates increase, the values of fixed-income and other debt instruments decline, and when interest rates decrease, the values of fixed-income and other debt instruments rise. In response to the crisis initially caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, as with other serious economic disruptions, governmental authorities and regulators are enacting significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including providing direct capital infusions into companies, creating new monetary programs and lowering interest rates considerably. These actions present heightened risks to fixed-income and debt instruments, and such risks could be even further heightened if these actions are unexpectedly or suddenly reversed or are ineffective in achieving their desired outcomes. In light of these actions and

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current conditions, interest rates and bond yields in the United States and many other countries are at or near historic lows, and in some cases, such rates and yields are negative. The current very low or negative interest rates are magnifying the Fund’s susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminishing yield and performance.

Investment in Loans Risk. The Fund may invest in loans directly or indirectly through assignments or participations. Investments in loans, including loan syndicates and other direct lending opportunities, involve special types of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, counterparty risk, prepayment risk and extension risk, which are heightened under current conditions. Loans may offer a fixed or floating interest rate. Loans are often below investment grade and may be unrated. The Fund’s investments in loans can also be difficult to value accurately and may be more susceptible to liquidity risk than fixed-income instruments of similar credit quality and/or maturity. Participations in loans may subject the Fund to the credit risk of both the borrower and the seller of the participation and may make enforcement of loan covenants, if any, more difficult for the Fund as legal action may have to go through the seller of the participation (or an agent acting on its behalf). Covenants contained in loan documentation are intended to protect lenders and investors by imposing certain restrictions and other limitations on a borrower’s operations or assets and by providing certain information and consent rights to lenders. The Fund invests in or is exposed to loans and other similar debt obligations that are sometimes referred to as “covenant-lite” loans or obligations, which are generally subject to more risk than investments that contain traditional financial maintenance covenants and financial reporting requirements. The terms of many loans and other instruments are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which functions as a reference rate or benchmark. It is anticipated that LIBOR will be discontinued at the end of 2021, which may cause increased volatility and illiquidity in the markets for instruments with terms tied to LIBOR or other adverse consequences for these instruments. These events may adversely affect the Fund and its investments in such instruments.

Senior Loans Risk. The Fund may invest in senior secured floating rate loans made to corporations and other non-governmental entities and issuers (“Senior Loans). Senior Loans typically hold the most senior position in the capital structure of the issuing entity, are typically secured with specific collateral and typically have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated debt holders and stockholders of the borrower. The Fund’s investments in Senior Loans are generally rated below investment grade or unrated but believed by the Adviser to be of below investment grade quality and are considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. The risks associated with such Senior Loans are similar to the risks of other lower grade securities, although Senior Loans are typically senior and secured in contrast to subordinated and unsecured securities. Senior Loans’ higher standing has historically resulted in generally higher recoveries in the event of a corporate reorganization. In addition, because their interest payments are

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ¹⁵

 

 

adjusted for changes in short-term interest rates, investments in Senior Loans generally have less interest rate risk than other lower grade securities, which may have fixed interest rates.

Second Lien Loans Risk. The Fund may invest in “second lien” secured floating rate loans made to public and private corporations and other non-governmental entities and issuers for a variety of purposes (“Second Lien Loans”). Second Lien Loans are second in right of payment to one or more Senior Loans of the related borrower. Second Lien Loans are generally subject to similar risks associated with investment in Senior Loans and other lower grade debt securities. However, Second Lien Loans are second in right of payment to Senior Loans and therefore are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and any property securing the Loan may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments and repayment of principal after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. Second Lien Loans are expected to have greater price volatility and exposure to losses upon default than Senior Loans and may be less liquid.

Subordinated Secured Loans Risk. Subordinated secured loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investment in Senior Loans, Second Lien Loans and below investment grade securities. However, such loans may rank lower in right of payment than any outstanding Senior Loans, Second Lien Loans or other debt instruments with higher priority of the borrower and therefore are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and any property securing the loan may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments and repayment of principal in the event of default or bankruptcy after giving effect to the higher ranking secured obligations of the borrower. Subordinated secured loans are expected to have greater price volatility than Senior Loans and Second Lien Loans and may be less liquid.

Unsecured Loans Risk. Unsecured loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investment in Senior Loans, Second Lien Loans, subordinated secured loans and below investment grade securities. However, because unsecured loans have lower priority in right of payment to any higher ranking obligations of the borrower and are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral, they are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and available assets may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments and repayment of principal after giving effect to any higher ranking obligations of the borrower. Unsecured loans are expected to have greater price volatility than Senior Loans, Second Lien Loans and subordinated secured loans and may be less liquid.

Leverage Risk. The Fund’s use of leverage, through borrowings or instruments such as derivatives, causes the Fund to be more volatile and riskier than if it had not been leveraged. Although the use of leverage by the Fund may create an opportunity for increased return, it also results in additional risks and can magnify the effect of any losses. The effect of leverage in a declining market is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the Fund than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may

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result in a greater decline in the market price of the Fund shares. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be implemented or that it will be successful during any period during which it is employed. Recent economic and market events have contributed to severe market volatility and caused severe liquidity strains in the credit markets. If dislocations in the credit markets continue, the Fund’s leverage costs may increase and there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to renew or replace existing leverage on favorable terms or at all. If the cost of leverage is no longer favorable, or if the Fund is otherwise required to reduce its leverage, the Fund may not be able to maintain distributions at historical levels and common shareholders will bear any costs associated with selling portfolio securities. The Fund’s total leverage may vary significantly over time. To the extent the Fund increases its amount of leverage outstanding, it will be more exposed to these risks.

Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, causing the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives and strategies.

Market Risk. The value of, or income generated by, the investments held by the Fund are subject to the possibility of rapid and unpredictable fluctuation. The value of certain investments (e.g., equity securities) tends to fluctuate more dramatically over the shorter term than do the value of other asset classes. These movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, or from broader influences, including real or perceived changes in prevailing interest rates, changes in inflation or expectations about inflation, investor confidence or economic, political, social or financial market conditions, environmental disasters, governmental actions, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics) and other similar events, each of which may be temporary or last for extended periods. For example, the crisis initially caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 is causing materially reduced consumer demand and economic output, disrupting supply chains, resulting in market closures, travel restrictions and quarantines, and adversely impacting local and global economies. As with other serious economic disruptions, governmental authorities and regulators are responding to this crisis with significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, which could further increase volatility in securities and other financial markets, reduce market liquidity, heighten investor uncertainty and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the performance of the Fund. Administrative changes, policy reform and/or changes in law or governmental regulations can result in expropriation or nationalization of the investments of a company in which the Fund invests.

Prepayment Risk. Certain debt instruments, including loans and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, are subject to the risk that payments on principal may occur more quickly or earlier than expected. In this event, the Fund might be forced to forego future interest income on the principal

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repaid early and to reinvest income or proceeds at generally lower interest rates, thus reducing the Fund’s yield. These types of instruments are particularly subject to prepayment risk, and offer less potential for gains, during periods of declining interest rates.

Structured Finance Investments Risk. The Fund’s structured finance investments may consist of residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) issued by governmental entities and private issuers, asset-backed securities (“ABS”), structured notes, credit-linked notes and other types of structured finance securities. Holders of structured finance investments bear risks of the underlying investments, index or reference obligation and are subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive payments only from the structured product, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the assets to be securitized. The Fund may invest in structured finance products collateralized by low grade or defaulted loans or securities. Investments in such structured finance products are subject to the risks associated with below investment grade securities. Such securities are characterized by high risk. It is likely that an economic recession could severely disrupt the market for such securities and may have an adverse impact on the value of such securities. Structured finance securities are typically privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in structured finance securities may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist which would allow such securities to be considered liquid in some circumstances.

Mortgage-Backed Securities (“MBS”) Risk. MBS represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. The risks associated with MBS include: (1) credit risk associated with the performance of the underlying mortgage properties and of the borrowers owning these properties; (2) risks associated with their structure and execution (including the collateral, the process by which principal and interest payments are allocated and distributed to investors and how credit losses affect the return to investors in such MBS); (3) risks associated with the servicer of the underlying mortgages; (4) adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, which are more likely to have an adverse impact on MBS secured by loans on certain types of commercial properties than on those secured by loans on residential properties; (5) prepayment risk, which can lead to significant fluctuations in the value of the MBS; (6) loss of all or part of the premium, if any, paid; and (7) decline in the market value of the security, whether resulting from changes in interest rates, prepayments on the underlying mortgage collateral or perceptions of the credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage collateral.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. CMBS are subject to particular risks, including lack of standardized terms, shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans and providing for payment of all or substantially all of the principal only at maturity rather than regular amortization of principal. In addition, commercial lending generally is viewed as

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exposing the lender to a greater risk of loss than residential lending. Economic downturns and other events that limit the activities of and demand for commercial retail and office spaces (such as the current crisis) adversely impact the value of such securities.

Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Credit-related risk on RMBS arises from losses due to delinquencies and defaults by the borrowers in payments on the underlying mortgage loans and breaches by originators and servicers of their obligations under the underlying documentation pursuant to which the RMBS are issued. The rate of delinquencies and defaults on residential mortgage loans and the aggregate amount of the resulting losses will be affected by a number of factors, including general economic conditions, particularly those in the area where the related mortgaged property is located, the level of the borrower’s equity in the mortgaged property and the individual financial circumstances of the borrower. These risks are elevated given the current distressed economic, market, health and labor conditions, notably, increased levels of unemployment, delays and delinquencies in payments of mortgage and rent obligations, and uncertainty regarding the effects and extent of government intervention with respect to mortgage payments and other economic matters.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk. ABS may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. ABS involve certain risks in addition to those presented by mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”). ABS do not have the benefit of the same security interest in the underlying collateral as MBS and are more dependent on the borrower’s ability to pay and may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related collateral than do MBS. There is the possibility that recoveries on the underlying collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. The collateral underlying ABS may constitute assets related to a wide range of industries and sectors, such as credit card and automobile receivables or other assets derived from consumer, commercial or corporate sectors. If the economy of the United States deteriorates, defaults on securities backed by credit card, automobile and other receivables may increase, which may adversely affect the value of any ABS owned by the Fund. In addition, these securities may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related collateral than do mortgage-related securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on the underlying collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. ABS collateralized by other types of assets are subject to risks associated with the underlying collateral. These risks are elevated given the currently distressed economic, market, labor and health conditions.

CLO, CDO and CBO Risk. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed herein, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), and collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”) are subject to additional risks. CLOs, CDOs and CBOs are subject to risks associated with the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be

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adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; and the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

Valuation Risk. The Fund may invest without limitation in unregistered securities, restricted securities and securities for which there is no readily available trading market. It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell a particular investment at the price at which it has been valued by the Fund for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value, causing the Fund to be unable to realize what the Fund believes should be the price of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could sell the investment at that time. Based on its investment strategies, a significant portion of the Fund’s investments can be difficult to value and thus particularly prone to the foregoing risks.

In addition to the foregoing risks, investors should note that the Fund reserves the right to merge or reorganize with another fund, liquidate or convert into an open-end fund, in each case subject to applicable approvals by shareholders and the Fund’s Board of Trustees as required by law and the Fund’s governing documents.

This material is not intended as a recommendation or as investment advice of any kind, including in connection with rollovers, transfers, and distributions. Such material is not provided in a fiduciary capacity, may not be relied upon for or in connection with the making of investment decisions, and does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. All content has been provided for informational or educational purposes only and is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal or tax advice and/or a legal opinion. Always consult a financial, tax and/or legal professional regarding your specific situation.

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Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. All NAV returns include the deduction of management fees, operating expenses and all other Fund expenses. The deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares is not reflected in the total returns. For the most recent month-end performance figures, please visit guggenheiminvestments.com/gof. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate with changes in market conditions and other factors so that an investor’s shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ²¹

 

 

 

“Ten Largest Holdings” excludes any temporary cash or derivative investments.

Portfolio breakdown and holdings are subject to change daily. For more information, please visit guggenheiminvestments.com/gof. The above summaries are provided for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as recommendations. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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*  Less than 0.1%.

¹  Source: BlackRock Solutions. Credit quality ratings are measured on a scale that generally ranges from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). All rated securities have been rated by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”), or Fitch, each of which is a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (“NRSRO”). For purposes of this presentation, when ratings are available from more than one agency, the highest rating is used. Guggenheim Investments has converted Moody’s and Fitch ratings to the equivalent S&P rating. Security ratings are determined at the time of purchase and may change thereafter.

²  NR (not rated) securities do not necessarily indicate low credit quality.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ²³

 

 

For the year ended May 31, 2020, 60.6% of the distributions were characterized as return of capital and 39.4% of the distributions were characterized as ordinary income. The final determination of the tax character of the distributions paid by the Fund in 2020 will be reported to shareholders in January 2021.

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See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ²⁵

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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²⁶ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ²⁷

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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²⁸ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ²⁹

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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³⁰ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ³¹

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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³² l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ³³

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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³⁴ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ³⁵

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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³⁶ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ³⁷

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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³⁸ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT} l ³⁹

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

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⁴⁰ l ^GOF l ^{GUGGENHEIM STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FUND ANNUAL REPORT}