Company Overview - The Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (NYSE: HFRO) is a closed-end fund managed by NexPoint Asset Management, L.P. The fund aims to provide growth of capital along with income through various investment strategies [4][6]. Distribution Announcement - The Fund announced a regular monthly distribution of $0.0385 per share, payable on August 29, 2025, to shareholders of record as of August 22, 2025 [1]. Investment Strategy - The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing directly and indirectly in various categories of securities and instruments, including real estate-related investments, fixed-rate loans, corporate bonds, distressed securities, and floating rate loans [2]. Name Change and Investment Objective - Effective June 15, 2023, the Fund changed its name to reflect a new investment objective focused on growth of capital along with income [5].

Core Points - The Allspring Income Opportunities Fund, Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund, and Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund have announced their monthly distributions [1][3] - Andrew Reed, CFA, will join as a portfolio manager for the Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund, effective August 1, 2025, while Noah Wise, CFA, will be removed [2] - The funds operate under a managed distribution plan with fixed annual minimum rates of 8.00% for the Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund, and 8.75% for both the Allspring Income Opportunities Fund and the Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund [5] Fund Distribution Details - Allspring Income Opportunities Fund: $0.05352 per share, monthly distribution, an increase of $0.00004 from the prior distribution [3] - Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund: $0.07221 per share, monthly distribution, an increase of $0.00002 from the prior distribution [3] - Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund: $0.08135 per share, monthly distribution, an increase of $0.00073 from the prior distribution [3] - Declaration date for distributions is July 25, 2025, with an ex-dividend and record date of August 11, 2025, and a payable date of September 2, 2025 [3] Fund Objectives - The Allspring Income Opportunities Fund aims for a high level of current income and may seek capital appreciation [6] - The Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund seeks a high level of current income while limiting exposure to domestic interest rate risk [6] - The Allspring Utilities and High Income Fund aims for a high level of current income and moderate capital growth, focusing on tax-advantaged dividend income [7][8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For calendar Q1, the company reported a net loss of $0.23 per share and adjusted distributable earnings of $0.26 per share [9] - The overall net interest margin increased by 20 basis points to 5.27, supported by a growing capital allocation to CLOs [9] - The economic return for the quarter was negative 3.2%, with book value per share at $6.08 [10][11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The CLO portfolio increased by 46% to $250 million, while capital allocated to CLOs expanded to 81% from 72% at the end of the previous quarter [11] - The agency RMBS holdings decreased slightly to $504 million from $512 million at the end of the previous quarter [11] - The portfolio P&L by strategy showed a negative $0.24 per share from CLOs and a positive $0.08 from agency [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The market experienced strong performance in January and February, followed by turbulence in March due to fears of tariffs, slowing growth, and persistent inflation [7] - Credit spreads widened significantly in March, impacting CLO mezzanine debt and equity tranches, leading to meaningful price declines [7][8] - Recent tariff de-escalations have led to credit spreads and prices reversing course in May, recovering a significant portion of the declines [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company successfully completed its conversion to a registered closed-end fund and changed its fiscal calendar to begin on April 1 [4][5] - The strategy focuses on increasing the CLO portfolio while maintaining liquidity and flexibility in response to market conditions [22][29] - The company plans to add corporate debt to its liability structure later this year, which should be accretive to net investment income [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while there were mark-to-market losses in calendar Q1, most price declines were driven by credit spread widening rather than realized credit losses [22] - The company is optimistic about deploying capital in a compelling market and believes it is well-positioned to drive strong earnings moving forward [29] - Management expects to be slightly short on dividend coverage in the second quarter but is on track for recovery in the third quarter [56] Other Important Information - The company disposed of all remaining mortgage positions shortly after April 1, which allowed for increased liquidity and buying power [8][25] - As of April 30, approximately 18.8% of the total portfolio, or about $59 million, was in cash and cash equivalents, providing ample dry powder for deployment [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the yield on newly acquired CLOs compare to the previous $250 million? - Management indicated that the weighted average yield varied from slightly wider to potentially hundreds of basis points back, depending on the type of assets purchased [34] Question: Is there still dry powder available for deployment? - Management confirmed that there is still good dry powder available and that cash reserves are maintained to allow for increased portfolio size [37][39] Question: What are the latest thoughts on the ADE trajectory? - Management stated that they might be slightly short on covering the dividend in the second quarter but are on track for recovery in the third quarter [56]