​

​

​

 

​

​

In our semi-annual report we described the backdrop as global equities, in the form of the MSCI World IndexSM (the “Index”) measured in local currencies, including net reinvested dividends, added 5.31% for the half-year. A buy in the dip mentality prevailed, in which any disappointment or setback was soon forgiven, leaving the Index to resume its advance. But in February the spell was broken, and the Index suffered its first monthly loss after 15 consecutive gains. Still, the Index was able to build on its first half increase, ending the fiscal year up 13.58%. (The Index returned 17.36% for the year ended February 28, 2018, measured in U.S. dollars.)

Expectations for the new Administration’s agenda of massive infrastructure spending, tax reductions, lighter financial regulation, and trade protectionism to drive the reflation trade soon faded in 2017. “Reflation trade” meant the positioning of portfolios to take advantage of an expected increase in demand, economic activity, inflation and interest rates. The agenda seemed to have stumbled in a tangle of unsuccessful attempts through July to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

However, by this point most commentators had largely discounted U.S. legislative initiatives as a major source of investor optimism. Now it was a narrative of improving global growth and corporate earnings, broadly based, albeit fitful at times, that was credited with keeping equity markets firm.

In the euro zone, the improvement in the economy accelerated. Fourth quarter growth in gross domestic product (“GDP”) was reported at 2.7% year-over-year, a little faster than in the U.S. Unemployment edged down to 8.7%, the lowest since January 2009.

China’s GDP growth was a healthy 6.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 6.9% for the whole year. Imports were continuing to grow at double-digit year-over-year rates, supporting global demand.

Even Japan contributed some good news with GDP growth reported for the seventh consecutive quarter.

In the U.S., unemployment continued to shrink during the period to 4.1%, a 17-year low. The October employment report showed a decline of 33,000 jobs, but this was obviously related to events in September. That month started with devastating hurricanes, rising geo-political tensions with North Korea and an apparently stalled legislative agenda. But by the end, the weather had improved, tensions eased and the outline of the long-awaited tax reform program announced.

By mid-December new unemployment claims were near a 44-year low. GDP recorded growth of 3.06% annualized in the second quarter of 2017 and 3.16% in the third. The progression of tax reform from outline to law took place in fits and starts, moving day by day to bring recalcitrant senators on board. The Senate version had to be reconciled with the House version and the final product was signed into law on December 22. For investors, the key feature of tax reform was the reduction in the corporate tax rate to 21%, which we believed would probably be used to increase share buy-backs and dividends. Nine days earlier the Federal Open Market Committee had raised the federal funds rate by 25bp (0.25%) for the third time in 2017 from 1.25% to 1.50%, with three more increases projected for 2018. As the year ended, however, some commentators wondered whether a tax

cut stimulus costing $1 trillion to an already strong economy near full employment, would require more than three increases, and how would markets react when this became evident. Investors soon found out.

In late January, Bloomberg reported that the Treasury would boost bond sales to cover mounting budget deficits. A deal was reached in Congress to raise federal spending by $300 billion and the deficit was now projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2019. Another strong employment report in February revealed wages rising at 2.9%, the highest since 2009. This was followed in mid-February by stronger than expected inflation figures.

The Index peaked on January 26. In less than two weeks it fell nearly 9%. After a partial recovery, the Index was falling again as February ended.

In U.S. fixed income markets, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (“Barclays Aggregate”) rose 0.51% in the half-year. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Bond Index lost 0.56%, as the entire Treasury yield curve rose. Indices of riskier classes outperformed Treasuries. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Index rose 2.20%, the Bloomberg Barclays High-Yield Bond — 2% Issuer Constrained Composite Index (not a part of the Barclays Aggregate) rose 4.18%.

U.S. equities, represented by the S&P® 500 Index including dividends, climbed 17.10% in the twelve months. The earnings per share of its constituent companies were set to touch 15% growth year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2017. The technology sector was the leader, up 36.26%. Real estate was the weakest sector, down 4.00%, under late pressure from rising interest rates.

In currencies, the dollar fell 13.46% against the euro, 10.34% against the pound and 5.09% against the yen. While the U.S. was far ahead of the other regions in terms of monetary tightening, the beginning of the period was near the peak of the euphoria surrounding the reflation trade that had driven the dollar higher.

In international markets, the MSCI Japan® Index gained 16.13% over the year, in an environment of improving corporate governance and profitability, with little competition from fixed income investments. The MSCI Europe ex UK® Index added 9.46%, fading somewhat in the second half as the stronger euro weighed on corporate earnings. The MSCI UK® Index rose just 3.11%. Sentiment was dampened by the lack of progress on the Brexit negotiations. An election called in June to give the ruling party a dominant majority, resulted in a hung parliament. The period ended with the UK angrily rejecting a European Union draft agreement.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. The performance quoted represents past performance. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Fund’s performance is subject to change since the period’s end and may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Please call (800) 992-0180 or log on to www.voyainvestments.com to obtain performance data current to the most recent month end.

Market Perspective reflects the views of Voya Investment Management’s Chief Investment Risk Officer only through the end of the period, and is subject to change based on market and other conditions.

​

​

​	Geographic Diversification as of February 28, 2018 (as a percentage of net assets)				​
​	​	​	​	​	​
​	United States	​	​	43.2%​	​
​	Japan	​	​	15 3%​	​
​	France	​	​	9.2%​	​
​	Germany	​	​	5.6%​	​
​	Netherlands	​	​	4.3%​	​
​	Australia	​	​	2.8%​	​
​	India	​	​	2.6%​	​
​	China	​	​	2.5%​	​
​	Sweden	​	​	2.2%​	​
​	Italy	​	​	1.8%​	​
​	Countries between 0.8% – 1.7%^	​	​	9.1%​	​
​	Assets in Excess of Other Liabilities*	​	​	1.4%​	​
​	Net Assets	​	​	100.0%​	​
​	* Includes short-term investments. ​				​
​	^ Includes 7 countries, which each represents 0.8% – 1.7% of net assets. ​				​
​	Portfolio holdings are subject to change daily.				​

​	Top Ten Holdings as of February 28, 2018 (as a percentage of net assets)				​
​	​	​	​	​	​
​	BHP Billiton Ltd.	​	​	2.8%​	​
​	Deere & Co.	​	​	2.8%​	​
​	DowDuPont, Inc.	​	​	2.7%​	​
​	General Dynamics Corp.	​	​	2.7%​	​
​	Komatsu Ltd.	​	​	2.6%​	​
​	Mitsubishi Corp.	​	​	2.5%​	​
​	Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.	​	​	2.4%​	​
​	BASF SE	​	​	2.3%​	​
​	Siemens AG	​	​	2.2%​	​
​	Roper Technologies, Inc.	​	​	2.2%​	​
​	Portfolio holdings are subject to change daily.				​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION

Voya Infrastructure, Industrials and Materials Fund (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund is organized as a Delaware statutory trust.

Voya Investments, LLC (“Voya Investments” or the “Investment Adviser”), an Arizona limited liability company, serves as the Investment Adviser to the Fund. The Investment Adviser has engaged Voya Investment Management Co. LLC (“Voya IM” or the “Sub-Adviser”), a Delaware limited liability company, to serve as the Sub-Adviser to the Fund.

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies are consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies.

A. Security Valuation. The Fund is open for business every day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) opens for regular trading (each such day, a “Business Day”). The net asset value (“NAV”) per share of the Fund is determined each Business Day as of the close of the regular trading session (“Market Close”), as determined by the Consolidated Tape Association (“CTA”), the central distributor of transaction prices for exchange-traded securities (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time unless otherwise designated by the CTA). The data reflected on the consolidated tape provided by the CTA is generated by various market centers, including all securities exchanges, electronic communications networks, and third-market broker-dealers. The NAV per share of the Fund is calculated by taking the value of the Fund’s assets, subtracting the Fund’s liabilities, and dividing by the number of shares that are outstanding. On days when the Fund is closed for business, Fund shares will not be priced and the Fund does not transact purchase and redemption orders. To the extent the Fund’s assets are traded in other markets on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the Fund’s assets will likely change and you will not be able to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.

Assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. A security listed or traded on an exchange is valued at its last sales price or official closing price as of the close of the regular trading session on the exchange where the security is principally traded or, if such price is not available, at the last sale price as of the Market Close for such security provided by the CTA.

Bank loans are valued at the average of the averages of the bid and ask prices provided to an independent loan pricing service by brokers. Futures contracts are valued at the final settlement price set by an exchange on which they are principally traded. Listed options are valued at the mean between the last bid and ask prices from the exchange on which they are principally traded. Investments in open-end registered investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in registered investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued at the last sales price or official closing price as of the close of the regular trading session on the exchange where the security is principally traded.

When a market quotation is not readily available or is deemed unreliable, the Fund will determine a fair value for the relevant asset in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Board”). Such procedures provide, for example, that: (a) Exchange-traded securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask; (b) Debt obligations are valued using an evaluated price provided by an independent pricing service. Evaluated prices provided by the pricing service may be determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices, and may reflect factors such as institution-size trading in similar groups of securities, developments related to specific securities, benchmark yield, quality, type of issue, coupon rate, maturity, individual trading characteristics and other market data; (c) Securities traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market are valued based on prices provided by independent pricing services or market makers; (d) Options not listed on an exchange are valued by an independent source using an industry accepted model, such as Black-Scholes; (e) Centrally cleared swap agreements are valued using a price provided by the central counterparty clearinghouse; (f) OTC swap agreements are valued using a price provided by an independent pricing service; (g) Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued utilizing current and forward rates obtained from an independent pricing service. Such prices from the third party pricing service are for specific settlement periods and the Fund’s forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at an interpolated rate between the closest preceding and subsequent period reported by the independent pricing service; and (h) Securities for which market prices are not provided by any of the above methods may be valued based upon quotes furnished by brokers.

Foreign securities’ (including forward foreign currency exchange contracts) prices are converted into U.S. dollar amounts using the applicable exchange rates as of Market Close. If market quotations are available and believed to be reliable for foreign exchange-traded equity securities,

​

 

the securities will be valued at the market quotations. Because trading hours for certain foreign securities end before Market Close, closing market quotations may become unreliable. An independent pricing service determines the degree of certainty, based on historical data, that the closing price in the principal market where a foreign security trades is not the current value as of Market Close. Foreign securities’ prices meeting the approved degree of certainty that the price is not reflective of current value will be valued by the independent pricing service using pricing models designed to estimate likely changes in the values of those securities between the times in which the trading in those securities is substantially completed and Market Close. Multiple factors may be considered by the independent pricing service in determining the value of such securities and may include information relating to sector indices, American Depositary Receipts and domestic and foreign index futures.

All other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or became unreliable (or if the above fair valuation methods are unavailable or determined to be unreliable) are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the supervision of the Board following procedures approved by the Board. The Board has delegated to the Investment Adviser responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the Fund’s valuation procedures; a “Pricing Committee” comprised of employees of the Investment Adviser or its affiliates has responsibility for applying the fair valuation methods set forth in the procedures and, if a fair valuation cannot be determined pursuant to the fair valuation methods, determining the fair value of assets held by the Fund. Issuer specific events, transaction price, position size, nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the security, market trends, bid/ask quotes of brokers and other market data may be reviewed in the course of making a good faith determination of a security’s fair value. Valuations change in response to many factors including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of the issuer’s assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity. Because of the inherent uncertainties of fair valuation, the values used to determine the Fund’s NAV may materially differ from the value received upon actual sale of those investments. Thus, fair valuation may have an unintended dilutive or accretive effect on the value of shareholders’ investments in the Fund.

Each investment asset or liability of the Fund is assigned a level at measurement date based on the significance and source of the inputs to its valuation. Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities are classified as “Level 1,”

inputs other than quoted prices for an asset or liability that are observable are classified as “Level 2” and significant unobservable inputs, including the Sub-Adviser’s or Pricing Committee’s judgment about the assumptions that a market participant would use in pricing an asset or liability are classified as “Level 3.” The inputs used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. Short-term securities of sufficient credit quality are generally considered to be Level 2 securities under applicable accounting rules. A table summarizing the Fund’s investments under these levels of classification is included following the Portfolio of Investments.

GAAP requires a reconciliation of the beginning to ending balances for reported fair values that presents changes attributable to total realized and unrealized gains or losses, purchases and sales, and transfers in or out of the Level 3 category during the period. The beginning of period timing recognition is used for the transfers between levels of the Fund’s assets and liabilities. A reconciliation of Level 3 investments is presented only when the Fund has a significant amount of Level 3 investments.

B. Securities Transactions and Revenue Recognition. Securities transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses on sales of investments are calculated on the identified cost basis. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Premium amortization and discount accretion are determined using the effective yield method. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date, or in the case of some foreign dividends, when the information becomes available to the Fund.

C. Foreign Currency Translation. The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Any foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars on the following basis:

(1)

Market value of investment securities, other assets and liabilities — at the exchange rates prevailing at Market Close.

​

(2)

Purchases and sales of investment securities, income and expenses — at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

​

Although the net assets and the market values are presented at the foreign exchange rates at Market Close, the Fund does not isolate the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments. For securities, which are subject to foreign withholding tax upon disposition, liabilities are recorded on the Statement of

​

 

Assets and Liabilities for the estimated tax withholding based on the securities’ current market value. Upon disposition, realized gains or losses on such securities are recorded net of foreign withholding tax.

Reported net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities, resulting from changes in the exchange rate. Foreign security and currency transactions may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. These risks include, but are not limited to, revaluation of currencies and future adverse political and economic developments which could cause securities and their markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. The foregoing risks are even greater with respect to securities of issuers in emerging markets.

D. Distributions to Shareholders. The Fund intends to make quarterly distributions from its cash available for distribution, which consists of the Fund’s dividends and interest income after payment of Fund expenses, net option premiums and net realized and unrealized gains on investments. Such quarterly distributions may also consist of return of capital. Under the Managed Distribution Policy, the Fund may make periodic distributions of long-term capital gains more frequently than once per taxable year. Distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions are determined annually in accordance with federal tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP for investment companies.

The tax treatment and characterization of the Fund’s distributions may vary significantly from time to time depending on whether the Fund has gains or losses on the call options written on its portfolio versus gains or losses on the equity securities in the portfolio. Each quarter, the Fund will provide disclosures with distribution payments made that estimate the percentages of that distribution that represent net investment income, other income or capital gains, and return of capital, if any. The final composition of the tax characteristics of the distributions cannot be determined with certainty until after the end of the Fund’s tax year, and will be reported to shareholders at

that time. A significant portion of the Fund’s distributions may constitute a return of capital. The amount of quarterly distributions will vary, depending on a number of factors. As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of dividends on the common shares will change. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to declare a dividend in each period.

E. Federal Income Taxes. It is the policy of the Fund to comply with the requirements of subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code that are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and any net realized capital gains to its shareholders. Therefore, a federal income tax or excise tax provision is not required. Management has considered the sustainability of the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years in making this determination. The Fund may utilize equalization accounting for tax purposes, whereby a portion of redemption payments are treated as distributions of income or gain.

F. Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

G. Risk Exposures and the Use of Derivative Instruments. The Fund’s investment objectives permit the Fund to enter into various types of derivatives contracts, including, but not limited to, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and purchased and written options. In doing so, the Fund will employ strategies in differing combinations to permit it to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the level or types of exposure to risk factors. This may allow the Fund to pursue its objectives more quickly and efficiently than if it were to make direct purchases or sales of securities capable of affecting a similar response to market or credit factors.

In pursuit of its investment objectives, the Fund may seek to increase or decrease its exposure to the following market or credit risk factors:

Credit Risk. The price of a bond or other debt instrument is likely to fall if the issuer’s actual or perceived financial health deteriorates, whether because of broad economic or issuer-specific reasons. In certain cases, the issuer could be late in paying interest or principal, or could fail to pay its financial obligations altogether.

​

 

Equity Risk. Stock prices may be volatile or have reduced liquidity in response to real or perceived impacts of factors including, but not limited to, economic conditions, changes in market interest rates, and political events. Stock markets tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. Any given stock market segment may remain out of favor with investors for a short or long period of time, and stocks as an asset class may underperform bonds or other asset classes during some periods. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax policies or developments in these areas may adversely impact the investment techniques available to a manager, add to costs and impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives.

Foreign Exchange Rate Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it is subject to the risk that those foreign (non-U.S.) currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged by the Fund through foreign currency exchange transactions.

Currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Currency rates may be affected by changes in market interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, by the imposition of currency controls, or other political or economic developments in the United States or abroad.

Interest Rate Risk. Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on Common Shares. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on Common Shares will also fall. To the extent that the interest rate spreads on loans in the Fund’s portfolio experience a general decline, the yield on the Common Shares will fall and the value of the Fund’s assets may decrease, which will cause the Fund’s NAV to decrease. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on assets in the Fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. In the case of inverse securities, the interest rate paid by such securities generally will decrease when the market rate of interest to which the inverse security is indexed increases. With respect to investments in fixed rate instruments, a rise in market interest rates generally causes values of such instruments to fall. The

values of fixed rate instruments with longer maturities or duration are more sensitive to changes in market interest rates.

As of the date of this report, market interest rates in the United States are at or near historic lows, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising market interest rates. Rising market interest rates could have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility which could reduce liquidity for certain investments, adversely affect values, and increase costs. If dealer capacity in fixed-income and related markets is insufficient for market conditions, it may further inhibit liquidity and increase volatility in the fixed-income and related markets. Further, recent and potential changes in government policy may affect interest rates.

Risks of Investing in Derivatives. The Fund’s use of derivatives can result in losses due to unanticipated changes in the market or credit risk factors and the overall market. In instances where the Fund is using derivatives to decrease, or hedge, exposures to market or credit risk factors for securities held by the Fund, there are also risks that those derivatives may not perform as expected resulting in losses for the combined or hedged positions.

Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including the risk of changes in the market price of the underlying securities, credit risk with respect to the counterparty, risk of loss due to changes in market interest rates and liquidity and volatility risk. The amounts required to purchase certain derivatives may be small relative to the magnitude of exposure assumed by the Fund. Therefore, the purchase of certain derivatives may have an economic leveraging effect on the Fund and exaggerate any increase or decrease in the NAV. Derivatives may not perform as expected, so the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. When used for hedging purposes, the change in value of a derivative may not correlate as expected with the currency, security or other risk being hedged. When used as an alternative or substitute for direct cash investments, the return provided by the derivative may not provide the same return as direct cash investment. In addition, given their complexity, derivatives expose the Fund to the risk of improper valuation.

Generally, derivatives are sophisticated financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset or assets. Derivatives include, among other things, swap agreements, options, forwards and futures. Investments in derivatives are generally negotiated OTC with a single counterparty and as a result are subject to credit risks related to the counterparty’s ability or willingness to

​

 

perform its obligations; any deterioration in the counterparty’s creditworthiness could adversely affect the value of the derivative. In addition, derivatives and their underlying securities may experience periods of illiquidity which could cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell, or to sell a security it otherwise might hold at inopportune times or at an unanticipated price. A manager might imperfectly judge the direction of the market. For instance, if a derivative is used as a hedge to offset investment risk in another security, the hedge might not correlate to the market’s movements and may have unexpected or undesired results such as a loss or a reduction in gains.

The U.S. government has enacted legislation that provides for new regulation of the derivatives market, including clearing, margin, reporting, and registration requirements. The European Union is (and other countries outside of the European Union are) implementing similar requirements, which will affect the Fund when it enters into a derivatives transaction with a counterparty organized in that country or otherwise subject to that country’s derivatives regulations. Because these requirements are new and evolving (and some of the rules are not yet final), their ultimate impact remains unclear. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty risk and increase liquidity, however, there is no assurance that it will achieve that result, and in the meantime, central clearing and related requirements expose the Fund to new kinds of costs and risks.

Counterparty Credit Risk and Credit Related Contingent Features. Certain derivative positions are subject to counterparty credit risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. The Fund’s derivative counterparties are financial institutions who are subject to market conditions that may weaken their financial position. The Fund intends to enter into financial transactions with counterparties that it believes to be creditworthy at the time of the transaction. To reduce this risk, the Fund generally enters into master netting arrangements, established within the Fund’s International Swap and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) Master Agreements (“Master Agreements”). These agreements are with select counterparties and they govern transactions, including certain OTC derivative and forward foreign currency contracts, entered into by the Fund and the counterparty. The Master Agreements maintain provisions for general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral, and events of default or termination. The occurrence of a specified event of termination may give a counterparty the right to terminate all of its contracts and affect settlement of all outstanding transactions under the applicable Master Agreement.

The Fund may also enter into collateral agreements with certain counterparties to further mitigate counterparty credit risk associated with OTC derivative and forward foreign currency contracts. Subject to established minimum levels, collateral is generally determined based on the net aggregate unrealized gain or loss on contracts with a certain counterparty. Collateral pledged to the Fund is held in a segregated account by a third-party agent and can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. government or related agencies.

The Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives is generally the aggregate unrealized gain in excess of any collateral pledged by the counterparty to the Fund. For purchased OTC options, the Fund bears the risk of loss in the amount of the premiums paid and the change in market value of the options should the counterparty not perform under the contracts. The Fund did not enter into any purchased OTC options during the year ended February 28, 2018.

The Fund’s Master Agreements with derivative counterparties have credit related contingent features that if triggered would allow its derivatives counterparties to close out and demand payment or additional collateral to cover their exposure from the Fund. Credit related contingent features are established between the Fund and its derivatives counterparties to reduce the risk that the Fund will not fulfill its payment obligations to its counterparties. These triggering features include, but are not limited to, a percentage decrease in the Fund’s net assets and or a percentage decrease in the Fund’s NAV, which could cause the Fund to accelerate payment of any net liability owed to the counterparty. The contingent features are established within the Fund’s Master Agreements.

Written options by the Fund do not give rise to counterparty credit risk, as written options obligate the Fund to perform and not the counterparty. As of February 28, 2018, the total value of written OTC call options subject to Master Agreements in a liability position was $412,469. If a contingent feature had been triggered, the Fund could have been required to pay this amount in cash to its counterparties. The Fund did not pledge collateral for its open written OTC call options at year end. There were no credit events for the year ended February 28, 2018 that triggered any credit related contingent features.

H. Options Contracts. The Fund may purchase put and call options and may write (sell) put options and covered call options. The premium received by the Fund upon the writing of a put or call option is included in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a liability which is subsequently marked-to-market until it is exercised or closed, or it expires. The Fund will realize a gain or loss upon the

​

 

expiration or closing of the option contract. When an option is exercised, the proceeds on sales of the underlying security for a written call option or purchased put option or the purchase cost of the security for a written put option or a purchased call option is adjusted by the amount of premium received or paid. The risk in writing a call option is that the Fund gives up the opportunity for profit if the market price of the security increases and the option is exercised. The risk in buying an option is that the Fund pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Risks may also arise from an illiquid secondary market or from the inability of counterparties to meet the terms of the contract.

The Fund generates premiums and seeks gains by writing options on ETFs or indexes on a portion of the value of the equity portfolio. Please refer to Note 8 for the volume of written OTC call option activity during the year ended February 28, 2018.

I. Indemnifications. In the normal course of business, the Fund may enter into contracts that provide certain indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, management considers risk of loss from such claims remote.

NOTE 3 — INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

The cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales of investments for the year ended February 28, 2018, excluding short-term securities, were $72,423,506 and $101,519,710, respectively.

NOTE 4 — INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEES

The Fund has entered into an investment management agreement (“Management Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser has overall responsibility for the management of the Fund. The Investment Adviser oversees all investment management and portfolio management services for the Fund and assists in managing and supervising all aspects of the general day-to-day business activities and operations of the Fund, including custodial, transfer agency, dividend disbursing, accounting, auditing, compliance and related services. This Management Agreement compensates the Investment Adviser with a management fee, payable monthly, based on an annual rate of 1.10% of the Fund’s average daily managed assets. For the purposes of the Management Agreement, managed assets are defined as the Fund’s average daily gross asset value, minus the sum of the Fund’s accrued and unpaid dividends on any

outstanding preferred shares and accrued liabilities (other than liabilities for the principal amount of any borrowings incurred, commercial paper or notes issued by the Fund and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). As of February 28, 2018, there were no preferred shares outstanding.

The Investment Adviser has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with Voya IM. Voya IM provides investment advice for the Fund and is paid by the Investment Adviser based on the average daily managed assets of the Fund. Subject to policies as the Board or the Investment Adviser may determine, Voya IM manages the Fund’s assets in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and limitations.

NOTE 5 — EXPENSE LIMITATION AGREEMENT

The Investment Adviser has entered into a written expense limitation agreement (“Expense Limitation Agreement”) with the Fund under which it will limit the expenses of the Fund, excluding interest, taxes, investment-related costs, leverage expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses to 1.25% of average daily managed assets.

The Investment Adviser may at a later date recoup from the Fund for fees waived and/or other expenses reimbursed by the Investment Adviser during the previous 36 months, but only if, after such recoupment, the Fund’s expense ratio does not exceed the percentage described above. Waived and reimbursed fees net of any recoupment by the Investment Adviser of such waived and reimbursed fees are reflected on the accompanying Statement of Operations. Amounts payable by the Investment Adviser are reflected on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

As of February 28, 2018, there are no amounts of waived and/or reimbursed fees that are subject to possible recoupment by the Investment Adviser.

The Expense Limitation Agreement is contractual through March 1, 2019 and shall renew automatically for one-year terms. Termination or modification of this obligation requires approval by the Board.

NOTE 6 — OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES AND RELATED PARTIES

The Fund has adopted a deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”), which allows eligible independent trustees, as described in the DC Plan, to defer the receipt of all or a portion of the trustees’ fees that they are entitled to receive from the Fund. For purposes of determining the amount owed to the trustee under the DC Plan, the amounts deferred are invested in shares of the funds selected by

​

 

the trustee (the “Notional Funds”). The Fund purchases shares of the Notional Funds, which are all advised by Voya Investments, in amounts equal to the trustees’ deferred fees, resulting in a Fund asset equal to the deferred compensation liability. Such assets, if applicable, are included as a component of  “Other assets” on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Deferral of trustees’ fees under the DC Plan will not affect net assets of the Fund, and will not materially affect the Fund’s assets, liabilities or net investment income per share. Amounts will be deferred until distributed in accordance with the DC Plan.

NOTE 7 — OTHER ACCRUED EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES

As of February 28, 2018, the Fund had the following payable included in Other Accrued Expenses and Liabilities on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities that exceeded 5% of total liabilities:

NOTE 8 — TRANSACTIONS IN WRITTEN OPTIONS

Transactions in written OTC call options on equity indices were as follows:

NOTE 9 — CAPITAL SHARES

Transactions in capital shares and dollars were as follows:

Share Repurchase Program

Effective April 1, 2017, pursuant to an open-market share repurchase program, the Fund may purchase, over the period ending March 31, 2018, up to 10% of its stock in

open-market transactions. Previously, pursuant to an open-market share repurchase program effective April 1, 2016, the Fund may have purchased, over the period ended March 31, 2017, up to 10% of its stock in open-market transactions. The amount and timing of the repurchases will be at the discretion of the Fund’s management, subject to market conditions and investment considerations. There is no assurance that the Fund will purchase shares at any particular discount level or in any particular amounts. Any repurchases made under this program would be made on a national securities exchange at the prevailing market price, subject to exchange requirements and volume, timing and other limitations under federal securities laws. The share repurchase program seeks to enhance shareholder value by purchasing shares trading at a discount from their NAV per share.

For the year ended February 28, 2018, the Fund had no repurchases.

For the year ended February 28, 2017, the Fund repurchased 526,321 shares, representing approximately 2.7% of the Fund’s outstanding shares for a net purchase price of  $6,532,335 (including commissions of  $13,158). Shares were repurchased at a weighted-average discount from NAV per share of 13.2% and a weighted-average price per share of  $12.39. Any future purchases will be updated in the next shareholder report.

For the year ended February 28, 2018, the Fund had no repurchases.

NOTE 10 — FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The amount of distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP for investment companies. These book/tax differences may be either temporary or permanent. Permanent differences are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax-basis treatment; temporary differences are not reclassified. Key differences include the treatment of short-term capital gains, foreign currency transactions, and wash sale deferrals. Distributions in excess of net investment income and/or net realized capital gains for tax purposes are reported as return of capital.

The following permanent tax differences have been reclassified as of the Fund’s tax year ended December 31, 2017:

​

 

Dividends paid by the Fund from net investment income and distributions of net realized short-term capital gains are, for federal income tax purposes, taxable as ordinary income to shareholders.

The tax composition of dividends and distributions in the current period will not be determined until after the Fund’s tax year-end of December 31, 2018. The tax composition of dividends and distributions as of the Fund’s most recent tax year-ends was as follows:

The tax-basis components of distributable earnings as of December 31, 2017 were:

At December 31, 2017, the Fund did not have any capital loss carryovers for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Fund’s major tax jurisdictions are U.S. federal and Arizona state.

As of February 28, 2018, no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements as a result of tax positions taken on federal and state income tax returns for open tax years. The Fund’s federal and state income and federal excise tax returns for tax years for which the applicable statutes of limitations have not expired are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state department of revenue. The earliest tax year that remains subject to examination by these jurisdictions is 2013.

NOTE 11 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Dividends: Subsequent to February 28, 2018, the Fund made a distribution of:

Each quarter, the Fund will provide disclosures with distribution payments made that estimate the percentages of that distribution that represent net investment income, capital gains, and return of capital, if any. A significant portion of the quarterly distribution payments made by the Fund may constitute a return of capital.

Share Repurchase Program: On March 15, 2018, the Board authorized an open-market share repurchase program pursuant to which the Fund may purchase, over the period ending March 31, 2019, up to 10% of its stock in open market transactions. The amount and timing of the repurchases will be at the discretion of the Fund’s management, subject to market conditions and investment considerations. There is no assurance that the Fund will purchase shares at any particular discount level or in any particular amounts. Any repurchases made under this program would be made on a national securities exchange at the prevailing market price, subject to exchange requirements and volume, timing and other limitations under federal securities laws. The share repurchase program seeks to enhance shareholder value by purchasing shares trading at a discount from their NAV per share.

The Fund has evaluated events occurring after the Statement of Assets and Liabilities date (“subsequent events”) to determine whether any subsequent events necessitated adjustment to or disclosure in the financial statements. Other than the above, no such subsequent events were identified.

​

​

“Other Securities” represents issues not identified as the top 50 holdings in terms of market value and issues or issuers not exceeding 1% of net assets individually or in aggregate respectively as of February 28, 2018.

The following footnotes apply to either the individual securities noted or one or more of the securities aggregated and listed as a single line item.

ADR

American Depositary Receipt

​

(1)

​

(2)

Securities with purchases pursuant to Rule 144A or section 4(a)(2), under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be resold subject to that rule except to qualified institutional buyers.

​

(3)

​

*

Includes short-term investments.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​