The Board of Trustees of The Gabelli Healthcare & WellnessRx
Trust (NYSE: GRX) (the “Fund”) reaffirmed its quarterly distribution
policy and declared a $0.10 per share cash distribution payable on
December 20, 2012 to common shareholders of record on December 14, 2012.
The Board of Trustees also declared an additional year-end cash
distribution in accordance with the minimum distribution requirements
for the Internal Revenue Code, which will include any additional income
and realized net capital gains in excess of the quarterly distributions
for the year. The Board of Trustees has yet to determine the amount of
the additional distribution and it will be announced at a later date.
The additional year-end cash distribution will be payable on December
20, 2012 to common shareholders of record on December 14, 2012.
All of the preferred and common share distributions for the year will
have the same proportion of net investment income and short and long
term capital gains.
The Board of Trustees currently intends to maintain the quarterly
distribution level of $0.10 per share. The Board of Trustees believes
that this distribution policy is in the best interests of the Fund’s
common shareholders. The Board of Trustees recognizes that cash flow may
be a consideration for many of the Fund’s shareholders and believes that
periodic cash distributions may attract investors seeking cash flow.
Each quarter, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential
distribution from the income, capital gain, or capital available. The
Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution
level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the
financial market environment. The Fund’s distribution policy and the
amount of the quarterly distribution are subject to modification or
termination by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate
should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an
investment in the Fund.
A portion of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain
and qualified dividend income for individuals, each subject to the
maximum federal income tax rate for such income, which is currently 15%
in individual taxable accounts. If the Fund does not generate sufficient
earnings (dividends and interest income and realized net capital gain)
equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in
a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s
earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Because this would be
considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment,
it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the
shareholder’s cost basis. Under federal tax regulations, some or all of
the return of capital distributed by the Fund may be taxable as ordinary
income in certain circumstances. This could occur when the Fund has a
capital loss carry forward, net capital gains are realized in a fiscal
year, and distributions are made in excess of investment company taxable
income.
Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, ordinary income, and
paid-in capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all
distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the
accounting records of the Fund as of November 13, 2012, each of the
distributions paid to common shareholders in 2012 would include
approximately 4% from net investment income and 96% from net capital
gains on a book basis. The estimated components of each distribution are
updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying
the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com).
The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2012 will
be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. All
shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification
regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2012 distributions in
early 2013 via Form 1099-DIV.
The Gabelli Healthcare & WellnessRx Trust is a
non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with $142
million in total net assets whose primary investment objective is
long-term growth of capital. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC,
a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (NYSE: GBL), which is a publicly
traded NYSE listed company.
