[December 21, 2012]

Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. Raises $851 Million

Prudential Investments announced the initial public offering of the Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. (the Fund). The Fund raised $740 million in its common share offering ($851 million assuming full exercise of the underwriters' overallotment option, which may not occur) and its shares began trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GHY."

The Fund is a newly organized closed-end fund that seeks to provide investors with a high level of current income. It invests in a global portfolio consisting primarily of higher-rated high yield bonds.¹ It seeks to maintain a weighted average portfolio duration of three years or less and a weighted average maturity of five years or less. There is no guarantee the Fund's objective will be achieved.

"This new closed-end fund should help investors address the challenge of finding yield in today's low interest rate environment by offering access not only to the U.S. short duration high yield market, but also to the rapidly growing non-U.S. market," said Stuart Parker, president of Prudential Investments. "Many non-U.S. bonds are currently providing higher yields than similarly-rated U.S. bonds."

The Fund's portfolio managers are part of Prudential Fixed Income, a credit-research-driven fixed income manager with a sharp focus on managing risk. Prudential Fixed Income has been managing fixed income portfolios since 1875 and is among the largest fixed income managers in the United States, with about $356 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2012. Day-to-day Fund management is provided by Prudential Fixed Income's Leveraged Finance Team, whose 12-member portfolio management team averages 20 years of experience. The team is supported by 28 experienced high yield and bank loan analysts.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, and Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities, LLC are acting as lead underwriters of the offering.

Prudential Investments, the mutual fund and wealth management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), oversees Prudential Mutual Funds, which focuses on traditional mutual funds, separately managed accounts, and Investment Only Defined Contribution businesses. Prudential Investments also maintains two other business unit, Wealth Management Solutions and Strategic Investment Research Group.

Prudential Financial, Inc., a financial services leader with approximately $1 trillion of assets under management as of September 30, 2012, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the United States, Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/.

The Fund is a newly organized registered closed-end management company with no operating history. Shares of closed-end investment companies, such as the Fund, usually trade on a national stock exchange, and these shares frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase investors' risk of loss.

An investment in the Fund's shares of common stock may be speculative in that involves a high degree of risk and should not constitute a complete investment program. Each closed-end fund will have its own unique investment strategy, risks, charges and expenses that need to be considered before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other information about the Fund, should be read carefully before investing.

Investing in this diversified Fund involves certain risks and the Fund may not achieve its intended results for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the possibility that the Fund may not successfully implement its investment strategy, because of market, economic, regulatory, geopolitical and other conditions. U.S. and foreign governments have taken a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. The impact of these measures, as well as any additional future regulatory actions, is not yet known and cannot be predicted. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund is regulated and could limit or preclude the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. Because the market price of the Fund's common stock will fluctuate, there is a risk that investors will lose money. Investments will decline in value if, among other things, the market price of the Fund's common stock decreases. As with any security, a complete loss of an investment is possible. The Fund may seek to enhance the level of its current distributions to holders of common stock through the use of leverage, which may magnify losses and increase a portfolio's expenses. Fixed income investments are subject to interest rate risk, where their value will decline as interest rates rise.

SIRG is a unit of Prudential Investments LLC, and a research unit of Prudential Financial. SIRG provides research, analysis and due diligence on investment management firms and the vehicles and strategies they offer. Wealth Management Solutions is a division of Prudential Investments LLC, Newark, NJ, a Prudential Financial company.

Prudential Fixed Income is a business unit of Prudential Investment Management LLC, a registered investment advisor and a Prudential Financial company. Prudential Investments, Prudential, the Prudential logo, and the Rock symbol are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

This news release is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted. Investors should contact their financial professional to obtain a copy of the prospectus and read it carefully before investing.

¹ Higher-rated high yield bonds are below investment grade, commonly referred to as "junk bonds," and are considered speculative. Rated Ba, B by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.; BB, B by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services or Fitch, Inc.; or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO).

Control Number: 0236793-00001-00

[ Back To Smart Grid Home's Homepage ]