Delaware Investments Announces Redemption of Preferred Shares in Certain Closed-End Funds
October 14 2008 - 6:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of
Directors of Delaware Investments Colorado Municipal Income Fund,
Inc. (ASE:VCF) and Delaware Investments Minnesota Municipal Income
Fund II, Inc. (ASE:VMM) (each, a "Fund," and collectively, the
"Funds") announced it has approved a plan to redeem all or a
significant portion of outstanding preferred shares issued by the
Funds. The first redemption is scheduled for October 22, 2008. Each
of the Funds has two or more series of preferred shares issued,
each with a liquidation preference of $50,000 plus any accrued and
undistributed capital gains through the dividend payable date. The
redemption plan is intended to better position each Fund to pursue
its investment objectives in light of current and unprecedented
market volatility, which has resulted in higher short-term interest
rates. Preferred Shareholders of each series of the Funds listed in
the table below are subject to redemption on the dates and in the
amounts listed. The implementation of the redemption plan,
including the amounts and the frequency with which Management may
seek to redeem shares, remains subject to market conditions as well
as the discretion of the Funds' investment managers. Number of
Number of Preferred Preferred Shares Shares Outstanding Redemption
to be Fund Name Series CUSIP Currently Date Redeemed Delaware
Investments Colorado Municipal Income Fund, Inc (ASE:VCF) A
246101208 400 Oct. 22, 2008 270 B 246101307 400 Oct. 22, 2008 270
Delaware Investments Minnesota Municipal Income Fund II, Inc
(ASE:VMM) B 24610V304 600 Oct. 22, 2008 355 Management recommended
the redemption of the Funds' preferred shares based on its
expectation that the current environment may become increasingly
difficult for the Funds to invest the assets attributable to the
preferred shares in securities that provide a sufficient rate of
return compared to the dividend rates payable on the preferred
shares, which have remained elevated in recent remarketings. These
higher costs, in conjunction with current market conditions, could
cause the Funds to realize an overall lower rate of return than if
the Funds were not leveraged. The Funds' Board of Directors may
consider adding some form of leverage to the Funds in the future if
warranted by economic conditions at that time. Under the Statements
Fixing the Rights and Preferences of each Fund's preferred shares,
Depository Trust Company (DTC), the securities' holder of record,
determines by lot how partial series redemptions will be allocated
among each participant broker-dealer account. DTC then notifies
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (DBTCA), the Funds' paying
agent, of its determination and DBTCA determines by lot the number
of shares to be redeemed from preferred shareholder accounts held
by each participant broker-dealer. DBTCA may determine that shares
will be redeemed from the accounts of some preferred shareholders,
which may include the Funds' remarketing agents, without shares
being redeemed from the accounts of other preferred shareholders.
About Delaware Investments: Delaware Investments, an affiliate of
Lincoln Financial Group, is a Philadelphia-based diversified asset
management firm with more than $135 billion in assets under
management as of June 30, 2008. Through a broad range of managed
accounts and portfolios, mutual funds, retirement accounts, sub-
advised funds and other investment products, Delaware Investments
provides investment services to individual investors and to
institutional investors such as private and public pension funds,
foundations, and endowment funds. Delaware Investments is the
marketing name for Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. and its
subsidiaries. For more information on Delaware Investments, visit
the company at http://www.delawareinvestments.com/. Lincoln
Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National
Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. For more information on
Lincoln Financial Group, visit http://www.lincolnfinancial.com/.
DATASOURCE: Delaware Investments CONTACT: Ayele Ajavon,
+1-215-255-1632, , or Laurel O'Brien, +1-215-255-1520, , both of
Delaware Investments Corporate Communications Web site:
http://www.delawareinvestments.com/
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