XFLT 8-K
XAI Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (XFLT)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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| Item 8.01. | Other Events |
Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement
On July 30, 2026, XAI Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (NYSE: XFLT) (the “Trust”) convened a special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) to approve a new investment sub-advisory agreement (the “New Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, XA Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”) and Rockford Tower Asset Management, L.L.C. (the “King Street Sub-Adviser”). The Special Meeting has been adjourned to August 6, 2026, in order to continue to solicit additional proxies to approve the New Sub-Advisory Agreement.
The Trust has entered into an interim investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, the Adviser and the King Street Sub-Adviser, dated as of July 30, 2026. The Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement was entered into upon the termination of the Trust’s previous investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Previous Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (the “Previous Sub-Adviser”), effective July 30, 2026.
The King Street Sub-Adviser is a newly formed, wholly owned registered investment adviser subsidiary of King Street Capital Management, L.P. (“King Street”). King Street is a leading global alternative asset manager founded in 1995 that manages assets across an institutional platform spanning multiple segments of the public and private markets. As of December 31, 2025, King Street and its affiliates had $30.0 billion in assets under management. King Street manages 20 U.S. CLOs and nine European CLOs, which total $12 billion in assets. The King Street Sub-Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The King Street Sub-Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company. The principal business address of King Street and the King Street Sub-Adviser is 299 Park Avenue, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10171.
The Trust’s current investment adviser, its investment objective and principal investment policies and advisory fee rate will remain unchanged. Under the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement, the King Street Sub-Adviser will provide investment advisory services to the Trust under terms that are substantially similar in all respects to those provided by the Previous Sub-Adviser under the Previous Sub-Advisory Agreement.
The Trust will continue to pay to the Adviser an investment advisory fee, payable monthly in arrears, in an annual amount equal to 1.70% of the Trust’s average daily Managed Assets. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Trust, including assets attributable to the Trust’s use of leverage and preferred shares, minus the sum of its accrued liabilities (other than liabilities incurred for the purpose of creating leverage).
Pursuant to the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement, the King Street Sub-Adviser will receive, as full compensation for all services rendered by the King Street Sub-Adviser as sub-adviser to the Trust, a sub-advisory fee, payable monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to 52% of the advisory fee payable by the Trust to the Adviser (before giving effect to any fees waived or expenses reimbursed by the Adviser).
Subject to approval by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”)) of the Trust, the Adviser or the King Street Sub-Adviser, the Trust may reimburse the King Street Sub-Adviser for certain reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the day-to-day management of the Trust. These expenses are expected to include the Trust’s allocable share of portfolio management and trading systems, research and analytic tools (including modeling software), diligence-related expenses, and out-of-pocket travel costs incurred in connection with managing the Trust. Expenses related to the King Street Sub-Adviser’s general overhead or corporate operations will not be reimbursable.
The Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of the 150th day following its effectiveness or the effectiveness of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement upon approval by shareholders. The Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement may be terminated (i) by the Trust or the Adviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon giving the King Street Sub-Adviser 60 days’ written notice, or (ii) by the King Street Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust and the Adviser. The Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement will also immediately terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act. The Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement also terminates upon the termination of the Trust’s investment advisory agreement with the Adviser.
Expense Reimbursement Limitation Agreement
In connection with the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Trust also entered into a Sub-Adviser Expense Reimbursement Limitation Agreement (the “Reimbursement Limitation Agreement”) among the Trust, the Adviser and the King Street Sub-Adviser. Pursuant to the Reimbursement Limitation Agreement, reimbursable expenses will be capped at 0.07% per annum of the Trust’s average daily net assets. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no reimbursement of expenses will be made for any period during which the Trust is subject to an operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement arrangement with the Adviser and/or the King Street Sub-Adviser, if such reimbursement would cause the Trust’s operating expenses to exceed the applicable operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement amount in effect at the time of reimbursement. Eligible expenses incurred by the King Street Sub-Adviser during such period may be reimbursed during a period of up to three years after they are incurred, provided that such reimbursement does not cause the Trust’s operating expenses to exceed the applicable operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement amount in effect at the time such expenses were incurred or at the time of reimbursement.
The foregoing descriptions of the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement and the Reimbursement Limitation Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement and the Reimbursement Limitation Agreement filed with this report as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Portfolio Management
Upon the Trust’s entry into the Interim Sub-Advisory Agreement, Mr. Young Choi became the lead portfolio manager of the Trust, and Mr. Terry Ing became a portfolio manager of the Trust.
Mr. Choi is a Partner, Global Investment Committee member, and Global Head of Trading of King Street and the Portfolio Manager of Rockford Tower Capital Management and King Street’s Opportunistic Credit Strategy. He is based in New York and is a member of King Street’s Management Committee, U.S. and European CLO Investment Committees, Risk Committee and Pricing Committee.
Prior to joining King Street in 2006, Mr. Choi worked at Citadel Investment Group as a Credit Analyst in the Distressed/High Yield Group and was Portfolio Manager of the firm’s $2 billion U.S. leveraged loan and CLO portfolio. Prior to that, Mr. Choi consulted at Bain & Co. Mr. Choi received a B.A. summa cum laude in Economics and a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University.
Mr. Choi will be supported by a team of professionals, including Terry Ing.
Mr. Ing is a Partner and Head of U.S. Research of King Street and the Portfolio Manager for Rockford Tower Capital Management’s long-only credit SMA platform. Terry splits his time between the Menlo Park and New York offices. He is a member of King Street’s Management Committee, Conflicts Committee and Responsible Investment Committee. Prior to joining King Street in 2024, Mr. Ing worked at KKR as a Portfolio Manager and Head of their U.S. Leveraged Credit Research and was a member of the Leverage Credit Investment Committee. Before joining KKR, he was an Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at PIMCO, where he focused on the credit hedge fund. Mr. Ing was an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School and serves on the Board of Directors of the Roberts Impact Investing Fund in association with REDF, a non-profit certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Mr. Ing received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an M.A. in Mathematics of Finance from Columbia University.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
| (d) | Exhibits |
| 10.1 | Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Trust, XA Investments, LLC and Rockford Tower Asset Management, L.L.C. | |
| 10.2 | Sub-Adviser Expense Reimbursement Limitation Agreement among the Trust, XA Investments, LLC and Rockford Tower Asset Management, L.L.C. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| XAI FLOATING RATE & ALTERNATIVE INCOME TRUST | ||
| Date: July 30, 2026 | By: | /s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch |
| Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | |
| Title: | Secretary and Chief Legal Officer | |
Exhibit 10.1
Execution Version
INTERIM INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
INTERIM INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of July 30, 2026 (the “Effective Date”) among XAI Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), XA Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and Rockford Tower Asset Management, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sub-Adviser”).
WHEREAS, the Adviser has agreed to furnish investment management and advisory services to the Trust, a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); and
WHEREAS, the investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust dated as of September 26, 2017 (such agreement or the most recent successor agreement between such parties relating to advisory services to the Trust is referred to herein as the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) contemplates that the Adviser may sub-contract investment advisory services with respect to the Trust to a sub-adviser(s) pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement(s) agreeable to the Trust and approved in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Trust’s previous investment sub-advisory agreement among the Trust, the Adviser and Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (the “Previous Sub-Advisory Agreement”) was terminated effective July 30, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Sub-Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board of Trustees”) has approved an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (the “New Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, and submitted the approval of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement to a vote of the Trust’s shareholders, but the shareholders have not yet approved that New Sub-Advisory Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Trust and the Adviser desire to retain the Sub-Adviser to furnish investment sub-advisory services for the Trust, upon the terms and conditions hereafter set forth, and the Sub-Adviser desires to be retained to perform such services on said terms and conditions; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement is being entered into in reliance upon Rule 15a-4 under the 1940 Act;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
| 1. | Appointment |
(a) The Adviser hereby appoints the Sub-Adviser to act as the investment sub-adviser to the Trust and to furnish the services described herein, for the period and upon the terms herein set forth.
(b) The Sub-Adviser hereby agrees, all as more fully set forth herein, to act as investment sub-adviser to the Trust and to furnish the services described below with respect to the investment of the Trust’s assets and the purchase of securities for and the sale of securities held in the investment portfolio of the Trust.
(c) The Sub-Adviser for all purposes in this Agreement will be deemed to be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized in this Agreement, will have no authority to act for or represent the Adviser or the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Adviser or the Trust.
| 2. | Duties and Obligations of the Sub-Adviser with Respect to Investment of Assets of the Trust |
(a) Subject to the oversight and supervision of the Adviser and direction and control of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Sub-Adviser will act as sub-adviser for the Trust and perform one or more of the following services at the request of the Adviser in connection with the investment and reinvestment of the Trust’s assets:
| (i) | managing the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Trust in accordance with the investment policies and guidelines of the Trust; |
| (ii) | subject to the provisions of Section 4 hereof, purchasing and selling securities and other assets for the Trust and placing orders for purchases and sales of assets of the Trust; |
| (iii) | providing investment research and credit analysis concerning the assets of the Trust; |
| (iv) | monitoring on a daily basis the investment activities and portfolio holdings relating to the Trust; |
| (v) | voting proxies relating to the Trust’s portfolio securities in accordance with the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Sub-Adviser; and |
| (vi) | settlement of transactions and completing corporate actions. |
(b) At the request of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser will also, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Adviser and the direction and control of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, consult with the Adviser as to the overall management of the assets of the Trust and the investment policies and practices of the Trust, including (but not limited to) the use by the Trust of financial leverage and matters relating to such financial leverage (e.g., form, amount and costs) and the utilization by the Trust of any interest rate or other hedging or risk management transactions in connection therewith, and will perform any of the services described in the Investment Advisory Agreement.
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(c) In addition, the Sub-Adviser will keep the Trust and the Adviser informed of developments relating to the Sub-Adviser or the Trust’s investments materially affecting the Trust and shall, upon request, furnish to the Adviser and the Trust all information relevant to such developments.
(d) The Sub-Adviser will periodically communicate to the Adviser or other services providers of the Trust, at such times as the Adviser may request, information concerning the purchase and sale of securities for the Trust and such other information as the Adviser may reasonably require for purposes of fulfilling its obligations to the Trust under the Investment Advisory Agreement.
| 3. | Covenants |
(a) In the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall at all times conform to, and act in accordance with, any requirements imposed by:
| (i) | the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and all applicable Rules and Regulations of the SEC; |
| (ii) | any other applicable provision of law; |
| (iii) | the provisions of this Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Trust, as such documents are amended from time to time; |
| (iv) | the investment objective, policies and restrictions of the Trust as set forth in its Registration Statement on Form N-2; and |
| (v) | any policies and determinations of the Board of Trustees of the Trust. |
(b) The Sub-Adviser will not consult with any other sub-adviser of the Trust or any other sub-adviser to a fund under common control with the Trust concerning transactions of the Trust in securities or other assets.
(c) The Sub-Adviser will maintain a written code of ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, a copy of which will be provided to the Trust and the Adviser, and will institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons (as defined in Rule 17j-1) from violating its Code of Ethics. The Sub-Adviser will follow such Code of Ethics in performing its services under this Agreement.
(d) The Sub-Adviser will maintain compliance policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act and Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, a copy of which will be provided to the Trust and the Adviser, and follow such compliance policies and procedures in performing its services under this Agreement; and
(e) The Sub-Adviser will cooperate with the chief compliance officer of the Trust in connection with the implementation and operation of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, and will prepare necessary reports and provide the Trust’s chief compliance officer with access to information reasonably necessary for the Trust to comply with Rule 38a-1.
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| 4. | Portfolio Transactions |
(a) In the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser will place orders either directly with the issuer or with any broker or dealer. Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, in placing orders with brokers and dealers, the Sub-Adviser will attempt to obtain the best price and the most favorable execution of its orders. In placing orders, the Sub-Adviser will consider the experience and skill of the firm’s securities traders as well as the firm’s financial responsibility and administrative efficiency. Consistent with this obligation, the Sub-Adviser may select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to the Trust and other clients of the Sub-Adviser. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by the Sub-Adviser hereunder. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of the Sub-Adviser to the Trust and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by the Trust will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to the Trust over the long-term. In no instance, however, will the Trust’s securities be purchased from or sold to the Sub-Adviser, or any affiliated person thereof, except to the extent permitted by the SEC or by applicable law.
(b) At the request of the Adviser or the Trust, the Sub-Adviser will identify and provide a written description to the Adviser and the Board of Trustees of the Trust of “soft dollar” arrangements that the Sub-Adviser maintains with respect to the Trust or with brokers or dealers that execute transactions for the Trust, and of research and other services provided to the Sub-Adviser by a broker or dealer (whether prepared by such broker or dealer or by a third party) as a result, in whole or in part, of the direction of Trust transactions to the broker or dealer.
(c) From time to time, the Sub-Adviser or brokers or dealers affiliated with it may find themselves in a position to buy for certain of their clients (each an “Account”) securities which the Sub-Adviser’s investment advisory clients wish to sell, and to sell for certain of their clients securities which advisory clients wish to buy. Where one of the parties is an advisory client, the Sub-Adviser or the affiliated broker or dealer cannot participate in this type of transaction (known as a cross transaction) on behalf of an advisory client and retain commissions from one or both parties to the transaction without the advisory client’s consent. This is because in a situation where the Sub-Adviser is making the investment decision (as opposed to a brokerage client who makes his own investment decisions), and the Sub-Adviser or an affiliate is receiving commissions from both sides of the transaction, there is a potential conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities on the Sub-Adviser’s part regarding the advisory client. However, the SEC has adopted a rule under the Advisers Act that permits the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates to participate on behalf of an Account in agency cross transactions if the advisory client has given written consent in advance. Therefore, by execution of this Agreement, the Trust authorizes the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates to participate in agency cross transactions involving an Account. The Trust may revoke its consent at any time by written notice to the Sub-Adviser.
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| 5. | Confidentiality |
Each of the Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser acknowledge and agree that in satisfying its respective obligations under and performing services in connection with this Agreement, any party may have access to another party’s confidential and proprietary information and materials concerning or pertaining to the other’s business (“confidential information”). Each party will receive and hold such information in the strictest confidence, and acknowledge, represent, and warrant that it will use its best efforts to protect the confidentiality of this information to the same degree of care as it would its own confidential information. Each party agrees that, without the prior written consent of the other party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, such party will not use, copy, or divulge to third parties or otherwise use, except in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, any confidential information of another party without the prior written consent of such other party; provided, however, this covenant shall not apply to (i) information which is in the public domain now or when it becomes in the public domain in the future, other than by reason of a breach of this Agreement, (ii) information which has come to a party from a lawful source not bound to maintain the confidentiality of such information, other than from any other party or an affiliate or representative of that party, (iii) information which is independently developed without the use of confidential information, (iv) disclosures which are required by law, regulatory authority, regulation or legal process or are made to any regulatory agency in the normal course of an examination, audit or investigation involving such party, or (v) disclosure as reasonably necessary in the course of business to third parties subject to a duty to maintain the confidentiality of the information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sub-Adviser may disclose information it receives from or on behalf of the Trust or the Adviser to officers and employees of the Sub-Adviser or any of its affiliates in the course of providing the services under this Agreement and the Sub-Adviser may disclose the Trust’s TIN information to third parties as required to perform the Sub-Adviser’s services under this Agreement.
| 6. | Services Not Exclusive |
(a) Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Sub-Adviser or any officer, employee or other affiliate thereof from acting as investment adviser for any other person, firm or corporation, or from engaging in any other lawful activity, and shall not in any way limit or restrict the Sub-Adviser or any of its officers, employees or agents from buying, selling or trading any securities for its or their own accounts or for the accounts of others for whom it or they may be acting; provided, however, that the Sub-Adviser will undertake no activities which, in its judgment, will adversely affect the performance of its obligations under this Agreement.
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(b) The Sub Adviser currently manages, and may in the future manage, other investment accounts and funds, including those with investment objectives similar to the Trust. Securities considered as investments for the Trust may also be appropriate for other investment accounts and funds that may be managed by the Sub-Adviser. Subject to applicable laws and regulations, the Sub-Adviser will attempt to allocate equitably portfolio transactions among the portfolios of its other investment accounts and funds purchasing securities whenever decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Trust and one or more of such other accounts or funds over time. In making such allocations, the main factors to be considered by the Sub-Adviser will be the respective investment objectives of the Trust and such other accounts and funds, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment by the Trust and such other accounts and funds, the size of investment commitments generally held by the Trust and such accounts and funds, and the opinions of the persons responsible for recommending investments to the Trust and such other accounts and funds.
| 7. | Books and Records |
(a) The Sub-Adviser undertakes and agrees to maintain or cause others to maintain, in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act, all records relating to the Trust’s investments that are required to be maintained by the Trust pursuant to the 1940 Act with respect to the Sub-Adviser’s responsibilities under this Agreement for the Trust, and which are not otherwise maintained by the administrator, fund accounting agent, custodian or other service providers to the Trust.
(b) In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the 1940 Act, the Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust and further agrees to surrender promptly to the Trust any such records upon the Trust’s request, except for any software or other intellectual property that is proprietary to, or owned or licensed by, the Sub-Adviser or any of its affiliates, which shall remain the property of the Sub-Adviser. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sub-Adviser shall retain those original records or copies of records in order to comply with the Advisers Act record keeping requirement, applicable law and its own internal policies.
(c) Each of the Adviser and the Trust shall own, have custody of and maintain its general corporate accounts and records. At reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, the Trust shall provide the Sub-Adviser with access to all books, records, accounts, facilities, and personnel necessary or appropriate for the performance of the Sub-Adviser obligations under this Agreement.
| 8. | Custody |
Nothing in this Agreement will require the Sub-Adviser to take or receive physical possession of cash, securities, or other investments of the Trust.
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| 9. | Expenses |
(a) During the term of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser will bear all costs and expenses of its employees and any overhead incurred in connection with its duties hereunder, except as provided pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section 9, and shall bear the costs of any salaries or trustees fees of any officers or trustees of the Trust who are affiliated persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Sub-Adviser.
(b) The Sub-Adviser shall not be responsible for any expenses of the Adviser or the Trust not specifically set forth in this Section 9 or otherwise in any written agreement between the Sub-Adviser and the Trust or the Adviser, as the case may be.
(c) The Trust will bear all other costs, fees and expenses of its operations and transactions, including those relating to: (1) organization; (2) calculation of the Trust’s net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm, agent or other provider); (3) expenses payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Trust and in monitoring the Trust’s investments; (4) interest payable on indebtedness and dividends and distributions on preferred shares, as applicable, if any, incurred to finance the Trust’s investments; (5) offerings of the Trust’s common shares and other securities (including, all fees, costs and expenses related thereto); (6) fees payable to third parties, including agents, legal counsel, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; (7) administrator, transfer agent and custodian fees; (8) federal and state registration fees; (9) all costs of registration and listing the Trust’s shares on any securities exchange; (10) federal, state and local taxes; (11) independent trustees’ fees and expenses; (12) costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by governmental bodies (including the SEC), including printing costs; (13) costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to shareholders, including printing costs; (14) insurance premiums for fidelity bond and other insurance coverage, including the Trust’s allocable portion of the fidelity bond, trustees and officers errors and omissions liability insurance, including independent trustees liability insurance, and any other insurance premium; (15) direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; (16) brokerage commissions, assignment fees and other costs in connection with the purchase, holding or sale of securities and other investment instruments (including, without limitation, security settlement costs; (17) expenses incidental to holding meetings of the Trust’s shareholders, including proxy solicitations therefor; (18) unusual, non-recurring or extraordinary expenses as may arise, including those relating to actions, suits or proceedings to which the Trust is a party and legal obligations that the Trust may have to indemnify the Trust’s directors, officers and/or employees or agents with respect to these actions, suits or proceedings; and (19) all other expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with administering the Trust’s business.
(d) The Trust may, if and to the extent approved by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any party to this Agreement, from time to time reimburse the Sub-Adviser for certain costs and expenses incurred by the Sub-Adviser in connection with the management of the Trust’s assets, which may include the Trust’s allocable share of portfolio management and trading software costs, research expenses (including modeling and analytic software costs), diligence expenses and out-of-pocket travel costs incurred in connection with the management of the Trust’s assets.
For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall expenses associated with the general overhead of the Sub-Adviser be reimbursed by the Trust.
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| 10. | Compensation of the Sub-Adviser |
(a) The Adviser agrees to pay to the Sub-Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser agrees to accept as full compensation for all services rendered by the Sub-Adviser under this Agreement, a sub-advisory fee, payable monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to 52% of the advisory fee payable to the Adviser from the Trust; provided that in no event shall the compensation payable to the Sub-Adviser hereunder exceed the compensation that would have been payable under the Previous Sub-Advisory Agreement.
(b) For any period less than a month during which this Agreement is in effect, the fee shall be prorated according to the proportion which such period bears to a full month of 28, 29, 30 or 31 days, as the case may be.
(c) The Sub-Adviser may elect from time to time, in its sole discretion, to waive its right to receipt of all or a portion of the sub-advisory fee.
| 11. | Representations and Warranties |
(a) The Trust represents and covenants to the Sub-Adviser as follows:
| (i) | The Trust is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets. |
| (ii) | The execution, delivery and performance by the Trust of this Agreement are within the Trust’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary actions of the Board of Trustees, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the parties to this Agreement do not contravene or constitute a default under (1) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (2) the Trust’s governing instruments, or (3) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instruments binding upon the Trust. |
| (iii) | The Trust is, or will be prior to commencing operations, registered as a closed-end management investment company under the 1940 Act and the Trust’s shares are, or will be prior to commencing operations, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and under any applicable state securities laws, or exempt from such registration. |
(b) The Adviser represents and covenants to the Sub-Adviser as follows:
| (i) | The Adviser is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware. |
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| (ii) | The execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement are within the Adviser’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action, and no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Adviser for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the parties to this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the parties to this Agreement do not contravene or constitute a default under (1) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (2) the Adviser’s governing instruments, or (3) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instruments binding upon the Adviser. |
| (iii) | This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Adviser, enforceable against the Adviser in accordance with its terms, except to the extent such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and by general equity principles. |
| (iv) | The Adviser is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from serving as investment adviser to the Trust. |
| (v) | The Adviser hereby acknowledges receipt of Sub-Adviser’s Form ADV, Part 2 before, or at the time of, signing this Agreement. |
(c) The Sub-Adviser represents and covenants to the Adviser and the Trust as follows:
| (i) | The Sub-Adviser is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware. |
| (ii) | The execution, delivery and performance by the Sub-Adviser of this Agreement are within the Sub-Adviser’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action, and no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Sub-Adviser for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the parties to this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the parties to this Agreement do not contravene or constitute a default under (1) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (2) the Sub-Adviser’s governing instruments, or (3) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instruments binding upon the Sub-Adviser. |
| (iii) | This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Sub-Adviser, enforceable against the Sub-Adviser in accordance with its terms, except to the extent such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and by general equity principles. |
| (iv) | The Sub-Adviser is not prohibited by the 1940 Act or the Advisers Act from performing the services contemplated by this Agreement. |
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| 12. | Certain Information |
The Sub-Adviser shall promptly notify the Trust and the Adviser in writing of the occurrence of any of the following events:
(a) the Sub-Adviser failing to be registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act;
(b) the Sub-Adviser having been served or otherwise have notice of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, at law or in equity, before or by any court, public board or body, involving the affairs of the Trust;
(c) the occurrence of any change in control of the Sub-Adviser or any parent of the Sub-Adviser within the meaning of the 1940 Act; or
(d) the occurrence of any material adverse change in the business or financial position of the Sub-Adviser.
| 13. | Limitation on Liability |
The Sub-Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Adviser or by the Trust in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of a fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall constitute a waiver or restriction of any party’s rights under applicable federal or state securities laws.
| 14. | Indemnification |
The Trust shall indemnify, defend and protect the Sub-Adviser, its members and their respective officers, managers, partners, parent, corporate group affiliates, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person affiliated with any of them (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) (each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Trust or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Sub-Adviser’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 14 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Trust or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of any Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Sub-Adviser’s duties and obligations under this Agreement (as the same shall be determined in accordance with the 1940 Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
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| 15. | Duration and Termination |
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date. This Agreement is an “interim agreement” within the meaning of Rule 15a-4 under the 1940 Act. This Agreement shall terminate no later than the earliest of: (i) 150 calendar days from the Effective Date or such later date as may be consistent with the 1940 Act, rules and regulations thereunder or exemptive relief or interpretive positions of the Staff of the SEC; (ii) the execution of the New Sub-Advisory Agreement that has been approved by a vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust; and (iii) the effective date of a termination of this Agreement pursuant to the paragraphs (b) or (c) below.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be terminated by (i) the Adviser or the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon giving the Sub-Adviser 60 days’ notice (which notice may be waived by the Sub-Adviser), provided that such termination by the Trust shall be directed or approved by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust in office at the time or by the vote of the holders of a majority of the voting securities of the Trust at the time outstanding and entitled to vote, or (ii) the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust and the Adviser (which notice may be waived by the Trust or the Adviser on behalf of both the Trust and the Adviser).
(c) This Agreement will immediately terminate in the event of its assignment and will immediately terminate upon any termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser.
(d) As used in this Agreement, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested person” and “assignment” shall have the same meanings of such terms in the 1940 Act.
(e) The terms of Sections 5, 7, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19 and 20 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
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| 16. | Notices |
Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing to the other parties and shall be considered as properly given or made if (a) sent by overnight delivery by a nationally recognized air courier service, (b) sent by electronic mail with no receipt of error in the delivery, or (c) mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and if addressed to the respective address listed below:
If to Adviser, to:
XA
Investments LLC
321 North Clark Street #2430
Chicago, IL 60654
Attention: General Counsel
If to the Trust, to:
XAI
Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust
321 North Clark Street #2430
Chicago, IL 60654
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
If to Sub-Adviser, to:
Rockford
Tower Asset Management, L.L.C.
299 Park Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10171
Attn: General Counsel
or at such address as the other party may designate from time to time for the receipt of such notice and shall be deemed effective on receipt.
| 17. | Amendment of this Agreement |
No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought. Any amendment of this Agreement shall be subject to the 1940 Act.
| 18. | Governing Law |
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware for contracts to be performed entirely therein without reference to choice of law principles thereof and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND ANY RIGHT TO SEEK PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
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| 19. | Use of the Name |
The Sub-Adviser has consented to the use by the Trust of the name or identifying word “Rockford Tower” or “King Street” in the name of the Trust. Such consent is conditioned upon the employment of the Sub-Adviser as the investment adviser to the Trust. The name or identifying word “Rockford Tower” or “King Street” may be used from time to time solely in connection with the Sub-Adviser’s services under this Agreement. The Sub-Adviser may require the Trust to cease using “Rockford Tower” or “King Street” in the name of the Trust, if the Trust ceases to employ, for any reason, the Sub-Adviser, any successor thereto or any affiliate thereof as investment sub-adviser of the Trust. If so required by the Sub-Adviser, the Trust will cease using “Rockford Tower” or “King Street” in its name as promptly as practicable and make all reasonable efforts to remove “Rockford Tower” or “King Street” from its name.
| 20. | Miscellaneous |
(a) The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
(b) If any provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or unenforceable under applicable law of mandatory application, the validity, legality, and enforceability of that provision or condition in other instances and of the remaining provisions and conditions are not in any way affected thereby.
(c) Nothing contained in this Agreement will be deemed to require the Trust to take any action contrary to the Trust’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust or By-laws, as they may be amended and/or restated from time to time, or any applicable statute or regulation, or to relieve or deprive the Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust.
(d) This Agreement shall be binding on, and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
(e) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts by the parties hereto, each of which when executed is deemed to be an original and all of which together are deemed to be one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
(f) This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement, and supersedes any and all other proposals, understandings, and agreements among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused the foregoing instrument to be executed by their duly authorized officers, all as of the day and the year first above written.
| XAI FLOATING RATE & ALTERNATIVE INCOME TRUST | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Title: | Secretary & Chief Legal Officer | ||
| XA INVESTMENTS LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Title: | Managing Director & General Counsel | ||
| ROCKFORD TOWER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. | |||
| By: | /s/ Kristerfor T. Mastronardi | ||
| Name: | Kristerfor T. Mastronardi | ||
| Title: | Authorized Signatory | ||
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Exhibit 10.2
Execution Version
Sub-Adviser Expense Reimbursement Limitation Agreement
Reference is made to the Interim Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (such agreement or the most recent successor agreement between the parties thereto relating to sub-advisory services to the Trust (as defined below) being referred to herein as the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), dated as of July 30, 2026 (the “Effective Date”) among XAI Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), XA Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”), and Rockford Tower Asset Management, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sub-Adviser”).
WHEREAS, Section 9(d) of the Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Trust may, if and to the extent approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any party to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, from time to time reimburse the Sub-Adviser for certain costs and expenses incurred by the Sub-Adviser in connection with the management of the Trust’s assets;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
| 1. | Annual Operating Expense Reimbursement Limitation |
The Trust shall not reimburse expenses of the Sub-Adviser in excess of 0.07% per annum of the Trust’s Net Assets. “Net Assets” means the total assets of the Trust, minus its total liabilities, determined in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees.
| 2. | Fund Expense Limitation Arrangements |
No reimbursement of expenses will be made for any period during which the Trust is subject to an operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement arrangement with the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser, if such reimbursement would cause the Trust’s operating expenses to exceed the applicable operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement amount in effect at the time of reimbursement. Any eligible expenses incurred by the Sub-Adviser during such period may be carried forward for a period of up to three years and reimbursed thereafter, provided that such reimbursement does not cause the Trust’s operating expenses to exceed the applicable operating expense limitation or expense reimbursement amount in effect at the time of reimbursement.
| 3. | Miscellaneous |
(a) This Agreement will immediately terminate upon any termination of the Sub-Advisory Agreement.
(b) No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought. Any amendment of this Agreement shall be subject to the 1940 Act.
(c) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware for contracts to be performed entirely therein without reference to choice of law principles thereof and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND ANY RIGHT TO SEEK PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
(d) If any provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or unenforceable under applicable law of mandatory application, the validity, legality, and enforceability of that provision or condition in other instances and of the remaining provisions and conditions are not in any way affected thereby.
(e) Nothing contained in this Agreement will be deemed to require the Trust to take any action contrary to the Trust’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust or By-laws, as they may be amended and/or restated from time to time, or any applicable statute or regulation, or to relieve or deprive the Board of Trustees of its responsibility for and control of the conduct of the affairs of the Trust.
(f) This Agreement shall be binding on, and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
(g) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts by the parties hereto, each of which when executed is deemed to be an original and all of which together are deemed to be one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
(h) This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement, and supersedes any and all other proposals, understandings, and agreements among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(i) Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Sub-Advisory Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused the foregoing instrument to be executed by their duly authorized officers, all as of the day and the year first above written.
| XAI FLOATING RATE & ALTERNATIVE INCOME TRUST | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Title: | Secretary & Chief Legal Officer | ||
| XA INVESTMENTS LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Name: | Benjamin D. McCulloch | ||
| Title: | Managing Director & General Counsel | ||
| ROCKFORD TOWER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. | |||
| By: | /s/ Kristerfor T. Mastronardi | ||
| Name: | Kristerfor T. Mastronardi | ||
| Title: | Authorized Signatory | ||
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