UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
 
FORM N-Q
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY
 
Investment Company Act file number 811-06445
 

 
The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
 
119 Washington Avenue, Suite 504, Miami Beach FL 33139
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

ERIK M. HERZFELD
119 Washington Avenue, Suite 504, Miami Beach FL 33139
(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 305-271-1900
 
Date of fiscal year end: 06/30/17
 
Date of reporting period: 03/31/17


ITEM 1. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS AS OF March 31, 2017 (unaudited)
 
Shares or
Principal
Amount
 
Description
 
Market Value
 
   
Common stocks – 97.74% of net assets
     
           
   
Airlines – 14.38%
     
221,569
 
Avianca Holdings, SA Spon ADR
   
1,708,297
 
32,273
 
Copa Holdings, S.A. 3,622,644
       
21,515
 
ERA Group Inc.*
   
285,289
 
26,000
 
Spirit Airlines, Inc.*
   
1,379,820
 
             
   
Banking and finance – 10.82%
       
19,780
 
Bancolombia, S.A.
   
788,629
 
58,166
 
Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A.
   
1,613,525
 
23,643
 
Evertec Inc.
   
375,924
 
90,100
 
First Bancorp Puerto Rico
   
509,065
 
30,000
 
Popular Inc.
   
1,221,900
 
10,000
 
Stonegate Bank
   
470,900
 
3,844
 
W Holding Co. Inc.*
   
--
 
14,000
 
Western Union
   
284,900
 
             
   
Communications – 5.90%
       
44,690
 
America Movil, S.A.B. de C.V. ADR
   
633,257
 
71,200
 
America Movil, S.A.B. de C.V. Series A
   
50,279
 
209,144
 
America Movil, S.A.B. de C.V. Series L
   
147,579
 
11,988
 
ATN International
   
844,195
 
479,175
 
Fuego Enterprises Inc.*
   
292,297
 
210,994
 
Grupo Radio Centro, S.A.B. de C.V. Series A*
   
134,433
 
28,400
 
Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. ADR
   
736,696
 
32,272
 
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.*
   
24,204
 
14,017
 
Telesites S.A.B Series B-1*
   
9,042
 
             
   
Conglomerates and holdings companies – 0.50%
       
250,000
 
Admiralty Holding Company*
   
--
 
5,000
 
Archer Daniels Midland Co.
   
230,200
 
70,348
 
Caribbean Investment Holdings Ltd.*
   
11,436
 
             
   
Construction and related – 15.91%
       
236,198
 
Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. ADR
   
2,142,316
 
67,875
 
Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Series CPO
   
61,121
 
20
 
Ceramica Carabobo Class A ADR*
   
--
 
3,000
 
Martin Marietta Materials
   
654,750
 
106,927
 
Mastec, Inc.*
   
4,282,426
 
5,000
 
Vulcan Materials
   
602,400
 
             
   
Consumer products and related manufacturing – 3.12%
       
327,290
 
Grupo Casa Saba, S.A.B. de C.V. ADR*
   
--
 
10,600
 
Watsco Incorporated
   
1,517,708
 
             
   
Food, beverages and tobacco – 3.61%
       
53,874
 
Cleanpath Resources Corp.*
   
5
 
18,900
 
Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. Series UBD
   
166,821
 
14,610
 
Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. ADR
   
1,293,277
 
5,000
 
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.
   
296,150
 
             
   
Housing – 5.21%
       
49,500
 
Lennar Corporation
   
2,533,905
 
             
   
Investment companies – 0.64%
       
800
 
Latin American Discovery Fund, Inc.
   
8,432
 
7,633
 
Mexico Equity and Income Fund
   
82,818
 
13,345
 
Mexico Fund, Inc.
   
218,858
 
70,348
 
Waterloo Investment Holdings Ltd.*
   
--
 
             
   
Leisure – 21.61%
       
41,400
 
Carnival Corp.
   
2,438,874
 
10,745
 
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.
   
1,073,748
 
57,943
 
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings*
   
2,939,448
 
41,413
 
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
   
4,063,029
 


   
Mining – 1.43%
     
3,872
 
Grupo Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. Series B
   
11,548
 
32,000
 
Freeport Mcmoran Copper
   
427,520
 
31,900
 
Tahoe Resources, Inc.
   
256,157
 
             
   
Pulp and paper - 0.08%
       
18,300
 
Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. Series A
   
39,497
 
             
   
Railroad – 0.44%
       
1,928
 
Norfolk Southern Corporation
   
215,878
 
             
   
Retail – 1.24%
       
1,270
 
Grupo Elektra, S.A.B. de C.V. Series CPO
   
29,843
 
1,000
 
Pricesmart, Inc.
   
92,200
 
210,222
 
Wal-Mart de Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. Series V
   
482,187
 
             
   
Service - 0.77%
       
2,100
 
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V.
   
363,804
 
700
 
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. Series B
   
12,055
 
             
   
Trucking and marine freight – 5.64%
       
585
 
Seaboard Corporation*
   
2,439,134
 
2,000
 
Seacor Holdings, Inc.*
   
138,380
 
9,589
 
Teekay LNG Partners LP
   
168,287
 
             
   
Utilities – 5.54%
       
12,000
 
Caribbean Utilities Ltd. Class A
   
161,880
 
129,538
 
Consolidated Water, Inc.
   
1,509,118
 
700
 
Cuban Electric Company*
   
--
 
8,000
 
Nextera Energy, Inc.
   
1,026,960
 
             
   
Other – 0.90%
       
25,000
 
Geltech Solutions Inc.*
   
7,000
 
55,921
 
Margo Caribe, Inc.*
   
430,593
 
895
 
Siderurgica Venezolana Sivensa, S.A. ADR*
   
--
 
79
 
Siderurgica Venezolana Sivensa, S.A. Series B*
   
--
 
             
Total common stocks – 97.74% (cost $39,056,780)
   
47,562,638
 
             
 
Bonds – 0.00% of net assets
       
             
165,000
  Republic of Cuba - 4.5%, 1977 - in default (cost $63,038)     --  
             
Total investments – 97.74% (cost $39,119,818)
   
47,562,638
 
             
Other assets less liabilities – 2.26% of net assets
  $
1,098,977
 
             
Net assets - 100% (applicable to 6,133,659 shares; equivalent to $7.93 per share)
  $
48,661,615
 

*
Non-income producing


Security Valuation

The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) records its investments in securities at fair value. Under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

In determining fair value, the Fund uses various valuation approaches. GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available.

Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Fund. Unobservable inputs reflect the Fund’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

Level 1:
unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access.
Level 2:
observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an active market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates, and similar data.
Level 3:
unobservable inputs for the asset or liability to the extent that relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions that a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and that would be based on the best information available.

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors including the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Those estimated values do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized due to the occurrence of future circumstances that cannot be reasonably determined. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the securities existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Fund in determining fair value is greatest for securities categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Fund’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The Fund uses prices and inputs that are current as of the measurement date, including periods of market dislocation. In periods of market dislocation, the observability of prices and inputs may be reduced for many securities. This condition could cause a security to be reclassified to a lower level within the fair value hierarchy.


Investments in securities traded on a national securities exchange (or reported on the NASDAQ National Market or Capital Market) are stated at the last reported sales price on the day of valuation (or at the NASDAQ official closing price); other securities traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on the date are stated at the last quoted bid price. Restricted securities and other securities for which quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined by the Board of Directors.

The following table summarizes the classification of the Fund’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of March 31, 2017:

   
Level 1
   
Level 2
   
Level 3
   
Total
 
Assets (at fair value)
                       
Common Stocks
                       
USA
 
$
28,533,101
   
$
292,297
   
$
0
   
$
28,825,398
 
Panama
   
6,944,466
     
0
     
0
     
6,944,466
 
Mexico
   
6,607,512
     
0
     
0
     
6,607,512
 
Puerto Rico
   
2,537,480
     
0
     
0
     
2,537,480
 
Cayman
   
1,670,998
     
0
     
0
     
1,670,998
 
Colombia
   
788,629
     
0
     
0
     
788,629
 
Other
   
188,155
     
0
     
0
     
188,155
 
Bonds
                               
Cuba
   
0
     
0
     
0
     
0
 
Total Investments in securities
 
$
41,270,341
   
$
292,297
   
$
0
   
$
47,562,638
 

The following is a reconciliation of assets in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used to determine fair value:

   
Investments in
Securities at
Fair Value
 
Balance June 30, 2016
 
$
5,501
 
         
Unrealized gain/(loss)
   
5,935
 
Purchases
   
0
 
Sales
   
(0
)
Transfers into Level 3
   
0
 
Transfers out of Level 3
   
(11,436
)
         
Balance March 31, 2017
 
$
0
 

Transfers from Level 3 to Level 1 were $11,436.

For more information with regards to significant accounting policies, see the most recent semi-annual or annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation)

As of March 31, 2017, the cost basis for federal income tax purposes, gross unrealized appreciation, gross unrealized depreciation and net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) were as follows:
 
Tax Cost of
Securities
Tax Unrealized
Appreciation
Tax Unrealized
(Depreciation)
Net Tax Unrealized
Appreciation/(Depreciation)
$39,357,200
$12,300,086
($4,094,648)
$8,205,438
 
ITEM 2. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

(a)
The registrant's principal executive and principal financial Officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) are effective, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this Form N-Q that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph based on their evaluation of the controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b))and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)).
 
(b)
There were no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the registrant's last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 3. EXHIBITS

The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached as an exhibit to this filing.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc.
 
     
By
/s/ Erik M. Herzfeld
 
 
Erik M. Herzfeld
 
 
President
 
     
Date:
May 15, 2017  

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By
/s/ Erik M. Herzfeld
 
 
Erik M. Herzfeld
 
 
President
 
     
Date:
May 15, 2017
 

By
/s/ Reanna Lee
 
 
Reanna Lee
 
 
Treasurer
 
     
Date:
May 15, 2017