SEC Form N-CSRS filed by MFS Government Markets Income Trust
$MGF
Trusts Except Educational Religious and Charitable
Finance
Semiannual Report
May 31, 2023
MFS® Government Markets Income Trust
MGF-SEM
MANAGED DISTRIBUTION POLICY
DISCLOSURE
The MFS Government Markets Income
Trust’s (the fund) Board of Trustees adopted a managed distribution policy. The fund seeks to pay monthly distributions based on an annual rate of 7.25% of the fund’s average monthly net asset value. The
primary purpose of the managed distribution policy is to provide shareholders with a constant, but not guaranteed, fixed rate of distribution each month. You should not draw any conclusions about the fund’s
investment performance from the amount of the current distribution or from the terms of the fund’s managed distribution policy. The Board may amend or terminate the managed distribution policy at any time
without prior notice to fund shareholders. The amendment or termination of the managed distribution policy could have an adverse effect on the market price of the fund’s shares.
With each distribution, the fund
will issue a notice to shareholders and an accompanying press release which will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and
sources of distributions reported in the notice to shareholders are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will
depend upon the fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will
tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Please refer to “Tax Matters and Distributions” under Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements for information regarding the
tax character of the fund’s distributions.
Under a managed distribution policy
the fund may at times distribute more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may result in a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for
example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the fund is paid back to you. Any such returns of capital will decrease the fund’s total assets and, therefore, could have the effect of increasing the
fund’s expense ratio. In addition, in order to make the level of distributions called for under its managed distribution policy, the fund may have to sell portfolio securities at a less than opportune time. A
return of capital does not necessarily reflect the fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with ‘yield’ or ‘income’. The fund’s total return in relation to changes
in net asset value is presented in the Financial Highlights.
MFS® Government Markets Income Trust
New York Stock Exchange Symbol: MGF
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| back cover |
NOT FDIC INSURED
• MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK GUARANTEE
Portfolio Composition - continued
| (a) | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. If none of the 4 rating agencies listed above rate the security, but the security is rated by the Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), then the KBRA rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change. U.S. Government includes securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal Agencies includes rated and unrated U.S. Agency fixed-income securities, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations of U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. |
Not Rated includes fixed income
securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency. The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies.
| (d) | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. The Average Duration calculation reflects the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. |
| (i) | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
| (m) | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening feature (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
| (q) | For purposes of this presentation, Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative. |
| (v) | For purposes of this presentation, market value of fixed income and/or equity derivatives, if any, is included in Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Where the fund holds convertible
bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes
any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash
position and other assets and liabilities.
From time to time Cash & Cash
Equivalents may be negative due to timing of cash receipts and disbursements.
Percentages are based on net assets
as of May 31, 2023.
The portfolio is actively managed
and current holdings may be different.
2
Portfolio Managers' Profiles
| Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Five Year History |
| Geoffrey Schechter | Lead and U.S. Government Securities Portfolio Manager | 2006 | Investment Officer of MFS; employed in the investment management area of MFS since 1993. |
| Neeraj Arora | Emerging Markets Debt Instruments Portfolio Manager | 2021 | Investment Officer of MFS; employed in the investment management area of MFS since 2011. |
| Alexander Mackey | Investment Grade Debt Instruments Portfolio Manager | 2021 | Investment Officer of MFS; employed in the investment management area of MFS since 2001. |
| Jake Stone | U.S. Government Securities Portfolio Manager | May 2023 | Investment Officer of MFS; employed in the investment management area of MFS since July 2018; Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP prior to 2018. |
Effective May 31, 2023, Jake Stone
was added as a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
Other Notes
The fund’s shares may trade at
a discount or premium to net asset value. When fund shares trade at a premium, buyers pay more than the net asset value of the underlying fund shares, and shares purchased at a premium would receive less than the
amount paid for them in the event of the fund’s concurrent liquidation.
The fund's target annual
distribution rate is calculated based on an annual rate of 7.25% of the fund's average monthly net asset value, not a fixed share price, and the fund's dividend amount will fluctuate with changes in the fund's average
monthly net assets.
In accordance with Section 23(c)
of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the fund hereby gives notice that it may from time to time repurchase shares of the fund in the open market at the option of the Board of Trustees and on such terms as the
Trustees shall determine.
3
Portfolio of Investments
5/31/23 (unaudited)
The Portfolio of Investments is a
complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – 101.9% | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – 95.0% | ||||
| Asset-Backed & Securitized – 5.1% | ||||
| 3650R Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2021-PF1, “XA”, 1.025%, 11/15/2054 (i) | $ | 1,171,749 | $62,457 | |
| ACREC 2021-FL1 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.611% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.5%), 10/16/2036 (n) | 323,500 | 311,778 | ||
| Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2021-FL1, “B”, FLR, 6.605% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.5%), 12/15/2035 (n) | 175,500 | 168,692 | ||
| Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2021-FL3, “AS”, FLR, 6.507% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.4%), 8/15/2034 (n) | 374,500 | 358,818 | ||
| AREIT 2022-CRE6 Trust, “AS”, FLR, 6.564% (SOFR - 30 day + 1.65%), 1/20/2037 (n) | 512,000 | 491,542 | ||
| BBCMS Mortgage Trust, 2021-C10, “XA”, 1.293%, 7/15/2054 (i) | 1,175,692 | 78,504 | ||
| BBCMS Mortgage Trust, 2021-C9, “XA”, 1.619%, 2/15/2054 (i) | 984,058 | 86,324 | ||
| BBCMS Mortgage Trust, 2022-C18, “XA”, 0.46%, 12/15/2055 (i) | 1,233,060 | 47,612 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B23 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 1.269%, 2/15/2054 (i) | 1,974,472 | 130,044 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B24 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 1.15%, 3/15/2054 (i) | 1,169,831 | 69,824 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B26 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 0.885%, 6/15/2054 (i) | 1,596,370 | 76,404 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B27 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 1.264%, 7/15/2054 (i) | 1,454,485 | 102,175 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B28 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 1.279%, 8/15/2054 (i) | 2,202,192 | 156,375 | ||
| Benchmark 2021-B29 Mortgage Trust, “XA”, 1.039%, 9/15/2054 (i) | 1,887,653 | 103,130 | ||
| BSPDF 2021-FL1 Issuer Ltd., “A”, FLR, 6.307% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.2%), 10/15/2036 (n) | 200,500 | 194,333 | ||
| BSPDF 2021-FL1 Issuer Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.587% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.48%), 10/15/2036 (n) | 253,500 | 236,293 | ||
| BXMT 2021-FL4 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.407% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.3%), 5/15/2038 (n) | 345,000 | 326,087 | ||
| Capital Automotive, 2020-1A, “A4”, REIT, 3.19%, 2/15/2050 (n) | 99,021 | 92,605 | ||
| Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-XA, “C7”, 0.864%, 12/15/2072 (i)(n) | 1,421,566 | 60,058 | ||
| Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2021-BN31, “XA”, 1.322%, 2/15/2054 (i) | 1,515,903 | 110,378 | ||
| Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2021-BN32, “XA”, 0.777%, 4/15/2054 (i) | 995,725 | 41,636 | ||
| Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2021-BN35, “XA”, 1.044%, 6/15/2064 (i) | 991,964 | 57,885 | ||
| Dell Equipment Finance Trust 2023-1, “A2”, 5.65%, 9/22/2028 (n) | 271,000 | 270,082 | ||
| LAD Auto Receivables Trust, 2022-1A, “A”, 5.21%, 6/15/2027 (n) | 93,301 | 92,298 | ||
| LoanCore 2021-CRE5 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.857% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.75%), 7/15/2036 (n) | 283,500 | 268,191 | ||
4
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Asset-Backed & Securitized – continued | ||||
| LoanCore 2021-CRE6 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.757% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.65%), 11/15/2038 (n) | $ | 500,000 | $470,835 | |
| MF1 2021-FL5 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.381% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.2%), 7/15/2036 (n) | 173,500 | 167,970 | ||
| MF1 2021-FL5 Ltd., “B”, FLR, 6.631% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.45%), 7/15/2036 (n) | 279,500 | 269,924 | ||
| Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2018-H4, “XA”, 0.83%, 12/15/2051 (i) | 1,613,102 | 55,186 | ||
| Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2021-L5, “XA”, 1.294%, 5/15/2054 (i) | 736,254 | 48,954 | ||
| Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2021-L6, “XA”, 1.224%, 6/15/2054 (i) | 1,141,154 | 69,433 | ||
| Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2021-L7, “XA”, 1.098%, 10/15/2054 (i) | 3,360,611 | 192,950 | ||
| PFP III 2021-7 Ltd., “AS”, FLR, 6.257% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.15%), 4/14/2038 (n) | 311,484 | 299,653 | ||
| ReadyCap Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2021-FL7, “A”, FLR, 6.338% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.2%), 11/25/2036 (n) | 214,121 | 208,650 | ||
| Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2018-C48, “XA”, 0.937%, 1/15/2052 (i)(n) | 866,524 | 33,986 | ||
| $5,811,066 | ||||
| Broadcasting – 0.9% | ||||
| Discovery Communications LLC, 4.65%, 5/15/2050 | $ | 229,000 | $167,595 | |
| Walt Disney Co., 3.5%, 5/13/2040 | 612,000 | 502,547 | ||
| WarnerMedia Holdings, Inc., 4.279%, 3/15/2032 | 379,000 | 331,110 | ||
| $1,001,252 | ||||
| Cable TV – 0.3% | ||||
| Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., 4.908%, 7/23/2025 | $ | 242,000 | $237,973 | |
| Time Warner Cable, Inc., 4.5%, 9/15/2042 | 100,000 | 74,110 | ||
| $312,083 | ||||
| Consumer Products – 0.2% | ||||
| GSK Consumer Healthcare Capital US LLC, 3.625%, 3/24/2032 | $ | 250,000 | $224,446 | |
| Consumer Services – 0.1% | ||||
| Conservation Fund, 3.474%, 12/15/2029 | $ | 159,000 | $136,617 | |
| Electrical Equipment – 0.1% | ||||
| Arrow Electronics, Inc., 6.125%, 3/01/2026 | $ | 171,000 | $171,228 | |
5
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Electronics – 0.5% | ||||
| Broadcom, Inc., 3.187%, 11/15/2036 (n) | $ | 750,000 | $561,243 | |
| Food & Beverages – 2.1% | ||||
| Constellation Brands, Inc., 4.65%, 11/15/2028 | $ | 1,500,000 | $1,483,602 | |
| JBS USA Lux S.A./JBS USA Food Co./JBS USA Finance, Inc., 3%, 2/02/2029 (n) | 488,000 | 411,526 | ||
| Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc., 3.8%, 5/01/2050 | 650,000 | 499,486 | ||
| Tyson Foods, Inc., 5.15%, 8/15/2044 | 38,000 | 33,993 | ||
| $2,428,607 | ||||
| Industrial – 0.1% | ||||
| Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.416%, 10/01/2024 | $ | 33,000 | $31,807 | |
| Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.516%, 10/01/2025 | 42,000 | 39,174 | ||
| $70,981 | ||||
| Insurance – 0.4% | ||||
| Corebridge Financial, Inc., 3.85%, 4/05/2029 | $ | 500,000 | $450,790 | |
| Insurance - Health – 0.7% | ||||
| Humana, Inc., 3.7%, 3/23/2029 | $ | 167,000 | $154,849 | |
| UnitedHealth Group, Inc., 4.625%, 7/15/2035 | 672,000 | 659,258 | ||
| $814,107 | ||||
| Insurance - Property & Casualty – 0.1% | ||||
| Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., 3.951%, 10/15/2050 (n) | $ | 99,000 | $71,602 | |
| Major Banks – 2.0% | ||||
| Bank of America Corp., 2.687% to 4/22/2031, FLR (SOFR - 1 day + 1.32%) to 4/22/2032 | $ | 750,000 | $619,791 | |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2.58% to 4/22/2031, FLR (SOFR - 1 day + 1.25%) to 4/22/2032 | 750,000 | 624,401 | ||
| JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.109% to 4/22/2050, FLR (SOFR + 2.44%) to 4/22/2051 | 485,000 | 335,271 | ||
| Morgan Stanley, 3.622% to 4/01/2030, FLR (SOFR - 1 day + 3.12%) to 4/01/2031 | 588,000 | 531,469 | ||
| State Street Corp., 3.152% to 3/30/2030, FLR (SOFR + 2.65%) to 3/30/2031 | 138,000 | 122,617 | ||
| $2,233,549 | ||||
| Medical & Health Technology & Services – 1.0% | ||||
| Becton, Dickinson and Co., 4.685%, 12/15/2044 | $ | 123,000 | $110,951 | |
| Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, 4.7%, 2/01/2045 | 106,000 | 92,751 | ||
| Montefiore Obligated Group, AGM, 5.246%, 11/01/2048 | 614,000 | 544,059 | ||
6
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Medical & Health Technology & Services – continued | ||||
| ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, AGM, 5.325%, 11/15/2028 | $ | 250,000 | $247,655 | |
| ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, AGM, 5.75%, 11/15/2038 | 175,000 | 173,108 | ||
| $1,168,524 | ||||
| Midstream – 0.1% | ||||
| Targa Resources Corp., 4.95%, 4/15/2052 | $ | 109,000 | $86,597 | |
| Mortgage-Backed – 40.1% | ||||
| Fannie Mae, 4%, 3/25/2028 - 7/01/2047 | $ | 2,008,248 | $1,938,490 | |
| Fannie Mae, 3%, 11/01/2028 - 5/25/2053 | 1,535,128 | 1,436,010 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 6.5%, 5/01/2031 - 1/01/2037 | 169,376 | 175,571 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 2.5%, 11/01/2031 - 10/01/2046 | 222,910 | 202,979 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 3.5%, 12/25/2031 - 2/25/2036 (i) | 70,072 | 6,477 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 3%, 2/25/2033 (i) | 106,143 | 9,414 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 5.5%, 10/01/2033 - 3/01/2038 | 959,763 | 985,793 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 6%, 8/01/2034 - 7/01/2037 | 270,856 | 279,479 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 5%, 6/01/2035 - 3/01/2042 | 237,760 | 239,665 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 3.5%, 4/01/2038 - 7/01/2046 | 961,924 | 904,974 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 2%, 10/25/2040 - 4/25/2046 | 95,271 | 86,991 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 4.5%, 2/01/2041 - 11/01/2042 | 366,080 | 364,073 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 1.75%, 9/25/2041 - 10/25/2041 | 291,399 | 269,299 | ||
| Fannie Mae, 2.75%, 9/25/2042 | 86,886 | 81,067 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 2%, 5/01/2037 - 4/01/2052 | 7,196,811 | 6,042,724 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 2.5%, 2/01/2038 - 7/01/2052 | 4,363,784 | 3,778,352 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 1.5%, 3/01/2051 | 124,531 | 97,051 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 3%, 6/01/2051 - 6/01/2052 | 1,030,523 | 919,405 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 3.5%, 5/01/2052 | 71,808 | 65,980 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 4.5%, 9/01/2052 | 95,991 | 93,746 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 5.5%, 11/01/2052 | 336,433 | 337,350 | ||
| Fannie Mae, UMBS, 6%, 12/01/2052 - 2/01/2053 | 220,611 | 226,318 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3.06%, 7/25/2023 | 142,655 | 142,111 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3.458%, 8/25/2023 | 263,192 | 261,726 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.904%, 4/25/2024 (i) | 2,840,277 | 15,435 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.598%, 7/25/2024 (i) | 3,898,823 | 17,733 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3.064%, 8/25/2024 | 473,630 | 461,415 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 4.5%, 9/01/2024 - 5/01/2042 | 257,525 | 256,304 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 2.67%, 12/25/2024 | 827,000 | 797,342 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3.5%, 1/15/2027 - 10/25/2058 | 2,304,655 | 2,174,348 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.367%, 3/25/2027 (i) | 391,000 | 17,886 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.572%, 7/25/2027 (i) | 8,339,459 | 165,487 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.422%, 8/25/2027 (i) | 6,468,853 | 99,324 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.293%, 1/25/2028 (i) | 11,509,815 | 146,839 | ||
7
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Mortgage-Backed – continued | ||||
| Freddie Mac, 0.304%, 1/25/2028 (i) | $ | 4,945,659 | $65,019 | |
| Freddie Mac, 0.135%, 2/25/2028 (i) | 13,938,649 | 93,010 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 2.5%, 3/15/2028 | 7,144 | 7,102 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.12%, 4/25/2028 (i) | 8,981,564 | 57,265 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3%, 6/15/2028 - 2/25/2059 | 1,767,244 | 1,613,826 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.091%, 7/25/2029 (i) | 1,256,120 | 68,502 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.143%, 8/25/2029 (i) | 2,542,320 | 146,040 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.799%, 4/25/2030 (i) | 600,527 | 62,067 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.868%, 4/25/2030 (i) | 1,277,474 | 133,556 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.665%, 5/25/2030 (i) | 612,877 | 58,935 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.798%, 5/25/2030 (i) | 1,389,954 | 143,791 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.342%, 6/25/2030 (i) | 559,633 | 44,181 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.6%, 8/25/2030 (i) | 633,757 | 59,915 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.17%, 9/25/2030 (i) | 314,905 | 22,252 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.08%, 11/25/2030 (i) | 789,331 | 52,381 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.329%, 1/25/2031 (i) | 2,858,720 | 54,963 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.781%, 1/25/2031 (i) | 873,865 | 43,291 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.936%, 1/25/2031 (i) | 663,744 | 39,051 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.516%, 3/25/2031 (i) | 2,270,624 | 71,497 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.732%, 3/25/2031 (i) | 973,113 | 46,290 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 1.217%, 5/25/2031 (i) | 399,402 | 31,368 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.938%, 7/25/2031 (i) | 489,989 | 30,409 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.536%, 9/25/2031 (i) | 2,619,786 | 90,231 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.855%, 9/25/2031 (i) | 2,591,485 | 147,422 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.349%, 11/25/2031 (i) | 3,899,181 | 97,058 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.498%, 12/25/2031 (i) | 3,898,081 | 133,842 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 0.568%, 12/25/2031 (i) | 644,718 | 25,068 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 4.35%, 1/25/2033 | 130,285 | 130,067 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 6%, 5/01/2035 - 10/01/2038 | 146,575 | 152,340 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 5.5%, 8/01/2035 - 6/01/2036 | 168,394 | 173,398 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 5%, 2/15/2036 - 12/01/2044 | 648,109 | 654,720 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 5.5%, 2/15/2036 (i) | 26,395 | 4,187 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 2%, 8/15/2036 | 25,188 | 25,007 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 6.5%, 5/01/2037 | 31,535 | 32,984 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 4%, 8/01/2037 - 4/01/2044 | 169,731 | 163,931 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 4.5%, 12/15/2040 (i) | 6,701 | 567 | ||
| Freddie Mac, 3.25%, 11/25/2061 | 373,169 | 336,625 | ||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 2.5%, 4/01/2037 - 9/01/2052 | 3,428,719 | 2,947,065 | ||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 2%, 2/01/2042 - 3/01/2052 | 1,727,932 | 1,431,040 | ||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 1.5%, 6/01/2051 | 445,119 | 347,166 | ||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 3.5%, 8/01/2051 - 5/01/2052 | 145,756 | 134,613 | ||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 3%, 1/01/2052 - 4/01/2052 | 327,346 | 291,496 | ||
8
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Mortgage-Backed – continued | ||||
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 4%, 5/01/2052 | $ | 189,269 | $180,162 | |
| Freddie Mac, UMBS, 5%, 7/01/2052 - 4/01/2053 | 819,405 | 808,208 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 5.5%, 7/15/2033 - 4/20/2053 | 709,443 | 718,028 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 5.678%, 8/20/2034 | 71,890 | 73,239 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 4%, 5/16/2039 - 8/20/2052 | 319,033 | 307,005 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 4.5%, 9/20/2041 - 12/20/2052 | 1,099,942 | 1,070,509 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 3.5%, 10/20/2041 (i) | 31,912 | 1,402 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 3.5%, 4/15/2042 - 9/20/2052 | 1,436,604 | 1,345,412 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 2.5%, 6/20/2042 - 4/20/2052 | 1,509,382 | 1,321,272 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 4%, 8/16/2042 (i) | 41,562 | 6,052 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 2.25%, 9/20/2043 | 22,206 | 21,074 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 3%, 4/20/2045 - 6/20/2052 | 1,968,660 | 1,779,757 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 2%, 1/20/2052 - 5/20/2052 | 963,656 | 816,741 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 5%, 1/20/2053 - 4/20/2053 | 799,266 | 789,703 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, 0.586%, 2/16/2059 (i) | 175,031 | 5,847 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, TBA, 5.5%, 6/15/2053 | 1,250,000 | 1,249,219 | ||
| Ginnie Mae, TBA, 2.5%, 6/20/2053 | 775,000 | 678,019 | ||
| UMBS, TBA, 2.5%, 6/13/2053 | 1,000,000 | 854,863 | ||
| $45,387,208 | ||||
| Municipals – 2.6% | ||||
| Bridgeview, IL, Stadium and Redevelopment Projects, Taxable, AAC, 5.06%, 12/01/2025 | $ | 505,000 | $497,324 | |
| Chicago, IL, General Obligation, Taxable, “C”, AGM, 6.207%, 1/01/2036 | 615,000 | 653,975 | ||
| Golden State, CA, Tobacco Securitization Corp., Tobacco Settlement Rev., Taxable, “B”, 3%, 6/01/2046 | 155,000 | 143,059 | ||
| Guam International Airport Authority Rev., Taxable (A.B. Won Pat Airport), “A”, 4.46%, 10/01/2043 | 5,000 | 3,778 | ||
| Illinois Sales Tax Securitization Corp., Second Lien, Taxable, “B”, BAM, 3.411%, 1/01/2043 | 240,000 | 187,999 | ||
| Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, Education Loan Rev., Taxable, “M-A”, 2.641%, 7/01/2037 | 535,000 | 491,625 | ||
| Michigan Finance Authority Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Rev., Taxable (2006 Sold Tobacco Receipts), “A-1”, 2.326%, 6/01/2030 | 12,445 | 11,889 | ||
| New Jersey Turnpike Authority Rev., Taxable (Build America Bonds), “F”, 7.414%, 1/01/2040 | 32,000 | 39,896 | ||
| Syracuse, NY, Industrial Development Agency PILOT Rev., Taxable (Carousel Center Project), “B”, 5%, 1/01/2036 (n) | 1,215,000 | 903,728 | ||
| $2,933,273 | ||||
9
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| Telecommunications - Wireless – 0.8% | ||||
| Crown Castle, Inc., REIT, 3.25%, 1/15/2051 | $ | 464,000 | $309,569 | |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc., 4.375%, 4/15/2040 | 650,000 | 570,712 | ||
| $880,281 | ||||
| Transportation - Services – 0.0% | ||||
| ERAC USA Finance LLC, 3.85%, 11/15/2024 (n) | $ | 34,000 | $33,250 | |
| U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – 0.3% | ||||
| Small Business Administration, 5.52%, 6/01/2024 | $ | 8,085 | $8,055 | |
| Small Business Administration, 2.21%, 2/01/2033 | 67,876 | 61,896 | ||
| Small Business Administration, 2.22%, 3/01/2033 | 99,000 | 90,148 | ||
| Small Business Administration, 3.15%, 7/01/2033 | 95,426 | 90,118 | ||
| Small Business Administration, 3.62%, 9/01/2033 | 79,356 | 76,094 | ||
| $326,311 | ||||
| U.S. Treasury Obligations – 36.2% | ||||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.25%, 2/15/2027 | $ | 1,921,000 | $1,810,317 | |
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 5.25%, 2/15/2029 | 48,000 | 51,487 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 0.625%, 5/15/2030 | 800,000 | 650,375 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.75%, 2/15/2037 | 336,000 | 375,900 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.375%, 2/15/2038 | 1,109,000 | 1,190,269 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.5%, 8/15/2039 (f) | 4,503,100 | 4,886,919 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3.125%, 2/15/2043 | 453,700 | 398,122 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.875%, 5/15/2043 | 1,697,100 | 1,428,415 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.5%, 2/15/2045 | 4,017,000 | 3,119,451 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.875%, 11/15/2046 | 3,470,000 | 2,869,121 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3%, 2/15/2048 | 804,400 | 679,938 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.375%, 5/15/2051 | 638,000 | 474,089 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Bonds, 1.875%, 11/15/2051 | 133,500 | 87,839 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.75%, 2/15/2024 | 577,000 | 566,790 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.5%, 5/15/2024 | 755,000 | 735,565 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 4.25%, 12/31/2024 | 633,000 | 628,376 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 4.125%, 1/31/2025 | 232,000 | 230,024 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 3.875%, 4/30/2025 | 3,642,000 | 3,602,308 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 4.25%, 5/31/2025 | 2,498,000 | 2,490,974 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.875%, 7/31/2025 | 4,700,000 | 4,558,633 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 2%, 8/15/2025 | 98,000 | 93,261 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 0.75%, 5/31/2026 | 567,700 | 515,365 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 0.875%, 6/30/2026 | 678,600 | 617,977 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 2%, 11/15/2026 | 6,071,000 | 5,686,108 | ||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 4%, 2/29/2028 | 3,068,000 | 3,094,965 | ||
10
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Bonds – continued | ||||
| U.S. Treasury Obligations – continued | ||||
| U.S. Treasury Notes, 3.25%, 5/15/2042 | $ | 165,000 | $148,197 | |
| $40,990,785 | ||||
| Utilities - Electric Power – 1.3% | ||||
| FirstEnergy Corp., 4.15%, 7/15/2027 | $ | 694,000 | $664,290 | |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 5.45%, 6/15/2027 | 357,000 | 351,580 | ||
| Vistra Operations Co. LLC, 4.875%, 5/13/2024 (n) | 500,000 | 492,127 | ||
| $1,507,997 | ||||
| Total U.S. Bonds | $107,601,797 | |||
| Foreign Bonds – 6.9% | ||||
| Australia – 0.0% | ||||
| APA Infrastructure Ltd., 4.25%, 7/15/2027 (n) | $ | 16,000 | $15,400 | |
| Bermuda – 0.3% | ||||
| Government of Bermuda, 5%, 7/15/2032 (n) | $ | 400,000 | $393,034 | |
| Chile – 0.4% | ||||
| Banco del Estado de Chile, 2.704%, 1/09/2025 (n) | $ | 241,000 | $231,040 | |
| Republic of Chile, 2.55%, 1/27/2032 | 200,000 | 171,619 | ||
| $402,659 | ||||
| China – 0.6% | ||||
| AIA Group Ltd., 5.625%, 10/25/2027 (n) | $ | 200,000 | $207,233 | |
| Tencent Holdings Ltd., 2.88%, 4/22/2031 (n) | 501,000 | 430,755 | ||
| $637,988 | ||||
| India – 0.8% | ||||
| Export-Import Bank of India, 2.25%, 1/13/2031 (n) | $ | 317,000 | $257,166 | |
| Indian Railway Finance Corp., 2.8%, 2/10/2031 (n) | 376,000 | 314,072 | ||
| Power Finance Corp. Ltd. (Republic of India), 5.25%, 8/10/2028 | 370,000 | 363,795 | ||
| $935,033 | ||||
| Indonesia – 0.6% | ||||
| PT Freeport Indonesia, 5.315%, 4/14/2032 (n) | $ | 222,000 | $207,821 | |
| PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk, 4.805%, 4/27/2052 | 416,000 | 306,002 | ||
| Republic of Indonesia, 5.65%, 1/11/2053 | 200,000 | 207,752 | ||
| $721,575 | ||||
| Ireland – 0.2% | ||||
| AerCap Ireland Capital DAC/AerCap Global Aviation Trust, 3.3%, 1/30/2032 | $ | 355,000 | $288,515 | |
11
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| Foreign Bonds – continued | ||||
| Israel – 0.3% | ||||
| Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M., 3.275%, 1/29/2031 (n) | $ | 354,000 | $314,660 | |
| Kuwait – 0.2% | ||||
| EQUATE Petrochemical B.V. (State of Kuwait), 4.25%, 11/03/2026 | $ | 253,000 | $244,586 | |
| Malaysia – 0.3% | ||||
| Dua Capital Ltd. (Federation of Malaysia), 2.78%, 5/11/2031 | $ | 400,000 | $343,418 | |
| Mexico – 0.4% | ||||
| Comision Federal de Electricidad (United Mexican States), 3.348%, 2/09/2031 (n) | $ | 232,000 | $182,818 | |
| United Mexican States, 4.75%, 4/27/2032 | 324,000 | 309,616 | ||
| $492,434 | ||||
| Morocco – 0.3% | ||||
| Kingdom of Morocco, 3%, 12/15/2032 (n) | $ | 377,000 | $296,887 | |
| Philippines – 0.4% | ||||
| Republic of Philippines, 5.609%, 4/13/2033 | $ | 200,000 | $213,748 | |
| Republic of Philippines, 5.5%, 1/17/2048 | 200,000 | 207,013 | ||
| $420,761 | ||||
| Saudi Arabia – 0.4% | ||||
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 3.25%, 11/17/2051 (n) | $ | 200,000 | $138,730 | |
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 5%, 1/18/2053 (n) | 300,000 | 275,250 | ||
| $413,980 | ||||
| South Korea – 0.2% | ||||
| Export-Import Bank of Korea, 5.125%, 1/11/2033 | $ | 200,000 | $208,294 | |
| United Arab Emirates – 0.7% | ||||
| Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC, 4.696%, 4/24/2033 (n) | $ | 200,000 | $199,664 | |
| MDGH - GMTN RSC Ltd. (United Arab Emirates), 5.5%, 4/28/2033 (n) | 200,000 | 212,018 | ||
| MDGH - GMTN RSC Ltd. (United Arab Emirates), 5.084%, 5/22/2053 (n) | 200,000 | 199,208 | ||
| United Arab Emirates, 4.951%, 7/07/2052 (n) | 200,000 | 197,476 | ||
| $808,366 | ||||
| United Kingdom – 0.7% | ||||
| B.A.T. Capital Corp., 4.7%, 4/02/2027 | $ | 600,000 | $585,356 | |
| Imperial Brands Finance PLC, 6.125%, 7/27/2027 (n) | 200,000 | 203,416 | ||
| $788,772 | ||||
12
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
| Issuer | Shares/Par | Value ($) | ||
| Bonds – continued | ||||
| Foreign Bonds – continued | ||||
| Uruguay – 0.1% | ||||
| Oriental Republic of Uruguay, 5.75%, 10/28/2034 | $ | 96,000 | $104,868 | |
| Total Foreign Bonds | $7,831,230 | |||
| Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $124,014,720) | $115,433,027 | |||
| Investment Companies (h) – 2.2% | ||||
| Money Market Funds – 2.2% | ||||
| MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 4.88% (v) (Identified Cost, $2,539,263) | 2,539,436 | $2,539,182 | ||
| Other Assets, Less Liabilities – (4.1)% | (4,673,808) | |||
| Net Assets – 100.0% | $113,298,401 | |||
| (f) | All or a portion of the security has been segregated as collateral for open futures contracts. |
| (h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $2,539,182 and $115,433,027, respectively. |
| (i) | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. |
| (n) | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $11,071,919, representing 9.8% of net assets. |
| (v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
| The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: | |
| AAC | Ambac Assurance Corp. |
| AGM | Assured Guaranty Municipal |
| BAM | Build America Mutual |
| CLO | Collateralized Loan Obligation |
| FLR | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
| LIBOR | London Interbank Offered Rate |
| REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
| SOFR | Secured Overnight Financing Rate |
| TBA | To Be Announced |
| UMBS | Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security |
13
Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
– continued
Derivative Contracts at 5/31/23
| Futures Contracts | ||||||
| Description | Long/ Short | Currency | Contracts | Notional Amount | Expiration Date | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
| Asset Derivatives | ||||||
| Interest Rate Futures | ||||||
| U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr | Long | USD | 127 | $14,537,531 | September - 2023 | $8,983 |
| U.S. Treasury Ultra Note 10 yr | Long | USD | 39 | 4,697,672 | September - 2023 | 19,661 |
| $28,644 | ||||||
| Liability Derivatives | ||||||
| Interest Rate Futures | ||||||
| U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr | Short | USD | 51 | $6,545,531 | September - 2023 | $(62,302) |
| U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr | Short | USD | 6 | 1,234,969 | September - 2023 | (1,994) |
| U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr | Long | USD | 57 | 6,217,453 | September - 2023 | (1,444) |
| U.S. Treasury Ultra Bond 30 yr | Short | USD | 10 | 1,368,750 | September - 2023 | (20,607) |
| $(86,347) | ||||||
At May 31, 2023, the fund had liquid
securities with an aggregate value of $329,910 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts.
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
Financial Statements
Statement of Assets and
Liabilities
At 5/31/23 (unaudited)
This statement represents your
fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| Assets | |
| Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $124,014,720) | $115,433,027 |
| Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $2,539,263) | 2,539,182 |
| Cash | 1,500 |
| Receivables for | |
| Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | 43,278 |
| Investments sold | 20,000 |
| Interest | 704,893 |
| Other assets | 19,011 |
| Total assets | $118,760,891 |
| Liabilities | |
| Payables for | |
| Distributions | $39,816 |
| Investments purchased | 2,490,590 |
| TBA purchase commitments | 2,787,049 |
| Payable to affiliates | |
| Investment adviser | 4,839 |
| Administrative services fee | 145 |
| Transfer agent and dividend disbursing costs | 3,207 |
| Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 12,532 |
| Deferred foreign capital gains tax expense payable | 29,164 |
| Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 95,148 |
| Total liabilities | $5,462,490 |
| Net assets | $113,298,401 |
| Net assets consist of | |
| Paid-in capital | $134,174,080 |
| Total distributable earnings (loss) | (20,875,679) |
| Net assets | $113,298,401 |
| Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 32,597,393 |
| Net asset value per share (net assets of $113,298,401 / 32,597,393 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) | $3.48 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
Financial Statements
Statement of Operations
Six months ended 5/31/23
(unaudited)
This statement describes how much
your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| Net investment income (loss) | |
| Income | |
| Interest | $2,029,634 |
| Dividends from affiliated issuers | 24,498 |
| Total investment income | $2,054,132 |
| Expenses | |
| Management fee | $295,153 |
| Transfer agent and dividend disbursing costs | 28,762 |
| Administrative services fee | 13,479 |
| Independent Trustees' compensation | 3,676 |
| Stock exchange fee | 15,821 |
| Custodian fee | 6,262 |
| Shareholder communications | 36,369 |
| Audit and tax fees | 47,313 |
| Legal fees | 1,072 |
| Miscellaneous | 21,593 |
| Total expenses | $469,500 |
| Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (9,947) |
| Net expenses | $459,553 |
| Net investment income (loss) | $1,594,579 |
| Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
| Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
| Unaffiliated issuers | $(785,259) |
| Affiliated issuers | 156 |
| Futures contracts | (72,927) |
| Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | (825) |
| Net realized gain (loss) | $(858,855) |
| Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
| Unaffiliated issuers (net of $161 decrease in deferred foreign capital gains tax) | $1,582,758 |
| Affiliated issuers | (72) |
| Futures contracts | (68,732) |
| Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 825 |
| Net unrealized gain (loss) | $1,514,779 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $655,924 |
| Change in net assets from operations | $2,250,503 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
16
Financial Statements
Statements of Changes in Net
Assets
These statements describe the
increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Six months ended | Year ended | |
| 5/31/23 (unaudited) | 11/30/22 | |
| Change in net assets | ||
| From operations | ||
| Net investment income (loss) | $1,594,579 | $1,992,501 |
| Net realized gain (loss) | (858,855) | (1,463,317) |
| Net unrealized gain (loss) | 1,514,779 | (17,922,441) |
| Change in net assets from operations | $2,250,503 | $(17,393,257) |
| Distributions to shareholders | $(1,673,315) | $(2,164,201) |
| Tax return of capital distributions to shareholders | $— | $(7,122,099) |
| Distributions from other sources | $(2,493,937)(a) | $— |
| Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $— | $42,524 |
| Total change in net assets | $(1,916,749) | $(26,637,033) |
| Net assets | ||
| At beginning of period | 115,215,150 | 141,852,183 |
| At end of period | $113,298,401 | $115,215,150 |
| (a) | Estimated tax return of capital. All or a portion of this amount may be redesignated as ordinary income and/or capital gains at fiscal year end when the tax character of distributions is determined. Please refer to “Tax Matters and Distributions” under Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements for additional information regarding the tax character of the fund’s distributions. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
17
Financial Statements
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is
intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the semiannual period and the past 5 fiscal years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the
table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| Six months ended | Year ended | |||||
| 5/31/23 (unaudited) | 11/30/22 | 11/30/21 | 11/30/20 | 11/30/19 | 11/30/18 | |
| Net asset value, beginning of period | $3.53 | $4.35 | $4.75 | $4.75 | $4.65 | $5.08 |
| Income (loss) from investment operations | ||||||
| Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.05 | $0.06 | $0.08 | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.12 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.03 | (0.60) | (0.15) | 0.25 | 0.32 | (0.20) |
| Total from investment operations | $0.08 | $(0.54) | $(0.07) | $0.35 | $0.44 | $(0.08) |
| Less distributions declared to shareholders | ||||||
| From net investment income | $(0.05) | $(0.06) | $(0.09) | $(0.11) | $(0.13) | $(0.14) |
| From tax return of capital | — | (0.22) | (0.24) | (0.24) | (0.21) | (0.21) |
| From other sources | (0.08)(b) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.13) | $(0.28) | $(0.33) | $(0.35) | $(0.34) | $(0.35) |
| Net increase from repurchase of capital shares | $— | $— | $— | $0.00(w) | $— | $— |
| Net asset value, end of period (x) | $3.48 | $3.53 | $4.35 | $4.75 | $4.75 | $4.65 |
| Market value, end of period | $3.28 | $3.39 | $4.27 | $4.64 | $4.56 | $4.36 |
| Total return at market value (%) | 0.54(n) | (14.23) | (0.84) | 9.64 | 12.76 | (2.05) |
| Total return at net asset value (%) (j)(r)(s)(x) | 2.44(n) | (12.33) | (1.32) | 7.75 | 10.13 | (1.09) |
| Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | ||||||
| Expenses before expense reductions | 0.82(a) | 0.74 | 0.70 | 0.72 | 0.74 | 0.75 |
| Expenses after expense reductions | 0.80(a) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Net investment income (loss) | 2.78(a) | 1.59 | 1.78 | 2.19 | 2.45 | 2.57 |
| Portfolio turnover | 41(n) | 146 | 201 | 142 | 48 | 21 |
| Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $113,298 | $115,215 | $141,852 | $154,678 | $154,836 | $151,533 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
18
Financial Highlights – continued
| (a) | Annualized. |
| (b) | Estimated tax return of capital. All or a portion of this amount may be redesignated as ordinary income and/or capital gains at fiscal year end when the tax character of distributions is determined. Please refer to “Tax Matters and Distributions” under Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements for additional information regarding the tax character of the fund’s distributions. |
| (d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
| (j) | Total return at net asset value is calculated using the net asset value of the fund, not the publicly traded price and therefore may be different than the total return at market value. |
| (n) | Not annualized. |
| (r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
| (s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
| (w) | Per share amount was less than $0.01. |
| (x) | The net asset values and total returns at net asset value have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
19
Notes to Financial Statements
(unaudited)
(1) Business and
Organization
MFS Government Markets Income Trust
(the fund) is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a diversified closed-end management investment company.
The fund is an investment company
and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment
Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting
Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations
during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s
Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International
Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and
Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which
a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note
under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Subject to its oversight, the fund's Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments to MFS as
the fund's adviser, pursuant to the fund’s valuation policy and procedures which have been adopted by the adviser and approved by the Board. In accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of
1940, the Board of Trustees designated the adviser as the “valuation designee” of the fund. If the adviser, as valuation designee, determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available for
an investment, the investment is valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with the adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures.
Under the fund's valuation policy
and procedures, debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term
instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary
exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service.
20
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
Futures contracts for which there were no trades
that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally
valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net
asset value per share. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a
third-party pricing service.
Under the fund’s valuation
policy and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for debt instruments, floating rate loans, and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based
on information from third-party pricing services or otherwise determined by the adviser in accordance with the adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures. Securities and other assets generally valued on the
basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information
such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, spreads and other market data. An investment may also be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that the
investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the
determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally
traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment
characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The
value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used
to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it
were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in
determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value
hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a
particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes significant
unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts. The following is a
summary of the levels used as of May 31, 2023 in valuing the fund's assets and liabilities:
21
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
| Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
| U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | $— | $41,317,096 | $— | $41,317,096 |
| Non - U.S. Sovereign Debt | — | 5,479,894 | — | 5,479,894 |
| Municipal Bonds | — | 2,933,273 | — | 2,933,273 |
| U.S. Corporate Bonds | — | 12,153,154 | — | 12,153,154 |
| Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 45,387,208 | — | 45,387,208 |
| Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 3,751,401 | — | 3,751,401 |
| Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | — | 2,059,665 | — | 2,059,665 |
| Foreign Bonds | — | 2,351,336 | — | 2,351,336 |
| Mutual Funds | 2,539,182 | — | — | 2,539,182 |
| Total | $2,539,182 | $115,433,027 | $— | $117,972,209 |
| Other Financial Instruments | ||||
| Futures Contracts – Assets | $28,644 | $— | $— | $28,644 |
| Futures Contracts – Liabilities | (86,347) | — | — | (86,347) |
For further information regarding
security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such
transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement
purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as
foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately
disclosed.
Derivatives — The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency
exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses
derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by
the fund during the period were futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, a fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction
with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund may be unable to promptly close out a futures position in instances where
the daily fluctuation in the price for that type of
22
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
future exceeds the daily limit set by the exchange.
The fund's period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
The following table presents, by
major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at May 31, 2023 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| Fair Value (a) | |||
| Risk | Derivative Contracts | Asset Derivatives | Liability Derivatives |
| Interest Rate | Futures Contracts | $28,644 | $(86,347) |
| (a) | Values presented in this table for futures contracts correspond to the values reported in the Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts is reported separately within the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. |
The following table presents, by
major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the six months ended May 31, 2023 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| Risk | Futures Contracts | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
| Interest Rate | $(72,927) | $— |
| Foreign Exchange | — | (825) |
| Total | $(72,927) | $(825) |
The following table presents, by
major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the six months ended May 31, 2023 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| Risk | Futures Contracts | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
| Interest Rate | $(68,732) | $— |
| Foreign Exchange | — | 825 |
| Total | $(68,732) | $825 |
Derivative counterparty credit risk
is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk
whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if
there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions
traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments
23
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
across all transactions traded under the ISDA
Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund's credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements
differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in
the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange
contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund's custodian in connection with these agreements. For
derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a credit support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount
is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund's collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be
reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same
purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in
“Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Futures Contracts — The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A
futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
Upon entering into a futures
contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments
(variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund
until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest
rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present
less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the
broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange
Contracts — The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be
used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its
normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to
24
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
unfavorable exchange rate movements. For
non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange
rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange
contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the
contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into
these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to
counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk
is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to
the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to
the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown
as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and
Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Some securities may be purchased or sold on an extended settlement basis, which means that the receipt or delivery of the securities by the fund and related payments occur at a future
date, usually beyond the customary settlement period.
Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis.
All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on
the ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date. In determining the net gain or loss on securities sold, the cost of securities is determined on the identified cost basis.
The fund may receive proceeds from
litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in
unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
The fund invests a significant
portion of its assets in asset-backed and/or mortgage-backed securities. For these securities, the value of the debt instrument also depends on the credit quality and adequacy of the underlying assets or collateral as
well as whether there is a security interest in the underlying assets or collateral. Enforcing rights, if any, against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult.
25
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
U.S. Government securities not supported as to the
payment of principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are subject to greater credit risk than are U.S. Government securities supported
by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Ginnie Mae.
The fund may purchase or sell
mortgage-backed securities on a “To Be Announced” (TBA) basis. A TBA transaction is subject to extended settlement and typically does not designate the actual security to be delivered, but instead includes
an approximate principal amount. The price of the TBA security and the date that it will be settled are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. The value of the security varies with market fluctuations and no
interest accrues to the fund until settlement takes place. TBA purchase and sale commitments are held at carrying amount, which approximates fair value and are categorized as level 2 within the fair value hierarchy
and included in TBA purchase and TBA sale commitments in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, as applicable. Losses may arise as a result of changes in the value of the TBA investment prior to settlement date or
due to counterparty non-performance.
The fund may also enter into
mortgage dollar rolls, typically TBA dollar rolls, in which the fund sells TBA mortgage-backed securities to financial institutions and simultaneously agrees to repurchase similar (same issuer, type and coupon)
securities at a later date at an agreed-upon price. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. The fund accounts
for dollar roll transactions as purchases and sales and realizes gains and losses on these transactions. Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the fund is required to
purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including
realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three
year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require
recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by
certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those
countries.
Distributions to shareholders are
recorded on the ex-dividend date. The fund employs a managed distribution policy whereby the fund seeks to pay monthly distributions based on an annual rate of 7.25% of the fund’s average monthly net asset
value. As a result, distributions may exceed actual earnings which may result in a tax return of capital. Distributions in any year may include a substantial return of capital component. Please refer to the Financial
Highlights for distributions of tax returns of capital made during the prior five years. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments
26
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
have no impact on net assets or net asset value per
share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily
relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities and straddle loss deferrals.
For the six months ended May 31,
2023, the amount of distributions estimated to be a tax return of capital was approximately $2,493,937 which is reported as distributions from other sources in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets. All or a portion
of this amount may be redesignated as ordinary income and/or capital gains at fiscal year end.
The tax character of distributions
made during the current period will be determined at fiscal year end. The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last fiscal year is as follows:
| Year ended 11/30/22 | |
| Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $2,164,201 |
| Tax return of capital (b) | 7,122,099 |
| Total distributions | $9,286,300 |
| (b) | Distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits are reported in the financial statements as a tax return of capital. |
The federal tax cost and the tax
basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| As of 5/31/23 | |
| Cost of investments | $127,385,086 |
| Gross appreciation | 191,789 |
| Gross depreciation | (9,604,666) |
| Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $(9,412,877) |
| As of 11/30/22 | |
| Capital loss carryforwards | (7,861,005) |
| Other temporary differences | (78,045) |
| Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | (11,019,880) |
The aggregate cost above includes
prior fiscal year end tax adjustments, if applicable.
As of November 30, 2022, the fund
had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized gains. These net capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. Such losses
are characterized as follows:
| Short-Term | $(1,664,296) |
| Long-Term | (6,196,709) |
| Total | $(7,861,005) |
(3) Transactions with
Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at an
27
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
annual rate of 0.32% of the fund’s average
daily net assets and 5.33% of gross income. Gross income is calculated based on tax elections that generally include the accretion of discount and exclude the amortization of premium, which may differ from investment
income reported in the Statement of Operations. MFS has agreed to reduce its management fee to the lesser of the contractual management fee as set forth above or 0.85% of the fund's average daily net assets. This
written agreement will continue until modified by the fund's Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until November 30, 2023. For the six months ended May 31, 2023, the fund’s average daily
net assets and gross income fees did not meet the thresholds required to waive the management fee under this agreement. The management fee, from net assets and gross income, incurred for the six months ended May 31,
2023 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.51% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in
writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, certain tax reclaim recovery expenses (including
contingency fees and closing agreement expenses), and investment-related expenses, such that total fund operating expenses do not exceed 0.80% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. This written
agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until November 30, 2023. For the six months ended May 31, 2023, this reduction amounted to
$9,947, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Transfer Agent — The fund engages Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (“Computershare”) as the sole transfer agent for the fund. MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC) monitors and supervises
the activities of Computershare for an agreed upon fee approved by the Board of Trustees. For the six months ended May 31, 2023, these fees paid to MFSC amounted to $9,643.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund
reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the six
months ended May 31, 2023 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0235% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’
Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not
pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of
the fund are officers or directors of MFS and MFSC.
Prior to December 31, 2001, the fund
had an unfunded defined benefit plan (“DB plan”) for independent Trustees. As of December 31, 2001, the Board took action to terminate the DB plan with respect to then-current and any future independent
Trustees, such that the DB plan covers only certain of those former independent Trustees who retired on or before December 31, 2001. The DB plan resulted in a pension expense of $484 and is included in
“Independent Trustees’ compensation” in the Statement of Operations for the six months ended May 31, 2023. The liability for
28
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
deferred retirement benefits payable to those
former independent Trustees under the DB plan amounted to $12,491 at May 31, 2023, and is included in “Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation” in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money
market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the six months ended May 31,
2023, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, were as follows:
| Purchases | Sales | |
| U.S. Government securities | $45,502,270 | $44,573,506 |
| Non-U.S. Government securities | 1,717,625 | 3,180,720 |
(5) Shares of Beneficial
Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust
permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. The Trustees have authorized the repurchase by the fund of up to 10% annually of its own shares of beneficial
interest.
During the six months ended May 31, 2023 and the
year ended November 30, 2022, the fund did not repurchase any shares. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Six months ended 5/31/23 | Year ended 11/30/22 | ||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||
| Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | — | $— | 11,103 | $42,524 | |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds
managed by MFS participate in a $1.45 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1.2 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other MFS U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of
banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of 1) Daily Simple SOFR
(Secured Overnight Financing Rate) plus 0.10%, 2) the Federal Funds Effective Rate, or 3) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, each plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily unused portion
of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. The line of credit expires on March 14, 2024 unless extended or renewed. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have
established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an
agreed upon spread. For the six months ended May 31, 2023, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $298 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement
of Operations.
29
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
(7) Investments in Affiliated
Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be
considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
| MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $863,587 | $22,641,423 | $20,965,912 | $156 | $(72) | $2,539,182 |
| Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
| MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $24,498 | $— |
(8) LIBOR Transition
The London Interbank Offered Rate
(LIBOR) was intended to represent the rate at which contributing banks may obtain short-term borrowings from each other in the London interbank market. Certain of the fund's investments, payment obligations, and
financing terms were historically based on LIBOR. In 2017, the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced plans to transition away from LIBOR by the end of 2021. LIBOR's administrator, ICE Benchmark
Administration (IBA), ceased publication (on a representative basis) of many of its LIBOR settings as of December 31, 2021 and ceased publication (on a representative basis) of the remaining U.S. dollar LIBOR settings
as of June 30, 2023. In addition, global regulators announced that, with limited exceptions, no new LIBOR-based contracts should be entered into after 2021. Although the FCA has announced that it will require the IBA
to continue to publish certain select LIBOR rates on a synthetic basis after the relevant cessation dates, such synthetic rates are not considered to be representative of the underlying market and economic reality
they are intended to measure, are expected to be published for a limited time period, and are intended solely for use on a limited basis for legacy transactions.
Regulators and industry groups have
implemented measures to facilitate the transition away from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). SOFR is a broad measure of the
cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement (repo) market. SOFR is published in various forms including as a daily, compounded, and forward-looking term
rate. The transition to alternative reference rates may affect the liquidity and valuation of investments that were tied to LIBOR or other interbank offered rates and may lead to other consequences affecting
securities and credit markets more broadly. For example, while some investments that were tied to LIBOR provided for an alternative or “fallback” rate-setting methodology in the event LIBOR is not
available, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replace LIBOR and certain investments tied to LIBOR may not have fallback provisions. While legislation passed in
the United States facilitates by operation of law the replacement of U.S. dollar LIBOR settings in certain legacy instruments with a specified replacement rate, such as SOFR, there is uncertainty
30
Notes to Financial
Statements (unaudited) - continued
regarding the effectiveness of such legislation.
There also remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of parties to add or amend fallback provisions in certain other legacy instruments maturing after the cessation of the applicable LIBOR rates, which
could create market and litigation risk.
It is difficult to quantify or
predict the impact on the fund resulting from the transition from LIBOR to alternative reference rates and the potential effects of the transition from LIBOR on the fund, or on certain instruments in which
the fund invests, are not known. The transition process may involve, among other things, increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that relied on LIBOR to determine interest rates. The
transition may also result in a reduction in value of certain LIBOR-related investments held by the fund or reduce the effectiveness of related transactions such as hedges. Any such effects of the transition away from
LIBOR and the adoption of alternative reference rates, as well as other unforeseen effects, could have an adverse impact on the fund's performance.
With respect to the fund’s
accounting for investments, including investments in certain debt instruments and derivatives, as well as borrowings by the fund and any other contractual arrangements of the fund that undergo reference
rate-related modifications as a result of the transition, management has and will continue to rely upon the relief provided by FASB Codification Topic 848 – Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). The guidance in
Topic 848 permits the fund to account for such contract modifications made on or before December 31, 2024 as a continuation of the existing contracts. The situation remains fluid, and management believes, based on
best available information, that the impact of the transition will not be material to the fund.
31
Report of Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm
To the Trustees and Shareholders of
MFS Government Markets Income Trust:
Results of Review of Interim Financial
Statements
We have reviewed the accompanying
statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Government Markets Income Trust (the “Trust”), including the portfolio of investments, as of May 31, 2023, and the related statements of operations, and changes
in net assets and the financial highlights for the six-month period ended May 31, 2023, and the related notes. Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the
accompanying interim financial statements and financial highlights for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have previously audited, in
accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, as of November 30, 2022 (not
presented herein), the related statements of operations for the year ended November 30, 2022 (not presented herein), the statements of changes in net assets for the years ended November 30, 2022 and November 30, 2021
(2021 not presented herein) and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended November 30, 2022, and in our report dated January 13, 2023, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those
financial statements.
Basis for Review Results
These interim financial statements
and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust's management. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the
U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our review in
accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting
matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a
whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
July 14, 2023
July 14, 2023
We have served as the auditor of
one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
32
Proxy Voting Policies and
Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the
fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund
voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio
Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule
of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at
http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/closedendfunds by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
Further Information
From time to time, MFS may post
important information about the fund or the MFS Funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/closedendfunds by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Additional information about the
fund (e.g., performance, dividends and the fund’s price history) is also available at mfs.com/closedendfunds by choosing the fund's name, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND
CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into
contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, transfer agent, and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended
beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them
against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and
Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
33
CONTACT US
TRANSFER AGENT, REGISTRAR, AND
DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT
DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT
CALL
1-800-637-2304
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time
WRITE
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
P.O. Box 43078
Providence, RI 02940-3078
New York Stock Exchange Symbol:
MGF
