UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-Q QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY Investment Company Act file number 811-21286 Name of Fund: Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Fund Address: P.O. Box 9011 Princeton, NJ 08543-9011 Name and address of agent for service: Robert C. Doll, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc., 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ 08536. Mailing address: P.O. Box 9011, Princeton, NJ 08543-9011 Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (609) 282-2800 Date of fiscal year end: 10/31/05 Date of reporting period: 05/01/05 - 07/31/05 Item 1 - Schedule of Investments Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Securities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Industry+ Face Amount Capital Trusts Value ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commercial Banks - 22.1% $ 12,035,000 ABN AMRO North America Holding Preferred Capital Repackaging Trust I, 6.523% (a)(b)(c) $ 13,022,773 11,000,000 Abbey National Capital Trust I, 8.963% (b)(c) 15,508,790 2,000,000 Bank One Capital III, 8.75% due 9/01/2030 2,733,240 1,000,000 Chase Capital I Series A, 7.67% due 12/01/2026 (a) 1,069,890 16,455,000 Chase Capital II Series B, 4.193% due 2/01/2027 (b) 15,387,416 34,000,000 Dresdner Funding Trust I, 8.151% due 6/30/2031 (a) 42,167,106 3,630,000 First Empire Capital Trust II, 8.277% due 6/01/2027 3,947,734 1,820,000 First Security Capital I, 8.41% due 12/15/2026 1,974,760 5,600,000 Firstar Capital Trust I Series B, 8.32% due 12/15/2026 6,067,068 2,000,000 HSBC America Capital Trust I, 7.808% due 12/15/2026 (a) 2,148,466 15,835,000 HSBC Capital Funding LP/Jersey Channel Islands, 10.176% (a) (b)(c) 24,746,526 12,275,000 Hubco Capital Trust II Series B, 7.65% due 6/15/2028 (a) 13,502,500 998,000 JPM Capital Trust I, 7.54% due 1/15/2027 (a) 1,068,178 2,000,000 Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, 6.90% (c) 2,070,134 8,500,000 Mizuho JGB Investment LLC, 9.87% (a)(b)(c) 9,531,346 18,470,000 Nationsbank Capital Trust III, 4.149% due 1/15/2027 (b) 17,685,357 10,000,000 RBS Capital Trust B, 6.80% (b)(c) 10,294,860 2,000,000 Republic New York Corp., 7.53% due 12/04/2026 2,137,210 5,000,000 SB Treasury Co. LLC, 9.40% (a)(b)(c) 5,544,135 4,500,000 St. George Funding Co. LLC, 8.485% (a)(c) 4,951,400 10,000,000 Westpac Capital Trust III, 5.819% (a)(b)(c) 10,386,300 -------------- 205,945,189 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumer Finance - 0.5% 4,630,000 MBNA Capital A, 8.278% due 12/01/2026 5,000,400 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diversified Financial 15,000,000 Agfirst Farm Credit Bank, 8.393% due 12/15/2016 (b) 17,058,045 Services - 5.2% 10,000,000 CIT Capital Trust I, 7.70% due 2/15/2027 10,680,840 9,000,000 Farm Credit Bank of Texas Series 1, 7.561% (b)(c) 9,583,920 10,000,000 Sun Life Canada US Capital Trust, 8.526% (a)(c) 10,949,950 -------------- 48,272,755 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electric 14,950,000 HL&P Capital Trust II Series B, 8.257% due 2/01/2037 15,996,500 Utilities - 2.3% 5,000,000 SWEPCO Capital I, 5.25% due 10/01/2043 (b) 4,967,215 -------------- 20,963,715 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gas Utilities - 0.6% 5,000,000 AGL Capital Trust I Series B, 8.17% due 6/01/2037 5,468,765 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Insurance - 18.6% 24,175,000 AON Corp., 8.205% due 1/01/2027 27,902,011 21,300,000 Ace Capital Trust II, 9.70% due 4/01/2030 28,304,739 23,725,000 Axa, 8.60% due 12/15/2030 31,808,060 15,000,000 Farmers Exchange Capital, 7.05% due 7/15/2028 (a) 15,754,740 10,000,000 GE Global Insurance Holding Corp., 7.75% due 6/15/2030 11,372,610 1,000,000 Genamerica Capital I, 8.525% due 6/30/2027 (a) 1,101,930 6,066,000 ING Capital Funding Trust III, 8.439% (b)(c) 7,038,495 1,000,000 Markel Capital Trust I Series B, 8.71% due 1/01/2046 1,075,431 3,605,000 Oil Casualty Insurance Ltd., 8% due 9/15/2034 (a) 3,762,182 6,325,000 Principal Life Insurance Co., 8% due 3/01/2044 (a) 7,188,850 14,000,000 QBE Insurance Group Ltd., 5.647% due 7/01/2023 (a)(b) 14,010,682 6,225,000 Transamerica Capital III, 7.625% due 11/15/2037 7,284,682 15,600,000 Zurich Capital Trust I, 8.376% due 6/01/2037 (a) 16,796,021 -------------- 173,400,433 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multi-Utilities - 3.2% 10,000,000 Dominion Capital Trust I, 7.83% due 12/01/2027 10,981,500 15,000,000 Dominion Resources Capital Trust III, 8.40% due 1/15/2031 18,690,045 -------------- 29,671,545 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oil, Gas & 5,000,000 KN Capital Trust I Series B, 8.56% due 4/15/2027 (a) 5,437,835 Consumable Fuels - 1.9% 1,750,000 KN Capital Trust III, 7.63% due 4/15/2028 2,011,593 9,850,000 Phillips 66 Capital Trust II, 8% due 1/15/2037 (a) 10,663,512 -------------- 18,112,940 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Securities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Industry+ Face Amount Capital Trusts Value ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thrifts & Mortgage Astoria Capital Trust I: Finance - 4.4% $ 1,000,000 9.75% due 11/01/2029 (a) $ 1,166,250 5,000,000 Series B, 9.75% due 11/01/2029 5,881,250 5,760,000 Dime Capital Trust I Series A, 9.33% due 5/06/2027 6,344,554 12,765,000 Greenpoint Capital Trust I, 9.10% due 6/01/2027 14,078,850 3,005,000 ML Capital Trust I, 9.875% due 3/01/2027 3,285,231 9,775,000 Webster Capital Trust I, 9.36% due 1/29/2027 (a) 10,654,750 -------------- 41,410,885 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Capital Trusts (Cost - $518,882,648) - 58.8% 548,246,627 =================================================================================================================================== Shares Held Preferred Stocks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital Markets - 1.9% 96,000 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Series A, 3.91% 2,390,400 600,000 Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., 6.50% 15,546,000 -------------- 17,936,400 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commercial Banks - 10.8% 150 BBVA Privanza International Ltd., 7.764% (a)(d) 15,675,000 435,200 Banco Santander Central Hispano SA, 6.41% 11,080,192 16,000,000 Barclays Bank Plc, 6.278% 16,320,000 137,579 First Republic Bank, 6.25% 3,443,781 4,650 First Tennessee Bank NA, 3.90% (a) 4,581,703 166,800 Provident Financial Group, Inc., 7.75% 4,612,020 800,000 Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc Series L, 5.75% 19,688,000 23,000 SG Preferred Capital II, 6.302% 24,725,000 -------------- 100,125,696 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diversified Financial 855,000 CIT Group, Inc. Series A, 6.35% 21,550,275 Services - 4.1% 320,000 Cobank ACB, 7% 16,617,280 -------------- 38,167,555 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electric Utilities - 0.8% 14,000 Alabama Power Co., 5.83% 351,540 80,000 Duquesne Light Co., 6.50% 4,196,000 80,000 Interstate Power & Light Co. Series B, 8.375% 2,720,000 -------------- 7,267,540 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gas Utilities - 1.8% 626,000 Southern Union Co., 7.55% 17,058,500 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Insurance - 9.1% 880,000 ACE Ltd. Series C, 7.80% 23,628,000 1,260,000 Metlife, Inc. Series B, 6.50% 31,224,438 140,000 Prudential Plc, 6.50% 3,507,000 16,340 Zurich RegCaPS Funding Trust, 6.01% (a)(b) 16,518,719 9,800 Zurich RegCaPS Funding Trust, 6.58% (a)(b) 10,317,563 -------------- 85,195,720 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multi-Utilities - 0.4% 140,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Series A, 6% 3,647,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thrifts & Mortgage 1,210,000 Fannie Mae, 7% 67,079,375 Finance - 8.4% 264,650 Fannie Mae Series L, 5.125% 11,565,205 -------------- 78,644,580 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wireless Telecommunication 10,423 Centaur Funding Corp., 9.08% 13,755,103 Services - 1.5% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Preferred Stocks (Cost - $347,914,522) - 38.8% 361,798,094 =================================================================================================================================== Real Estate Investment Trusts ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Real Estate - 21.7% 251,400 Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Series C, 8.375% 6,629,418 400,000 CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Series C, 7.75% 10,400,000 600,000 CarrAmerica Realty Corp. Series E, 7.50% 15,534,000 680,000 Developers Diversified Realty Corp., 8% 17,727,600 190,000 Duke Realty Corp. Series K, 6.50% 4,795,600 2,390 First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., 6.236% 2,387,013 4,000 Firstar Realty LLC, 8.875% (a) 5,365,000 Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Securities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Industry+ Shares Held Real Estate Investment Trusts Value ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 768,000 Health Care Property Investors, Inc. Series F, 7.10% $ 19,591,680 172,800 Health Care REIT, Inc. Series F, 7.625% 4,390,209 684,700 Kimco Realty Corp. Series F, 6.65% 17,480,391 1,600,000 New Plan Excel Realty Trust Series E, 7.625% 42,400,000 PS Business Parks, Inc.: 72,000 Series K, 7.95% 1,879,200 64,000 Series M, 7.20% 1,594,003 320,000 Public Storage, Inc. Series X, 6.45% 8,064,000 58,000 Regency Centers Corp., 7.25% 1,489,875 607,550 Regency Centers Corp., 7.45% 15,674,790 11,857 Sovereign Real Estate Investment Corp., 12% 17,192,650 145,000 Vornado Realty Trust Series E, 7% 3,733,750 130,000 Wachovia Preferred Funding Corp. Series A, 7.25% 3,745,300 100,000 Weingarten Realty Investors Series D, 6.75% 2,562,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Real Estate Investment Trusts (Cost - $195,615,535) - 21.7% 202,636,479 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Face Amount Trust Preferred ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aerospace & Defense - 3.0% $ 27,450,000 RC Trust I, 7% due 5/15/2006 27,947,559 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital Markets - 0.1% 875,000 Lehman Brothers Holdings Capital Trust III Series K, 1.558% due 3/15/2052 883,369 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Communications Equipment - 0.2% 2,000,000 Corporate-Backed Trust Certificates, 8.375% due 11/15/2028 2,123,109 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electric Utilities - 1.7% 6,750,000 Georgia Power Co. Series O, 1.475% due 4/15/2033 6,810,203 3,000,000 HECO Capital Trust III, 6.50% due 3/18/2034 3,157,710 5,000,000 National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp., 6.75% due 2/15/2043 5,099,621 950,000 Virginia Power Capital Trust II, 1.844% due 7/30/2042 997,682 -------------- 16,065,216 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gas Utilities - 0.7% 500,000 Dominion CNG Capital Trust I, 1.95% due 10/31/2041 514,670 5,750,000 Southwest Gas Capital II, 7.70% due 9/15/2043 6,011,491 -------------- 6,526,161 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Insurance - 3.2% 16,000,000 ABN AMRO North America Capital Funding Trust II, 3.465% (a)(b)(c) 15,683,415 295,000 Berkley W R Capital Trust, 6.75% due 7/26/2045 7,375,000 1,000,000 Everest Re Capital Trust, 1.963% due 11/15/2032 1,069,333 5,000,000 Lincoln National Capital VI Series F, 6.75% due 9/11/2052 5,217,871 -------------- 29,345,619 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multi-Utilities - 0.0% 397,425 PSEG Funding Trust II, 8.75% due 12/31/2032 427,657 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thrifts & Mortgage 27,000,000 Countrywide Financial Corp., 1.50% due 4/01/2033 27,814,254 Finance - 3.7% 6,000,000 Dime Community Capital I, 7% due 4/14/2034 6,060,000 -------------- 33,874,254 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Trust Preferred (Cost - $115,123,350) - 12.6% 117,192,944 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Preferred Securities (Cost - $1,177,536,055) - 131.9% 1,229,874,144 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate Bonds ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Automobiles - 3.9% 25,000,000 DaimlerChrysler NA Holding Corp., 8.50% due 1/18/2031 32,043,650 5,000,000 Ford Motor Co., 7.45% due 7/16/2031 4,239,285 -------------- 36,282,935 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diversified Financial 8,000,000 Ford Motor Credit Co., 7% due 10/01/2013 7,772,176 Services - 5.5% 29,000,000 General Motors Acceptance Corp., 8% due 11/01/2031 28,130,058 15,000,000 Sigma Finance Corp., 6.297% due 8/15/2011 (g) 15,000,000 -------------- 50,902,234 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Industry+ Face Amount Corporate Bonds Value ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diversified $ 28,000,000 France Telecom SA, 8.75% due 3/01/2031 $ 38,560,368 Telecommunication Sprint Capital Corp.: Services - 7.9% 2,000,000 6.90% due 5/01/2019 2,264,450 24,000,000 8.75% due 3/15/2032 33,025,632 -------------- 73,850,450 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electric Utilities - 1.2% 10,000,000 FirstEnergy Corp. Series B, 6.45% due 11/15/2011 10,753,720 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Food Products - 0.6% 4,800,000 Tyson Foods, Inc., 7% due 1/15/2028 5,311,637 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Independent Power Producers & Energy 16,575,000 Duke Energy Field Services LLC, 8.125% due 8/16/2030 21,753,792 Traders - 2.3% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Media - 4.3% 10,000,000 Comcast Corp., 7.05% due 3/15/2033 11,626,950 Time Warner, Inc.: 5,000,000 7.625% due 4/15/2031 6,160,900 18,000,000 7.70% due 5/01/2032 22,489,272 -------------- 40,277,122 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thrifts & Mortgage 8,000,000 Residential Capital Corp., 6.875% due 6/30/2015 (a) 8,328,400 Finance - 1.8% 8,000,000 Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp. Series D, 7.14% (b)(c) 8,000,000 -------------- 16,328,400 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wireless Telecommunication 28,000,000 AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., 8.75% due 3/01/2031 38,683,036 Services - 4.1% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Corporate Bonds (Cost - $269,444,402) - 31.6% 294,143,326 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short-Term Securities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ 2,000,000 Freddie Mac, 3.345% due 8/23/2005 (e)(f) 1,995,967 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Short-Term Securities (Cost - $1,995,967) - 0.2% 1,995,967 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Contracts Put Options Purchased ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4,000 U.S. Treasury Bonds Future, expiring August 2005 at $109 437,500 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Put Options Purchased (Premiums Paid - $952,460) - 0.0% 437,500 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Investments (Cost - $1,449,928,884*) - 163.7% 1,526,450,937 Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets - (4.7%) (43,981,711) Preferred Stock, at Redemption Value - (59.0%) (550,130,946) -------------- Net Assets Applicable to Common Stock - 100.0% $ 932,338,280 ============== + For Fund compliance purposes, "Industry" means any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. This definition may not apply for purposes of this report which may combine such industry sub-classifications for reporting ease. * The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments as of July 31, 2005, as computed for federal income tax purposes, were as follows: Aggregate cost $1,456,234,846 ============== Gross unrealized appreciation $ 84,746,275 Gross unrealized depreciation (14,530,184) -------------- Net unrealized appreciation $ 70,216,091 ============== (a) The security may be offered and sold to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. (b) Floating rate note. (c) The security is a perpetual bond and has no definite maturity date. Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) (d) Depositary Receipts. (e) Certain U.S. Government Obligations are traded on a discount basis; the interest rates shown reflect the discount rates paid at the time of purchase by the Fund. (f) All or a portion of security held as collateral in connection with open financial futures contracts. (g) Restricted securities as to resale, representing 1.6% of net assets, were as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue Acquisition Date Cost Value ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sigma Finance Corp., 6.297% due 8/15/2011 2/13/2004 $15,000,000 $ 15,000,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest Affiliate Net Activity Income ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch Liquidity Series, LLC Cash Sweep Series I - $ 133,189 Merrill Lynch Liquidity Series, LLC Money Market Series - $ 2,842 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swaps outstanding as of July 31, 2005 were as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unrealized Notional Appreciation Amount (Depreciation) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Receive a fixed rate of 4.13% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires May 2008 $ 34,000,000 $ (290,485) Receive a fixed rate of 4.099% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires June 2008 $ 34,000,000 (320,473) Sold credit default protection on General Motors Acceptance Corp. and receive 6.375% Broker, JPMorgan Chase Bank Expires June 2010 $ 3,990,000 472,005 Bought credit default protection on General Motors Acceptance Corp. and pay 6.90% Broker, Lehman Brothers Special Finance Expires June 2010 $ 3,990,000 (555,983) Pay a fixed rate of 4.902% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, UBS Warburg Expires October 2010 $ 160,000,000 (2,121,760) Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unrealized Notional Appreciation Amount (Depreciation) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Receive a fixed rate of 4.1275% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Deutsche Bank AG London Expires February 2012 $ 200,000,000 $ (4,497,045) Receive a fixed rate of 4.14% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Lehman Brothers Special Finance Expires February 2012 $ 200,000,000 (4,353,923) Receive a fixed rate of 4.683% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires January 2015 $ 18,880,000 (7,316) Pay a fixed rate of 4.6275% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires June 2015 $ 40,000,000 278,363 Pay a fixed rate of 4.5165% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires July 2015 $ 40,000,000 633,297 Pay a fixed rate of 5.104% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, JPMorgan Chase Bank Expires September 2015 $ 160,000,000 (4,509,440) Pay a fixed rate of 5.662% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires September 2015 $ 300,000,000 (23,201,100) Receive a fixed rate of 5.085% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires March 2020 $ 33,500,000 848,761 Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Schedule of Investments as of July 31, 2005 (in U.S. dollars) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unrealized Notional Appreciation Amount (Depreciation) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pay a fixed rate of 5.26405% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires July 2025 $ 82,080,000 $ (3,656,032) Pay a fixed rate of 5.258% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires September 2025 $ 102,500,000 (4,293,930) Receive a fixed rate of 5.256% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires January 2035 $ 56,400,000 2,671,085 Receive a fixed rate of 5.225% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. Expires March 2035 $ 60,500,000 2,570,075 Receive a fixed rate of 4.962% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires May 2035 $ 14,200,000 21,925 Receive a fixed rate of 4.855% and pay a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Citibank N.A. Expires June 2035 $ 14,200,000 (212,767) Pay a fixed rate of 5.088% and receive a floating rate based on 3-month USD LIBOR Broker, Lehman Brothers Special Finance Expires September 2035 $ 72,000,000 (1,385,208) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total $ (41,909,951) ============= Item 2 - Controls and Procedures 2(a) - The registrant's certifying officers have reasonably designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure material information relating to the registrant is made known to us by others particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared. The registrant's certifying officers have determined that the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures are effective based on our evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report. 2(b) - There were no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the last fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. Item 3 - Exhibits Certifications - Attached hereto 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. Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. By: /s/ Robert C. Doll, Jr. ----------------------- Robert C. Doll, Jr., Chief Executive Officer Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Date: September 23, 2005 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/ Robert C. Doll, Jr. ----------------------- Robert C. Doll, Jr., Chief Executive Officer Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Date: September 23, 2005 By: /s/ Donald C. Burke ----------------------- Donald C. Burke, Chief Financial Officer Preferred Income Strategies Fund, Inc. Date: September 23, 2005