Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. The investor should be aware of various risks, including those described below. The investor should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the net asset value of our common stock could decline, and an investor may lose all or part of his or her investment.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure
We may be unable to meet our investment objectives or investment strategy.
Investing in us is intended for long-term investors who can accept the risks associated with investing primarily in potentially illiquid, privately negotiated senior first lien, stretch senior (as further described hereinafter), senior second lien and unitranche loans. We may also invest, from time to time, in mezzanine debt and other junior investments, secondary purchases of assets or portfolios that primarily consist of middle market corporate debt, equity securities, distressed debt, debtor-in-possession loans, structured products, structurally subordinate loans, investments with deferred interest features, zero-coupon securities and defaulted securities. There can be no assurance that we will achieve our investment or performance objectives, including our targeted returns. Accordingly, the possibility of partial or total loss of our capital exists.
We are dependent upon key personnel of Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor.
Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This will depend, in turn, on the financial and managerial expertise of our Advisor, including with resources utilized from Bain Capital Credit. Although we have attempted to foster a team approach to investing, the loss of key individuals employed by Bain Capital Credit or our Advisor could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, performance and ability to achieve our investment objectives. If these individuals do not maintain their employment or other existing relationships with Bain Capital Credit or our Advisor and do not develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities available to us, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio.
Bain Capital Credit’s and our Advisor’s investment professionals have substantial responsibilities in connection with the other funds and accounts managed by Bain Capital Credit ("Bain Capital Credit Funds" or "Bain Capital Credit Clients"). The personnel of Bain Capital Credit may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which may increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow our rate of investment. The employees of our Advisor and other Bain Capital Credit investment professionals expect to devote such time and attention to the conduct of our business as such business shall reasonably require. However, there can be no assurance, for example, that the members of our Advisor or such investment professionals will devote any minimum number of hours each week to our affairs or that they will continue to be employed by Bain Capital Credit. Subject to certain remedies, in the event that certain employees of our Advisor cease to be actively involved with us, we will be required to rely on the ability of Bain Capital Credit to identify and retain other investment professionals to conduct our business. The Board intends to evaluate the commitment and performance of our Advisor in conjunction with the annual approval of the Amended Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement.
Under the Resource Sharing Agreement, Bain Capital Credit has agreed to provide our Advisor with experienced investment professionals necessary to fulfill its obligations under the Amended Advisory Agreement. The Resource Sharing Agreement, however, may be terminated by either party on 60 days’ notice. We cannot assure stockholders that Bain Capital Credit will fulfill its obligations under the Resource Sharing Agreement. We also cannot assure stockholders that our Advisor will enforce the Resource Sharing Agreement if Bain Capital Credit fails to perform, that such agreement will not be terminated by either party or that we will continue to have access to the investment professionals of Bain Capital Credit and its affiliates or their information and deal flow. The Advisor, Bain Capital Credit and/or their affiliates will enter into employment contracts with and provide life insurance for their key personnel.
Further, we depend upon Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor to maintain their relationships with private equity sponsors, placement agents, investment banks, management groups and other financial institutions, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If they fail to maintain such relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom the senior professionals of Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we cannot assure you that these relationships will generate investment opportunities for us in the future.
We may not replicate the historical results achieved by Bain Capital Credit, or by our Advisor or its affiliates.
Our primary focus in making investments may differ from those of existing Bain Capital Credit Funds and Related Funds and the funds and accounts managed by the affiliate advisors (including our Advisor's funds) ("Related Funds"). Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. There can be no guarantee that we will replicate our own historical performance, the historical success of Bain Capital Credit or the historical performance of Bain Capital Credit Funds and/or Related Funds, and we caution stockholders that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by them in prior periods. We cannot assure you that we will be profitable in the future or that our Advisor will be able to continue to implement our investment objectives with the same degree of success as it has had in the past. Additionally, all or a portion of the prior results may have been achieved in particular market conditions that may never be repeated. Moreover, current or future market volatility and regulatory uncertainty may have an impact on our future performance.
The due diligence process that our Advisor undertakes in connection with our investments may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment.
Our Advisor’s due diligence may not reveal all of a company’s liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business. There can be no assurance that our due diligence process will uncover all relevant facts that would be material to an investment decision. Before making an investment in, or a loan to, a company, our Advisor will assess the strength and skills of the company’s management team and other factors that it believes are material to the performance of the investment. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, our Advisor will rely on the resources available to it and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. This process is particularly important and highly subjective with respect to newly organized entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. We may make investments in, or loans to, companies, including middle market companies, which are not subject to public company reporting requirements, including requirements regarding preparation of financial statements, and will, therefore, depend upon the compliance by investment companies with their contractual reporting obligations and the ability of our Advisor’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may money on our investments. As a result, the evaluation of potential investments and the ability to perform due diligence on and monitoring of investments may be , and we may not realize the returns which we expect on any particular investment. In the event of by any company in which we invest or with respect to which we make a loan, we may a partial or total of the amounts invested in that company.
Adverse developments in the credit markets may impair our ability to enter into new debt financing arrangements.
During the economic downturn in the United States that began in mid-2007, many commercial banks and other financial institutions stopped lending or significantly curtailed their lending activity. In addition, in an effort to stem losses and reduce their exposure to segments of the economy deemed to be high risk, some financial institutions limited refinancing and loan modification transactions and reviewed the terms of existing facilities to identify bases for accelerating the maturity of existing lending facilities. If these conditions recur, it may be difficult for us to enter into a new credit or other borrowing facility, obtain other financing to finance the growth of our investments, or refinance any outstanding indebtedness on acceptable economic terms, or at all.
Our executive officers and directors, our Advisor, Bain Capital Credit and their affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest.
The executive officers and directors and other employees of Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor, including our portfolio managers, are, or may be, investors in, or serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members, or principals of, entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of Bain Capital Credit Clients. Similarly, Bain Capital Credit and its affiliated advisors may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives. Accordingly, the members of the professional staff of Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor will have demands on their time for the investment, monitoring and other functions of other funds advised by Bain Capital Credit.
In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of, or may be adverse to the interests of, us or our stockholders. Although the professional staff of Bain Capital Credit will devote as much time to our management as appropriate to enable our Advisor to perform its duties in accordance with the Amended Advisory Agreement, Bain Capital Credit has, and will continue to have management responsibilities for Bain Capital Credit Clients. There is a potential that we will compete with these Bain Capital Credit Clients, for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, Bain Capital Credit and our portfolio managers will face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us and the Bain Capital Credit Clients and may make certain investments that are appropriate for us but for which we receive a relatively small allocation of such investment or no allocation at all. Bain Capital Credit intends to allocate investment opportunities among eligible Bain Capital Credit Clients in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy. However, we can offer no assurance that
such opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time, and we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by investment funds managed by our Advisor or an investment manager affiliated with our Advisor, including Bain Capital Credit. In instances when investments are recommended for us and/or other participating Bain Capital Credit Clients, allocations among us and other Bain Capital Credit Clients, subject to applicable law and regulation, will be done in accordance with our Advisor’s trade allocation practice. There can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable for us.
Further, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we and our affiliates may own investments at different levels of a portfolio company’s capital structure or otherwise own different classes of a portfolio company’s securities, which may give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts may also arise because decisions regarding our portfolio may benefit our affiliates. Our affiliates may pursue or enforce rights with respect to one of our portfolio companies, and those activities may have an adverse effect on us.
Bain Capital Credit’s Credit Committee, our Advisor or its affiliates may, from time to time, possess material non-public information, limiting our investment discretion.
The executive officers and directors, principals and other employees of Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, portfolio companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf, and may come into possession of material non-public information with respect to issuers in which we may be considering making an investment. In the event that material non-public information is obtained with respect to such companies, or we become subject to trading restrictions under the internal trading policies of those companies, the policies of Bain Capital, or as a result of applicable law or regulations, we could be prohibited for a period of time or indefinitely from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies, or we may be precluded from providing such information or other ideas to other funds affiliated with Bain Capital that may benefit from such information, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us.
Our management and incentive fee structure as well as our lending relationship with our Advisor may create incentives for our Advisor that are not fully aligned with the interests of our stockholders and may induce our Advisor to make speculative investments.
In the course of our investing activities, we will pay management and incentive fees to our Advisor. We have entered into an Amended Advisory Agreement with our Advisor that provides that these fees will be based on the value of our gross assets (which includes assets purchased with borrowed amounts or other forms of leverage but excludes cash and cash equivalents), instead of our net assets (defined as total assets less indebtedness and before taking into account any incentive fees payable). As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, including the costs of leverage, resulting in a lower rate of return than one might achieve if distributions were made on a gross basis. Because our management fees are based on the value of our gross assets, the incurrence of debt or the use of leverage will increase the management fees due to our Advisor. As such, our Advisor may have an incentive to use leverage to make additional investments. In addition, as additional leverage would magnify positive returns, if any, on our portfolio, our incentive fee would become payable to our Advisor ( i.e. , exceed the Hurdle Amount) at a lower average return on our portfolio. Thus, if we incur additional leverage, our Advisor may receive additional incentive fees without any corresponding increase (and potentially with a decrease) in our net performance. Additionally, under the incentive fee structure, our Advisor may when capital are recognized and, because our Advisor will determine when to sell a holding, our Advisor will control the timing of the recognition of such capital . As a result of these arrangements, there may be times when the management team of our Advisor has interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a . Furthermore, there is a risk our Advisor will make more speculative investments in an effort to receive this payment. Payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest and original issue discount (“OID”) would increase our pre-incentive fee net investment income by increasing the size of the loan balance of underlying loans and increasing our assets under management (“AUM”) and makes it for our Advisor to the Hurdle Amount and increase the amount of incentive fees payable to our Advisor.
In addition, under the incentive fee structure, our Advisor may benefit when capital gains are recognized and, because our Advisor will determine when to sell a holding, our Advisor will control the timing of the recognition of such capital gains. As a result of these arrangements, there may be times when our Advisor has interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict. As a result, our Advisor may have an incentive to invest more in companies whose securities are likely to yield capital gains, as compared to income producing securities. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns. PIK interest and OID would increase our pre-incentive fee net investment income by increasing the size of the loan balance of underlying loans and increasing our AUM and makes it easier for our Advisor to surpass the Hurdle Amount and increase the amount of incentive fees payable to our Advisor. Our Advisor may thus have an incentive to invest in deferred interest securities in circumstances where it would not have done so but for the to continue to earn the incentive fee even when the issuers of the deferred interest securities would not be to make actual cash payments to us on such securities. Under these investments, we accrue the interest over the life of the investment but do not receive the cash income from the investment until the end of the term. Our net investment income used to calculate the income portion of our incentive fee, however, includes accrued interest. Thus, a portion of this incentive fee is based on income that we have not yet received in cash. This risk could be increased because our Advisor is not obligated to reimburse us for any incentive fees received even if we subsequently incur or never receive in cash the accrued income (including accrued income with respect to OID, PIK interest and zero-coupon securities).
The Board is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how our Advisor addresses these and other conflicts of interests associated with its services and compensation. While they will not review or approve each investment decision or incurrence of leverage, our Independent Directors will periodically review our Advisor’s services and fees as well as its portfolio management decisions and portfolio performance. In connection with these reviews, our Independent Directors will consider whether our fees and expenses (including those related to leverage) remain appropriate.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent we so invest, bear our ratable share of any such investment company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We also remain obligated to pay management and incentive fees to our Advisor with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our stockholders bears his or her share of the management and incentive fees of our Advisor as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.
Conflicts created by the valuation process for certain portfolio holdings.
We expect to make many of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which no market based price quotation is available. As a result, the Board has designated the Advisor as the "Valuation Designee" to perform fair value determinations for these investments pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, as described below in “— The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.” Each of the interested members of the Board has an indirect pecuniary interest in our Advisor. The participation of our Advisor’s investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in our Advisor by certain members of the Board, could result in a conflict of interest as our Advisor’s management fee is based, in part, on the value of our gross assets, and our incentive fees will be based, in part, on realized gains and realized and unrealized losses.
Conflicts may arise related to other arrangements with Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor’s other affiliates.
We have entered into an Administration Agreement with our Administrator pursuant to which we are required to pay to our Administrator our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our Administrator in performing its obligations under such Administration Agreement, such as rent and our allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer and their respective staffs. In addition, our Advisor has entered into a Resource Sharing Agreement with Bain Capital Credit pursuant to which Bain Capital Credit provides our Advisor with the resources necessary to fulfill its obligations under the Amended Advisory Agreement. These agreements create conflicts of interest that the Independent Directors will monitor.
Our Advisor has limited liability and is entitled to indemnification under the Amended Advisory Agreement.
Under the Amended Advisory Agreement, our Advisor has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. Our Advisor is not responsible for any action of the Board in following or declining to follow our Advisor’s advice or recommendations. Under the Amended Advisory Agreement, our Advisor, its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with our Advisor, including without limitation our Administrator, will not be liable to us for any actions taken or omitted to be taken by our Advisor in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under the Amended Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of us, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the 1940 Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services. In addition, as part of the Amended Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to
indemnify our Advisor and each of its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with our Advisor, and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by such party in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of us or our security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of our Advisor’s duties or obligations under the Amended Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of us, except in respect of any liability to us or our security holders to which such party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of our Advisor’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of our Advisor’s duties and obligations under the Amended Advisory Agreement. These protections may lead our Advisor to act in a manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
We operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment opportunities, which could reduce returns and result in losses.
The business of investing in assets meeting our investment objectives is highly competitive. Competition for investment opportunities includes a growing number of nontraditional participants, such as hedge funds, senior private debt funds, including BDCs, and other private investors, as well as more traditional lending institutions and competitors. Some of these competitors may have more experience than us and considerably greater resources than us and access to greater amounts of capital and to capital that may be committed for longer periods of time or may have different return thresholds than ours, and thus these competitors may have advantages not shared by us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC qualification. Increased competition for, or a diminishment in the available supply of, investments suitable for us could result in lower returns on such investments and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a result of this competition, we may not be to take of investment from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
Moreover, the identification of attractive investment opportunities is difficult and involves a high degree of uncertainty. We may incur significant expenses in connection with identifying investment opportunities and investigating other potential investments that are ultimately not consummated, including expenses relating to due diligence, transportation, legal expenses and the fees of other third-party service providers.
With respect to the investments we make, we will not seek to compete based primarily on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be lower than the rates we offer. In the secondary market for acquiring existing loans, we expect to compete generally on the basis of pricing terms. With respect to all investments, we may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. However, if we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income, lower yields and increased risk of credit loss. We may also compete for investment opportunities with Bain Capital Credit Funds and Related Funds. See “— Our executive officers and directors, our Advisor, Bain Capital Credit and their affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest .”
We may need to raise additional capital.
We intend to access the capital markets periodically to issue debt or equity securities or borrow from financial institutions in order to obtain additional capital to fund new investments and grow our portfolio of investments. Unfavorable economic conditions could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. In addition, we are required to distribute in respect of each taxable year dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of the sum of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, for such taxable year to our stockholders to maintain our ability to be eligible for treatment as a RIC. Amounts so distributed will not be available to fund new investments or repay maturing debt. An inability on our part to access the capital markets successfully could limit our ability to grow our business and execute our business strategy fully and could decrease our earnings, if any, which would have an adverse effect on the value of our securities.
Further, we may pursue growth through acquisitions or strategic investments in new businesses. Completion and timing of any such acquisitions or strategic investments may be subject to a number of contingencies and risks. There can be no assurance that the integration of an acquired business will be successful or that an acquired business will prove to be profitable or sustainable.
Our business could be adversely affected in the event we default under our debt agreements.
In the event we default on our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility or if we receive margin calls or are otherwise required to post additional collateral (which may occur as a consequence of increased volatility and uncertainty in global markets), our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be
disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under such credit facility or such future credit or other borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, ability to pay dividends, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If we were unable to obtain a waiver of a default from the lenders or holders of that indebtedness, as applicable, those lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under that indebtedness, which may result in cross-acceleration of other indebtedness. An acceleration could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under the relevant credit facility or such future credit or other borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Lastly, as a result of any such default, we may be unable to obtain additional leverage, which could, in turn, affect our return on capital.
Our strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions.
The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. The use of leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. However, we currently borrow from, and may in the future issue debt securities to, banks, insurance companies and other lenders. Lenders of these funds will have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instruments we may enter into with lenders. In addition, under the terms of our debt agreements and any future credit or other borrowing facility or other debt instrument we may enter into, we are likely to be required to use the net proceeds of any investments that we sell to repay a portion of the amount borrowed under such facility or instrument before applying such net proceeds to any other uses. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause NAV to more than it otherwise would have had we not used leverage, thereby magnifying or eliminating our stake in a leveraged investment. Similarly, any decrease in our revenue or income will cause our net income to more than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a would also affect our ability to make dividend payments on our common stock or preferred stock. Our ability to service any debt will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, our common stockholders will bear the of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the Base Management Fee payable to our Advisor.
We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our debt agreements or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to repay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before it matures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. We cannot assure you that any such actions, if necessary, could be affected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to our stockholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our existing or future debt agreements.
As a BDC, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. If this ratio declines below 150%, we will not be able to incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is otherwise disadvantageous for us to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our Advisor’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure stockholders that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to us. The Small Business Credit Availability Act (the “SBCAA”), which was signed into law in March 2018, modified the applicable section of the 1940 Act and decreases the asset coverage requirements applicable to BDCs from 200% to 150% (subject to either stockholder approval or approval of both a majority of the Board and a majority of directors who are not interested persons). On November 28, 2018, the Board approved the reduction of the Company’s asset coverage requirements in Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act to 150% and recommended the stockholders to vote in favor of the proposal at the special stockholder meeting on February 1, 2019. On February 1, 2019, the Company’s stockholders approved the application of the reduced asset coverage. February 2, 2019, the Company is permitted to borrow amounts such that its asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least 150% after such borrowing (if certain requirements are met), rather than 200%, as previously required.
As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately $1,473.0 million of outstanding borrowings under (i) the 2019-1 Notes, (ii) the March 2026 Notes, (iii) the October 2026 Notes, (iii) the Sumitomo Credit Facility, and (iv) the March 2030 Notes (collectively with the 2019-1 Notes, the March 2026 Notes, the October 2026 Notes and the Sumitomo Credit Facility, the “Borrowings”). The weighted average stated interest rate on our principal amount of outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 2025 was 4.8% (excluding deferred financing costs, deferred issuance costs and unused fees). We intend to continue borrowing under the Borrowings in the future and we may increase the size of the Borrowings or issue debt securities or other evidences of indebtedness (although there can be no assurance that we will be successful in doing so). For more information on our indebtedness, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources.” Our ability to service our debt depends largely on our financial performance and is subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. The amount of leverage that we employ at any particular time will depend on our Advisor’s and our Board’s assessments of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing.
The Borrowings impose financial and operating covenants that restrict our business activities, including limitations that could hinder our ability to finance additional loans and investments or to make the distributions required to maintain our status as a RIC. A failure to renew the Borrowings or to add new or replacement debt facilities or to issue debt securities or other evidences of indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming that we employ (i) our actual asset coverage ratio as of December 31, 2025 and (ii) a hypothetical asset coverage ratio of 150%, each at various annual returns on our portfolio as of December 31, 2025 , net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical, and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing in the table below.
Assumed Return on our Portfolio (Net of Expenses)
Corresponding return to common stockholder assuming actual asset coverage as of December 31, 2025 (176%) (1)
Corresponding return to common stockholder assuming 150% asset coverage (2)
Based on (i) $2,662.6 million in total assets as of December 31, 2025, (ii) $1,473.0 million in outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 2025, (iii) $1,117.4 million in net assets as of December 31, 2025, and (iv) an annualized average interest rate on our indebtedness, as of December 31, 2025, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 4.8%.
Based on (i) $3,424.4 million in total assets on a pro forma basis as of December 31, 2025, after giving effect of a hypothetical asset coverage ratio of 150%, (ii) $2,234.8 million in outstanding indebtedness on a pro forma basis as of December 31, 2025, after giving effect of a hypothetical asset coverage ratio of 150%, (iii) $1,117.4 million in net assets as of December 31, 2025, and (iv) an annualized average interest rate on our indebtedness, as of December 31, 2025, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 4.8% .
We are and may be subject to restrictions under our debt agreements and any future credit or other borrowing facility that could adversely impact our business.
Our debt agreements and any future credit or other borrowing facility, may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders may have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. We expect that any security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders. In addition, we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in its electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. If we were to default under the terms of any debt instrument, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of any or all of our assets securing such debt, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, any security interests as well as negative covenants included in our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility were to decrease, we would be required to secure additional assets in an amount equal to any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to pay distributions.
In addition, under our debt agreements and any future credit or other borrowing facilities, we may be subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency
and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as restrictions on leverage, which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. For example, proceeds of the loans under our credit facilities may be used to acquire certain qualifying loans and such other uses as permitted under our credit facilities. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our revenues and, by delaying any cash payment allowed to us under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility until the lenders have been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business and/or make distributions to stockholders required to maintain our ability to be eligible for treatment as a RIC.
The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.
We expect that many of our portfolio investments will take the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not have market quotations available and the fair value may not be readily determinable. If market quotations are not available or reliable, the Advisor will value these investments pursuant to its own written valuation policies and procedures as approved by the Board, pursuant to its delegation to the Advisor, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of our investments. Many, if not all, of our investments (other than cash) may be classified as Level 3 under ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”). This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes, which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimers materially reduces the reliability of such information. We retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of these loans and securities. However, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by the Advisor as the Valuation Designee and not by such third-party valuation firm. The types of factors that the Advisor may take into account in determining the fair value of our investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets generally that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future, comparisons to publicly traded companies, relevant credit market indices and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation.
Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. Also, since these valuations are, to a large extent, based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, our fair valuation process could make it more difficult for investors to accurately value our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of our securities. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger public competitors.
Our NAV could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such loans and securities. Further, our NAV as of a particular date may be materially greater than or less than the value that would be realized if our assets were to be liquidated as of such date. For example, if we were required to sell a certain asset or all or a substantial portion of our assets on a particular date, the actual price that we would realize upon the disposition of such asset or assets could be materially less than the value of such asset or assets as reflected in our NAV. Volatile market conditions could also cause reduced liquidity in the market for certain assets, which could result in liquidation values that are materially less than the values of such assets as reflected in our NAV.
We will adjust on a quarterly basis the valuation of our portfolio to reflect the Advisor’s determination of the fair value of each investment in our portfolio. Any changes in fair value are recorded in our consolidated statements of operations as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments.
New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations could adversely affect our business.
We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, could change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives
from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations and interpretations could also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The effects of legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry or affecting taxation could negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition or our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could lose any licenses that we then hold for the conduct of our business and could be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.
We invest in securities of issuers that are subject to governmental and non-governmental regulations, including by federal and state regulators and various self-regulatory organizations. Companies participating in regulated activities could incur significant costs to comply with these laws and regulations. If a company in which we invest fails to comply with an applicable regulatory regime, it could be subject to fines, injunctions, operating restrictions or criminal prosecution, any of which could materially and adversely affect the value of our investment. Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations, including those associated with RICs, could cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to our strategies and plans and could shift our investment focus from the areas of expertise of our Advisor to other types of investments in which our Advisor could have little or no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment. If we invest in commodity interests in the future, our Advisor could determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If we or our Advisor were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, we could incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.
Further, there has been increasing commentary among regulators and intergovernmental institutions, including the Financial Stability Board and International Monetary Fund, on the topic of “shadow banking” (a term generally taken to refer to credit intermediation involving entities and activities outside the regulated banking system). We are an entity outside the regulated banking system and certain of our activities may be argued to fall within this definition and, in consequence, may be subject to regulatory developments. As a result, we and our Advisor could be subject to increased levels of oversight and regulation. This could increase costs and limit operations. In an extreme eventuality, it is possible that such regulations could render our continued operation unviable and lead to its premature termination or restructuring.
The central banks and, in particular, the Federal Reserve, have taken unprecedented steps in recent periods. It is impossible to predict if, how, and to what extent the United States and other governments would further intervene in the credit markets. Such intervention is often prompted by politically sensitive issues involving family homes, student loans, real estate speculation, credit card receivables, pandemics, etc., and could, as a result, be contrary to what we would predict from an “economically rational” perspective.
On the other hand, recent governmental intervention could mean that the willingness of governmental bodies to take additional extraordinary action is diminished. As a result, in the event of near-term major market disruptions, there might be only limited additional government intervention, resulting in correspondingly greater market dislocation and materially greater market risk.
U.S. and non-U.S. markets could experience political uncertainty and/or change that subjects investments to heightened risks. These heightened risks could also include, but are not limited to: increased risk of default (by both government and private issuers); greater social, trade, economic and political instability (including the risk of war or terrorist activity); greater governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation of the securities markets and market participants; greater fluctuations in currency exchange rates; controls or restrictions on foreign investment and/or trade, capital controls and limitation on repatriation of invested capital and on the ability to exchange currencies; inability to purchase and sell investments or otherwise settle security or derivative transactions (i.e., a market freeze); unavailability of currency hedging techniques; and slower clearance. During times of political uncertainty and/or change, global markets often become more volatile. There could also be a lower level of monitoring and regulation of markets while a country is experiencing political uncertainty and/or change, and the activities of investors in such markets and enforcement of existing regulations could become more limited. Markets experiencing political uncertainty and/or change could have substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates typically have effects on such countries’ economies and markets. Tax laws could change materially, and any changes in tax laws could have an effect on us, our investments and our investors. There can be no assurance that political changes will not cause us or our investors to .
Changes to U.S. tariff and import or export regulations may negatively impact our business.
The U.S. has recently enacted and proposed to enact significant new tariffs. Additionally, the new Presidential Administration has
directed various federal agencies to further evaluate key aspects of U.S. trade policy and there has been ongoing discussion and
commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that
any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets,
and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could
depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their
business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact our business.
The Board may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.
The Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act, to modify or waive certain of our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. Under Delaware law, we also cannot be dissolved without prior stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our common stock. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse effect on the price of shares of our common stock.
The Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended (the “DGCL”), contains provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of us or the removal of our directors. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (“Certificate of Incorporation”) and bylaws (“Bylaws”) contain provisions that limit liability and provide for indemnification of our directors and officers. These provisions and others which we may adopt also may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management. We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, the application of which is subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. This section generally prohibits us from engaging in mergers and other business combinations with stockholders that beneficially own 15% or more of our voting stock, either individually or together with their affiliates, unless our directors or stockholders approve the business combination in the prescribed manner. Accordingly, Section 203 of the DGCL may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the of consummating such an offer.
We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation that classify the Board in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation authorizing our Board to classify or reclassify shares of our preferred stock in one or more classes or series and to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock. These provisions, as well as other provisions we have adopted or may adopt in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Our Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought in a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware.
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or the securities, antifraud, unfair trade practices or similar laws of any international, national, state, provincial, territorial, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions and to have irrevocably submitted to, and waived any objection to, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such action or proceeding and consented to process being served in any such action or proceeding, without , by United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on our records, with postage thereon prepaid.
This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our Advisor and Administrator each have the ability to resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
Our Advisor has the right under the Amended Advisory Agreement to resign as our Advisor at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. Similarly, our Administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our Advisor or our Administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator, as applicable, or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, is likely to if we are to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our Advisor, or our Administrator, as applicable. Even if we are to retain a comparable service provider or individuals performing such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration and of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, if our Advisor resigns or is terminated, we would lose the benefits of our relationship with Bain Capital Credit, including the use of Bain Capital Credit’s communication and information systems, insights into our existing portfolio, market expertise, sector and macroeconomic views and due diligence capabilities, as well as any investment opportunities referred to us by Bain Capital Credit, and we would be required to change our name, which may have a material adverse impact on our operations.
We are subject to certain risks as a result of our interests in the membership interests in the 2019-1 Issuer.
Under the terms of the relevant master loan sale agreement, we sold and/or contributed to the 2019-1 Issuer all of our ownership interest in our portfolio loans and participations for the purchase price and other consideration set forth in the master loan sale agreement (including an increase in the value of the “Membership Interests”). We hold 100% of the equity interests in the 2019-1 Issuer. As a result, we expect to consolidate the financial statements of the 2019-1 Issuer, as well as our other controlled subsidiaries, in our Consolidated Financial Statements. However, once contributed to a CLO, the underlying loans and participation interests have been securitized and are no longer our direct investment, and the risk-return profile has been altered. In general, rather than holding interests in the underlying loans and participation interests, we hold membership interests in a CLO issuer (i.e., the 2019-1 Issuer), with the CLO holding the underlying loans. As a result, we are subject both to the risks and benefits associated with the equity interests of the CLO (i.e., the Membership Interests) and the risks and benefits associated with the underlying loans and participation interests held by the 2019-1 Issuer.
We are subject to significant restrictions on our ability to advise the 2019-1 Issuer.
We will manage the assets of the 2019-1 Issuer pursuant to a portfolio management agreement with the 2019-1 Issuer (the “Portfolio Management Agreement”). The indenture governing the 2019-1 Notes (the “2019-1 Indenture”) and the Portfolio Management Agreement place significant restrictions on our ability to advise the 2019-1 Issuer to buy and sell collateral obligations, and we are subject to compliance with the 2019-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement. As a result of the restrictions contained in the 2019-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, the 2019-1 Issuer may be unable to buy or sell collateral obligations or to take other actions that we might consider in the interest of the 2019-1 Issuer and the holders of 2019-1 Notes, and we may be required to make investment decisions on behalf of the 2019-1 Issuer that are different from those made for our other clients. In addition, we may pursue any strategy consistent with the 2019-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, and there can be no assurance that such strategy will not change from time to time in the future. Further, for so long as we manage the assets of the 2019-1 Issuer pursuant to the Portfolio Management Agreement, we will elect to not charge any portfolio management fee to which we may be entitled under the Portfolio Management Agreement.
In our role as portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer, we will be acting solely in the best interests of the 2019-1 Issuer and not in the best interests of the Membership Interests of the 2019-1 Issuer that we hold. As the interests of the holders of the 2019-1 Notes are senior in the 2019-1 Issuer’s capital structure to our Membership Interests, we may incur losses if we are required to dispose of a portion of the portfolio of the 2019-1 Issuer at inopportune times in order to satisfy the outstanding obligations of the holders of the related 2019-1 Notes.
The subordination of the Membership Interests will affect our right to payment.
The Membership Interests are subordinated to the 2019-1 Notes and certain fees and expenses. If any Coverage Test (defined below) is not satisfied as of a determination date, cash flows (if any) and proceeds otherwise payable to the 2019-1 Issuer (which the 2019-1 Issuer could have otherwise distributed with respect to the Membership Interests) will be diverted to the payment of principal on the 2019-1 Notes. If the 2019-1 Issuer has not received confirmation from S&P Global Ratings of its initial ratings of each class of the 2019-1 Notes, or if we fail to hold the required amount of Membership Interests as required by EU risk retention regulations (“Retention Deficiency”), proceeds will be diverted to pay principal on the 2019-1 Notes or to purchase additional collateral obligations (or, in the case of a Retention Deficiency, to the extent necessary to reduce such Retention Deficiency to zero).
Although these tests generally compare the principal balance of the collateral obligations to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the 2019-1 Notes, certain reductions are applied to the principal balance of collateral obligations in connection with certain events, such as defaults or ratings downgrades to “CCC” levels or below, in each case that may increase the likelihood that one or more Overcollateralization Ratio Tests may not be satisfied.
On the scheduled maturity of the 2019-1 Notes or if acceleration of the 2019-1 Notes occurs after an event of default, proceeds available after the payment of certain administrative expenses will be applied to pay both principal of and interest on the 2019-1 Notes until the 2019-1 Notes are paid in full before any further payment will be made on the Membership Interests. As a result, the Membership Interests would not receive any payments until the 2019-1 Notes are paid in full.
In addition, if an event of default occurs and is continuing, the holders of the 2019-1 Notes will be entitled to determine the remedies to be exercised under the 2019-1 Indenture. Remedies pursued by the holders of the 2019-1 Notes could be adverse to our interests as the holder of the Membership Interests, and the holders of the 2019-1 Notes will have no obligation to consider any possible adverse effect on such other interests. See “— The holders of certain 2019-1 Notes will control many rights under the 2019-1 Indenture and therefore, we will have limited rights in connection with an event of default or distributions thereunder .”
The holders of certain 2019-1 Notes will control many rights under the 2019-1 Indenture and therefore, we will have limited rights in connection with an event of default or distributions thereunder.
Under the 2019-1 Indenture, many of our rights as the holder of the Membership Interests will be controlled by the holders of certain of the 2019-1 Notes. Remedies pursued by such holders upon an event of default could be adverse to our interests. If the 2019-1 Notes are accelerated following an event of default, proceeds of any realization on the assets will be allocated to the 2019-1 Notes (in order of seniority) and certain other amounts owing by the 2019-1 Issuer will be paid in full before any allocation to us as the holder of the Membership Interests. Although we as the holder of the Membership Interests will have the right, subject to the conditions set forth in the 2019-1 Indenture, to purchase the assets in a sale by the trustee, if an event of default (or otherwise, an acceleration of the 2019-1 Notes following an event of default) has occurred and is continuing, we will not have any creditors’ rights against the 2019-1 Issuer and will not have the right to determine the remedies to be exercised under the 2019-1 Indenture. There is no guarantee that any funds will remain to make distributions to us as the holder of the Membership Interests following any liquidation of the assets and the application of the proceeds from the assets to pay the 2019-1 Notes and the fees, expenses, and other liabilities payable by the 2019-1 Issuer. The ability of the holders of the 2019-1 Notes to direct the sale and of the assets is subject to certain . As set forth in the 2019-1 Indenture, notwithstanding any acceleration, if an event of occurs and is continuing and the trustee has not commenced remedies under the 2019-1 Indenture, we as the portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer may continue to direct dispositions and purchases of collateral obligations to the extent permitted under the 2019-1 Indenture.
If an event of default has occurred and is continuing (unless the trustee has commenced remedies pursuant to the 2019-1 Indenture), then (x) we as the portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer may continue to direct sales and other dispositions, and purchases, of collateral obligations in accordance with and to the extent permitted pursuant to the 2019-1 Indenture and (y) the trustee will retain the assets securing the 2019-1 Notes intact, collect and cause the collection of the proceeds thereof and make and apply all payments and deposits and maintain all accounts in respect of the assets and the 2019-1 Notes in accordance with the 2019-1 Indenture, unless: (i) the trustee, pursuant to the 2019-1 Indenture and in consultation with us as the portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer, determines that the anticipated proceeds of a sale or liquidation of the assets (after deducting the anticipated reasonable expenses of such sale or liquidation) would be sufficient to discharge in full the amounts then due (or, in the case of interest, accrued) and unpaid on the 2019-1 Notes for principal and interest (including accrued and unpaid deferred interest), and all other amounts payable pursuant to the priority of distributions prior to payment of principal on such 2019-1 Notes (including amounts due and owing, and amounts anticipated to be due and owing, as administrative expenses (without regard to any applicable on such expenses)), and we as the portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer and the holders of at least 66 2 ∕ 3 % (a “Supermajority”) of the most senior outstanding class of the 2019-1 Notes agree with such determination; (ii) in the case of certain events of , a Supermajority of the most senior outstanding class of the 2019-1 Notes directs the sale and of the assets; or (iii) a Supermajority of each class of the 2019-1 Notes (voting separately by class) directs the sale and of the assets.
The 2019-1 Indenture requires mandatory redemption of the 2019-1 Notes for failure to satisfy applicable Coverage Tests.
Under the documents governing the 2019-1 CLO Transaction, there are two coverage tests (the “Coverage Tests”) applicable to the 2019-1 Notes.
The first such test (the “Interest Coverage Test”) compares the amount of interest proceeds received on the portfolio loans held by the 2019-1 Issuer to the amount of interest due and payable on the 2019-1 Notes. To meet this first test, for each class of the 2019-1 Notes in the 2019-1 CLO Transaction, interest received on the portfolio loans must be equal to or greater than a certain threshold percentage with respect to each such class.
The second such test (the “Overcollateralization Ratio Test”) compares the adjusted collateral principal amount of the portfolio of collateral obligations of the 2019-1 CLO Transaction to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the 2019-1 Notes. To meet this second test at any time, for each class of the 2019-1 Notes, the adjusted collateral principal amount of such collateral obligations must satisfy a certain threshold percentage amount of the outstanding principal amount of the applicable class of the 2019-1 Notes.
If a Coverage Test is not met on any determination date on which such Coverage Test is applicable, the 2019-1 Issuer will apply available amounts to redeem the 2019-1 Notes in an amount necessary to cause such Coverage Test to be satisfied. This could result in an elimination, deferral or reduction in the payments of distributions to the 2019-1 Issuer (and as such, to us as the holder of the Membership Interests and indirect beneficiary of any such payments to the 2019-1 Issuer).
We may resign or be removed or terminated as portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer.
We may resign or be removed or terminated as portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer in a number of circumstances, including the breach of certain terms of the 2019-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement. In addition, because a new portfolio manager may not be able to manage the 2019-1 Issuer according to the standards of the 2019-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, any transfer of the portfolio management functions to another entity could result in reduced or delayed collections, delays in processing loan transfers and information regarding the loans and a failure to meet all of the applicable procedures required by the Portfolio Management Agreement. Consequently, the termination or removal of us as portfolio manager of the 2019-1 Issuer could have material and adverse effects on our performance.
Risks Relating to the 1940 Act
We and our Advisor are subject to regulations and SEC oversight. If we or they fail to comply with applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations.
As a BDC, we are subject to a portion of the 1940 Act. In addition, we have elected to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC in accordance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. The 1940 Act and the Code impose various restrictions on the management of a BDC, including related to portfolio construction, asset selection, and tax. These restrictions may reduce the chances that the BDC will achieve results similar to those of other vehicles managed by Bain Capital Credit and/or our Advisor.
However, if we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility.
In addition to these and other requirements applicable to us, our Advisor is subject to regulatory oversight by the SEC. To the extent the SEC raises concerns or has negative findings concerning the manner in which we or our Advisor operate, it could adversely affect our business.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, the SEC. We consider our Advisor and its affiliates, including Bain Capital Credit, to be our affiliates for such purposes. In addition, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate without the prior approval of our Independent Directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC.
We may, however, invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations or exemptive orders. For example, we may invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor, acting on our behalf and on behalf of such Bain Capital Credit Clients, negotiates no term other than price. We may also invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients as otherwise permissible under regulatory guidance, applicable regulations or exemptive orders and Bain Capital Credit’s allocation policy. If we are prohibited by applicable law from investing alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients with respect to an investment opportunity, we may not be able to participate in such investment opportunity. In instances when investments are recommended for us and/or other participating Bain Capital Credit Clients, allocations among us and other Bain Capital Credit Clients, subject to applicable law and regulation, will be done in
accordance with our Advisor’s trade allocation practice. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us.
In situations where co-investment with other Bain Capital Credit Clients is not permitted or appropriate, subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph, Bain Capital Credit will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. These restrictions will limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.
We invest alongside our affiliates, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. Certain types
of negotiated co-investments will be made only in accordance with the terms of the exemptive order applicable to the Company received
from the SEC on December 23, 2025 (the “Order”). Under the terms of the Order, a majority of our Independent Directors must reach
certain conclusions in connection with certain co-investment transactions (e.g., in the case of follow-on investments in an existing issuer in
which affiliates, but not the Company, have an existing investment, and non-pro rata follow-on investments in, and dispositions of,
securities of an existing issuer), including that (i) the terms of the proposed transaction are reasonable and fair to the Company and its
shareholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of the Company or its shareholders on the part of any person concerned, and (ii)
the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Company’s shareholders and is consistent with the Company’s then-current investment objectives and strategies. In certain situations where co-investment with one or more funds managed by the Advisor or its affiliates is not covered by the Order, the personnel of the Advisor or its affiliates will need to decide which funds will proceed with the investment. Such personnel will make these determinations based on policies and procedures, which are designed to reasonably ensure that investment opportunities are allocated fairly and equitably among affiliated funds over time and in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Our ability to sell or otherwise exit investments also invested in by other Bain Capital Credit investment vehicles is restricted.
We may be considered affiliates with respect to certain of our portfolio companies because our affiliates, which may include other Bain Capital Credit Funds, also hold interests in these portfolio companies and as such these interests may be considered a joint enterprise under the 1940 Act. To the extent that our interests in these portfolio companies may need to be restructured in the future or to the extent that we choose to exit certain of these transactions, our ability to do so will be limited.
If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.
As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Subject to certain exceptions for follow-on investments and investments in distressed companies, an investment in an issuer that has outstanding securities listed on a national securities exchange may be treated as qualifying assets only if such issuer has a common equity market capitalization that is less than $250.0 million at the time of such investment.
We may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent us, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. We may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial . Any such outcomes could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.
We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals 150%, provided if certain disclosure and approval requirements are met, of our gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous to us in order to repay a portion of our indebtedness.
Furthermore, equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions we are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price per share below NAV. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to
acquire shares of our common stock, at a price below the current NAV of shares of our common stock if the Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders, including a majority of those stockholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount).
Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.
Private funds that are excluded from the definition of “investment company” either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting stock (measured at the time of the acquisition). Investment companies registered under the 1940 Act and BDCs, such as us, are also subject to this restriction as well as other limitations under the 1940 Act that would restrict the amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors will be limited in their ability to make significant investments in us at a time that they might desire to do so.
Risks Relating to Our Investments
Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interest rates may make it more difficult for portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans.
Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the portfolio companies to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that our portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may need to restructure the capitalization of some portfolio companies, which could result in reduced interest payments or permanent impairments on our investments. Any such decrease in our net investment income would increase the percentage of our cash flows dedicated to debt service and distribution payments to stockholders. If these amounts become unsustainable, we may be required to reduce the amount of our distributions to stockholders.
Our debt investments may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investments.
Debt portfolios are subject to credit and interest rate risk. “Credit risk” refers to the likelihood that an issuer will default in the payment of principal and/or interest on an instrument. Financial strength and solvency of an issuer are the primary factors influencing credit risk. In addition, subordination, lack or inadequacy of collateral or credit enhancement for a debt instrument may affect its credit risk. Credit risk may change over the life of an instrument, and securities which are rated by rating agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade. “Interest rate risk” refers to the risks associated with market changes in interest rates, including the sensitivity of our current and future earnings to interest rate volatility, variability of spread relationships, the difference in re-pricing intervals between our assets and liabilities and the effect that interest rates may have on our cash flows. Factors that may affect market interest rates include, without limitation, inflation, slow or economic growth or , , money supply and the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board and central banks throughout the world, international disorders and in domestic and foreign financial markets. Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest
income earned on interest-earning assets and our interest expense incurred in connection with our interest-bearing debt and liabilities.
Changes in interest rates can also affect, among other things, our ability to acquire and originate loans and securities and the value of our
investment portfolio. Our net investment income is affected by fluctuations in various interest rates, including EURIBOR, BBSY, CORRA, SOFR, SONIA, NIBOR and BKBM.
While the Federal Reserve raised interest rates throughout 2022 and 2023, as inflation pressures have eased in recent periods, the Federal Reserve has relaxed its monetary policies and cut the interest rates to support the broader economy. In 2024 and 2025, the U.S.
Federal Reserve announced several benchmark rate cuts. These developments, along with domestic and international debt and credit concerns, could cause interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. A prolonged reduction in interest rates could reduce our gross investment income and could result in a decrease in our net investment
income if such decreases in interest rates are not offset by a corresponding increase in the interest rates that we earn on any portfolio
investments, a decrease in our operating expenses, including with respect to our income incentive fee, or a decrease in the interest rate of
our floating interest rate liabilities tied to SOFR or other interest rate benchmark. Interest rate changes may also affect the value of a debt instrument indirectly (especially in the case of fixed rate securities) and directly (especially in the case of instruments whose rates are adjustable). In general, rising interest rates will negatively impact the price of a fixed rate debt instrument and falling interest rates will have
a positive effect on price. Adjustable rate instruments may also react to interest rate changes in a similar manner although generally to a lesser degree (depending, however, on the characteristics of the reset terms, including, among other factors, the index chosen, frequency of reset and reset caps or floors). Interest rate sensitivity is generally more pronounced and less predictable in instruments with uncertain payment or prepayment schedules. We expect that we will periodically experience imbalances in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities and the relationships of various interest rates to each other. In a changing interest rate environment, we may not be able to manage this risk effectively, which in turn could adversely affect our performance.
We may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies.
Portfolio companies may face intense competition, including competition from companies with greater financial resources, more extensive development, manufacturing, marketing and other capabilities, or a larger number of qualified managerial and technical personnel. As a result, portfolio companies which our Advisor expects to be stable may operate at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or to maintain their competitive position or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.
Portfolio companies may issue certain types of debt, such as senior loans, mezzanine or high yield in connection with leveraged acquisitions or recapitalizations in which the portfolio company incurs a substantially higher amount of indebtedness than the level at which it had previously operated. Leverage may have important consequences to these portfolio companies and us as an investor. For example, the substantial indebtedness of a portfolio company could (i) limit its ability to borrow money for its working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, strategic initiatives or other purposes, (ii) require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to the repayment of its indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available to it for other purposes, (iii) make it more highly leveraged than some of its competitors, which may place it at a competitive disadvantage, and (iv) subject it to restrictive financial and operating covenants, which may preclude it from favorable business activities or the financing of future operations or other capital needs. As a result, the ability of these leveraged companies to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited.
A leveraged portfolio company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used. In addition, a portfolio company with a leveraged capital structure will be subject to increased exposure to adverse economic factors, such as a significant rise in interest rates, a severe downturn in the economy or deterioration in the condition of that portfolio company or its industry. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that we may have obtained in connection with our investment. If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet all of its obligations, it may take alternative measures (e.g., reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital, or seek to , extend or refinance indebtedness). These actions may affect our investment in such a portfolio company. Accordingly, leveraged companies may enter into proceedings at higher rates than companies that are not leveraged.
We invest in middle market companies, which involve higher risks than investments in larger companies.
We invest, and expect to invest in middle market companies, which companies often involve higher risks because they lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strength of larger corporations, all of which may contribute to illiquidity, and may, in turn, adversely affect the price and timing of liquidation of our investments.
Middle market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on one or more of the portfolio companies we invest in and, in turn, on us. Middle market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, our executive officers, directors and our Advisor may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in portfolio companies.
In addition, investment in middle market companies involves a number of other significant risks, including:
they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;
they generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position;
changes in laws and regulations, as well as their interpretations, may adversely affect their business, financial structure or prospects; and
they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
The lack of an established, liquid secondary market for a large portion of our investments may have an adverse effect on the market value of our investments and on our ability to dispose of them. Additionally, our investments may be subject to certain transfer restrictions that may also contribute to illiquidity. Further, our assets that are typically traded in a liquid market may become illiquid if the applicable trading market tightens. Therefore, no assurance can be given that we can dispose of a particular investment at its prevailing fair value.
A portion of our investments may consist of securities that are subject to restrictions on resale by us because they were acquired in a “private placement” or similar transaction or because we are deemed to be an affiliate of the issuer of such securities. We will be able to sell such securities only under applicable securities laws, which may permit only limited sales under specified conditions or subject us to additional potential liability.
Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing our NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation.
As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor as the Valuation Designee as described above in “— The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. ”
When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). As a result, volatility in the capital markets can also adversely affect our investment valuations. We record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our investments in secured loans may nonetheless expose us to losses from default and foreclosure.
While we may invest in secured loans, we may nonetheless be exposed to losses resulting from default and foreclosure. Therefore, the value of the underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of the borrower and the priority of the lien are each of great importance. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors, such as trade creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt investment. We cannot guarantee the adequacy of the protection of our interests, including the validity or enforceability of the loan and the maintenance of the anticipated priority and perfection of the applicable security interests. There is a risk that the collateral securing our debt investment may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. Furthermore, we cannot that may not be asserted that might with enforcement of our rights. In addition, in the event of any under a secured loan held directly by us, we will bear a risk of of principal to the extent of any between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the secured loan, which could have a material effect on our cash flow from operations.
In the event of a foreclosure, we may assume direct ownership of the underlying asset. The liquidation proceeds upon sale of such asset may not satisfy the entire outstanding balance of principal and interest on the loan, resulting in a loss to us. Any costs or delays involved in the effectuation of a foreclosure of the loan or a liquidation of the underlying property will further reduce the proceeds and thus increase the loss.
These risks are magnified for stretch senior loans. Stretch senior loans are senior loans that have a greater loan-to-value ratio than traditional senior loans and typically carry a higher interest rate to compensate for the additional risk. Because stretch senior loans have a greater loan-to-value ratio, there is potentially less over-collateralization available to cover the entire principal of the stretch senior loan.
Our investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities are subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company and are subject to greater risk.
The mezzanine debt and other junior securities in which we may invest are typically contractually or structurally subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company, or effectively subordinated as a result of being unsecured debt and therefore subject to the prior repayment of secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets pledged as security. In some cases, the subordinated debt held by us may be subject to the prior repayment of different classes of senior debt that may be in priority ahead of the debt held by us. In the event of financial difficulty on the part of a portfolio company, such class or classes of senior indebtedness ranking prior to the debt held by us, and interest thereon and related expenses, must first be repaid in full before any recovery may be had on our mezzanine or other subordinated investments. Subordinated investments are characterized by greater credit risks than those associated with the senior or senior secured obligations of the same issuer. In addition, under certain circumstances the holders of the senior indebtedness will have the right to block the payment of interest and principal on our mezzanine debt and other junior securities and to prevent us from pursuing its remedies on account of such non-payment against the issuer. Further, in the event of any debt restructuring or workout of the indebtedness of any issuer, the holders of the senior indebtedness will likely control the creditor side of such negotiations.
Many issuers of mezzanine debt and other junior securities are highly leveraged, and their relatively high debt-to-equity ratios create increased risks that their operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations. In addition, many issuers of mezzanine debt and other junior securities may be in poor financial condition, experiencing poor operating results, having substantial capital needs or negative net worth or be facing special competitive or product obsolescence problems, and may include companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganizations or liquidation proceedings. Adverse changes in the financial condition of an issuer, general economic conditions, or both, may impair the ability of such issuer to make payments on the subordinated securities and result in defaults on such securities more quickly than in the case of the senior obligations of such issuer. Mezzanine debt and other junior securities may not be publicly traded, and therefore it may be to obtain information as to the true condition of the issuer. Finally, the market values of certain of mezzanine debt and other junior securities may reflect individual corporate developments.
Investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities may also be in the form of zero-coupon or deferred interest bonds, which are bonds which are issued at a significant discount from face value. The original discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds will accrue and compound over the period until maturity or the first interest accrual date at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. While zero-coupon bonds do not require the periodic payment of interest, deferred interest bonds generally provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. These investments typically experience greater volatility in market value due to changes in the interest rates than bonds that provide for regular payments of interest. We may make subordinated investments that rank below other obligations of the obligor in right of payment. Subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions. If we make a subordinated investment in a portfolio company, the portfolio company may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations.
Our prospective portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce our yields if capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.
The terms of loans acquired or originated by us may be subject to early prepayment options or similar provisions which, in each case, could result in us realizing repayments of such loans earlier than expected, sometimes with no or a nominal prepayment premium. This may happen when there is a decline in interest rates, when the portfolio company’s improved credit or operating or financial performance allows the refinancing of certain classes of debt with lower cost debt or when the general credit market conditions improve. Prepayments could also negatively impact our ability to pay, or the amount of, distributions on our common stock, which could result in a decline in the market price of our shares. Further, in the case of some of these loans, having the loan paid early may have the effect of reducing our actual investment income below our expected investment income if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater yields. Our inability to reinvest such proceeds may materially affect our overall performance.
We are generally unable to predict the rate and frequency of such prepayments. Whether a loan is prepaid will depend both on the continued positive performance of the portfolio company and the existence of favorable financing market conditions that allow such portfolio company the ability to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. In periods of rising interest rates, the risk of prepayment of floating rate loans may increase if other financing sources are available. As market conditions change frequently, we will often be unable to predict when, and if, this may be possible for each of our portfolio companies.
Our loans may have limited amortization requirements.
We may invest in debt that has limited mandatory amortization and interim repayment requirements. A low level of amortization of any debt, over the life of the investment, may increase the risk that a portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the debt held by us when it comes due at its final stated maturity.
We may invest in high yield debt, or junk bonds, which has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated debt obligations.
We may invest in high yield debt, a substantial portion of which may be rated below investment-grade by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations or is unrated but of comparable credit quality to obligations rated below investment-grade, and has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated debt obligations. High yield debt is generally unsecured and may be subordinate to other obligations of the obligor. The lower rating of high yield debt reflects a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions (including, for example, a substantial period of rising interest rates or declining earnings) or both may impair the ability of the obligor to make payment of principal and interest. Many issuers of high yield debt are highly leveraged, and their relatively high debt-to-equity ratios create increased risks that their operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations. In addition, many issuers of high yield debt may be in poor financial condition, experiencing poor operating results, having substantial capital needs or negative net worth or be facing special competitive or product , and may include companies involved in or other reorganizations or proceedings. High yield debt generally experiences rates than is the case for investment-grade securities. Certain of these securities may not be publicly traded, and therefore it may be to obtain information as to the true condition of the issuer. Overall in the below investment-grade bond and other markets may affect such issuers by inhibiting their ability to refinance their debt at maturity. High yield debt is often less liquid than higher rated securities, and the market for high yield debt has recently experienced periods of . The market values of certain of this high yield debt may reflect individual corporate developments.
For a description of zero-coupon or deferred interest bonds, see “— Our investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities are subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company and are subject to greater risk. ”
We may invest in equity securities, which generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.
We may in certain limited circumstances invest in equity securities, including equity securities issued by entities with unrated or below investment-grade debt. As with other investments that we may make, the value of equity securities held by us may be adversely affected by actual or perceived negative events relating to the issuer of such securities, the industry or geographic areas in which such issuer operates or the financial markets generally. However, equity securities may be even more susceptible to such events given their subordinate position in the issuer’s capital structure. As such, equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities, and the market price of equity securities owned by us is more susceptible to moving up or down in a rapid or unpredictable manner. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment will depend on our portfolio company’s . Accordingly, we may not be to realize from our equity interests, and any that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other we experience.
Even if the portfolio company is successful, our ability to realize the value of our investment may be dependent on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or we can otherwise sell our investment. In addition, the equity securities we receive or invest in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them.
There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:
preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If we own a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, we may be required to report income for tax purposes before we receive such distributions;
preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt;
preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and
generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions.
The prices of the financial instruments in which we invest may be highly volatile.
Price movements of instruments in which our assets may be invested are influenced by, among other things, interest rates, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies of governments and national and international political and economic events and policies. In addition, governments, from time to time, intervene, directly and by regulation, in certain markets, particularly those in currencies and financial instrument options. Such intervention is intended to influence prices directly
and may, together with other factors, cause all of such markets to move rapidly in the same direction because of, among other things, interest rate fluctuations.
Our investment in entire portfolios may not be as successful as acquiring the assets individually.
We may invest in entire portfolios of assets sold by hedge funds, other BDCs, regional commercial banks, specialty finance companies and other types of financial firms. The performance of individual assets in such a portfolio will vary, and the return on our investment in an entire portfolio may not exceed the returns we would have received had we purchased some, but not all, of the assets contained in such portfolio.
Investments in financially troubled companies involve significantly greater risk than investments in non-troubled companies.
We may invest in the obligations of companies that are financially troubled and that are either engaged in a reorganization or expect to file for bankruptcy. Although the terms of such financing may result in significantly greater returns to us, investments in financially troubled companies also involve significantly greater risk than investments in non-troubled companies, and the repayment of obligations of financially troubled companies is subject to significant uncertainties. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that we will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing our loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. We may make investments that become distressed due to factors outside the control of our Advisor. There is also no assurance that there will be sufficient collateral to cover the value of the loans and/or other investments purchased by us or that there will be a reorganization or similar action of the company or investment which becomes . In any reorganization or proceeding relating to a company in which we invest, we may all or part of our investment, may be required to accept collateral, cash or securities with a value less than our original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. Additionally, we may invest in the securities of financially companies that are non-U.S. issuers. Such non-U.S. issuers may be subject to and reorganization processes and proceedings that are not comparable to those in the United States and that may be less to the rights of lenders.
Investments in “event-driven” special situations may not fully insulate us from risks inherent in our planned activities.
Our strategies, from time to time, involve investments in “event-driven” special situations such as recapitalizations, spinoffs, corporate and financial restructurings, litigation or other catalyst-orientated situations. Investments in such securities are often difficult to analyze, and we could be incorrect in our assessment of the downside risk associated with an investment, thus resulting in a significant loss. Although we intend to utilize appropriate risk management strategies, such strategies cannot fully insulate us from the risks inherent in our planned activities. Moreover, in certain situations, we may be unable to, or may choose not to, implement risk management strategies because of the costs involved or other relevant circumstances.
We may be subject to lender liability and equitable subordination.
In recent years, a number of judicial decisions in the United States have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories (collectively termed “lender liability”). Generally, lender liability is founded upon the premise that an institutional lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. Because of the nature of certain of our investments, we could be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lending institution (i) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, (ii) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors, (iii) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (iv) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of the other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lending institution to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called “equitable subordination.” Because of the nature of certain of our investments, we could be subject to claims from creditors of an obligor that our investments issued by such obligor should be equitably subordinated. A significant number of our investments will involve investments in which we will not be the lead creditor. It is, accordingly, possible that lender liability or equitable subordination affecting our investments could arise without our direct involvement.
If we purchase debt securities of an affiliate of a portfolio company in the secondary market at a discount, (i) a court might require us to disgorge profit it realizes if the opportunity to purchase such securities at a discount should have been made available to the issuer of such securities or (ii) we might be prevented from enforcing such securities at their full face value if the issuer of such securities becomes bankrupt.
Participation on creditors’ committees may expose our Advisor to liability.
Our Advisor may participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate the management of financially troubled companies that may or may not be in bankruptcy or our Advisor may seek to negotiate directly with the debtors with respect to restructuring issues. If our Advisor does join a creditors’ committee, the participants of the committee would be interested in obtaining an outcome that is in their respective individual best interests and there can be no assurance of obtaining results most favorable to us in such proceedings. By participating on such committees, our Advisor may be deemed to have duties to other creditors represented by the committees, which might expose our Advisor to liability to such other creditors who disagree with our Advisor’s actions.
While our Advisor intends to comply with all applicable securities laws and to make judgments concerning restrictions on trading in good faith, our Advisor may trade in a portfolio company’s securities while engaged in the portfolio company’s restructuring activities. Such trading creates a risk of litigation and liability that may cause our Advisor and/or us to incur significant legal fees and potential losses.
We cannot assure the accuracy of projections and forecasts used by our Advisor.
Our Advisor may rely upon projections, forecasts or estimates developed by us or a portfolio company in which we are invested concerning the portfolio company’s future performance and cash flow. Projections, forecasts and estimates are forward-looking statements and are based upon certain assumptions. Actual events are difficult to predict and beyond our control. Actual events may differ from those assumed. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include changes in interest rates, domestic and foreign business, market, financial or legal conditions, differences in the actual allocation of our investments among asset groups from that described herein, the degree to which our investments are hedged and the effectiveness of such hedges, among others. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that estimated returns or projections can be realized or that actual returns or results will not be materially lower than those estimated therein.
We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer or industry.
We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. Beyond the Diversification Tests (as defined above in “ Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Election to be Taxed as a RIC ”) associated with our qualification as a RIC under the Code, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification. As such, our assets may not be diversified. Any such non-diversification would increase the risk of loss to us if there was a decline in the market value of any loan in which we had invested a large percentage of its assets. If a large portion of our assets is held in cash or similarly liquid form, our performance might be adversely affected. Investment in a non-diversified fund will generally entail greater risks than investment in a “diversified” fund. We may have a more concentrated or less broad and varied portfolio than a “diversified” fund. A more concentrated portfolio can cause a portfolio such as ours to have higher volatility. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant if any of these companies on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a in a particular industry.
Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
Following our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may decide to provide additional funds to such portfolio company, seeking to:
increase or maintain in whole or in part our position as a creditor or equity ownership percentage in a portfolio company;
exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or
preserve or enhance the value of our investment.
There is no assurance that we will make follow-on investments or that we will have sufficient funds to make all or any of such investments. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our level of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements of the 1940 Act or the desire to maintain our qualification as a RIC. Our ability to make follow-on investments may also be limited by Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor’s allocation policy or our ability to comply with our exemptive relief. Any decision by us not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make such investments may have a substantial adverse effect on a portfolio company in need of such an investment. Additionally, a failure to make such investments may result in a lost opportunity for us to increase its
participation in a successful portfolio company or the dilution of our ownership in a portfolio company if a third party invests in the portfolio company.
Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies, and such portfolio companies may not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations to us.
The characterization of certain of our investments as senior debt or senior secured debt does not mean that such debt will necessarily be repaid in priority to all other obligations of the businesses in which we invest. Furthermore, debt and other liabilities incurred by non-guarantor subsidiaries of the borrowers of senior secured loans made by us may be structurally senior to the debt held by us. In the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, the debt and other liabilities of such subsidiaries could be repaid in full before any distribution can be made to an obligor of the senior secured loans held by us. Further, portfolio companies will typically incur trade credit and other liabilities or indebtedness, which by their terms may provide that their holders are entitled to receive principal payments on or before the dates payments are due in respect of the senior secured loans held by us.
Where we hold a first lien to secure senior indebtedness, the portfolio companies may be permitted to issue other senior loans with liens that rank junior to the first liens granted to us. The intercreditor rights of the holders of such other junior lien debt may, in any liquidation, reorganization, insolvency, dissolution or bankruptcy of such a portfolio company, affect the recovery that we would have been able to achieve in the absence of such other debt.
Additionally, certain loans that we may make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.
Even where the senior loans held by us are secured by a perfected lien over a substantial portion of the assets of a portfolio company and its subsidiaries, the portfolio company and its subsidiaries will often be able to incur a substantial amount of additional indebtedness, which may have an exclusive lien over particular assets. For example, debt and other liabilities incurred by non-guarantor subsidiaries of portfolio companies will be structurally senior to the debt held by us. Accordingly, any such debt and other liabilities of such subsidiaries would, in the event of liquidation, dissolution, insolvency, reorganization or bankruptcy of such subsidiary, be repaid in full before any distributions to an obligor of the loans held by us. Furthermore, these other assets over which other lenders have a lien may be substantially more liquid or valuable than the assets over which we have a lien.
The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens:
the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral;
the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings;
the approval of amendments to collateral documents;
releases of liens on the collateral; and
waivers of past defaults under collateral documents.
We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.
The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.
We may, from time to time, incur contingent liabilities in connection with an investment. For example, we may acquire a revolving credit or delayed draw term facility that has not yet been fully drawn or may originate or make a secondary purchase of a revolving credit facility. If the borrower subsequently draws down on the facility, we will be obligated to fund the amounts due. In connection with the disposition of an investment in loans and private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to potential liabilities. We may incur numerous other types of contingent liabilities. There can be no assurance that we will adequately reserve for its contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on us.
We may be subject to risks under hedging transactions and may become subject to risk if we invest in non-U.S. securities.
Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act. Investing in loans and securities of non-U.S. issuers involves additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, nationalization and expropriation, imposition of tariffs and foreign taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and non-U.S. issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle-market companies in these economies. The Company may have limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring enforcement actions in emerging markets may be limited. Further, our investments that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the U.S. dollar. The rates of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies are affected by many factors, including forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets. These rates are also affected by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors. We are not obligated to engage in any currency hedging operations, and there can be no assurance as to the of any hedging operations that we may implement. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot you that such strategies will be or without risk to us. The values and relative yields of investments in the securities markets of different countries, and their associated risks, are expected to change independently of each other. We are authorized to use various investment strategies to hedge interest rate or currency exchange risks. These strategies are generally accepted as portfolio management techniques and are regularly used by many investment funds and other institutional investors. Techniques and instruments may change over time as new instruments and strategies are developed or regulatory changes occur. We may use any or all such types of interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions at any time and no particular strategy will dictate the use of one transaction rather than another. The choice of any particular interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions will be a function of numerous variables, including market conditions. Our investments or liabilities may be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and hence the value of such investments, or the amount of such liabilities, will depend in part on the relative of the U.S. dollar. We may be affected or by exchange control regulations or changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect the value of distributions and interest earned as well as the level of gains and losses realized on the sale of securities. Although we intend to engage in any interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions only for hedging purposes and not for speculation, use of interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions involves certain inherent risks. These risks include (i) the possibility that the market will move in a manner or direction that would have resulted in gain for us had an interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction not been utilized, in which case it would have been better had we not engaged in the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction, (ii) the risk of imperfect correlation between the risk sought to be hedged and the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction utilized, (iii) potential illiquidity for the hedging instrument utilized, which may make it difficult for us to close-out or unwind an interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction and (iv) credit risk with respect to the counterparty to the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction. In addition, it might not be possible for us to hedge fully or currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those loans and securities would likely fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.
Our investments in OID and PIK interest income may expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash.
Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. Because PIK interest results in an increase in the size of the loan balance
of the underlying loan, the receipt by us of PIK interest will have the effect of increasing our assets under management. As a result,
because the Base Management Fee that we pay to the Advisor is based on the value of our gross assets, the receipt by us of PIK interest
will result in an increase in the amount of the Base Management Fee payable by us. To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
OID instruments and PIK securities may have unreliable valuations because the accretion of OID as interest income and the continuing accruals of PIK securities require judgments about their collectability and the collectability of deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;
OID income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash dividends;
OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower;
for accounting purposes, cash distributions to stockholders that include a component of accreted OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of accreted OID income may come from the cash invested by the stockholders, the 1940 Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact;
generally, we need to recognize income for income tax purposes no later than when we recognize such income for accounting purposes;
the higher interest rates on PIK securities reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and PIK securities generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans;
market prices of zero-coupon or PIK securities are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes and may be more
volatile than securities that pay interest periodically and in cash, and PIK securities are usually less volatile than zero-coupon
bonds, but more volatile than cash pay securities;
the presence of accreted OID income and PIK interest income create the risk of non-refundable cash payments to our Advisor in the form of incentive fees on income based on non-cash accreted OID income and PIK interest income accruals that may never be realized;
even if accounting conditions are met, borrowers on such securities could still default when our actual collection is expected to occur at the maturity of the obligation;
OID and PIK create the risk that incentive fees will be paid to our Advisor based on non-cash accruals that ultimately may not be realized, while our Advisor will be under no obligation to reimburse us for these fees; and
PIK interest has the effect of generating investment income and increasing the incentive fees payable at a compounding rate. In addition, the deferral of PIK interest also reduces the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate.
We are subject to risks associated with investing alongside other third parties.
We may invest in joint ventures alongside third parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities in the future. Such investments may involve risks not present in investments where a third party is not involved, including the possibility that such third party may at any time have economic or business interests or goals which are inconsistent with ours, or may be in a position to take action contrary to our investment objectives. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for actions of such third party.
More specifically, joint ventures involve a third party that has approval rights over activity of the joint venture. The third party may take actions that are inconsistent with our interests. For example, the third party may decline to approve an investment for the joint venture that we otherwise want the joint venture to make. A joint venture may also use investment leverage which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. Generally, the amount of borrowing by the joint venture is not included when calculating our total borrowing and related leverage ratios and is not subject to asset coverage requirements imposed by the 1940 Act. If the activities of the joint venture were required to be consolidated with our activities because of a change in GAAP rules or SEC staff interpretations, it is likely that we would have to reorganize any such joint venture.
We may be subject to risks related to investments in companies in the software industry.
The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and
product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new
market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the
potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or
technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in this
industry, and profitability can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or failing to obtain) patent approvals,
the cost of litigating patent infringement and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases pricing pressures and
can materially reduce profitability with respect to such products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Federal Income Tax and Other Tax Risks
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.
In order to qualify and be eligible for taxation as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we distribute dividends in respect of each taxable year of an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid, to our stockholders. We will be subject, to the extent we use debt financing, to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to enable us to be eligible for taxation as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to be eligible for taxation as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax. To qualify and be eligible for taxation as a RIC, we must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. These tests may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our qualifications as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private or thinly traded public companies, any such dispositions could be made at prices and may result in substantial . If we to qualify to be eligible for taxation as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distributions to our stockholders and the amount of funds available for new investments. Such a would have a material effect on us and our stockholders. See “ Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Election to be Taxed as a RIC. ”
Stockholders may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they receive.
Under the DRIP, if a stockholder owns shares of our common stock, the stockholder will have all cash distributions (net of applicable withholding tax) automatically reinvested in additional shares of that stockholder’s common stock unless such stockholder, or his, her or its nominee on such stockholder’s behalf, specifically “opts out” of the DRIP by delivering a written notice to the plan administrator prior to the record date of the next distribution. If a stockholder does not “opt out” of the DRIP, that stockholder will be deemed to have received, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital. As a result, a stockholder may have to use funds from other sources to pay U.S. federal income tax liability on the value of the common stock received. Even if a stockholder chooses to “opt out” of the DRIP, we will have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in shares of our common stock instead of in cash in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement (as defined above “ Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Election to be Taxed as a RIC ”). As long as a portion of this dividend is paid in cash and certain requirements are met, the entire distribution will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a stockholder generally will be subject to tax on 100% of the fair market value of the dividend on the date the dividend is received by the stockholder in the same manner as a cash dividend, even though most of the dividend was paid in shares of common stock.
We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as amounts accrued as OID. OID may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan and in other circumstances, or through contracted PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities, or increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income regardless of whether we concurrently receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash concurrently with such inclusion.
Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement in a given taxable year to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid, as distributions to our stockholders in order to maintain our ability to be eligible for treatment as a RIC. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain such cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify to be eligible for treatment as a RIC and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax.
We may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on distributions for non-U.S. stockholders.
Distributions by a BDC generally are treated as dividends for U.S. tax purposes, and will be subject to U.S. income or withholding tax unless the stockholder receiving the distribution qualifies for an exemption from U.S. tax, or the distribution is subject to one of the special look-through rules described below. Distributions paid out of net capital gains can qualify for a reduced rate of taxation in the hands of an individual U.S. stockholder, and an exemption from U.S. tax in the hands of a non-U.S. stockholder.
However, if properly reported by a RIC as such, dividend distributions by the RIC derived from certain interest income (such distributions, “interest-related dividends”) and certain net short-term capital gains (such distributions, “short-term capital gain dividends”) generally are exempt from U.S. withholding tax otherwise imposed on non-U.S. stockholders. Interest-related dividends are dividends that are attributable to “qualified net interest income” ( i.e ., “qualified interest income,” which generally consists of certain interest and OID on obligations “in registered form” as well as interest on bank deposits earned by a RIC, less allocable deductions) from sources within the United States. Short-term capital gain dividends are dividends that are attributable to net short-term capital gains, other than short-term capital gains recognized on the disposition of U.S. real property interests, earned by a RIC. However, no assurance can be given as to whether any of our distributions will be eligible for this exemption from U.S. withholding tax or, if eligible, will be reported as such by us. Furthermore, in the case of shares of our stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may have withheld U.S. federal income tax even if we reported the payment as an interest-related dividend or short-term capital dividend. Since our common stock will be subject to significant transfer restrictions, and an investment in our common stock will generally be , non-U.S. stockholders whose distributions on our common stock are subject to U.S. withholding tax may not be to transfer their shares of our common stock or quickly or at all.
A failure of any portion of our distributions to qualify for the exemption for interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends would not affect the treatment of non-U.S. stockholders that qualify for an exemption from U.S. withholding tax on dividends by reason of their special status (for example, foreign government-related entities and certain pension funds resident in favorable treaty jurisdictions).
We may retain income and capital gains in excess of what is permissible for excise tax purposes and such amounts will be subject to 4% U.S. federal excise tax, reducing the amount available for distribution to taxpayers.
We may retain some income and capital gains in the future, including for purposes of providing us with additional liquidity, which amounts would be subject to the 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax. In that event, we will be liable for the tax on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement. See Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.
Our business may be adversely affected if we fail to maintain our qualification as a RIC.
To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the Annual Distribution Requirement, 90% Income Test and Diversification Tests described below and defined and further described in Item 1. Business—“Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences .” The Annual Distribution Requirement will be satisfied if we distribute dividends to our stockholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid. In this regard, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M of the Code. We will be subject to tax, at regular corporate rates, on any retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. We must also satisfy the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, which is an additional distribution requirement with respect to each calendar year in order to avoid the imposition of a 4% excise tax on the amount of any under-distribution. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may, in the future, be subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to the distribution requirements. If we are to obtain cash from other sources, or chose or be required to retain a portion of our taxable income or , we could (i) be required to pay excise tax and (ii) to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on our taxable income (including ).
The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if we earn at least 90% of our gross income each taxable year from distributions, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities. The Diversification
Tests will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy the Diversification Tests, at least 50% of the value of our assets at the close of each quarter of each taxable year must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of our assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.
We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to U.S. federal and state corporate income taxes. We also may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes). If we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions.
We may be impacted by changes in federal tax legislation.
At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing RICs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. Any of those new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our stockholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an investment in our shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
Investing in our common stock involves an above average degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objectives may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Therefore, an investment in shares of our common stock may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance. In addition, our common stock is intended for long-term investors who can accept the risks of investing primarily in illiquid loans and other debt or debt-like instruments and should not be treated as a trading vehicle.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock that will prevail in the market may be higher or lower than the price you pay and may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:
significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of BDCs or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;
price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
the inclusion or exclusion of our stock from certain indices;
changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs;
any loss of RIC or BDC status;
changes in earnings or perceived changes or variations in operating results;
changes or perceived changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;
changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;
any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;
the inability of our Advisor to employ additional experienced investment professionals or the departure of any of our Advisor’s key personnel;
short-selling pressure with respect to shares of our common stock or BDCs generally;
future sales of our securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our common stock or the conversion of such securities;
uncertainty surrounding the strength of the U.S. economy;
concerns regarding European sovereign debt and economic activity generally;
operating performance of companies comparable to us;
general economic trends and other external factors; and
loss of a major funding source.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If our stock price fluctuates significantly, we may be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.
We cannot assure you that a market for shares of our common stock will be maintained or the market price of our shares will trade close to NAV.
We cannot assure you that a trading market for our common stock can be sustained. In addition, we cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade, whether at, above or below NAV. Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount from NAV, and our common stock may also be discounted in the market. In addition, if our common stock trades below its NAV, we will generally not be able to sell additional shares of our common stock to the public at its market price without, among other things, the requisite stockholders approve such a sale.
Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
We have 64,868,507 shares of common stock outstanding. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the availability of such shares for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our common stock. If this occurs and continues, it could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities should we desire to do so.
Our stockholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our DRIP.
We have adopted a DRIP, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash distributions declared by the Board on behalf of stockholders who do not elect to receive their distributions in cash. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash distribution, then our stockholders who have not opted out of our DRIP will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested (net of applicable withholding tax) in additional common stock, rather than receiving the cash distribution. See Item 1. Business “ Dividend Reinvestment Plan ” for a description of our dividend policy and obligations.
If on the payment date for any distribution, the most recently computed NAV per share is equal to or less than the closing market price plus estimated per share fees (which include any applicable brokerage commissions the plan agent is required to pay), the plan agent will invest the distribution amount in newly issued shares on behalf of the participants. The number of newly issued shares to be credited to a participant’s account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the distribution by the most recently computed NAV per share provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the then current market price per share, the dollar amount of the distribution will be divided by 95% of the market price on the payment date. Accordingly, participants in the DRIP may receive a greater number shares of our common stock than the number of shares associated with the market price of our common stock, resulting in dilution for other stockholders. Stockholders that opt out of our DRIP will experience dilution in their ownership percentage of our common stock over time.
We may in the future determine to issue preferred stock, which could adversely affect the market value of our common stock.
The issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms more favorable to the holders of preferred stock than to our common stockholders could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. In addition, the dividends on any preferred stock we issue must be cumulative. Payment of dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of preferred stock must take preference over any distributions or other payments to our common stockholders, and holders of preferred stock are not subject to any of our expenses or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference (other than convertible preferred stock that converts into common stock). In addition, under the 1940 Act, participating preferred stock and preferred stock constitutes a “senior security” for purposes of the asset coverage test.
There is a risk that you may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time and a portion of our distributions may be a return of capital.
We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this Annual Report. If we are unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, or if we violate certain covenants under our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility, our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders could be limited because we may be required by its terms to use all payments of interest and principal that we receive from our current investments as well as any proceeds received from the sale of our current investments to repay amounts outstanding thereunder. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with covenants under our debt agreements or any future credit or other borrowing facility and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.
Furthermore, the tax treatment and characterization of our distributions may vary significantly from time to time due to the nature of our investments. The ultimate tax characterization of our distributions made during a taxable year may not finally be determined until after the end of that taxable year. The distributions we pay to our stockholders in a year may exceed our net ordinary income and capital gains for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes that would reduce a stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock or preferred stock and correspondingly increase such stockholder’s gain, or reduce such stockholder’s loss, on disposition of such shares. Distributions in excess of a stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock or preferred stock will generally constitute capital gains to such stockholder.
A distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not a distribution of the RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains. Accordingly, stockholders should carefully read any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from us and the information about the specific tax characteristics of our distributions provided to stockholders after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our net ordinary income or capital gains.
Our stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage.
Our stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares of our common stock we issue in the future. To the extent that we issue additional equity interests at or below NAV your percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any future and the value of our investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares of our common stock.
Under the 1940 Act, we generally are prohibited from issuing or selling shares of our common stock at a price below NAV per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with certain public companies. We may, however, sell up to 25% of our then outstanding shares of our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire shares of our common stock, at a price below the current NAV of shares of our common stock if the Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders, including a majority of those stockholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board, closely approximates the fair value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing shares of our common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time will decrease and you will experience dilution.
We may incur significant costs as a result of being a public company.
Public companies incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements,
including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, we may incur significant additional costs as a result of being a public company. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, which are discussed below. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, significant resources and management oversight may be required. We may be implementing additional procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We may incur significant additional annual expenses related to these steps and, among other things, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to our Administrator to compensate it for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses.
We are obligated to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or our internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
We are required to comply with the independent auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act beginning with this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Complying with Section 404 requires a rigorous compliance program as well as adequate time and resources. We may not be able to complete our internal control evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. Additionally, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our auditors are unable to attest to management’s report on the effectiveness of our internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would have a material adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
General Risk Factors
Global capital markets could enter a period of severe disruption and instability. These conditions have historically affected and could again materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets in the United States and around the world and our business.
From time to time, the global capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability resulting in increasing spreads between the yields realized on riskier debt securities and those realized on risk-free securities, a lack of liquidity in parts of the debt capital markets, volatility in the financial services sector, including bank failures, or the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated market. Deteriorating market conditions could result in increasing volatility and illiquidity in the global credit, debt and equity markets generally. The duration and ultimate effect of such market conditions cannot be accurately forecasted. Deteriorating market conditions and uncertainty regarding economic markets generally could result in declines in the market values of potential investments or declines in the market values of investments after they are made or acquired by us and affect the potential for liquidity events involving such investments or portfolio companies. Such may be by other events, such as the of significant financial institutions or hedge funds, dislocations in other investment markets or other extrinsic events. Applicable accounting standards require us to determine the fair value of our investments as the amount that would be received in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, as part of our valuation process we consider a number of measures, including comparison to publicly traded securities. As a result, in the public capital markets can affect our investment valuations.
During any such periods of market disruption and instability, we and other companies in the financial services sector may have limited access, if any, to alternative markets for debt and equity capital. Equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions that will apply to us as a BDC, we will generally not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at a price less than net asset value (“NAV”) without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our Independent Directors. In addition, our ability to incur indebtedness (including by issuing preferred stock) is limited by applicable regulations such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, must equal at least 200% (or 150% if certain disclosure and approval requirements are met) immediately after each time we incur indebtedness. The debt capital that will be available, if any, may be at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions in the future. Any inability to raise capital could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A prolonged period of market illiquidity may cause us to reduce the volume of loans and debt securities we originate and/or fund and adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies, and defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.
Many of the portfolio companies in which we have invested or expect to make investments are likely to be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during such periods. Therefore, the number of our non-performing assets is likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during such periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and debt securities and the value of our equity investments. If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines during the term of our loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. Thus, economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We consider a number of factors in making our investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the financial condition and prospects of a portfolio company and its ability to repay our loan. economic conditions could affect the valuations of our portfolio companies and, as a result, make it more for such portfolio companies to repay or refinance our loan. Therefore, these events could prevent us from increasing our investments and our operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize such portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the loans and debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt.
The capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability. Such market conditions may materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets, which may have a negative impact on our business and operations.
From time to time, capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability. Such disruptions may result in, amongst other things, write-offs, the re-pricing of credit risk, the failure of financial institutions or worsening general economic conditions, any of which could materially and adversely impact the broader financial and credit markets and reduce the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial services firms in particular. There can be no assurance these market conditions will not occur or worsen in the future, including as a result of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, outbreaks of disease epidemics and pandemics such as the avian influenza and the coronavirus (COVID-19), rising interest rates or renewed inflationary pressure.
Equity capital may be difficult to raise during such periods of adverse or volatile market conditions because, subject to some limited exceptions, as a BDC, we are generally not able to issue additional common stock at a price less than net asset value without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our Independent Directors.
Volatility and dislocation in the capital markets can also create a challenging environment in which to raise or access debt capital. Such conditions could make it difficult to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness with similar terms and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. If we are unable to raise or refinance debt, then our equity investors may not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage and we may be limited in our ability to make new commitments or to fund existing commitments to our portfolio companies.
Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets may also have a negative effect on the valuations of our investments. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity).
Significant changes in the capital market may adversely affect the pace of our investment activity and economic activity generally. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital if required, and as a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments if we were required to sell them for liquidity purposes. An inability to raise or access capital, and any required sale of all or a portion of our investments as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are highly dependent on information systems, and systems failures or cyber-attacks could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the value of shares of our common stock and our ability to pay distributions.
Our business is highly dependent on the communications and information systems of Bain Capital Credit. In addition, certain of these systems are provided to Bain Capital Credit by third-party service providers. Any failure or interruption of such systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any such third-party service provider, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. This, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, these systems are subject to potential attacks, including cyber espionage, malware, ransomware, and other types of hacking, may threaten the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. These attacks may involve a third party gaining unauthorized access to our communications or information systems for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, or data, or sabotaging our systems or causing other operational . Any such attack could result in to our business, or financial data, liability for assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, and to our business relationships, any of which could have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Moreover, the increased use of mobile and cloud technologies due to the proliferation of remote work resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could heighten these and other operational risks as certain aspects of the security of such technologies may be complex and unpredictable. Reliance on mobile or cloud technology or any failure by mobile technology and cloud service providers to adequately safeguard their systems and prevent cyber-attacks could disrupt our operations, the operations of a portfolio company or the operations of our or their service providers and result in misappropriation, corruption or loss of personal, confidential or proprietary information or the inability to conduct ordinary business operations. In addition, there is a risk that encryption and other protective measures may be circumvented, particularly to the extent that new computing technologies increase the speed and computing power available. Extended periods of remote working, whether by us, our portfolio companies, or our service providers, could strain technology resources, introduce operational risks and otherwise heighten the risks described above. Remote working environments may be less secure and more to hacking attacks, including phishing and social engineering attempts. Accordingly, the risks described above, are heightened under the current conditions.
The Company and Bain Capital Credit may be subject to numerous laws in various jurisdictions relating to privacy and the storage, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of information that we and our affiliates hold. The European Union’s (the “EU”) General Data Protection Regulation, the Cayman Islands Data Protection Law, 2017, and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 are examples of such laws, and Bain Capital Credit anticipates new privacy and data protection laws will be passed in other jurisdictions in the future. In general, these laws introduce many new obligations on Bain Capital Credit and its affiliates and service providers and create new rights for parties who have given us their personal information, such as investors and others.
In addition, cybersecurity has become a top priority for global lawmakers and regulators around the world, and some jurisdictions have proposed or enacted laws requiring companies to notify regulators and individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. Compliance with such laws and regulations may result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. If the Company or the Advisor or certain of their affiliates, fail to comply with the relevant and increasing laws and regulations, the Company could suffer financial losses, a disruption of our businesses, liability to investors, regulatory intervention or reputational damage.
Breach of these laws could result in significant financial penalties for Bain Capital Credit and/or us. As interpretation of these laws evolves and new laws are passed, Bain Capital Credit could be required to make changes to its business practices, which could result in additional risks, costs and liabilities to us and adversely affect investment returns. While Bain Capital Credit intends to comply with its privacy and data protection obligations under the privacy and data protection laws that are applicable to it, it is possible that Bain Capital Credit will not be able to accurately anticipate the ways in which regulators and courts will apply or interpret these laws. A violation of applicable privacy and data protection law could result in negative publicity and/or subject Bain Capital Credit or us, to significant costs associated with litigation, settlements, regulatory action, judgments, liabilities and/or penalties.
We are subject to risks associated with artificial intelligence.
In recent years, technological advances have fueled the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, including machine learning and similar tools and technologies that collect, aggregate, analyze or generate data or other materials (collectively, “AI”), in particular generative AI, and accordingly, the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in a number of sectors. Due to the rate at which AI is improving and the scope of its potential application broadening, at this time, it is unclear what impact (including, where relevant, opportunities) AI may have on the Company and/or the Company’s investments, as well as the wider financial sector. Recent
technological advances in AI pose risks to us, the Advisor, and our portfolio investments. We and our portfolio investments could also be
exposed to the risks of AI if third-party service providers or any counterparties, whether or not known to us, also use AI in their business
activities. We and our portfolio companies may not be in a position to control the use of AI technology in third-party products or services.
Use of AI could include the input of confidential information in contravention of applicable policies, contractual or other
obligations or restrictions, resulting in such confidential information becoming accessible by other third-party AI applications and users. Inappropriate deployment of AI by a portfolio investment of the Company could have a material adverse impact on such investment, and therefore a negative impact on the Company and investors. In addition, the use of AI by bad actors could heighten the sophistication and
effectiveness of cyber and security attacks experienced by our portfolio companies and the Advisor.
Independent of its context of use, AI technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data,
and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that AI technology utilizes to operate. Certain data in
such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error — potentially materially so — and could otherwise be inadequate or
flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of AI technology. To the extent that we or our portfolio investments are
exposed to the risks of AI use, any such inaccuracies or errors could have adverse impacts on us or our investments.
The rise of AI has also brought a renewed focus from governments and regulators on the regulation of such technology. AI is the subject of ongoing review by various U.S. governmental and regulatory agencies, and various U.S. states and other non-U.S. jurisdictions are applying, or are considering applying, their platform moderation, cybersecurity, and data protection laws to AI or are considering general legal frameworks for AI, such as the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act. Other jurisdictions (including the U.S. and UK) are considering or proposing their own approaches to the regulation of AI. Such laws and/or regulations could have a material adverse impact on the Company and/or the Company’s investments.
Uncertainty about presidential administration initiatives could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
There is significant uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal level, as well as the state and local levels. Recent events have created a climate of heightened uncertainty and introduced new and difficult-to-quantify macroeconomic and political risks with potentially far-reaching implications. There has been a corresponding meaningful increase in the uncertainty surrounding interest rates, inflation, foreign exchange rates, trade volumes and fiscal and monetary policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or the current administration implements changes to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, corporate taxes, healthcare, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. Although we cannot predict the impact, if any, of these changes to our business, they could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Until we know what policy changes are made and how those changes impact our business and the business of our competitors over the long term, we will not know if, overall, we will benefit from them or be negatively affected by them. U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit have increased the possibility of additional credit-rating and economic or a in the United States.
Inflation and actions by central banks or monetary authorities, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, to address inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies.
Certain of our portfolio companies may be impacted by inflation as well as actions by central banks or monetary authorities, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, to address inflation. If such portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs along to their customers, it could adversely affect their results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on our loans. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in future unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations.
Actions by the U.S. Federal Reserve and certain other central banks or monetary authorities may have a significant effect on interest rates and on the economy generally, which in turn may affect the price of the securities in which the Company plans to invest. It is difficult to predict the magnitude or timing of these interest rate changes and the impact such actions will have on the Company’s portfolio companies and the markets where they operate.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the loans and debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such loans and securities, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. In light of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.
We may be the target of litigation or stockholder activism.
We may be the target of securities litigation in the future, particularly if the value of shares of our common stock fluctuates significantly. We could also generally be subject to litigation, including derivative actions by our stockholders. In addition our investment activities subject us to litigation relating to the bankruptcy process and the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where we exercise control or significant influence over a portfolio company’s direction. In addition,
stockholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, including making public demands that we consider
strategic alternatives, engaging in public campaigns to attempt to influence our corporate governance and/or our management, and
commencing proxy contests to attempt to elect the activists' representatives or others to the Board, has increased in the BDC space in
recent years. Any litigation or stockholder activism could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business and cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such litigation or
stockholder activism could also give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with service
providers, make it more difficult for Bain Capital Credit to attract and retain qualified personnel, and subject our stock price to significant
fluctuation or other adverse effects arising from the events, risks and uncertainties of any such litigation or activism.
Geopolitical events have a material adverse impact on us and our portfolio companies.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, countries worldwide, including the United States, have imposed sanctions against Russia on certain businesses and individuals, including, but not limited to, those in the banking, import and export sectors. This invasion has led, is currently leading, and for an unknown period of time will continue to lead to disruptions in local, regional, national, and global markets and economies affected thereby. The outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East could also escalate further. The extent and duration of these military actions, conflicts and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but have been and could continue to be substantial, and any such market disruptions could affect our portfolio companies’ operations. As a result, our portfolio investments could decline in value or our valuation of them could become uncertain.
Our business is dependent on bank relationships and recent strain on the banking system may adversely impact us.
The financial markets recently have encountered volatility associated with concerns about the banking industry, especially small and regional banks who may have significant losses associated with investments that make it difficult to fund demands to withdraw deposits and other liquidity needs. Although the federal government has announced measures to assist these banks and protect depositors, some banks have already been impacted, including suffering bank failures, and others may be materially and adversely impacted. Our business is dependent on bank relationships and we are proactively monitoring the financial health of such bank relationships. Continued strain on the banking system may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We and/or our portfolio companies may be materially and adversely impacted by global climate change.
Global climate change is widely considered to be a significant threat to the global economy. Real estate and similar assets in particular may face risks associated with climate change, including risks related to the impact of climate-related legislation and regulation (both domestically and internationally), risks related to climate-related business trends, and risks stemming from the physical impacts of climate change, such as the increasing frequency or severity of extreme weather events and rising sea levels and temperatures. Additionally, regulatory and voluntary initiatives launched by international, federal, state, and regional policymakers and regulatory authorities as well as private actors seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may expose real estate and similar assets to so-called “transition risks” in addition to physical risks, such as: (i) political and policy risks (e.g., changing regulatory incentives and legal requirements, including with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, that could result in increased costs or changes in business operations), (ii) regulatory and litigation risks (e.g., changing legal requirements that could result in increased permitting, tax and compliance costs, changes in business operations, or the discontinuance of certain operations, and litigation seeking monetary or injunctive relief related to impacts related to climate change), (iii) technology and market risks (e.g., market for assets, products and services seen as greenhouse gas intensive or less than alternatives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and (iv) reputational risks (e.g., risks tied to changing investor, customer or community perceptions of an asset’s relative contribution to greenhouse gas emissions). We cannot rule out the possibility that climate risks, including changes in weather and climate patterns, could result in or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent completion of investment activities or the management of real estate and similar assets once undertaken, any of which could have a material effect on an investment, or us.
We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.
Our business faces increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") activities, which are increasingly considered to contribute to the long-term sustainability of a company’s performance. A variety of organizations measure the performance of companies on ESG topics, and the results of these assessments are widely publicized. In addition, investment in funds that
specialize in investing in companies that perform well in such assessments are increasingly popular, and major institutional investors have publicly emphasized the importance of such ESG measures to their investment decisions.
Our brand and reputation may be negatively impacted if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as considering ESG factors in our investment processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand and our relationships with stockholders, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG could adversely affect our business. We are, and our portfolio companies may be, or could in the future become subject to the risk that new regulatory initiatives might be introduced in other jurisdictions in the future. Compliance with any new laws or regulations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we or our portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability. On the other hand, certain state governments have begun to challenge the use of ESG factors in investment decisions, potentially setting up conflicting standards for the Company to address.
